Good Day, Company Girls!

It's a very rainy and mild day in my part of Canada today...although it's suppose to drop to freezing later on today! At least we're getting rid of the last bits of snow!

Last night I received a wonderful phone call. There is a young man who has been friends with my eldest daughter since they were both in highschool. I always thought that he was very nice, although he had a pretty rough time. You see, he was a foster child....it's one thing to be a foster kid when you're little but he was a teen....not easy. We happen to have a very easy phone number to remember and so last night he called....he lives quite far away...in Calgary....and he was looking to say hi with eldest daughter and needed her phone number...so, we chatted for awhile. I was really touched because he said that being a foster child was a very positive thing in his life! Now, as a former foster parent for 19 years, this just warmed the cockles of my heart. You always like to think that you had a positive influence in the kids lives (no, he wasn't in our home).....you like to know that you've made a difference....a good difference. As a foster parent you can see when a child is removed from a bad situation that it's good for him...you can see, if there are other children left in that bad situation and it didn't go well for them..then you can also see that it was a good thing for that child......but it's very unusual for the child to see it!

Clean Sheets!

This is for The Things I Love Thursday post....I haven't figured out how to put the button on my blog.

Last night hubby changed the sheets on our bed! I have not been able to chamge the sheets on our bed....oh...for most of our married life....(no, we don't have the same sheets on....that's gross...).....darling hubby took over the job....at first it was because he always complained about how I put the sheets on...the top sheet was never up high enough...or it was too high...or it wasn't long enough on his side and he would always end up complaining and remaking...so...I said...'the job is yours'! Hey, I don't fight these things...in the grand scheme of things...is it worth it? ....he's happy ...I'm happy....so it's his job.
The Thursday thing that I love is the smell and feel of clean sheets after a long tiring day!

A Day in the Life of...........

This is Ben........

This is Megan......

Ben is going to be 18 years old in a couple of weeks......pretty good eh...except that developmentally Ben is about the same as your average 6 year old. When Ben first came to live with us when he was 2, his teeth were rotting in his mouth.....the dentist said he didn't have any enamel...poor prenatal nutrition...so at the age of 3, Ben had major dental surgery and ended up with a mouth full of silver teeth, which he kept til his permanent teeth came in . He also had to have several teeth systematically removed over the years so there would be plenty of room and he wouldn't require braces. So, you might say we have a lot of time and money invested in Ben's teeth....which brings me to the crux of my story....sugar...brown sugar. The policy has always been in our house that you didn't put sugar on cereal in the morning. (When you have special needs kids who are on medication, you really try to limit their caffeine, sugar and food colouring ingestion). A while back I purchased these cute little jars from the dollar store...they have little flip tops with metal fasteners (you probably know the kind I mean)....I thought....'I'll just put some white sugar in one and brown in the other...than I wont have to get the big containers out whenever I need a little sugar for something'.....so I did. In a short amount of time I found the containers empty! You guessed it...Ben was the culprit.....so now the jars sit empty....Ben was told ...'no more sugar on cereal'.......fast forward to this morning...usually Ben eats breakfast early, by himself...this morning Maya had to leave for school early so she was in there too....of course being the ever dutiful sister, only concerned with his well being...she had to tattle tail that Ben got the large container of brown sugar down and put some on his cereal......so...another talk with Ben.....the usual ...cavities, needles, pain, hurt....he looked very smugly at me......but it doesn't bother me...I didn't cry (when he had needle freezing for tooth removal).....so, tactic # 2....you see, I just drove him and Megan to the dentist yesterday, sat for two hours while they had their teeth checked and Megan also required sealant on her molars and then paid $332 !!!!!!

Of course, our insurance will reimburse (but I didn't tell Ben that....I also didn't tell him that that cost was for both of them)....I did tell Ben that if he was going to disregard my rule, and put his mouth in danger of not being healthy that he could start getting himself to the dentist, all on his own and that he could pay the bill! I was not going to use my valuable time to do it if he wasn't going to bother. Well, the smug look left his face pretty quickly!

