5 Question Friday

1. Have you ever had surgery? Eye surgery when I was 4 or 5, clean out surgery on my arm when I was 16 and a D&C in 1998.

2. Ever ride in an ambulance? Yep, in 1992 I was in a accident with a school group and had to be taken to the hospital. I have also ridden in a ambulance with other people.

3. How are you in a medical emergency? Panicked? Calm? Calm, try to think through what to do. My hero on the other hand is the man you want. He is calm and knows how to treat anything like a broken bone or blood.

4. Do you have a garden? Flowers or veggies? Veggies and a lot of fruit. I can see little green things coming up out of the dirt everyday and it thrills me.

5. When did you move out of your parents’ house? When I was 17. I did not just move out, I moved out and moved 9 hours away.
Pamela

Mil Spouse fill in Friday

1. What romance movie scene reminds you of your s/o or spouse and the LOVE you share? Submitted by Simply Sunshine and Daisy’s Cheaper by the dozen when they are chatting in the bedroom and the kids are hiding under the beds and blankets. I know not very romantic
2. If you were allowed to deploy with your husband to a war zone would you and why? Submitted by I & J oh man in a heartbeat. I dream about it, think about it constantly. I mean if I did not have these four blessings. When my husband and I were in therapy dealing with his PTSD I always dreamed of being there to understand what he was going on.
3. Have you ever done anything (intentionally, or unintentionally) to embarrass your spouse/significant other in front of his military cohorts? Submitted by Marrying the Navy not recently, I would have to ask him. I did walk in his office last week and ask for Sergeant, I quickly realized he will never be a Sergeant anymore.
4. What is your most irrational fear? Submitted by Eights on the Move the dentist, I am actually being put to sleep in a couple of weeks because it scares me. I can have a filling but to have my teeth cleaned I go crazy. The other thing is having something go wrong with my car. I would buy a new car every month if I could.
5. If you could only live in one kind of climate for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? submitted by Many Waters cool, not hot or cold. I burn if it is too sunny and I cannot stand wearing coats so I hate the cold.
Would you like to meet other military wives, head over to Wife of a Sailor?
Pamela

Homeschooling Journal

In my life this week...

It has been quiet, my hero and son have been in the mountains fishing for trout with grandpa.
In our homeschool this week...

Lots of review and lots of relaxing, almost a mini spring break while the boys are not here.
Places we're going and people we're seeing...

We thought we were going to the zoo but it has rained every day. We have honestly stayed home and enjoyed having friends over.

My favorite thing this week was...
Having a friend over and making play dough. Baking for the joy of baking and not out of need. Setting at the dentist talking about JFK and Hitler, cannot imagine what the others in the waiting room thought. The joys of multiple ages.

What's working/not working for us...

Our new chore chart seems to be working. Not taking the time to go back and review basic math and reading has hurt us. We are now taking some time to review before moving on.
Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I love Bob Jones and have used it for many years. Now I am worried it will not be enough to get us into college. I would love to hear from others who have strictly used BJU in high school.
Pamela

Epic Fails AGAIN

Faith had a friend over this week. The plan was to go to the zoo but we have had constant rain. So I thought we could work on crafts. I saw on a blog a easy way to make soap with toys in it. I got very excited. It looked super easy. All I had to buy was glycerin soap. No problem, I can do that. So the girls and I went to hobby lobby (did you know when you take 3 girls to hobby lobby they can each use a 40% off coupon). Picked up the glycerin soap and a few other things.
So yesterday I decided I would try it. I melted the soap down. After it melted I realized it was white. Okay so now I know we cannot put toys in it. So I have another brilliant idea. How about adding food coloring so it at least looks cute. Maybe you have caught on faster than me. But it took me until the soap had hardened to remember that if my children are washing with blue soap then they are going to be BLUE. Some days I am just a goober. I did make amazing play dough, but I will show that another day.
Pamela

