It really happened

The Monkeys

Calvin (4.5 years)

Mia (7.5 years)

Juliet (10 years)

 

Can't believe they've gotten this big!

Disability....who knew

I'm still on disability because of the car accident.  I tried to return to work after Thanksgiving, but I was in so much pain after one day, that I just couldn't do it.  I went back to the doc for xrays and have been out of work since.  I have good and bad days.  On the good days I think, "I'm doing better.  I should be back to work in no time.  This isn't so bad." and then I wake up the next day hurting in so many places.  From the base of my head all the way down to my low back.  These days remind me that there is no way I can work feeling like this.  I think, "Maybe if I wasn't teaching the little ones it would be easier." But reality is, that's not true.  I'm injured and I'm having a hard time accepting that still.  I don't want to hurt every day.  It's getting old.

In a world that is so filled with insurance fraud, I am constantly questioning myself.  Asking, am I really hurt that bad?  Sadly the answer is yes.  I thought I'd just be sore for a little bit and then be better.  It's just not happening that way.  I am going to physical therapy, taking muscle relaxers and having the girls do a lot more than they used to around the house.  It all helps, but I am in no way healed.  I don't know what it's going to take.  Probably just more rest and being careful with the everyday things we take for granted.  Vacuuming hurts.  Changing the laundry hurts.  Bending to pick things up hurts.  Sitting in the car for more than a half hour hurts.  Sleeping is not the most comfortable thing anymore.  Crazy.

I went for a message yesterday.  Something that I tend to do on a yearly basis.  It costs a lot of money, normally has HUGE results of relaxation and a feeling of, "Ahhhhh that was nice!" but is hard to justify the cost more than once a year.  But man....that was an AWESOME message.  I felt so good all day yesterday!  It felt so worth the money.  I wish I could go get one every week! 

In all this, I have the best husband.  He has helped with everything.  Not that he didn't before, but he takes such good care of me.  I am so grateful again that God blessed me with him!

No Football Player Left Behind

This is a good one.  It's the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) as if it were toward football players!

NCLB - football  NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND---THE FOOTBALL VERSION   

1. All teams must make the state playoffs and all MUST win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable. If, after two years, they have not won the championship their footballs and equipment will be taken away UNTIL they do win the championship.   

2. All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time even if they do not have the same conditions or opportunities to practice on their own. NO exceptions will be made for lack of interest in football, a desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities of themselves or their parents. ALL KIDS WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL!   

3. Talented players will be asked to workout on their own, without instruction. This is because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability or whose parents don't like football.   

4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the 4th, 8th, and 11th game. It will create a New Age of Sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimum goals. If no child gets ahead, then no child gets left behind. If parents do not like this new law, they are encouraged to vote for vouchers and support private schools that can screen out the non-athletes and prevent their children from having to go to school with bad football players.

Learning to Rest

It's been nearly 3 weeks since my car accident.  My van has been repaired and looks like it did prior to the accident.  I'm very glad to have it back!  My neck and back were doing much better while I was on Thanksgiving break.  However, the first day back to work after a restful break I was feeling way worse than before.  If I had a desk job, it might not be so painful.  But these little Kindergartners are high maintenance full of energy!  I worked 4 days this past week and was in so much pain, I went back to the doctor yesterday.  Xrays were done and he has requested that I do not return to work until after the new year.

I must admit...about 2 months ago I would have jumped for joy at the thought of having 4 straight weeks off of work.  Must be one of those "be careful what you wish for" kind of situations.  I know my body needs the rest.  I need to heal.  I'm really worried that this injury could last a lifetime and that thought is what's keeping me home from work.  I feel very guilty for not being at work.  I miss the kids.  I do miss the challenges and rewards of getting the kids to learn.  I feel like I'm flaking on those responsibilities.  I feel like I'm letting my grade level team down as well as the parents of my students who have entrusted their children to me in this first year of school.  In all of this I am learning that I have no control.  This was not my fault and accepting that is going to be a learning experience. 

