Time to Do Things Differently

We have a schedule.

This week was to include homeschool in the morning and VBS in the evening.

I'm cooking for VBS. Last night we did 450 mini corn dogs. Served the children in shifts. Enjoyed the fellowship. Became really tired.

The schedule....oh yes....I forgot. We have been so tired, we {Mom}have been so tired in the mornings.

The mornings have moved slow, but good.

I have not minded the schedule very well.

We have read library books, played board games. Mom has laughed {does Mom do this enough?}

Today I have decorated a "hip hipster bag" won at the Library Summer Reading Program.

 While saying in my mind, "I don't have time for this."
While thinking, at the same time, "When will I have time for this?"
When? When they are big and don't care about mom helping with an iron on?
What am I waiting for?
I know, for the schedule to run like clock work, then I will be successful.
Really? I've been grasping at that for many moons and it don't feel good anymore.

"Mommy, can you paint my fingers?"

My usual response.....Not right now I have to______(fill in the blank with any task that really doesn't matter)

I painted 20 little toenails and 20 little fingernails.

(wait...what was on the schedule?)

We washed Jake. {cute little new puppy who had too many fleas} Cowboy has been asking for a week.

So I had to get this tired to slow down enough to see that those who are most important need time with me. Not just clean clothes, although important, the bodies in those clothes need hugs and smiles and I've been stingy with those because I have a schedule.

Now look, I am not bashing a schedule. We all need some order and there are things that have to be done. But as I played that game of Trouble and decorated that bag I realized that I had not done those things in a very, very long time.

Here was the reward, Little Jenna says, "Thanks Mom, that means so much to me." You don't know how profound those little words were.

Then to top it all off, Ann had this amazing blog post today.

Yes, I think I understand. Thank you Lord, for the time to learn this. That today I will live with one less regret.

Now, we will swim. Then the little ones will nap { I will rock that little Janie, singing her favorite "Rock-a-bye Baby" and I will enjoy every minute of it! }

We will go and try to reach out to the little children in our community that have been so sweet
{and hungry :)}

Yes, this week has been different.
Am I stressed? Not one bit.
Is that unusual? Oh yeah!



{A big thanks to Jessie, for the always wonderful pictures & coffee}

Yummy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bake {Thank you Shaping Little Souls}

Thank you dear Jessie for the lovely picture.

This is just too good. I found this while visiting this lovely blog : Shaping Little Souls

I didn't have Quick oats so I used Old Fashioned Oats and adjusted the recipe. The entire pan was gone in a flash, it was our dinner that day. *blush*


Here is the original recipe:

3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter

Mix all ingredients together. Spread into 9x13 greased pan.
Bake 350 for 20-25 mins. If you like a little crunchy top cook for a few minutes longer.
Serve warm with milk poured over top or dry like a breakfast bar.


I used 2 cups of Old Fashioned Oats and we did pour just a tad of milk over it. So good! And so easy and  a nice change to just a bowl of oatmeal.

Did you know...

that you can set your blog to be read on mobile devices? Finally! I may be the last to know, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Now, I can read all of your lovely blogger blogs on my beloved iPhone.

Yay! (it's all in the little things) :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

If I ignore it, it will go away....

Well, I don't want my blog to go away, but I have been ignoring it for some time. Disappointments, failures, busyness, loss of motivation...you name it. I have been there.

First, let me just say something about my 100 Days of Health. Lesson learned was that health is to be reached for every day and when you are as overweight as I am 100 days is not going to be the fix all. I knew that  and yet, I waited for something magical to happen. In a way I guess it did. I am still plugging along. Not as dedicated as I was at hitting 10,000 steps, but still not just giving up. I am not stopping. I have decided that if I have days where I feel this bad at 41, then what will it feel like when I am 51 and still in the midst of homeschooling? That is enough to press on, however long it takes. I will try to give sporadic updates about weight loss and what I am doing. (I do want to do a post that compares my Fitbit to the BodyBugg that I tried and sent back. If you are wondering....go with the cheaper fitbit....it is much BETTER!)

We are still schooling, it is very hot here and other than swimming and doing barn chores, in the summer no one wants go out side. We LOVE spend our days out in the spring and fall. So, we school. This year however, I am getting very ready to just have a few weeks in a row to not have to do it! I am still loving MFW and trying to sell everything I own to afford the purchase of MFW World History and Rome to Reformation. :) My honey says that I really need a new washer ( my old, deep one broke and my brother gave me one for free. The problem is it is a really small washer. I mean really, really small. Small as in, wash 3 loads for what I could do in my old one in one load) I told him I really can handle washing clothes all day...just please give me new books!

Next week we have VBS. Then the kids are looking forward to spending a week in my parent's new lake house. Then after that Greg is on vacation. ( that is a whole different story....we are just still thankful that he has a paid vacation coming)

Well, enough rambling. I have to get ready for night service. I am trying to find my focus again. If I cross your mind, say a prayer for me!