Then we come to Megan......Megan needed a bath and shampoo this morning....Megan can not do these things properly on her own...Megan is 13, 14 in July...but developmentally, she`s about three. So, I have to help her....I was, and still am in a grumpy mood this morn...(too many things that I don`t want to spend my time doing on my list!)......so I went into the bathroom to help her...as I`m shampooing she asks me to shave her armpits....this is a new thing for her and she`s quite taken with it....well, quite frankly I didn`t feel like facing her armpits this morning...so, I said NO!!!! She says...`but it`s just a little hair`.......I replied,...`well, that maybe so, but...I refuse to have the highlight of my day being shaving your armpits!!!!!!!!! She looked at me, confused...a normal expression for her. I know, I know ...a little snarky, aren`t I .....well, we all have our days.....the trouble is that it`s only 8:42 am.

Well, Lookee, Lookee!!!! The Family Homestead!

Eldest son is in the homeland.....well, not mine but hubby's great grandparents......Germany....this is a castle that is suppose to have our name on it! He said that he finally found a place for all my kids! I told him that I might find it a tad difficult to clean....

Hubby is teaching tonight, so it's a long evening...he left at 7:30 this morn and wont return til 10:30pm........I really find these days tedious. I should be working on the V.B.S. crafts for March Break but really don't have the energy......should be reading Chapter five in Dave Ramsey's book (homework).....good grief....should be making a decision about having an almost 12 year old coming to stay with us over March Break...her parents are having a rough time..the dad has cancer....but the child is quite devious and I don't trust her..and I do have my hands full for March Break already....but...if I was going through the same thing I would hope that people would help me out with my kids.........good grief....if anybody has the answer I'd sure be interested.

Well, according to eldest son's comment....maybe we really don't have the ol' homestead....oh well, too many bathrooms to clean anyways!

Some Texas Memories.....

Here's my hubby standing in front of the doors at the Alamo in San Antonio.......

doesn't he look great!......having some supper sitting at the Riverwalk.....

...hubby was fascinated by the huge cactus and had me stand in front of it! :0)

...hubby just loves visiting anything historical so we spent a couple of hours at the Battleship Texas!.........

...and this is what I did a lot of at the hotel while hubby was at his seminar....quilting Verity's quilt.....it's comin'...slow but sure!

Good memories....we were just thinking last might that a week ago we had just arrived in Texas and now here we are...back to the same old, same old......it was a fabulous break and we enjoyed having the time together .........the very most important part of getting away!

Back Home

We have returned from Texas! Sunday was a wonderful day...we attended this humongous church....everything's bigger in Texas y'all...and then we drove for three hours to see the Riverwalk (one of my favourite places) in San Antonio....I'm tellin' ya...even though the actual Valentine's was spent at the hotel with Chick-fil-a for supper, sitting on the Riverwalk having supper at a little Italian place more that made up for it. Good Grief....I'm spoiled! Of course driving for another three hours to get back to the hotel was extremely long and tiring but the trip was definitely worth it.

Yesterday, we woke fairly early (had to get the free breakfast at the hotel, you know), then we returned to our room to repack everything....(how come it never quites fits back the same way it so nicely fit when you originally packed it at home...I mean..who knew that dirty clothes took up so much room!).....then we left to hit a Joannes fabric store to get some Texas material to make a quilt....let's see,...I think that'll be number four on the waiting list.....but it was fun....then we went to another mall across the street to kill some time before going to the airport......some lady at one of the kiosk's decided to give us some free sample soap from the Dead Sea....I'm not sure just what it's suppose to do for you and then she grabbed my one hand and started polishing my one fingernail......she assured me that it would remove all the ridges and make my fingernail shiny for two weeks...no matter what I did to it...wow....but now I have one shiny fingernail and nine dull fingernails...watch out for the glare!

Then we went to the airport and waited for our flight from Houston to Cincinnati and then on to Buffalo......both flights were on small regional jets....not my favourite kind of plane...if I'm going to go down I'd prefer to be in one of those biggy ones....(claustrophobic tendencies, I'm afraid).....I couldn't help but wonder as we were approaching Buffalo about those 49 people last Thursday night who were doing the same thing...about the same time...in the same kind of little jet.....and they didn't land safely.....as I looked around at the people beside me...the woman listening to her ipod (even though the flight attendant had asked for them to be turned off)...the man looking at some business papers....another gazing out the window at the lights of Buffalo....is this what it was like for those people, not expecting anything, anticipating so many things...people awaiting their arrival, family celebrations happening, children waiting for their moms and dads to return.......I wasn't scared,...it just made me wonder ...we never know do we,...the next moment..the next hour...the plans we make.......how many of those people on that plane last week were instantly in heaven...or not.....

