A Brighter Day

It's not easy having to share small space with so many people. The other night I was feeling overwhelmed, so I called one of my favorite cousins who is very "earthly" like I am. She told me to walk barefoot outside and connect to the earth. She told me to talk to my ancestors and ask for guidance. She told me to let the Universe know what I need. Those are all things I know to do, but somehow in the midst of my turmoil, I never even considered those things.

Since that conversation, I have been cooking delicious food like I used to. I've always loved cooking, but rarely do it when I'm not happy. I've been looking into ways to make money from "home" and also planning to have a garage sale this weekend.

I did have a mini breakdown as I was driving RJ to the next state over to hand him over to a coach for a basketball tournament today. He's my toughest kid to deal with. On one hand, he's so entertaining to have around, but on the other hand, our personalities clash frequently. I truly was upset with him. He was driving and I was sitting next to him fuming. Trying to keep myself from unleashing the fury I felt because I feel he's so selfish. He's 18, yes, but I had had enough. He broke the ice and unleashed an avalanche. I cried. I just don't know how to get to him. But his smile. I love him so much. I feel for him and I never want to hurt him.

Looking For New Adventures

I'm not quite sure why I don't keep up with this blog. Maybe it's because after living 2 years in a beautiful 2400 sq ft home in sunny Sugar Land, Texas, we've basically been homeless. Not "on the street" homeless thanks to loving family and friends, but still without our own home. For the last year, we've lived in Ohio, back to Texas, and currently in Kentucky. Needless to say, I have to come up with a better plan and I think I have.

As a single mother who has really dropped the ball by allowing her family to become without a permanent residence, something I once read came back to mind that could possibly be a viable solution. HOUSE SITTING. I remember reading a post in a Facebook group for single mothers that homeschool where there was a discussion about being able to Worldschool (homeschooling while traveling the world). Many moms were discussing how they wish they could, but their money was limited. This one mother shared that she is able to travel the world with her young son because they house sit. She named the different countries that they have been to. I remember thinking how cool that was, but at that time, I was renting that beautiful house in Sugar Land.

But, now that we've had plenty of practice of abiding by other people's rules, I think we might as well get some traveling in. There are some pretty neat houses that we can visit.  I started researching and found quite a bit of helpful information from this website. (http://www.angloitalianfollowus.com/house-sitting-site-best). I decided to try MindMyHouse.com because it has the lowest member fee of $20 per year. There weren't as many opportunities as I saw on some of the other sites, but I had to start somewhere. I'll let you know how it goes!

Back to Busy!

Tuesday was the first "normal" day we have had since November.  It started with a trip to the ice skating rink at 10:45 a.m. Initially, I was only going to take CJ and his friend since Crystal has been hanging out so much with her best friend, but I just couldn't imagine leaving her home while we went somewhere she COULD go. Plus, she had such a wonderful response when I told her she wasn't going to go. I told her I was taking CJ since he had not had much fun outside of the house in a few months and she just said, "Ok." No whining, complaining, or any show of disappointment, just understanding. Soooo....as we were about to walk out the door, I told her to change into pants and she could come with us. Good thing I did, because she skated much more than the boys did. She wants to go back. CJ on the other hand, is in no rush to ice skate again. I'm glad because he said he wanted an ice skating party and it starts at $170!

After an hour and a half of ice skating, and after Crystal's 3rd fall, we decided to leave. We headed to the grocery store to get something to fix for lunch. Next stop, an ice cream social with one of the unschooling groups I found on Facebook.

It was fun, but it was pretty much all very young children. Crystal met a girl her age, but no luck for CJ. He hung out with me most of the time. The ice cream sundaes were delicious. After the ice cream social, we went to a friend's house and then to end the night, CJ had basketball practice from 8-9 p.m. What a long and eventful day :)

This was pretty much the expression he had on his face the

 whole time! LOL!

 

 

She was in HEAVEN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Great Start

We had a lot of fun bringing in the new year. Normally, I am sleep and my children wake me 5 minutes before midnight, but this year was different. My mother bought party food and made way more than the 4 of us could eat!

