Kids
Order Will Be Restored in this House!
Either the girls forgot the house rules or got a little spoiled with all our traveling and busy summer! With everything going on this summer instead of waiting for them to pick up and turn their clothes right side out for laundry day I would just do it since I needed to repack the suitcase or wanted to get the house pick up. The beginning of the school year got off to a rough start in house department because they must of thought it was okay or normal to just throw their clothes on the bathroom floor before their showers, leave headbands on the sink, and other random items placed in odd spots through the house and their rooms.
After several days of being nice and reminding them to pick up after themselves I decided it was time to do something else to get their attention. On that particular night I had already wading through their piles of clothes on the bathroom floor, picked up pieces of confetti paper off the dining room floor, put away their library books, placed more items than their bar stools would hold to be put away, and more craziness. In my quest to pick of the house I found a piece of notebook paper on the kitchen floor and scribbled out my note. The deal was either you pick up your stuff or breakfast will not be served that morning (and yes it was a school morning). I let Jake read my note first just in case I was being too zealous with my request. My first comment to him was “Order will be restored in this house!” Jake thought it was hilarious!
Guess what!? IT WORKED!!! You should have seen the girls reactions when they came to breakfast and saw the note on the counter instead of their food. Too funny! The next few minutes were a whirlwind of them scurrying around the house to put all their stuff away. They got everything done and in record time too. They both even got to eat breakfast that morning! The biggest benefit though was that it reminded them of their responsibilities and while we to still have an off day once in a great while it has been MUCH better.
When everyone in the family works together to put away their items in the proper places the whole family can enjoy a much more livable house. I don’t mind cleaning, but really don’t want to be a full time personal maid when everyone is perfectly capable of helping out. No more wading through piles of clothes, tripping over shoes, washing my hands with headbands in the sink, or random items spread throughout the house!
Hopefully this will be the last time I have to remind them. It wasn’t a fancy note and it was done a little off the cuff, but hey the message got across and it served it’s purpose! I have debated back and forth whether or not to share this with you than decided that if I am going through this in my house it is probably happening in at least a couple other homes somewhere. Maybe?!
A Sweet & Simple Note Can Melt a Moms Heart
Occasionally, Jake has to travel for work and there are times when he is gone random craziness happens at home. On this particular week Jake was gone it was busy with a lot of school activities, tutoring, animals getting out of their pen, doctor appointments, sick kids, and more. This particular day had a tough afternoon noon of school work, followed by chasing the goats back into their zone (multiple times), leftovers for dinner, a couple of not-so-cool Mommy moments, and running around trying to get the kids in bed on time.
By the time the girls were in bed I was exhausted and ready to relax, but lunches still needed to be put together, dishes washed, kitchen picked up, bills to be paid, and more regular household duties waiting for my attention. I decided to take 10 minutes and sit down, on the couch, and reflect on the events of the day. While sitting there I started thinking about everything I could have done better regarding my interactions with the girls in some of the sticky situations specifically regarding my actions, words, and attitude.
As I was thinking about the day I looked over at the dry erase board and saw a note from Karlie. Some days you don’t know if they realize how much we love them…..then they do something spontaneous and sweet like this simple note that melts my heart. And brings more tears! We are not perfect parents by a long shoot, but it does a Moms heart good to know that they really do feel loved and appreciated even in amidst those hurried, frustrating, and crazy days. I had no idea this note was on the dry erase board or when she put it there with everything going on that day, but it was the perfect encouragement boost I needed for that evening. Thankful for my kids and for their thoughtful ways of showing love.
She picked yellow so it’s a little harder to read, but it says:
I love Daddy.
I love Mommy.
I love Brina.
I love Oreo, Snowball, and Skipper.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
It has been a busy few weeks and I think we are starting to get into the school groove now. Per a few requests I am going to try to update more regularly again regarding what items I pack for the kids school lunches. We try to pack a variety of items for the girls to eat. They have a snack in the morning, lunch, and an afternoon snack that needs to go into their lunches. Almost everyday of the week we have something right after school so we make sure they have enough to get them to dinner.
Lunch Box Meal
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Tortilla & One is actually a Soy Butter & Jelly Tortilla (peanut allergy)
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- Raisins
- Pistachios, Cashews, and Almond Mix
- Oreo Cookies
- Fresh Red and Green Grapes
- Vanilla with Oreo Cookie Topping Yogurt & One with Soy Blueberry Yogurt (dairy allergy)
- ABC or Animal Crackers (one with non-dairy)
- Strawberry Fruit Nuggets
- Chocolate Milk & One with Simply Orange Juice
- Water Bottle
The girls pack their lunches at least once or twice a week. Since they have so much going on at school plus homework I try to pack their lunches for them on the other nights. It gives me a chance to help them out and after homework if they have any extra free time I want them to be able to relax, read, play, or do something fun (be a kid). I am thankful they are still excited about bringing their lunch to school because I know they are eating a variety of food.
