Bye, Bye Birdies

It looks like our birdies have found a new home. I have been warning my little princess that if she does not take the responsibility of feeding and caring for the 4 budgies that we had they would be given away. Every day, it seems, I've had to remind her to feed and care for them properly. She was warned with plenty of time. I never did anything because I wanted her to keep them. Yesterday was the last straw. It was way past noon and she was up stairs playing with our Siamese cat so I lost it. I yelled up the stairs at her and told her the birds were gone this time. No more chances. This was it. She cried. I called up a family member who said they would take them. Since last night the birdies are gone.

Hopefully, this will teach her some responsibility. I also warned her that the cats would be next. We have a Turkish Van and a Siamese. Both very good cats. I, however, will not take the responsibility of the upkeep. They agreed when we got them that between the little princess and the teenage-type offspring the care-taking would be shared. They complain that it isn't my turn or "she hasn't cleaned it in a month" or whatever, those cats will be gone. Hasta la vista. Adios.

I already have enough to deal with without having to worry about dirty pets and lazy kids that don't want to do their chores. I mean sheesh already! Get a grip! I've been ranting on them for weeks. This time I kept my word. I will miss our cute little birdies but if I let it slide they won't ever learn. Now my Polly, that's another matter. I take care of her, feed her, make sure her cage is clean, etc. I'm cool like that.

My daughter is in mourning. I have, being the wonderfully perfect mom that I am, pointed out to her, at every opportunity, that it is nobody's fault but her own. Yes, it is painful. When we do things that we shouldn't do we must suffer the consequences. Someday, she will thank me.

Homeschool curriculums

Last night I was up late thinking I need to order my little princess' homeschool curriculum for the upcoming school year. Luckily, we can start school when we like - that's the beauty of homeschooling. I know now that I am home all the time I will be able to help her thrive with her school work.

This year I've looked into Sonlight and the Alpha Omega Switched on Schoolhouse. I'm leaning towards the Switched on Schoolhouse. The Sonlight, I'm sure, is good but I think highly overpriced. Last year we did Abeka; we didn't care for that one. The teenage-type offspring will continue with the Robinson curriculum. The Robinson curriculum is really good and you can read more about it here. It is more for the self-taught, independent learner. This describes my teenage-type offspring. The good thing about it is the cost is low and can be used for grades K thru 12. Now that is awesome! I highly recommend the Robinson curriculum for those that are on a budget and who's kids are independent learners.

I'm sure that even if your child is not an independent learner, you can also use this curriculum as all the materials can be printed. If you want to do that I would suggest you take the CDs with the information you want printed to a Kinkos or Staples to get them to print them for you. Unless you want to use up all your ink at home. They can do it inexpensively and in a matter of minutes.

Every child has different learning styles and you have to do a lot of research on which would be best for your child's particular needs. There is a lot of information on the web. If you want to read some reviews on many of them you can visit this website. You would be surprised at the reviews on some. One thing that isn't included in the Robinson curriculum is the math so that is one subject you will have to purchase elsewhere. They also offer a 20% off coupon for the Saxon math. That's what we use. Remember, once your child is through with the math books, you can sell them or pass them on to another homeschooling family.

The state we live is in not very strict when it comes to homeschooling records but I always keep grades on a CD (in case my computer dies and cannot be resuscitated). When the time comes for my children to take their SAT, I will be well prepared. I believe that education and how it is done should be left up to the parents, not some ill-paid instructor that is there for a paycheck and only that. Granted not all are like that but with society being what it is today, our children are learning things they shouldn't be in public schools. That's another story for another time.

Organization is key when homeschooling. Thankfully, I only have two kids. I have separate file folders for each of their subjects where I keep their test scores and whatever "awards" they have earned. I hate to teach. I don't have the patience. This, however, is different. These are my children and I have their best interests at heart. Something that cannot be said of most public or even private school instructors. Sadly, our educational system has suffered so much in the past few years that I wonder how much longer it will last.

