WHEW . . . I'm Tired!

Some of you know I have become the coupon queen and playing the Drugstore game and some of you don't but here is a picture of God's Provision today. Before you say, "yeah, right . . . who needs 5 plastic protractors" I will answer that for you . . . All the area kids who the church collects school supplies for. . . :)

My total OOP (out of pocket) expense was a whopping . . . .

$ 12.97

Yes, I am serious! In a nutshell, it consists of

3 transactions at CVS,

1 transaction at Office Depot (total .38 cents)

and

1 transaction at Wal Mart ( I still don't like you, Wal Mart !)

and . . I forgot to put in the picture the 3 bottles of Pert Shampoo that Wal Mart paid me 1.50 to take out of their store ( . . . nope, still not lovin the place)

I could have done even better OOP but I was stuck with a $10 ECB (CVS extra care buck) and my total was 6.43. I thought Is was going to cry b/c my previous total was 9 cents and she was hoping to beat me with "her" transaction.

My stockpile (in the biblical sense . . "stores" not in the hoarding sense) is looking stronger which is the key to spending under 50.00 a week for the family grocery budget (including paper products, laundry soap, health & beauty, etc)

If you want to know more about how to make this happen at your house, email me and I will send you some links.

Now take a look at my little burst of creativity which does not come around much anymore:

The hubby was in town for a quick 48 hours and wanted to take us kayaking (we were given one about a year ago) to Jupiter Island (think Tiger Woods home) We found ourselves on a deserted beach. These are sea sponges we found. Is found the most but we could not bring them all back over on the kayak. The candle came from my mom and I have been waiting for the perfect time to use it. I think I found it. What do you think? Frugal and free . . and a staycation!

"Mommy, what are the Olympics?"

"Well, I$ . . . you really don't have to concern your$elf with that right now. Plea$e put it out of your mind. Really. . . plea$$$$$e."

"But Mommy . . . can I go to them? Pleeeeeeaaaassssse"

"You mean go to China this Summer and watch them?"

"No, go to China and do my gymnastics"

"Oh . . . I think it is a bit too far for this Summer. Why don't you just swim for now and bother your boys . . but please don't be too rough on them . . . you're going to need them someday"

"yeah . . r i g h t" (7 is the new 21 !!)

Strange . . she looks innocent enough . . .

I know God has given her this superhuman strength for a reason and for His glory . . just not sure He remembered to give her parents and her brothers an extra measure of patience and understanding to go along with it. Unless of course He did that on purpose . . which I'm sure He did.

***N E W S F L A S H***

THIS JUST IN . . . .
FCAT results are in for 3rd graders and M shredded the math and reading scores. Too bad you can't score above a 5. He would have done that, too!

Academic games . . here we come. (something else to add to my schedule, btw)

Resident Artist . . .literally!

I am sooooo not good at keeping this post updated. I blink and another month has gone by. Someone needs to come up with a "How To Book" on making time slow down. I would actually slow down to read it.

Here are a couple pictures of the work of my "Artist in Residence"

The boat is his all time favorite and the other is a portrait of his school mascot and was his gift to the lower campus as he is heading to the upper campus next year. It has been a gift to have C at a Early Learning-6th grade. A gift of one more year with the little kids. I will take every moment I can get. Enjoy the pictures.

Backyard Circuit Training . . brought to you by Is

So, the pool water is warm enough to swim in . . if you consider 78 degrees warm enough. Personally, I prefer the 98 degrees of the ocean in mid-August. I thought I would swim some laps, which is not very effective in a kidney shaped pool, but exercise still the same. My daughter decided to designate "stations" to add to the workout regime. Two days in the gym and a private on Saturday's has turned her into a machine. But to her it is fun. To me it is work. So put the two together and we have a picture I never anticipated. Mother following daughter around the pool attempting to keep up. Here is her plan:

1. 5 laps of free style

2. 20 pull up's/ chin ups at the waterfall

3. 10 leg lifts or kicks of each stroke (free, breast, fly)

4. 100 IM (individual medley . . but keep in mind, we don't have a 25 yd pool)

5. pull Mom off the bottom of the pool as she sunk!

I think I will have to pull out the old "don't forget Mommy broke both of her arms" card and become a spectator.

DON'T BLINK . . .

So I on have been going through a stage in my mind lately where I find myself staring at my kiddos and trying to drink in all that I see. I am at that point in my life and in their lives where I realize how fleeting this time is. Not to be a downer, but very few people gave me a heads up on this. My dear friend Cheryl G. certainly did, praise God! Otherwise my "sphere of influence" was my peers and we were/are all in the same boat . . at the same childhood stage . . so we often only vented to each other. Pray for an older, wiser mentor who is not too much further down the path you are on so they can be a voice of reason in your life. God gave me a precious one in C.G and I hope I can be one for someone in the future.

On that note, I remember the times when I impatiently (sinfully, because after all, it was all about me, you know . . .)wished a certain stage of my children's lives away as they were too taxing . . . too demanding . . . and just plain ole too much. I heard a song by a country singer, Trace Adkins and here is the chorus. Might not be as dramatic without the music but search it on itunes and you can hear it for yourself. Newer moms . . .let me lovingly urge you to drink it in.

You’re gonna miss this
You’re gonna want this back
You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you’re gonna miss this

Now . .. go hug those little ones, and not so little ones . . . and don't blink.

So, I never do these questionairres but due to my lack of creative blogging latley, I thought I would throw this in.


A) Four places I go over and over:
M and I's school, C's school, office, church and Publix would tie for #4
B) Four people who email me: (Regularly):
Mom, Tracy, my MLS system, my Broker
C) Four of my favorite foods:Mexican, salads, Merlot (yes, I can make a meal out of it) pasta
D) Four places I would rather be right now:
Please . . . I live in South Florida, if I were anywhere else I would long to be here! Non geographical locations would be a spa, a tag sale/flea market(a real one, not one with socks, Mary Kay and sunglasses) Disney with the kids and Bathtub Reef beach at low tide
E) Four people I think will respond:No one, everyone is as busy as I am
F) Four movies I would watch over and over:Not a lot of time for movies either but I would have to say 1)The Sound of Music (the kids are watching it as I type), Gone with the Wind, Forrest Gump and It's a Wonderful Life