The last couple of weeks...

have been some of the most difficult of my life. We all suffered with Daddy for a long time. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's seven years ago. Three years ago, he went into a nursing home because he had to have round-the-clock care. Two years ago, he began to lose the ability to control a number of his bodily functions. A year ago, he quit speaking at all. He was given six years. He made it seven. That is a testament to Daddy's stubborn streak.

Alzheimer's is so difficult to deal with. It is hard to watch someone suffer and lose their faculties. It was especially hard to watch Daddy. He was always a hard-working man. He was also a young man. Daddy was diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer's at 52 years of age.

He could talk a person's ears off. He loved to talk about his girls. He was so proud of his daughters and grandchildren. He was always pulling out pictures to show people. He would ask people, "Guess how many grandchildren I have now?!" And he liked to say, "I'm young to have so many grandchildren, huh?" He was constantly talking about our accomplishments to anyone who would listen and probably some who didn't want to :)

I learned a lot about my family the last couple of weeks. I learned that my mother is stronger than any of us thought she was. I also learned that she and Daddy faced the reality of his disease a long time ago when they pre-planned a number of things for his funeral. I re-learned that my sisters are amazing women who are strong, thoughtful, and caring. I learned that the men we married are strong and helpful. I learned that the grandchildren are all tender and sympathetic. They all respond to the emotions around them and are some of the most loving children you have ever seen.

I learned a lot about my friends this week. I learned that I have more forever friends than I ever thought I had. I had friends willing to spend hours at my side, take time off work, or drive long distances to support me. I had friends send cards, money, and flowers.

I learned that I work for an amazing school system. I received cards, money, and flowers from a system I have only worked for since August. I had people step in and take care of business for me in Iowa when I had to be in Georgia. When I returned, they were sympathetic and caring. Even my kids were sympathetic and thoughtful.

Even though I have struggled, been stressed, sad, and temperamental, this experience has made me stronger. I have learned that my capacity to love has helped me get through the pain. The love I have given has been returned hundred-fold. I am so thankful for the people God has placed in my life, those for a reason, those for a season and those forever.

I Am Blessed!

First off, let me apologize for not keeping up in the last week or two. Back to school has gotten to me. I caught a "back-to-school cold/virus/general crud thing". I have been coming home and crashing. I am even behind on grading papers for work! I jumped in with both feet and got the kids started doing work immediately, so, I have no one to blame but myself :)

Anyway, this crud I have had has reminded me how truly blessed I am. My husband, mother and, children took over running things for a few days so I could try to get well. Of course, if I had listened to my first instinct and taken a day to rest right off, I probably would have gotten over it sooner, but, I didn't listen.

Chris took care of dinner three nights in the last week. He fixed me something for breakfast nearly every day (He knows that when I am sick, if I have to do it, I probably won't). He took care of the kids and getting them to do their chores. He helped me organize and clean our bedroom today, even though I know he didn't want to :)

Mama took up some of the slack with the housework. She cooked dinner two nights in a row. She made breakfast this morning. She always does the laundry and kept up with that and helping the boys keep up the kitchen. She has also been handling the grocery shopping while I have rested. She is getting really good at matching up the coupons and sales. I have taught her well. Now, I have to convince her that occasionally, it is ok to NOT have a coupon!

The kids have been cleaning a lot today. Of course, most of the mess was a result of them, anyway. They tend to NOT clean up after themselves if they are not reminded constantly. So, today was make-up day. They also took good care of me all day on Saturday. Abbi brought me breakfast in bed, the boys brought me a cushioned half-chair to sit on my bed. They also brought my computer and charger upstairs so I could spend the day watching "hulu". I had orders to stay in bed. I tried, but, eventually made my way downstairs and into the living room to spend time with everyone and watch football. I can't miss football! Even though I didn't get to watch my Dawgs, I still enjoyed some awesome family time watching college ball!

