Starting this week...

I'm officially "Babysitter Grammy". Katie got a new job (congratulations, Katie!) and I will be watching Sunny three days a week. I'm very excited.

I've been working on a curriculum for Sunny and I. She's used to going to daycare where they work on something new all the time. I don't want her to lose ground just because she's at Grammy's house.

We will be having Math, Science, Vocabulary, Music, Art, and Sensory time. Our first Math lesson will be counting to three. In Science, we're going to study the sounds animals make. In vocabulary, we'll be working on words, their meanings, and the concept of communication. (She already has about 20 verbal words, although some of them are pretty hard to understand unless you're around her all the time). Anyway, you get the idea.

Of course, besides not wanting her to lose ground, I have another reason for this structure... I don't want to get bored. We'll also have plenty of playtime. I asked Katie how they structure the day at KinderCare. She told me they move from activity to activity throughout the day. I asked how long they spend at each activity and she said about 3 minutes because the attention span for a one-year-old is about 1 1/2 minutes. Yikes!

Wish me luck...

113+ Degrees

Late yesterday afternoon I was sitting at my computer when I noticed the temperature on my screen click up to 113 degrees. I ran outside and took a picture so you can see what my front yard looks like at 113 degrees.

I was going to whine and complain about how hot and humid it is here (the humidity is 30% and the dew point is 60 degrees as I write this). But then around 5:30 pm the wind picked up a little. We bought an awning at Big Lots this year to put on our back patio because it's not covered at all. Unfortunately, Dan has not gotten around to fastening it to the concrete. You can see where this is going, can't you?!

I saw one of the legs raise up off the ground. Our little terrier, Duke was out there so I got him in the house and then went back to try to hold the awning down. Just as I opened the door, it raised up again so I grabbed the leg nearest me. The rest of the awning swooped up in the air and wrapped itself backwards on the roof.

I was stunned. I tried to pull it off the roof, but it was way too heavy. The wind kept gusting and I was afraid it was going to come off the roof and go sailing into a neighbors window or car. I called Jessica & Adam for HELP!

They arrived. Adam climbed up on the roof. We managed to pull the awning off the roof and Adam set about dismantling it. Dan arrived home. He says he's going to see if he can repair it, but I doubt it. Some of it was pretty twisted.

I guess if he does repair it, the first thing he will do is attach it to the patio. At least I hope so!

So Blessed...

I am feeling so blessed today. Even as tears are running down my face as I pray for others facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.

You know how it is. You get to feeling sorry for yourself over whatever little thing is bugging you in your life. Over whatever is not satisfying enough. Over whatever is difficult. And then you read, hear, or see someone else's plight. A situation that is so difficult that you just know you couldn't handle it. Then, suddenly, you feel blessed.

Why is that? Why can't I feel blessed all the time. Because I am. Blessed all the time. Even in the midst of life's little disappointments. Life's little challenges. Life's little road blocks or speed bumps. I am blessed.

I started a Gratitude Journal a few months back after reading "One Simple Act" by Debbie Macomber. That helped some. I start the day by listing 5 things I'm grateful for before proceeding to my Bible reading & prayer time.

But, I need to be more deliberate in acknowledging the blessings in my life. To God, to others, and to myself.

So for today, here it is, in print... I am so blessed.

One Hundred Sixty Three Days and Counting...

Today's Christmas Corner update is about Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments. To see some of the ornaments I pre-ordered and purchased, and to hear a tale about the dark side of ornament shopping check out today's Christmas Corner update.

Back to School... Already?!

As I was perusing the ads in the Sunday paper, I saw lots of "Back to School" specials. Are you kidding me?! It's July 11th! Wow, does time fly.

When I see the words "back to school" my stomach still clinches until I remember that I no longer have to buy school supplies. It was one of the most dreaded, and yet most anticipated times of the year for me. I love school supplies. Of course, it stands to reason since I have that paper addiction, pen addiction, marker ad..., well you get the point.

Given my attraction to all things office supply, you'd think I would have loved back to school shopping. The thing that got me down was the cost. Four kids, all needing: pencils, paper, notebooks, backpacks, lunch packs, erasers, scissors, pens, markers, crayons, boxes of Kleenex for the class, colored pencils, folders, spiral theme notebooks (some college lined, some wide lined), calculators (yes, you can buy the off-brand, but it doesn't have all the functions the $200.00 model has). As they got up in years, especially in high school the costs kept mounting. Now they all needed athletic passes, lunch accounts, yearbooks, parking spots, band uniforms, mock trial business suits, sports equipment, dance costumes... sigh.

And I haven't even mentioned the new clothes, shoes, hair accessories...

But, oh the memories. Let's face it, it was fun of the highest order. The anticipation of who would have what teacher. Which friends would be in their classroom. Who would have the same lunch period. What should they wear on the first day of school (once they got past 7th grade, they rarely wore the new outfit on the first day... why is that?!)

