SAHM I Am

More than just rides at the theme park

2011-07-27T21:43:00.001-04:00

Guest post written by Alice Stevens

Sure, there are all kinds of rides that you can ride on at the theme park. But, I have to admit that my favorite part of theme parks are never any of the rides. I ride them and they're fun, but I have a different favorite thing there. I love it when amusement parks have sections where you can look at animals. I used to want to be a vet growing up, so you can imagine how much of an animal lover that I am.

I'm planning a family trip to the theme park in about a week or so, so I've been looking online to see if there are any new additions that we should go and see. Well, while I was doing that I saw the website CLEARTVBundle.com. After I read through it, I decided to change over our family's intenret access to it.

I found out that they're opening up a new part to the animal park! I'm so excited and I think that it's going to be so great.

Homeschooling Continues

2011-07-27T21:37:00.002-04:00

It is funny, really, the amount of time that I now dedicate to my children's education. It is not as though I didn't before, I mean, I have always been very involved in their lives. I have spent countless hours at their school volunteering and subbing in their classes. I have spent summers doing work with them so that they did not lose any of their education over the summer. It has been nothing but push, push, push. And then I started homeschooling.

Friends want to know when I am giving them a break for summer. Seriously? There are no breaks. There weren't ever before, so why should I give them the summer off. So I can spend weeks trying to get them back? Nope, we are going all summer long. Now, that does not mean that they don't get breaks - work two days, get two days off, sort of thing. But homeschooling means that life is our classroom. Because I know everything about them and what they are learning, there is no reason why that can't be applied to every day life. It is a cloudy day - let's talk about the kinds of clouds that we see - cumulonimbus? Nimbostratus?

Children are hungry to learn, let them. You would be amazed at what they can do...

Lace Up Your Jogging Shoes

2011-05-22T23:53:00.001-04:00

Guest post written by my buddy Orville Lynn

So, for the month of March and all months forward, I've decided to commit to jogging every other day. Most people who jog choose to do so every day, but with my crazy schedule I decided that jogging every other day would be best. I can stick to that schedule, and always throw in an extra run if I want.

So, every other evening, before I go out for my jog and my evening cup of coffee, I walk out the door, lace up my shoes, and go jogging. I always make sure that my home security alarm (click) is turned on before I go so that I never have to worry about my home possessions.

Jogging is now one of my favorite past times, even though I'll be the first to admit I'm not very good at it. I love that with jogging, there are many benefits. My friend and I have recently commuted to jogging with each other twice a week at the local park. It's a great way to hang out and stay physically fit at the same time.

For me, jogging presents dozens of benefits. I love the wind rushing through my hair and how great I feel every time after I run. I've stopped having sleeping problems, and I have lost about twenty pounds within three weeks. Not bad for little old me.

I guess it's now time for me to lace up my jogging shoes, and head out for my evening run.

Tough Days

2011-01-20T22:37:00.003-05:00

So there are some tough days sometimes with homeschooling, I think this goes without saying. We have had them before where you literally question why you are doing what you are doing - and if you should continue or if you could be OK with public school after all. But what you have to remember is that the good days will come back around. If you find that you are having a really tough day getting the kids to do what they are supposed to do, then walk away. That is one of the benefits of homeschooling - you can stop, take a break and come back to it. Or you might find that the day is one of "those" days and you are not going to get anything accomplished. Best thing you can do for your children and your sanity is to take the rest of the day off.

We had two of those days this week - I am blaming it on the full moon, but it was really tough. First day we walked away. Second day they started out great and then it was just impossible! I was ready to pull my hair out. So finally, I walked away. I said that tomorrow is another day, and that was that. So today, we were back at it again, and thank God! Today was a much more productive day. They really worked hard, then we went to co-op, where they worked some more. Turned out to be a great day! But they are also paying for not working - tomorrow's fun day at Disney won't start until the rest of their work is done. If they take all day, no Magic Kingdom - it is that simple. So they know that there are consequences for not working and for making mommy crazy! Ha!

