Blogging

This semester was the first time I have ever blogged.  I did enjoy doing the two blogs per week.  It was fun to write about topics that I enjoy and being able to just write without worrying about grammar errors, etc.  I do think that it has to help with our writing skills.  Just to sit down and write about 1000 words a week in general would help, but there were some topics that we may have had to do a little research on. It helped to prepare me for the papers we had to write.  The only real complaint I have was running out of things to write about.  That should be the easy part, but I found that towards the end of this semester I had a hard time coming up with topics to blog.  I am sure I was just thinking too much about it.  It could have also been that this is my first time to ever blog.  Maybe it comes easier the more you do it.  I also did enjoy reading about what others wrote.  I especially like the plain casual blogs that talked about your week, or a bully at school, or just talking about your family or friends.    I feel like I actually got to know my online class a little more this way.  When you are forced to be more involved it makes for a better semester, like you’re not the only one out there.  Sometimes these online classes can make you feel alone.  The blogs helped me to remember that I am in a class with other actual students that have real lives.  For me, it was very interesting to read about.  As much as I did enjoy reading what others have blogged or blogging for my first time ever, I will probably not continue for now for the simple fact that I am busy with the kids this summer and working.  I am sure that probably isn’t a good excuse but that would be my number one reason.   I know there are more of you that can relate to being busyJ.  Have a wonderful summer.  Be safe and enjoy your time off of school.  Next year is my last year!  Yay!  I am so excited.   Six years later, I should finally be done with my degree.  I wish everyone well!

What a Wonderful Week

This has been a good week.  Not only are we in the last week of classes, but I have a new baby niece.  My sister-in-law went to the hospital on Monday to have her baby.  After sitting at the hospital all day and night Monday she still didn’t have her.  She finally delivered on Tuesday morning around 9:30.  She had quite a long labor; however, this was her first baby.  I know with my first it also took me 17 hours.  Sometimes your first can take a while.  Well I guess, it doesn’t matter how many you have they come when they are ready.  My sister had her 4^th baby and took her 24 hours.  It was miserable.  Anyway, my new niece is Allie Mae.  She ended up in the NICU Tuesday morning because she was having hard time breathing.  They said her lungs were not fully developed, even though she carried her baby to term.  She is on a ventilator and feeding tube.  My sister-in-law has had a hard time.  She left the hospital on Thursday without her baby.  The hospital was very generous though, and put her up in the Ronald McDonald house.  The baby seems to be doing better today.  They said she ripped her feeding tube out last night but is doing well without it because they are slowly trying to take her off her oxygen.  So far she is doing great with it!  I feel so bad for her.  I can relate.  I delivered my oldest son early.  He was in NICU for a while.  It is always hard when you deliver your baby and they take them away from you and without even being able to hold them.  We could not even touch him because it would excite him and make his oxygen level go way down.  I know that baby Allie was the same way.  Cox Hospital was also so great to us.  Children’s Miracle Network paid for us to stay in the Cox Hotel the whole time he was in the hospital.  Needless to say it is a wonderful organization and I donate any chance I can.  To make a long story short, I have a beautiful new niece and she is doing much better.  I am so anxious for her to come home so everyone can rest easy.  You might say a little prayer for her so she can recover soon.:)

On top of having a new baby in the family we got to hear the great news that they finally got Osama.  It has been a long 10 years, but we finally succeeded!

Royal Wedding

     I am sure all of us were fortunate enough to see the royal wedding on television.  It was so amazing to see such a “fairy tale” event.  I recorded it all, so I didn’t have to get up at 3 in the morning.  I probably didn’t even need to do that.  It was on all day!  They kept showing video and pictures of the wedding.  I must say, I was mostly excited to see her dress.  I didn’t realize she was going to change her dress three times throughout the day.  I probably liked her second dress she put on the most.  It was gorgeous, as they all were. 

     I was reading an article on the internet and the media was going as far as getting professionals to try to interpret what he was saying to her at the alter and different parts of the day.  I am assuming they are some kind of professional that can read lips.  Who knows.  I do think that is a little much.  That would stink to not even be able to keep that much of their ceremony private.  Not that I would mind to be a princess or anything.  Ha ha.  I just think it must get somewhat old to not have any privacy. 

