Happy Saturday!!  Hope everyone is having a great day!

YESTERDAY – FRIDAY

We got up early.  Well early for a day off!   Took Tommy to his 4 year Physical.   Everything is great!  He is in the 75% for weight and height.  If he maintains that % he will be around 6 feet tall like his daddy.   Cognitively his is doing great….the Dr tested his knowledge of colors and shapes.   The Dr said…great that he knew them.  I laughed since he has known them for over a year.   I said he knows his uppercase letters and can write his name too.   No concerns there.   We also had the conversation about Tommy sleeping in his own bed.   The Dr wants me to try a ticket system.  We will see.   His ears had no fluid in them and were good.  YEAH!   Tommy got his flu shot and we were on our way.   He didn’t even cry for his shot, but the Dr said the nurse would bring in a surprise.  Tommy didn’t think that was a very good surprise!  The Dr gave him Two stickers!

Then we dropped him off at daycare at his aunties and we started our massive day of shopping!    I am very very happy to say I am done with all my Christmas Shopping except I need to buy something for my hubby!    I hope to get everything wrapped this weekend so that I can send the South Dakota presents home with my parents when then come next week.  We shopped from about 10 to 4:30.  We did stop and have lunch at the Great Moon Buffet.  Then we stopped off at my inlaws to drop off the gifts for the boys.   It is hard for them to get out shopping so we buy the gifts for them to give the boys. 

We picked up Tommy and headed home.  It was hard to keep Tommy awake.  He always wants to fall asleep on the way home.   He stayed awake.  Josh and Amy carried in the Christmas presents for us.  

Josh is so busy this weekend.   He worked last night from 5 to 10.  Then he went straight to the overnighter at church.   He just got home at 7:00 this morning.  He is now sleeping until he goes to work again this afternoon.  Then tonight he is going to the Sadie Hawkins dance with Amy.   The boy is busy!   But it gives us a quiet weekend too, which is nice once in a while. 

Oh yeah….I made a great Broccoli and Cheese Soup that Tommy just loved!   He ate a whole bowl of it.   We are going to have it for lunch again today.  (I will share the recipe later)

TODAY

Hmm….we should be home most of today.   We will be going to the library this morning of course.  I have a lot of books to pick up for Erik to review due to all your great recommendations.

Then I want to just get caught up around the house with laundry, wrap presents, cook some meat and cleaning.   Life gets so busy!     I need to finish my book this weekend too for book group next week.   Well I am off to get ready to start my day.  Have a great one!

Happy Saturday!!  Hope everyone is having a great day!

YESTERDAY – FRIDAY

We got up early.  Well early for a day off!   Took Tommy to his 4 year Physical.   Everything is great!  He is in the 75% for weight and height.  If he maintains that % he will be around 6 feet tall like his daddy.   Cognitively his is doing great….the Dr tested his knowledge of colors and shapes.   The Dr said…great that he knew them.  I laughed since he has known them for over a year.   I said he knows his uppercase letters and can write his name too.   No concerns there.   We also had the conversation about Tommy sleeping in his own bed.   The Dr wants me to try a ticket system.  We will see.   His ears had no fluid in them and were good.  YEAH!   Tommy got his flu shot and we were on our way.   He didn’t even cry for his shot, but the Dr said the nurse would bring in a surprise.  Tommy didn’t think that was a very good surprise!  The Dr gave him Two stickers!

Then we dropped him off at daycare at his aunties and we started our massive day of shopping!    I am very very happy to say I am done with all my Christmas Shopping except I need to buy something for my hubby!    I hope to get everything wrapped this weekend so that I can send the South Dakota presents home with my parents when then come next week.  We shopped from about 10 to 4:30.  We did stop and have lunch at the Great Moon Buffet.  Then we stopped off at my inlaws to drop off the gifts for the boys.   It is hard for them to get out shopping so we buy the gifts for them to give the boys. 

We picked up Tommy and headed home.  It was hard to keep Tommy awake.  He always wants to fall asleep on the way home.   He stayed awake.  Josh and Amy carried in the Christmas presents for us.  

Josh is so busy this weekend.   He worked last night from 5 to 10.  Then he went straight to the overnighter at church.   He just got home at 7:00 this morning.  He is now sleeping until he goes to work again this afternoon.  Then tonight he is going to the Sadie Hawkins dance with Amy.   The boy is busy!   But it gives us a quiet weekend too, which is nice once in a while. 

Oh yeah….I made a great Broccoli and Cheese Soup that Tommy just loved!   He ate a whole bowl of it.   We are going to have it for lunch again today.  (I will share the recipe later)

TODAY

Hmm….we should be home most of today.   We will be going to the library this morning of course.  I have a lot of books to pick up for Erik to review due to all your great recommendations.