Half Price Books - I love books

Last Friday me and my little princess made a trip to Half Price Books. I don't know about you but I love, love, love books. I have them by the hundreds. They are everywhere. I have two bookcases in my office, a bookcase in my craft room, another in my bedroom. I even have one in my teenage-type offspring's room. It was put there so he could get his stuff organized. Of course that's a losing battle in this house. He is after all a teenager and a male. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, we got to the Half Price Books and while my little princess made a stack of the books she was going to buy with all of $10 I moseyed on over to the Religion book section. I love Half Price Books. I love books. I could read forever. I was on the lookout for a LARGE PRINT bible. I want it for my friend who cannot afford to get glasses. There were some but I also needed it to be in Spanish.

You know something? It just dawned on me, I need to pay for her to get some glasses. Why didn't I ever think of that before now? Sheesh, my mind is losing brain cells by the minute it seems. I'm going to call her tonight to schedule a time to take her. What good is being immensely blessed if you cannot share your blessings with others? Yes, that's what I will do. My teenage-type offspring needs to go anyway so I may as well take them both at the same time.

Back to Half Price Books. I didn't find one, not in Spanish. I did find some other cool books. Even bought one on collectibles and why I bought it is beyond me. I love books. I'm taking that one back. I can't find my receipt so I guess I'll just get store credit. It's not like I'm not going back again. I love books.

I walked through the aisles just looking at all kinds of books. Romance, Foreign Languages, History, Fiction, True Crime, etc. I could live at the bookstore if they would allow me. Starbucks is in the same shopping strip so I could eat there. I could work at the book store and all I really need is a small space to sleep in. No? That's fine, I can sleep in the aisles. I just love books. I like the smell, the texture, the invaluable information that lies between all those delightfully crisp pages. The dog-eared ones too.

Walked over to my daughter and announced that I was ready. She picked up her stack and we paid for our items. I then turned to her and said as we walked out, "Let's go to the big one." She was delighted. You see my little princess loves books. She loves the smell, the texture, the invaluable information....you get the picture. I wonder who she got that from? She looked at me wide-eyed and said but it's almost 2 and you hate driving in traffic. I told her I would take the freeway there and we could be there in just a few minutes. I'm a rebel, I speed.

Upon our arrival at the "big one" I immediately went into frugal mode. I have to do this in order to keep from running all over the book store like a madwoman and piling all kinds of books into my basket. Basket, that's right, the big one has shopping baskets as in carts. They know what they're doing. We are greeted by a group of lucky Half Price Books party hat-wearing employees, a cookie spread and a register to win a shopping spree for books drawing. I want to register 100 times but decide against it as they might look at me like I'm crazy. I'm not crazy. No, I'm not. I love books.

I also managed to hold back from grabbing a whole plate of cookies they were offering, especially snickerdoodles, yum! Although, they offered a plate towards me, I'm in control, I took only two. And two chocolate chip and another two of whatever was on the other plate. See I have willpower. Yes, I do. You are just jealous of my willpower. My little princess' eyes lit up when they gave her a party hat to wear. They shone when she saw the cookies. Kids and cookies, girls and cookies, girls and chocolate chip cookies. See, my instinct to go to the big one was right on.

We were there looking for that LARGE PRINT Spanish bible. We didn't find one. I did find some more cool books there. Being the avid reader that I am, I loaded up. I did manage to stay under my $100 self-imposed limit. Yes, I'm a woman with willpower. You betcha!

On the way home we had to drive past my favorite consignment shop. I'm under my spending limit for the day so I'm going in, I'm thinking. I did. I looked and I bought. One dress. All that fun for under 100 bucks. Hey, maybe I should do a show like Rachel Ray has. Shopping with Diane is the way, for $100 a day. I'm good. I know. I'm a mom on a mission.

College THEA testing

Why do children insist on driving their parents into early senility by waiting until the last minute to tell us things that are needed to be done? When my teenage-type offspring was in grade school, he would always wait until the night before to tell me about the supplies he needed for a school project due the next day. He would wait until I dropped him off in front of the school to tell me his lunch account balance was zero; I had no checks and never carry cash.

There are too many times which I thought were in the past. Long forgotten. Times when I just wanted to smack some sense into him. If he is academically gifted why is it so difficult for him to prioritize and use his time wisely? What is it about the young mind that keeps them from speaking up in a timely manner? Argh! Well, all I can hope for is that he will be more responsible and proactive as an adult. I told my son today, you will get a swift kick in the pants by the school of hard knocks in life if you don't learn responsibility.

