New Calendar

I bought a new school calendar a couple of weeks ago, and I finally put all of my dates and birthdays in it.  I love new calendars.  To me every summer and definately September  are a new start of the year.  Once a teacher always a teacher.  I don't feel as excited in January - it is not the same thing.  June is the end of the year, and it starts again in the summer.  That is just me and all of the other teachers out there.

Today is the last day of helping HS students pass the high school exit exam.  I started at the beginning of the month.  I feel like it is too late for them.  I tried.  I realize that my body and brain doesn't like "being on" for 3 hours 3 days of the week.  Last year when I was homeschooling a student was very difficult for me, but that was 24 hours if I was lucky. I am constantly trying to find balance in my life.  I need to be here for my family without a migraine.  I am still trying after more than 6 years of being disabled, maybe I will learn sooner or later. 

I had a great Mother's Day.  Julie came for a visit, and we just hung out the whole time.  We caught up on Big Bang Theory, Person of Interest and Elementary.  Those are some of my favorites plus CSI and Body of Proof.  This is the last season for Body of Proof - it was canceled this weekend.  We are great food. Mario's and Mexican food on Saturday.    Breakfast of bacon and pancakes; Panera for late lunch; and Brie and good bread for dinner.  I of course hurt myself.  What would be a Father's Day or Mother's Day without an injury?  Usually it is burning myself on the stove, but yesterday I cut my finger with a sharp knife.  At least I didn't have to go to Urgent Care like I did for a past Father's Day.  That sucked!  Overall the weekend was a great one.  Next weekend the family is coming here for Shane's First Communion.  I need to get ready for their coming as in cleaning the heck out of the house.  A little bit each day!  If something doesn't get done we will live with it!  I am rambling again - at least I am writing. More later.  I need to post some layouts of Virginia and DC I did using Studio J. So fun, easy and quick!

I am back with a whisper!

I look back at the last entry and laugh.  Yep I am back in a vengence - yeah right.  I always mean to write but I get stuck at times.  Sometimes it is my horrible spelling or I think I am so busy doing stupid stuff like laundry.  I hate laundry and dishes - they never end.  My kids hate them too.  I am a mean mommy and make them fold the clean clothes and put away dishes. If they want an allowance, they have chores and rules.  Pat and I agree about no playing on the computer Sunday night through Thursday night.  If they have a project or need to do KidBiz that is something different.  We also don't have a Wii or Playstation, but I think Pat and I would use way too much and get nothing done.    I don't know where I am going with this. 

Jenan is a big writer.  She currently has many stories in progress, and she hopes to prublish them soon.  I think she needs to finish one first.  Ha ha! We try to encdourage her.  She also thinks I should write about MoyaMoya syndrome - all the strokes, surgeries, what happened during that time and it affects me and our family daily.  I think I need to use semi-colons.  I think she miught be right. We checked on Amazon and they are none.  Moya Moya syndrome finally was addressed on a TV show - Grey's Anatomy last week. That is the first time ever.  They had a child with it, but they are effected more than adult I think.  Last Monday was World Moya Moya Day.  That was big on Facebook - I celebrated it with a posting or two.  I am on FB way too much.  Big time waster but I love it.  Jenan might be right; I would might writing a book.  It did change my life a ton.  My life right now it is what I pictured it to be.  Hmmm!

My friends also think I should post my recipes.  I cook a lot now. I  am home and we are trying to save money so I cook.  I don't cook fancy meals, like my mom did.  Mine are easy and usually involve the Crockpot.  I love my Crockpot.    I don't remember Mom having one.  I don't think my mom would use one anyway. I do remember my parents using a pressure cooker.  That thing scared the heck out of me.  I was always worried that it would explode when I was near.

I am close this novel, and I want to write more.  I will post my Close To My Heart creations, post my recipes (flops and good ones) and my thoughts about life and MoyaMoya syndrome.  If you are curious about MoyaMoya please go to www.moyamoya.com and we have a wealth of information.  You probably don't have it since one in 12 million people get it.  I am so lucky!!  Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day!

I Am Back with a Vengeance

Hi!  I am back and will write more regularly about this and that.  The past year was very interesting and I learn a lot, probably more than what I wanted.  Last November the kids transferred to Katherine Finchy, a public school, from St. Theresa’s.  Finally the money gave out and we couldn’t do it anymore.  It was a hard pill to swallow but the kids are doing much better so we are OK.  Jenan is starting middle school at Raymond Cree and Shane returned to Finchy in the 3^rd grade – GATE program. 

