Great deals on pantene at Kroger this week

This is a great time to use those pantene coupons. I got pantene shampoo clearance priced @ 4.29 used (B1G1 styler free on e savers) minus 3.00 in MF coupons pd 1.29 for both
(did this deal 2 more times). The e saver coupons expire today so if you have pantene coupons GET TO KROGER ASAP. I did have trouble with the e saver coupons working the last time, I brought it to the managers attention and he said the store will give me a refund for the coupon amount.
Also I got 2 herbal essence hair gel clearance priced at 2.15 each minus 2.00/2 e- saver and 2-1.00 MF final price .30 for both
(always look for the clearance priced items, they will usually have one or two to get the best deals.)
all in all here is what I got and paid...
2 pantene shampoo
1 pantene conditioner
2 pantene hairspray
1 pantene texture spray
2 herbal essence gel
total cost.... 4.17 whoo-hoo!!!

Also at Kroger I got a frebreez noticeable clearance at 7.15 minus 5.00 e-saver and 1.00 MF cost 1.15 :)
I got good buys on bounty 8 pk paper towels, cascade and tampax using e-saver plus MF. My total shopping trip was 121.00 this is for 2 weeks worth of groceries and all the above stuff. I already have chicken in the freezer so that helped in keeping cost down. Blessings.

walgreens deals this week..

This week I did pretty good at Walgreen's. Here is what I got.. (no pic my camera is broken)

Dawn dish washing liquid on sale for .99 minus .50 MF.. cost .49 each (I got 2)
glad trash bags ( we use these anyway) on sale for 5.99 (lg box of 80)
Revlon makeup eyeshadow quads and mascara B1G1 minus 2-1.oo off MF- 5.99 for 2
nexium 23 shampoo clearance price 3.14 minus 3.00 MF - cost .14
General Mills cereal sale 3/7.00 minus 1.50 off 3 MF cost 1.84 each
not bad, all good prices for each item, could have been better except that I let my 5.oo in RR expire last week, as I was busy with Christmas plans and I forgot to use the 2.50 gift card I have. So all in all I spend around 20.00 (would have been 14.00 if I had used RR and gift card). but the best deals this week were at Kroger see above post.

Had a wonderful Christmas..

Well it's over and the house looks like a wrapping paper tornado hit it. We had a wonderful trip to Branson, got back at 10:30 Christmas eve. Our daughter has had a really good couple weeks, we are so thankful and praise God for that. Right now, all thoughts of placement are on hold, I know it is the prayers of many that have made the difference. (thanks Kathryn). I couldn't stand the thought of her not being with us for Christmas. The weather was cold and rainy so we didn't visit Silver dollar city, instead we headed to splash country indoor water park, our children are half duck and LOVE anything water so this was a huge hit. Mom really liked it also, huge hot tubs and nice lazy river floating:) We always enjoy the condo, the kids feel "rich" and mom and dad feel like "at least we are getting some use out of this time share were stuck with" lol. We spent Christmas afternoon at hubby's parents, got to visit with several friends and kin folks we haven't seen in a while, uncle Tom and Robbie are back safely from Iraq, another PTL.

We are cooking ham and fixings on Sunday for my mom and sister. The children got way to much stuff as usual. Here are a few pics ..... Cadens favorite gift was a game boy advance. He has played this old one we have for months and couldn't see the screen very well because it didn't have a back light screen, his new one does and he LOVES it plus all the old games work on it. Z got the guitar hero game he had hoped to get, a dd got a new cool phone (doubles as a walkman too.) The boys got matching star wars pjs. too. Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas.

For today ... December 15th

Outside my window... It is sleeting and freezing rain

I am thinking...about going to bed , I am tired.

I am thankful for...the Christmas season, time spent with family

From the learning rooms...the older kids were out of school today, Caden took the day off also to play with Z outside in the ice.

From the kitchen...we just finished having breakfast for supper (eggs, hash browns, B&G, juice)

I am wearing...shirt, pull over top and wool socks ( it's cold )

I am creating...lists of needed things to take to Branson next week for our mini vacation.

I am going...to take a hot bath

I am reading...other blogs on coupon clipping

I am hoping...that the boys won't fight and pick at each other ALL day tomorrow.

