Thankful Thursday

What a week. But why do I really say that? I guess its all the sickness we've had the last week. Very very rarely do we all come down sick within days of each other. Somebody almost always walks away unaffected. (And then the rest of us call that person names. Okay. Not really.)

What am I thankful for this week?

How about everything? It feels like that kind of a week.

I am thankful for smiles. My own. Because you know, it just feels so good to smile and mean it. It gives you a little heart lift. And occasionally it gives someone else one too.

I am thankful that right now I still have health insurance. Guess we better hit it hard while it is still provided for us. But I'm also thankful for doctors that take cash because I have to have something done that I will not let a government paid doctor do. They promised me scars and buckling. No thank you. Cash civilian doctor, here I come. Quality does trump quantity in some situations.

I am thankful that all four of us are now NOT sick. And I'm thankful that MM went to school today. Because yesterday? Well, she SAID she was sick and cried and all that. And mom made her stay in bed all day with no tv. Because she was sick. And sick people need to be in bed. Without tv. And thank goodness the rest of us had just been sick and done just that because it made the torture of making it through the day easier when I pointed that out every two seconds when it whined because THAT IS WHAT SICK PEOPLE DO.

I am thankful that all the paperwork is in and Hubs is all set to graduate in May and get his degree. He is thankful too. So much so that we are going out for steak and lobster to celebrate. (Only took 2 months of budgeting for! LOL!)

I am thankful that DS is well on his way to graduating boot camp, and his little-one-to-be is looking good on that ultrasound. Teri. Did you have to start the grandma trend? You know we are all in for it now. (Okay, so actually I'm jealous. I want to be a grandma. Just not yet. But really, I am looking forward to it. Bones, don't get any ideas. Finishing college first is a GOOD thing....(so is being married!)), just ask your dad. Who just graduated. See what I mean???

I am thankful for migraine meds because they are keeping me moving this. No idea what the trigger is. Maybe allergies in a new place? Just don't know.

I am thankful that my mom will be here next week! Yeah! And it just worked out that it will also be our Spring Break while she is here so she gets to spend more time with the kids.

This is already longer than intended so I'm going to stop here.

But I really could just keep on going...

Christian Encounters Book Review

Anyone that knows me is aware that I consume books. I have always wanted to find a way to do reviews for a company. I have finally been able to realize that goal with Thomas Nelson. This book was sent to me by them for review. My first assignment? A Christian biography of Jane Austin. So - here it goes!

Jane Austen by Peter Leithart

This book is a biography of the writer Jane Austen, with a Christian focus.

For the most part, I found the book very informative and interesting. There were spots of slow reading when the book focused on Jane's relatives or friends. Sometimes it wasn't immediately relevant and therefore uninteresting. I'm glad to say that those parts are not so dry as to make you want to put the book down and it picked up quite nicely afterwards.

Jane was raised a preacher's kid and her faith played a prominent role in her life. She was also a perfectionist and did not feel secure enough in her writing to publish her books right away. Some of her books she worked on for 20 years...writing and re-writing. I also found it very interesting that we have no real portrait or likeness of this author to pass down to her readers.

What I found most interesting to read about is how the "Cult of Jane" began after her death and how it built. Her whole personality was sanitized and she was made out to be very different than she actually was. Even her appearance was "adjusted". It wasn't until the 20th century that the true Jane was recovered.

If you have any interest in Jane Austen I would recommend this book. She is was an interesting, yet quite average individual with a great talent. The book left me feeling like this was a person I wish I had been able to meet and know. At this time I have only read two of her novels, but after finishing the biography I look forward to reading the the others on my book shelves.

Lucky for me I actually own most of her books...I just have never picked them up to read - beyond Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. So which of the others should I pick up first?

ilove and at&t : Wherein a certified cell phone hater meets the love of her life.

I am in love. Completely, totally, head-over-heels in love.

With a phone. A CELL phone.

Now, most of you might not know this about me, but up until now I have been a major cell phone HATER. Seriously.

So when my bud Angela got her iphone and then posted on FB how she would marry it if she could. Well, I thought she had gone over the edge. What a crazy lady.

Hah.

The difference a year makes.