     The build- up to the wedding was a special occasion itself and attracted so much media attention.  The service was broadcast live around the world.  It was compared, in many ways, to the wedding of William’s parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.  It was watched by a global television audience of over two billion.  A lot of the attention was focused on Kate Middleton’s status as a commoner marrying into royalty.

     Just hours before the service, the Queen granted Prince William the titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickferfus.  Upon her marriage, Middleton therefore became Her Royal Highness Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus, but is not styled as ‘Princess Catherine’.  

     This wedding was not a full state occasion; many of the details were left to the couple themselves to decide, such as much of the guest list.  There were about 1,900 people that attended the wedding.  However, this was a public holiday in Great Britain and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.  It was attended by most of the Royal Family, as well as many foreign royals, diplomats, and the couple’s chosen personal guests. 

    The couple is said to be staying on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, following their wedding.  This is where Prince William is based as an RAF Search and Rescue Pilot. 

    

    

My Week

     As it gets closer to the end of the semester I am finding it more and more difficult to come up with what to blog about.  Maybe it is because I am new to this blogging, I am not sure.  It is fun to read what other people write about though.  I really like the blogs about everybody’s week and what they do.  It is interesting to read about how we all have such hectic but wonderful lives!   I wouldn’t trade it for the worldJ. 

     We start our baseball games next week.  It looks like it may not be as bad as I thought.  We will only be at the ball field 3 nights a week.   I love this time of the year!  I am so happy that we won’t be down at the field so much that we get burned out.  It should be just about the perfect amount of days.  However, I was sad because this is the first year I will have to juggle my boy’s games.  My husband coaches my youngest sons tee ball team and my oldest travels to different towns, so it looks like I will miss 3 out of 7 of my youngest son’s games.  My oldest, Conner, will have to be out of town at his ballgame the same time my youngest, Evan, is playing.  Welcome to parenthood!  I guess this is what a lot of parents go through when you have more than one child in sports.  I don’t know how mothers do it with more than 2 kids.  They keep us so busy.  To all of you with more than two children, I admire what you do. :)

     To end this week, I have to also say how thankful I am that it is not raining today.  It has been a beautiful couple of days.  I was so sick of seeing the rain.  The back of my house was flooded so bad.  We normally use the back door to come in and out of, but this week there was no going through our back yard.  It kind of made it a pain for the simple fact that our garage is in the back of our house so it was a long walk to the front door.  I shouldn’t complain though, it could be a lot worse.  I am thankful to have a home period. 

     I hope everyone has a wonderful couple of weeks.  That is all we have left in the semester.  We are almost there!  I can’t wait for the summer break.  I am sure we are all beyond ready for it.  We leave for vacation June 19^th.  It is getting so close.  I am excited to be able to take the boys to the beach this year.   This is the first time they have been.  Have a great week and pray we don’t see anymore rain!

Easter Weekend

     I hope everyone has a wonder Easter weekend.  My boys are very excited about hunting eggs!  I wrote my first blog about the history of Easter.  It is nice to remind ourselves of why we celebrate this day:)  It was also very interesting to read about why we hide Easter eggs and where the Easter bunny fits in. 
     We plan to go to church Sunday morning and then head to my mother-in-laws house for dinner.  She always has a pinata for the kids and an Easter egg hunt.  They love going to grandmas house!  She also makes wonderful sugar cookies.  It's an amazing feeling to see your children and how excited they get about the holidays.  They love when the Easter bunny comes!  It is sweet.  They asked me this morning how many more days we had until they woke up to their Easter baskets.  They just make my heart melt.  There is nothing I love more than making my boys happy.  I hope it doesn't rain us out Sunday.  We normally spend almost the whole day outdoors.  We may have to make other arrangements this year, as everyone else will too.  That always stinks.  I am already so ready for this rain to end!  I am ready for the sunshine and warm weather.  I think it makes everyone in a much happier mood. 
     Have a great holiday weekend and enjoy the last few weeks of the semester!  We are almost done and can enjoy the summer.  Happy Easter!

