I have never understood bullying.

Bullying mystifies me. I just don't get how someone gets such great enjoyment out of making someone else miserable.  I have been hearing all week about how its happening in Bryce's classroom, in the lunchroom, and on the bus and I am fed up.

 I am so thankful that Bryce isn't the focus of the bully.  I'm even more proud that she is sticking up for the poor child who keeps getting bullied.  The poor boy even went home early and missed school today.  It breaks my heart because I know this boy is nothing but sweet and shy.  I keep encouraging Bryce to stick up for him and do it so loudly that he knows he has someone defending him.  Unfortunately I also had to warn her that it might make her a target of the bully.  I hope that doesn't happen, and she doesn't care about the risk (she is much braver than me sometimes), but I still wanted to be clear there could be a backlash. 

Then today, my neighbor came came off the bus crying.  Bryce told me that the 5th grade boys were picking on him on the bus.  Same group of 5th grade boys doing the bullying.

Where does bullying begin?  With the parents? With the friends they choose?  I wish there was a cure.  Bullying doesn't just hurt in the midst of it.  I still carry scares and insecurities from being bullied in 7th grade.  I think about that time in my life and cringe.  It makes me a little more overly sensitive to bullying--because let me tell you--if what happened to me starts to happen to either of my kids--I will be a permanent fixture in that school.

I sit here and am thankful that at this moment my kids aren't either the bully or the one being bullied and pray for the parents of both to find a way to help their kids. 

What makes deployments survivable?

Friends ....and family...and friends that are more like family...and definitely prayer.  But this post is about friends--which are an answered prayer so I guess its all interwoven.   I know I have probably mentioned it before, but I need to say it again.  I was struck again today at how valuable a good support system is during a deployment.

This weekend I finally took some friends up on an offer they made me when Danny first left in January.  "If you need anything just ask" is a line us deployed spouses hear a lot...and appreciate.  Some of us are better about asking for help than others.  I'm so-so about asking for help.  If its something I think I can do--its just a pain to do, or a struggle to find time to do--I won't ask for help.  I feel like its showing weakness or something.  I feel like its my responsibility to get it done.  I feel better if I can pay someone to do it, because then I feel like I haven't pawned my chores onto someone else and burdened them.  At any rate, I finally got over it and took Brett and Amy up on their long standing offer of watching the kids so I can have a weekend to unwind.  It was great!

They watched my little ones while I went to a deployed spouses retreat in Savannah.  I got a fake tattoo that said, "US ARMY APPROVED." So now I'm army issue :)  The joke behind that for you civilian folk is that the whole time I was in the Army, and Danny has heard it too, is that "if the Army wanted you to have a family it would have issued it to you."  At any rate, hung out with some great ladies for Ft. Gordon during the day, and since it was in Savannah I was able to catch up with an old Army buddy from my Ft. Stewart days.  Lisa and I got to go out to eat and stay up and chat like teenagers.  It was a much needed break.  So thank you Brett, Amy,  and Lisa for making my weekend!

Other people that are making my life easier right now are Jace's football coaches.  I love seeing Jace get some good positive time in with such great men.  In addition, both, but especially Andy, are willing to help me out in whatever way I need in regard to getting Jace to and from practice in games.  Andy's wife is also awesome and welcoming.  They both have full schedules, but are always willing to help out.

Tonight Bryce started golf, and it was the first night so it had the parent meeting.  This meant I had to stay there until 8 and couldn't get Jace from their scrimmage (which they won by the way).  Andy took him home and Jace got to chill with him.  It was great for me, but it also gave Jace some more time with a great positive role model and some guy time.  As I was picking Jace up tonight Andy said again--we'll take Jace anytime you need help.  Since I need help Thursday, it was a great time to let him know ;)

But in addition to these fine examples, I have some great friends & fabulous church family.  Besides my hubby being home, what more could a girl wish for :)  Thank you to all my friends and family that are making this year so much more bearable!!  

Yep..I finally broke down and did it...

Yep, I finally did it.  I finally broke down and paid for my house to get clean.  Well, its not clean yet.  Augusta Daily Deals was having too good of a deal to pass up--55% off of house cleaning.  I checked what all they cleaned and I was sold.  Instead of spring cleaning I'm getting some good fall cleaning :) 

I finally decided to bite the bullet and pay for help cleaning this one time because I have been so overwhelmed with everything else that needs to get done that the cleaning just gets pushed to the back burner.  Now, I do keep the house neat (most of the time LOL) but its the deep cleaning I really want.  Things like cleaning off the ceiling fans, doing base boards, behind the toilets, walls--you know--all the things you see that are dirty but can always wait. 

So now I just need to schedule when to have them come clean ASAP--and hopefully they'll have another deal right before Danny comes home ;).  Actually, I think I could just buy another deal and hold onto it..consider it a Christmas present to Danny to have the house clean, right? 