To explain the hateraide I have for cell phones, you have to understand my history with them. First off, I don't normally WANT to be found when I run away from home. Or do errands. Whatever. So a cell holds no attraction.

Then came the insults. We never live close to family so whenever we have vacation time it is usually spent going and visiting relatives and close friends.

Ever watched your kids be totally ignored and snubbed because the person they are visiting is too busy texting or talking to the people they see every day...and ignoring the one that just drove 800 miles to visit?

Ever watched parents not monitor kids or give a flying flip? Or worse....have it be the adults that are being rude?

Unfortunately my kids have been hurt far too often by rude cell users. It's hard to watch that and keep your mouth shut. And when your kids tell you they don't want to come back again -- why do we have to drive so far for this? LITTLE KIDS telling you that. Well, you tend to get a very bad taste in your mouth. And really hate cell phones.

I did end up getting one while living in Omaha. Hubs was gone more than not so I spent alot of time driving to Texas to visit my mom. That is a long drive. And at first we were doing it in a rather old car. There is not alot on the toll road we spent most of our time on...so I needed something for break-down emergencies. (And after a bit I just decided it was time for our first new car for that same reason -- yes, we went 18 years without ever buying a new car.)

So the last 10 years I've had a phone but it has seen minimal use. No camera. No extras -- just a plain phone with bare bone minutes. And I'd have the oldest phone in any given group. Didn't care. Mine worked better nine times out of ten and you couldn't kill them if you tried. They don't make them like that anymore. No texting either.

So fast forward to the present. The teen is going on 15. My first teen, and this one have always been on a pay-as-you go Virgin Mobile. LOVE IT. The only talking they could get away with was to call me to come get them or whatever. $20 every 3 months was also budget friendly. No texting. No internet. SWEAR BY IT.

But here we are with a girl instead of a boy this time around. And she started running out of minutes in a month. And it was legit stuff. This one keeps me hopping and busy.

So after much discussion - daddy talked me into putting Songbird on my plan. (He has his phone through work so we don't pay for it.) I was not an easy sell. But I had been monitoring how the minutes were being used and had to admit it was legit so it was time to move her up.

During all of this, Hubs told me I might as well move up to an iphone. I laughed. What would I do with the big daddy cell phone? I don't even use the one I have. And the increase in the bill would be insane.

And in the end...he pointed out how Songbird was going to have a better phone than me. We had decided to get her a text plan so she needed something better than what I was carrying.

Hmmm. Not sure I can have that.

So, the hard sell finally worked. I was going to get a iphone.

Except I had a new phone. I wasn't eligible for a replacement phone for almost 2 years. SB was covered because it was a new line. But for me...it was special deal price plus $75 for the early replacement. Eww. And after explaining what I wanted and didn't want...they were able to give me the iphone under SB name and the text phone under mine and then swap the chips.

SWEET. Loving AT&T that day.

And to cut this a little bit shorter....I started downloading apps and use this thing ALL THE TIME. Will expand on that in another post - this one is getting way too long.

But it gets better.

I was expecting a huge bill the first time with activation fees and partial months, etc. etc. But I was not expecting it to be over $300.

Nope. Shock! (Hair standing on end.)

So I called AT&T and asked if they could help me figure it all out since I went from a one page bill to about a 6 page bill. And the lady was awesome. And in the end....my bill was reduced to $95.

Unbelievable.

There were a couple of mistakes...but really they were just awesome to me. Dropped the activation fees and even the $75 for early upgrade.

I was shocked.

And I loved them ALMOST as much as I love my phone.

So there is the beginning of the story of my love affair with a phone.

And yes I know I'm way behind the times. But that's okay. You guys that are right on top of it...you paid for the new technology. And you got all the bugs worked out for me. So, thank you!

And later I'll tell you about my cool stuff. Cause if you need or want something...I'm telling you...there's an app for that!!!

Snapshot Saturday

"I look like Ms. Tricia." (Explanation: Last time we visited Tricia she had a blue cast on one leg/foot and had crutches. Obviously this fascinated MM and she still remembers 2 years later.)

My daughter aspires to be a little old crippled lady.

That would be an icepack around her leg and her daddy's cane.

