Getting Ready

We leave on Sunday for the Institutes. I have so much to do - laundry so I can pack, food to make to take with us, a revisit report to complete, my own school work which is already a week late. Plus Zack's programs still have to get done and I have to teach Ashley's homeschool work. I just can't get motivated to get it done and I find myself staring blindly in the open refrigerator door looking for some comfort. But there is none to be had.

On the bright side, I got out the invites to my Partylite show that is next Saturday. They got my first triple threat: postcards, evites, and a new service I just came across called phonevite. I am hoping for a great turnout. A fun candle party with big sales would be an awesome welcome home present after 5 days of intense programming in Philadelphia.

Zack isn't doing so well today. I think he might be nervous about the trip. I wonder sometimes if he is disappointed in his own progress especially after he puts in so much work. Bob and I always beat ourselves up when we feel like we didn't get the results we wanted. I always forget that maybe Zack feels that way too. His biggest problem in life is comunication, always has been. I know it must be frustrating for him.

I am already feeling very guilty because I don't think I did a very good job this 6 months with programming. We always come home with good intentions but then life gets in the way. Actually, I am feeling pretty much like a bad mom. I have yelled at Ashley really hard a few times here lately, the baby watches entirely too much TV, and we should get stock in McDonalds because some days we go there twice.

Sorry, I am just venting...we'll get it done the best way we know how.

Why I love my job

People ask me all the time, what I do for a living. First and foremost, I tell them, I am a mom and I homeschool my kids. That in itself is a full-time job. I love that job and feel very blessed that I can do it. Being a stay-at-home mom can become all-consuming at times. So much so, I sometimes find that I feel like I have no other identity other than that of "Mommy".



Fortunately, I have another job that has given me so much over the last almost 11 years. I sell candles and decor for a company called Partylite. I started back in 1998 just to make a little money on the side. And the money has been nice for sure! But over the years, it has become so much more than the money.


I knew from the beginning this was going to be different than anything I had done before. A big clue for me was the fact that Partylite starts its consultants off for free. I had sold other things before - Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Avon - but they all required consultants to pay money for a kit in order to become a consultant. Partylite gives new consultants the opportunity to earn a kit that is worth over $350 for free. This was their investment in me. That said alot to me that a company would have enough faith and trust in me as well in their product and programs to start me off by giving me so much. Now that is getting off on the right foot!

And they keep on giving! Always wanting us to make money and not spend money, each month they provide ways to earn upcoming specials or more candles to burn and give as prizes. To give you an idea of their generosity, when gas was over $4.00 per gallon, Partylite gave us an opportunity to receive an extra $100 Bonus if we turned in 2 extra shows than we had the month before. This was on top of our already generous commissions. It really helped and more than paid for my gasoline that month.

Enough of the money, the intrinsic rewards are even better! Some of my best friends, I have met through Partylite either as hostesses, customers, or fellow consultants. My best friend, Peggy, was a hostess until I mentioned she would be great at doing Partylite, and she is. My friend, Helen, who was my very first hostess, still hosts shows for me once or twice per year. Joyce F., Amy K., Cheryl S., Connie and Danny (yes guys too!), and the list goes on and on...all friends through Partylite.

My Partylite friends have really been there for me. I have a child with autism. I teach him at home and his programs are very intense. Many times we are still at it at 9 o'clock at night trying to finish everything up. My friend, Connie, who also sold Partylite with me comes over weekly for a couple of hours just so I can get a break even to just sit at Starbucks and drink a cup of coffee by myself. She has done this for over 3 years faithfully. That is a true friend.

I have seen more of the world in the last 11 years due to Partylite than I had in the previous 30 years B.P. (before partylite) - Now I am telling my age! LOL With Partylite I have gone to St. Louis, Washington DC, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Aruba, and Atlantis in the Bahamas. I didn't even know where Aruba was until Partylite came into my life! Each year we have a National Conference for 4 days in a major city in the US. We have had it in St Louis several times since it is centrally located. This year, we are back in Atlanta. We pile 4 or 5 girls into a hotel room and its like sorority life all over again...plus its a tax deductible business expense! :) I look forward to this "vacation" every year - no kids, no husband, no dishes, no laundry, no cooking!

I try to do candle parties 2 nights each week. I love my shows! I love the reason to get dressed nice and put on makeup. I love the drive to the hostess' house. It is totally quiet. I love meeting and talking to new people - adult conversation! I love helping people find just that right candle and/or holder to make a room really WOW! I love all the good food that I didn't have to cook :) I love giving the hostess so much free stuff! Most of my hostesses get to go on a free $100-150 shopping spree! Most of all, I love that for 2 hours, I don't have to think about autism - I can just be a normal person like every body else.