I dropped him off at college today to get his THEA testing. Of course he didn't tell me he needed a picture ID. I was so disgusted with his lack of responsibility and at his age! Thing is, he doesn't have a picture ID. He is taking his driver license test in the next couple weeks so I had no idea he needed this sooner or I would've taken him in for a state ID card. So he waited until last night to tell me that it was required or they might not allow him to test. Being the wonder-mom that I am and exasperated, with this teenage-type offspring, to the very core of my psyche; I was on a mission.

I was determined to go in there and tell the administrator what I thought was a well-rehearsed spiel about why my son does not have a picture ID. Could she please allow him to take the test as I've already paid for it and their rules are that there are no refunds for irresponsibility on the participant's part. Or something pretty darn close to that wording from what I later found out. I know my son and I know he will probably go in there and tell them he doesn't have an ID and wait for them to tell him to leave. Aha! I'm a mom on a mission, a bundle of ticked off nerves to no end. My hair is even frizzier from all the thinking about how to punish this offspring type for giving me the crazies like he does.

We get in the car and stop by McDonald's so the offspring type can have something in his stomach as this will be a long test...5 hours long. So I make him get off and buy his own breakfast. Yeah, I'm mean like that. It takes me 10 minutes to get to the college campus. Twice as long as it takes him to wolf down those nasty pancakes and sausage and large orange juice he had to have. Teenage types have the most wonderfully healthy diets.

All the while I'm thinking, they will take him if I have to bring a blood sample to prove that he is my offspring and that my driver license, his social security card and birth certificate should suffice. I'm prepared to do battle. We get there and there are all kinds of kids looking for their respective classrooms for the testing. A bunch of them looking cute and reminding me that I'm old and way past my prime. Oh well, you can't have everything. I have more money than they do and more insurance too.

Armed with my most friendliest of attitudes I tell the lady there what our dilemma is and she was nice enough to tell me it was fine since my son and I have the same last name but that I will need to get him a picture ID. I apologize for my son's faux pas and proceed to drop this teenage-type offspring at his classroom. He turns and tells me the calculator he brought doesn't have the square root button. I give him a dirty look and tell him to call me when he gets through testing. He can figure it out. When I was in college, yes, I still remember, we weren't allowed anything but paper and pencil for testing. Now, they cheat. How totally unfair is that?

Now, we're going to have to start on the scholarship applications. Why must I do everything for them? Motherhood--a never ending job no matter how old your children are. I tell you, they're gonna miss me when I'm gone.

Some People Just like to Suffer

Do you have friends that ask you for help regarding situations in their lives and then don't take your advice? I think I must have a sign somewhere on me. Others always come ask me for ways to resolve whatever predicament they are in and then continue to wallow in misery without ever taking the measures necessary to remedy the situation. Why do they do that? I have very little patience for stupidity. Ignorance is one thing (lack of knowledge) but stupidity, to me, is intolerable.

A friend I had several years ago was physically, brutally abused by her husband. She came to me for help. I had seen the bruises that she had unsuccessfully tried to hide with makeup. Since she wasn't a close friend I didn't want to overstep any boundaries. A few weeks into our friendship she decided to tell me what was going on. Needless to say, I was livid. I gave her some information and told her my door was open to her any time of the day or night. She was a tiny little thing and her husband was a devout bodybuilder. This man had raped her in front of their 4 year old son. It got to the point one day where he threw her against the window and she fell through it. She then came to my house and stayed for a few days. She was terrified of this man. He came looking for her and I told him in no uncertain terms what would happen should he decide to do something foolish.

She went through counseling and got help only to go back to that beast of a husband. She was a beautiful woman. I found out later that she was getting abused by the 4 year old after she went back to the husband. The child would kick her and bite her if he didn't get his way. Children learn by example and the father of that child left a lot to be desired. I despised what he did to her. I had done all I could and ultimately the decision to return to that life was hers. I don't know what happened to her but I often think of her. After all the things she went through and after all the help that was given her, why did she continue to suffer like that? She had a choice. She made the wrong one.

Another friend is abused by her live-in boyfriend. They fight constantly and it gets physical at times. She has a child by a previous relationship that tells everyone and anyone that will listen about the fights. When she has asked me for help, I have given it to her. Financial, emotional and I've talked to her about her options. She chooses to stay in that relationship, I believe, because of low self-esteem. I've pointed out to her that her child is in essence being abused. She chooses to have a man in her life over hers and her own child's well-being, physical and otherwise. The help is there for her. She is another one that chooses to live like that.