Seriously, just remember that they are going to test you in ways that you can't even imagine, and as long as the good days outnumber the bad, you are good to go.

Happy homeschooling...

Updates - It's Been Awhile

2011-01-15T18:00:00.003-05:00

So, we have been homeschooling and LOVING it! Who would've thought?! It has turned out to be the best possible thing that could have happened for us this year. The education that my kids are getting is superior to anything I could have paid for! Seriously. What you don't realize when you take on homeschooling is that it literally takes over your life. It is everywhere you go - and since you know everything you child is learning you can take it with you everywhere you go. We go for a walk and next thing you know we are discussing clouds and whether it is a Nimbostratus or a Cumulonimbus. We are watching a movie and they make a reference to the Roman Empire and my kids are hollering out about the split of the empire and how the Barbarians eventually took over Rome - I mean it really is amazing. And you can solidify it everywhere you go - you see opportunities everywhere!

Plus, we work four days a week - two of which we co-op with another AMAZING family - and we have Friday's for all of our educational field trips. They are exposed to classes at the Science Center, Busch Gardens, Disney - the list is endless. We go to museums, parks, anywhere we want as we can find educational opportunities everywhere we go. It is really terrific. And yes, I was concerned about socialization? Ha! I guarantee you that my children are better socialized than many of them out there. The thing is this - when your child is in school they form a click and they hang out with the same kids all the time. In homeschooling you have your group of kids that you hang out with for co-op, then you have those that go to ice skating, then the ones from gymnastics, then the ones from Kung Fu - you get the picture. Your kids have to make friends in each one of these groups - kids from different social backgrounds, religions, ages, races, etc. - and every time you join a new group or go on a field trip with a group of kids you don't know you have to learn how to adapt.

Needless to say, homeschooling is not for everyone, but it is surely for us. We are having a blast and I have already made the decision to do it again next year. Too much fun!

Have an awesome day...

Homeschooling?

2010-09-01T19:18:00.002-04:00

So, I begin my next adventure? I have decided to home school my children this year so I can give them an experience like no other. Both of my children are artistic and my husband and I have a similar background - so we felt that we would be the perfect people to take this on. Well, the first word that comes to mind is overwhelming. Taking on a task such as this one is never something one should decide lightly. I have been at it for two weeks now and I am still amazed by the resources out there, as well as how little I know. But it is a learning experience for my children as well as myself.

Now, I am very concerned about the social aspect because we all know those kids that are home schooled without that aspect and although they might be super smart - they cannot interact with people. We don't want that - so I have them in a co-op on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays is gymnastics, Wednesdays is ice skating, the list goes on and on. So I am working very hard to get them with other kids - and get my fundamentals as well.

So, the blog has changed focus once again. As I go through this journey I hope you will go with me, and we will see how it works! At the very least, I know I will have given my children a year to remember, we can always make up the rest later on!

Til next time...

Hello!

2009-08-03T10:24:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I know it has been forever - but you know it is summer and I have been spending every free second with my kids! Now we are down to the last two weeks and I am wondering where it went. We had a great summer - they both had stuff they wanted to do and we did it all! Rock climbing, swim lessons, velocity sports, Orlando science center, the beach, you name it- we have done it. It has been fabulous and i don't want it to end!

But end it must which gets me thinking about this school year. I have won the HSA Election for their school (which is their version of the PTA) and it is sure to prove to be a busy year. Add to that my normal job and all the other things I do and I am going to be ready for next summer before you know it.

I have not been following the Obama stuff as much as I should have - but from what I have heard I like it. I love the new health care plan - is it perfect no, but for all of those millions of people out there that don't currently have health care? It sure is. And before you say that the government needs to keep out of health care I want you to imagine having your child get injured, or horribly ill and being afraid to take them to a doctor or God forbid a hospital because you know that they won't want to treat your child and if they do you will owe for the rest of your life. People have to have a rational perspective on this - health care is not for the privileged or the wealthy, it should be for everyone. 'Nuff said.

