The Treat of the Trade

In my attempt to shed some weight and be happy with my self naked, or at least that is what Pintrest is wanting me to do, I tried Zumba for the first time this morning. My great husband got the Zumba for the Wii, O about 6 months ago, for me. And even though that made him a great husband, what makes him even greater is he hasn't held it against me for never opening it. So tomorrow when he comes home I will have new news to share with him. "Hey, I'm really sore, but I opened my Zumba!!" Jaxon joined in and we learned the Cumbia in slow motion and he was actually doing better than me in keeping up with 'Benito'. He's my Wii Zumba instructor. I'm glad they gave me a guy. Don't think I could have followed a skinny toned animated women instructor. I would have been like, "Do you want me to make you a hot dog?" or "Do you want some cookie dough and a Dr Pepper?" But Benito was cool and understood I'm a fatty. I had to enter my w...

  I have to say that I had no idea when Jill picked up the violin in the 5th grade that she would be so good at it now. She has been praised by her teachers all year. They think we pay for her to have private lessons or that shes been playing all of her life. Well, we do make her practice everyday and she literally didn't know how to play the first time she picked it up. I hope she continues to have an interest in this instrument and it takes her far in life.     She is good at everything she does, in all honesty. Shes your typical pre-teen. Shes had her share of heartbreaks and let downs all of her life. And since she has been living here its like she has learned not to let these things keep her down. She simply rolls with the punches and brushes her self off and takes on life again. Maybe in a different approach then some. But she knows that no one else is living her life but her. For her strong will and determination I am thankful I am a part of that.

  Since he could talk he has had a certain Independence about him. "I do it". I loved it when his little voice would say those words. Even though he sometimes had no clue what he was doing. Or he wanted to lend a helping hand with me, I have always admired that he was a hands on learner .     Now that he is 4 he really doesn't need much help getting dressed. I still stay present just in case he needs my help. "I do it all by myself" are the words he says now. It makes me a little sad that he doesn't need me for everything now.     "I'm hungry" are words I hear alot from him. So I tell him find something to eat and I will help you make it. I let him put the snack ideas together. He can open the fridge. He can open the pantry. So he can grab whatever his little heart desires.     Here he is with minimal help from me making a peanut butter sandwich. "Watch me mom" are the words I hear when he does something a...

  I used to give the girls two options for good report cards. A night at the movies of their choice or a night out to eat of their choice. Well those rewards didn't last very long. Jessie had the bright idea last year that they should get to dye their hair in the color of their choice. I have to say it was different. I liked the night out to eat. It was a win win for all of us! But it is their hard work and their reward at the end of the 6 weeks so.....the hair dying choice stayed. And will continue until they run out of hair color ideas.     Jessie went with purple. We did her hair the last weekend of Christmas Break. Her lowest grade was a 93. She has maintained the A Honor Roll for two 6 week periods in a row! So if she wants purple hair for her hard work....then she gets purple hair!!     Jill had a hard time with math the last 6 weeks. Although it was a C, the deal is that they have to bring home As and Bs to get their "r...

    I find alot of things in the pockets and laundry baskets of the kids. I have a change jar on my dryer and have actually been able to cash it in before because it was so full. I guess that's their way of paying me for my services. I have had to explain to the girls that sometimes things don't get found before I put the clothes in the washer and it will ruin it. They don't care. I'm on washer #2. I want a new one, but I think I will wait until they are old enough to save their change and go to a laundry mate. The crayons I washed and dried didn't make the picture. They had melted on a load of towels and Jessie's clothes back in the summer. That was a fun afternoon. Cleaning melted crayon out of the dryer. O well. They will have these experiences one day and finally know what I was talking about! 

  Well the school called and that makes the 2nd time in a month that my little man had to leave due to being sick. I took him to the Dr yesterday and his fever was high and that led to a rash and he had an ear infection. *SIGH* Can winter please be over? Like yesterday?     This is the look of someone that wasn't too impressed that the Dr was about to give him a shot. Well 2 actually. He was ready to go home and eat something and lay down. We had been there 3 1/2 hours! Wasn't a fun afternoon!       And finally we were able to go to bed. I absolutely hate when he is sick. He's the kid that doesn't complain when something is actually wrong. Even though when he is trying to get out of eating all of his dinner, or getting out of bath time, or trying to push that bedtime back, then he all of a sudden he "doesn't feel good". But when something like this takes over him he still tries to make it thru his day.    Its part ...

  I love new sharpies!! I also love the projects I have coming up where I use them! :) Happy Thursday!!

That's right!! I have proudly started and completed 2 projects so far this month! I saw a bookshelf idea on Pintrest a while back. They only covered the back of the bookshelf with fabric and painted everything else. I did mine a little different. I covered the shelves in fabric and my husband painted the rest of the bookshelf. With the help of Jill picking out the fabric for their room, I think it turned out great!!     My next project of the month was making picture tiles for my grandma. 6 4x4 tiles from Lowes, some square cork bottoms, and some farm themed scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby, I printed the pictures from when my grandma, Jaxon, and myself went to the Farm and Ranch show and he sat or layed in all of the big tires. I remember my grandma getting a kick out of that and wanted her to have the pictures. Looks better this way instead of in her photo album.       This is the finished bookshelf. I do h...

We are only 9 days into the new year and I have made 2 crafts that i have pinned,. I am stoked. I haven't really started my "clean eating" dilemma, but I have eaten out 2 days in a row for lunch this week. *SIGH* But it is only the 9th day. Ill be more worried when December 2013 is creeping around and I still don't have half of my resolutions list completed. I was ready. Like overly ready for Christmas break to be over. Success with Christmas. Kids were happy. Christmas dinner was great. And something I could eat daily. New Years Eve was great. Except I rang in the New Year alone. Josh was at work. Jill was in Oklahoma. Jaxon and Jessie were asleep by 930! *SIGH* At least we were full, warm and had a cozy bed to sleep in. I am grateful and blessed. I should have added to my resolution list that I need to appreciate my home more. I don't like the neighborhood i live in, but should be thankful i am a part of one. Our house could use new siding and we need new wi...

    It is here!! Happy New Year!! May your 2013 be your best year yet!! I know mine will!! Happy Tuesday!! :)