Why are these women so desperate to have a man living with them that it matters not that the very person that is there to love and protect them is the one that is causing the greatest harm? They aren't ignorant, the knowledge and the way out is there, I guess they are stupid. It's a harsh word and I know I don't like to use it to label anyone. These people, the ones that I've dealt with, have earned it.

Do they enjoy suffering like that? Why do they subject their children to this type of emotional and sometimes physical abuse? Those children did not ask to be put in that position. Isn't it selfish of these women to allow this to happen to their children? I believe it is called child abuse. Should I take the first step and turn them in to child protective services? Will the children be better off or will they end up dead at the hands of their foster parents, as we often see on the news? What would you do?

Depression rears its ugly head

I've always thought, in my ignorance, that depression was a state of mind that people could easily pull out of. I've been reading a lot on it lately because my mother suffers from it as well as some friends of mine. One friend in particular gets into these worrying "binges" and worries constantly about things she cannot change. It's a vicious cycle.

Often I've wondered why this happens to some people and not others. It also seems to be more prevalent in women. Why does the outcome, in a lot of cases, result in suicide? These people are in a lot of pain; physical pain, it seems. Do you know anybody that is going through depression in their lives? How do you handle it? What can you say that will help them? Is there a natural cure for it or must these people take one of the plethora of pharmaceutical band-aids that are the mainstream nowadays?

A co-worker I used to talk to a lot at my old job suffers from severe depression. She is on Paxil and will have to take it, from what she told me, for the rest of her life. Does depression last a lifetime in some? I cannot imagine, nor do I want to, the pain that these people must be in to have no other choice but to resort to a drug-induced sense of well-being. I don't like taking any type of medication but I ask myself if I were in there shoes would I do as they do? Would somebody care enough to get me the help if I couldn't or wouldn't take the measure necessary steps to get well? From what I've read, some people don't even know that their loved ones are going through this episode in their lives. A lot of times they don't even find out until its too late.

Did people at the turn of the century get depressed, and if so, what did they do back then? Here's a LINK that has more information along with an audio clip. If anybody knows of a good natural way to alleviate this malady, would you please let me know? I'd like to be able to help those close to me battle this horrible disease.

Medical Insurance

Why is medical insurance so expensive for everyone? I'm looking for a good insurance plan that will cover my family. We are self-employed and I went looking for insurance on the internet to see what is out there. Coverage for only myself would cost me a couple hundred dollars a month; for the family about $400. Not bad I guess, considering it would cost me in the range of 300 bucks just to go get my yearly exam. More, if I need to get lab work done and all that good stuff.

In the city I live in our taxes are sky high; they are in all of Texas it seems. School taxes are astronomical and I don't even send my kids to public school. There should be some kind of credit given to those of us that home school our children.

How are we, as a nation, going to deal with our government turning a blind eye to all of those that need medical attention desperately? Our family, thank the good Lord, can afford to self-insure but what about those who cannot? I'm just a stay at home mom that doesn't work outside the home so I don't have employee benefits of any kind.

Even when I worked, there were people there that simply could not afford the coverage. There were others that worked only so their families could have some kind of health insurance coverage. What is happening to our American dreams? There are way too many people living on the streets and have no food or shelter let alone health insurance.

As our nation's population ages and the baby boomers are reaching an age where they are retiring and yet they have no money to live out what is supposed to be their golden years in a financially secure manner. What will become of those that do not have the means to retire comfortably. By comfortably, I mean in a dignified way where they don't have to feel like a burden on their children. Where their health needs will be met without having to wait in long lines as welfare recipients. Where somebody will give a rats ass.

I still have a good 20-plus years before I reach that age but am I really prepared? Is anyone? With Social Security threatening to be but a distant memory by that time, I often ask myself, do I have enough saved? Will the the government's inability to provide for its people, people that have paid their dues for decades -- a lifetime, ever be alleviated? How much savings is really enough? If a catastrophic illness should come upon our family, what then?

In my heart I know that it is God that I have to trust in, He is the only one that I can count on. It seems that for many the American dream is just that, a dream. Tonight, before going to bed, pray for those less fortunate than you. Because believe it or not - they're out there. Be blessed.