So, I said all of this to say, that I know I am blessed. I have had a rough week fighting this thing off. I spent all day Friday resting/sleeping/watching TV. However, with my family there to make me laugh, and try to make things easy, I think I can get through anything.

Raising Twins IV

I had all of these wonderful ideas of how it would be to raise twins. I initially said a lot of "I will not's" and "I would never's". I said I wouldn't get them confused. Oh my gosh!! They looked so much alike that we had to do something! Their hospital bracelets stayed on them until they were about three or four months old! We didn't take them off until the boys outgrew them! They were so difficult to tell apart! We only knew for a while that Nathan was "Baby A" and Matthew was "Baby B", so, that is what we used to tell them apart. Once their personalities and looks became a little more pronounced, we didn't need the bracelets any more. They still confuse me once in a while. Luckily, now, I can even tell their voices apart!

I said I would NEVER give them rhyming names. I managed to do that, sort of. Matt is actually Christopher Matthew and Nathan is Nathanael Loander. Nathan and Matthew was close enough to rhyming for my taste. Then my goofy cousin said he was going to call them "Matt" and "Nat", which had never occurred to me, and I nearly lost it on him! I finally just said, "he is not a BUG!!" So, problem solved. Then, Nathan THOUGHT about letting his friends call him "Nat" until Mama put her foot down.

I said I wouldn't be one of "those" parents who dressed their twins alike all the time. I lied. It started with baby shower outfits. It became convenient. It also became a habit to buy two of everything when shopping. It became a way of keeping track. Two boys in the same shirt were a lot easier to keep up with in a store or somewhere else than two boys in different outfits! Also, I couldn't put one boy in a baseball outfit and a ballerina outfit! I mean, come on! There's only so much cute stuff out there for boys, anyway! I still buy two of most everything. Now, I do it just so they won't fight over shirts, pants, shoes, etc. I may get the same shirt in a different pattern or color. I may buy six of the same pair of jeans, just because they are boys and the same size. Besides, this way, technically, they each have double the wardrobe!

What a Week!

This week has probably been one of the most difficult since the move. I won't say it has been THE most difficult, because there have been MULTIPLE weeks with difficulty! :) However, three trips to the emergency room, working a full week, and the kids going back to school do tend to add up to a difficult week!

Monday was my first day working with my new faculty. I went back to work after spending the weekend cleaning up the mess in the basement that was left from the flooding that week. I got home from work to find my mother not doing well. She was in her bed, wouldn't focus on me, and could barely speak. I called 911 while she fought me, trying to take the phone away because she didn't want to go to the hospital. I won. Turns out she had a mild stroke. She was hospitalized overnight, blood taken repeatedly, and came home the next day.

Tuesday was more meetings, listening to speakers, and working on lessons a bit. However, I had to leave early to take care of Mama. Once she was released from the hospital, she needed monitoring.

Wednesday was a LONG day. I had to be at work at 7:30. I didn't get off until nearly 7:00. We had meetings, speakers, some time in our rooms, and Open House. I got to meet the parents of a number of my students as well as some students. I was EXHAUSTED when I got home!

Thursday, when I got home, fixed dinner, and got ready for our walk, Abbi asked me to look at her arm. I took her to the bathroom and cleaned it with peroxide. I told her to leave it open so it could get some air while we walked. She burned it Monday evening on the side of a baking pan. After our walk, I looked at the wound, again. It was red, raised, puffy, and had a red streak running up beyond her elbow. The burn was just above her wrist. Trip number two to the ER. She had either a strep or staph infection. The doctor didn't feel it necessary to run a $300 test, so, started treating her with two antibiotics, plus, topical ones.

Friday, back to work. (I worked, Thursday, too :D). When I got home, Abbi's arm was more red and puffy, with a second streak running up her arm. BACK to the ER. The doctor was great. He was patient and asked us to give the meds another 24 hours to start working really well. Chris and I agreed. We then went and got some groceries, fed everyone, and I pretty much collapsed.