Thursday 5

Delightful
Happy
Superb
Gorgeous
Loved
It is DELIGHTFUL that our little seedlings are poking through the dirt.
I am so HAPPY that my son and husband have not froze in the mountains.
It is SUPERB that I think I found a homeschool group; it has been a long year without one.
It was GORGEOUS last week, and this week it is nasty and rainy.
I feel LOVED when my husband tells me he can tell I cleaned in the house.
Pamela

Gratitude Tuesday

Are you grateful. Grateful means: warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful.
I do believe I am a grateful person. This week I am beyond grateful. I am grateful for the new friends I have made in the last couple of weeks. I was wondering if I would ever find like minded people in this area. This has meant more to me than I can explain.
This week I am grateful for wonderful blessings. We were in desperate need of dining chairs and a friend had four on craigslist. Not only are they dining chairs but they match my table perfectly. I am so excited about them.
This week I am grateful for the ladies at church that I can go to and ask for advice and prayer and they will take the moment right then and pray for me and with me.
I am grateful for my husband who took time off work to take my son to the mountains. I am grateful that he is the kind of dad who would want to take his son with him to the mountains. I love this man.
I am grateful for my children and their health. This is something I will never take for granted.
Are you feeling grateful this week? I would love to hear what you are grateful for. You can also link up with Heavenly Homemakers and possibly win a great prize in the meantime.
Pamela

True Story Tuesday

I almost did not share this story because it makes me look like a terrible mom. So let me start by saying I love my son and have kissed many a million boo boo’s and still today give him a million hugs a day. Only instead of him laying his head on my shoulder I lay my head on his. That is a perk of having a 6 foot 2 son. But since I promised I would tell this story last week I thought I better tell you.
Okay, last week I told you about when he broke his foot. This week I want to tell you about when he broke his arm. We were at a Science museum. One we had been at a million times before. I was chit chatting with a friend and could see my kids when Michael came running to me screaming “Faith broke my arm, Faith broke my arm”. He was waving his arm around and screaming. He was so loud that employees came over. We set down in the café area and were feeling out accident reports. I was sure his arm was not broken. He was setting in this HUGE magnet chair. You set and have someone push you. His sister was pushing him when somehow she hit his palm very hard. I really thought he was mad at his sister more than in pain. Again he was waving his arm around. About 5 minutes later a friend came in and asked what happened. I told her and said I think he just needs ice but we are going home. He told her his arm was broken and his sister did it. She took one look at him, not his arm and said “Pam, do you see the sweat on his face”. Of course I did but he was so mad at his sister. She said that means he was in pain. He had yet to say he was in pain. I quickly decided he needed to go to the hospital. I was driving my husband’s truck which is large and I am not use to driving. My husband was deployed and I occasionally drive his truck to keep it working. So I jump in the truck and off we go. Only I am confused as to how to get to the hospital. So of course we took the longest possible way there. I felt terrible for taking so long.
I will admit it was hard not to laugh at him on the way to the hospital. The entire way there he was screaming (I swear it did not sound like pain or I would have been in tears). He was screaming, Faith broke my arm, I cannot believe she broke my arm. Then he would say “Dear God, please help me and do not let my arm be broken.
We arrived at the hospital fifteen LONG minutes later. I signed in and sat down. Then decided he needed new ice. So I asked for ice and about 2 minutes later a nurse walked out with ice. She asked to look at his arm. When he unwrapped it you could see the lump on his arm. She said “Yep, it is broken” and took us right back. It was indeed broken. I felt so bad. He was in a cast for 8 weeks and was okay.
For the second time in a row I won the Mother of the year award.
Can I take a minute and tell you that this child is my joy. I love him so much and would never dream of letting him be in pain. I am the first one to admit when my children get hurt and take them to the doctor. Why in these cases I did not rush to do so is beyond me.
I cannot wait to read more of your True Stories this week.
Pamela

