Birthday's Galore!

I am finally catching up on my posts...

Samantha's Sweet Sixteen!
I am truly bummed that the pictures did not turn out for her birthday. (I really need a new camera Santa). Sam's dad gave her a car for her birthday and we gave her spending cash for new clothes. It is tradition in our family that on non-party years we go to the birthday person's favorite restaurant. Sam chose the China City Buffet and it was super yummy! We almost asked them to sing to her, but we envisioned a scene like the one in "A Christmas Story" where the Chinese staff is singing "Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra" instead of "Fa-la-la-la", so we passed on embarrassing her at the restaurant. We then went shopping for several hours (seriously, she tries on the whole store). All clothes had to be Mom and Sam approved. It was fun to spend time with her and shop till her money was gone. She does not have her license just yet (she has a couple of requirements to meet first), but she will probably get it when the semester is over. So - watch out world! Sam is on the streets!

Christian's B-day!
The big boy is now 11. Where has the time gone? My "baby" is 11? I guess I'm starting to feel old now when my youngest child is passing my shoulder and has the same size feet as me. *sigh* Christian's birthday was spent with the family and his restaurant pick was to have Papa John's pizza delivered. Christian also opted for spending cash and bought several games for his Game Boy Advance (his only item on his Christmas list this year was a Nintendo DS). At least he will be able to play these new games he bought on the "hoped for" gift.

Christian also needs glasses now. All my kids got my bad genes in that department. So here he is in his new spectacles.

Marlayna's B-day!
Poor Marlayna is last in the birthday season. She always has to wait patiently through her siblings birthday's before finally getting hers. she is now 13 and growing more beautiful every day. Her restaurant pick was the Golden Corral and we pigged out there too. I'm sure I gained back the 5 pounds I lost during the birthdays. She also opted for cash this year. Older kids seem to enjoy picking out their own gifts. Or, maybe I'm just not good at shopping for what they want. Marlayna is much faster at picking out what she wants and was done in about 30 minutes. She bought new clothes as well.

We are all another year older. Imagine that.

What kind of Pie are YOU?

This is what it came up for me. I admit that the profile seems about right, yet my favorite pie to eat is pumpkin. Enjoy! ~ Celeste

P.S. I'm a bit behind on the posts I wanted to put up. We've had tons of birthdays, an anniversary, and a couple of fieldtrips that I wanted to put pictures up for. My camera is a stinky one (maybe Santa will bring me a newer one) so I'm having trouble with my pics. Hopefully they will be up soon.

You Are Lemon Meringue Pie

You're the perfect combo of sassy and sweet. You always know how to brighten someone's mood, but you're not overly sappy. In fact, you can be a bit too honest at times. And most people find that refreshing. While you're always true to yourself, you keep things light. That's how people are able to stomach your slightly bitter outlook. Those who like you have well refined tastes. You're complicated - and let's face it - a true enigma. You enjoy defying expectations, and there are many layers to your personality. There's not one easy way to define you.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Changes & Burnout

At least I like changes in general or all the changes in my life would drive me batty. I have moved something like 25 times in my life (which is not every year just in case you thought I was still in my 20's ha-ha - NOT!) I can typically accept change, in fact I sometimes crave change.

Changes
Christian is back at traditional home school. The online school was not flexible enough for him and was not going to allow us to catch-up like I originally thought they would. Still, it is a good choice for Marlayna so she is sticking with Arizona Connections Academy. She has different teachers for each subject (just like regular middle school) and reports directly to them. I do not grade anything! Wow, what a time saver.

Earlier this year I put Christian in the local public school, which did not go well, and now the online schools we have tried did not go well. Christian wants to be home and I want him home, so we will just have to go the route of traditional home school where I chose the curriculum that fits him. Luckily, we started out the year that way and so I have all the books. Some of these changes also had to do with my dear hubby, Mike. He was behind some of the suggestions to put Christian into public school. I do not think he was wrong, just maybe now he sees what is really needed. I can't blame him for not understanding because he is not the one who educates the kids. Mike has always been supportive, but he saw me struggling...which leads to my next subject...and wanted to ease my burdens. Thank goodness I have a husband who loves me enough to make these types of suggestions to save my sanity.

