A case of the BLAHS

School is out, summer's here-and I just feel so blah! I do not know why. I can't seem to get anything done around here but the basics. I feel like the kids are running around with their heads cut off-they seem to be fighting alot this week. I know I need to plan my days better, but for some reason, now that I am done with lessons with Aust and Mik, My routine is gone-and I have to start over and I am struggling. The kids have been out of school for two weeks now, and I know I need a better routine. You'd think I would have it down by now. Well, I don't.

Enough about me. :-) My Dad went into the hospital the other night thinking he had kidney stones, only to find out he has a mass on his kidney. That's all I really know for sure and I hate having to wait to find out more. I am not close to my dad. I have always wanted to have a father daughter bond with him, but he is a difficult man. In spite of that, I have this anxious need to know everything that is going on with him, and it just doesn't happen that fast. It takes time to find out. So I am waiting.

I am not emotional. I don't know what I am. Anxious is the best way to describe it, I guess. I will tell more when I know more.

I know I have not been blogging lately. I don't have much to say. Not that there isn't anything going on-I just don't know what to say. I don't think anyone cares if I go to the park, or clean my basement-so I will spare you, heehee. No really, I just don't have that exciting of a life. I am just keeping my head above water you know. I wake up, do what I gotta do, and go to bed. That's me right now. Sometimes I feel like I am drowning in myself. My pitiful self. Ugh.

I plan on trying to have better habits but I have to fight my laziness. My daily routines are way out of wack and I have no ambition to change that. I know that it will change simply because it has to for my family-but I take my time as usual to change it because I am LAZY. Oh see, now I am back on me-what a waste of time.

A better topic-a friend and I did something nice for another friend and we SO enjoyed it!! I just had to share that-I was so excited to hear how happy she was. She had this HUGE home improvement project started that she had been unable to finish for many months now. It was her two girls upstairs bedroom-and the girls were sleeping in the living room all this time. It was a big stressor for her. Well, she went on vacation for two weeks and we cleaned it up, had some men just about finish it, and we organized it. Oh, it was so much fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat!! She was so happy and emotional about it. We saved her alot of work and stress! But I encourage you-if you ever get the chance to help someone out like that-do it. Don't even hesitate! It was good for us-and for the kids. We love you T!! I would post pictures but I am having trouble right now. Maybe next time.

I have to go-it's late. Until next time-love ya all!

Science Fair Fun!!

Tonight, we had our homeschool science fair. I dread doing the work for them, but I absolutely love going to them and having the kids participate in them. They were very excited about participating.

Mikayla and Austin read their parts for the project.

And then they took questions from the audience.

They really did a great job and I was very proud of both of them. They did not seem nervous at all, and I was so surprised at this!!

We did our project about friction and asked which surface causes the most friction, and which causes the least.

Fun, fun, fun...

Aren't they the cutest? They grow up too fast!!

A Wonderful Day!!

The sun is shining, and the air is cool. It's windy but that didn't stop us Molanders from our biking adventure today. I have no idea how many miles we may have ridden, but we trekked from our house to the library and then back home. Even though Austin and Mikayla were absolutely pooped out when we were about ten blocks from our house, we had a wonderful adventure and the kids were really good for me. The only time we faced a bit of turmoil was when we were about to go to Dairy Queen, but when I found out that the sidewalk was all torn up and we would have been in a bit of a dangerous situation if we tried to get to Dairy Queen from where we were, I had to change my mind. So I said we would go home first and then drive to Mcd's for a Sundae. Oh, boy, nobody liked me then and three out of four were complaining. So we had about ten minutes of the blahs on our way home, but everyone was tired too, and it's hard not to be whiney when your tired.

I LOVE bike riding. I have since I was a kid-and my kids love it too. What's even more exciting is that we can all ride together for longer distances now. This is really the first year that Mikayla is strong enough to do so. I tried once last year and she was too scared to have anyone behind her and she was so much slower than everyone else. She is still slower, but fast enough to keep up from behind, and I always stay right behind her.

It's wonderful to me to have something I love, that I can share with my children. And I almost didn't do it today because I did not get my bathroom clean:-( That was my goal-clean bathroom and then go, but I got a late start today and we have somewhere to go this afternoon so it was getting kind of late to go and I still had not cleaned. Well, I thought about it. All my kids got up and cleaned their rooms, got their beds made, and did their morning jobs. And they did the things I asked them to do-it was just flowing this morning. So, I gave up my date with the bathroom to spend a beautiful day out in the sun riding bikes with my kids. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I am telling you to do stuff like that with your kids. My bathroom will be there for me to clean later, but my kids are growing up. I LOVE spending time with them like this. So, go and enjoy this sunny day with your kids if you can. If not today, then tomorrow. Make it important because some tommorrow, they will be all grown up and have their own lives.