Indoor

Mia's first game of indoor soccer was awesome!  She rocked the place!  Scored a goal and blocked 2 goals at her very first attempt being goalie!  Pictures don't turn out well because they are taken through the Plexiglas wall, but you get the jist.

Imagine....

Women of Faith was a couple of weekends ago.  A girlfriend from OR came down on the train, my sister in law from Humboldt came down and 4 of us local girls all met for a weekend of Girls Only!  It was fantastic.  I have very sarcastic humor and I'm so thankful that the women I surround myself with do too!  We laughed, we cried, we learned even more about one another, we laughed more, we cried more, and we lifted one another up before our Lord with fervent prayer.  What more can one ask for in a girls weekend?  Not much!

The main theme that we all grasped from the conference was trust.  Trust can be hard especially when we believe in an ever present God whom we can not see.  Trusting that He will take care of us as he says he will.  Trusting that He has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives.  Trusting even though some of us see our everything crumbling before our eyes.  God is bringing me (and most of my girlfriends) to a point in our lives where we have to either trust or know that we are losing it all.  Spiritually.  Emotionally.  Financially.  It's a daily mantra of "trust in the Lord with all our heart, all your soul, and all of your mind" as a reminder that all will be ok.  God IS in control because we have given him that permission. Our trust will not be worthless.  Our trust will be rewarded with a gentle "I told you so" by our God.  I love that kind of "told ya so".  That's when we see blessings. I mean physical blessings. 

I am so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by some of the world's best women.  God has put so many great people in my life.  You have kept me sane, kept me laughing, kept me feeling loved, kept me going at times and I know you are always praying for me.  What more could one woman ask for?  You mean more than the world to me.  I can't wait till our next Girl's Weekend. 

My Little Helpers

Since my back is really hurting, I need lots of help around here....

News for kids?

I have always thought that the news is not for kids.  I still think this, but I'm second guessing that ALL tv news is not for them.  At least at the ages they are at now.  Our local news was doing a story on K2 incense and I realized, I do want the girls to see this.  I told them if you ever see or hear of this, stay far away!  It was then that I realized, yes, they do need to be aware of certain things in the news so they can better prepare themselves for the event when they are faced with similar situations.  I don't want them to be curious as to what something like this is...I want them to think, "I've heard of this on the news and saw what terrible things it did to people" or something similar. 

Another way of preparing them for a world that is not all wonderful as we like them to believe.

Forced to rest

You know when your body is exhausted and it tells you in strange ways that you need to lay low for a bit.  Migraines, tiredness, lack of motivation, and the "to do" list that constantly grows.  But where is the time for us to rest?  How many people can schedule in that time that our bodies tell us we need?  As a mom, there is no such time.  As a working mom, even more people are counting on you daily.  But then God says, "No, you will rest"

That directive from God came in the form of a car accident on my way home from work last week.  I was driving home, tired, and almost home when a truck came out of a parking lot on my right and didn't see me.  He practically T-boned me.  My first response, "SERIOUSLY?"  I couldn't believe it.  We pulled over, I got all his info and he left.  I sat there on the phone with Mike in shock.  Drove home and folded myself in to the couch.  My back and neck had already started hurting.  Thankfully Mike was already off work that night and he took care of all the insurance stuff as well as the kids and I.

I went to the doctor the next day and he said not to work for the next two days.  Many of you have heard me talk about my class this year.  Transitions and change are not accepted well with my students.  So as much as I know my body needs to rest, not being at school is going to make it even more tough when I get back to school.  This is a hard lesson for me to accept.

But, I am home and resting.  I haven't had nearly the headaches (that are usually daily) in the last few days, I've had more conversations with my husband than the last time I can remember, and I'm listening to my God in my quiet time.  My back is constantly hurting and my neck hurts on and off, but I know that I was involved in this accident in order to slow me down. 

The Grass is Always Greener

Makes you think a little....

It was spring, but it was summer I wanted,
The warm days, and the great outdoors.

It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,
The colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.

It was fall, but it was winter I wanted,
The beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season.

It was winter, but it was spring I wanted,
The warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted,
The freedom and respect.