Mario had a party at his apartment in Kentucky. RJ was in Missouri with his basketball team. That left me, my mom, and the younger 2 at home. My mother, Crystal, and I watched movies. First we watched The Equalizer with Denzel Washington, and then we watched Maleficent. Both were good movies, although the Denzel movie had way too much violence for me. I spent most of that movie playing Scrabble on my phone. LOL!

RJ came home the next day and by Friday, we were back to the extensive basketball schedule. He had a game on Friday and on Saturday. Sunday, today, we accomplished a lot. I started off by cleaning my room, but got sidetracked and actually spent the entire day helping the 3 children deep clean and rearrange their bedrooms. Khiry cooked dinner both Saturday and Sunday night. He made Texas chili (with barbecue sauce) and he cooked spaghetti tonight. I'm soooo glad he loves to cook and he is sooooo good at it! (I told him if basketball doesn't work out, he definitely should pursue a culinary career.)

Also, RJ has been going through growing pains (he will be 17 next month!) so we had a long talk about his commitment level to this basketball life. I also explained to him that my dreams come second to my children, because in my opinion, they are starting with clean slates. I've had to let some of my dreams go, and some of the ones I plan to pursue, I'm at a deficit because I will always have to make sure children living at home are ok. I think it was a good talk. I love the relationship I have with my children, even when they drive me insane. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

The End of Another Year....2014!

Many times a week I think of this blog. Mentally I write posts every time, never taking the time to actually write or post the photos I wish to post. So much has happened since the last time I posted, too.

Mario is still in living in another state, waiting for his lease to expire so he can move back to Texas. He has come to realize that the opportunities are better in Houston than they are in Kentucky. He is working, making just a bit above minimum wage, and he's decided that isn't the quality of life he wants to live. EXHALE... Hopefully, he will find his niche soon.

RJ was accepted into private school and he is loving his new atmosphere. He received an athletic scholarship for basketball, but he isn't performing at the level they thought he would. He's almost 17 and he's going through many changes. He's learning life is not always about having fun.

The youngest two started the school year in public school. I took Crystal out after the first week and CJ out the 2nd week. Homeschooling is for us. I just need to focus more on making it work better. We went on tons of educational trips in September and October, and a few in November. Right now I am focusing more on helping them set goals for the next 3 months.

As for me, I am also in school. I am working on my Associate Degree in Accounting. Also, I am having a really hard time preparing for turning the big 4-0 in March. It has nothing to do with aging. I celebrate each day I live. It is more about feeling like my life doesn't look like I thought it would look by the time I reached this age. It has me grumpy, frustrated, and frozen in time. I keep dissecting my life to see how I got where I am and trying to figure where it is I want to be. I have decided to remove as many distractions as I can from my life, starting with Facebook. I will see how long it will last, but I plan to quit Facebook for one year. I am still trying to figure out how I will find out about field trips, but I'm sure I will find a way. Either that or I will have to work on my self-control.

Once again, my plan is to devote more time to this blog. It calls my name. It's time for me to start writing again. Maybe it will ease some of this stress I feel.

The Way Things Should Be.... (The Lost Blog)

I know, I know, I know! I change my mind like I change the air filter, but I am still learning about myself and how to be the best woman and mother that I can be. Against my better judgement, I sent both of my youngest children to public school. I tried so hard to ration with myself that this was a excellent school district and they would be fine, but that was not the case.

Crystal came back home first. She lasted one week. She didn't like it. She liked being around other children, but didn't appreciate that she wasn't really allowed to play with them much. My major issue was with the front desk workers. One day I called the school to let Crystal know I was not going to make it home in time and that she needed to go home with the neighbors. I called the school and left a message to have her call me. MY PHONE DIED! I rushed to my car to plug it in and I had already missed her call. I called the school back and the receptionist had a bad attitude and informed me that Crystal tried to call me twice. I told her that I understood that, but my phone died and she needs to call me again. She had the nerve to say, "Well, I can TRY to get her to call you..." and I interrupted her and told her she WILL.