Then I want to just get caught up around the house with laundry, wrap presents, cook some meat and cleaning.   Life gets so busy!     I need to finish my book this weekend too for book group next week.   Well I am off to get ready to start my day.  Have a great one!

Hello…..today was my first day off!  Yeah…..though I was busy all day.   I got up and got Erik off to school.  Than I realized that hubby got paid early since tomorrow is a holiday.   So I paid bills and worked on our budget.  

I took Tommy to preschool and he separated really well from me.   He knew we were out of apple juice and I told him I had to go so I could get groceries and he was fine.  LOL!!  He wanted me to buy apple juice!   I stopped at the bank and picked up cash for groeries,  the kid’s allowance and Christmas Shopping tomorrow.   I like to use cash in envelopes for groceries and Christmas shopping….when it is gone…..it is gone.   I have a better understanding of how much money I have left when I use cash.  I absolutely never charge anything for Christmas.  I don’t want to ever be paying for Christmas in the new year. 

I came home and went through all the Christmas gifts I already have bought.  We buy gifts for about 30 people.   I have about 1/3 of the gift all done.  I made a list of the gifts we need to buy yet and should be ready for our big shopping day tomorrow.   I can’t wait to be done with all my shopping. 

Then I made my grocery and menu and got groceries.  I had budgeted $119 for groceries since I hadn’t made it to the store in two weeks.  I only spent $101.00 so that was pretty good.  I would like to get to where I only buy groceries only twice a month, but with the amount of fresh produce we like to eat, I dont’ think that will work. 

Time to make supper and get going on with our evening.  Tommy is napping…ooops!

Hello…..today was my first day off!  Yeah…..though I was busy all day.   I got up and got Erik off to school.  Than I realized that hubby got paid early since tomorrow is a holiday.   So I paid bills and worked on our budget.  

I took Tommy to preschool and he separated really well from me.   He knew we were out of apple juice and I told him I had to go so I could get groceries and he was fine.  LOL!!  He wanted me to buy apple juice!   I stopped at the bank and picked up cash for groeries,  the kid’s allowance and Christmas Shopping tomorrow.   I like to use cash in envelopes for groceries and Christmas shopping….when it is gone…..it is gone.   I have a better understanding of how much money I have left when I use cash.  I absolutely never charge anything for Christmas.  I don’t want to ever be paying for Christmas in the new year. 

I came home and went through all the Christmas gifts I already have bought.  We buy gifts for about 30 people.   I have about 1/3 of the gift all done.  I made a list of the gifts we need to buy yet and should be ready for our big shopping day tomorrow.   I can’t wait to be done with all my shopping. 

Then I made my grocery and menu and got groceries.  I had budgeted $119 for groceries since I hadn’t made it to the store in two weeks.  I only spent $101.00 so that was pretty good.  I would like to get to where I only buy groceries only twice a month, but with the amount of fresh produce we like to eat, I dont’ think that will work. 

Time to make supper and get going on with our evening.  Tommy is napping…ooops!

7 out of 18 budgets approved….and DONE!!!   There might be a light at the end of this tunnel.

Immax3 – I fixed the link!  Hmm…I think it works now. Thanks for the heads up!

Hey everyone!   Well 1/2 way through another week.  For me today is the end of my work week this week.  YEAH!!  I do have to work about 2.5 hours tomorrow from home, but that is not much.   Friday is a governmental Holiday.  YEAH!!    I am so looking forward to a quiet restful weekend!

-YESTERDAY-

My ribs are starting finally to feel a little better!  YEAH!   I worked yesterday from 9:00am to after 9:30 pm.  And I wasn’t in much pain.  I got a lot done and it felt great.   I got home and hubby had all the kids in bed except for Tommy who always waits for Momma.  I read him one story and he was drifting off to sleep during it.  

I finally figured out my checkbook last night and looked at how we were doing with our savings plan.  Since we have budgeted all our savings, it really has helped us out a lot.   I am not sure if I shared before how we have been doing our savings, but it has worked out great!    I have saved 600.00 for Christmas shopping which we will be doing on Friday.   I also budget $300.00 a month to cover unexpected expenses, which we don’t often actually have to use.  This has given us a good picture of what we have and allowed us make a loan to hubby’s parents when they need it without a problem.  What a blessing. 

Looks like we might be helping out my SIL and BIL by giving them my old GEO prizm.   They are in need of a different car for a bit.  I am looking forward to getting it out of our driveway.   A blessing to us and them!  Life is good. 

–TODAY-

Took my time getting to work this morning.  I did a load of laundry and put Erik’s clothes away.   I also did some more research on all the book titles you all gave me for Erik.  I have reserved a lot of book for him at the library to take a look at.   The Dragon Slayers Academy Series by Kate McCullan – looks very promising.  There are 15 books in the series so I think if he likes these, Santa will buy a few more of them.  Until I get to the library on Saturday I am going to have him read the Magician’s Nephew since I have the set of Narnia books.  He isn’t too thrilled about them, but oh well.   He needs to take something to his mother’s over the weekend to read.  The library will be closed on Friday so I can’t get them for him early. 