I am hearing...wheel of fortune from the living room

Around the house.. master bedroom is a mess and must get cleaned up tomorrow

One of my favorite things...how things just seem to slow down and settle down with winter weather. I like the feeling of just having nowhere to go or nothing to do for a couple days

A few plans for the rest of the week: type and send family Christmas newsletter.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...this is a close up of an ornament on our tree, it was bought soon after my husband was saved and gave his life to Christ. It represents our new life as a christian family. It is a lion beside a lamb.

thanks to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

my $2.50 Walgreens trip !!!!

Whoo-hoo!! today was a good day at walgreens. Here's what I got today. 2- 12 pk angel soft bath tissue. (2.48 each after coupon)

2- kellogs cereal (.99 each after coupon)

2- 3pk scotch tape (2/2 sale)

5- candy bars for stocking stuffers @ .39 each

2- aussie leave in conditioner @ .79 each (after coupon)

maybelline lipstick and shimmer gloss (1.21 overage after coupons)

6- curled ribbons @.39 each

3- vienna sausage @ .39 each

3- vandee camp pork and beans @ .39 each

2- SF jello @ .39 each

3 jiffy pancake mix @.39 each

2- arm and hammer washing detergent @ .99 each (after coupons)

total amount was $ 17.oo

pd $ 7.69 from gift card (that I got from a previous free rebate offer)

plus I got $5.00 in RR to spend next time.

plus the tape has a $2.oo rebate offer that I'll get on my gift card to use next time.

so really total OOP is under $2.50!!!!

I am loving this :)

I'll miss this, Caden is so excited about his school. Here he is showing his favorite science lesson, about clouds (from the world God made),

and doing some work in his purple book (rod and staff). I love homeschooling. I am not sure that I will be able to home school the year that I am in RN school ( planning on 2010). I will miss it. I already miss having all of them here to school. Z and dd are in public school this year. Caden really misses Z being gone all day, and so do I. I love that Caden gets to do school in his PJs on these cold winter mornings, snuggled up to mom on the couch, reading about how God made the plants. Learning about the beginnings of our great nation from a christian view point. How blessed am I to be able to share this time in his life of new learning with him. I will miss this.

Got good deals at Walgreen's and Kroger this week. At Kroger using e-coupons and Sunday paper coupons was able to get 2 weeks of food for 94.00 !! then at Walgreen's Thursday I planned on getting the All washing detergent on sale for 1.79, but when I got there they were out, the manager let me have the regular size for the same price. sweet. plus I had $1 off coupons for each of the All that I got, so I got two full size all for .79 each!! my total purchase that night was 2 - All detergents ( .79 each) 1 dove shampoo (clearance plus coupon 1.49) 1 herbal essence conditioner (clearance plus coupon 1.49) 3 pks white tissue paper (sale .19 each) Rimmel lip liner and lipstick (BOGO plus $1 off total 2.99) I used 2 RR bucks and paid OOP 6.40. NOT BAD.
It's a good thing I saved some this week Hubby has been off most of the week, I love it when he is here with me and the kids but it gets tight without his week $$$.

FOR TODAY December 3rd...

Outside my window... it is cold and gray, I can see the icicle lights hanging from the porch roof.

I am thinking... About what is best for our rebellious destructive daughter.

I am thankful for... a break form college classes, being able to spend more time at home.

From the learning rooms... Caden just started his new science ( the world God made), history

(the American people and nations) and math (liberty math K). Caden is learning to add, he is doing very good work.

From the kitchen... Caden is asking for cereal (honey nut cheerios), I am just having coffee.

I am wearing... my striped shirt.

I am creating... menu plan for the next 2 weeks, final Christmas shopping list.

I am going... to town later, to take dd to therapy and buy groceries

I am reading... fruit of the spirit

I am hoping...to make the best decision regarding dd.

I am hearing... Caden being silly and loud.

Around the house... I need to pick up and do laundry today.

One of my favorite things... my morning coffee with lots of sugar and half & half, yummy.

A few plans for the rest of the week: work on final question for A&P, complete Christmas shopping, attend church service tonight.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...my camera is broken, no pic today.

thanks to the http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

This week I am so thankful for all of our many blessings. I am thankful to have dd with us at home, I am thankful that she seems happy this past week. I am thankful that Z has no health complications from his diabetes, (every year when we have his annual eye exam and the doctor says " If I didn't know he was diabetic, I couldn't tell by looking at his eyes" I am so thankful). All complications of diabetes scare me but to imagine the our sweet boy could loose his eye sight is more than I can bear. I am thankful for our new home, I realize that this home was build by God and he only used our hands, it is his. I am thankful for my husband, for every thing he does each day for me and the kids. For God's grace, I am thankful.