Easter

     Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.  His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday.  Easter makes the end of Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.  The last week of the Lent is called Holy Week.  It contains Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. During Lent, many strict Catholics will give up eating meat on Fridays.  Meat is also not consumed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as well.  Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obligated to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all other Fridays of Lent. 
      Easter is a holiday not fixed in the relation to the civil calendar.  It occurs during the Spring, either March or April.  The method for determining the date of Easter Sunday is based on the lunisolar calendar. 
     Easter customs vary across the Christian world, but decorating Easter eggs is common among everyone.  History.com says, "Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions.  In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter.  The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president.  The event has no religious significance, although some people have considered egg rolling symbolic of the stone blocking Jesus' tomb being rolled away, leading to his resurrection." 
     Much like Easter eggs, the Easter bunny most likely has nothing to do with the religious observance of the holiday.  According to an article from Discovery News, the symbol of the Easter bunny hails from Pagan traditions.  The bunny represents the re-birth of life with the coming of the spring season and the blooming flowers

Mom Drove Kids into the Hudson River

I am sure most of you have heard about the mother from New York that drove her four children and herself into the Hudson River.  The 10 year old boy was able to escape the minivan and ran to a nearby fire station and alerted the firefighters.  He told them that his mother had driven the van off a boat ramp in Newburgh, about 60 miles north of New York City.  When the firefighters and police arrived to the scene it took them about an hour before finding the van submerged in 10 feet of water about 25 yards offshore.  Everyone inside the van was dead, including the older boys siblings: two boys, ages 2 and 5, and an 11 month old baby girl.  The police chief said that there was some kind of domestic altercation that occurred about 10 minutes before the incident happened.  That was all the information they had. 

This story is so heart wrenching.  I do not understand for one minute how anyone could harm their children.  I do not for one second agree with harming yourself, but to put your kids in the car.  What do these people think!  I know they clearly have mental issues, I just don’t understand why these people don’t seek help.  I would think you have to know if you are mentally unstable.  I’m not sure, I am not a psychologist.  This would be interesting to maybe learn a little more about.  Why do people that are mentally unstable think the way they do?

My Week

What a week this has been!  I have been sick for the last 5 days with the stomach stuff going around.  I thought I was never going to get better!  I went through the pepto like crazy this week.  My mother-in-law ended up in the hospital because her sodium levels got so low it was dangerous.   Now my five year old son has been up for the last two nights with a horrible cough.  He grabbed his chest last night and said it hurt when he would breathe in or cough.   I seriously believe that when it rains it pours!  I sure hope this next week goes a little smoother.  I feel like I am so behind on school work so that is a little stressful too.  Not to mention, I really hope these spring storms are over soon.  I am terrified of them.  That is probably an understatement.  I don’t have a basement so when it is going to be bad overnight I pack up my family and stay at my sister-in-laws house because she has a huge basement at her house.  I love it!  I hate that I am so afraid I have to disrupt everyone but it sure does help to stay at a place that I feel safe.  I have always been afraid of storms but it got really bad when I was in the tornado back in 2001.  It was horribly scary.  To see what a tornado can really do is heart wrenching.  Now that I have children, I worry so badly about them too.  I need to relax a little because it is awful how scared I get.  My oldest son has to take care of me!  I know that sounds so bad but I literally get in a panic mode and lose track of everything.  I need help!  Ha ha.  My poor kids.  My family is always telling me that I need to go to the doctor and try to get something to help calm my nerves when it is going to storm.  I don’t know what else to do.  I wish I could just tell myself to chill out but that doesn’t seem to work.  If I could make myself not get that way, believe me I would.  It is not a good feeling, especially when you have two little boys to take care of.  I have made my youngest scared to death of storms.  That makes me so sad for him.  I am lucky that my 9 year old takes after his dad and isn’t scared at all.  He is so calm.  I haven’t traumatized him.  Thank goodness.  It isn’t a good feeling to know that probably a huge reason your youngest child is so scared is because his mom makes him that way.  If anyone has some good advice I’d love to hear it.  I’m up for trying anything! 

Japan

A huge earthquake has again rattled Northeast Japan.  A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Japan at 11:32 p.m. local time Thursday in the same region as the initial March 11^th 9.0 magnitude earthquake. It was the largest aftershock to date.  After the earthquake hit, Japanese authorities initially put out a tsunami warning and told people along the coastline to evacuate.  However, there have been no evidence of tsunamis and the warning was lifted.  The earthquake was reportedly 25 miles deep.  Japan has also shut down two more nuclear power plants. 