Starting the first week of January I was hired to home school a child that I knew and who I liked a lot.  I was helping her last year.  I forgot how difficult it was working more than a little bit.  Looking back I can’t work that much.  I was getting migraines again which cut into my time with my family.  I don’t know if I am helping her this year but I am tutoring other kids after school at my house.  If you know of anyone needing help, but pass on my info and I would be happy to help.

Why am I writing again and vowing to keep it up?  After the strokes and brain surgeries I have aphasia – word recall is difficult.  I really hate when I can’t think of a word or how it is spelled.  Super annoying!  You would think I would have this problem since the last stroke was in April, 2004 but I do.  I liked writing before, and I don’t do it much lately.  I was determined to start and follow through with it.  I am using this blog to talk about whatever is going on in my life.    I will post my art but I don’t create much now.  Homeschooling took a lot of my time and brain work.  But once school starts again, early September, I believe I will have my day free until 2 and I start the mommy train picking the kids and tutoring at the house. I plan on blogging, creating my projects, walking Zeppelin and keeping the house together during that time.  I know high hopes, and hopefully I can do it all.  I need to remeber to be nice to me. 

Talk about creating, here is a flower cupcake I made this week.  It was a project from Consulting Club a couple of months ago but I wasn’t there that month.  I had the project in the stack to do, and I finally finished it.  I have a hugestack of this work on so I will be creating them.  Stay tuned!

August Stamp of the Month - Wicked!

Hi! I am been at home all weekend alone! I planned on paper crafting the whole time, but didn't! I read books and magazines plus caught up on my DVR'd shows (LA Ink). Yesterday I just wasn't in the mood. Today I started slow, but finally (!) finished making the 2 cards and the box shown in the catalog for August's Stamp of the Month. Next I am going to work in the Mischief Workshop-On-The-Go shown on Page 49 on the Close To My Heart Autumn/Winter catalog. I love the banner! If you don't have one, please email me and I will get you one. Hugs!

Wicked - August Stamp Of The Month box

I am really trying to blog daily, and I have been on the computer for most of the day. A ton of emails going out and some reading and playing of Facebook. A lot of playing! I wanted to post a Halloween Box that we made at Consulting Club a couple of weeks ago. I joined a Consulting Club a couple of months ago to make projects I might want to make with you. Also it is nice to craft and gab at the same time. I finally get some time to myself.

I know that the pictures are upside down and side-ways. Next time they will be correct. I am still learning.

To make the box, I used the August Stamp Of The Month - Wicked; Mischief paper pack, the Light Neutral cardstock shade pack; and the opaques Licorice adhesive gems. All of these you can order for me. It was fun to make and very easy. I know it looks difficult. When I show how to make it, it is easy. I plan on filling it with Halloween candy.

For what is for dinner? I am currently using the items in my pantry, so tonight is Kansas City Steak Soup. But it is made with hamburger meat! When did hamburger meat become steak?? The soup mix I bought from last September's Cherrydale sale for St. Theresa's School. We are finally using it and adding potatoes to the soup. I am not too hopeful that it will taste good. We are trying!

Enjoy your night. Hugs!

Paula

Major Ooops!

Hi All! I wanted to share and show Shane and my major oops! These are supposed to be snickerdoodle cookies and it is a huge pancake - Shane's words. I have to agree with him. This summer I have been cooking up a storm. Two reasons: I wanted to find easy recipes that my family likes. The other reason is we are on a budget and it is much cheaper that eating out. Don't get me wrong. I love eating out but it is super expensive even McDonald's. Pat and I also realize we are better cooks than about 90% of the restaurants we go to. So I am cooking more. I don't usually post my goofs but they are part of reality. The kids says they taste good but they are very flat. I followed the recipe in my cookbook. I looked up the recipe on-line and they have you chill the dough for an hour and ours didn't. So I learned that you must chill your dough for Snickerdoodles.

I will post pictures of the Halloween box tomorrow. I promise!

Hugs!

Hello There!

Hi Friends:

I knew that it had been a long time since blogged last, but I really didn't realize that it was 2-1/2 half years. That is horrible! My new school resolution is to blog and post pictures of what I am doing. I am still a Close To My Heart consultant and loving it more and more. I am still a Stay at Home mom and liking it more and more. The not working stuff is hard to get used to and I need to keep busy.

I cook a lot more and I will post pictures of my creations - the good, the bad, and the ugly - to quote Clint Eastwood. Most of them are good and pretty. Here is a picture of Pat's birthday cake which was last Tuesday. It is super chocolatey but good. Even he said it almost has too much chocolate and I didn't think that was possible.

I am going to say Bye for now, but catch me tomorrow and see the cute Halloween box I made.

Paula