Took Tommy to daycare and then headed to work.  I stopped at the dollar tree to purchase some Thanksgiving Napkins, but they were out already….OOPS…waited too long.  So I bought my Christmas paper goods we will be needing.    I also bought 5 more workbooks for Tommy.  He is going through about 5 a month.  He loves to do his “homework”.   I bought the same printing one three times…he likes to wok on writing his letters so much.   We have moved up to some Kindergarten workbooks since he likes them so much.  I also signed up him at Book Adventures online to take the kindergarten comprehension tests.  I reserved some books at the library for him and will do the Book Adventure thing with him too.  It is the coolest site! Check it out!  I am always telling teachers at IEP meetings about it. 

My last IEP meeting today is at 2:45 and then I will be heading home.  We are having supper at church and going to our classes.  I hope Tommy will separate from me. 

TOMORROW

I am home and want to sleep in a bit.  I still have to get up and get Erik moving and to the bus stop on time.  He gets too distracted to accomplish this on his own yet.   Maybe some day!  Tommy is going to daycare after school and I will get groceries and make my Christmas gift Inventory.   I have a lot of gifts already bought and on Friday the last will be purchased.  I hope to wrap them all over the weekend and be ready for the holidays!  

A long weekend is really needed by us…………..

I can always count on your guys…your great!   I checked out the Redwall Series, it is 7th grade level.  It might be too hard for Erik.  I did reserve one of them from the library to try though.  

ilovebakedgoods – I bought the Rule of Four already for Josh…LOL!!  Great idea though.    Hmm…..he is hard to find books for since I don’t read the same kind of books as him.

immax3 – I am not sure I even shared how I hurt my ribs….it is stupid!   I was cleaning the bath tub and leaning over the side and scrubbing the bottom.  I turned to scrub the back of the tub while leaning on my ribs and it made a painful cracking sound.  So I guess I am not cleaning the tub for a bit. 

I can always count on your guys…your great!   I checked out the Redwall Series, it is 7th grade level.  It might be too hard for Erik.  I did reserve one of them from the library to try though.  

ilovebakedgoods – I bought the Rule of Four already for Josh…LOL!!  Great idea though.    Hmm…..he is hard to find books for since I don’t read the same kind of books as him.

immax3 – I am not sure I even shared how I hurt my ribs….it is stupid!   I was cleaning the bath tub and leaning over the side and scrubbing the bottom.  I turned to scrub the back of the tub while leaning on my ribs and it made a painful cracking sound.  So I guess I am not cleaning the tub for a bit. 

Hey everyone…..I know you home schoolers are a great resource for books for my boys!    I found a series that Erik was able to read, Spiderwick.  I bought the 5 book set and he has read them all.  I look on book adventure website and they say these are at about the 3rd grade level.   I also bought him the Artemis Fowl set and Eragon both of these are above his reading level and he can’t understand them.  We also have all the Harry Potter Book, but those are too hard as well.  He loves the Lord of the Rings and that type of thing.   So I am looking for some reading suggestions.   Santa Brings a book or two every year for the boys.   Santa tries to promote literacy a lot!    Erik is in the 7th grade, but his reading and comprehension is delayed.

Also looking for reading suggestions for Josh.   Last year I bought him all the Dan Brown book, Angels and Demons, Davini Code and a few others.   He also will read Lamb: Jesus’s Childhood Friend or something like that.    He is nearly 18 and is an excellent reader.  He has read at college level since he was in 6 grade or less.  He has read a few Tom Clancy book as well……I have bought him a James Patterson book too.  

Hey everyone…..I know you home schoolers are a great resource for books for my boys!    I found a series that Erik was able to read, Spiderwick.  I bought the 5 book set and he has read them all.  I look on book adventure website and they say these are at about the 3rd grade level.   I also bought him the Artemis Fowl set and Eragon both of these are above his reading level and he can’t understand them.  We also have all the Harry Potter Book, but those are too hard as well.  He loves the Lord of the Rings and that type of thing.   So I am looking for some reading suggestions.   Santa Brings a book or two every year for the boys.   Santa tries to promote literacy a lot!    Erik is in the 7th grade, but his reading and comprehension is delayed.

Also looking for reading suggestions for Josh.   Last year I bought him all the Dan Brown book, Angels and Demons, Davini Code and a few others.   He also will read Lamb: Jesus’s Childhood Friend or something like that.    He is nearly 18 and is an excellent reader.  He has read at college level since he was in 6 grade or less.  He has read a few Tom Clancy book as well……I have bought him a James Patterson book too.