It does give you pause.

Houston Continued.....

So far our time in Houston this weekend has been fairly constant...after hubby finished with his seminar we had to move to a different (cheaper) hotel....the one we are at is nice...in fact it's a housekeeping unit so there's a fridge, microwave and even a dishwasher (although there isn't any dishwasher soap...go figure...maybe they really don't want you to do the dishes!) So far we tried out three eating establishments...two that I read other American bloggers talk about...Sonic and Chick-fil-a.......Sonic was okay.....Chick-fil-a was definitely better.....last night we went to the Galleria....this humongous shopping mall that has equally large underground parking....I mention the parking because when it was time to leave we couldn't find our rental car! I thought we had taken note of the area but it turned out that the 'zone' we were in was quite spread out! Well, there was an extremely friendly parking attendant on a golf cart (Texans are the most friendly people!)...she insisted on driving us around the zone until we found our car....which we did, thank the Lord!

Today we went to the Arboretum...which was okay...probably would have been better a little later on in the season....then we went and saw a battleship....hubby loves seeing those things....they had a demonstration of a bunch of different guns being shot....my word were they loud!!!!! It made me wonder how my son who is in the army has any hearing left! Then we went to see this huge monument...the San Jacinto....by that time I was absolutely done in...I can only take so much museum stuff....which hubby just loves....he must have taken a couple of hundred pictures....family...be prepared!

So, tomorrow is Sunday....I really wanted to go to Beth Moores' church, so hopefully we get there! Then Monday.....we fly home.....it should be another very long day since our flight isn't scheduled to land in Buffalo til 9:30 pm!...So...I'll probably be comatose on Tuesday!

It's been a lovely break...although I just realized yesterday that it'll be another four months!!!! maybe even five!!!! til we can walk around outside with just a fleece jacket or shirt sleeves on and not heavy coats!!!

Oh well.....

A Delightful Treat!

Good Day Company Girls!

Well, this morning I had such a treat! Although it would have been tons more enjoyable if my hubby had been with me...but it was quite delightful! The hotel we are staying in made a mistake when we checked in....my husband was listed under the business plan...which apparently had a few perks that we weren't aware of....like free bottled water...(after we spent over $2 on a small bottle of water)...and a free complimentary breakfast that we didn't know about yesterday and hubby spent over $8 on a muffin and a small bottle of juice from the hotel shop! So, this morning hubby says...before he left....check at the hotel desk about the complimentary breakfast....well, anybody that really knows me, knows that that's really not my thing...my personality...but I decided that if I didn't that hubby would get after me when he returned...so I decided to take my courage in hand and check it out. Well,...not only was it a complimentary breakfast, it was a wonderful full buffet, including a chef to make your omelet at the hotel restaurant called Shula's! My oh my,...was I spoiled, although I really don't care for eating by myself, it was a lovely treat.

As for Valentines...hubby and I were going to find a nice place to have dinner here in Houston...but...we made the mistake of going to Shula's for dinner the very first night...it was late when we arrived and we were too tired to go out and look for someplace.....well...let's just say Shula's is kind of high end and I assured hubby when we left that we could say that that was our Valentine's dinner!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

A day in Houston!

Ah...Houston! I must admit to a fondness for Texas....I have a brother that has a problem with that,but, oh well....we've made several trips to Texas...one time we had a layover in Houston but didn't get to see the city...well, today I'm sitting in a hotel room on the sixteenth floor in the heart of Houston. It's a sunny day, albeit still a little cool....the t.v. says it should get up into the 70's later and after weeks of below freezing at home, I'm looking forward to it! (although, wouldn't you know it, before we left home it was actually above freezing and the snow was melting..yea!) Hubby has left for his conference and wont return til late in the afternoon so I'm on my own in the big city! That's a little intimidating for a country girl.....but I plan on screwing up my courage and going for a walk amongst the towering buildings surrounding me a little later on. My hubby loves to search out different places to go and see when we're visiting a new place so I'm sure he's got some places to check out once he's done the seminar for the day. I did bring little Verity's quilt with me to work on and I have several books and magazines...so actually it's my kind of day...to sit and do what is my hearts' desire and not feel guilt because I really cant do anything else....blissdom!