All week this week Z has came into our room and fell asleep in our bed, its nice at the end of the day to have the whole family hanging out in our room. Dad is on the computer, Caden and I are cuddled in the big chair and Z laid out on the bed. Every night its the same.. ( us) " Don't fall asleep there Z" (Z) " I won't, I am just resting here for a while." Of course in just a few minutes he is sound asleep. But I don't really mind at all, cause I know that before long he will grow out of wanting to sleep here with mom and dad. He is almost 12 yr and time is flying by, so this will be my "miss this moment" for the week.

Cadens week of school

Caden is doing well in his schoolwork, this week we are working on reading vowel blends, along with review of CVC words. We continue to work with sight words by playing our sight word matching game ( he loves to beat me, the little stinker) some of our words this week are
hear, seat, tour, mean, sea, eat, lie, boy, room, road, them, plow, bed, sun, went, town.
He has one work book left in the Rod and Staff ABC series, after which I have decided to use a Charlotte Mason style copy book for lang. arts. I found a wonderful family website that supplies CM school supplies, I am going to provide a link in the side bar for anyone who might want to check them out.
He has finished his Mathematical reasoning pre- K book and I have to decide what to use for the next step in his math . . In Science we are half way through the Christian Liberty Nature Reader. (We really need to be outside getting in some nature study but it's cold...) I am planning some field trips out and about the community coming up ( post office, fire station, water plant, ect..)
So thats what Caden is up to this week. Here is a sample of writing from this week

Thoughts on Z &b-ball

Yesterday I sat watching Z practice B-ball and I was just amazed by him. He has never played before and just a few weeks ago, he new nothing about the game, he couldn't dribble, shoot, ect. anything...he has improved so much! He is really starting to understand the plays and what is expected of him. I think his coach is doing a great job, but what makes the difference is HIM (yes, I am bragging). He gives 200% of what is asked of him, he is a great team player, (looking out for his team mates). Such a good spirit and willingness to do what is asked. Now don't ask me why I was surprised by this yesterday, because that is just how he is, and how he has always been. What crossed my mind while I watched him, is how blessed I am to get to be this young man's mother, how fast his childhood is going by, and just how much I will miss these days when he has grown up.

Back in public school

Daughter started back to public school this week, I really have mixed feelings about it. I have struggled this fall feeling that I wasn't teaching her enough. I really have worried more about her being isolated the past few months also. Even with the co-op meetings each week and her seeing her friends on the weekend. If she uses this as a new start and tries hard.. things can go well, she is excited. On the other hand if she starts getting into trouble and ect... I will feel we made a step backward. One thing that finally hit me was that no amount of homeschooling will change her into what I hope she will be, if she turns away from God and us, if she chooses to live worldly and in pain it's not because I put her back in public school. Lets face it 2 1/2 yrs of homeschooling haven't changed that part of her much if any. True, it is easier to control her behaviors but sooner or later she is the person that must decide what life she wants to live. I may change my mind tomorrow but for now....its where we are at.

sick, ready for a break..

Yuck, I have really battled this sinus infection for a while now, to start with the infection had spread to my inner ear and I spent 3 days so dizzy I didn't make it past the couch. (I had myself worried that I had a brain tumor) so I went to the Dr., lucky it was not a tumor, just a bad sinus infection. Today is the last of my antibiotics and the dizziness is gone but the congestion and pressure are awful. I finally broke down and took a darvocet pain pill last night, still didn't sleep a wink. It didn't matter how I lay one side of my face was about to explode.
So now I am trying to be nice to the kids and not bite their heads off, I am so cranky. We will be leaving soon for Tuesday school, I really want to stay home but dear daughter looks forward to going and I have been feeling a little guilty that she is home all week. Yes, I have even thought about letting her try going to public school again. The work load for my college classes is more than I thought it would be and I feel I'm not giving her enough of my time right now. Just some thoughts rattling in my head these days...

cuddles from caden

Ok so its way too early for me to be awake because I have to work tonight, but I woke up hungry and since I am awake anyway I couldn't resist checking out some of my fav blogs ( yes this is addicting) So as I set here at the computer, Caden who was napping on the couch, wakes up, staggers sleepily beside me and I hear "mommmmmm" yeah all drawn out like that, and of course I reach out, and he clamors into my lap to snuggle up to tell me "what my dream was about" ( he means what he had a dream about) which today was sponge bob. After a couple minutes he's gone, off to play, and I am reminded that it won't be long before he won't automatically come to mom's lap. He is growing up and I just want to treasure each snuggle. I thank God for him, I thank God for that moment, and for letting me realize just how precious it was to share with my little guy. That is the kind of mother, and person, I try to be. One that realizes each minute is a gift and savors my life.. I just wanted to post that moment.