Buildings as far as Tokyo, approximately 200 miles from where the quake was, trembled for about a minute. 

In Ichinoseki, an inland city, buildings shook violently and items were knocked from shelves.  There was, however, no heavy damage reported. 

Two plants in Oginawa and in Aomori Prefecture were knocked out in the latest tremor.  Authorities did say there was no threat of a radiation leak.  The nuclear power plant in Oginawa went offline following the aftershock.  The plant served as an unplanned shelter in the wake of the March 11^th quake. 

There is so much tragedy from these earthquakes that continue to hamper Japan.  This is an awful tragedy that this country has had to face one to many times in the last month.  My heart goes out to all the families that have been affected. 

Busy with Baseball

All three of my boys started baseball last week!  My husband plays on a co-ed team from his work, he practices two days a week and will soon start to have a couple of games a week I am sure.  On top of that, both of my boys started practicing as well.  My youngest son is in tee ball and only practices once a week for an hour.  My oldest son started his first year of kid pitch so he is up to practicing two days a week for 2 hours.  Needless to say, we are at the ball field almost every night.  My husband also is the coach of their teams.  He loves it and so does my boys.  Thursdays we are there for a good 4 hours by the time my son practices and then we watch daddy play ball.  I love baseball but I can tell this is going to be a long summer! Don’t get me wrong, I love more than anything to watch my kids in their sports but this summer is so busy.  I think a lot of it is also because my son has moved up to kid pitch so their practices are longer and a little more intense.  He’s in the big time now!  They like to get all the practicing in that they can before games start.  That will make for even more time spent at the ball field.  I am sure before it is all said and done we will be there almost every night.  It kind of makes it hard to plan for dinner.  I really do enjoy it though.  Just a lot of running so it gets a little tiring.  That’s part of parenthood and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  It is just nice to be able to gripe a little as a mom.  I don’t know how women do it with several children.  I look up to them greatly.  My sister-in-law has 5 children all of which play ball.  I feel like I really don’t have any room to complain.  She spends her whole summer at the ball field.  She is there every night for hours, literally.  She has gotten to where she packs a cooler almost every night and they eat out of that for dinner!  It is too expensive to eat out every night for dinner.  I always tease her that she is super mom. J  I am thinking for me personally, I am good with my two.  I love for them to be able to play their sports and it would be so hard with 3 more than what I already have.  A lot of these practices go until 9 or 9:30 too.  It makes it hard when you have a bed time of 8:30 during the school year.  I have heard several moms complain of how late these practices can go during school.  I truly am blessed to have the two boys I have and am so thankful they are able to play sports.  I guess if the worst thing I can do is vent a little about how busy we get as parents that isn’t so bad.  Thanks for listening. J

Spring Break

I had such a good week off of school, it was hard to start back to classes this week.J  I wish it wouldn’t have rained so much though!  It makes me so ready for summer.  I really didn’t do much other than hang out with my family during our break.  We had dinner with my sister and her kids one night.   It is always nice to get together with them.  She has three boys and I have two.  Her oldest is 20, but her other two are around the same age as mine.  They are extremely close cousins.  We are so lucky they are as close as they are.  I hope it continues as they get older. 

My routine this week was pretty much the same as it usually is minus the homework, so that was nice to have that break.  The best thing I have done is go back to college, but I am down to my last year and I am starting to feel a little burned out.  I hear that is pretty normal though.  I have been in school for what seems like forever, however, it is only 5 years.  I have gone summers too, so it has been year round for the most part.  I decided this summer I am giving myself a break.  This week gave me a little glimpse of what that is going to be like and I can’t wait! I enjoyed spending time with my boys and really not having to worry about anything else other than the normal household chores.  Yes, I am blessed enough to not have to work so I really shouldn’t complain.  My day is coming though, I graduate in about a year and it will all be over. J  I have also been looking for a part-time job at least to help out as well. 

I hope everyone had a great spring break!  It was an awesome chance to spend some time with family and friends and not have to stress about deadlines.  We are down to just a few more weeks of our semester so let’s try to make it a good one!    

April Fool's Day

April 1^st is a celebrated day all around the world every year, known as April fool’s Day.  It is sometimes referred to as All Fools’ Day.  Although this is not a national holiday, it is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play jokes and pranks on each other.  This day is marked by the good humor of jokes and practical pranks. 