Long story short, I brought both children home and now I have peace again!

In Hindsight...

I am one of those mothers who knew she was going to homeschool before she even knew when she was going to have children.  I was a senior in high school when I decided that I would never subject my children to the public school system. It's in my heart, embedded in my soul. I know without a doubt that it is better than cookie cutter education. But here it is 3 weeks before public school is to start and I'm seriously considering sending my children to the place I vowed I would not.  The oldest two spent a couple weeks here and there in public school, but never for long. This is not really new to me; one child went into public school in the 7th grade at age 12 and has been there ever since.I just thought that after 15 years of homeschooling, I would have this thing down to science. Nope, I don't.

I look at my oldest two boys and I think they are both amazing for different reasons. Mario is his own man.  He is an individual. He will not follow, nor will he lead. He accepts life as it is and just deals with it. He has amazing people skills, yet he is still very introverted. My biggest concern is his lack of motivation.  And then there is RJ.  He is more easily influenced by those who are around him. He is an extrovert. Because of his unique size (6'8" at age 16), he has many opportunities just handed to him. He always has. He has so much influence and doesn't even realize it. He is my progressive, positive thinking son. He gets what he wants, because he doesn't stop asking until it's his....whatever "it" may be. He also is happy with his life to the point that he doesn't complain much because he knows he usually is given what he wants. My biggest concern is his lack of motivation. Since he feels everything is given to him, he isn't hungry for anything.

Those observations have led me to reconsider what I consider to be best for the youngest boy and girl. CJ is now 11 and is all set to enter 6th grade after enrolling in public school the last 6 weeks of 5th grade. He is my toughest child to teach. He has high anxiety and shows traits of a perfectionist. He is actually almost impossible for me to teach, because he gets embarrassed even when learning a new concept that I don't expect him to know about. So, imagine my surprise when he went to 5th grade and passed all his classes with C's or better! He felt anxiety a few mornings where he would cry and beg to stay home. I would say yes, and 15 minutes later he would come back with his happy face and say he was going to go ahead to school. He is overweight and I worried about him being bullied, but he said no one ever bullied him and he always got picked first when the boys played basketball at recess. (All that playing basketball against his older brothers paid off.)  The only thing he complained about was having too much work and having to stay at school ALL DAY. He is a leader. He refuses to follow anyone and if you don't follow his rules, he just won't deal with you. He is also an introvert, but has a quirkiness that people LOVE about him. His personality is off the charts!

Deep in my heart, I feel my older sons both lack motivation, because I taught them to appreciate what they have to a fault. They lack self-motivation because they are content with their lives. I feel I have to do something different with CJ, but I don't know what that different thing is. He is rather clingy to me, so as much as I hate to say it, I think time away from me and some of the negative experiences I tried to keep my children from, may benefit him at this time. How do I get my heart to agree?

Crystal is not ready for school, period. She also entered public school the last 6 weeks of school and she was promoted to the 3rd grade. The problem is, she is nowhere near ready for too many reasons to name. She is a follower and she does not make good decisions on her own. It all kind of makes sense, because my belief is that elementary school years should be spent at home (for my children). When my children reached 11, middle school years, they were given a choice. One tried middle school for 2 weeks, hated it and didn't go back to public school until the 9th grade (for half a year). The other son went to middle school in 6th grade for about 3 months and came home after having a hard time. He decided to try again for 7th grade and has been there since. CJ is on track for entering public school. I'm sticking to my beliefs with Crystal though. I'm actually looking forward to the alone time we will have everyday. She is growing so fast.

The more I write, the better I'm feeling about this whole thing. The next time someone asks me, I will finally have an answer. CJ IS going to school. Crystal is NOT. Thanks readers for once again letting me vent :)

Business Plans

I slipped a line into the last post about finally receiving my Texas Massage License. It was a long, frustrating process, but I'm so happy that it is finally over that I will spare you the details.  Receiving my license has me at a crossroads.  