Oh--and here is all the stuff they will be cleaning..yay!!
Kitchen
Remove cobwebs
Sweep & mop floor
Spot clean outside of cabinets
Clean baseboards
Clean outside stove
Vacuum or sweep kitchen rug as needed
Clean outside refrigerator
Clean and polish sink & faucet
Clean the outside of all appliances
Empty trash
Clean inside/outside of microwave
Wipe down all windowsills
Clean counter tops
Clean all blinds
Light fixtures, ceiling fans, & switches
Wipe off electrical outlets
Clean inside of windows

Bathrooms

Clean mirrors & sinks
Clean exterior of all vanities
Clean light fixtures, switches, & ceiling fans
Polish faucet
Spot clean the outside of cabinets
Spot clean the door on both sides
Clean soap holder
Clean toilet and behind toilet
Clean tub & shower
Remove cobwebs
Clean baseboards & floors
Clean all blinds
Wipe down all windowsills
Clean inside of windows

Living Areas/Dining Room

Dust all corners (high/low)
Dust all horizontal surfaces
Dust mop wood floors
Sweep/mop tile (if applicable) and clean baseboards
Remove cobwebs
Clean windowsills & blinds
Clean sliding glass doors
Clean all glass & mirrors
Clean light fixtures, switches, & ceiling fans
Clean inside of windows

Bedrooms

Dust all horizontal surfaces
Light fixtures, switches, & ceiling fans
Dust mop wood floors (if needed)
Vacuum and/or Mop tile
Dust all corners (high/low)
Make all beds
Clean all glass and mirrors
Clean blinds & windowsills
Clean baseboards
Clean inside of windows

Freezer meals rock!

Alright, I admit it...I had a semi lazy day today.  I did have to do some running--take Bryce to the orthodontist (She gets her braces off next month!!!), take care of some stuff at the kids' school for the fundraiser, and run to The 1st Tee to make sure we are ready for registration tomorrow.  I had planned to come home and clean and start cooking right away, but I decided I deserved a little R&R so I took a nap. 

No TV today--I am fasting TV on weekdays during September.  Why?  Our church does what we call 9/30.  We are encouraged to fast something (not necessarily food) in order to get closer to God.  Last year I fasted facebook, but since I use it to chat and stay in touch with Danny I had to find something else.  TV seemed to be taking up too much of my free time (what little I had) so I am fasting it during the week.  So today instead of turning the TV on, I took a nap and then, while I was doing my freezer meals, I listened to some great Christian music.  I'm also fasting soda (pop for all my SD friends). 

So, after my nap I did end up getting productive.  I had it on my schedule to do freezer meals today.  Since I was feeling overwhelmed by the busyness of every week night from now till November, I figured that having the meals taken care of would take some of the stress off, and I was right.  I did 13 freezer meals in 2 1/2 hours.  I think it was more like 2, but since I'm unsure as to when I really did start, I'm adding a 1/2 hour.  I found the recipes from two different pins on pinterest.  I moved one to my "finished pins" board, but can't find the other one now. 

Making these meals was super easy.  I started off with the list of meals I wanted to do and the recipes I had printed from pinterest.  I also printed off a calendar so I could plan all my meals for the month.  I made sure I had my freezer bags and sharpies ready.   

Then, I went to it.  Everything mixed inside the baggies, so I had very little mess.  I also had hardly any dirty dishes!

Like I said, I ended up with 13 Freezer meals.  They were:
Sausage & Peppers (x2)
Teriyaki Chicken
Savory Chicken (x2)
Lazy Day Stew (x2)
Sweet and Tangy Meatballs (x2)
Chicken and Rice
Hawaiian Chicken
Teriyaki Pork
Garlic Honey Chicken

All of them are made in the crock pot--so SUPER easy and fast dinners. 

After I got done making the freezer meals (and some how managing to find space for them in the freezer), I got even more organized by planning the meals for the whole month of September. 
See:

So, now I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for actually following through on making the chart.  I only hope I can follow it all month.  This is also going to help me with the food bill because I have everything I need for all the meals through the end of this month, and actually have 3 freezer meals left over to start off October.  Bryce is really good about taking leftovers in for lunch the next day--Jace is okay about it sometimes.  So the only thing I'll really need to get on my shopping trip on the 17th or 18th is snacks and kids' lunch stuff and cereal.  I'll be saving money AND time--shopping should be an in and out trip!

A good decision

Today started with me stressing about having enough time, and is ending with me feeling the same way.  In a morning that I had over scheduled, the first thing (Jace's doctors appt) I did went an hour over.  The whole time I'm sitting in the waiting room the panic was starting to well up in me.  After the doctor's appointment was over, the rest of the day went pretty well.  Until the kids came home from school ;)

The kids weren't bad, it was just all the stuff we had to get done after school.  Between homework, football practice,  and more homework I've realized the kids' bed times have to be extended.  Its not a big deal, but in the midst of it--on the way to football practice--I started to panic again.  I even called and woke Danny up so I could vent.  I am so glad I have such a great hubby!

I'm hoping the extended bedtime (only 1/2 hour later) doesn't make the kids cranky in the morning.  I'm also hoping that the medicine that Jace starts tomorrow will help him stay focused on homework and help it go more smoothly.  At first I thought that maybe it was just my parenting that was causing the homework fiasco--but then the football coach said Jace hasn't been focused at practices.  The doctor said his medicine is probably wearing off by the end of the day--hence the added dose in the afternoon.  We also have a referral in for Jace to visit the child's psychiatrist to confirm/change his diagnosis.  Unfortunately it will probably take 3 months to get the appointment.  So, if any of Jace's behaviors are aggravated by the fact that Danny is deployed, we'll get help just in time for him to come home ;) 

Needless to say there was some yelling tonight trying to get everything done and keep the kids on task.  In the midst of me feeling like a horrible parent, Bryce helped me see something I've done right lately.  Remember the Momma & Me journal I created for them a while ago?  Well, Jace hasn't done any of it, but Bryce and I have been writing in hers.  It has been working out great.  Tonight after I had yelled at her, she went upstairs and wrote in her journal.  She told me how she feels sad when I yell at her, but that I am a great mom.  I am so excited that she is using it to express her feelings!  It made my night to see that one thing we've started is working the way I had hoped it would.