So upset with our girl..

Our girl has marred her beautiful body again, this time with a home done tattoo, its ugly, dark , offensive and right on her inner wrist. I nearly died. It was done at a friends house and hid from us for quite a while with long sleeves and wrist bands. I am just sick, (at least she said she used a brand new sewing needle and didn't share it with anyone. Thank God.) I am so angry at her that I can't really even have a conversation with her about it, without starting to loose it. She keeps saying "it will fade" I made things worse by making the comment that she could just be grounded until it faded then, this prompted her to try and scrub it off, which as left large, raw, scabs across the area, but didn't fade the ugly thing a bit. I pray to God to let me see her through his eyes, to give me wisdom to know how to respond to her, and to keep and protect her.

Just wanted to share

I love reading other blogs and most I've seen have posted pics on them, so I wanted to share a few things that I am enjoying this morning..

Our house faces east, so each morning as the sun comes up I get this wonderful light streaming through the glass of our front door, what you can't see in this pic is that the foyer is vaulted and we have a large arched window set up there so even more light comes in. I love it so much, and I am so glad we decided on the double entry door. I really am enjoying our new home.

This is my table in our foyer, I dressed it up for fall. I am really proud of it because I got the dresser at a scratch and dent place for $149, it has a tiny water mark on it you would hardly even notice. The topper is a valence bought on clearance, the lamp from wal-mart and the cute pumpkins and the black bird candle holders I got at the gift shop at the hospital ( not the best price but helps support a good cause). I think it looks really cute, my fav is the black birds.

And finally...tah dah...is Cadens new bed!

(I know that its really an over sized chair with a tattered soft cot on it) But this is a major step for him. please realize that he has spent his entire life sleeping right up to mommy! Yes he was a breast baby and he thought this was the only way he could sleep. We tried many things and had finally settled on letting him sleep on a pallet beside our bed, but he still hated it and felt " left out and all alone" (his words) and " with no one to snuggle up to". Then daddy had a great ideal to put the lg chair up to our bed and fill the space with pillows, he added the softy cot ( Caden loves it) and presto.. he feels like he is still in our bed and everyone is happy. Once he gets used to sleeping alone in his space we will move toward his room upstairs. Great Job Daddy!

just plain tired..

It has not been a good day for our girl, I can tell that her mood has been darker today, I have tried to ask (very gently ) if things are OK but she had a blow up at me tonight. I hope and pray that she will not be upstairs in her room cutting on her arm tonight, but I know that if I push it will make things worse. I hate these dark days of hers. I struggle with the cutting because I have no way of understanding it. We do know that she uses it to decrease her frustration level when she feels overwhelmed. I have seen small glimpses of improvement in her developmental maturity over the past several months. so I am hopeful that things will improve. I am tired tonight, I have been working temporarily at my old job, while my replacement is on maternity leave. This means that I have my regular full time weekend nights job, my weekday temp job ( 15hrs a week) part time ( 3 classes) college courses each week, lots of studying to do and papers to write, 3 children and one husband. yeah I am tired and nothing is getting taken care of at home which depresses me. The homeschooling is on hold for this month. I only have a couple weeks left at this pace then things will be calmer. Hubby has been really helpful and supportive though and I don't think I could get through it without him. Z's blood sugars have been pretty stable and we have had no problems at school managing the diabetes. we go to ACH in a couple of weeks to visit with our endo, I hope the visit is good and Z's A1C is under 8, I always feel like that # is a report card on if I am being a good mother and taking care of him or not.

Here goes my first attempt at blogging, I have been inspired to try this after reading some really neat blogs that I will attempt to provide links to. I am not the most web savvy person so I'll have to see how it goes. I have to go and get the kids ready for tuesday school ( our homeschool group meets once a week). I will add more later when we return.