Unlike most of the other holidays that are not foolish, the history of April fool’s Day is not very clear to a lot of people.  There never really was an “April Fool’s Day” that can be pinpointed on the calendar.  Some believe that it kind of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.  

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France.  Prior to that year, the New Year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25.  The celebration ended on April 1.  With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian calendar was introduced, and New Year’s Day was moved to January 1.  However, many people did not receive the news for several years being that they were in the days when news traveled by foot.  The more stubborn crowd refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1.  These people were labeled as “fools” by the general public.  They were subject to some ridicule and were often sent on “fool’s errands” or were the brunt of other practical jokes.

Over time this harassment evolved into a tradition of prank—playing on the first day of April.  The tradition spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century and was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French.  April fool’s Day therefore developed into an international fun fest with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families. 

April fool’s Day is actually celebrated for two days in Scotland.  The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body, called Taily Day.  The origin of the “kick me” sign can be traced to this observance.   Mexico observes their “April fool’s Day” on December   28^th. 

The pranks performed on April fool’s day range from simple to elaborate.  Practical jokes are a common practice on this day.  It is known as a for-fun only day!

Bragging Mom

I have to brag a little on my oldest son.  I know I talk about my boys a lot. J  I had parent teacher conference today and we had such a good conference.  My son has missed a lot of school this last semester because he was sick so much.  He missed two full weeks at one point and then a few random days in between.  We worked hard on his homework at home so he could stay caught up.  I was still a little worried about his grades just because missing that much school isn’t good and easy to fall behind.  Thankfully, he made all A’s and a couple B’s.  I was so proud of him.   He is my calmer more polite child and his teacher made it a point to brag on him.  He told me what a good student he was and how polite he is in class.  He is always the first one to volunteer to help the teacher or do work on the board in front of the class.  He has always had such a big heart and so kind to be around.  I am glad he carries that with him in school.  Both of my boys are going to grow up to be wonderful men someday.  I couldn’t be more honored to call them my sons.  I am such a lucky mom. 

Ways to Save Money

A couple of semester’s ago I took a Personal Finance class that really taught me a lot and crazy enough how to save money.  It is really hard right now being a full-time student but I thought I would write about some interesting ways to save money.  It is amazing how the little things truly do add up to more than you would think.  One book we had to read was The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach.  I had never read a book like this until this class and I ended up loving it.  This book has some really great ideas and really taught me that it is hard to make excuses even if you are “broke”.  I never really realized how much money we did spend on extra stuff.  I always complained of not having any money.  It was all the little things that we don’t think about that add up.  I encourage you to read this book if you already haven’t.  It’s great! 

One thing that has stuck with me is the Latte Factor.  I am sure several people have already heard of this but this was a first for me.  It is based on the idea that all you need to do to finish rich is to look at the small things you spend your money on every day and see whether you can redirect that spending and pay yourself first.  Putting aside as little as a few dollars a day for the future rather than spending it on little purchases such as lattes, fast food, cigarettes, and other things that are not a necessity can really make a difference between accumulating wealth and living paycheck to paycheck.  So many of us do not even realize how much we actually spend on these little purchases.  It is as easy as changing little habits that could change our life. 

I found a website that also gave 30 easy ways to save money that I thought I would share: http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/01/30-easy-ways-to-save-money-and-no-you.html

1.    Cook at home often

2.    Make your own coffee

3.    Brown bag lunch at least a few days a week

4.    Make a list before grocery shopping

5.    Go grocery shopping while you are in a hurry

6.    Watch out for expiration dates on perishable goods

7.    Buy in bulk whenever possible

8.    Buy generic products whenever possible

9.    Use grocery store bags to line trash cans

10. Consolidate and pay off debt as soon as possible

11. Pay your bills on time and avoid late fees

12. Be aware of your bank balance and avoid overdraft fees

13. Avoid ATM fees

14. Avoid credit cards with annual fees

15. Disconnect land line if possible

16. Instead of buying books, rent them from the library

17. If possible, buy a used book if you have to buy one

18. Price check before buying anything expensive

19. Avoid impulse buying

20. Bottle your own water

21. Avoid vending machines

22. Keep your car as long as possible

23. Do regular scheduled maintenance on vehicles

24. Avoid buying a new car

25. Ride your bike or carpool whenever possible

26. If you watch a lot of DVDs, get an online DVD store membership

27. If you enjoy to watch movies at the theater, go before 6:00pm

28. Regulate your electric use

29. Plan vacations ahead of time

30. Keep distance from high-roller friends J

I know many of these are things we all already knew but probably have a hard time sticking by them.  I do think every little thing you can do to pinch pennies will help and make for a better future financially. 

