I missed them BEFORE they even left!

Well, 3 of my babies went off to church camp this morning!

It is the first time for my one and only daughter…in fact this is only the 3rd time she has slept somewhere else other than home…once at a friend’s house and once at our friend’s house when I had our youngest baby, and now…camp…for 5 days and 4 nights!

This is the third year for my 2 middle boys…they really enjoy going, although when they leave, it is always a “bittersweet” feeling. This is most likely their last year too since one boy is moving up and next year will qualify to be in the “youth group” at church, which will mean he’ll only be able to attend the “teen week” and no longer the “junior week”. And my other boy will more than likely not go since his older brother won’t be there (they are 1 year apart and are more like twins than anything!).

So, I’m glad all 3 of them have this opportunity to go, but it is has been tearing me up and just killing me inside! My stomach has been miserable for the last week as I approached this time and now it is doing loopy loops at 100 mph! It is about a 3 hour ride to get there and is in a different state, so those two things don’t help make this any easier on me LOL.

It is just myself, my 6 year old, and 17 month old at home (with no car ) and my eldest 16 1/2 year old is working full-time hours this summer. I have a lot to do in my house…cleaning, organizing, etc., but this feels so incredibly strange!

Oddly enough, I almost cannot stand the quietness!!!

So, my 6 year old & 17 month old and I got busy right after the kids left and made them some cards with special drawings for each of them and quickly got them in the mailbox for today’s mail. Hopefully, the kids will get these pictures/notes by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.

We have this ongoing joke in our home…my 11 and 12 year old have a dog they’ve had for almost a year. His name is Barney and he is a dachshund/basset hound mix and he is a pain in the “you know what”! Well, lucky me, I’m in charge of this demon dog stupid mutt stubborn thing called “a dog” until they get back. He is the most high-maintenance dog I’ve ever had and truly is a pain in the neck…most everyone agrees as we verbalize this on a daily basis!

Well, as a joke (because my middle son at camp needs to laugh or else he’ll do more crying), I wrote him a “Ransom Note” for his dog, LOL. They’ll all get a kick out of it LOL. I’ve included our pictures, drawings, and Ransom note below for your viewing pleasure! (CLICK ON BELOW PICTURE FOR A CLOSE UP)

Here are our “nice” notes to the kids:

Annual Rocket Launch

Last night was our annual rocket launch at our church. The weather was absolutely perfect, thank you Lord!

The winners are decided by random choice…the person in charge of the rocket launch is very fair about it and makes sure the winners are not the same ones year after year. He hides a special color ribbon inside some of the rockets, and when each rocket is launched, the ribbons pop out and if it is the right color, that child has won.

This year they let the girls participate, as this event is usually only for the boys. My daughter won 2nd place and my 2nd youngest son won 3rd place! Here are pictures of my children with their rockets (unfortunately one is very blurry, but I cannot take another picture of him until he returns home from camp!):

 

Wordless Wednesday! 7/11/07

 

It’s just like a cat to jump into the infant carseat and hangout isn’t it.

To see other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday

Win a NeatReceipts Scanalizer & Reduce Paper Clutter!

Wow! 5 Minutes For Mom has this awesome contest going on and they are giving away 10 (yes 10!) NeatReceipts Scanalizers!

The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a scanner and software solution that helps you organize your paper. Receipts, bills, medical forms, business cards — everything. It scans, analyzes and organizes your papers and stores everything in a database on your PC. You can scan your child’s artwork and date it by month or year and store it forever! You can also scan recipes or articles from magazines and then sort them and search for them by title or categories that you have assigned.

I have never heard of this before but am so intrigued by it! I’d love to be able to scan my kid’s drawings and then be able to share them with my family who is scattered all over the US!

Want to buy one now? They have even offered a discount to all 5 Minutes For Mom readers when you purchase the Scanalizer from their site in the month of July. Use code 5Minutes at checkout, and save $20 off the already reduced price of $199!

Homeschooling Family Needs Help–Homeschool Ministry Opportunity

As a homeschooling mom, I was touched by an email I read that told of a fellow homeschooling family who is in need and I wanted to post this information here for other people to read and possibly see this as an opportunity to help them. I do not know this family at all, but my heart immediately began to ache for them.

The Estes family, owner of Hands and Hearts, have seven children. Their youngest, Noah, who is almost a year old, has some major health issues. He is on a feeding tube right now, and their insurance does not cover the cost of his formula, which is about $25 a day. Also, as I read their blog, there is an entry saying as of 7/6, this poor little babe is back in the hospital undergoing a long list of tests as they attempt to diagnose the problems he is experiencing.

MANY other Homeschool publishers have gotten together to offer some beautiful FREE products to everyone who makes a donation of $27 to the Estes Family. The family gets 100% of the money and you get a huge list of great products! It is only offered until the 13th of July.

There are a number of free gifts for you if you choose to make a donation. The link is http://www.chirotoons.com/benefit. If you are unable to make a monetary donation (or in addition to making one), PLEASE uplift this little one and family in prayer.  Also, feel free to post this on YOUR blog for added exposure for the Estes family.