I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted,
To be mature, and sophisticated.

I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted,
The youth and the free spirit.

I was retired, but it was middle age I wanted,
The presence of mind without limitations.

My life was over, and I never got what I wanted.

-Jason Lehman (age 15)

Knock Knock...

My kids loved this one...

Knock Knock

Who's there?

A pile up.

A pile up who?

LOL...You said poo! ;)

Golden Goals

Soccer season has come to a close.  The season ending tournament for the U10 kids was played this weekend.  Juliet played 3 games on Saturday in beautiful weather.  We had nearly a 2 hour break in between two of the games and instead of going home, we just stayed at the field, picnicked and enjoyed the weather.  It was a great day!

The girls tied two games and won the last one.  It was intense on the sidelines and I loved every minute of the day!

Sunday was a different story.  Soccer in the RAIN.  Not just a little rain, but POURING rain with a cold wind!  We invested in an Easy Up just in time too! We were able to stay dry as spectators, but Jules....not so much!

She played like an animal non the less!

 One on five!

But they held the other team (which was undefeated throughout the season) to only a 2-1 win.  This game was supposed to be a full length game since it was the semi-finals, but the refs messed up and only had them play a 30 minute game.  I think we would have taken them down had it been a full length game! 

But Juliet was playing against her good friend, Emily and it was hard for Jules to compete against her without smiling!  

They lost that game, and we came back for the second game of the day.  The final game for 3rd place ended in a tie.  5 minutes of overtime only lead to nearly 4 missed goal attempts by Jules' team.  5 more minutes of overtime did not change the score.  So they went to Golden Goals (aka Sudden Death) This is when each team takes 5 goal shots alternating back and forth.  The team with the most goals wins.  The coach chose Juliet as their best goalie and stuck her with the pressure of trying to block all 5 goals.  Talk about a near nervous breakdown.....for ME not her!  

She was poised and ready to take on the other team with no hesitation.  

First kick - Goal.

Second kick - off the pole for a Goal.

  Third kick - BLOCKED!!!  

 Fourth kick - BLOCKED!!!

  Fifth kick - missed.  

Man, the pressure was intense!  The came away from a season of more losses than wins and ended up taking 4th place in the tourney.  4th out of 10 teams is still pretty darn good.  

Another successful year of soccer!  Wonder what U12 will be like?!

Trick or Treat!

We got together with our friends to carve pumpkins and have some fun times prepping for Fall.  This is the first year I can really remember that we've carved pumpkins with the kids.  While Jules and Cal didn't like touching the slimy insides, Mia didn't mind.  We had a great time creating memories and funny looking Jack O'Lanterns!

I'd say this was definitely the first of more of these kind of activities!

Report Cards

The girls brought theirs home on Friday and again, I'm beaming with pride!  They are doing so well in school, it just blows me away.  They love school and I'm so happy they do.  When we moved to this house 6 years ago, we did not look much into the neighborhood school.  I didn't think too much about it honestly.  I know now days people chose where they want to live based on the accountability report of their neighborhood school.  We didn't, but God blessed us anyway! 
We have had great teachers all the way through and the things the girls learn every day is awesome!  They have both received numerous "Otter Awards" for respect and responsibility, for caring and kindness and so on.  These things just show how much the school values good conduct.  We have been on the campus numerous times and been on countless field trips with the girls and never once have Mike nor I witnessed poor behavior from a student.  The administration and staff have set up a campus that displays respect everywhere and I'm so thankful!
I am just thankful the girls like school and are as successful as they are! 

Recruiting?

Yes, recruiting a 7 year old!  Can you believe that?!  After Mia's game last Saturday, the other team's coach came up to me and asked if she was my daughter!  He asked if she's played indoor and asked her to join his team!  I was shocked, and proud all at the same time.  So we will be experiencing our first indoor soccer season here soon.  She had her first practice tonight and did great!  The coach seems really good and I think she's going to love it!  Pics to come soon....

SOCCER!!