This growing pain stuff is just not sitting well with me. (And no I don't think she needs these things...she just has an enabling father.)

And yes, she did hobble around like this for a couple of hours last night.

TOO WEIRD!!!!

Crazy Ramblings and More Charity Quilts

The latest church we have tried has been working out well. Occasionally MM will decide she doesn't want to go anymore - like two Sundays ago when I picked her up and she was just coming down with the stomach bug. She thought it was the church's fault as she felt fine when she got there. Try arguing that point with a single minded five year old. Geesh.

Anyway. We have spent more time at this new church than any of the others. The youth group really is too small in my opinion - but everything else is just stacking up so nicely. And the youth pastor seems like a great guy....but even he is a shock as we are used to younger youth pastors. The youth pastor at this church is older than Hubs and I. And that really isn't a problem or anything....but it is a whole different energy/focus than what we are used to. Both have their plus and minus category.

One of the things I love about this church is the ladies charity quilt group. They meet once a month during the school year and put together quilts for several nursing homes and the Childrens Hospital.

The older I get the more interested I am in helping those in the community I am in. I have always liked to help and still send things to MM's orphanage and other such stuff...but it was almost always NOT in the community I was living in. Then, one morning while reading in the Bible, it struck me that we are supposed to be taking care of our own homes and communities first. Not that we have to be exclusive to our own community - but that we do need to serve our own communities(OUTSIDE the church walls) as well as other communities that need extra help. Like where it tells preachers they need to make sure they are taking care of their own household before serving others. Same principle.

Of course God calls some to foreign mission fields. But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the way I used to be. I'd be right there to jump on the latest foreign need....and yet didn't even know where my communities Food Bank was, nor had I ever donated to it (outside of the scouting food drives or classroom food drives - things brought to our attention by the usual organizations). I'm talking about how I would send blankets to foreign orphanages...and not donate things to the local foster care system (Yes there is ALWAYS a need for things like diapers and even just volunteering once a month to babysit in the house of a set of foster parents so they can have a breather.)

Why was my giving so far from home? I think it was because it was so much easier to write that check or to shop and ship. Plus, these are the things that are advertised to us - they don't require searching out on our part. I never had to roll up my sleeves and work for another. It was majorly convenient and required no true time commitment. This wasn't really an active thought or decision...but it was so easy to have minimal contact.

Again - I am NOT saying we should not help out others outside our immediate community. But we can write a check to our own organizations in need as easily as the other. And it just might put food in the belly of the little girl that sits next to my daughter in school. Or you might provide brush/comb/mirror/toothpaste/toothbrush to a senior in a home...who doesn't get family visits to take care of these things as that family lives across the states...and pays the bills but only gets into town 2x a year.

There are so many very little things we can do right in our own town also. (And I'm well aware that there are hundreds of thousands of people that do this -- I just happen to be most often in crowds of international adopters that focus on other countries. I was one of these for awhile.)

Anyways - I am so far off course. But if you've been reading my blog any time at all you know that's just the way I roll. Hah!

Back to quilting ladies.

I decided I would like to check them out. After all, I had just started doing the Quilts for Kids - which is great - but it requires shipping (burning fossil fuels) and you don't know what community it benefits (not that that matters really). So, I made a call the night before the March date to ask a few questions. I let the lady know I am not experienced but I am willing. She gave me the info and I decided I was going to at least check it out.

I pulled into a spot out front of the annex at the same time as another lady. A beautiful elder lady. And when I got out of my car, she looked at me and said: "Well Honey, are you sure you are in the right place? "

LOL!

I replied that I hoped so, I was looking for the quilting group.

And she told me that I was in the right spot then.

To make a long story short, I had the best three hours ever. I was also the most..er...junior?...member there. (That is actually a very dangerous statement because sometimes I am not very good at guessing age.) The ladies were all so quick to show me how to do something and include me. There were probably at least 15 of us there. They have it down to a science depending on what you like to do. Almost never does a single person do a whole quilt on their own. It's quick and very efficient.

And I got to learn about the places in the community where the quilts go. I was also shocked to find out how they cannot keep up with the demands of the community....there are always requests and needs. I don't know why that shocked me. It also made me want to keep coming back and helping out for sure.