Westboro Baptist Church

The Westboro Baptist Church has protested several
funerals of troops killed serving our country. It is disgusting!  I live in
Monett.  I am not sure how many of you
watch the news or keep up with it, but there was recently a soldier that was
killed from Monett, Christopher Stark. He graduated high school in 2007. These people from Westboro Baptist Church have threatened to be here
Saturday for the funeral.  It has been
all over our news and papers.  There are
supposed to be hundreds of National Guard members waving their American flag lined
up down the highway from where the funeral is going to be.  I know that this is a free country so we can
only put limits on how close they can protest, but this is absolutely horrible.  These families are trying to mourn their loss
and have to deal with this cult picketing across the street.

They are based out of Topeka, Kansas.  They are a very homophobic, anti-Semitic hate
group that stages protests around the country. The group pickets individuals and institutions they think support
homosexuality.  Other targets have been
schools or groups that appear to be accepting of homosexuality such as Catholics
(which is my religion), Lutheran, and other Christian denominations that this
church feels are heretical.   They picket
at funerals for American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, a tactic the
group started in 2005.  The group’s
specific focus seems to shift from time to time however; they believe that
nearly all Americans and American institutions are “sinful”.  Anybody can be targeted from this group. 

I just found out that the visitation for this young man
that served our country is tonight at 6:00 and the protestors are supposedly
already in our town.  A lady that runs a
funeral home in town posted on Facebook that they are here and plan to picket
both tonight and tomorrow.  She wanted to
post to everyone so they could bring their American flag and stand up for what
is right.  She is meeting with patriot
guards before the visitation.  This is so
horribly sad.  I feel awful for this poor
family.  I cannot imagine what makes
these protestors think this is ok!  I
wish we could live in a world where nothing like this exists.  I do not understand why we cannot just live
in peace.  I am a firm believer in you do
what makes you, you and what you feel in your heart is what is best for you
regardless of what anyone thinks.  It shouldn’t
matter if you’re gay, have more than one wife, had an abortion, or what.  You are still a person and still an
American.  People need to learn to have a
heart and leave people alone.  Worry
about yourself.  I am sorry but this
topic gets me so riled up.  I am married
to a wonderful man and have two boys of my own and I am a far cry from judgmental!  These people that are picketing from Westboro
Church make me sick.    

My baby is going to kindergarten...

Last week I wrote about private schools vs. public
schools.  I was having a hard time trying
to figure out if my younger son, Evan, would go to the same private school as
his older brother, Conner.  After
weighing all the options, we decided to send him to the public school.  I will have one in the private school and one
in public school.  This should be
interesting!  Conner’s school only goes
to the 6^th grade so he will eventually be in the public school
system also.  He only has 4 years left at
St. Lawrence.  It is a great school, just
too expensive to try to send both the boys there right now.  Times are hard enough right now with me a
student full-time and only one income.  It
is sad that it mostly had to do with finances. I do know that he will get a great education in the public school
district as well.    

Now, I am able to focus on the fact that my baby is going
to start kindergarten next fall.  It is
almost a bitter sweet for me.  I am happy,
as a mother, I will get my days to go to school or work or whatever I need to
do and not have to worry about daycare, but I am also sad that this is just the
beginning for him.  Both of my boys will
now be in school every year until they graduate college.  It is amazing how fast they grow up.  People do say to cherish them while they are
little because time flies and they will be grown before you know it.  Every time I turn around one of them is having
a birthday and one year older.   I will
try to gain control of myself before his first day of school.  I don’t want to embarrass the poor little guy
by being the crazy mom crying because she is sending her baby to kindergarten. J  I was that crazy mother with my oldest!  I think most of us are very emotional.  Kindergarten is a big deal for these little
guys/girls!  I guess lucky for all of you
this class will be over so you won’t have to hear me blog about it.  Ha ha!    