Another one of my favorite parts of my job is sharing my job with other people. Especially in this economy, everyone can use a little extra cash. I love giving someone looking at losing their job, a little security. ( You can't be fired from Partylite - it is your own business) I love showing someone that they can change their family's life by affording a better house, or car, that trip to Disney, or even get rid of those pesky credit cards. I love watching someone who used to be shy and lack confidence really blossom and become a successful business person. Hey, I started out reading from index cards :)

And finally, I love the way Partylite has helped me develop my talents. I am a teacher and with Partylite I get to teach adults. I teach my customers and hostesses how to spruce up and create a relaxing ambiance in their homes. I also love to train my fellow consultants. We have 2 workshops each month where I get to show Partylite consultants ways to increase their incomes. One is held in my home for my immediate team members. The other is for the entire central Virginia area. My goal is to one day, train at our National Conference in front of a packed arena of over 10,000 consultants.

Want to join me?? Check it out here!

Don't forget to light a candle tonight. Everything is better by candle light!

The Big Green Miracle (We Hope)

This is Zack's new O2/CO2 tank. He is to do 12 inhalations per day working up to 40 seconds each. Why, you ask?



Evidently, the area of his brain that is injured also effects his breathing. You wil notice that many brain injured children are "mouth breathers" and their mouths are always slightly open if not really open in the most severe cases.



Interestingly, it was revealed that Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer, was severely learning disabled as a child and that is why his mother put him in swimming. LD is a type of brain imjury. Have you ever noticed when you see him how his mouth is always slightly open?



Anyway, Zack's biggest problem in life is that he cannot communicate easily by talking. He just doesn't have enough air. That is because when a child is confronted with the choice of either to breathe or talk, he will choose to breathe and live - DUH! Now at the last visit to the Institutes, we discovered that Zack is trying to talk his fool head off but we just can't hear him. His voice is so soft and his pronunciation so poor, we just can't make out what he is saying. Therefore, we are teaching his brain how to breathe more deeply.




Evidently, CO2 and not O2 is what controls your breathing. When there is more CO2 in your blood gases, a signal goes to the brain to breath more deeply thereby increasing the oxygen and decreasing the level of CO2. By having Zack breathe a mixture of 80% O2 and 20% CO2, it triggers this breathing reflex to breath more deeply. This teaches his brain how it feels to breathe deeply. By doing this multiple times per day, we are in effect re-wiring his brain. Over time, this should help him to always breath more deeply and hopefully improve the quality of his speech.




We pray that it will. This little green miracle cost a pretty penny - $800 to start and then $84 for each tank refill - and as usual, insurance doesn't cover anything. Thank you Southern Health. I love giving you over $300 out of every paycheck and then you don't want to pay for anything.


My brother and his wife have gotten this same tank for their son who is also brain injured. They swear it works miracles and by golly their son talks! Of course they got their tank a few years ago and it only cost them about $300. Funny thing about medical supply companies: as soon as they figure out that desperate parents will give their right arm to make their kids better, they jack up the prices on everthing. Nice right - special place in "&*@!" for these folks, I always say.

Baltimore

I am so excited!! The room is booked! Peg and I will be on our way to Baltimore April 24 and 25th for a Partylite Multi-Regional Event. I so need this to pump some life back into me. I am especially excited about seeing "The Guys"!! They are our entertainers from our National Conferences. I am especially partial to Kevin ( the brunette). Peg adores Billy (the blonde). And everyone loves Karl too!! :)

This will be just a taste of what is to come in Atlanta July 15-18th at our National Conference! Road Trip! I can't wait!!

See, this is just exactly what I was talking about....my Partylite is just so much more than money. The whole experience just gives so much to me. Look at what I have to look forward to in the next few months!

On another note, I have been totally caught up in the blog of a young lady that I used to go to church with at United Christian Church. I was not friends with her per se but every now and then we would run into each other at various church events or at gatherings at some our our mutual friends' homes. She recently lost her battle with leukemia and her plight has just wrenched my heart. 33 years old, mother of a three-year-old, it seems such a tragedy (which it is). Her story has caused me to face some of my darkest fears - the C word for one. But most fearfully, the thought of my leaving this earth before my son is recovered from his autism (being the control freak that I am). More on this later....I have a 1 year old covered in spaghetti sauce who needs my attention.

Been a long time

It has been a long time since my last post. I have been very busy homeschooling Ashley, doing Zack's programs, going to college myself, and trying to keep up with a one year old who just may be my most spirited child.

How many plates can one juggle in the air until they all fall down and crash into a million pieces??? Stay tuned...

I say that and then I reveal that I restarted my Partylite business. I have sorely missed it. Mostly I miss the camaraderie of it and the sense of belonging. Some of my best friends I have I met through Partylite either as hostesses, customers, or fellow consultants.

Momtourage

I Will Survive! Hilarious!!

My Baby Loves To Read!

A New Year!