Oreo Pancakes

This is the simplist recipe you will ever find. I saw the idea on another blog. Then I simplified. First mix a batch of pancakes. I personally love Krusteaz pancakes from Sam's but any homemade recipe would work. Then before you put it on the griddle add in some crushed oreos. I made a double recipe of pancakes and added about a cup of crushed oreos. I think it could have used a little more oreos. The flavor of my pancakes did not change. But it had a crunch to it that was fun. This made the kids feel like they had a special breakfast. I think this would be a great pancake to keep on hand to eat on the road without worry mess.
Pamela

Meet a Mil-Spouse Monday

Tell me a little about yourself.
Hi, I am Pam. I am a mom and wife. I have been a military wife longer than a mom. How weird is that. I love to cook and bake and learning to sew. I homeschool my four blessings and love it on most days, haha.
Tell me a little about your hubby.
His name is Rob or Hero as I call him on this show. He has been in the Army for 19 years. 16 years active and 3 years reserve. He has been deployed seven times. He loves to fish and shoot guns. He is a boyscout leader.
Do you have any children? If so, tell me about them.
I have four blessings. Michael is 14 years old and loves boyscouts and fencing and of course video games. Faith is 10 and is my little momma. If you walk into church you will find her carrying around someone’s baby. There should be a sign on the church door that says be prepared the blonde girl will take your baby. Hope is 8 and is my child who loves order and things in their place. She loves to be outside with the bugs and mud. Grace is 5 and the baby. She dislikes us saying she is the baby but she is. She was a preemie and between her and I we spent 11 weeks in the hospital. So she got lots of extra attention when she got home. She knows she is spoiled and most days I do not mind.
Where are you currently stationed?
We are stationed at Fort Bragg. If you ask Grace she says we are at Fort Ragg and if you want to know about it go on Cinderella.com
If you could pick anywhere to be stationed where would it be?
Over seas anywhere. We spent three years in Germany and loved it. When we decided to homeschool I thought great we can travel. How fun to do school on the road.
Do you prefer living on base or off base?
Honest I have mixed feelings. We have only lived on post once. But now that you have to pay for electricity (yeah I know only if you go over and we always did) it is not worth the money. So would I live on post again? Maybe but it would have to be a great house. The good is that my hero could be home in a minute if I needed him but again it comes back to what you get for your buck.
What do you like to do for fun?
I love to cook and bake. I love to cook for other people. I love to hang out with friends. I have a love for scrapbooking and making cards but have not done either in a while.
What is the best advice you have ever received about being a milspouse?
To remember that the Army did not issue him a family. And that the statement hurry up and wait is really the way it works.
Do you have a tip you would like share for going through a deployment?
Set goals like what bill you can pay off. What will you do on R&R. What will you do when he gets home? Make time for yourself and ask for help. For me during one deployment I hired someone to do lawn care and for another deployment I had someone come in and clean. It made my life easier so it was worth it.
What is one trait that you have that makes you a good milspouse?
I am willing to do anything for anyone anytime. I think you need to be there for someone. Rather it be a midnight phone call or take a meal when they have sick children
Favorite thing about being a milspouse?
The people I meet and honestly the moving around. It is hard to leave friends but I LOVE moving and unpacking and organizing.
Least favorite thing about being a milspouse?
The moving and leaving friends. I wish I could move around and take my friends with me.
Pamela

Pray for me Monday

Do you believe in prayer? I mean do you really know when you pray that there will be an answer? I do, I have full faith that when I ask he hears. When I ask for forgiveness he hears, when I ask for help he hears.
This week I would like to ask you to pray for the men in my life. They are in the mountains for 5 days of male bonding. The weather is not the best and there have been some glitches getting there. I ask that this be a trip to bond them together. To help them get to know one another. While they are gone I plan on spending time praying for them. I plan on being in my son’s room at 9pm on Tuesday night praying about some strong holds that has my son trapped in things I know he does not want to be involved. I ask you to join me in prayer on Tuesday night.
I ask you to pray for safety for my boys this week. It is cold and Michael’s allergies were already acting up this morning when I spoke to him. When they were in the mountains a few years ago they had a bear climb into the back of my husband’s truck looking for food.
Pamela