When I first found out I was moving to Texas, I was already in the process of researching how to transition from my mobile massage business to becoming a public speaker advocating the benefits of childhood massage.  I had great ideas given to me by a stream of individuals who either were into public speaking, or knew of people who were public speakers. Somehow I got to Texas and I froze. My confidence simply left me. There were so many uncertainties and I just could not seem to motivate myself to follow the plan I had for myself. Actually receiving the license has given me a partial boost. I began to put in applications for a job in massage therapy, but my heart is not in it. How can I agree to be paid as low as $20 per hour when I know I can make a minimum of $40 an hour if I was in business for myself?  I keep telling myself it would be a good start as I build clientele, but it just does not sit right with me.  I have been here before. I graduated from school and immediately started my own business. I started from only having 5 loyal clients to building a reputable mobile massage business that was my sole source of income. I know I can do it again, but really I want to change my focus.  I would love to do speaking engagements and workshops promoting therapeutic massage for tweens and teens. I also would like to have an office that would just be for that demographic.  I know I can do it, and I cannot figure out what is holding me back. Maybe sharing this with you will motivate me to stop dreaming and to start making the necessary moves. 

Thank you for allowing me to vent :)

Vegas Trip Update

RJ had a ball in Vegas! It was also his first time flying in an airplane and it was quite scary at first, he said.  His coach said he looked like he was going to be sick.  A few days before he left, he began complaining of a sore back and he also had some swelling in his hip. Inspired by the arrival of my long-awaited for Texas Massage License, I did what I had been trained to do.  I dug out the Kinesio tape and I taped him up! Oh, and I sent him with a bottle of pain reliever, hoping he wouldn't really need it.

He said it really helped. He asked me was it the Placebo Effect. I laughed and told him not to question the why as long as it was doing it's job. 

His team lost the first game, won the next five games, and then lost in the Elite 8.  I was a crazy woman all over Twitter trying to see what the scores were! Next year I will definitely be there! I was able to send him off with $160 donated to him by two of my friends. THAT was a blessing! He even had money left over when he came home.

Headed To Vegas!

I'm so excited for my son! He gets to go to Vegas before I do. His AAU basketball team is traveling there to compete in the Fab 48, a national basketball tournament.  Unfortunately, I do not have the money needed to send him so I created a GoFundMe account. It gives family and friends an opportunity to support his dream of playing in a national tournament and increasing his chances to be seen by Division I coaches.

I sure wish I could go, but since I can't, I'm going to send him off as comfortably as I can!

Another Year, Another Post!

It has been over a year since I last posted.  I just read the last post, so I will pick up from there...

In the last post, I mentioned we were taking a trip to Houston, Texas.  That trip was a life-changer for us.  We now live just southwest of Houston in Sugar Land. We fell in love with Sugar Land and Houston during our visit in February of 2012.  We made our big move in July of 2013.  Oh, what a wonderful testimony I have about the whole process.  Everything happened so smoothly that there was no doubt we were meant to make the move.

Mario will be celebrating his 19th birthday in exactly 3 weeks. He is currently working at Lowe's although he is will be quitting soon. My son is headed to Bowling Green, Kentucky to share an apartment with my nephew, who just finished his freshman year in college.  I am excited for both of them. A blog specific to Mario's journey and his feelings about his education path will be written soon.

RJ is now 16 and completing his fourth year in public school.  He loves the high school he attends in Sugar Land.  He is now 6'8" and he lost 40 lbs of baby fat. We are quickly learning how ruthless the basketball culture is here. He is in the process of getting his learner's permit.

Here is another BIG CHANGE...

As of April 4th of this year, I enrolled CJ and Crystal in the public elementary school.  It was a hard decision to make, and even though they will be homeschooling again next school year, I am glad things happened the way they did.  We were homeschooling and even found a local group, but they children didn't know many neighborhood children.  They both wanted to go to school and I was struggling financially and emotionally so a friend coaxed me into enrolling my children in school with only 6 weeks of school left.  It was hard on them academically, but socially, they love it!  They got a chance to meet children in the neighborhood and now they have friends to ride their bikes with.  They both are excited about homeschooling again though.  I have raised free thinkers so traditional school just doesn't fit them at this point in their lives.