I just love watching my kids play soccer!  I never played as a kid, but when I married Mike, he still played and I loved watching him play too.  I remember taking Juliet when she was only a few weeks old, all wrapped up in blankets, to his games and loving every minute of it!  Juliet has improved so much in the last few years.  She is an animal out there!  Mia is a natural soccer player.  She is a serious runner and loves to be the first to the ball!  Now Cal, on the other hand!  LOL  He's only 4, right?!  Wonder if he'll enjoy it as much as his sisters do...
For now...here are a few pics of the season that ends tomorrow :(

Notice most of Cal's pictures are of him standing.....hee hee

Teaching Schmeaching

"Teaching is not what it used to be".  It's an incredibly true statement.  I went in to teaching cause I enjoyed working with kids.  I had fun making learning new things fun. 

Now, it seems to have nothing to do with the kids and is more about numbers.  I don't understand why teachers are the only ones left who know that all kids learn differently.  It's that simple, but we are not allowed to teach that simply.  We are instructed to teach one way, and one way only.  It's sad that the majority of kids do not learn their best by that one way of teaching.

I used to think that I was a better teacher because I'm a mom.  And I used to think I'm a better mom because I'm a teacher.  But I don't think either is true anymore.  As I'm entrenched in my 10th year teaching, I am NOT a better mom because I'm a teacher.  I exert so much patience throughout the school day, sadly there is little left for my family.  I feel terrible when I realize that I have not allowed my kids to make kid sized mistakes just because I have dealt with similar behaviors all day already.  It's not their fault.  What I have been through in my day should not effect them the way it does.  I wish it was as easy as taking off the teacher hat, and putting on the mom hat.  I wish I didn't have all the emotional baggage that comes in the door with me every day.  But I don't know how to do that yet.  Maybe it's because my heart gets attached to my students, which wouldn't be a bad thing if it didn't have a negative effect on my own children. 

Thus the reasoning to be a stay at home mom.  I know how hard it is.  I do it every summer.  And remember, in the summer, they are not in school so they are with me 24/7.  It's tough stuff, but I'm a better mom in the summer for sure!  I'm sure my kids enjoy me more then. 

Mike and I have managed not to pay for child care.  Juliet is 10 years old and one of us has been at home with the kids each and every day in the last 10 years.  It's a sacrifice we've decided to make.  We don't have lot of extra cash to do many of the things we'd like to, but we don't have tremendous debt either, and we've never let anyone else raise our kids.  Mike is a single parent during the day and I am a single parent at night.  I come home from 20 children not my own, to a husband on his way out the door to work, only to start homework, dinner, piano lessons, soccer practice and 3 kids who need me just as much as I need me!  I'm not sure how to keep going with it.  Prayer and knowing that I can do all things with Him who gives me strength.  That's how I keep going and ONLY that. 

My kids are my joy and it's a choice for me to see that on a daily basis.  I could not be more proud of their academic success, their kind hearts and loving nature, but I'm starting to rethink my career choice because my eyes are often clouded by the time I get to see my joy...my children.

Sometimes it's just LOVE

There are times when I love being a Mom.  And there are times when I don't.  The times of discipline are the ones that I detest.  Teaching them right from wrong, good from bad, nice and mean, yadda yadda yadda gets so monotonous and so hard.  We've been in a tough stage for a bit now.  Cal is trying to learn more of his independence, while Mia just wants to help him.  Jules wants to be the mother and tell everyone what do to, but can't remember to put her shoes on even when walking in the rain!  Crazy kids, I tell ya.

At the moment, I'm in the stage of loving it.  We've been focusing on James 1:19.  "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry."  We are all working on each part.  The kids on listening the first time, all of us slow to argue with one another, and each of us slow to become angry when we don't get what we want.  It has been working for the last 2 days.  Not a bad stretch when you have a 4, 7, and 10 year old.  And a Mom who's PMSing!   At least I don't think. 

I love listening and seeing them all playing in one room together.  They love to play in their little "Pretendville".  I love it at night when Cal wants to pray with the girls and when we're done he can't wait to give the girls kisses and hugs.  It makes me so incredibly happy when they show their love towards one another. The girls are definitely his best buds.  At least for now...