What have I learned from all of this? One thing I have learned is that it is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry. I initially thought Mama was having a panic attack. I also initially thought that Abbi would be ok with topical treatment for a couple of days. My instinct kicked in over my brain. I am so glad I listened to my heart rather than my head! I have learned that I am tough! I can deal with lots of things that have been thrown at me (but, I don't WANT to have another week like this one!). I have learned that the closer we get to getting something started for our church plant and building relationships, the harder we are going to be fought! As I said in my facebook status on Thursday morning, anticipating the first day of school...BRING IT!!

Culture Shock

This week has been quite a time of adjustment for me. I went back to work and the kids went back to school. It is always difficult going back to work when you have had over two months off. Getting up at 6:00 AM every day has been a real adjustment, too. However, It's nothing like last year when I had to get up at 5:00 AM and sometimes earlier.

Thursday and Friday were the first student days. There are always adjustments to be made on these days. Lunch always runs over and afternoon classes have to be adjusted. That is just the nature of going back to school. I have never been in a school where lunch actually ended on time the first few days. It is all a part of the process.

The culture shock for me came with the students. After teaching in an inner-city school, my new school seems SO DIFFERENT! The first difference is in the attitudes of the students. I have students eager to learn! They want to know what we will be doing. They want to listen. They want to be taught! I think the major reason for this difference in attitude is that most of these students don't have to worry as much about where their next meal is going to come from, who is going to beat them, or if there will be a shooting in their neighborhood or house tonight.

Another culture shock for me has been the facility. The school is only a few years old. I have supplies! There is equipment to be used. There are science lab kits, microscopes, slides, chemicals, and MANY other things available to me in the STOREROOM off my classroom. I also have funds available to purchase more things. I don't have to stress as much about what I am going to do for labs or how to pay for it.

Yet another surprise for me was that I am not having to check the kids for dress code every day. Of course, with any school, there are guidelines to be followed. However, I am not having to make sure shirts are tucked in, belts are on, pants are pulled up, and the proper colors are being worn. It is so surprising to look at kids and see the variety of clothes they can wear to school, just because they want to.

I literally felt like crying yesterday because it felt so simple! Discipline? Seriously, when I asked the students to settle down, they did. When I asked the students to do an index card with information, they did it and the room fell silent. Today, I gave a writing assignment. They did it. They didn't complain about having to write in Science. They stayed quiet while they worked. I honestly didn't know how to handle myself.

At lunch yesterday, I actually took a picture of my room and sent it to Chris because the room was still clean! There was nothing in the floor except a small slip of paper. These children are respectful! I had one boy run back in today and grab the three sheets of paper that had fallen out of his notebook before he walked out of the room. They push their chairs back under as they leave! This is so amazing to me. Last year, I had to clean my room before the custodians could clean my room. There was always a HUGE pile of paper balls, broken pencils, colored pencils, etc. that had been left in the floor.

I am not trying to glorify my new job. I am not trying to make it sound like it is so much better than what I had before. I just feel so blessed. I realize that there will be days that I find difficult. I realize that there will be students who push my buttons or test limits. I know that I will be just as exhausted after a long day of teaching as I was (trust me, I felt it today!), but, I am just so thankful to be given the opportunity that I have been given. I love to teach and it is all the better to be able to do it with a willing audience :D

Some Couponing Thoughts

I used coupons for quite a while, then, I stopped. It got to be too much work. What I wanted wasn't always on sale. I had a coupon, but, it didn't bring the price down enough. I didn't have coupons for what I DID want when it went on sale. The Sunday paper didn't have many coupons in it. There were all kinds of reasons why I stopped. But, I did get started again.

The first thing that got me started again was CVS. I had started using their CVS bucks again. I then started matching up the bucks with coupons and getting better deals. Then, I started thinking about using them again in grocery stores. After that, I found out about coupon websites and manufacturer sites. You can download and print your coupons! This was amazing! The final kicker for me was when I learned of a couple of grocery stores that DOUBLED coupons! That was amazing! So, a $0.60 coupon is now worth $1.20?! Are you kidding me??? I am IN!

