I hate girls!

No, I don't actually hate girls, and my 3 girls I love more than I can say. What I hate is the way girls treat each other from about 3rd grade through jr. hi, and some even into high school. Why can't they just all get along and be friends and forget all the DRAMA! It is so hard to have to comfort a girl who is feeling left out and friendless. But it also makes Mom so proud when she tells me she has chosen not to be with certain girls because of the way they talk and behave, even though she feels like they are the only friends she has. Sometimes choosing what is right is so painful, though always worth it in the long run. Even though Mom went through it, too, there is just no fix to it. Something that simply has to be lived through.
So, now I start praying for friends that are true friends and true Christians. Sadly, like any age, just because they are in church every Sunday does not mean they know God.
And I will continue to pray for the unhappy girl who sees the need to prove she is better than my daughter by making fun of her. Have to cover up that jealousy somehow I guess. Knowing the family she is from, she really does need prayers! A family that appears perfectly fine to any one with a casual acquaintance, but a family that desperately needs God and most likely doesn't even know it.

How much do you worry?

I have always been an overprotective Mom, and actually rather proud of it when I see kids running all over town unsupervised. But I do realize that kids also need some level of independence. So when my 12yo asked to go for a bike ride after school I thought nothing of it, except to remind her to wear her helmet. The longer she was gone, the more I wondered what she was doing, and by the time she had been gone 2 hours, I was angry. There was no way she was riding that long, so I knew she had to have stopped at somebody's house or a park. But by age 12 I expect that she would not stay long or would let me know where she was. Then, of course, in the back of your mind are all the horror stories of kids being kidnapped, simply disappearing and never being seen again. Then the debate starts, do I wait for her to come home on her own, or go looking for her? She most certainly is at a friend's house, but what if.....?
I finally decided, I was only getting madder as time went by and did go searching, driving by all the places I thought she could be. When I found her, she was genuinely surprised that there was any kind of problem! So I guess Mom failed in being specific about exactly what is expected from the child.
Times are so different from my growing up in a tiny town where everyone knew each other and the kids just went wherever and whenever they wanted. It is hard to know how much freedom to give your children, and harder still to leave them in God's hands and not worry about them.

Monday Happenings

Well, today was not a usual day for us. Our office manager (read as she does everything office related) is gone for the week, so I was called on to type a letter at the office. Now, I am perfectly capable of typing a business letter and have done so many times before, but never on that computer in the program she has there. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is when the computer seems to have a mind of its own!? I only needed to get one indentation out to move a sentence over and no matter what I did that program would not let it happen! I finally ended up totally retyping the letter in the word processing program I was used to. (Which I would have done to begin with, but hubby had already started it.) And how many more typing mistakes do you make when your husband is sitting beside you saying he needs to get this faxed and get out to the job site! If I go back to work next fall, it definately will not be as a secretary!

The worst part of the day was when September and I arrived at the office. She jumped out of the Suburban ahead of me, and as I got out I heard her calmly say "ouch". As I turned to look why, she began screaming. Yes, her finger was shut in the car door! We thank God that it was not in the hinge, and only got pinched between the door and frame. No permanent damage, but it did pinch it good and tear up some skin. She will certainly be sore for a few days.

The best part of the day was a phone call from Miranda, she got an A on her ethics paper, and was able to get all the classes she wanted except one. And she is pretty sure she will get into that, she just has to go get permission from the professor. It is so hard to believe she will be finished with her first year of college in less than 3 weeks!

My youngest, the shopper

She is showing off her current missing tooth!

My Little Shopper

Today, my 6yo got to spend her hard-earned money on a watch. She has been saving for awhile and someone told her she could get one for $7 at WallyWorld. So as we look over the huge selection of seven-dollar watches, she spots one that is not only a watch, but has makeup and a mirror, plus a ring full of lip gloss with it! (Kinda like finding your dream house all decorated and furnished and ready to move in!) Then she notices this watch is on clearance for 3 dollars. She knits her brows together and says "I don't want to be a cheapskate, but if I get this one I will still have money left. But, I don't know if I should be a cheapskate." At this point I decided it was time to explain the word bargain to her! So she has been happily showing her big purchase to everyone she can, and has put on makeup at least a dozen times.