The items in their containers (grapes, oreos, nuts, raisins, tomatoes).
Karlie’s lunch is ready to go!
Easley: Sweet Treats at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
A brain freeze and a sweet treat!
We were out of town this summer when Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers actually opened for business in Easley! While we were not one of their first customers we decided to try them out on one of our recent Family Nights Out! The food was good and the frozen custard was delicious! It would have probably been better to either get dinner or desert; by the time we got to desert all of us were getting full and we ended up taking home a good portion of our custard. The good news is they gave you plenty to eat and the kids got to enjoy the ice cream the next day!
If you are looking for a hamburger, shoe string fries, and frozen custard you might want to check out your local Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers! The first Freddy’s restaurant was founded in 1950 actually in Wichita, Kansas. As far as I know Easley is the first SC store, but I am sure you’ll start seeing more of them in other areas around South Carolina before too long!
Brina enjoying her sweet treat!
Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers Constitution Day
The girls earned their Jr. Historian Badges for Framers Who Were Farmers – U.S. Constitution Event
On September 17th every year we celebrate Constitution Day! Back on September 17, 1787 a total of 42 of the 55 delegates held their final meeting at the Constitutional Convention. It was the day they signed the Constitution of the United States of America!
Shortly after Constitution Day we attended an event at the Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum. The event was called Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers. It was for students in 4th to 7th grades. They had activities, role playing, field work, and discussions pertaining to the U. S. Constitution. They covered information such as:
- The Preamble
- Separation of Powers
- History, Framers, and Impact of the U.S. Constitution
- Declaration of Independence
- Articles of Confederation
- Bill of Rights
Staff dressed up as James Madison. Discussion on the U.S. Constitution.
The Founding Fathers used scientific inventions and various forms of farming techniques. Some of the men who signed the Constitution were farmers, a few of them were:
- George Washington
- James Madison
- Charles Pinckney
- Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
- Thomas Jefferson
- Benjamin Franklin
There were several things the farmers experienced such as depletion of soil nutrients, purchasing local produce and crops, local insects, trees, vegetation, and being self-supportive farms.
Some of the activities the kids did at the event were discussing the Constitution. Designing a poster. Experimenting with soil and the nutrients in it. Planting some seeds and recording their findings. The kids received a Jr. Historian Pin and a U.S. Constitution pocket guide. The girls had a lot of fun learning about the U.S. Constitution, activities, and experiments.
Timeline include French & Indian War, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, American Revolution, Constitutional Conventional, Bill of Rights, and more!
Brina’s poster!
The poster Karlie made at the event!
Greenville: Exploring the Children’s Museum of the Upstate
Karlie and Brina climbing the rock wall at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate!
We had some great opportunities to travel over the girls summer break so we didn’t get to do some of the fun activities in our local area. Whenever we had a chance we would look over our list of fun local activities and pick one to do together. The girls recently chose going to the Children’s Museum of the Upstate as one of their activities. The Upstate Children’s Museum is located in downtown Greenville and has many fun interactive activities for the kids. We had a great morning exploring and learning at the Children’s Museum. Thankful for such an awesome museum for kids in our area.
When you put your hands on the spots the drum mimics your heartbeat. Pretty cool! Two people can do it at the same time and hear the differences in their heartbeats.
They are smiling a lot for being on crutches! Hopefully we will avoid having family members on crutches.
Karlie pulling herself up!
Brina smiling as she pulls herself up. Testing the different ropes and pulleys.
Karlie at the bank getting some cash for her groceries.
That’s a lot of wind!
Construction crew making bricks!
Brina bringing over a wheelbarrow of bricks!
Karlie’s proud of her creation!
Making a cool structure!
Relaxing in the camping area!
The Light Waves Ahead display is always a fun one to use your creativity on too!
Fun times with the girls at the Children’s Museum!
Driving the recycling truck! Watch out!
Brina in a water bubble!
Karlie having a blast in the music room!
Brina loves hanging out at the Children’s Museum!