Military Monday

Updated: Did you watch Army wives, do you watch Army wives. I have to be honest and say I am a junky. Tonight a friend and I were texting back and forth and I told her something I do not tell very many people. Many years ago I took the casualty notification course. Some days I think it was smart and some days I wish I didn’t. For example I now know they do not make notifications from 11pm-7am. The theory is that they know you will need your rest.
So tonight I was texting my friend and told her something I do not tell many people. I said did you see that look on the spouse’s faces right before the notification. The look where they all held their breath. That is the look I have every morning as I sneak in my living room without turning on lights and peek out my window to make sure there are no government cars on my street. That way I know.
Today I want to encourage you to take a minute and think about what would happen if something happened to your spouse, what would happen if he was injured. Are you prepared? Do you have your paperwork (passports) up to date? Have you spoken to your family about what is important to you? Have you spoken to your spouse about what he would want? You see I thought I knew what my husband would want until I spoke with him. It was a hard conversation to have but a needed one.
On another note is your family prepared if you get sick. Do you know who could help you with your kids if you became ill? Do you have a list of medications you and your children are on? Do you have a calendar of events that they could use? Many of you do not know this but 5 years ago my water broke at 26 weeks and I was placed in the hospital. I was in the hospital for over 5 weeks. I was very lucky that my mother in law was able to come and help out and that my husband was not deployed. But it really made us think about what is important. It also made me very aware that I need to have a ongoing list ready for a babysitter and a list of people I trust to take care of my children.


Good wonderful amazing Monday. This week I thought I would take a minute to ask you if you have gone a marriage retreat or a family retreat through the chapel on your post. They are amazing weekends. They will really help you bond with your spouse. You do not have to attend a chapel to attend. Contact your units Chaplain and ask about them. The amazing thing about these weekends are, that they are FREE, or at least have been for us.
My question this week is when is the last time you were alone with your spouse and if so what did you do?
Pamela

Miscellany Monday

1. This week I cried while watching Army Wives, I always do but this week I blogged about it.
2. I love to shop at Thrift shops. There is an amazing one about 45 minutes from my house. Last week I got 25 items for $2.39 or less. I got four beautiful dresses for my girls. I also found lots of long skirts for one daughter and Capri’s for another.
3. My boys are in the mountains right now. They are fishing for trout. I have to say that I am slightly worried about them because the last time they did this they encountered a bear. As in it climbed up in the back of my husband’s truck.
4. I am taking my girls to the zoo this week. It has been beautiful until this week. So I thought it would be fun to go before it gets hot.
5. My husband had his sleep study test last week and flunked. He will go back next week to have a machine calibrated for him. He is not happy about it.
6. Friday night I took the girls to see beauty and the beast. It was done by a Christian drama group. It was amazing. It spoke on how we let anger grow in us. It made me wonder what hatred and anger I have inside of me.

Pamela

No Mom talk Monday

Last week I had a hard time talking about myself. This week it came to me pretty easily. I want to tell you about all the things I have done in my life.
When I was in sixth grade I played cello and was a safety patrol. I carried my cello home from school. I sometimes miss playing it.
When I was in seventh grade and eighth grade I played the flute and loved it. I wanted to play piccolo but they said you had to play saxophone first and I did not want to. One day I got mad at my band teacher and thought it would be cool to stick my middle finger in my flute and give it to her. Sounded good until I got my middle finger stuck in there! WOW I hope my kids never read this.
I did not play a instrument in high school for two reasons. First, I had dated a guy in the band and did not want to be around him. Second I never learned to read music and knew that in high school I would not be allowed to write in the notes.
In high school I took typing but never learned to do much more than hunt and peck. I can now type without looking and while watching tv. I think some things just need to be practiced.
I have learned to sew in the last year but have not advanced in what I was taught.
So I have a question. What can you do well? What do you wish you would be able to do better? What hobby would you love to have or work on?
I really want to work on my sewing skills and on my cake decorating skills. If I could pick a hobby to do well, it would be singing. I would love to be able to sing without hurting the ears of those around me.
Pamela