Gas Prices

Gas prices
are beginning to be a big concern for many people.  We recently purchased a new car.  We really wanted to get a SUV but with gas
prices on the rise and only one income in our household we were scared gas
would kill us.  Gas prices rise so
gradually so it’s hard to perceive the change in everyday lifestyle.  We ended up purchasing a smaller car
instead.  I see more and more people
going to cars or smaller SUV’s for the simple fact that gas is getting
ridiculous. 

The rising
gas prices are already cutting into America’s spending money.  The prices have caused one in three U.S.
consumers to significantly alter and reduce their spending.  According to the RBC Consumer Outlook Index,
the average price for gasoline is $3.20 per gallon nationally, 18 % of
consumers say they will decrease their spending if gas prices rise to $3.75 or
over.  The price of oil is poised for
another run at $100 or more a barrel. This could easily push our gasoline to $4 a gallon in some parts of the
country this summer. Some are saying as high as $5 a gallon by 2012.  http://gantdaily.com/2011/03/04/rising-gas-prices-cutting-into-americans-spending-money/.   This
could cause some major travel problems this summer for those people that want
to travel for vacation.   My family and I
are planning to drive to Tybee Island and are already nervous that gas prices
may be more than we have budgeted for.  The
United States is the world’s largest oil consumer.  The recent situation that continues to heat up
in Libya and Iran is used by the oil speculators to keep the price of oil
rising.  The economic growth is still
fragile so the crisis will continue to affect the world economy.  It is going to make it more difficult for
people to commute to and from work.  It
will also cost companies more to transport their products, send mail, and get
supplies.  The increase in transportation
costs and needed resources will affect the consumer and their income loss for
basic necessities. The faster our country can develop alternative sources of
fuel that are cost effective, the more likely the price of oil will not affect
our economy.   A stable economy will mean a better chance of
growth. 

Public Schools vs Private Schools

My oldest son is 9 years old and in the 3^rd
grade.  He has attended a private school
since he was in preschool.  I love the
school, but like most there are some concerns I do have.  My 5 year old will be starting kindergarten
next year so I have been debating on sending him to the school my oldest son
goes to or sending him to the public school. These young years are the most impressionable on a child.  For me personally it is a huge decision.  My oldest son absolutely loves his school and
does really well.  I think this is
probably a common question most parents ask themselves, especially when you
have had your only child in school attend a private school.  He goes to a Catholic school.  It is very important to me that my youngest
be able to share in the same experiences as my oldest child has, such as his
first communion and first confession with his class, etc.  However, the biggest dilemma I am dealing
with is the funding.  Private schools are
funded by student tuition that add up to a substantial amount more than a
public school.   It has been a struggle to send my oldest son
to this school with me being a stay at home mom going to school full-time.  I feel like my son gets the one on one he
needs in his school and his younger brother will probably need that special
attention even more than he did.  My
youngest is very stubborn and much more outgoing than my oldest; therefore I
think this school would be really good for him. On the flip side, I also feel like my oldest son has missed out on some
of the experiences the public school has, such as sports, band, etc.  Education is so important to me but so is
their social involvement.  I have never
had a child in the public school system so I would really love some feedback on
this topic.:)  My sister has three kids,
one of which she also sent to St. Lawrence, and she has told me more times than
one that she personally has enjoyed the public school better than when she sent
her oldest to the private school.  I know
that for a majority of the population public schools would be the school of
choice.  The reason private schools are
so much more expensive is because they give the students more access to the
most advanced educational tools they can provide.  A lot of times private schools have higher
graduate requirements to prepare the student for opportunities in the
future.  The private school here in
Monett, however, only goes to the 6^th grade so he will eventually
end up in the public school system.  The
financial part of sending my second son is what weighs the highest on my
mind.  I am a college student and will
graduate next year so not only would I have tuition bills for two kids; I will
also have student loans to pay back. This scares me!  When I had my
first child I did not intend on having a second or I would have thought of this
a long time ago.  This decision is big to
me and I desperately need some input.  Thanks
for all the great advice.  I really do
love being able to post about issues that are important to me and get feedback
from everyone.