I guess I'm back on!

Well, how did the compact go last year? I did not stick with it 100%. And that is putting it mildly. BUT, I did learn a lot and our habits did change for the positive.

We are back on...(sorta) The reason: Vision Therapy! Yikes! I just wrote a check for $1288 for Vision Therapy for my boys. Hmmm...should we buy new stuff or make sure our kids can read? Okay, we'll pay for VT.

I'm praying that in 6 months I can tell you that I have voracious readers in my home and that I am off the compact wagon!

14 Years of Marriage

The past 14 years have flown by. Don't get me wrong...those first few years were looooong! Even though the time has flown by, it feels like we've been together forever - in that I'm-a-part-of-you-and-you're-a-part-of-me way.

Doug and I have both learned that there is no magical love that will keep people married for a lifetime. It takes hard work, determination and commitment. Oh, and a sense of humor!

I am definitely the stubborn one in this relationship. Doug has always been willing to work on himself rather than try to change me.

In the Seinfeld Episode, "The Andrea Doria" Elaine (referring to the bad breaker upper) says, "Well, you know when you break up, how you say things you don't mean? Well, he says the mean things you don't mean, but he means them. "

Not with Doug. He has never said a cruel word to me.

I'm one lucky girl!! Here's to 14 more happy years!!

Grammar...Oh Boy!

I need to whip out the School House Rock DVDs (or YouTubes). As I teach my kids I sometimes wonder what happened to me in school. I got good grades. But for some reason it seems I didn't retain anything. So now as I try to remember the parts of speech, I find myself singing, "Interjections (Hey!) show excitement (Yow!) or emotion (Ouch!)".

Thankfully, if I really get stumped and School House Rock doesn't help, I've always got mom!

Off the Wagon

Well...........

I've fallen off the wagon a bit. Somewhere between the busy-ness of homeschooling, health coaching and keeping a home, not buying new became less and less important. I recently bought (brand new) "Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines" by Kay Gardiner and Ann Meador Shayne. I know it would have been better to wait for a used copy, but I just can't imagine anyone wanting to get rid of this book!! And, when you are studying The American Revolution and you need History Pockets....AND....you've got a 4 year old begging to do "Math" (that's what she calls learning to read...go figure), well, you just log on to Amazon and add that thing to your shopping cart before you can even think about The Compact.

Doug (my husband) will every now and then muse, "We need to get back to not buying new." And, as we approach the holidays, I tend to agree with him.

So, let's see where this new resolve takes us!

Wii Boxing: Gianna aka "Hot Mama" vs. Dad

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

For almost 2 years we've been home-phoneless. We've been using our cell phones only. About a month ago I decided that I wanted a home phone line again. I'm not exactly sure why. The last time I had to call poison control (our son was stung by a scorpion), I was connected with the poison control several states away thanks to my Washington cell phone number...I'm not even sure they have scorpions in Washington. Maybe that's what got me thinking about it. I didn't want to call 911 and have an ambulance show up at my dad's house on Bainbridge Island rather than at my house in Arizona. And, trust me, with my boys, you want to be able to contact 911 should the need arise...and it probably will.

So, we got a phone line hooked up. However, a phone line without a phone attached is even less useful than a cell phone that calls Washington state emergency workers during an Arizona emergency.

Where does one get a phone when one isn't buying new? I posted a message on a local internet message board stating that I was interested in purchasing any old used home phone. Evidently a LOT of people have phones lying around the house. We ended up with 8 phones! Not one person would take any money for them.

I plan on giving my mom one since she has a phone line but no phone. Anyone need a phone? I could only find 3 phone pluggies in my house. So, if my math is correct, I have 4 extra phones!

Gift Card Dilemma

I need your help. I received a $100 gift card to a large department store. Normally, I'd say, "SCORE!" and go shopping. But, things are different this year. What should I do with it?