It's Monday!!!

Monday was a wonderful day! I was awaken earlier than usual due to the notifications from the school that there was a one hour delay due to weather.  Since my boys are old enough to get themselves ready for school, once I delivered the message, I went back to sleep.  When I did wake up, I had to wake the youngest two up to begin our busy day.

The first stop was homeschool co-op.  This co-op began at the beginning of the school year, but I opted not to participate because I don't like classroom settings for my children. I am giving it a shot, because CJ really needs to get out the house and because they are having a science class and he loves science and physics.  Today was a little different though.  Class only met for about an hour, and then we all went to see a play.

This is the cast and some of the homeschool kids. 

This is Crystal decorating a leaf that she was supposed to leave on the wall, but she didn't want to leave it. LOL!

Here is Crystal with the cast.

The play was "Why Mosquitoes Buzz".  It was funny.  The children enjoyed it.  Afterwards, we stopped at the store for snacks and headed back to class.  Class time was over, so the children just ate and hung out for about an hour or so.

When we left the co-op, CJ suggested that we make lasagna for dinner. We stopped at Kroger, picked up food for lasagna, salad, and garlic bread, and went home and fixed it.  Shortly after, I took a quick nap and then it was off to the Y we went.  CJ had basketball practice at the same time Crystal had her first swimming class of the year.  What can I say, the girl is a natural.  The instructor taught her how to dive. She had no fear. She just did what she was told. She had to swim for her instructor, and I must say, she has really become a graceful swimmer.  I stayed with her the whole time so I didn't watch CJ's basketball practice.  By his account, we may be looking for a better fit for him in the sports department.  He's still young, so I will allow him to play whatever he wants at this age. At this age....my baby boy will be 10 on Wednesday.  I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday.

Overall, today was a wonderful, purposeful day. 

Late Night, Early Morning

     It has been 6 months since I last posted.  Those six months flew past.  There were many times when I wanted to post about exciting adventures or great news, but something else always grabbed my attention.  Tonight/this morning is the time for updates.

Mario, my oldest, has completed 3 years of public high school in 2 years. If he would have started high school on time, he would be graduating this year.  He decided to wait until he was 16 to start high school and now he is 17 and a junior.  He is on task to graduate next year at age 18! I am so proud of him.  In October, he got his first job (other than all the work he has done for me) at the movie theater.  He also obtained his learners permit in September, even though he has only driven twice since then. He has decided he wants to wait until he is 18 to drive. He has began to distance himself from the lovely girl that he was spending time with.  I am sad about it, but it is his life, so I keep my opinion to myself.  He is a good son and has a great head on his shoulders.  I just think she was a positive influence on him and the type of girl I would love to see my son with. Overall, I am very proud of him.

RJ, my not-so-gentle-anymore giant, is in the middle of his high school basketball season.  He is a freshman who plays JV and Varsity and he even got to start Varsity four times.  He is 6'6" and weighs about 245 lbs. This is his 3rd year in public school, and I am not happy at all with his grades.  Granted, this is his first year in high school, but he got four C's on his first report card.  He usually gets all A's and B's.  This is my child that gets me emotionally charged in not such a good way.  I love him dearly.  He is me in so many ways.  The only problem is, he is the me that I have worked so hard to change.  But I understand him so I love him with a special love. Some how, some way, I have to keep him from making mistakes I did. I thought I had life all planned.  Thank God I like challenges! BTW...his 15th birthday is in 6 days.