It is that time of the year

It is that time of year, the time of year where we start getting our garden ready. We have not had a garden in about 5 years. We are planting carrots and brocoli and grean beans and pumpkins and watermelon and tomatoes and lots of strawberries and lettuce and I can not remember what else. I want to try hay bale gardening but do not know where to start. Any suggestions? Michael is working on his gardening merit badge. So he has grow beans in a ziploc. Are you planting anything this year? Will you freeze it or can it?





Pamela

Hope

Hope is in a wonderful stage. I thought I would take a minute to tell you a little about Hope.
a. she loves bugs
b. she loves dirt and mud
c. she hates having her hair brushed
d. she loves to clean, be prepared if we visit she is going to find something to clean
e. she already worries about eating health
f. she loves fresh veggies and fruits
g. she loves to go fishing with her daddy and one day used a skinned fish as a puppet
h. she loves to wear dresses and make up
i. she loves to paint
j. she is the most organized person you will meet
k. she loves to hug, if you talk to her you are probably going to get a hug
l. she is learning to read and I love watching her light up as she learns more and more
m. she can not stand her clothes to touch her
n. she will stay outside as long as I let her, even making her own restroom out of sticks to avoid coming in
o. she loves to play with her big brother and looks up to him
p. her speach needs work and we have recently found who to help with that
q. she is sensitive and cries when her feelings are hurt
r. she use to punish herself, if I would send her to her room she would swat herself on the leg to the point of leaving whelps. Glad we are past that.
s. she struggles to look at you in the face but is getting better
t. she loves to write and taught herself to write before I had a chance
u. she is the only child in the house who has red curly hair like her mommy
v. she takes a 3 hour bath at least 3 times a week
w. she will try anything once. it could be food or a activity
x. she is a daddy's girl and he eats it up
y. she says she is going to be a vet when she grows up
z. she dresses up our dog and cat and guinea pigs.

Making Cupcakes

The girls are working on there cake decorating badge in Heritage Girls. Part of the requirement is you to make your own cupcakes. So I let Hope make cupcakes. She had helpers.
The first step is to gather your ingredients. My high school home ec teacher told us to always measure out first and to break eggs into a separate bowl. I am trying to encourage my girls to do this.


Then mix ingredients and put in pan, oops I forgot to take a picture.
Set the timer and hope that your stove is cleaner than my mom's when you take a picture.


While the cupcakes cook you get to lick everything clean.





Then arive at Heritage girls and decorate with as much icing as you can.

15 things about me

1. My name is Pamela, but my daddy wanted my name to be Gypsy. It is hard for me to believe.
2. I am 30 something years old, I love being in my thiries.
3. I have red hair, with lots of gray streaks. Which is totally not fair since my mom and grandmother did not gray hair at my age. It is not fair.
4. I drive a Saturn relay, it is a mini van. I am sure I will drive a mini van for the rest of my life. Because once my children are grown then it will be time for grandchildren.
5. I have four blessings on earth ages 14, 10, 8 and 5. I have one blessing waiting for me in heaven.
6. I lived in 15 houses in about 18 years.
7. I grew up in West Virginia
8. I love to cook and try new recipes but what most people do not know is that I do not eat most of what I cook.
9. I was almost suspended in high school for kissing my boyfriend
10. I was suspended in middle school for wearing a jacket.
11. I love being a mom even on the hard days. Even when I feel like a failure. Even when others tell me I am not doing well.
12. I use to have a problem gaining weight or keeping it on. Now I have a hard time losing weight.
13. I have been blogging for two years; I cannot believe it has been that long.
14. I fell off of every bicycle my mom bought me for years until she bought me a boy’s bike and that solved it. Apparently my knees knocked and they could not do that on a boys bar.
15. One of my favorite bible verses is John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends
16. I am right handed but wear my watch on my right hand which seems weird to most.
17. I love to organize; pulling everything out of a closet and re doing it is amazing to me.
18. I would do about anything to avoid mopping a floor or wiping down walls.
19. I grew up in a southern Baptist church
20. I am watching Precious while I type this. I want to turn it off because of the language but I have heard wonderful things about it.
21. Tomorrow I am going to attempt to make my girls shorts for this summer.
22. I currently attend an Air Force Chapel for church and really enjoy it.
23. I do not go back and check my blog post 90% of the time and it shows. I normally write late at night or in the morning before I have woken up so that makes it worse.
24. I have a cat, dog, 2 guinea pigs and a gerbil. We use to have 2 gerbils but one ate the other ones head off.
25. Normally I can write forever. Especially if it is list but for some reason this list is difficult today.


