Thursday, October 7, 2010

Hubby's away, not my favourite thing. However, I am doing better than most times. This maybe because I am aware of just how bad at this keeping up a home, I really am and that the accountability of a hubby coming home at the end of the day isn't what should keep me going. I am continually talking (lecturing) to Wallace about finding the will to do what is right from within and not waiting for outside expectations to motivate us to do what we know that we ought to do. What a bad example I must be setting for him and no wonder he is fighting me on it every step of the way. Last night I cooked a light meal as it was just John and I, Wallace had Jr. High at the church and they feed him there. I did make a huge step in the right direction when I went to be at 10pm. Wow, I even surprised myself, I usually have such trouble going to bed when I am here alone, I used to have trouble when Hubby worked nights too. I am hoping that I can do a repeat tonight.
Tonight or rather this afternoon I am leaving Wallace home, with my dad, to do school work. He will have a huge chance to prove himself. I hope he comes through with flying colours. He acquired a paper route this week and I haven't yet planted this information into our schedule so I double booked this afternoon. I do believe that he is old enough to stay on his own, and my dad is here if he gets lonely. He'll have a chance to do a lot of his school work in the peace and quiet that he says he so earnestly desires. I have a chiropractor appointment and then my sister and I are going shopping at Costco. John is coming, of course, you don't leave a 6 year old home with a 12 year old, and I think he will enjoy being the centre of attention, he doesn't get that as often as Wallace did as a little guy.
We are heading out after lunch to do those papers at least today it is bright and sunny, if not a little cool. Have a great day.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

I worked today, there were several things around the house that desperately needed to be done. Hubby says that my idea of desperate and reality are two very different things. Whatever the case may be I felt that they needed to be done and, today was the day that they were going to get done.

Hubby had originally intended to chop wood, (My parent had a tree taken down at the old place and when they sold, it had to be moved, so it was moved to our yard as we have a wood burning fireplace. Hubby has spent a lot of time spitting it into manageable size pieces. We do, however, have enough wood for our casual use to last 5 or 6 years, I am sure.) but since it was raining to today he was left wondering what to do, so he vacuumed for me. I have a weak back, don't want to say bad, although that is what my chiropractor would call it, and vacuuming will set it off faster than almost anything. He vacuumed the main floor and I followed behind and did a thorough mopping, they looks so much better. I am a happy person.

Then I did my 6 monthly dusting of the living room. I do dust more often, but this is the one where I take the orange oil and wipe down all the wood until it shines. My piano looks wonderful.

Then, we tackled John's room. Most of the toys are in his room as we don't have a 'play' room in this house. We opened all the containers, drawers and shelves that contained toys, games and books and dumped them in the middle of the room and then sorted them into like piles and put them away. The Lego took the longest, we went through every single piece, picked out all the important and little pieces and put them in a separate container so they wouldn't get lost in the big container. Then Wallace vacuumed it for me and I dusted, it now looks like a new room.

Hubby and Wallace are out getting supper from a local Mexican restaurant, after we eat I think I will relax and watch a movie with my family. I am all ready for my 'day of rest' tomorrow, no need to feel guilty I think.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Amish Sugar Cookies

Not really sure where I got this recipe but I really like it as a plain cooking just to have around the house for the boys to have and, as long as I keep them in the freezer out in the garage I'm not as tempted to eat them all myself.

1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered/icing sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Method: Beat first 4 ingredients well , then add eggs. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and vanilla. Drop small balls of dough on lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten dough with the bottom of a glass, sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 357F for 10-12 minutes
Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

Wow its been a month....

Life has been busy, even when you don't want it to be. We are back in the swing of school and finally finding a rhythm. I hand it off to the school teachers out there, I only have 2 students and have difficulty keeping up with the marking and the planning. Now I have to admit I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to these to things, maybe idealist is a better word. I like to know what we are doing the next day/week and my boys, especially Wallace doesn't like having a pile of corrections to do. I'm not really sure how school teachers keep up with the marking.

Wallace seems to enjoy his new science, it is his first year in junior high and he is rising to the challenge. It will be one of the easier ones for me to teach him because it is the love of my educational life. He also enjoys history, but that is nothing new. Now composition on the other hand, not so much. I think I am challenging him, which is good because if I didn't he wouldn't work very hard. I want him to be able to communicate all those thoughts and ideas he has stored up in his head.

John is doing well, sometimes just reluctant to sit still and do his seat work....some times he asks me to be his secretary. I usually do this once a day, if I think he has done enough writing I'll take over and do the printing as he tells me what to write. I am also aware that he has his limits on what he can focus on, when he wants to give up I usually ask him to give me a couple of more minutes, just to stretch him a bit and then I let him go and use up some of that excess energy. I wish I had been that wise when Wallace and I were first going at this school thing. Guess you live and learn sometimes us oldest children get the short end of the stick, even when it isn't on purpose.

I am looking forward to the weekend. Hubby and I are going out to night to meet a new group of friends, hoping that we connect, mostly for Hubby's sake. We've been here for a year now and he really hasn't connected with anyone. This is my hometown so my family and old friends are here so it has been much easier for me. Other than this get together tonight there isn't anything out of the ordinary on this weekend....time to rest and repair and look forward to Monday.