I Like my Dust Bunnies

Emotions run strong in the Bauguess household. We love passionately. We fight fiercely. We laugh uncontrollably. We stand up for what we believe in. We rarely back down.

We give it our all or we don't bother doing it.

The characteristics are already starting to show in our children. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Hmmm~ bad now, good later most likely.

Anyway, after a particularly emotional day on all ends, Justin & I discussed the pressure & expectations of our new normal. It's good to share your hopes, your dreams, your fears, & your burdens with those you love.

I admitted, very reluctantly I might add, that every "pastor's house" that we had ever been too was always spotless. HOW can I keep up with that??? That's just one more plate that I have to keep spinning with the hopes that none go crashing to the ground.

He hugged me & laughed. Then he said, "when have we ever been normal?"

Haha I'm so glad he gets me!

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ Amo Amas Amat

We have successfully made it through week 2 of our 3rd year in homeschool land! Woo Hoo!

It was a relatively "normal" week - whatever normal may be. Nothing really special, nothing too traumatic. That's ok, I'll take ordinary anyday over drama!

We welcomed Hurricane Isaac by having a hurricane cleaning party. And since we live in NC, there's no real threat from Isaac anyway. BUT, Hurricane Logan is another story all together. He has WRECKED my house. As we speak, he is in the kitchen flooring, getting jacked up gaining strength on froot loops. WOW! Who would have believed that such a little bitty critter could make such a mess.

Anywho, we added Latin this week. {Hey, don't look at me that way! I already know I'm nuts.} WHY Latin you may ask? Well, I asked the same question. But, logically, its the best choice for my kids at this age. It helps with understanding English, grammar, and will make learning another foreign language easier later on.

I didn't expect to see immediate results, but guess what? They LOVE it! No, really! They have actually asked "Can we do it again?" {Who are these kids & where did mine go?} I must admit that the chants are very catchy. I find myself singing "amo amas amat amamus amatis amant" in my head at the strangest times. By the way, just in case you were wondering - amo means "love".

We also made our very own solar system in science. We are studying astronomy with Apologia this year. I have always wondered why God created all the stars & planets if He didn't plan to put life on them. Yeah sure, He could have just given us something else beautiful to look at & study, but was there any other reason? I never thought about everything having an equal pull on each other & keeping us in our rightful place. I also didn't even consider the time, days, or seasons.

Our God is awesome! I can't wait to get outside at night & have an excuse to watch the stars.

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ A Brand New Year

We started back to school today.

What, wait, how did that happen? Where did the summer go? It seems like only last week we were wrapping up last year.

Oh but yes, it is that time again.

We have tried to run by a 6 week schedule before, but never really stuck to it. I'm trying again this year. I have already planned our lessons for the 1st 6 weeks in most subjects (some have even been planned for the whole year!) Yes, you should be shocked! Last year, I was frantically planning the week ahead at 11:30 on Sunday night.

We had a decent day & I only raised my voice one time (during school, that is). I got the basics accomplished for both of the kids - math, language arts, history, reading, & even art. I remembered to take some pictures, but not nearly enough. On top of it all, we were even finished by lunchtime. Yeah! I will add in our history cards & Latin next week. And hopefully, we will get our actual school pics done soon.

Logan thought we should "study" him.
We keep our library books in this box.

But wait, I deserve a few more stars today. I cooked breakfast, washed dishes (dishwasher & by hand), washed 3 loads of laundry & have most of it put away, cooked lunch, cut out coupons, ran 3 miles, showered, & made a quick trip to Walmart.

Today was a beautiful morning
for watermelon on the back porch.

If you are a homeschool mom or even a stay at home mom, you KNOW the significance of this list. Now the only thing I really want is to go to bed.

Out with the old

We have been on a deep cleaning spree at our house, & when I say "we", I mean Justin! Yes, that's right. My hubby knows how to clean!

Sorry, men out there, I know that this is a taboo secret, but I have to give credit when credit is do! Sorry, ladies, he's still working on our house so he can't come clean yours. LOL

In order to really clean, you have to drag e v e r y t h i n g  out of the room & then figure out where to put it when you are done, because half of the stuff doesn't actually belong there. So my bedroom, my bathroom, & my hall/laundry room/homeschool library look REALLY GOOD! The rest of the house ..... eh, don't come over please! We are a work in progress.

Anyway, smack during the middle of this cleaning spell, I discover that my washing machine has DIED - not to be resurrected. My dryer has been dying a slow painful loud death. Now, just a little background here - Justin & I have owned 6, that's right, 6 washing machines & 4 dryers since we have been married (not even 13 years)! We have always bought second hand, refurbished. We honestly just bought this last washing machine last year at this time, with tax money.