Now that I have had my rantings, I will try to write more often, and if you are really looking for a great blog check out my friend Shannon's. She has been traveling for the past year - all around the world - and it is a great read.

Ta-ta for now...

Bad Service/Good Service

2009-01-15T20:35:00.000-05:00

So many of you are probably wondering what is going on with my blog. I gave my husband the google account that we had and when I switched it over I forgot that this is linked and deleted my old blog in the process. I managed to grab the latest blogs from a cached file and repost them, but everything previous to June 19th is gone. So, it is what it is, nothing I can do about it.

So I have had the pleasure of having some amazing service this week and some really horrible as well. My good service was from Brios Italian Grill in the Millennium Mall. We went in, all four of us, and sat down. We waited, and waited, and waited, and finally a waiter walked by and JJ started to ask him if he was our waiter. He put up a finger for JJ to be quiet and wait and then walked to another table. We looked at each other, and then as he walked past our table again, JJ tried to find out if he was our waiter - he told us we had to wait because he was busy. Not only did he say that - but he was really rude. So we got up and left and went across the hall to Cheesecake Factory instead.

When I got home I sent Brios an email telling them about it. I immediately got a response from the manager of the Brios with an apology and asking me for my address so that he could send me a gift card. I sent him my address and a thank you for handling it, he is sending me $100 for the restaurant as well as a card for a free appetizer or dessert. That, my friends is how you handle a problem. They have a client for life simply because they listened and they made me feel that I was important to them.

Williams-Sonoma on the other hand has lost a client for life. When I tell you that it is ridiculous the amount of money I have spent in their store over the years i really am not kidding. I bought a coffee maker from them that cost $300 something alone that had little pods with it! Every time I go past the store I have to go in and get something - well, not anymore. I get their catalog and made one of the dishes from the catalog. I purchased my crock pot from them maybe three years ago, so I assumed that any directions they gave would apply to my pot. They told me to put the insert on the burner and cook and then put it back in my crock pot. I did so, only to have it crack it right across the bottom of the insert. I wrote them an email as well, only to be told that i basically didn't follow their directions properly because the recipe said a "stove top safe" insert. I explained that because it was a Williams-Sonoma crock pot I assumed I was covered and the girl let me know in no uncertain terms that she really just didn't care. They said too bad, so sad and I say not really because I can go to any other store and purchase another crock pot - but they will not get my business. When I tell you that it would have been immensely cheaper for them to replace my insert over losing my business, I am not even remotely stretching the truth. However, I guess good for me - look at all the money I will save - as will everyone I know as I am telling everyone to shop elsewhere because of their bad service. They think they are losing money on me - damn, wait until they realize how much money they are losing off of my mother in law!

So, let this be a lesson retailers - customer service will make or break your business...

Deepest Sympathies to the Travolta Family (Originally posted January 8, 2009)

2009-01-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

I sit here to write a letter of condolence, filled with sadness and anger for John Travolta and Kelly Preston. They have lost their child, a sadness that no parent should ever have to go through. We should never outlive our children. The fact that in every photo you can see the love and caring and how much they all truly adored each other just makes it all that much more painful that they have lost their child. I cannot begin to imagine their pain, or their heartache, and my prayers and loving wishes go their way. We were once related, I suppose we still are through my niece - his cousin married my brother, but they are now divorced, so I am not sure where that leaves us, except that I have never met him, nor do I expect I ever will - but I am still heartbroken for him and his family. I look at my children and I think how horrible it would be to lose one of them - I don't know how you go on without them.

That being said, I am furious at those that would take this opportunity to attack them for what they think goes on in their private lives. Did Jett Travolta have autism? Who knows? The bigger question is why does everyone think it is their business? It is a family matter, and no one has the right to question their decisions regarding a child who was so obviously adored by his parents. I am sickened by some of the things I have heard and read in the news about their religion and how they may or may not have treated their child. First of all, let us be clear about one thing - you may not agree with Scientology - but it is a religion. It is not a cult, it is not anything other than a religion. You don't like it? Don't join! If they were Catholic would you all be so quick to throw slings and arrows in their direction? What if they were Jewish? I cannot believe that people would take what has to be the most painful moment of their lives and use it as a platform to bash them and their religious beliefs.

