Not what I meant to teach them!!

Lately, I have tried to answer the kids cries for "MORE" by telling them about life choices.

I choose to not work so that I can teach the boys and stay home with them. Because of this choice, we can not do things that cost money, eat out much, travel, etc. If I worked, we could do all those things but I would be miserable because I would have to put them back in a school building, have someone watch them when I could not. I would rather have time with them and enjoy teaching them instead of doing things or buying things.

Today, I had to buy some things at the dollar store. I only had a debit card and you must buy 8 things in order to use the debit card. I bought my 4 items and then bought 4 junk toys for the boys. This afternoon they had so much fun:

Max said:

"mom, thank you for buying us toys when it is not a holiday. AND I know you gave up your money so you could be with us. BUT thank you for spending daddy's money on toys today"

Then he ran off to play. Yes, I sacrifice my money to be the perfect mother and I spend daddy's money on dollar store toys.....

Age of Opportunity

As most of you know, I am a behavior therapist. I like to keep up on the latest books that churches and doctors and teachers are encouraging parents to read. I also read them for my own knowledge and help :)

My middle sister gave me a great book at Christmas time:

Age of Opportunity A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp

I have really been enjoying this book!! It has brought to my attention the things that I could possibly have done wrong because I am a "do it because I said so" mom. It has also been an encouragement in my own spiritual life. Tripp tells the parents to look at your heart and motives of your heart before engaging with your child. That is so important!!

He also explains and backs up with scripture, that it is so important to not let your teen become secluded, private, silent, selfish (all this is natural but dangerous). He gives great points on how to deal with the heart motives of your child by teaching them what God says!! What God has planned for them!! What God created them to be!!

I read this while I am by the pool. Blinking back tears because of dealing with my own heart, recognizing my own mistakes, and the excitement of what is ahead!!

72 Lengths=1 Mile

We joined the YMCA. I absolutely love being by a pool, sunning and reading. I could do it 16 hours a day! I used to swim 1 mile in college (hard but I could do it). I am much older and weathered so I could only swim 5 lengths. On the 5th length, I came up for air and inhaled a tiny bit of water. I started the ugly cough. I prayed I would not throw up in the pool. Someone did that a couple of weeks ago and it was quite an ordeal. EVERYONE had to get out of the pool for 45 minutes. They skimmed and hosed and cleaned for 20 minutes.

If I had barfed today, it would have been the last time I ever showed my face at that YMCA!!

showering in tropical storm

I spent the day getting Su Casa ready for VBS. Mom called at 4pm and said a storm would hit memphis in about 50 minutes. I had to finish painting 4 signs, glue a sign, and take 2 girls home. I rushed around the office like TAZ. I threw the girls out in their driveway as the sky turned black. I was soaked in sweat because we do not have air at the office. I tried to fly home but the cars seemed to be going in slow motion and stopping on yellow lights :)

I pulled into my driveway and the sky was black and I could hear thunder. I threw my bags on the couch and jumped in the shower. The lights kept flickering but I figured I had a few minutes before the storm hit. When I got out of the shower, I heard the rain. I looked out of the window and there were limbs EVERYWHERE. When I turned on the news, they were talking about all the damage around the city and how it was like a tropical storm. I missed it! I was in the shower somehow escaping electrocution!

I had to put a leash on my hair!

My hair seems to get frizzier every year. I think I might have had pretty curls in college. I did not appreciate my hair in those days. I hated it then as I do now. This Memphis heat with humidity makes my hair take on a life of its own! Today, as I was working in the building with no air, I caught my shadow on the wall. I could not figure out what might be behind me, slowly creeping up on me. I turned around to see what was casting the shadow. Nothing was behind me. I looked again at the shadow. I put my hand above my head. A crazy, hairy octopus-type being began to gobble my hand. I realized my hair had seemed to come to life! I quickly found an elastic leash, gathered the frizz monster and wadded it up into the leash. Throughout the day it would loose itself, trying to take over the surrounding area. I would have to catch it and stuff it back in the leash.

max's words

Max and I were having a serious talk during breakfast this morning. He informed me that he wanted me to work really hard to teach him everything he needs to know to get a good education. He told me he needed a good education for his job when he grew up. I told him I would do the best I could. I told him I thought he would be pleased with his education. I asked him what he thought he might want to do when he grows up.......

.........................."I am going to be a comedian"

THEN guess what happened.....

