Overscheduled and Out of Spoons

I woke up and looked around my house. It looks like I have let it go again.  Time to down some coffee and make it presentable.  I have had, and will continue to have, a busy few weeks, so I need to get off my butt and get this house in shape.  I really can’t function with a mess around me.  It clutters my mind.

Why is it that stuff multiplies on every flat surface in my life?  It seems, when I clean it off, the next day it is full again.  In my next life I will not have cats; too much cat hair to sweep up (okay stop laughing)!  Someday, we will only use paper plates so I can keep up with the dishes.  How do people keep up with all of this?

I know I will tackle it and win for a day or two and then, a week later, I will wonder what happened again.  Guess I was not meant to live in a showroom-clean home.  At least I don’t have company very often.

My “do a little,sit a little” style keeps me moving and get’s things done. But some days, I feel I am losing the battle.  So more coffee and grab the broom.  Where did I put that duster? Things are getting done here at Casa G today come hell or high water.  Just one more cup of coffee.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

The wind has changed. The weather is turning cooler. The leaves are starting to change color. Everything seems to be changing.  The days are getting shorter and the time change is almost upon us.  Soon we will not be working in the garden after dinner, and it will be time to break out the fire wood.

Anyone who has known me for anytime at all knows I am a fan of fall.  I love how the leaves change color; I love the cooler temps and the warm nights by the fire.   Having a reason to wear my sweaters and my fuzzy jammie pants are all things that make me a happy gal.

Now with the cooler temps comes fall co-op and my son’s birthday. How can it be that he will be 14 this November 1st.  It could not have been that long. Time is passing so fast.  I want to freeze this moment in time and enjoy it.  Starting “9th” grade is such an accomplishment.  I love seeing the spark stir into a fire when he is working out a difficult math problem or when he gets into a book and chatters about it excitedly.



Caleb on his rocking horse

 

That said this is our busy season so down time is at a premium and I will be taking full advantage of every second of it.  I enjoy are family dinners and date nights at home.   All of this is time for me to recharge for the busy homeschool times.  I am lucky to have a supportive husband who jumps in and helps when he can.  

Teamwork is key here at Casa G.  We have learned that when we pull together as a team we can accomplish just about anything.  We have moved mounds of dirt for our fall garden, we have overcome great math obstacles, and even slayed the dragon of time by stealing some for family dinners and movie night.

So bring on the fall- busy schedules and all. We can deal with it and come out better and stronger.  It’s just how we roll.

Heather

If you want to see the blog for the homeschool group blog click here.   

What A Ride

I have been so sporadic about keeping up my blog. If you are still following me then you get kudos in my book.  I have to share some of the amazing things going on here at Casa G.  

It seems hard to believe we have been in our house over a year.  As a homeschooling mom, I was glad to have moved during a down time in our “school year”; yet, before I knew it, I realized that Caleb and I had not had any activities outside of the house in a few months and I set out to find us some new friends with which to hang out.

After researching groups I found the amazing folks at Wake Forest Homeschoolers.  As usual, I jumped in with both feet and, after meeting and being accepted into the group, I was suddenly attending a co-op with Caleb and assisting in a class.  When the next co-op period came around I found myself teaching!  Next thing I know I am the Secretary for the group and Caleb and Tony were building a website.

Of course I am an overachiever and had to create a blog for this group.  So I have found myself writing again after such a long time.  It has been a bit crazy. I am now writing blogs, attending board meetings and teaching co-op classes. What a busy and fun time.  

Not to be outdone, my husband has become a volunteer fire fighter-even attending calls on holidays and such. He has been busy with training and building their website.

Caleb is taking a webmaster course online and has become the webmaster for the Wake Forest Homeschoolers website. I can’t believe we are starting 9th grade.  He has become such a bright and amazing kid.  He will be in his first community theater play this fall.  I know he is loath to admit it but I think he is enjoying the process.

Welcome 2014

Welcome 2014

Well, we have begun another year.  Thank you for taking the time over the last year to read my blog and share in my thoughts and feelings.  I am hoping to gear up for another year of my

honest assessment on life and such.

I am not making any silly resolutions this year.  I am not going to go on about dropping weight or working out.  However, I am going to make some changes.   Because I have a new calendar, it’s a good time to lay out some life changes that I have been contemplating.  

I want to spend more time outside with my family.  I think for this I need a new hat because the sun and I just don’t get along.  We, as a family, want to spend time being outdoors and doing things that do not involve being plugged in.

Spend more quality time reading.  This is my true escape, and I am currently working on the classics as well as some fun romances for my girly side.  Also, adding more nonfiction to my collection.  I am going to learn with my leasure time. I am afraid if I don’t, my brain will start a long, slow death.  

Take some time and learn something in the new year; go outside and spend time with your kids and leave your cell phone at home.   Unplugging might be painful at first, but then becomes a freeing experience, at least, I hope.  

