Train of Thought Post

My thoughts and life have been very, very busy this spring, so hang on cause we are going ALL over the place.

We have been "doing" school for the last three weeks non stop. As in everyday of the week, 6:30 AM until usually evening off and on. We have gone through 20 spelling lists, 5 almost 6 books and covered from after Lewis and Clark up until the Civil War. It has been a wild, informative and at times trying couple of weeks. This crazy pace is a good lesson as why we should stay structured and do our daily work!! But really this year I have not had the energy to get back on it until now, and that is just going to have to be ok!! Because I said it is ok ;)

With spring coming I am starting to feel less sad days remembering my aunt and more days of peace. I know the business of a young family helps to keep my mind occupied. It seems hard to believe that just this time last spring we had no idea of what was to come.

Well I can officially let out that I am going to be an aunt in October. My sister is pregnant and it is KILLING me that she is so far away!! Hopefully she will be back home this time next year if all goes well with relocating their jobs. I am terribly excited and can't wait to be the most favoritest aunt ever!! And a pretty cool sister-in-law, I might add!

We should be done with our 5th grade curriculum by the end of June if we stay on this accelerated schedule. I have pretty much just have hunkered down and we eat, sleep, and breathe school. If we take July off we will go to the lake for a few weeks to be with Lyns, and then start back up school mid August.

Liv is just starting to read and is very excited. It has come very easy to her, and can I just say, AMEN, thank you Jesus!!! I needed an easy reader. After Maddy, I just might have given up if Liv was hard to teach to read. I am sure that the most of the problem with Maddy and reading was because I didn't know what I was doing. In fact as first born she will be my guinea pig, poor Maddy. It will be a wonder if she comes out ok at all. Sadly I was also a firstborn and know the injustices of being first!

Well the economy is in the toilet and I cannot believe how many people I know are out of work. I guess I take a lot of comfort in the reality that I hold a nursing license and could go back and work if it gets really bad. I volunteer monthly with a low cost food program out of our church and our orders doubled this month. The demographic has usually been retirees and fixed income families. However this month it was more middle class young families all with the same story of losing jobs. It has really started me thinking on shoring up our ship for any stormy weather! Hey the nautical reference is likely because we just finished the book All Set Sail. It was nautical nightmare of 1800 terms and salty dog sea jargon! My kids thought it was so funny every time I said the captain was on the "poop". I would get snickers every time and believe me there was many references to the poop deck!

And since I like to garden and do crafty pioneery type projects I have launched the biggest spring garden project to date. I am planning on reserves to can, and freeze. I am also soaping in my free time ;) Just kidding didn't you read above, I have no free time til July.

And in the midst of all this Mike has reconnected with his biological fathers side of the family. They have been so nice and kind and it was through them I have received some of those baby pictures I posted. It is a long story involving an Indian Pow Wow, and a death that happened 10 years ago, and I will leave you hanging on that until next time.

So now you are caught up

Maddy's 11th Birthday

Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom

Happy Birthday at Rain Forest Cafe

We rode Expedition Everest 5 times!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, dad "It's A Small World , is NOT my favorite ride!!"

Maddy and I are complete idiots, I decided to be a cool mom and say yes, we can ride Splash Mountain on one of the coldest nights of the year! I just wanted to not have to say no to her, there is a lesson here!!

Well I realized my parenting error as soon as I sat down in a puddle of water in the front of the boat! As it launched, I got this sick feeling that Mike, who was waiting outside for us, was going to have a great time saying I told you so!!

Yeah, we walked off drenched and miserable, and Maddy said, Mom, "Why didn't you stop me, you're supposed to say "no"!! Like I said there is a lesson here.

I'm cold, and wet!!

Happy Birthday Maddy!!

Wishes Do Come True

For Liv's sixth birthday Liv and I went to Disney

We got to ride in the front of the monorail as co-captain
We had passes from friends that allowed us to go to ALL the parks, so we did just that!
Liv rode Big Thunder Mountain
And traded pins with all the cast members
Epcot

Expedition Everest, and yes Liv climbed Mt Everest and believe me it was an intense ride!!
MGM
A little spoon full of sugar with Mary Poppins!
Dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe & a little birthday cake...
And finally we ended the day back at the Magic Kingdom for the Wishes fireworks show
And Olivia said... Mom, "wishes do come true.. this is the best birthday ever.."


Happy Birthday Olivia!!

Momma T

This is my grandmother Momma T. She lives in Georgia. She was my home away from home when I went to college. There was nothing better than coming to her home for a home cooked meal and laundry service =) She is 82 and can run circles around any of us. She is the person that I get my love of travelling from. She has travelled all over the world, and just retuned from Nova Scotia last month. She has a trip next year planned down the Rhine River. Go Momma T!!!