Going through the cool jungle gym area at the museum!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I am hoping to get through a bunch of the tasks this week! There is a lot going on around here the next few weeks, but if I remain consistent I will still be able to get a lot accomplish. Looking forward to getting some items done.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read The Adventures of Robinhood by Howard Pyleto the kids – finished reading it and Brina has picked out our next chapter book to read togetherPlan one special activity with the family- Play a board or card game – we did not get our game in this week due to a lot of other activities that fell on the evenings and weekend
Prepare for Upcoming Fall EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the girls with HomeworkPrep for a big weekend- Ride Bikes with the kids – our week filled up too quickly we didn’t get to riding bikes
Go for a Walk with the Kids– on the nice non-rainy days this past week would went outside and walked while reviewing for their upcoming Science and Social Studies tests at school
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it was spread out over a couple days due to my husband having last minute work travel
Pay all upcoming billsWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – had to reschedule due to other conflicts
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – made another payment this past week
Pay medical bills in full– finished paying off one of the big medical bills that we had been working on in awhile! WooHoo!
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read A Horse Called Wonder by Joanna Campbell (Book #1 of the Thoroughbred Series) to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Ride Bikes with the kids
- Go for a Walk with the Kids
- Attend School Board Meeting
- Give Jake a haircut
- Make Toffee per girls requests
- Cook up Ground Hamburger and Freeze for future meals
- Make and freeze Spinach Cubes for Smoothies
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Exercise at least 5 times this week
- Pedicure – my toenails could use a fresh coat of polish
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Freezer Meals Prepped for future meals
- Clean out & Organize Refrigerator / Freezer
- Clean House including all 3 bathrooms, dusting, floors, and bedrooms
- Put Fall/Winter Clothes in Closets and dressers and put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic
- Refill kids vitamin container
- Refill Baggie Drawer and Lunch Box Container
- Pool taken down and put away
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – we recently had to buy a new microwave and refrigerator
- Pay October Bills
- Recent Receipts Basket Cleaned Out, Organized, & Receipts Filed
- File Paperwork
- Earn some Creative Cash
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Watching the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon
Watching the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon
Earlier this week on Wednesday, October 8th we had a Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon. Since we have one child who really wanted to see the Eclipse I got up at 4 am in to check the weather, scope out a good location to set up the telescope, and check on the eclipse. I woke the girls up a few minutes before 6 am. We were able to watch the final few stages of the Total Lunar Eclipse that we could see from South Carolina. The girls were very excited to watch it through the monocular and telescope. It was neat to see the eclipse. The weather was foggy during the eclipse in our area so it was difficult to see the Blood Moon, but they were thrilled with what they could see.
What is a Total Lunar Eclipse? A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow.
What is a Blood Moon? When the total lunar eclipse causes the moon to turn a red, orange, and brown color from the glow and reflection of all the sunrises from the Earth’s surface it is considered a Blood Moon.
Karlie looking through the telescope!
Brina looking through the monocular at the Total Lunar Eclipse!
The sunrise after the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon! For more information on the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon check out Space.com
STEM Club & Lego Robotics
Adorable Robot snack for the STEM Club Celebration!
The girls applied for the STEM Club and were accepted! Congratulations GIRLS!!! They took a lot of time filling out their applications and waited patiently to hear the news. Their hard work paid off. They are so EXCITED! We have started another year of STEM Club and Lego Robotics.
Mrs. Johnson, one of the teachers that helps with STEM Club made super cute robot snacks for all the kids to enjoy during the STEM Club Celebration. The robot was a juice box with four starbursts on the bottom for feet, two airheads for arms, two nuggets for head, and googly eyes. The kids thought they were awesome. So thoughtful and creative!
They are already working hard at STEM Club. There is a lot work ahead of them before the robotics competition in January, but they are off to a good start. Thankful for this opportunity for them to learn. In order for them to remain in STEM Club they had to sign a “contract” saying they would attend meetings (if they miss more than three they will be asked to leave), keep up their grades, and more.
WooHoo! They got into STEM Club! Here is part of their acceptance letters!
Karlie enjoying her robot snack!
Brina having fun at the STEM Club Celebration!
Loud Explosion Followed By A Big Mess!
The top of the tree exploded when it was hit by lightening!
We were awaken in the middle of the night with a very loud boom that shook the whole house! It was a rainy night. After looking around the house and yard we noticed the jungle gym looked like it was covered by a tree. We soon found out the tree was struck by lightening and the top exploded sending branches, sticks, leaves, and tree pieces in all directions. We found pieces over a hundred feet away from the actual tree. Thankfully the tree and debris did not hit the house. It did break a section of our fence, took out the kids slide, punched a hole in the jungle gym roof, fried our printer inside, and the fence for the animals.
Jungle gym covered with branches!
Leaves, branches, and debris all over the yard!
The slide did not make it!
What a mess! Well guess we know what we’ll be doing today! Thankfully it didn’t hit the house! The kids were a HUGE help and we got most of it cleaned up in one day!