Is there something you would love to ask me or would like to know about me. I am open for questions.
Pamela

Mil Spouse fill in Friday

1. What is your must have gadget? submitted by Flying High With My Flyboy
My mixer, I love it and use it almost daily and most days a few times a day. And I guess if I admitt it I am kind of addicted to my cell phone.
2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third
Pretty much the same. I dreamed of being a mommy and a teacher and being safe. I am a mommy of four and a homeschool teacher and I do feel safe.
3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe? submitted by Our First Deployment
A good chocolate chip cookie or a no bake cookie. Sometimes I just love a plain hershey candy bar.
4. How do you deal with military life when it gets to be to much or to hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes
I talk to a friend, I stay busy or I do something for someone else.
5. What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment? submitted by The Albrecht Squad
write to your spouse daily even if you are just telling him you moved what where you store the toothpaste. Get involved with other military families. Make plans for what you will do on R&R and when he get’s home. Set goals for while he is gone and stick to them to help the time pass. And the best advice would be if your spouse does not say it do not believe it.

Pamela

Fill in the blank Friday

1. My most prized possession is my homemade gifts. A apron from a friend, a hand painted box and umbrella holder, a small wall quilt, a tiny box that holds the only picture I will ever have of our second son and other things that friends have made over the years.
2. If I could be one age for the rest of my life, I would want to be probably 30’s. I love feeling like a adult but not old. I love being a mother and would never want to go back to a time when I was not a mom and wife.

3. The best way to spend a weekend is sewing and cooking and taking naps in the middle of the day. Taking my girls shopping and dinner with my husband.

4. My outlook on life is I will not be given more than I can handle. That I have 60 more years to live and I can start fresh each day.

5. If you want to annoy me, just chew with your mouth open or take bites that are too big, not opening the door when you walk in before someone. Not picking something up for someone when they drop it.

6. I am completely defenseless when it comes to helping someone, I do not know how to say no even if I do not like the person or know they are going to hurt me in the end..
7. When dressing for the day one should whatever makes me feel good and relaxed and lets me move easily.
Pamela

BOYS

What do you do when your son has friends over? We pull out the air soft guns and let them have at it. The only problem with air soft guns are those little bullet thingies (is that a word) end up all over my house for days.

Thursday 5

Outstanding
Proud
Energized
Splendid
Wonderful
It is OUTSTANDING that Faith had a friend come over this week and that they got to play for several hours and that I got to enjoy talking with her mom.
I am so PROUD of the soldier who lives in my house, he is a amazing man and I do not tell him often enough.
This weather has made me feel ENERGIZED. I just walk outside and take some deep breathes to soak it all in.
It is splendid that a friend gave us four dining room chairs. To say that they are a blessing is amazing and they are just what we needed.
It is WONDERFUL that God is working in my life and my children’s life. Faith has been talking about being baptized and it is thrilling me.
Pamela