A Day Off......thankyou Jesus!

Good Morning Company Ladies! Another Friday has come...yea! My Day Off !!!!!!! Ya, I know...moms don't get a day off.....but frankly if I don't at least have this day planned in my brain to hang onto at times during the week...I wouldn't get through the week! Even though there are Fridays...like last Friday.....that the day off doesn't actually happen! I never did get any of the things done this week that were suggested to do to get points ....but....I.....did...get....my....dresser....cleaned off!!!!!!! Praise the Lord, people, and an Hallelujah! ....and furthermore,...it's been two whole days....and it's still clean! Yes! If you don't know why this is such a big deal than you must read the previous post.....I will admit that just looking at the cleaned off and spacious dresser does bring on orderly thoughts in my brain....amazing! Plus.....if our plane to Houston next week, just happens to run into a flock of Geese....well, at least my kids wont be stuck with cleaning off the dresser.....ya know what I mean.....of course......there' s still the basement desk........well, at least it'll give them something to yell about..wont it! :0)

As for my day off.....my plan is to get my hair cut...at long last, so it doesn't resemble a shaggy mop anymore...than drive to a little tea shop to meet my mom and my sister for 'tea'. Hopefully, I'll gets some craft shopping for the V.B.S. that eldest daughter and I are doing during March Break done also.......and still get home in time for youngest daughter, who is at her ~ "one day per week at school that she has to go to to stay on the register so they can get her into a special class in September at the local highschool day"....when she walks in the door at 2:30pm! So...I'd better get on with my day....have a great weekend everyone!

Dressers and Life

When I was a very young girl, my sister and I shared a room....and a bed....and at one point even a pillow. Now that was all fine and dandy on my part...but not for my sister. You see, there are some things my sister and I have in common but in many ways we are very different. I've always had other priorities in my life, other things taking up my brain space......oh, never mind...let's just lay it out....I was lazy and she was not! The one thing that drove her crazy was that she has always been a person that loved to have everything in its proper place, and when I was younger, I did not...I could care less if my clothes were picked up and my dresser tidy. The dresser.........piled high....sometimes, so high that I couldn't reach the top....when my sister picked up our room, that's where all my stuff landed.

Fast forward 50 years and the look is still the same........I really have changed...somewhat....well, a little.... I , too, prefer to have everything neat and orderly.....but my dresser....well, my dresser really is the bane of my existence....(and we really wont even get into my desk that's downstairs covered in kids school stuff, scrap booking paraphernalia and quilting materials and patterns!). I would take a picture for you all (all 3 of you that read this blog!) to see but that would really be far too embarrassing......my dresser always is the last on my list...and when I finally get to cleaning it off and it looks marvellous(for 5 minutes)...I can be heard to say...this is how it's going to stay.....it wont be messy again.........ha! liar!

Sometimes, I wonder if my dresser is indicative of my life....right now, I feel like my life is a messed up, confused pile of junk that I have absolutely no desire or energy to sort out...when I think about tackling it, my dresser or my life, I really do want it to be neat and organized...but....there's always something else that needs to be done...a kid to be taken here and driven there, another appointment to keep, another fight to referee....another meal to make. The dresser just sits there.....staring at me.....
and even if I finally determine to straighten it all out, my life and my dresser.....what do I do with all the junk? You know what I mean,...all the stuff you remove,...you still need/want it but now you have to find another spot for it...you carry it all to another spot and before you know it that area is messed up to....a vicious circle.....so, the dresser and your life just sits there, reminding you, taunting you, that everything is not alright, that you need to act , that you need to find the energy...somewhere.

Ah...good news! Youngest daughter, whom I home school, was learning a new life skill yesterday...cleaning the bathtub! At first, she wasn't thrilled but after going through each step with her, bit by bit, I praised her that she had done a pretty good job! This morning she came to ask me if she could do it again...I said..'well, when it's dirty again-sure'....she asked..'can I do the toilet too!!! ..and the sink!.....I said, sure.....she clapped her hands and said 'yea'.....is this how Tom Sawyer felt?....do you think I could teach her how to do dressers?