One of Mia's little friends on her soccer team has 3 sisters and 1 bother.  One day Mike said to Cal, "Geesh Cal, how'd you like that?!  Have THREE sisters!"  and Cal responded with, "YEAH Dad!  That'd be awesome!"  I don't think Mike was expecting that reply, and actually neither was I, but just shows, he loves his sisters.  I have a feeling as he gets older, one day, he'll love having his sisters because their friends will be around!  HA

Remember the box that we painted?

The Pink Note

I hate them.  We rarely see them, but when they come home....UGH.

Mia brought home TWO today! 

These Pink Notes are notes from the nurse.  One meant that someone in the class has pink eye!  OYE!  The other meant that someone in her class has Strep.  Two highly contagious "diseases"  Lovely!

Now to pray we all stay healthy and begin our overdosing of EmergenC.  ;)

The Whoopee Cushion

My kids find this tremendously funny!  And the laughter is extremely contagious!

Did you know there is a whoopee cushion app for the Droid?!  Yea, my kids found it.  And I must admit, I laugh pretty hard with them!

I want another squeeze!

Cal is having to adjust to me being back at work.  After spending weeks home with him all day, I'm missing him big time!  I miss the girls and Mike too, but they entertain themselves just fine when I'm gone. 

I leave the house in the mornings before anyone else is awake.  This morning Mia woke up, came to give me a squeeze and then went back to bed.  Such a sweetheart!  Tonight after praying with Cal, he gave me kisses and hugs and we said our usual love you's.  About 5 minutes later he calls me, "MOMMY!  I need another squeeze!"  How do I resist that?!  But when I went to hug him, he wouldn't let go.  He said, "Mommy, I just want you to sleep in my bed with me cause I'll miss you while I'm sleeping."  :'(

Yea, back to work is tough.  But being away from my kids is harder.  It's tougher on the heart.  I don't like that part.  I'm back to living for the weekends!

Fifth Grade....grrrrr

I'm all for homework.  I think it is great practice for kids to reinforce what they've learned that day in school.  It teaches them responsibility.  We all have homework in our lives.  It may not be math problems, but it's work done at home non-the-less.

What I don't like, is busy work.  Juliet has to write a paragraph every other week.  She's given a topic, writes a rough draft one week and a final draft the next week.  Something she needs extra practice at, so it's all good.  BUT she has to write the final draft in cursive and in PEN.  Seriously?  I mean, come on now, we all make mistakes but a student practicing her cursive in PEN?  UGH.  Jules has never been known for neatness.  Her cursive is pretty neat, but it takes many attempts to get a whole paragraph mistake free!  You ask her to make a 10 slide powerpoint and she can whip that out no prob!  But cursive in ink....makes for tough Thursday nights in the Honsal Home.

Transforming a box

I ordered a large piece of furniture for my classroom and brought the box home for some fun.  Cal was having a blast in his "Rocket ship".  So we decided to paint it.  It became a family affair.

The girls are in school

So we have some time to ourselves.  What do we like to do?

Play Army Men!

SOCCER!

It's going to be an interesting season for us this year.  All three kids are playing!  Juliet plays on one field, while Mia and Cal play on another....all on Saturday mornings.  Fortunately, the U6 don't have practices during the week cause I don't know when that would fit in.  We're already out 4 nights a week between both girls practices and piano lessons.  I was going to put piano on hold until soccer was over, but they are doing so well at piano and they love it more than I ever thought they would.  I just didn't want to risk losing our spot with the wonderful teacher that they have.

So, Here we go...the beginning of the season kicked off with only the U6 today.  Opening day ceremonies will be next weekend.
*click on any pic to enlarge*

He'd still rather talk!  Go figure!

Got some advice from Daddy and...

YES!  GOOAAAALLLLL!!!!

We're off to a great start of a crazy season!