Prayer Request

This morning I come to you and ask for prayers. My friend Melly has a three year old who is in the hospital and has been for a couple of days. They thought it was appendicitis but now they think he got overly dehydrated. Now her 2 year old has a 103 fever and she is not feeling well. She is so tired and has 2 other children who are not showing signs yet. Please pray for them.
My second request is for my friend Linda. I will not begin to explain it all. Her husband may need a liver transplant. He has been sick for a while. My prayer is that there are always test, always trips to the DR and she needs encouragement and strength. My friend Linda cannot drive and this is hard. Please pray for not only her husband but her as she continues to be a wife and mother and homeschool mom. And then she is trying to keep him on a strict diet while maintaining a budget.
My third request is for my husband he has a sleep study tonight and then in 2 weeks has follow up with cardiologist and a pulmo DR. please pray for answers.
Thank you for listening to my heart this morning.
Pamela

I get Down and he lifts me up

My girls participated in scout Sunday at the church where they attend American Heritage Girls. I think there favorite part was the singing. They sang Get Down by Audio Adrenaline. I had never heard of the group but the girls loved it. My girls are the ones in skirts.

GratiTuesday

I am thankful for this precious baby girl that I keep. She is two years old and brightens my day. She constantly smiles and better than her smiling is how she makes my girls smile. She walks in the house looking for them.
This week I am grateful that I get to cook for our church twice a month. I love testing out new recipes on them. I love cooking things maybe my family would not love. I love cooking large quantities.
I am thankful for our little seedlings that have poked through the dirt. Reminding me, that soon we will have a kitchen full of fresh veggies.
I am grateful for a husband who is willing to take a week off work and take my son to the mountains. Who is willing to work on his relationship with me even when I make it hard. I love that man!
Pamela
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True Story Tuesday

Some days a mommy makes a mistake and in my case I have made 2 of them. Okay, maybe a million of them but two major ones. When my son was 2 we lived in Germany. Germany does not have the same safety laws about playground equipment (this is not a fact just something I was told and never researched). So one day we were at McDonald’s playing. They had a little play area. My son could climb up the stairs and then would go down the slide into a ball pit. He must have done this a million times (maybe ten times) before he realized that it would be easier to jump off the slide. Thinking he was a boy and there was no one else around I let him do it. Then he jumped off and instantly screamed. You see instead of a ball pit it was more of a covered floor with only a couple of layers of balls. He took one step and cried. My husband jumped and said he broke his foot. The great mom that I am said “no he is fine”. Again my husband said his foot is broken and I said he is fine. He took another step and collapsed. I instantly picked him up and my husband said it was broken again and off we went to the hospital. Guess what? It was broken. They put a soft cast on it and we headed home. But the story is not over. My son had sensory issues. So from the moment we got into the car until well after midnight, he screamed and cried and used anything he could to get the cast off. Finally after midnight I called our local pediatrician at home. I knew his wife from PWOC. He was not upset and said TAKE IT OFF, and tell him that if he stands on it you will put it back on. So we started to take it off and before it was all the way off he was asleep. For the next three days he crawled around but did not stand. We took him to get his cast on and thought he did okay. That was until they left him alone for a second and he tried to rip it off so they had to put a second one on because as soon as they were done he ripped it off before it could dry. Six weeks later we took him in to have it taken off. We went to our local doctor which was on a very small office. They let someone who has never taken one off take it off. No stress it is not like the thing can cut you RIGHT? So she starts taking it off and he is giggling. But every time she would get near his ankle bone he would scream in pain. We all looked at each other not understanding. The doctor assured us that it could not cut him. So she gets it almost completely off except right by his ankle bone. So she does the final cut on his ankle and BLOOD SHOOTS ACROSS THE ROOM. Apparently he had gotten sand in his cast and it cause a yucky bed sore that ripped open. It was infected and needed stitched. But because it was infected they could not close it up. A week later it was healing. I thought we were almost done with this. That was until I got the call. He had stepped on something at daycare and had a HUGE splinter in his foot. So my husband had to take him back to the DR to get it taken out. Remember child with sensory issues. When I walked in he was strapped down in a white thing that looks like something out of a syco movie. I lost it and demand they stop and I unstrapped him, picked him up and loved him and held him tightly while they got it out. We moved on and he was great.
Please let me explain that the hospital was completely right in there actions, he was going crazy and if that splinter would have moved they would have had to cut it out. My mommy heart was just not okay with it.
If you like this story, stick around because next week I will talk about the time he broke his arm and I said he didn’t.
Pamela

