Random

-I only have one more early morning!  Monday is the last one and I don't believe I'll agree to do it again multiple days in a row.  YUCK!  It's just too much with all my other responsibilities.  The good news is, we'll have Christmas for the kids and a little extra to get caught up on things.  Now that it's about over, I think it was worth it :)

-Black Friday was insane.  I left my house at a quarter to five and the Legends looked like a Friday night when the weather is 75 and sunny.  It was ridiculous!  I'm usually the only one at the gas station and you should have (and probably did) see all the sleep walkers staggering to the coffee like cattle to the trough.   Not so shocking however was the snails pace at the Y.  Very few people made their way to the gym the day after Gluttony Thanksgiving.  A quick shout out to the Moore family!  You guys made it!

-Hey all you "Keepin It Under Control" -ers.  How did you do over Thanksgiving?  Did you succeed?  I went to my moms and filled up on turkey and just had small portions of my favorite foods.  I had a little bit of her sweet potatos (MY FAV), and a tiny sliver of two different pies.  I didn't leave stuffed.  I was pleasantly full.  I pray you all achieved your goals and if not, recognize that jumping right back onto the wagon is what defines success!  Keep up the good work!

-Our Thanksgiving break from school is coming to an end and due to work it didn't feel like much of a break.  That kinda stinks, but honestly working a full 40 hour week and school would have been far worse.  The kids seemed to really be enjoying their time off.  Like any kid, school = torture.

-My mom is coming over today and I'm really looking forward to being out of the house and walking the Legends a bit.  We'll bundle up and let the kids burn some energy.   I pray you all have a blessed weekend!

So, What's Up?

It's been 4 days since I posted so I feel obligated to blog.

Problem is there just isn't much to write about.

I ran 2.5 hours on Saturday and my body is so sore.  Typically I don't feel much muscle soreness after my runs since I go so often.  I've been struggling to go up and down stairs.  This morning was a 20 minute recovery run and I have to say the first 1/4 mile was a bit painful.  The overall run though was wonderfully brief compared to Saturday.  That was just insane.  It's hard to imagine that within the month it will lengthen to 3 hours and 20 minutes.

I've done some serious organizing of all our school books.  I have a hefty stack of duplicates that I'm thinking of listing on eBay to help pay for a couple more curriculum books I'd like to get for Brennan.  I'm eager to get started and as soon as our books arrive from Abeka.

Have you ever heard of barefoot running?  It's super intriguing.  I was drawn in at the idea of running as we were created to.  I watched a little infomercial online and the speaker kept referencing how we are designed.  As a Creationist, I was definitely happy to hear someone elude to God even if they were unaware they were doing it.  The idea is a lot of impact injuries are due to the fact the standard running sneaker makes a runner be a heal striker (your heal hits first in your stride).  When we walk barefoot we are typically mid-foot strikers.  When we strike with our heal the impact is felt primarily in our joints causing knee and hip pain.

I purchased a test simulator online so I could practice my Personal Trainer test before taking it.  It's a little intimidating due to the cost.  I am pleased that even though I still have 4 chapters to read I passed with a 79% (70% required to pass).  The simulator is supposed to be about 5% more difficult than the actual test and is supposed to be used as a study tool.  I found it extremely helpful and very encouraging.  I figure finishing the book and studying where the test says I'm weak I should pass with flying colors.  I can't wait to be certified and applying for jobs!

I guess I had more to say than I realized! 

Random Hot Topics

-Got Cheese?  My kids have made up a new game.  I'm not real sure what it is other than I have been told more than once that I have the "cheese touch?"  Apparently Cheese touch is much like tag and once you have it you must pass it on.  The trick?  If your fingers are crossed you cannot receive the dreaded cheese touch.  They are so goofy.  My absolute favorite is Graham announcing, "cross your thingers (fingers)!!  Mommy has du cheese touch!"

-Our Y membership has expired but due to the high heat index we were able to with the Coker's this morning and swim for free.  We swam for nearly 2 hours and the kids had a great time.

-I'm still studying away and have finished chapter 12 and plan to complete 13 (out of 18) this evening.  The last few chapters are much shorter than the beginning and I'm making quick progress.  I was hoping to test on Aug 28th and regardless of whether I'll be ready or not study wise, we can't afford it yet.  It's $250 to test and with school materials and such it's just going to have to wait.

-I ordered the remainder of our school books.  We have been so blessed, the cost of school for this year is minor (about 1/10th) compared to what it would have been if we had to just order it all outright.  The Lord knew what we could afford and He's provided.  I'm eager to get started simply for the routine of it.  Summer freedom is fun, but schedule and consistency brings peace in a household like ours.