Annual,not Christian at Christmas blog

So here I am in the bible belt of the country.  Beautiful North Carolina.  I am happy here.   After five years I can say I would not want to live anywhere else.   I don’t want to go back to Las Vegas, California can take a hike.  I am happy here in the South.

Being a stay-at-home-mom and a homeschooler, a lot of people assume I am Christian.  HA! Not so much.  I am Pagan.   I am happy and nope, I don’t care who knows it.   Also I am not offended by anyone or their religious beliefs. To each their own, I say.   What path you choose to make yourself happy and fulfilled is fine with me, as long as you don’t try to make your path mine.

That said, I get angry at the war on Christmas.   Seriously, people, get over it.   It has been around a long time and it is not going away. It does not even resemble the celebrations of old and it is so highly commercialized that it has very little in common either its pagan roots or the holiday the Christians tried to make it.

“Merry Christmas” is not a vulgar term, it is a well wish.  I take it for what it is.   Sometimes I say “Merry Christmas” other times I say “Blessed Yule” or even “Yuletide greetings”.   If your faith is so weak that you are offended by a well wish and you fear you will become a Christian by just hearing spoken words, you need to rethink your path.  As a Pagan, I am not offended that my holiday was stolen, or that most of the traditions of the holiday are pagan in origin. It’s pretty funny to me.  So I put up my Yule tree, and enjoy the yule log, and celebrate in my own way.  I put lights on my house because they are pretty and I decorate because it is FUN.   

There are things to fight over. There is evil in this world. Take the well wishes with the good cheer they are intended, and if you are at a lack for something to say, how about “happy merry everything”, or just a simple “you too”.   Stop getting offended by kindness.

Grammar Police and Other Things You Don't Know About Me

Did you know that spelling ability is not a sign of intelligence?  Read this article; I hope you will learn about my struggles with dyslexia, and grasping the nuances of spelling in the English language. I have an editor or two for my blog so that I don’t make any glaring mistakes here, but left to my own devices, and without the aid of spell check, you would be amazed at how bad my spelling really is.

As a homeschooling mom I am blessed with a child who is a natural speller.   He often corrects my spelling of things.  I figure it is great practice for him.  I do not hide the fact that I am a bad speller, or that I need help to spell on a regular basis.   In fact, I have have come far, and I am proud of how well I do, versus how how I did even a year ago.

I love to read, and fought for years to be able to figure it out.  Dyslexia was some foreign concept. As I got older I learned that I had Fibromyalgia as well, and anyone who suffers with Fibro Fog can tell you that some days it is hard to remember in what order to make the coffee let alone spell it.  

Now, that is not to say I don’t try.  I really do.  I spell check, and ask for help, and change my words when I can’t spell the one I want to use.  Sometimes this is to no avail. I still screw it up and I don’t have an editor for my Facebook statuses, or my text messages.  

My awesome close friends have learned to deal with my spelling mishaps, and are good about just letting it go.  They know I try.  Sometimes I will even note that I have no idea how to spell a word but I need to use it so they know what I am trying to convey.

All that said, it still stings when my lack of ability is pointed out in a public forum.   I guess I could stop using public forms, or just get a thicker skin.  It is hard when you know your spelling just sucks. I am not giving up though.   I will keep trying to do better, and keep learning and working hard to overcome my shortfalls.  

Seasons Change

So here we are at the change of seasons again.   Changing of the summer to the winter clothes.  Time to work on planning Thanksgiving, Yule shopping and winter baking. Time to send my son on his fall trip to my mom’s house.  Let us not forget our 30 days of thankful on Facebook.

I love Autumn.  I love the weather, the colors and smells.  I love my fuzzy socks and jammies, and the cooler weather.   I do NOT like the weather change.   As someone who lives with Fibromyalgia the weather change brings on PAIN.  Pain for weeks until the weather stabilizes.  So I am in my loose clothes and praying for the bipolar weather to end.

Caleb has turned 12. YIKES.  My last baby is a tween.  We are doing well in school, so he is in the middle of a two week trip to his Nana’s house,  where he gets two weeks of time to relax and I get to try to rest up for our next few months of school.   

I have my menu planned for Thanksgiving and I am working on my Yule presents. Every year I swear I will be ready; one of these years I will be.  I enjoy this stuff: cooking big family meals, planning to have the family all together for the holiday.  This brings me joy and peace.

So I am on the bandwagon and doing the 30 days of thankful on Facebook.  What I have discovered in doing this, is that people have no idea what it is to be truly thankful.  Not to say that is everyone is off base; it bothers me to see how shallow some people really are.   I need to let this go.  Go outside and ground myself by looking at the beautiful colors.

I am excited to get over this flare so I can do some baking and enjoy this season.   I try not to dwell on the few weeks of pain but on how great things will be when it passes and I can enjoy this, my favorite season.