Rocks falling from the sky

Have you ever been driving down the street and enjoying the quiet when all the sudden rocks drop from the sky. I do not have a clue where the rocks came from but they cracked my windshield. A few months ago we had safelite come out and repair my husbands crack in his windshield and were thrilled with there work. So we knew we would call them quickly. Sadly, my windshield was beyond fixable. So they replaced the entire thing. It was great for me because my children got a mini auto101 class. I did feel bad for the man because at one point Grace was singing to him.




Pamela

Homemaking Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
It is 10pm and it is still 55 degrees. This weather is amazing and I want to enjoy it.
Things that make me happy:
My girls telling me that I am amazing today, it does not matter that I was stopping for ice cream


Book I'm reading: same as last week. I am reading May Bell’s daughter. I am determined to finish it this week.
What's on my TV today:
nothing really. We will spend ANOTHER two hours at the dentist.


On the menu for dinner:
hmm, something yummy since this is the main night we are home together.


On my To Do List: dust my house and get caught up on laundry today.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
oreo sugar cookies and oreo pancakes. Doesn’t that sound yummy



In the craft basket: nothing right this minute. But this weekend I would like to work on making some shorts for my girls for this summer.

Looking forward to this week:
helping my boys get ready for the camping weekend. Having a friend visit our home
Tips and Tricks:
instead of buying a stain remover spray just put my homemade laundry soap in a spray bottle and use it


My favorite blog post this week:
I was not very creative, I am happy to say I have been working on new post for my blog.

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
I have not found one this week. If you have a blog please leave me a comment so I can visit it.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):






Lesson learned the past few days:.
That God is faithful and he does not promise rainbows and gumdrops for everyday. But he does promise not to give me more than I can handle and to hold my hand while I go through it.

On my mind: bears, the last time my boys went to the mountains they had a bear attack my husbands truck

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: not one verse but the whole book of Proverbs. Every time I read it I am amazed
Want to see what other homemakers have going on, then check out Homemaker Monday

Pray for me Monday

Today I have a very special person prayer request. My husband and son will be going away soon. They are going with my father in law to the mountains for a week. My prayer is that not only will they catch last of trout but that they will laugh and talk and joke and play and become closer. Their relationship has been strained for a couple of years. They are working on it but it will take time. I pray that they take the time to get to know one another again. That my son is able to build a relationship with my father in law. It is hard when you do not live close to family. I also ask you to pray for their safety. The last time they went they had a black bear tear a cooler made of sheet metal out of the back of my husband’s truck.
I also ask that you pray for my little girls who will miss there daddy and big brother. I cannot wait to show you pictures of their trip.
Pamela

Miscellany Monday

1. My son did a 5 mile hike this weekend; actually it was 5 miles in and 5 miles out. He is exhausted.
2. I may or may not have made my son sound like a giant to 12 little Heritage girls when talking about the size of my sons shoe size.
3. I plan on dusting my house tomorrow, wish me luck I should really do this more often.
4. I have a new love, it is all things scentsy. I love the way it makes my house smell. I love how it can cover up all the animal and children smells.
5. We made grilled pizza last weekend and it was amazing. I cannot wait to try it again.
6. My boys are going to the mountains soon and I am only slightly nervous about them running into a bear like last time.
7. I ordered a new purse, it seems silly but I am not someone who buys herself new things so this is a big deal. This is all for me and will even have my initials on it.
8. I am basically being put to sleep to have my teeth cleaned next month and I am still very nervous about it. I do not like things out of my control.

Pamela