Quick hello

I am obviously absent in my blogging of late.  Sorry.  It's a combination of busy, and the fact that it's just more convenient to facebook.  I'm sure I'll get the urge to post again eventually.

Until then, you have to read this article... Funny funny stuff!

Don't Call Me, I Won't Call You

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/fashion/20Cultural.html?pagewanted=all

Sharing My Blessings

Ben, Mary Claire and I were sitting on the back patio this evening watching the season's first fireflies.

I told Mary Claire this was going to be her last week of preschool. I said I was sad because she wouldn't be my baby anymore because she was going to be in kindergarten soon.

She looked at me and took my hand and whispered, "I'm still here, mama."

:)) so sweet

Cool Use for an Old Crib

Chalkboard Easel

Too cute!  New use for an outgrown crib – How very cool, wish I’d seen this before I bought the store made one.  Not that I would have actually done it, but a neat idea if you've got the time!  See instructions here:

http://simplystated.realsimple.com/simplystated/2011/05/old-crib-into-chalkboard-easel.html

BINGO! Errand Entertainment for Kids

There is almost nothing more challenging than going grocery shopping with kids.  I hate doing it, so I avoid it for as long as I can.  Then I end up spending three hours in there and it is pretty painful.  

This post isn't really going to change that.  BUT.... I thought I'd share another cool printable from Real Simple: BINGO games for the kids to play while you are out and about together.  Looks like it could be fun.

Grocery Store BINGO

• Grocery Store Bingo http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/grocerystoreboard.pdf
• Mall or Shopping Center Bingo
  http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/shoppingmallboard.pdf
• Restaurant Bingo
  http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/restaurantboard.pdf
• Doctor’s Office Bingo http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/doctorsofficeboard.pdf
• Car Bingo
  http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/carboard.pdf

List of Lists

I subscribe to Real Simple Magazine.  Love it.  Just sharing a list of lists from Real Simple for your to keep track of your life... Enjoy!

Ultimate Contact Sheet

• The Ultimate Contact Sheet – Numbers for everything and everybody – perfect for babysitters, house sitters, the kids, and you
• The Family Crib Sheet – From allergies, to family rules, to how to turn on the DVD player, etc.
• Daily Cleaning List - Yeah, right.  LOL
• Weekday Meal Plan & Shopping List - A girl can dream, can't she?
• Ultimate To-Do List
• Moving Countdown Checklist 
• Monthly Spending Plan - Budgeting
• Grilling Cheat Sheet 
• Birthday Organizer

Cool Kids Read Books...

And play basketball and baseball and Wii... And get into occasional mischief.


Ben is one of the biggest blessings God has given me in my 30 years. He is constantly amazing me. So this year, for some reason, he was motivated to rack up FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY TWO Accelerated Reader points at school.


Don't know what Accelerated Reader is? Google it. It's basically a program in which students can read books on their own time, then take a 10-question quiz on each book on the computer at school. Depending on how well they do, they get a certain number of points for the answering the quiz questions correctly. For example, a Curious George book would be worth a 1/2 point total. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is worth 6 points total.


He read all kinds of books, but series that I can recall off the top of my head were: Harry Potter books, Chronicles of Narnia, and Percy Jackson books. Ben read 81 books on his own time this year. That's in addition to school, homework, church, basketball, baseball, bike riding, and everything else. He read more than anyone in the 4th grade at his school. Probably more than I've read in my entire life.
They got all kinds of cool rewards and special activities throughout the year. Today the top ten from each grade got a limo ride to Pizza Hut where they had lunch. :)


Ben was able to get a slip and slide (400 point level) this time.  He didn't want me to take this picture, but I'm so proud I just had to share it. :) YAY BEN!

Doesn't get much better than this

What a GORGEOUS day on El Dorado!

I wear corrective lenses.  I've had contacts since I was in 7th grade.

Just calculated and I have inserted and removed contacts in my eyes for the last 6,000 days.  In a row.

I know my eyes, I know how to use contacts, I know what works for me (-5.75 in both eyes).

I'm pretty darn good at it now.

So my question is...

WHY do I need to pay an optometrist every year for an exam in order to be able to purchase the contact lenses that I need?

WHY???

I can buy a million different products without a prescription that are so much more dangerous than contacts.  Sure, at first you need to get an exam, but after a while, its just ridiculous that I keep paying some guy every year to tell me something I ALREADY KNOW.

You know what I think?  Optometrists have good lobbyists.

Springtime visitor!

The Buffetts Aren't Keeping Up With The Joneses

Did you read my blog post yesterday?  You know you didn't.  Go back and read it now.  I'll wait...
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Did you catch that?

Multi-Billionaire (like $50 of them, with a "B"), living in original home purchased 52 years ago in 1958 for $31,500?


I'm going to repeat that for emphasis.

MULTI-BILLIONAIRE 

LIVING IN SAME HOME HE PURCHASED IN 1958

FOR $31,500

A little background:

Back then that was a rather expensive home and Mr. Buffett was 29 – but he had been in business since he was 13 years old. The Omaha home is 6,000 sqft, and has 5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.  Down the same street, about a mile away are the Berkshire Hathaway offices.


Some thoughts that come to mind here:
1) Whaa??

2) Never met the guy, but I like him.  I do.  I think I'd feel comfortable having him over for dinner.

3) That reminds me of my sweet, smart Papa, who bought his home in Euless, TX (also in 1958!) when my mom was 3 years old.  He and my Mimi paid less than $10,000 for that house.  Lived in it for 50 years, until my mom (their only daughter) finally talked them into leaving the promised land (Texas, duh) and moving to be close to her in Arkansas.  Also, he paid up front, in full for every car he ever purchased.  I remember him trying to pay for one on his Discover card one time (hello, rewards!) and the dealer was thrown that someone would do that.  Only let him put half on the card.  He was just going to write a check to Discover and get those cash back rewards.  The point, he is smart with his money and we'd all be wise to pay heed to their generation.

4) Did you notice he said his home was the third best investment he ever made?  The first two were wedding rings.  For his first wife, then after her death for his second wife.

Don't get me wrong, this man is a human and not to be idolized.  But he's a rare breed in any case.


My takeaway from this:

"But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either."
-1 Timothy 6:6-7