CJ is my main focus right now.  He will be 10 in 2 days.  He is the perfect mix of my two older boys.  He is my main focus, because he is home and he doesn't seem to be very happy right now.  It isn't his fault, I take full blame.  With my older boys, I always played board games with them and I always made sure they were signed up for plenty of activities.  They were always surrounded by other kids. I have not been the same way with CJ.  Life is different with the younger two.  They take a back seat many times.  I finally got CJ on a basketball team at the Y.  He doesn't know, but I also plan on taking him to a co-op that meets every other week.  Putting him in school isn't an option.  I have a good plan. I just need to stick to it.

Crystal is amazing.  She has taught herself how to read.  She kept using www.starfall.com and www.abcmouse.com, and by October, she was reading.  Now she is reading at a 3rd grade level.  I tried using www.reflexmath.com for her math, but she is clearly not ready.  I won't rush her. That is why I teach them at home.  When she learns to do math is not as important as her learning it when the desire is there to master it.  She is really into the Littlest Pet Shop right now. Tomorrow I will post a pic of the house she is building for her LPS animals.  She makes them clothes and she finds all kinds of neat things by watching Youtube.  She is a self-starter like I was at her age.  She is my breath of fresh air, because my none of my boys are that way.  I have to guide them through every thing. She has an idea, and she finds a way to make it happen. She got it from her momma! LOL!

Me, I changed the name of my business, because it is going in a new direction.  My business is now called Comforting Touch Mobile Massage.  I am now in search of 2 therapists that will work with me. We will now specialize in massage parties and also corporate massage. No more nickels and dimes.  I used to go to a home to do a 30 minute massage for $15. No more.  I have set new standards for myself.  I now have a website, www.comfortingtouchmobile.com.  I am really excited about the direction my business is taking.

Right now, I am planning a trip to Houston, TX.  Mario, RJ, and I are going to drive there for the NBA All Star basketball festivities.  We are all super excited about it.  We are leaving in 8 days.  At first I felt bad that I wasn't taking the little ones, but now I am ok with it.  My big boys and I are going to have a great time!

It is almost 3 am, so I guess I will try to get some sleep.  We are going to see a play in the morning.

A Fun-filled Weekend

On Saturday, CJ, Crystal, and I went to the Kentucky Horse Park.  It was fun. We had never seen horses perform in person.  Crystal even got the chance to ride a pony. The kids got their faces painted, and Crystal got her picture taken on a pony. CJ refused. He was worried that he may break the pony's back! LOL!!!

On Sunday, we all went to the church where Mario attends with his girlfriend.  They were having a dinner and a fun tent for the kids outside. I was so proud of all my boys because they all volunteered to help with running of the tent, set up, and tear down.  

Ballet Under the Stars

Today's highlight was taking Crystal to Ballet Under the Stars.  It was very impromptu.  I woke up from a nap at 7:30pm, looked in the Lexington Family Magazine for what was going on today, realized I highlighted the ballet which started at 8pm, and we went.  Of course, she now wants more ballet lessons. And I believe I will sign her up. A friend of mine sent me information on auditions for a children's choir today.  So, between gymnastics, ballet, choir, and piano lessons, I think her plate will be full! LOL!!
On another note, I am a massage therapist and I own a mobile massage business.  I am sooooo happy because my business is really picking up.  It will allow me to make twice the money I am making in half the time! My goal is to do at least 9 massages a week. That would be ideal for me.  What is really exciting is more of my clients are requesting that I massage their children.  That really excites me because I ultimately want to have a pediatric massage practice within a year. There is still so much for me to do, but I'm ready for the challenge!
I am so happy right now.....

Apple Camp Day #2

Today at Apple Camp, CJ and I edited his movie using iMovie and created his first film. It is only 90 seconds long, but it was really fun putting everything together.

Day 3 is on Saturday, August 11th. They will show all the movies the campers made. We wont make it, because we have a family gathering at Cumberland Falls. It's probably for the best though, because CJ won't even watch his own movie even though everyone keeps telling him how good it is.

Mommy/ CJ Day!!!