So, we head off to our local home improvement store & bight the bullet. I wanted one of those huge, front load, high efficiency sets. I didn't realize I would have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it. Holy cow!

Well, the one I REALLY wanted was pewter with stainless accents, BUT a white one just like it was $200 less. Being the cheapskate that I am, I couldn't justify that for color. This is where God entered the scene (ok, He was there the whole time, but decided to remind me of His presence in the next few moments).........

We asked the guy if the white one was in stock - nope, it would take about a week. Ugh, I need to wash clothes. We asked if the pewter one was in stock - had a washing machine, but could sell us the display dryer at a discount. The discount was enough for me to "justify" the color expense.

(not done yet) He was typing it all in the computer in the appliance section, when lo & behold, STRAIGHT down the aisle in front of us was a washing machine. Come to find out, it had a small dent in the bottom corner & was marked down 25%. YEAH! All in all, we saved over $400 off of the sale price & I got the one I wanted! Thank you Lord!

So, cleaning has been put on hold, & home improvement projects have taken its place.



Before with only a few shelves
(but not nearly this neat)



After with shelves to the ceiling
(really this neat)
I need a bigger stepladder!



While he was at it, Justin fixed my pantry shelves & moved the cabinet that was in the hall to the kids bathroom.

Does the Bible Really Say THAT?

Yes, ladies, I'm afraid to say it, but YES, the Bible does address s e x. And, oh trust me, like most women I talk to, I really fall short in this area.

There are several times in the Bible where God commands that the wife submit herself to her husband. Being the "Miss Independent" that I am, I'm not too fond of this part, but I try, I really try to submit myself lovingly to my husband.

Ephesians 5

22.Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23.For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24.Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25.Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Part of this submission also includes the marital bed. In 1 Corinthians, it clearly states that once we are married, we are no longer in complete control of our bodies.

1 Corinthians 7

1.Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2.Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3.Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4.The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5.Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

The reason I am even addressing this is because I believe that as a society, it has become the norm for women to withhold sex as a form of punishment when their husband makes them mad or doesn't live up to some expectation. I also believe that men see sex as a joke, something they are "entitled" to from any woman that they meet.

THIS NEEDS TO STOP!

Women, your husbands do not have to jump through hoops in order to receive physical pleasure! Men, your women (wives - preferably!) do not "owe" you anything!
God gave us sex as a way for husbands & wives to connect to one another in a way that not just anyone can.

Hebrews 13

4.Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled

I believe that if husbands & wives would start looking at sex through God's eyes instead of the way society has cheapened it, there would be a lot more happy homes, a lot less divorce & affairs, & a few more babies!

I, by no means, am everything that I need/desire to be. After all, between housework, homeschool, 3 kids - including a nursing baby, running here & there, a small farm, my wonderful blog (haha), & Blessed Boutique, I am one tired mama! This is a reminder to me as well! I NEED to invest in my marriage just like I would invest in my kids or my business!

So wives, I encourage you - be a little sweeter to your soul mate. Help him remember that feisty woman that he feel in love with.

I pray that God will reward your efforts & strengthen your love for each other!

Cooking Outside the Box

You would be SO proud of me! I tried a completely new food tonight. I'm not scared of new foods. In fact, I usually come up with some strange concoctions, but I was CLUELESS on how to even eat this, let alone cook it!

I'm talking about eggplant. That's a funny looking, funny sounding thingy....a vegetable, I do believe.

I was grocery shopping the other day.......yes, I realize that it wasn't the 1st of the month, but I needed a few things. See, I usually do most of my shopping once a month. ....Wait, I got side tracked, imagine that! Oh yeah, grocery shopping... & saw an eggplant & started thinking (don't EVEN go there!) So I bought the funny looking purple thing & came home to find a recipe here.

• 2 eggplant (1 or 1.5 lbs each)
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz)
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Place ground beef in a large skillet and sprinkle with garlic salt. Cook meat until no longer pink, drain and rinse of excess fat. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cook for a few minutes on each side in a hot skillet until lightly browned. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Place 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the dish. Cover the sauce completely with eggplant slices. Sprinkle with half the ground beef, half of the cheeses and half the remaining sauce. Repeat the layers once more. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Only thing....if you know me at all, you KNOW that I did NOT follow this recipe! I glance at a recipe & "make do". Up side, you use whatever is on hand, down side, it NEVER tastes the same! LOL

Well, I loved it. Justin liked it. Austin said it was ok, and well, Makenzie's opinion doesn't count! It honestly tasted like lasagna.

 

 

 

Where does the Blame truely lie?

My get up & go has not only got up & went, but it has dissappeared entirely. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I have ZERO motivation to do much of anything.