-The boys are desperate for cooler weather.  Let me rephrase that, my kids need to burn some energy outside.  They are teaming with unspent energy and are driving each other and their mother crazy.  I heard a rumor Saturday is bringing cooler weather.  YAY

-Anneliese had a baby doll in her stroller.  She walked around to the front of the stroller and said, "Hi, Baby!"  She said it so sweet and loving and then she picked up the baby, put it up to her shoulder and started patting her back.  Girls are so different.

-Week 9 is coming to an end in my marathon training.  Week 10 starts Monday and I'm still plugging away.  I was sick with a super bad chest cold last week and sat out on 2 of my runs.  Apparently I lost my momentum with that break.  I've had a hard time wanting to get going again.  Thankfully, I've refused to let that stop me.  It would be rather defeating to come this far and quit.  I'm running about 25 miles a week and I am eager for the Fall weather.  I really think cool weather will bring renewal.  This humidity in and of itself is exhausting.

A Quick Note

-Yesterday Cindy C. and I took our babies to the splash park in KCK.  We had a blast and the kids played for two hours.  Only down side is spray sunscreen.  I apparently missed a swipe on Anneliese's right arm.  Since this is my first season with a two piece (Tank top, normal bottoms) It didn't occur to me that there may be a 1/2 inch strip across my back that needed sunscreen.  My lower back is fried, but only about 1/2" by 6".

-I have been frantically processing what it is we're going to do for school this year.  We have used Abeka from day one and it's an extensive and very expensive curriculum.  My concern is with my working this year is if it will be too much.  After seeking council from several I was still undecided.  Until last night...I received a random email from Cory C. on facebook asking me if I knew anyone who used Abeka because she had some.  It just so happens she has Graham's complete curriculum for this year (preschool), and next year K5, plus Eli's complete curriculum for this year, brand new...not written in.   Jared has been awesome and has asked to take on some of the schooling especially for the older two.  It's our plan not to change curriculum to lessen my responsibilities, but shift the work load a bit.  I see this as an obvious answer that we should stick with Abeka and a huge blessing.  Thank you Cory for allowing God to use you to bless our lives!

-Today we are taking the younger three to Deanna Rose and Red Robin.  Jared and I debated on waiting until the older boys get home.  We decided that they are having an awesome time at camp and it would be nice to do something for the younger kids.  So off we go!

Men Are Like...

While in a local gas station the boys where exploring.  They found a stash of Koozies with different sayings on them.

Brennan in particular gets a kick out of witty sayings and collects t-shirts with different goofy statements on them.  He was super tickled by one that said "I have one nerve left...and you're on it."

I was concerned that they may come across one or two that I wouldn't approve of and just as I was calling them to me so we could leave, Tanner brought me one that said:

"Men are like..... Blenders.You need one, but you're not quite sure why."

I just said, "Wow, that's not very nice. Put it back." We headed out and for the boys that was the end of it. It has really stuck with me. 

First of all, I have a blender.  It's a Kitchen Aid professional blender that I requested for Mother's Day 3 or 4 years ago and I use it daily.  We are huge into fresh fruit smoothies in our house.  In fact I use it so much that this morning I had to order a replacement Clutch Rubber Coupling due to wearing out the old one (this will be our 3rd).

I brought up the offensive Koozie to Jared.  He was equally unimpressed. 

Here's my issue:  Jared has explained to me that men are really pretty cut and dry.  They want to be the absolute best and whatever it is they do. 

We as women have significant power over that. 

If we constantly tell our husbands (sons) they are invaluable assets to our family that are cherished and irreplaceable, they will strive to be the best at that.  If we tell our husbands (sons) that they have no value, are worthless, and just an extra mouth to feed they will strive to be the best at that.

Our society is constantly devaluing men and their role in the family.  It may seem like "just a Koozie" but my sons had a small lesson in how society values men that day.

As a home school family outsiders are constantly concerned about my children and whether or not they're "socialized."

According to Wikipedia this is the definition of Socialization:

Socialization is a term used by sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, politicians and educationalists to refer to the process of inheriting norms, customs and ideologies. It may provide the individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within their own society; a society itself is formed through a plurality of shared norms, customs, values, traditions, social roles, symbols and languages. Socialization is thus ‘the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained."

^{I am more than happy to announce that my children will not be Socialized. They will not share this world's "norms, customs, values, traditions, social roles, symbols and languages," and hopefully because of that our "social and cultural continuity" will be severely disrupted.}