Cathing up (again)

I hate playing the catch-up game with my blogging but I really haven't been in the mood to do it lately. Most everything is same-ol, same-ol anyway, just trucking along with all our stuff and getting ready for the summer to be over (not that we're ready for summer to be over but we do have to be prepared for next month when school is going to start back whether we like it or not!)

Last week, Brooke had dance camp and Shalita let me come and teach baton for a few hours. Thank you, Shalita! I had forgotten how much I love it. I had also forgotten how terribly out of shape I am. I was SO sore the next day from pushing myself. I need to remember I'm not 16 anymore! LOL But some of my fondest memories of high school are from twirling and I regret that I haven't put more time into teaching my own girls. There isn't a big demand for majorettes anymore and I think that's so sad because twirling is fastly becoming a lost art. :(

I'm ready to get back into bellydancing. I found a unitard that I'm going to get that has a sheer piece of fabric that covers the belly slightly (since I'm a little self-conscious about my scars still) and a hip scarf that I like and I hope to be ordering those next week. Now I just either need to find a class that fits my schedule or I need to find a place to practice with my Shimmy tapes! LOL But that's another thing I absolutely love!

My sister's bridal tea went off last weekend without a hitch. Everything turned out lovely and because I was so busy with serving and everything, I didn't get any pictures. I'm waiting on Jenny to email me some. She's already been threatened that if I don't have them by Monday, I'm opening up a can of you know what on her! lol Just joking. I love Jenny to death. But I DO want those pictures!

Last night was the lingerie shower/bachelorette party. I didn't stay long. And I'm SO glad I did not take Kayti. I debated about it but she still gets embarrassed talking about bras so I decided it might not be the best place for her! Let her stay innocent a while longer. She knows all about the birds and the bees but oh boy was I right to leave her at home! I won't go into details but I'm sure you can imagine and I was okay until the stripper got there. I've been to Chippendales and the Male Factor (many many years ago) and my goodness, they are choir boys compared to this guy! Ranchy. That was the only way to describe it. I felt so bad for Chris' grandmother, who had been such a trooper up until that point but several of us went into the other room for awhile and I'm sure I'll get made fun of by my sisters and my own mom for not sticking around. They were already ticked that I wasn't going out to the clubs with them afterward. I am NOT against drinking. I think (and from what I can tell from my reading, the Bible backs me up on this) it's fine to have some wine or whatever now and then. As long as the drinking doesn't consume your life and you start to put it before everything else. But clubs are just not my thing and never have been, even back in my younger days. It's loud, it's smokey, it reaks of sweat, it's crowded, the drinks are overpriced and I just don't care for it. But hey, if that's your thing, knock yourself out. I'll see you tomorrow! LOL

It's really hard for me to stand up for my beliefs and convictions without them taking it as me judging them. I promise I'm not doing that. They are about as lost as they can be (though my sister says she is saved) and I pray for them constantly. But I know how it feels to be judged and I try really really hard not to act that way towards them. I didn't stand up and preach to them and throw a big fit about how nasty it all was. I just simply went in the other room. But sometimes I feel like they think if I'm not with them, I'm against them. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them dearly. I just don't like and don't want to do some of the things they do.

Jeff has been on seven days working these past few weeks and while the money is good and we really need it right now (thank you, Lord!) I hate that he has to work so hard to get it. Things are really not good for him at his job and I keep praying that he'll find fulfillment in his work or that God will lead him elsewhere.

I'm letting the kids sleep in this morning. Bad mom! I know I should be getting them up and taking them to church. But they are sleeping so peacefully and I won't get to see two of them much this week. Brooke is headed to camp tomorrow and Dylan goes to the beach with my cousin for a week on Tuesday. Kayti is excited to be an "only child" for a few days and I'm excited to get to spend some one-on-one time with her. She is growing up so fast (they all are).

I helped out with registration yesterday for co-op and it went really well. I'm really excited about this co-op. The classes are all so interesting and fun! I already have 12 girls signed up for American Girls and we are capping that off at 20-25. I'm going to hate having to turn people away. I fear so many are waiting until the last minute to sign up and it's not going to be pretty when they don't get the classes they want.

I got most of our school supplies bought already and I feel so on top of it this year that I am so afraid I'm forgetting something HUGE....but no idea what it could be.

My last major reorganization is needing to be redone. I'm not satisfied with the kitchen. I want to find a small table and storage for my sewing and crafts, use what I have there for my computer/office area and get rid of this big hunking computer desk that is falling apart! I also want to get rid of our kitchen chairs and get stools that will slide underneath the table and save some more space. Ugh! So much organizing to do and so little time and money! I wish people would pay me to organize their stuff--I get such a high from it! lol Then maybe I'd have more money to organize mine like I want to.

I decided to let Kayti continue taking violin. Previously I'd thought about not doing it because I wasn't sure it was going to work out. But Miss Connie let us change our time to a time when I would be in the area anyway so that works. I don't know what to do about Brooke and piano. She's about ready for someone besides me. I think I've taken her as far as I can take her and she and I butt heads with it sometimes anyway. Don't ask me how I get her to do her schoolwork but I can't get her to understand what I'm talking about with piano. Guess I'm not a very good piano teacher. Or maybe it's because she's mine. Anyhow...we may be calling on someone else to do that this year.

I also have to make some decisions about Camp Fire. They both love it and I want them to continue in it. But our schedule is getting so full and though we thrive on structure, downtime is important, too. Even though I have to listen to "I'm bored" on those days. Gosh my kids are just like me, Lord help 'em.

So I'm off now to spend some time in the Word and in prayer. Even though I'm not heading to church this morning, I still need my Jesus time!

Blessings to all for a great week!