And no, I don't only help out in my community now. I do both. They are both very important. I just no longer tell myself the need is greater somewhere else because even our poor are better off than the others....blah, blah, blah. You tell me the reason for focusing more on other countries and I can pretty much guarantee I've used it and believed it at one time or another. Even if God did lay a specific country on my heart.....did He then remove my obligation to my own community? I think not.

That's crap. I don't think God would have us overlook one to help the other. He'd ask us to do both.

And as a side - I'm talking about those that CAN do these things. Not everybody can. We also all have different gifts and callings and its important we pay attention to those in the way we give. The gift of teaching is the gift of giving in my opinion. Giving/helping takes on so many different faces. I've had to point out to some how they are actually giving even though it doesn't look the same as writing a check or sending a box. Please do not take this post as me saying everyone needs to give/help in the way I do. This is a post about MY growth and what I'm learning about my own gifts and responsibilities. This is NOT telling others how to use there own gifts or resources. Its totally personal.

I want to expand on this a little better in a different post.

Back to quilts.

So, the ladies actually let me take two kits home to complete and bring back in April. I was rather impressed with that as it was the first time I had met any of them except maybe one.

And it has provided me with more practice and allowed me to have something to share next time. (They have a show and tell time in the beginning on their own projects.)

And here are the two finished quilts for a nursing home in town.
All the materials are donated so it can be rather challenging to come up with pleasing combination. I added both outside borders/bindings from my own stash as I haven't really learned how to use the back to bind also. It's probably easier than adding that binding.

The lighter quilt is actually made with a sheet (the lighter material). It was a rather high grade sheet but a donation. I was curious how it would work out but it sewed up like a dream and is very pretty. It will wash very well also.

The darker one I got to rummage through the donation fabrics and pulled together. I'm not real good at combining so this is good practice for me also...as I had a coach working with me. LOL!

So. That's the last of the quilts you will probably see for awhile unless its more of these. I have several I am working on but they are gifts for various people and times so I have to wait until they are gifted to share. It will be hard!

For any of my friends that have been more exclusive givers than not.....I'd like to ask you to think about how you can do a little something close to home also. I don't want the largest majority of the giving my daughter sees me doing to be all about the overseas needs. I want her to roll up her sleeves beside me and help out right here at home....as well as what we do for her orphanage or disasters like Haiti.

I want to teach my daughter to give in all areas of her life.

Not just the obvious and easy ones.

Why I'm Not A "Happy Homemaker"

Continuing on in our theme of housewives....

First, let me say that my last post on what being a house wife means to me....was EXACTLY that.

What it means....to ME.

At no time did I mean to imply that others that work only feed their families convenience foods or have messy houses or anything like that. I only compared MY OWN working vs. non-working experiences. And guess what?? I'm unique. I don't expect there is anyone else on the face of this earth with the exact same story, wants, likes, dislikes or general thoughts on life. (Thank goodness. One of me is quite enough.) And I can honestly say that I am not cut out to be an employee, wife and mother all the same time.....without shorting someone. I just don't have that kind of energy or drive. There it is. Sad but true.

Some of the women I admire the most on earth are working mothers. Some of my best friends are working mothers. Some work in the home, and some work outside the home. I have absolutely no problem with working mothers and would not want to insult or belittle them in any manner. If I have done so, I'd like to take this moment to publicly apologize. That is not my intent. Ever. If I ever have hurt or insulted you, please email me and allow me to apologize to you personally. I really mean that.

Anyways.

Today I was reading through my blog roll and enjoying my quiet morning. One of my favorite blogs always does a "Happy Homemaker Monday". I do enjoy reading her little list....but I find myself giggling as I do.

Why do I giggle?

Because my answers would just be...well.....warped.

It would make for disturbing reading, week after week. Maybe even scary to some people.

So today...I will share what a Happy Homemaker Monday would look like on my blog. I promise I will only do it once.

So Sandra....here's how Monday looks in my little house....

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Cold. Depressing cold. Wet. Windy. I don't like it. Can I be depressed? Oh wait...I don't do depressed. How about cranky? I do cranky well.