Max and I went to the YMCA to spend the day at the pool. We stayed for about 5 1/2 hours today (6 hours yesterday). We had been there about 4 1/2 hours. All my friends had gone home for dinner so I started reading my book. Two boys were throwing a ball in the pool. Several times they overthrew it and it would go under my chair or somewhere near me. I would toss it back. About the third time, they chunked it under my chair. This was annoying me because I did not want to play toss. I wanted to read my book. I picked up the ball and chunked it as hard as I could (with a tad of anger). Now, seeing as how I have never been very sporty, never played organized sports and definitely never mastered throwing.......I threw it hard and way off target! I hit the lifeguard in the back of the head. I hit her so hard that her head slung forward. The boys looked horrified. I covered my mouth in a "oh no!" action. The lifeguard turned and looked at me. "I am sorry!" I yelled. The boys roared with laughter and so did an old man that was sitting near me. She gave me a look as if I was an annoying child who kept overthrowing the ball.

..........................................................CLASSIC MAZ

you won't believe what happened today......

I went to the post office to mail letters to Jack and Jeff. They are on a boy scout week long camping trip. I drove up to the boxes. Jeff called at the same time. I could not reach the opening of the mail box. I asked him to hold on, put the car in park (I thought) and laid the cell phone in the passenger's seat. I fumbled for the 3 envelopes. All this took about 10 seconds. I looked up to put the mail in the box and the mail boxes were rushing away from me. I could not figure out how they were moving! I could not comprehend how these stationary objects planted in the median were moving away from me at great speed! Then I heard Max "momma, momma, momma!".

I looked down. I had put the car in reverse and my foot was not on the break. It seemed like forever! I put on the break and looked around to see why I had not hit anything. I was about 20 feet from where I had been and THANK THE LORD no body or cars were around. I put the car in drive, stopped at the box, mailed the letters and pulled out of there!

Meanwhile, Jeff was on the cell phone as I was saying....

"What? huh?"=mailboxes running away from me

"oh, good lord!"=just realized I was an idiot

............................CLASSIC MAZ!

memories that do not cost money

One of my favorite memories of my childhood involves my dad's creation!

I think I might have been the son my dad never had! ha ha

I loved playing with hot wheels and matchbox cars. One Saturday, my dad used leftover white poster board and the boxes in which they mail your checks. He drew streets on the poster board, cut "doors" in the boxes and created a town for my cars. I LOVED it!! It was time that he spent with me and something he made FOR me. It meant more to me than anything he could have bought me.

My youngest son was sick his first 8 years of life. He had 6 surgeries (ears/sinuses/tonsils/adenoids). When he was so sick and did not feel like getting off the couch, I made a small town on some cardboard from cereal boxes. He would play for hours driving his cars around the streets. He would help me color grass, streets and signs.

This is the first year that Max has not been sick! He remembers the fun hot wheel towns and loves to create bigger ones!

It doesn't take money! Use old poster board, foam board, cardboard, etc. Then use pencils, markers and crayons to decorate your town, farm or city. We also used old check boxes (not as great as the ones in the 80s), old JuicePlus boxes, and food boxes for high rise buildings.

Here is our latest creation!

Classic MAZ

I chose to delete my old blog and start this new one because I would like to try having advertisements on my blog. I would like to import my blog to Facebook. I was not sure if I wanted EVERYTHING that was on my old blog to be read by everyone in the universe. YES, I expect my blog to fascinate the world!

I chose the title, Classic MAZ, because of the recent Saturday Night Live skit with Justin Timberlake. It was a skit with the Target lady. Timberlake dressed as an older lady with a neck brace. He/she would tell stories of something she said or did and then say "classic Peg" in a sing-song voice while his shoulders moved up and down as if he was laughing.

Jack (my 11 year old) and I enjoyed this skit. Several times Jack has told a story and then said "classic Peg".

I have had two previous blogs in which I would share my daily adventures or thoughts. For example, the time I had my purse in my lap when I was driving the car. I turned left onto a street and then immediately tried to turn right into a parking lot. The steering wheel "froze up". I caused quite a traffic jam until I realized my purse straps had wrapped around the steering wheel and it could not turn. Luckily, I could free the strap and wheel before someone found out that I was an idiot. Most people looked as if they thought I was having car trouble.

........................Classic MAZ!

I also have shared that when I say NEVER, I always end up doing it!

"I will never home school"

I home school and LOVE IT!

"I will never teach in the schools again"

I have QUIT teaching and STARTED teaching again 3 times!

"I will never dye my hair blond"

I dyed my hair blond 2 summers ago.

The list goes on and on!!

.....................Classic MAZ!