So for you still in the middle of the "kids in school" phase, enjoy the excitement of back to school season. For you who have yet to experience this, get ready, it's a dream and a nightmare rolled into one. And for those of you like me who are past it, just think, you'll someday have grandchildren going back to school, and you can buy them all of the frivolous, cool, outrageous stuff you couldn't afford to buy your own kids!

Four Generations

A few weeks ago, my friend Joanna took "Four Generation" photos for us. We used Downtown Glendale as our site. It's so old-fashioned with lots of trees, picket fences, and quaint bungalows. We love our photos and I wanted to share a few of the best with you. If you live in the Phoenix area and you're looking for professional family photos, I highly recommend Joanna. To see more of her work and for contact information, check out http://www.joannapolling.com/blog/. Be sure to tell her Vicki sent you!

my granddaughter, my daughter, me, my mom

look who's stealing the show!

mother & daughter - Katie & Sunny

mother & daughter - Katie & me

mother & daughter - mom & me

great-grandma & Sunny

grammy & Sunny

isn't this a great photo?!

delighting in each other

she's always happy like this

When Katie was pregnant, Dan & I were both excited at the prospect of four generation photos on both sides of the family. Sadly, his dad died before the baby was born. This is a good three generation shot.

sharing a laugh

still my best friend!

Be Prepared

As you know, I am a devoted FlyLady fan. FlyLady is Marla Cilley. She felt like she was drowning in C.H.A.O.S. (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) in 1999 and set out to make a complete change in her lifestyle. You can learn more about her system here. A couple of times a year she publishes her 11 Points of Preparedness in Case of Evacuation list. I thought I'd share it with you. You never know in this day and age when you may have to evacuate due to any number of reasons: fire, monsoon, hurricane, tornado, ice storm, flood, nuclear power plant melt-down (ok, that last one is mine, not hers!). This is a great list and by taking a few minutes to think about it now, we'll be ready if we ever need it.

The only thing I would add to this list is your CPU. If you have a desktop computer, know how to unplug the CPU to take with you. Also, if you follow Dave Ramsey, he suggests having a Legacy Folder. This folder contains all of the important information your family would need to know in case something happened to you. If you have one, be sure to place it on this list also (see item 4).

1. PEOPLE: Have a plan for getting out of the house and make sure everyone knows it. Have an emergency bag of food and water for your family. Include wholesome snacks and treats for the children: dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, crackers and granola bars.


2. PETS: Keep pet carriers and leashes readily available to lead pets to safety. Also take pet food with you.

3. PICTURES: Keep negatives or CDs of pictures in a lock box or at a family member's home. Have picture albums in one place ready to grab and go at a moments notice. Or keep copies on an Online storage place like Picasa or other photo website. Or a back up drive.

4. PAPERS: Have all your important papers in a lock box at a bank and only keep copies at the house. This keeps you from panicking. If you have them at home then put them in a folder that you can easily grab if you have to move fast. Color code it so you can find it!

5. PRESCRIPTIONS: Take your medications with you. Don't forget the ones that have to be refrigerated like insulin. Have small ice chest and cold packs readily accessible to pack and go. If you have babies; remember their formula or medications.

6. PURSES and PETRO: This is where you keep your identification, credit cards and cash. Keep a stash of cash for emergencies and grab it. You may not be able to use an ATM in the event of a power outage. Make sure your car always has a half a tank of gas.

7. PROPER CLOTHES and COMFORT ITEMS: According to the weather conditions; gather up a change of clothes along with outer clothing: coats, rain gear, boots, gloves and hats. If you have babies remember
diapers. Remember to grab your children's favorite blanket, stuffed animal or toy. A game or a deck of cards could keep them occupied and calm too.

8. PLANNER/CALENDAR/CONTROL JOURNAL: These documents have all the information you will need from phone numbers, insurance numbers and important dates. They are small and filled with things you don't have to try to remember.

9. PERSONAL PROTECTION: Many of us still have that time of the month. Be sure and grab a box of your preferred protection. It may be hard to find if you have been evacuated. Stress can cause our bodies to do strange things too. So be prepared. Take medication for cramps too.

10. PHONES, RADIOS, FUEL FOR THE CAR: Many of us have cell phones now. Always keep them charged up and have a charger in the car or an extra battery. They may not work in the event of power outages, but then they might. Know which local radio station has emergency bulletins. Keep your battery powered radio tuned to that local station and have plenty of batteries for it. Also keep a old type regular phone that does not operate with electricity. GAS PUMPS don't work without power either. You can't leave if your car is on empty. So keep your car fuel tank topped off when it hits a half of tank. This way you will have gas to drive at least a couple of hours. Evacuation routes are usually bumper to bumper traffic. Having a tank filled will keep you less stressed.

11. PATIENCE: This is one of the most important things to pack. Keep it inside of you so that you have a clear calm head. Having your P's to Preparedness list guiding you will keep you patient. In the event of an evacuation there will be lots of displaced people. Being patient will make things less stressful. Your children need to see you calm and collected. This will help keep them calm too.