FitOKay's Journal

How was everyone's weekend? I wanted to share the video I made recapping our first week of homeschool for our friends and family, just CLICK HERE. That link takes you to the youtube video. Nothing special- just my first try at video blogging =p


It has been a long weekend but not a bad one. Just very busy at the store with Trevor and I both working both weekend days. Floral was insane today! I tried to go in early to get cleaning done extra well because our floral manager was coming back from vacation Tuesday. I'm glad I went in early but only managed to get one of the coolers cleaned out. There were orders waiting for me, the computer in Floral was down so I couldn't access any of the online information and then I had someone call in needing a funeral spray for a life long friend and she couldn't find anyone else to deliver one. We didn't have the flowers she wanted so initially I was going to say no we couldn't, but after hearing what a hard time she'd had of it I told her I could make something similar, but since I was missing one of the main flowers it would not be the same. She was just happy someone was willing to do it and deliver it in time (it was going to a nearby town). The above picture is what I ended up making.

The boys enjoyed this weekend because they got to spend the whole weekend with Mimi and Papa. They even got to spend the night, so that we weren't having to wake them up at 4:30am with us. Getting to sleep over at Mimi & Papa's is a treat, but Mom and Dad were still there for the normal bedtime routine- so it wasn't as nerve racking as it could have been for any of us ;-) Luckily Trevor is off both days next week so Mimi and Papa get the weekend to recover ;-) I was a little sad because today was Tristian's first day of catechism for the year, which is kind of special, and neither of us were able to take him. My dad took him though and I think that Papa taking him was a close second. He was with a new teacher this year (the last two years has been the same teacher) so he said that made him feel nervous- but he seemed to handle it ok. Most the kids would have been the same kids so I'm sure that helped with meeting the new teacher.

Anyways, tomorrow starts our second homeschool week of the year so I need to get some sleep.

Hope everyone has a great Monday tomorrow ;-)

Hope everyone had a great week!

It's the last day of our first week of homeschool for the school year =) My oldest did an oral presentation of his short story using spelling words and we recorded it for family and friends to see- http://youtu.be/M-s6v-eIJpY (if you are vegan or vegetarian may not want to watch/listen). Our spelling words for the week are rock, stand, camp, plan, stop, crop, shot, plot, pass, track, shock and past. Tristian's assignment was to write a short story using at least 10 of the 12 words. I think he did a great job =)

The oldest is practicing cursive right now and the youngest is watching a Hermie the Caterpillar DVD.

I am TIRED. Not sure why but I just don't seem to have any energy. I haven't been biking lately so I think that is probably part of it. Then the having just been sick and etc... I'm going to try and get it set up so that I get to bike for an hour at the end of our school day. Our school day, tentatively, goes from 9am to 2pm or 3pm- depending on the day and how long the lessons took. The at the end of the day the boys get an half hour or so of 'Free Classroom Play' where they can play with President and US Flag blocks (pictured below)

or make pictures with the craft supplies, look at the globe, paint, do one of the puzzle books, etc... After half an hour they clean up. By then their friends are normally home from school or day care and they can go outside and play if it's nice or they can go to a friend's house or friends can come here. I'm going to try and start biking during Free Play time and clean up, which normally takes about an hour. My bike is in the basement with the classroom and family/play room. It's on the other end of the family room from the doorway to the classroom (so I could see into the classroom a bit while sitting on the bike if I just move it over a little). I don't feel comfortable biking while they are outside- because I can't easily check on them or watch them and an hour is too long for a 7 and 4 year old to be unsupervised.

Anyways, that's something to try next week.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Hope everyone is doing well =) Today is nicer weather then yesterday... so far ;-) I am finally feeling more myself, so think I'm over that bug.

Yesterday we picked up the free 8x10 our church does every other year to incent members to get their pictures taken for the new directory books. It was nice to get that one free. The past few years we've bought the groupon for JcPenney in the summer then used it in October to get the cd with 3 images (to use on Christmas cards) and 3 sheets of pictures. We normally get a 10x13 of the family shot for the frame we have, but I just matted the 8x10 and it looks fine. Since we already have the large family shot we can use the extra sheet for another shot. Also, I finally got out the frame set my best friend got us last Christmas. It's family tree themed and, after putting pictures in it finally, I put it in the hallway last evening. It nicely matches the Wallverbs family tree frame set we have in the front room that is pictured above (with last year's family shot). Nice continuity.

Hubby had a laid back bday, yesterday. We never do much for his and my bday but we went out to Golden Corral to eat (easiest place to reasonably accommodate food allergies). I wanted to sing Happy Birthday to him but he told me I'd be walking home if I told the staff it was his birthday- such a spoilsport! I ate too much be not unreasonably so. My rule for buffets is one plate and dessert. If I stick to one plate I don't derail my calories for the day too badly. I ate 4 chocolate covered strawberries for dessert... until hubby came back with two pieces of cheesecake. Ok, so I ate 4 chocolate covered strawberries and a piece of cheesecake for dessert =p The boys ate so well! They each ate their plates, then ice cream with gummy bears and m&ms AND got cotton candy on the way out. Golden Corral is a kids dream with that cotton candy and ice cream bar!