Blame it on the baby blues!

Blame it on lack of sleep, its amazing how the body can function on a couple of 3 hr naps each night for months. Or the addition of another mouth to feed without the addition of funds to offset it, although God has certainly provided miracles in that area. Or 2 overly jealous kids & 1 very needy little boy.

Blame it on a certain 9 year old who would rather be anywhere than with me. Or who has a severe attitude anytime things go the least bit wrong.

Blame it on the "super mom" gene in me that seems to be failing in every aspect of life. Or on the fact that my house is constantly cluttered, my mountain of laundry keeps getting bigger by the second, my sink has dissappeared under the dishes, & the fact that I am out of room for anything.

Blame it on the monotany of the day - get up entirely too early, feed baby, feed kids, clean mess, start school, feed baby, lay baby down for nap, reteach math lesson, go get fussy baby, ask repeatedly "what is that word?", make snack, clean mess, back to school, make lunch, feed baby, clean mess, lay baby down, try to stay awake while reading history, ask repeatedly "is that your best work?", get baby up, clean up school, try to entertain baby & get something accomplished, do dishes, do laundry, start supper, feed baby, lay baby down for nap, clean up mess, collapse on couch for a few minutes of quite time, put kids to bed, go to bed entirely too late, promise to go to bed earlier tomorrow.

Blame it on society today that has repeatedly told us we are worthless unless we are corporate America. Or the fact that not too many people appreciate the value of a stay at home mom, much less a homeschool mom.

Blame it on having to FORCE myself to teach school right now & then second guessing everything that comes out of my mouth. Or the fact that Austin's handwriting is awful (wait, he is a boy) & he has yet to memorize those pesky multiplication tables. Or the fact that Makenzie is not reading as well as I think she should be.

Blame it on the fact that I am 30 lbs heavier than I was 2 yrs ago & I still haven't lost all the baby weight. Or the fact that I am NOT good at "dieting". Or the fact that I have 2 pairs of blue jeans that fit & I refuse to buy more when I have a whole closet full of clothes that are too little. Or the fact that I really need a Mt. Dew! Or the fact that I feel like I have aged 10 years in the past 2.

Blame it on the fact that Justin hasn't found an EMT job yet & this worries me. Or the fact that he is gone a lot trying to provide for us. Or the fact that I miss him more than I like to admit!

Blame it on whatever you want, but truly, the blame is on me. I want/need to fall back in love with my first love - God! I want/need to spend more time in His word! I want/need to become the prayer warrior that I once was! I want/need the joy of my salvation restored to me.

Ok, so now that I know/admit where to place the blame, maybe the world can start turning again! I also KNOW that I am entirely too blessed to be stressed, but sometimes, I just need to tell people what is really on my mind!

We did make it outside for a little play time this afternoon. I felt a little less burdened down after that. Its amazing how much a little sun/SON shine can brighten your mood! I am currently reading "Made To Crave" & so far so good. Iit really makes sense! I'll let you know how it turns out!

The Price for Going Green...

My house is a complete & total disaster zone! Even more so than normal!

We have been focusing ALL of our energy, effort, & expenses into trying to hook up, finish building, & switch over to the water stove that it has consumed our lives. This has been an on going project for a month now...over a month if you include the search for a suitable water stove (free is suitable!)

We finally got the water hooked up towards the end of last week & it is GREAT! All 5 of us can now take baths within an hour & not freeze to death!

Do you have any idea how much money this is going to save since we don't have to use the water heater?
I'm excited!

We are almost done with the building that will keep our little stove safe & dry. A little more electrical wiring, a little more insulation, & a side door should complete it.

Do you have any idea how excited Justin is about having a "pout house"?

So now we are in the process of also rerouting the heating system to blow past a coil (don't ask me, I got confused just listening to it). We started that procedure Tuesday. It was necessary to cut off our "old" heat in order to get the "new" heat started. Downside - Tuesday was beyond FRIGID! We are still trying to convert over.....

Upside - Do you have any idea how much money this is going to save since we don't have to rely on the heat pump? I'm excited!

Next step - we are on the lookout for solar panels...

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom

I used to think that women who stayed home with their kids had it made. I knew their was always messes to clean up & it might get a little lonely from time to time, but I never even imagined the stress, heartache, & tears that would come with it. So here today, I give you some simple truths of the insanity that I call my life.