Wordless Wednesday! 7/04/07

You need to CLICK on the below picture to see it all.

 

 

This is my eldest son this past winter. It was his 1st tractor WITH a plow and he plowed driveways with. It was a proud moment for him. Checkout the full bucket of snow hanging over him!

To see other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday

Free 4th of July Ebook packed with Goodies!

With the Fourth of July holiday coming up quickly, I just wanted to share some great sites with you that have all sorts of fabulous Craft ideas and terrific Activities for everyone:

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_4th.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/july4/

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/fourth_of_july_theme.htm

Also, as a special treat, I am giving away a FREE ebook called A Family 4th of July Celebration! It is filled with all kinds of great Recipes, Crafts, interesting 4th of July Facts, and Stress-free Party Planning Tips!

You can download it here:

http://www.thewahmshack.com/fourthofjuly.pdf

To save this ebook to your computer, right-click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

This is a pdf file, so you’ll need a pdf reader to view it. Most computers already have this, but if yours doesn’t, you can download Adobe Reader for free at http://www.adobe.com

Enjoy & have a very SAFE 4th of July!

Family Games/Activities!

I mentioned before that I have an Article Directory on my work-at-home mom (wahm) website and I just love to read all the articles that get submitted. This particular article jumped out at me because it sounds like so much fun! I hope some of you will enjoy it too.

5 Tips to Make Your Life More Fun by Christine Louise Hohlbaum

Are you working too hard? Not spending enough time with friends or family? You probably could use more fun in your life! Here are five fun games to invite more laughter into your day:

1.) The Hat Game

What you need: hat, three or more players

Age group: 2 and above

How you play: Each person takes turns wearing the hat. Whoever wears the hat has to sing a line of his favorite song. See how fast you can play the game!

2.) The Chocolate Game

What you need: timer, goggles or glasses, hat, 2 oven mitts, winter scarf, bar of chocolate, knife, fork, plate, four or more players

Age group: 6 and above

How you play: Each player takes a turn putting all the items on (including the oven mitts!), then trying to cut the bar of chocolate with the knife and fork. Allot about 30 seconds for this on the timer. When the timer rings, it is time to take everything off and hand it to the next person to try.

3.) The Dictionary Game

What you need: dictionary, pens, paper, four or more players

Age group: 6 and above

How you play: Each player takes a turn choosing one word that no one knows. All the other players write down what they think the meaning is or a funny alternative and use it in a sentence. The dictionary master reads everyone’s definitions, and then it comes to a vote. Whoever gets the most votes wins.

4.) Hide the Bunny

What you need: stuffed animal (we use a pink bunny), three or more players

Age group: 18 months and above

How you play: One player hides the bunny somewhere in the room while everyone else closes their eyes. The other players have to search for it. Whoever finds the bunny first gets to hide it next!

5.) Sardines

What you need: at least five players

Age group: 6 and above

How you play: This game is a hide-n-seek spin-off, but everyone wins. Darken the room. One person hides and the others seek. As each person finds the hidden person, he or she stays with the hidden person until the last person finds the entire group. The object is to stay as quiet as possible until the last person joins everyone else.

Laughter truly is the best medicine!

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of DIARY OF A MOTHER and SAHM I Am: TALES OF A STAY-AT-HOME MOM IN EUROPE, is a parenting humorist, motivational speaker and overall curious person who can’t stop asking questions of other people and the Universe. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.diaryofamother.com

Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

***THIS ARTICLE is Free for reprint only if it remains in its entirety, the Author’s Resource Box AND our Article Source Credit Url are included, and ALL links remain intact.***

Thankful Thursday 6/28/07

 

Today, on this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for:

My children–I love them more than I can possibly ever say. They mean EVERYTHING to me and I feel so privileged to be their mother.

That the Lord has protected my children on the bike rides and walks they’ve taken.

My husband and that he believes a wife/mother should be at home with their children and he makes it possible for me to be able to do so.

American Soldiers/Military and the extreme sacrifices they have made and continue to make each and everyday so that I can live here in a free country with my family.

For all the people and organizations that believe in the American Military and do so much to make sure they are supported and NEVER forgotten.

For computers and the web that allows me the opportunity to help supplement my husband’s income and communicate with other ladies.

For my husband’s patience and diligence as he is still trying to fix his van so we can have 2 cars.

For plastic pails so when children are sick and they need to throw up, they can use the pails to do so instead of all over the floor.

For all the volunteers who are working so hard to make our church’s Vacation Bible School a big success!

For our window air conditioner and that it works so sufficiently!

That cooler weather is on its way.

For this “Thankful Thursday” activity and the fact that it forces me to see the blessings God gives.

If you’d like to participate in “Thankful Thursday” or just read other lists, visit Sting My Heart.

Wordless Wednesday! 6/27/07

This is one of my favorite pictures that I found on the internet…it is not of anyone I know, but I’ve always loved it. To me, it speaks volumes!

To see other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday