A New Start?

October??? Really? Wow. I didn't think it had been that long. I'm not sure why, but the last 3 months of this year or so, I have become very disorganized and flat out lazy. I won't go into details, but let's just say, things have to change. I have to become more focused and less distracted during my work day and more on top of things around the house. We're back to being a one-car family, and so I'm driving the kids back and forth to school, which isn't helping either. But I'm determined to get, as Dave Ramsey would say, gazelle focused on a more orderly household in 2012.

My goals from last year were very hit and miss. In June it looked like I was on track to be debt free in four weeks; then both cars needed major repairs. In October, one of the children had an accident, and "their" car was totalled. DD refuses to drive the van, so her license is on hold for who knows how long. I have 3 bags sitting in the dining room, waiting transportation to Goodwill, and I am hoping to have several more join them in the next week or two, so decluttering has been acceptable. I did get 12 books read and am on track to finish reading the Bible in a year on time. Four household projects got done, not the 12 I had hoped for. And while DS is helping me more in the kitchen, I suspended the goal to teach the kids a meal each month. DD was not interested at all, and so I just take advantage of the opportunities when they arise. I'm not sure if I will set goals this year. I'm still thinking about it.

I'm also not sure how much blogging will get done. I do enjoy getting things down on "paper," so to speak, so I would like to get back into it. We're heading into the last year and a half of high school, and that means college visits, prom, senior pictures and all that. I believe it will go much faster than I want it to.

Homecoming

My kids went to Homecoming this year for the first time. DS took his girlfriend, and DD went with some friends, and a good time was had by all. :-) DS and I went to pick up DSGF and brought her back here for dinner. Then I played chauffeur for the evening out to the high school and back.

As I sat in the car waiting for them to come out after the dance, I had an interesting time watching the girls and their dresses. As a parent, I can't imagine letting my daughter were something with cleavage down to there and a hemline up to here. Thankfully DD is a naturally modest girl, but even if she weren't, I can honestly say some of those dresses wouldn't have even made it into the dressing room, much less to a school function. This is DD's dress. Very sophisticated and will get a lot of use the next couple of years with honors assembly, senior breakfast and the like. She looked amazing in it, and we were able to get it for less than half the regular price. :-)

One day after shopping for the dress, we were talking about prom dresses and how we will need to start looking early for something to fit her short, petite frame in case it needs to be altered and that I will start budgeting for the dress now so she won't have to be worried about cost. Bless her heart, she brought up that there is a charity in town that helps outfit girls who can't afford prom dresses, and maybe we could try that. **sniff sniff** 'Bout made me cry! But it also made me more determined to get my debt eliminated and my financial picture in a better place. A teenage girl shouldn't have to worry about that. Should she learn to work within a budget? By all means, yes! But worry? No.

Anyhow, they all had a good time at Homecoming. I heard stories for several days afterward (which I *mostly* enjoyed! There's always a few..... haha), and I think they will be telling their kids about going to McDonald's and Burger King at midnight because they were staaaarving! My babies are growing up......

Time Flies

Where did September go? I'm having a hard time processing that tomorrow is October 1. Seems like the kids just started school last week! At this rate Christmas will be the day after tomrrow! haha

We've had a busy month, on the go during the week and most weekends. My daughter and I have gone to her first Ohio State football game, we bought a membership to the Ohio Historical Center and spent an afternoon there (and didn't see everything so will be going back soon), and oh yeah, my son has a girlfriend (DSGF) and Homecoming is tomorrow! And that's just the highlights of the month! :-)

October doesn't look like it's going to be slowing down much, by the looks of the calendar, so it's time to get intentional again and plan out the next few months of activities with the kids and also get back to posting. I feel like I'm so far behind on everything. How far? I've been making a to-do list at the beginning of each week, and nothing, NOTHING, is crossed off yet this week. I've been lucky to get dinner on the table on clean plates :-) and to get my Bible studies done each night. And I now have a ton of stuff to get done before DSGF comes over for dinner before the dance tomorrow. Time to prioritize and get moving. :-)

Growing Up Boys and Girls

My kids are definitely growing up. Not only are they *upperclassmen* in school and driving, but now they are planning college visits, babysitting, and, gulp!, DS has a girlfriend! My kids might be twins, but they have very different ideas on how and when to date. DD has a few guy friends but has specifically stated she does not want to date until college because she wants to focus on her classes in high school and doesn't want to be "that girl" who can only think about her boyfriend.

DS, on the other hand, has tried to get to know girls in the past and has been rebuffed...until the first day of school this year. DSGF (DS' girlfriend) is in his culinary class, and they hit it off right away. He could not have found someone more like him, mannerisms and all, if he had intentionally tried. They text each other and talk on the phone for hours every day after school. He has been to her house twice and went to a local fair with her and her parents last weekend, and she has been here twice and went to the local festival parade with us the other night. DSGF got to meet the kids' uncle and 10-year-old cousin, and she really hit it off with the cousin, which isn't easy to do! She has also come to youth group at church the last couple weeks, and she and her parents have been in church several times, too. Unfortunately I have been in the nursery both times they were there and have not met them yet, but I understand they are coming again Sunday, so hopefully we will meet then.