I always love the beginning of a new school year. A fresh start. New curriculum. An abundance of school supplies (I have a thing for school supplies!) This is my first year of homeschooling a "middle schooler". Ashleys' curriculum this year will include Bible of course, United States Geography, the usual 6th grade math and Language arts, Earth Science, and what I am most excited about - Japanese. Or as I should say "Nihongo" (Japanese) Stay tuned as I post our Unit Studies.

Our co-op starts in 2 weeks as well. There I will be teaching Beginning Sewing and World Geography.

Zack's programs are getting into swing too. His programs this period are focusing on organizing the cortical areas of the brain, improving his breathing and thereby improving his language. We found out that he is talking up a storm, but his voice is so soft and his articulation so poor, that we cannot understand him. In fact, he facilitated that "I talk all of the time but they (his family) don't listen." That of course, broke my heart, and explains some of the bad behaviors he has due to frustration.

So we will continue his running program (3 miles per day- I'm gonna be so skinny!) We are increasing his gymnastics program and have added a simple gymnastics routine he will learn and practice 5 times per day. Also, he has a gravity assisted jumping and hopping program that I think he going to love. In addition, he is to increase his bracheation (monkey bars) from 10 trips per day to 40.

To improve his breathing, he will continue to sleep in his Respiratory patterning device. He will do about 70 masks per day and we have added 10-20 CO2O2 inhalations per day.

He is back on his special diet (no wheat, no milk, no soy, no tomatoes, no citrus, no bananas) so I am cooking all fresh organic again. However this time, the whole family is going on the diet, not just Zack. Which is only fair and we can all stand to eat more healthy. Ashley is not very happy about this!!

Kristen continues to learn to read and do math using programs I learned for Zack at the Institutes www.iahp.org . Remember she is only 13 months old!!! I will be adding Encyclopedic Knowledge to that in the next couple of weeks as soon as I can get the materials made.

Busy, busy!! But I love every minute of it!

Ashley waterskiing

Zack playing with other kids at the Institutes

Mommy's Got A New Ride!

My hubby is so good to me! I have been cramming 3 kids into the Malibu for almost a year and yesterday, my DH calls me from work and tells me to go pick up my new car! Yes, its a minivan but its a cool minivan! A Chevy Uplander. I just love it!

Amen to this article

SONNY SCOTT:Home-schoolers threaten our cultural comfort
6/8/2008 9:39:01 AM
Daily Journal

You see them at the grocery, or in a discount store.

It's a big family by today’s standards - "just like stair steps," as the old folks say. Freshly scrubbed boys with neatly trimmed hair and girls with braids, in clean but unfashionable clothes follow mom through the store as she fills her no-frills shopping list.

There's no begging for gimcracks, no fretting, and no threats from mom. The older watch the younger, freeing mom to go peacefully about her task.

You are looking at some of the estimated 2 million children being home schooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. Their reputation for academic achievement has caused colleges to begin aggressively recruiting them. Savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some place the figure as high as $9 billion. When you consider that these families pay taxes to support public schools, but demand nothing from them, it seems quite a deal for the public.

Home schooling parents are usually better educated than the norm, and are more likely to attend worship services. Their motives are many and varied. Some fear contagion from the anti-clericalism, coarse speech, suggestive behavior and hedonistic values that characterize secular schools. Others are concerned for their children’s safety. Some want their children to be challenged beyond the minimal competencies of the public schools. Concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the movement.

Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.

Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?

Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the home schooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.

Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar’s be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.

Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state’s bureaucrats on these “trouble makers.” Their implicit rejection of America’s most venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. “Individualism”) spurs us to heat the furnace and feed the lions.

Young families must make the decision: Will junior go to day care and day school, or will mom stay home and raise him? The rationalizations begin. "A family just can't make it on one income." (Our parents did.) "It just costs so much to raise a child nowadays." (Yeah, if you buy brand-name clothing, pre-prepared food, join every club and activity, and spend half the cost of a house on the daughter’s wedding, it does.) And so, the decision is made. We give up the bulk of our waking hours with our children, as well as the formation of their minds, philosophies, and attitudes, to strangers. We compensate by getting a boat to take them to the river, a van to carry them to Little League, a 2,800-square-foot house, an ATV, a zero-turn Cub Cadet, and a fund to finance a brand-name college education. And most significantly, we claim “our right” to pursue a career for our own
"self-fulfillment."

Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our 401k’s. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs a $100 to fuel the Suburban. Now the kid is raising hell again, demanding the latest Play Station as his price for doing his school work … and there goes that modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed, well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn’t you just love to wipe that serene look right off her smug face?

Is it any wonder we hate her so?

Sonny Scott a community columnist, lives on Sparta Road in Chickasaw County and his e-mail address is sonnyscott@yahoo.com.

Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/8/2008

Long Time No Post!