One of my simple pleasures:
A coke. Maybe two. And yes it is a guilty pleasure as I have been trying to actively break this addiction for 3 (THREE!!) years. There are none in the house. At some point today I will find an excuse to drive somewhere and get one. I want one now. I think there is a coupon for a free sonic drink in my floorboards in the van. If Songbird didn't abscond with it. Must go check...

On my bedside table:
Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
A Biography of Jane Austin that was sent to me to review
On the iphone: Gargantua and Pantagruel
In the car CD: Stephenwolf
On the computer desk....1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
Had enough?

On my TV:
Dead Snow.....zombie movie in a foreign language. Yes, I am reading subtitles. But guess what? Zombie language is universal...so its not much reading.

Grindhouse: Death Proof - second story is great!! First, not so much.

Next (Nicholas Cage)

On the menu for tonight:
Stew. That I actually cooked two nights ago. But then I put it away as hubs got stuck at the airport and couldn't make it home. What? You don't think I'd waste a night of cooking do you? Hah. The girls and I ate sandwiches instead. (Not a hardship, trust me.)

On my To Do List:
Bills/Budget. Hate it. Procrastinating.
Laundry. See above.
Go get a Coke.

New Recipe I tried last week:
Maebo Tofu
(This is actually the only subject that would be normal or fun. Love to try new things just about every week.)

In the craft basket:

No less than 4 quilts.
A cross stitch of Gustav Klimits "The Kiss" which I have been working on for over 2 years.
MM's pictures that need to be rematted (since December).
MM's hangers that need to be painted to match her room. (also since December)

Looking forward to:
Mom's visit this month. DC graduation in May. Family vacation in June.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
Just do it.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
I read so many it would be hard to choose. It could be on being frugal. It might be a military wife blog post. It might be adoption related. It might be race related. It might be sewing/quilt related. It might be related to faith. My reading is all across the board. Too bad I can't get paid to do it! LOL!

Favorite photo from last week:
Not loaded on computer yet. Fairy pictures of daughter in play.

Lesson learned the past few days:
I'm allergic to ........... (would be different each week.....this week would read: the adhesive in Walgreens brand bandages.)


On my Prayer List:
This would be lengthy.


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Did I leave my Bible in Texas??? Has anyone seen my...hey wait, I know I had it at church. Is it still in the car? No...what happened to it? How many days to I have to find it before church again? Hmmm. (Ok. That was all made up for the sake of being funny. I know exactly where my Bible is. It has its own spot on my nightstand....but far too often it is not touched inbetween services.)




See. This is just not something the world should hear about every week. Cause I? I don't believe in making it pretty...I believe in making it real. And my life just isn't all that pretty. Fun. Interesting. Never a dull moment. But not pretty.

And that is why I am NOT a Happy Homemaker.

My Beautiul Fairy

Single Minded To A Fault

Mighty Mouse has a birthday coming up in April.

So, we started working on her about what she wants for her birthday about November. Yes, I know that is prior to Christmas....but this kid is tough.

See, MM gets one thing in her mind and her whole life is consumed by it.

I am totally relieved to say that the pumpkin phase seems to have faded into the background. Whew. That really just wasn't all that fun. I mean, try coming up with bday presents in April and Christmas presents that are pumpkinish. And yes, I did find a pumpkin baby swaddling blanket for my three year old for Christmas....and it was her favorite gift. Even though she was 2 years too old for it.
And yes she did get a pumpkin as her yearly ornament at Christmas. Can't wait to see her explain that one to her own kids one day.

Oy.

So this year it is back to ladybugs. They have been around since the beginning of favorites for her and now they are back with a vengeance. She wants ladybug stuff for bday. She wants to be a ladybug for Halloween (yes, this last year she was a pumpkin). Sigh.

So we have been trying to suggest other things. Not going to well. When she does have an interest in something else....its either too expensive, not age appropriate or just bizarre.

For instance....her big want that does not have anything to do with ladybugs?

Bumpits.
Not kidding.

Every time that stupid commercial comes on...she comes running to mom or dad to tell us she wants them. And we think she is nuts. At first I thought there must be a new commercial for kid bumpits that she was getting all excited about. Not so. It's the regular old adult bumpits.

So, guess its back to ladybug hunting.

