I want to Thank You

I love when readers leave their comments! I really enjoy reading them! I do moderate all of them before they go up and wanted to let you know that those with my name, or my family members names will not be posted. I try to keep a modicum of anonymity on the net. You can just call me BigM, or refer to the kids as "A, BR or little J (A.K.A Biscuit)" thank you for understanding!


Me

Thursday, August 28, 2008

We are getting a FES!!

A Foreign Exchange Student that is! I think she is coming on Saturday! I can't believe it! We are all very excited to share our lives and to learn about the "real" Germany! It is going to be a GREAT experience!



Me

Friday, August 22, 2008

I know you see it!

We have about four months until CHRISTmas. Have you started your shopping yet?

What got me going was the arrival of my Lakeside CHRISTmas Catalog. Normally I'll flip through it and toss it, but this is the big one! The CHRISTmas 2008 catalog! Sure enough I found a few things in there for the people near and dear to my heart (and a few things for me, tee hee).

You may ask yourself "Self, WHY oh WHY is she bringing this up all ready!!" Well, I'll tell you. Firstly, I absolutely abhor paying full price for things I could have gotten on sale. B, I can not afford to run out and spend boo coo bucks all at once and finally, it takes some of the pressure off to plan ahead.

I like to have anything and everything I'm going to order at my house by early to mid November. My goal is to get everything that needs mailed ready to go and in the mail the day after Thanksgiving. This includes our cards. I'll be getting them and my card address book out of storage soon. Which reminds me that I need to pick a photo and get those ordered as well. When you send out between 60-70 cards every year, the pics and postage add up fast!

I got a good start on gifts the day after last year. Every year I ask for money to be able to go shopping on boxing day. (We pros (lol) call it boxing day. I have no idea why, I believe it's a Canadian term, maybe Australian) It's getting close to the time when I get out my master list from my HMB, (Home Management Binder), and double check that what I have on the list matches what I have stored, and to go through my cuby and add what I've picked up for whom to the list. I'll then double check who I have on the list without a gift and decide from there what to get them.

My list is broken into columns. It looks something like this...

Name.....Gift/idea..................................$Limit.....Actual$....Wrapped?....Shipped?
(these are dates)

I also have another page that has a name at the top for each of the stockings I do. Then I just start adding items under the names as I pick them up. A little here and there makes for great stockings that don't seem to hurt the wallet as badly!

You may be thinking to yourself that this would take all the fun out of CHRISTmas shopping. I will tell you that you couldn't be more wrong! It puts the fun back IN shopping AND extends it the whole year through! You see, when you aren't running hither and yon stressing out about what to get whom, you can slow down and enjoy your friends and family knowing that it is all under control! Also, the joy you get when you find a treasure here and there throughout the year is just as sweet. Maybe even more so because you can take the time to appreciate it and feel very savy for having planned that much more ahead of time. Trust me!! It is a GREAT feeling!

Have a Merry CHRISTmas!
Me

Sunday, August 17, 2008

911 Math Assistance

This is so hilarious!! I couldn't help but post it!

This is the link.

Me

Thursday, August 14, 2008

I Will Survive!!

An internet friend of mine from a board I frequent posted this and said I could add it here. Thanks HeartforHome!!


Originally written and produced by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris
Originally performed by Gloria Gaynor
Mercilessly altered with apologies by Natalie Criss

First I was afraid
I was petrified.
Kept thinking I could never teach
’Cause I’m not certified.
But we spent so many nights
Reteaching homework that was wrong.
I grew strong,
so now I teach my kids at home!
We study math
and outer space.
I just kept on despite the fear
with a big smile across my face.
I bought a set of Base Ten blocks.
I bought books with answer keys.
My parents think we’re nuts,
but they don’t even bother me

Come on, let’s go walk out the door.
We’re on the road now,
'cause we’re not home much anymore
My friends would laugh and say we’d be unsocialized.
I heard one mumble
that I’d give up by July.
Oh no, not I!
I will survive!
As long as I know how to read
I know we’ll be alright.
I've got all my life to learn.
I've got energy to burn.
and I'll survive.
I will survive.

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart.
Decided to attend
a play date at the local park,
and I met oh so many moms
who offered eagerly to help.
They used to cry.
Now they hold their heads up high,
and so do we!
My kids are cool!
They’re not those chained up little people
stuck inside at school.
So if you feel like dropping by
and just expect us to be free
you’d better call ahead first
’cause we’re probably busy!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

HSG results

DH and I went for my HSG (fertility test) yesterday. It was not fun! It hurt like bad "first day" cramps. I'm still hurting today. Last night I had taken a Tylenol PM and still woke in pain in the middle of the night. That's ok though because.....MY TUBES ARE OPEN!!!!! We can for sure get pg (pregnant)!! I'm so excited and happy that I want to cry! All that is left now is to BD (baby dance) at the right time and wait. Hurry up and wait. Isn't that about the story of life?


Me

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Japanese IQ Test

This is an IQ test given to job applicants in Japan.


"Everybody has to cross the river"

To play, click the link below - then click the blue circle to start.

The following rules apply:
  • Only 2 people on the raft at a time.
  • The Father cannot stay with any of the daughters, without their Mother's presence.
  • The Mother cannot stay with any of the sons, without their Father's presence.
  • The thief (striped shirt) cannot stay with any family member, if the Policeman is not there.
  • Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft.
To move people, click on them. To move the raft, click on the pole on the opposite side of the river. The solution is possible!


http://freeweb.siol.net/danej/riverIQGame.swf

Ok, ok. For those of you who just can not take any more time to figure this out, I will put the answer on here for you.




Abbreviations: P (police) C (criminal) D (Daddy) M (mommy) DS (dear son) DD (dear daughter)




Are you sure you want the answer?? Why don't you give it another try first.
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....

1) P & C
2) P
3) P & DS (or DD, your choice just reverse them for the rest of the instructions)
4) P & C
5) D & DS
6) D
7) M & D
8) M
9) P & C
10) D
11) M & D
12) M
13) M & DD
14) P & C
15) P & DD
16) P
17) P & C

There, see! It can be done!

TTFN,
Me

Saturday, July 19, 2008

We went to Mosi!!

We went to Mosi (Museum of Science and Industries) yesterday and we had a BLAST!! They have the only Imax theater here in Florida and we saw "Dinosaurs Alive". It was pretty awesome! I am looking forward to going back to see more movies in the future. Here are some pics of our field trip...

Here we are at the very first dino in the "special" exhibit I can not remember the name of it right this minute...


Next was the Tyrannosaurus. A thought it was hilarious "I have a big head, and little arms! (I don't think this plan was very well thought out!?)"



Here we are as dinos ourselves. First are the girls...



This is J and I. Can you guess who's who??



This is A on the high wire. I couldn't believe she actually did it! I'd have peed myself! It is two stories up!


It was a really cool trip. They had so many things to see and do! They even had a hurricane wind "tunnel" that you can get into. The winds go up to 78 mph! Yikes!


It took us the better part of the day just to get through the whole place. Even then, we skipped some things. I was bummed that the planetarium shows were all sold out. Oh well, maybe next time. There will definitely be a next time!


TTFN,
Me