Sooooo, I woke up yesterday morning and my mother informed me that CJ had Apple Camp. She signed him up months ago and I had totally forgot. It was so cool! Here is a description of the camp:
          Apple Camp for Kids

At Apple Camp, kids ages 8–12 will learn the ins and outs of iMovie and how to make their own films. The free three-day session, held at the Apple Store, leads up to an Apple Camp Film Festival where campers debut their masterpieces.

Yesterday was the first day and they drew a storyboard, made their own theme music using Garage Band, and their homework was to film their movie.  Here are a few pics from the class....

I was so proud of CJ.  He tends to be painfully shy, but he jumped right in on creating his storyboard.  He changed it quite a few times, but it felt so good to see him using his imagination.

After camp was over, we went to lunch at Saul Good's restaurant and instead of crayons with the kids meal menu, they gave us these little wikki-stix. We asked for an extra pack, and decided he would use them in his movie. We talked about what he wanted to do for the upcoming "school year" (since we are unschoolers, we don't do "school" nor do we have "breaks").  It was a lot of fun. 

The next stop was Disc Replay. There is a wrestling video game he got about a year ago, but didn't get to play because it kept messing up. I took it to Disc Replay and for $1, they cleaned it. I offered to buy him an additional game since I only spent a dollar on him, but he refused. He said he just wanted his game and he wanted me to save my money because I might need it later.  :)

I love my baby boy!!!

Just Another Sunday

My eldest son, Mario, is unofficially dating (she can't have a boyfriend until she's 16) a girl whose grandfather is the pastor of a church.  He asked me last night if I would take him to church, so Crystal and I decided to attend the service too.  It was a good word.  He spoke on living your truth.  After church, Mario's friend left with us as we headed back to the Half-Price Book store with more 50% off coupons.  We also ate at Chipotle. When we got home, Crystal made perfume with the kit I bought her today at HPB. I thought the perfume was rather stinky, but she seemed to like it.  The rest of my day I will watch the Olympics and sleep.  Mario is reading the RL Stine book he bought, RJ is staying overnight at a friend's house, and the younger two are spending time with my mother (who lives with me).  I am in my room, alone, and happy :)

The Boys at WWE Raw

No pics to post :(   They had awesome seats and they all had an absolutely great time. CJ was sad that he didn't get to buy a belt or get an autographed t-shirt, but at least he got to go, right? That's what I told him. At one point he started complaining about Mario and I stopped him in his tracks. I had to remind him that I will NEVER take him to a wrestling event so he better be good to Mario, because he's the only one who can take him. LOL!!!
They said John Cena beat Big Show for the cage match. And that's all I really remember. I hate wrestling because I hate fighting, as fake as it may be....

Mommy/Daughter Day!!!

Today was Mommy/Daughter Day!!! First we stopped at Half-Price Bookstore so I could use my 20% off coupon that expired today.  At first Crystal said she wanted to get a book too, but then she decided not to get anything there and just wait until we went to Justice. My choice....a book titled 'Unschooling Rules'.  Truth is, I think I could have wrote this book myself.  I've already experienced much of what he wrote about. But I bought it anyway because I saw something in it I liked.  He said, "What a person learns in a classroom is how to be a person in a classroom."  Yes, that one point is the reason I bought that $5 book.  

The second stop was Justice for Girls.  I had a 40% off coupon.  We went looking for a bathing suit, but they only had the kind with the bikini bottoms and I am not going for that! LOL!  She decided she wanted jewelry. Cool.  The jewelry was Buy 2 Get 2 Free.  So she chose a pair of earrings and 2 necklaces for $10 each and a bracelet for $6.  After my discount, I only paid $12! 

The last stop was Dairy Queen for Blizzards. I had a coupon for buy one get one free. She chose Cookie Dough and I chose the flavor of the month, Chocolate Lovers!!! We got out Blizzards and ate them outside. We talked, played some kind of mannequin game she learned her week at summer camp, and we took pics. We had a great day.  I'm still waiting for the boys to call me so I can pick them up from the fight.  They called and said they had good seats. I hope to have at least one pic to post. Crystal and I are watching the Olympics right now and she is also doing "book work", her choice :)