The ladybug cake pan has been purchased.
(Note to self - get one of those candles shaped like a 6 per request.)
Ladybug wrappers for mini chocolate bars for her class (red and black frosting was sounding like too much of a cupcake nightmare for the school carpet) are on order.
Little petshop ladybug - check.

She has also requested a new lunch sack....and yes I did find a ladybug one.
And the ONE thing she requested (that I would actually buy) that is not ladybug? A purple backpack. Oh joy!!! Can you see me dancing around the room overjoyed to search for something that is NOT red and black! Seriously! I was THANKFUL for that request!

And the ladybug Converse she wants? Hah. Not. I'm not paying $30 for a pair of shoes for a kid her size. Summer will come and it will be impossible to get her into anything but sandals anyways.

So this year is pretty much done. The one request I have been unable to locate is a ladybug belt. I give up on that one.

But I have to tell you.

I live in fear of what the "new thing" will be next year.

That, and Bumpits.

Snapshot Saturday

Have you heard of Quilts For Kids, Inc.? They are an organization that will send you a free quilt kit to put together for a child in the hospital. You supply the batting, put it together and send it back. They also ask you to donate one of your own creations if you can in the return package...although it is not a requirement.

This snapshot is of the finished quilt from the kit they sent me. I currently have 5 other quilts in the works so I'm not sending a second quilt in at this time.

The kit comes with all the materials, mostly all cut out, and a set of instructions that are very well written. They are quick quilts. They ask you to make sure and machine quilt (alot to stand up to the hospital washings) and no hand ties. The only thing I don't really like about the instructions is the requested zigzag stitch around the border. It's a practical request because they are trying to avoid snagging the IV lines and such. I just think zigzag is ugly -- but that's a personal opinion.

If you ever considered doing charity quilts but were held up by the cost, this just might be the way to go. The price of batting, thread and return shipping will be your only monetary commitment. So, if you have about $10 (use that Joann's coupon!) and time to give...check out their website and order your free kit.

And don't forget to share if you do!

What it Means to be a Housewife

My friend Heather over at Want What You Have did a post yesterday on housewives. Its worth the read if you want to stop over and take a look.

At the end of her post she posed some questions:

So, I'm curious. For those of you who stay home, how do you feel about the term "housewife?" Is this how you see yourself? What does it mean to you, to be a "housewife" today?


So Heather, here it goes.

Like you, I don't really care for the term "housewife". It makes it sound like we are married to a house. And I wouldn't have picked 97% of those houses to begin with....

So, to me, the word "housewife" implies stuck at home. Today, I think it is more of a struggle/challenge to make sure we are in our houses enough....even if we don't work outside the home. It is so easy to get caught up in the crazy merry-go-round of over scheduling ourselves and our kids. I know many mothers that don't work outside the home that are NEVER home. Very few woman I know personally have figured out how to truly balance home time with away time. And if that schedule works for a family, that is great. The sad thing is when it does not work and they don't know how to stop.

Anyways...back to the subject.

Heather has always referred to herself as a home manager. You know, I don't think I could improve on that if I tried. But then, working mom's are home managers also. They just manage in a different way.

I'm willing to bet the answer to this question would be pretty close to identical to what it means to just be a wife/working mom.

I think the real difference is a matter of convenience and time. At least thats how I see the difference between when I've worked or stayed home. So what does it mean to ME to be a "housewife" today?
1. When I worked, I bought convenience. At home, I make my own laundry soap to help with 3 different family members skin problems and toxic load. If I worked, I would buy something labeled as "natural" or "Free". Making my own natural products is cheaper and healthier... but you need the TIME to be able to do this. This also goes with household cleaners and some health/toiletry products.

So, being at home means TIME to make my own decisions on what chemicals come into my home and the ability to produce what I need myself.

2. When I worked, someone else took care of my children. Obviously staying home keeps your child under your influence/mores/values much longer than if someone else has your child for several hours a day. Whether this is good or bad is different for every family, every different child in your home and a ton of other considerations.

If a mother does not want to be home with her children...then its not best that she is. That might outrage some...but its the truth. A caring daycare provider or a mother that snaps at the child and doesn't interface with them at home? The daycare is a more nurturing place in a situation like that.

