Small Miracles

Earlier today I finished reading Jason Wright's Seventeen Second Miracle. What a nice book! Very enjoyable!

The whole premise is that it can take only seventeen seconds to change a life. It could be something as simple as holding the door open for some one or just saying hello. Also, it could take longer  such as changing a tire, but to live in a way to be aware of the opportunity to be some one's miracle today. 

One challenge was to keep a list of how people reach out to you - not how you reach out to others. Keeping reaching out to others, but not to keep track of that - just how other people bless you. I love how through this fictional book the  author challenges the read to keep their focus off themselves and on to others.

Kindle

When the kindle and nook craze came around, I decided that it wasn't for me. Mainly, because I'm cheap frugal. (Friend recently told me that frugal means taking care of what God has given me - I love that definition!) II read a lot and knew if I had to pay for each book I read, our budget would be blown to bits!

But several months ago I received my mom's old kindle while she gave herself an early Christmas present: a kindle fire. It took awhile to figure it all out, but I love my kindle.

I really love the fact I can down load books free from our library. I still buy some as my aunt gave me a gift card, but so far I haven't blown our budget to bits.

Drew is eternally grateful.

Drew and I, also, gave each of the kids kindles for Christmas. I think for the first time in several, several years all the kids were very happy with their presents. Each has their own gift card they can use to buy books, but, also, each has learned how to download books from the free library.

Once again, Drew is eternally grateful that our budget is in tack.

This Week

I worked Monday, yesterday, as well as today. Yesterday and today I was in the same class - I really don't think I could be with the same middle-schoolers day after day.....especially  about four boy in that sixth hour class! Wow! What a pain!

Some people just can't do anything quietly! They have to draw attention to themselves no matter what! And try to be apart of every conversation!! Urggg..

Glad it's a three day weekend!

For most of this year I have only gotten one or two days a month of subbing in, but so far for February I have worked six- asking for more days seem to have worked!

William is a little under the weather - he's been running a fever yesterday and today. I really think it's just a cold - like the rest! Sunday it was Benjamin that wasn't feeling so well and I think it's just being passed around.

Melissa is having her friends sleep over tonight - yes. We're being invaded by teenage girls - much to Ben's dismay. He wanted his friends to spend the night instead. I think they are planning to stay over Sunday night.

Not really sure if I see a quiet weekend ahead.....

Beauty Pageants

Last night Melissa participated in her second beauty pageant. Like last year, this was hosted by the school. While the middle school is just for bragging rights, I think the high school contest is apart of the Miss America competitions...but that's just a rumor - can't confirm that.

Last year Melissa did not make the top fifteen of the middle school - none of us were surprised. While I think she looked just as beautiful as the other girls, she was not comfortable on stage at all. She walked fast...looked very nervous. This year was totally different. She really rocked that stage! She had her walk down slow...looked very poised - very comfortable on stage and in her own skin.

And to all  our disappointment, she still did not make the top fifteen! She was a little hurt, I think.I saw a few tears... I was hurt for her. A comfort, though, was that many were like us in being surprised. The school counselor and librarian both spoke to her and told her she should have been in that top list. There were at least two other girls that did extremely well, and still did not make the top fifteen. One had been in the top fifteen as a sixth grader and even the top five as a seventh grader and here in eight grade - nothing! She is obviously beautiful and in my opinion, did very well on stage. So, what were the judges looking for?

On the other hand, there were several that made the top fifteen and  in my opinion, did not do well at all! Several had trouble walking because their dress had not been hemmed and so, were too long. I personally think if you can't take the time (and money) to get the dressed hemmed and have trouble walking because of it, you should NOT make the top fifteen. (Does that sound like sour grapes? I don't mean to if I do.)

I will say, the girl who won did very well - much better than she did last year. Last year she had this funky walk where she moved her shoulders...very odd. She even did it in the rehearsal Friday afternoon, but someone must have spoken to her. She had a much more normal walk last night.