As far as the autism goes, even if he did have it they don't have to be any one's spokesperson just because they made some movies. Their private lives are their private lives. Everyone out there taking this opportunity to bash them - I want you to remember that through NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, THEIR CHILD IS DEAD. Can I be any clearer about that? They have to get up each and every morning, with the realization just as fresh as if it had just happened knowing that they will not see their sweet child's face anymore.

My heart goes out to the Travoltas in their time of pain, and my only hope is that as the days go on they get some relief and are able to remember all the good times they had with him without the pain of loss. And for those of you who would be so quick to judge and to be so hurtful at a time like this, I hope you never have to feel the pain that they are going through. But know that if you did, you would never be subjected to the atrocities that have occurred in the media and on the Internet since it happened - and more than that, they would never do to you what you have done to them.

You are in my prayers...

T-Mobile (Originally posted September 3, 2008)

2009-01-15T20:03:00.000-05:00

OK, today I have a rant - about T-Mobile. We had switched from AT&T to T-Mobile because everyone said that their customer service was fabulous, and to be quite frank, I have always found AT&T to be lacking in that area. So we switched. But then we discovered that T-Mobile has drop zones less than ten miles from our house, so we were losing calls. After one very important call that my husband was on was dropped we decided to stitch back to AT&T because it was just terrible. According to the contract, if you are dissatisfied with service then you can drop your contract.

We moved our numbers back to AT&T only to get a bill from T-Mobile telling us we owe them $200. We called them and spoke to Steve who basically let us know that because we are showing coverage at our house - which is where our phone is registered that we can't drop without a fee. He just keeps repeating this, even after confirming that where my husband actually works they don't have good service. He keeps trying to end the call saying that we have to pay it and that is that, as my husband keeps asking to speak to a supervisor. He finally gets some woman on the phone who says she is not going to take off the charges. Because we have coverage at our house we can't cancel for not having coverage.

We state that the reason you get a cell phone is so that you can leave your house, otherwise all we would need is a home phone! They could not have cared less. I am so sorry I ever switched to T-Mobile - very disappointing service - terrible customer relations. So, do me a favor and tell all your friends so that they don't get ripped off by them as well.

I am off to spread the truth...

Hump Day (Originally Posted August 27, 2008)

2009-01-15T20:02:00.000-05:00

Well it is Wednesday of our first official week back at school - OK second, but the first one doesn't count. I say that because I live in Orlando and we only had two days of school last week due to Fay - so I really only count this as the first full week.

My kids are loving school! Jinnai has the same teacher that Caius had for K/1, and Cai has Miss Hall for 2/3 - who seems VERY sweet! He adores her and is loving school so this is all good!

Trying to get back into the swing of things has been hard for all of us, but it has been really tough for me. I mean it is good cause I get a lot more accomplished when I am home by myself, but not good cause the house seems so empty and quiet! It is also really hard getting up at six in the morning after a summer of sleeping late!

Speaking of work, I'd better get to some...

Olympics (Originally posted August 14, 2008)

2009-01-15T20:01:00.000-05:00

I have never been a big fan of the Olympics. I enjoy watching them here and there, but only for short periods of time. However, this is the first year that my children are aware enough to watch them, and it is also the year of Michael Phelps.

Michael Phelps has done what no other Olympian has done before him - he has gotten me to watch the Olympics. I am fascinated by watching him swim, and I root him on to his numerous gold medals as if I personally had a stake in his career. His swimming amazes me immensely, and I watch to see if he is as thrilled as I am when he wins. Yet, many times as happy as he is, he will seem disappointed in himself if it wasn't quite as fast as he was hoping. I am amazed.