Praise God for the sunshine!

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Today, my heart aches. It aches for the home that God has blessed me with-the husband and children He has given to me-ME. I want so much for them-yet I struggle so much to give it away. I do not want anything else in this world as badly as I want a joyful, peaceful, loving home. There are days when I feel utterly overwhelmed-like everyone else in the world feels at times. Why does it have to hurt so much when our children fail or make mistakes, or choose the wrong thing? I suppose it is God's way of reminding us just how much we love our kids.

Well, I have to go and tackle my housework-sigh. That's a whole other story for another day. Just remember that no matter how you FEEL, God is always good and He knows what is best for us!!

I am completely frustrated!

I know that God is in control, that is my peace! Is anyone else out there paying attention to what is going on in our country right now. I know I cannot worry about it, but I do think about my kids and where they will be in twenty years. What is America going to look like for them?? I do realize that things have been heading in the wrong direction for many many years, going back all the way to Roosevelt. BUT, this current administration and congress is bound and determined to change everything at break neck speed. Many people may not even care or pay any attention until it finally hurts them where it matters, in their pocketbooks, or in their freedoms. It may not happen today, and it may not happen tomorrow, but ten years from now when my children are trying to make a life for themselves, are they going to be free to do that easily? Or are they going to have obstacles at every turn along the way?

I am currently reading a book by Mark Levine called Liberty and Tyranny , and I couldn't put it down last night. It is so very explanatory about what our country is and where we come from and where we are going.

I have always been a person who just wants to live my life, and vote when the time comes. But now, it just seems like I have been so complacent about how important all of our elections are local, state and federal. My heart has been sad for our country and for what our forefathers meant for it to be. I believe there are so many uninformed and misinformed people out there that if they just understood and knew what the constitution says and means and what our country is truly all about they would not be drinking the koolaid!

Okay, I am off my soapbox. Sorry, I am just so frustrated.

The middle of the night, AGAIN!

Life has been so busy. And even though it has been a good busy, it makes me crazy to be so busy. Maybe partly because I have a little bit of trouble with organization in my life. See, I went to bed a long time ago, but here I am at my computer, trying to make myself sleepy. I was lying in bed, and my body was completely obedient about going to sleep, but my brain was not. Too many thoughts about all the things I have to remember to keep track of this week. So I finally decided to come downstairs and write it all down-alot of it was already on the calendar, but I double checked and added some things here and there.

What do you do to remember? One of the biggest devices of terror in my life is my forgetfulness. Yes I said terror. I have forgotten important things SO many times, and you know that big lump you get in your throat and wave of nausea that comes over you when you are nervous? That's how I feel when I forget something. I feel sorry for those who get to put up with me.

But seriously-I know I am not the only one who forgets-so-How do YOU remember things? Got any great ideas? Maybe it is just hard work that does it-making a lot of conscious effort to remember the important things-not just important to me, but also what's important to others.

I have been trying harder, but I still forget. And to those of you that may have suffered from MY forgetfulness, it is with deepest sincerity that I say, "I'm sorry!". And now I must bid you farewell. My brain is beginning to agree with my body, thank goodness!

Late Night Lamingtons

It started about four months ago. Every week Obi would have to do four pages and add them to his book-

At the end of the laborious four months of researching, searching for pictures, and drawing, the fifth grade has a Nation Fair all day in their classroom.

Isaac had to finish up his poster for the fair last night.

He procrastinated on this one, but it turned out okay in the end.

And what did MOM get to do until 2 in the morning?? Hmmm... Well, it's a fair, and what do we do at a fair? EAT! For this particular fair, the cuisine was a sampling of traditional food from your country.

Wow, who made THAT mess? Cut me some slack I was in a hurry!:-) I started around 8:00. Who knew what a nightmare these little treats could be and Obi is not the only one who procrastinated!

The finished product. They are called Lamingtons after Charles Wallace Baillie, Lord Lamington, governer of Queensland, who wore some kind of hat that resembled the square cakes. Ironically, he hated the things, and supposedly it was something created by the cook as a creative way to use stale or burnt sponge cake. These little cakes were served at various ceremonial functions In Queensland, and over time became a favorite of the Aussies, served with tea in the afternoon. Schools and other groups even use them for school fundraisers, called Lamigton drives, because of their popularity. They're actually pretty yummy-but NEVER AGAIN. What a night!

Even though Obi did not stay up nearly as late as I did, he was up much later than his normal bed time and we were both VERY tired!

But, in the end, it was all worth it. Obi is such a great kid, and so smart. And just look at those adorable freckles!:-) I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project with him. And if I never see another chocolate dipped, coconut-covered, sponge cake square again, that would be just fine with me!!