I hope in this experience Melissa learns that you can't always please strangers....that's she had to believe herself that she is beautiful...take comfort and pride that she is loved by her family and friends...that she had much to offer the world - and the opinion of four strangers have no bearing on her truth.

Forgetting....

Yesterday morning I asked William what time his play rehearsal was. Apparently, the answer didn't sink in...

As we were finishing up dinner last night about 6:15 the phone ranged. William answered it - it turned out to the the teacher in charge of the play wanting to know if he was okay since he was late to practice.

ooppppsss!!

 Sooo busted for being forgetful!!

So, William and I hopped into the van and away we went - I didn't even stop to put shoes on.

On one hand I think William's excited to be in the play - he does enjoy performing. But because they don't have enough "extras", almost everyone has to be in the dance scenes.  He has moped some about having to dance. Which confusing Drew and I, because he danced so well when we were at the family reunion at Thanksgiving.

He claims its different. I guess he knew with family he would have nothing but love, but with his friends? On stage? Yea....might be something different.

I'm looking forward to the play in March - I think he'll do great - acting and at the dancing!

Life's Update

I'm such a bad blogger...but this is for Sonny!

Soccer is over. William's team made it to the first round of the playoffs, but lost 6-0. The game was about three hours away, but Drew and I didn't go. I was working that day and frankly, didn't think he would play, so why drive that far??  Well....he ended up not only starting, but played most of the game he said. Apparently, the coaches changed how they played.

Since they lost so bad, I'm thinking that was a bad decision! Good news is - soccer is over! At least for now. We did not sign up for the local rec team like the coach wanted the players to. William is in the high school play and thought that would keep him busy enough.

Good choice on his part, I thought.

Melissa is participating in the school's beauty pageant again. After buying a dress last year, I told her she could wear that dress or buy another one with her money. So, she bought another one! She got a really good deal. A few weeks ago there was a fun raiser where people donated formal dresses and each one was sold for $25. She got a nice red one. A friend of mine hemmed it and added some sparkly-things to it. We pick it up today -  she texted me a photo - it's beautiful! Now we just got to figure out how to do her hair....

Benjamin in the last few weeks has been tested for the talented music program the other two are in at the school. We found out yesterday that he was accepted. He's thrilled! Drew and I had already decided that if he did not make it in, then he would not be returning to the private teacher we have used. He really didn't click with her...and neither did I. She was nice enough, but I didn't like her policies concerning make-up lessons - or the lack of. She didn't want you to come if you were sick, but didn't really want to make-up lessons either, so that meant I was out $25. No matter now. There's a lot of paperwork involved, so it'll be awhile before Ben starts lessons at school, but that's okay. He's still practicing.

Melissa is babysitting a lot! Some weeks four days a week! This week she's working two days, but has art today,  the dentist on Thursday, and pageant rehearsal Friday makes for a busy, busy week.  She's not happy about that dentist appointment... We were told back in October by the ortho doc that she needs some teeth pulled. At the time we were thinking of doing it over the Holidays, so she wouldn't miss school. But we were in the mist of changing dentist and it just didn't happen. When we did see the new dentist in early January, he agreed that teeth needed to go! So one was pulled. After talking to the ortho doc, they decided that two more teeth needed to be pulled.

Yea....she wasn't too happy about that. When she went back for the first one, I told the dentist that she was very apprehensive about this tooth being pulled.  They thought I was just being an over-reactive mom .

Not so much!

For these next two, she'll get the laughing gas - maybe something else....we'll see. I'm not surprised! This is the child that had to be held down to get a flu shot at 13. She only sat still at 14 for her flu shot because William had my camera and was filming it so he could put the show on facebook.

Public humiliation was enough to get her to sit still.

The other big news here is Andrew has the shingles. Yea - he's not a happy camper.  The sores are on his head and face - a few close to his right eye.  He's at the doctor now getting his eye checked.

I finally said something to the front office at the middle about not subbing a lot - so, supposedly they will move me up the list. I did get to work a half day last Tuesday, all day Friday, and all day yesterday. . I would like to work a few days a week -not just a few days a month. We'll see if I get more days.

That catches you up, Sonny!