Whew, what a busy week or so! So much has happened. Where do I begin? The big news!!!!!! We finally sold our house! Yeah! No more keeping it spotless which I can tell you is super hard for a book and paper crazy homeschool mom with 3 kids! We have also bought a new home which we move into on April 25th. And when I say brand new, I mean BRAND SPANKING NEW with loads of upgrades and 2850 square feet!!. This deal really just fell into our laps. There was a house in a subdivision that someone had custom built and had lost their contract. The builder needed to get rid of it before their fiscal year ended. Their loss but our gain! We got it for a steal and will be moving in with $50,000 in equity from the get go. I can't wait to post a couple of pics of my new kitchen which is as big as my den and kitchen put together now. Next week I will be heading over to measure for curtains and will take some pictures then. Meanwhile, here are a couple pics of the outside:

Organizing my Coupons

Over the last few weeks, I have tried several different systems for organizing my coupon collection which is becoming HUGE. I have tried the little accordian file you can buy at the dollar store - way too small. Then I tried the baby wipe container- still too small. Then envelopes - hard to go through at the store. I have finally settled on the "notebook". I have a 3" notebook and I bought baseball card holder sheets. I made my own headings out of cardstock. It seems to work pretty well and I can see all of my coupons which makes them easier to find. Speed is key as I don't want to irritate my fellow customers at the grocery store by making them wait in the checkout line :)

Raisin Bread

I made my first attempt at breadingmaking from scratch yesterday. Now I have 3 loaves of some pretty yummy raisin bread. Mine didn't look as pretty as the recipe picture but it does taste wonderful. Only drawback - my entire kitchen is destroyed!! Here is a pic of mine and a link to the recipe here.

Reading and Math Program

I am finally organizing Kristen's reading and math programs. (Yes, she is only 6 months old!) These are the same programs I used to teach Zack, our brain injured child, to read and do math. The logistics of the programs are in the books, How To Teach Your Baby To Read and How To Teach Your Baby Math by Glen Doman at The Institutes For The Achievement of Human Potential . It turns out that the best time to teach your child is when they are under 6 years old when the brain is growing so quickly. The Institutes originally developed these programs to help brain injured kids and found that they worked just as well with typical children when they are very young. Our son is a testament to them as at 9 years old, he is able to speed read over 300 words per second on the high school level and he can do instant math including algebra and geometry. Did I mention that he is brain injured???!!!!



Anyway, I have taught her about 20 words so far and I really needed to sit down and make up some word cards. I made 75 cards today. That will last me about 2-3 weeks (maybe) We started math as well. I had bought the math cards from the Institutes for Zack. While some of them are a little ragged around the edges, they will work just fine for Kristen. We learned the quantities 0-4. I will teach her 5-9 tomorrow.



She got so excited when I showed her the cards today. I thought she was going to jump right out of her seat! I am thrilled to be able to give her such a gift. Thank you God for enlightening me with this knowledge. I keep thinking what a breeze college would have been for me if I could have read as fast as these kids!! :)

Super Savings Saturday

I think this was my best week yet! This is what I got:

• 2 boxes Honey Bunches of Oats
• 1 6-pk bottled water
• 2 Muir Glen Tomato Paste
• 1 box Pop-Tarts
• 1 box Morning Star Farms Breakfast Sausage
• 1 2-pk 5 Hour Energy Drinks
• 1 Hershey's Special Dark candy bar
• 1 Fructis Shampoo
• 1 Sunsilk Shampoo
• 1 Sunsilk Conditioner
• 2 Sunsilk Styling Aids
• 2 Chapstick Naturals
• 2 Bottles Jane Cosmetics foundation
• 10 Jane Cosmetics Mascaras
• 1 4-pk Extreme3 Shavers
• 1 Venus Embrace Razor
• 1 Gillette Phenom Razor

Grand Retail Value of all products: $125.29. Amount that I paid out of pocket : $8.67!!!!! Plus, I have $10.00 in Walgreens Register Rewards to use next time and $20.87 in rebates coming to me!! I had to run around a little. I went to Target, Ukrops, CVS, and Walgreens. But, it was well worth it!!! Thanks to Money Saving Mom for all of the great deal ideas!

Apple Cobbler

I made the yummiest and easy Apple Cobbler today! It was just the right treat for a cold, icy day.

Apple Cobbler

• 6 small Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced.
• 1 Cup flour
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup milk
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 stick butter
• cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and milk. Pour into baking pan. My personal favorite is my Pampered Chef Deep Dish Baker. Layer peeled, cored, and sliced apples on top of mixture. Melt butter and pour over apples. Sprinkle entire dish with cinnamon sugar. Bake 45 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Riding Lessons

Ashley started riding lessons today. She did really well and I am so proud at how she jumped right in. No fear! She has really had to step up this year with the new baby and everything else.

She so deserves this.