His mother literally brings me to tears as I watch her scream for her son - and I know I would do the exact same thing. I find myself looking at my children wondering if there is an Olympic athlete in our home - and if so - what sport? My daughter wants to do swimming and gymnastics, my son wants to do swimming and hockey. The hockey will be a little tougher as we do live in Florida, but if this is what he wants - we will figure it out.

I record the shows and we sit as a family and watch them, something I have never done before. Of course they weren't interested before, but I have to say it never really occurred to me to do so. So, Mr. Phelps is off for the night and we are recording other sports, but tomorrow we will be eagerly waiting in anticipation to see if he has gotten his record number of gold medals - but knowing that even if he hasn't - he has brought gold to our house.

Best of luck Michael...

Disney Bingo! (Originally posted August 1, 2008)

2009-01-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, I am not sure how long I am supposed to wait to share this, but I think after a week I can do so! Social Spark - or the folks at Izea - sent me a package. Ok, let me back up. I got an email saying that I was getting some sort of mystery package and I was to try it out and blog about it when the opportunity was posted. So i get the mysterious package - wrapped in brown paper - and it is a Disney Bingo game. You would have thought my kids won the lottery they were so excited!!

So we take it with us to GG and Pop Pop's house the next day and we all play it. Well, you want to talk about some fun? Not only was the game easy to understand, but it was a ton of fun. My kids were laughing and screaming - like little crazy people. They weren't alone. Each time someone won they were screaming "BINGO" at the top of their lungs!

I have to admit, before we played it I was kind of like Bingo? Really? I remember playing it with my Grandmother when I was little and it wasn't a whole lot of fun back then either! But this game made it so enjoyable - so easy to play - I had an absolute blast. We all did - including their grandparents. They said that they were so glad I got it because it wasn't something we would probably buy on our own, and yet we all had a ton of fun. We played for a really long time, and it was something that we could all do together. My father in law is 78 and my daughter is 5 and the rest of us run the gambit in between - and we all had a blast!

It was easy to play - we popped out the little disks, put in the DVD, we each took a bingo card - they are double sided so you actually get 12 cards, but only 6 can play at a time - and we had at it. The on screen instructions were simple enough for my kids to understand. The company that sent it to me is Izea - the Social Spark and Pay Per Post people.

I highly recommend the game to anyone who is looking for a fun game to play, something the whole family can enjoy. You can get them at Amazon.com or Drugstore.com.

Gotta go bingo....

Wild Ride (Originally posted July 21, 2008)

2009-01-15T19:56:00.000-05:00

It has been crazy around here so I apologize for the length of time I have taken off! Summer is always a great time, but it is also the time of getting nothing accomplished. I end up spending my days playing with the kids instead of getting anything accomplished - but now we are back on track - at least partly!

We went on a cruise - my first ever! We went to the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten and I loved it! I was a little nervous about going on a cruise cause well, I am not really a boat person. But by the time the cruise was over, I wanted more time on board!! The picture at the top is from the boat one of the first days, and the one to the right was taken on the ship by the photographer near the end - they take amazing pictures!

We also celebrated the kids' birthdays with one big party - like we do every year. This year Caius turned 7 and Jinnai turned 5 - I have no idea where the time has gone - it just flew by. We had all of their friends come over and had a nice party for them - it was a good time. Then we were off - literally the next day - to our seven night cruise, and now a week later I am just starting to get into the swing of things!! I think I am still in vacation mode!

At any rate, just wanted to drop a hello and say talk to you later. I probably won't be writing much until the kids go back to school again - which of course I am dreading!!

Until August....

Addendum of Sorts (Originally posted June 19, 2008)

2009-01-15T19:54:00.000-05:00

So it would seem that my friend Shannon was reading my blog and saw that I had talked about the movie "Bleach." She wrote me to let me know that the woman she babysits for was actually the main character, Senna! How bizarre is that? So, if you haven't seen the movie yet, if given the chance let's support her by going and seeing it - Kay?!Her name is G.K. Bowes - so props to her - and best of luck on her future projects!!That's it for now....