Anyways, after dinner we went to big lots. We were running low on the boys gluten free cereal (2 left of the 12 boxes we bought of Mom's Best Cocoa Crunch for $1 each, normally $4 a box in the grocery store) so I was hoping they might have some more GF cereal in. We were in luck. They had 36oz bags of Bear River Valley Choco Chomp for $3. Normal boxes of cereal are around 12oz each so that's the same $1 a box cost we paid for the last batch of GF cereal we bought. Plus... it's corn free! That may be the death of me. I don't normally each sweets unless they are homemade or we are out somewhere and it's a treat (and then only if I'm not already having issues breathing) because almost all candy and sweets are made with corn. I haven't ran into a chocolate cereal that is corn free since finding out I was allergic up and until this one (which I am fairly sure has some cross contamination from my breathing, but certainly not as bad as eating any of the ones that use corn starch or corn syrup). So guess what I had for breakfast this morning? And late night snack last night o.0 Oh well, hopefully that's out of my system and I can just keep the idea in reserve for when I want a treat, lol.

Second to last day of our first week of homeschool =) Oldest is writing a short story using this week's spelling words. Youngest is playing phonics apps on their tablet (which are so cool because he just thinks he's getting to play games on the 'little computer'). Fun times ;-)

Hope everyone else is having a great Thursday!

Down a bit on weight. Overcast and rainy today, good day to enjoy being home safe and sound with family. Still not feeling awesome, but better. Don't mind my journaling today... not much in the way of on topic for this site- just general journaling.

We ended yesterday with a birthday party- probably the last water party of the season =) My best friend's niece turned 3 yesterday.... and my husband turns 30 today! He was pretty grumpy about it yesterday. Seems to have bowed to the inevitable today and is in a much better mood ;-) He got an Amazon Fire phone as an early gift for his birthday last month. His old phone was 4 years old and DEAD, like pieces falling off it dead, but he is so much a 'if it's not broke enough' guy that I had to order him a new one as his surprise bday gift =p It came with a free year of Amazon Prime and he loves it, so I'm glad I bit the bullet and did that. Luckily it part of the AT&T Next program so the cost is spread out.

Made six of these sets yesterday evening before bed. They cost us about $5 each to make and are nice for those people that aren't on our main holiday list but you need to get something for as more of an "it's the thought that counts" deal. The candy and popcorn was on ad sale ending yesterday so we just grabbed them now rather then hope they went on sale again befor Christmas. Hershey bars were $3 for 6pk and the popcorn was $1 a 3pk with a 1¢ fuel saver (makes them about 90¢ a 3pk, really depend on how many gallons you fuel up with but we average 10). Planter's Nuts are 2 for $1 normally. The Kabob sticks are 100 for $3 (use almost half making 6 sets). Then the foam, tissue paper and glue sticks can all be gotten at Dollar Tree. The same set sells for $15 in the store using Orville popcorn instead; so, I almost waited to get Orville on the 2 for $4 ad sale that started today. Decided just to go with the store brand and call it good enough =p Candy and packaged popcorn both have shelf life of about a year so making them a little early still gives the giftee 9 months of 'best by' time.

Homeschool is chugging along. Oldest is doing Free Reading time right now. Not sure but my youngest might be getting sick. He's been a little lethargic today (sitting on my lap cuddling atm looking at a picture book) and feels a bit warm. He's been sneezing a lot so it might just be allergies.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Feeling better today. Still a little yech, but nothing serious. Mostly just tired feeling.

Started homeschool today. Oldest is working on spelling word sentences and youngest is putting stickers on birthday cards for Daddy (he turns 30 tomorrow). My husband is off today and tomorrow, so he took the car in to get the break pads and rotors(sp?) changed. So expensive! Even buying the parts ourselves and shopping around still ended up being a little over $200 total (or normal mechanic quoted $350 for just changing the break pads with his parts). We found a dealership that does it first com first serve for about $100 if you bring your own parts. So hubby got up early to take the car in, luckily was one of the first- he said it got busy quick, so we aren't the only ones that go that route ;-) Glad we got that done before the too many of the fall storms have hit, and winter especially. I started a load of the boys laundry going and got mail and (besides bills) it looks like hubby got some birthday cards =)

We also got in a Star Wars Scanimation book I ordered off Paperback Swap. One of my favorite swapping sites for years now, obviously includes more then paperbacks, lol. Scanimation books are hardcover and pages layered books that the pictures move in when you turn the pages. They are just so neat. We take a chance when ordering for gifting but more often then not the books are in giftable condition (this one looks brand new) so I try to stick to ones that if they aren't in giftable condition we would want for ourselves (my oldest would have been happy to have this book). My husband's youngest brother is turning 11 this year and a Star Wars fanatic, so he'll love this. It cost us about $2.50 since it was a wish list book and used a whole credit (many books you can order off the forums in deals of 2 for a credit or more, I get a lot of the story books used in our curriculum that aren't in our public library that way). The same book on Amazon is $4 at the cheapest for a book with signs of use or $8 at the cheapest for a new copy ($13 for new from Amazon Prime). I've already bought him a Star Wars watch for his birthday ($8 for a $40 watch, clearance rocks!). If we draw him for Christmas the scanimation book will go with 4 vintage Star Wars comic books I found at a local gamer store as his Christmas gift with some Star Wars Pez. If not the books will go in the birthday tote and become next year's birthday gift and the Pez will go with the watch for this year.

Anyways, Tristian is almost done with the spelling sentences so I need to wrap this up. Hope everyone is having a great day!