Quick check in

Just to let you know I am still here! Thanks to the ladies who have left comments and visited my blog! I will be back later to post some actual thoughts.

Wednesday

I am feeling much better, not perfect, but at least feel able to function today. Instead of PE today, we went to a park and just let the kids play. They enjoyed it, and it was nice to visit with the other Moms. Hannah asked S to come and play afterwards and A had flute lessons after school, so I actually got about a half-hour to myself. Ahhh, rare occurence!
So, with feeling better and actually being able to sleep, I will again challenge myself to get up early tomorrow morning. We will see if I can actually do it this time.

The way things go

My plan this week was to start getting up early so I would be able to get more done before I start school with S. So I have been having terrible headaches and sinus pain that makes it impossible to sleep well at night. Which means I am too tired to get up early, and also too tired to want to do much during the day. I did go to the chiropractor today, so hopefully that will take away my headaches. I chose the chiropractor instead of the doctor, because I don't think I have sinus infection. I haven't been stuffy or even had sniffles, so I am assuming that the pain must be linked to my neck.

I think S will actually get to have soccer today, and outdoors even! That will certainly make her happy. She has spent most of the day outside rollerskating, as Mom just didn't feel up to doing school this morning. When she comes back in, we will do spelling and math. The rest can wait til another day, I think.

M called and is still very stuffed up and coughing alot, but she is feeling a little better. I know there is really nothing I can do, but still would like to be able to physically give her a hug and comfort.

Hubby was supposed to head to Pierre for a workshop this evening, but called a little bit ago to tell me he isn't going. It is just too busy at work for him to get away right now. He is hoping they will do the workshop again in the fall. So, at least I don't have to pack for him. I will go use the heating pad for awhile instead.

Actually, Hubby just called and I need to run to Sioux Falls for him, so I guess that is how my afternoon will be spent.

more scary news

I just heard about the shootings at Virginia Tech. God be with those families! Stories like this leave me feeling numb, and now having a daughter in college myself it seems to hit even closer to home. I want to be able to protect my children and control what happens in their lives. It is very hard to leave it in God's hands. M is sick this week, and it is hard just not to be there to physically comfort her. Thank you, God for phones and computers so we are able to keep in touch with her easily. And thank you for your most powerful weapon you have given me as a mother--prayer.

Using my time

Okay, here I am, up way to late again! I need to have more discipline in my life and I plan to begin tomorrow by actually getting up when my alarm goes off at 5:30. Yes, I typed that correctly. The only way I can do all that I want to do before the girls are up is to arise early. That means this is my last (can I really do it?) late night. So the habit I work on this week, in addition to my eating habits, is getting up at the same time every morning.

Today's funny

I don't know how to do links yet, but thought this was too funny not to comment on.
YAHOO has a story on dinosaurs evolving into............chickens! Now what takes more faith, believing God designed and created the world, or that things just happened to start evolving, and in the process of getting better a dinosaur became a chicken!?
And along the same line, why are scientists concerned about the mutant frogs with 5 legs? Wouldn't they consider that a frog evolving?

Spring!

Finally the sun is shining and it is warm and inviting outside. The snow is almost melted, even the pile that S thought would be fun to put in the middle of the sidewalk. I let her, since I knew it would melt soon. She and I will go for a walk a little later this afternoon. Time for me to get back into the habit of walking everyday. Perhaps I can melt something besides snow, like pounds. They did creep up this winter and I had too many to begin with!

Trying it on for size

Seeing what I like and what it is like to blog, It will probably take me awhile to get everything set up. And sorry I don't know how to do pictures yet, no digital camera.