UGH

Tonight, Mike and I received sad news regarding co-workers.  We each got notification within moments of each other.  I learned that a fellow teacher, who was 37 weeks pregnant, had to deliver her baby boy lifeless tonight.  Mike learned that a barista he has been ministering to showed up to work drunk, a fire-able offense for sure.  We both feel a blow to our hearts.  We are saddened and hold burdens to pray for both.  What more is there that we can do?  Nothing is more powerful than prayer, but in times like this, from the sidelines it doesn't seem like enough.

Mind Boggling

What makes an almost 10 year old act ungrateful and selfish?  It's beyond me.  She has been raised in an atmosphere of gratefulness as well as every Fruit of the Spirit.  It's talked about and examples are played out constantly.  They are drawn out plain and simple.  There is no question as to how one should behave in our family.  Yet, the attitude is still there.  Where does it come from?  Satan. 
But is the answer that simple?  How come the solution is so much harder.  And what is the solution?  Boarding school. The School of Hard Knocks, I guess.  Only I don't have the manual for that.  We've just been making it up as we go.

We're THAT family

"I've heard all about YOU and your family!  All good things!"

Guess we're labeled!  As a teacher, there are the families that you hope you get to have in your class.  And there are those families who you hope you don't have.  I sure hope that we're one of the good families!  Mia's teacher told us this this morning.  Didn't say anything about our names, or our kids, just I've heard about your family!  So many things are running through my mind.  

• You'll get free Starbucks from them
• She's a teacher, watch out!
• They are over-bearing
• You'll have field trip chaperones!
• They are obnoxious!

Wonder which things she's heard. Hmmmm....

A new school year

We went up to the school tonight to see who the girls' teachers are.  I didn't put in requests this year like I have in the past.  The end of the school year was just crazy, with Grandpa passing and all that went with that.  Me getting tonsillitis and being out.  I just missed the deadline, that simple.  So I have been praying like crazy that God will place them where he sees fit.  Not that I needed to pray for that to happen, He will do it anyway, but ya know what I mean!

Juliet got the teacher I would have requested.  Mia on the other hand....not so thrilled with her spot.  But I'm going to choose to be thrilled because that's obviously where God thinks she needs to be this year.  

It's going to be a good year for both of them.  But 5th and 2nd grade?  When did this happen and why do I have to accept that part?

Sisterly compromise

The girls share a room.  A small room at that.  It's finally finished being decorated and looks all cute...when it's clean.  Problem being, the cleaning part.  Mia likes things very orderly and tidy.  Everything in it's place with unnecessary things thrown away.  Juliet likes things messy.  Never puts her stuff away and keeps everything that has ever come in to her possession, including tags from things.  Cleaning of the room becomes a battle nearly every time.  Where's the balance?  Someone please tell me there is one, short of a line down the middle of the room?

Camping!

We haven't camped in nearly 5 years....meaning Calvin has never been camping!  Juliet is allergic to mosquitoes, so I have been a bit paranoid to go.  But now that she's older, it was time to head out to the great outdoors!

We packed the van like we were going for a month!  I'm pretty sure our neighbors might have thought we were moving out!  Like I said, it's been 5 years and we had no idea what a family of 5 might need!  We were also headed to a campground that we have never been to.  We spend a lot of time this side of the lake, but never around on the other side.  This site was recommended to us by a couple of friends, so we went for it.  The weather was in the low to mid 90's and just beautiful!

We set up camp and explored a little just in time for a sunset meal.

After dinner we enjoyed a little smor'ing!

Then we started the first morning with our fishing poles in hand and worms on the hooks!  The kids all learned how to cast well and did a fantastic job!

We didn't catch anything, but Mike got a good bite from one, then he jumped and splashed around as if saying, "Nah Nah na na na!"  Darn thing!

So we decided to go swimming and bbq our hot dogs on the lake...

It's definitely no Tahoe when it comes to beautiful, but it is way warmer!  So the kids stayed and played in it for hours.  Calvin got sick of me taking pics of him so I got the "Enough MOM!" face!

and if I picked up the camera and pointed anywhere in his direction, this is what he did

HA HA HA

A little Jiffy Pop!

 A little sunset....and we called it a day!  And what a great day it was!

Of course a few games of cards in there too!

We'll be going again soon....guaranteed!