Burnout
I am facing serious burnout right now. I am a part-time student, full-time mom, full-time wife, full-time home schooler, have two callings, deal with teens, and have Fibromyalgia (which the change in weather is making me ache). Enough said?!? Not to mention all the car-pooling from our middle-of-nowhere location to town which eats up hours of my day (not to mention my gas!). Teens and kids need constant chauffeuring. I am behind on my classes, yet I am so stressed I find myself needing to just sit an veg, which of course, makes me feel guilty. I do not know how those of you with 5, 6, and 7 kids can do all that you do. I am thinking that now is not the time for me to be continuing my own education.

Christmas Stress
Usually I have STARTED shopping for Christmas by now. I wish I had because that worry is in the back of my mind all day. I cannot find a Wii! I am driving myself crazy trying to find one. I am thinking we will not get one even though that was the major item the kids all want for the family. Maybe I'll wrap up a big I.O.U. in a box and we'll have to buy one after Christmas when we can find one. I am also thinking of doing my shopping largely online. The cost of shipping is often less than my time and gas diving around trying to locate everything. Not to mention all the websites that have free shipping if one purchases "x" amount. If you know of any sites with free shipping right now, please post!

Superstition Farms Fieldtrip

This Friday I am hosting a fieldtrip for our home schooling support group. Anybody who wants to go is welcome. We will have a hay ride, petting area, demo of a full running dairy, milk included at the farm in tons of flavors.

Email or call me if you are interested in coming.

Shopping with a Pre-Teen Boy

OK - Christian has the least clothes of anybody in our home. He is also, believe it or not, one of the P I C K I E S T!!! This is what I hear when I buy him clothes without taking him with me...

"This tag is scratching me all the time." - So, I cut the tags off, but he finds something else wrong with the shirt.

"My pants are too tight." - They are not that tight, I can stick my finger between his belly and the waist band. My clothes are much tighter than that since gaining weight and being to0 cheap to buy new fat clothes.

"I hate the 'bumpies' in my socks." - His feet really smell now that he is starting to wear real shoes instead of flippies. So I buy new thin, low profile, ankle socks that are $3 a pair and he hates those too. Marlayna gained some new socks that day (and she loves them - go figure).

"I don't like jeans. They make lines on my belly." - Huh? All my clothes leave lines on my body. Why? Because I'm too fat! He is lucky he is not a girl or he would have the saggiest boobs in the world because I cannot imagine him managing to wear bras.

After listening to him complain about everything I buy him I decided he is going with me today to shop and this is what I hear...

"I hate shopping! Can't you just pick out the clothes for me?"

To which I reply, "You hate all the clothes I pick out for you."

"Nu-uh, I like everything you buy."

At this point I list off all the things I have given away, taken back, or is sitting in his drawer that he never wears.

(In a whining tone) "I don't want to go shopping! I'll wear whatever you buy. I promise."

*Sigh* "Nope! You are going with me and I don't want to hear anymore!"

Who thought boys where so difficult to shop with! He goes with me and it takes less than 30 minutes to pick out and try on 2 pairs of pants and 2 shirts. Miraculous! We bought clothes!

Mom Sings William Tell Overture

This is really getting around, but I had to post it here just in case you have NOT seen it already.

I "Googled" Myself

I always hear on TV how you can "Google" anybody and find out their life story. So - being the curious type I decided to type my name into the Google search and see what came up. The real me (You know -not the other fake people with my name) was actually on the list, which surprised me. I was #4 on the list and also a subpost on a friends blog showed up. How weird! I actually have a "web presence" like I keep hearing about in my web design classes.

Give it a try and see if you are "Google-able".

~ Celeste