I learned from a great website that caters to southern stores that groceries tend to go on sale in six-week cycles. If your favorite brand is on sale, stock up with at least six weeks worth. In the long run, this WILL save you money. When you can use a coupon on top of a sale price, it always comes out better, check the ads. Once you check the ads, match your coupons to the ads. Something that is buy-one-get-one free is MORE than 50% off when you add a coupon! I like more than 50% off! It makes me feel good!

I was saddened to learn that there are no stores in Iowa that double grocery coupons. However, the average price of groceries here is a bit lower. So, in Tennessee, I was always shooting for at least 55% savings on my bill. Here, my goal is at least 45% savings. I feel I have really accomplished something if I can make that. Case in point: I have to feed a family of seven. Our average grocery bill for a month is less than $500. This includes toiletries, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies. Also, I bought school supplies for four children. I also stocked up on a number of things for them to have throughout the school year. I spent less than $100 on ALL of their school supplies together.

Here is the last thing I have to say on this topic. You will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS do better if you shop grocery and drug stores with coupons and sales than you will ever do at major retail or bulk shopping stores. They may have the cheaper price initially. However, when you get a product in their store, and add a coupon, you will never save 50% or more on that item. In grocery stores, you can always save when you match up the sales with the coupons. I rarely pay more than $1.50 for some of my children's favorite NAME-BRAND cereals. (You know, the kind your mama told you not to eat because it would rot your teeth out...still got all mine, thanks Mom!) I NEVER pay more than $1.00 a box for microwave popcorn. Deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc...I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I paid actual cash for these things due to CVS bucks (which I can't get anymore, waaaaahhhh!!!) and Register Rewards at Walgreen's. Try a few of these tips and see how they work for you! Feel free to message me any time if you have questions or want help getting started!

Kids Are Funny!

I love to laugh. We do it a lot around our house. I tend to have a quick wit. Chris has a dry sense of humor that catches people off guard. The kids got a combination from both of us. They also just make observations that we find hysterical on occasion. They all get us from time to time. Nathan and Matt are at an age where they are catching on to more adult humor. Abbi notices girly things and gross things and reacts in hysterical ways. Benjamin got the biggest dose of humor from both Mama and Daddy and we end up in stitches quite often. Here are a few examples:

Nathan (age 5) was outside with his Daddy. Chris looked up and said, "I see a red bird!" Nathan looked at his Daddy and said, "I see a redneck!"

Matthew (age 3): We were in Lowe's looking for foam insulation. He looked up and saw the large rolls of attic insulation all shrink-wrapped and packaged together. He then looked at me and said, "Mama! That's a big ol' roll of toilet paper!"

Abbi (age 6) was testing me quite a bit that particular day. I finally told her she was "annoying me". She said, "ME? Annoy YOU? Nonsense..."

Benjamin (age 5): After our recent vacation, Chris was complaining about having gained some weight. Matthew then said something about his nickname being, "hubby". Benjamin said, "No! His nickname is chubby!"

Matthew (age 10): I was frustrated with Matthew for trying to discipline his younger brother. I asked, "Did you give birth to him?" Matthew answered, "That's highly illogical!"

Benjamin (age 5): Nathan had been aggravating him and he said, "I wish I was a girl cause then I could hit Nathan cause boys can't hit girls!"

Benjamin (age 6) I had asked him several times to go to bed. Around the fourth time, I finally said, "Benjamin, will you PLEASE go to bed?!" He answered, "Whatever you say...Sweet Cheeks!"

We get these things and more quite often. I am beginning to feel I should carry around a notebook so I can write all of these things down when they happen. I know I will never remember all of them, later. However, I do appreciate my children for all the good laughs they have given us, so far!