In our home, I think its best for my children to be with me. I want to be with them. We can cut corners enough that I am able to stay with them. But all three have been different. The oldest was most challenged in a larger setting and thrived on it. This means when he got to preschool age it was time for him to be otherwise occupied than just being home.

The second did good only with part-time care so I had to drop down to part-time work. She needed to be away from me a little...but not too much. Hers was personality and separation anxiety. Training was required with a little tough love.

The youngest? Oh my. I had to stop working altogether because of her issues. At 5 it is still a struggle to get her out of the same room with me. And this is not a normal situation and was hard for me to adjust to. But bottom line I was fine with being home and that's what she needed. Still needs even though she is in school.

The important thing is I have taken my cues from my children and their individual needs. Each one has been different. As at home mom's we need to be sure to recognize that and not just decide we have it right by being home with the kids all day. There is no ONE right. There are only families that are all different.

So, for me, being a housewife means being able to give my child the mommy time they need - or the ability to try other situations for them by choice, directed by their lead, rather than by necessity of getting the bills paid.
3. Being a housewife means giving up money now AND later. Assuming there is still social security when I retire...I sure wont be getting much. I'll be one of those little old ladies buying dog food for dinner because the check is almost gone. Now, we do invest and have IRA's, but with the way our government is going...I fully expect they will take away everything we have worked for to give it to those that get themselves head over heels in debt and never save... or those that make a living collecting government checks and not being productive members of society. Yes, I honestly do believe that.

So, for me, being a housewife means learning to be happy and have a great life with much less material things than others. That's where I'm always gonna be. But, as long as we have a home and food on the table...we are more abundantly blessed than the largest percentage of the world population. This isn't actually a hardship right now...and I hope it remains that way.
4. As a working mom I hated or was too tired to cook. As a stay at home I can experiment and take over in the kitchen and have hubs only have to cook now and then. (He cooks more than now and then but by choice more often than not.) I did not have the energy to take on meals after working.

So, being a housewife means fresher, healthier food for my family.

5. As a working mom, housework and cleaning were hated and dreaded chores that took away from family time and the million other errands I needed to catch up on. As a stay at home and as I have gotten older, I have also developed more of a love for my actual home. I still don't really care for cleaning...but I don't hate it like I did when I worked. Again, that is as much a TIME issue I think as anything else.

Being home has given me the opportunity to make a true home. It's allowed us all to slow down when we need to, yet frees me up to make sure my teen can participate in extra-curriculars as well.

But the biggest thing that being a housewife means to me is this:

Being home allows me to concentrate on others more than myself.

All the previous points are covered by this one truth.

I can focus on my children, instead of on getting them to day care and picking them up on time.

I can cook the foods my family loves from scratch to help keep them all healthy.

I can work on individual allergies and needs and spend hours researching and trying new formula's without having to settle for someone else's bottled product.

I have time to take care of the household chores and cleaning while the family is doing other things so that it doesn't cut into their time and activities and limit them. It frees up more family time.

Now that the kids are all in school I can also volunteer at the schools or in the community. And I can do this during work hours where the need is greater as so many people work.

So there you have it. To ME being a housewife means being able to focus your energies on others.

It won't make me rich, but it sure makes me happy.

Thankful Thursday

Joining my friend Tricia in Thankful Thursday.

This week I am thankful for friends so special they are actually family. Tricia will be taking care of my girls for me while I attend Hubs college graduation ceremony in Washington DC.

This is significant as it requires an all day drive for her to even get to our house.

We had a couple of other offers. But Mighty Mouse does not know the others. This complicates issues as she is so afraid I will leave and never come back. To leave her I have to be sure it's with someone she is very comfortable with. We aren't talking about separation anxiety here. This is called anxious attachment which is the result of early trauma. It is not just a tough love, leave her kind of think. It could actually set us back in the progress we have made.

Adoption parenting is NOT for the faint of heart!

And when I told MM that Tricia is coming to stay with her while mommy and daddy go to the graduation.......(holding my breath waiting for the response)......she was still for a minute while digesting the info.....and then she let out a loud YEAH! While jumping up and down and throwing her hands in the air.

I don't know if I've ever been more thankful in my life.


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