I knew this time would come, when one of the twins would begin a relationship with someone. Am I a little scared? Sure! You never know if this will be a lifelong high school sweetheart thing or if hearts will be broken in a few weeks. I've always been open with my kids about dating and what is expected of them to do and NOT to do, but at some point, you have to let them go and experience things and the consequences (good or bad) on their own. Thankfully we have several "protective services" in place, at least for a while. I'm glad DSGF feels comfortable here and doing things with us and vice versa for DS and her family. I hope they will continue to want to spend time here. One of the benefits of twins is that there is a built-in chaperone! haha DD isn't afraid to call him out on something she has seen or heard. And DSGF isn't allowed to ride with him solo in the car yet until he has had his license for 6 months, so we have a while yet of family activities before they are on their own. But most importantly, both have been raised in the church and have been taught what God expects of them in a relationship.

I'm happy that DS has found a girl with whom he has so much in common. I truly believe God has had a hand in this. Will they be together 10 years from now? Only God knows that, but I pray that He will use this relationship to show these 2 very young people that He is in control and that they will see His hand and listen to His wisdom as they go forward.

Tuesday Blessings

1. Clean carpets
2. Freshly mowed yards
3. The local joint vocational school fixing the door of our car for no charge
4. A clean and freshly organized pantry
5. DD gaining confidence with night driving

Goals Update

I haven't been real good about posting goals the last few months because, well, basically I feel like I'm not going to accomplish the ones that were really important to me, namely the financial goals. My Visa is definitely not going to be paid off this year (thanks to some auto repair bills), and I highly doubt I will get my savings goal met. I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying on those 2 issues and am going to have to re-do what I have been doing. More on that later.

My other goals, reading the Bible, reading books and finishing projects are going so-so. I'm behind on my Bible-in-a-year reading but am working hard to catch up. I need to take a new inventory of what projects need to be done and get back into that. My book reading is really the only thing I have kept up on, having finished 8 books. Reducing clutter is also going okay. I don't think I've done a bag a month, but a bag is continually being filled, and I'm working on weeding out stuff from the basement now, so there will be several bags going at once. DS is more interested in helping in the kitchen and DD is getting a little tired of her pasta-only diet, so there is hope yet in the "teaching meals" category.

I'm just discouraged by what I haven't accomplished, and the financial goals - all 2 of them! - seem overwhelming and like they will NEVER get crossed off. I'm reading a little financial book by the late Larry Burkett and will re-read at least the beginning of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover to hopefully re-jump start my motivation. Can't hurt, that's for sure!

"Little" Things

I've been struck lately by how happy having some little things repaired has made me. For instance, a few days ago we had the carpets cleaned. I bit the bullet and called Stanley Steamer. We've been in this house 10 years and have never had the carpets done professionally, and it was time. I knew they wouldn't be able to restore the carpets to a brand new appearance, but, boy, they sure came close! I had them do the living room, dining room and kids' bedrooms. The plush carpet in the living room and bedrooms really does look nearly brand new aside from some wear (to be expected)! The berber in the dining room is not quite as nice, but it's also a cream color and has taken the brunt of a lot of animal stains from when we had cats. In any case, it still looks a ton better. It's been so nice to look at the carpet and smile and feel like we can actually have people over and not be embarrassed by the carpet! (now, if I could only replace the living room furniture.....!!)

Our vehicles.....both the van and the Ford were in the shop at the same time earlier this month. The Ford is 18 years old, and the folks we bought it from had done an excellent job in maintaining it, but there was just 1 itty bitty problem that needed repaired. The windshield wiper mechanism. Our friend had rigged up a switch that was working fine....until the switch went out. He tried a different switch, but it got to the point that every bump or pothole we hit, the wipers went on and stopped halfway up the window - right in your line of sight! So with the kids driving and DD stressed enough just getting behind the wheel, I got it fixed. Boy! Is it nice to go over a bump and not have wipers suddenly blocking your view! :-)

The van....oh, the van....! It has this little "service engine soon" light that just churns my stomach! haha It came on right after I left the Ford in the shop. Of course! Turns out there was something with the gasket or valve at the gas cap that needed replaced. No big deal, but while checking it out, they found something in the front suspension was cracked. I kinda figured something was wearing out up there because, again, as we would go over bumps or potholes, there was a squeaking, and as long as the thing drove, I didn't really want to spend the money to find out! (yeah, I know, ignorance is not always bliss, but I was keeping my fingers crossed!) So, since that's kind of a safety issue and, again, since the kids are driving and DS drives the van occasionally and it's the vehicle we usually take on longer trips, and now that I knew what it was and could no longer ignore it :-) , I got it fixed. I do have to say, it is really nice to go over speed bumps and railroad tracks and not hear squeaking! Makes me smile! :-)

My nature is to replace things rather than repair, even though I know repairing is usually cheaper. I also know that getting rid of something that could be fixed and continued to be used is not being a good steward of what God has given me. So I'm working on the fix-and-not-replace attitude and am happy to see the benefits. Now if I could just work on the procrastination aspect, we'd be good!