• Jealousy is a very real factor! I admit I'm jealous......
1. I'm jealous of my husband's freeness. He can come & go as he wants to. He gets to do the fun stuff, while I have to cook, clean, do laundry, & take care of the baby. He gets to pursue things that interest him, while I'm had to drop almost everything that doesn't involve the kids. He gets to sleep late, while I have to get up early most mornings. 
2. I'm jealous of friends that can get together whenever they want to. 
3. I'm jealous of adults that actually get to eat a hot meal, sitting down, in peace.
4. I'm jealous of people that work. They can "get away" for a little while. They can afford a nice car, a bigger house, & dance classes.
5. I'm jealous of anyone who looks nice for longer than 10 mins. That's about how long I am able to keep anything from being spit up on.
6. I'm jealous of anyone who doesn't have to "rob Peter to pay Paul!" I get so tired of living paycheck to paycheck, but it has been an interesting adventure to see how much money I can save!
• Loneliness is suffered in silence.
1. Occasional adult conversation would be nice.
2. Adult conversation that doesn't always center around our kids would be even better.
• Depression is easy to fall into.
1. There are days that I can't explain why I'm mad/sad/hysterical.
2. There are days that I really just want to lay in the bed & cry.
3. There are days that I don't want to deal with anyone (especially if they are under 5 ft tall) unless they live in black & white print.
• Expectations are unrealistic.
• Alone time is unheard of. I have to lock the doors & read a book during a bubble bath in order to make an attempt at peace & quiet. Today Logan woke up early & fussed the whole time I was in the bath tub & my other wonderful children were too busy watching T.V. to go pick him up, so much for that peace!

If you can relate to this, I hope you found my confessions amusing & you realize that you are not alone. If you think I am acting spoiled & just want something to complain about, I invite you to come spend some time in my shoes!

HOW IN THE WORLD DOES MICHELLE DUGGAR DO IT??????

Have You seen a Little Green Man?

Heys, elves have been at my house!!!!!! Elves, really? Yeh, you know, those little guys in the green costumes. History is full of hard working elves ..... Santa's workshop, the shomaker's helpers, the Keebler tree house. I'm fairly certain, they have visited my house.

HOW did I decide that you might ask?

Well, after spending A L L  S T I N K I N G  M O R N I N G cleaning my kitchen, I have come to a realization ....... those helpful little elves that worked so hard for everyone else needed a place to relax. So, having the inviting, kid friendly environment that we call home, they naturally chose here.

Not only did they pick my humble abode to relax at, they also decided to throw a party here & invite EVERYONE they know! And I believe that they enjoyed themselves so much that they do it again & again every night.

How else could our trash can get full so fast after putting in an empty bag?

How else could so much dirt get on my floor?

How else could food leak out of its bowl inside the fridge?

How else could every single fork we own always be dirty?

How else could all the soft drinks & cookies get gone so fast?

Yep, elves! Now........who keeps stealing our socks?

Betty Homemaker - I am not!

I have made several references here lately to "Super Mom". We all know how incredibly crazy my life has been. Thankfully, it slows down somewhat during this time of year. Good thing too, or I might miss the Holidays. Anywho.....

I have some sort of deep seeded desire (as backward & unpopular as it might be) to be "the ideal (not perfect - well not completely anyway) wife, mother, & all around woman". I want to have a nice tidy house that always smells fresh. I want to have hot meals on the table at their respectable time. I want to have obedient children. I want to have an abundance of time left for just whatever. Do you see the pattern here? I want, I want, I want. Has our crazy world built up an attainable dream with outrageous demands? Or have we, as women, placed that much pressure on ourselves?

Whatever the answer is, I have come to the terms (at least for the time being) that somehow I cannot be everything every day. Some days, I get my house cleaned & supper fixed but I have neglected quality time with the kids. Some days, we have an awesome day with school, but the house is a wreck. Some days, I get lost making hairbows & have completely forgotten to fix supper. Some days, more often than not, I push the laundry off of my bed & choose to go to sleep.

Yesterday really opened my eyes........ As I was going through a cabinet to make room for baby food - yes Logan is already big enough to be eating baby food! Where has the time gone? - I started checking some jars of pickles that I had canned a few years back. I had to dump out a few about a month ago because they had unsealed {On that note....Have you ever checked a lid & had you finger go THROUGH it? - Yep, I did}. So I'm checking them just to make sure. Lo & behold there's a seal that has unpopped, and another, and another. UGH! I through out about 5 or 6 jars of canned goods.

In my defense, these were some of the first things I canned, so I was still learning.

Then, I go out to the building for a box & think to check the freezer. I had sent the kids out the night before to put a few groceries in there & wanted to make sure the food actually made it to the freezer & the lid was shut, etc. I open the lid & hear "drip drip drip". What is that? Why isn't there any ice around the top? Why does it not feel super cold? Ah yes, I know, because I UNPLUGGED it!

Why would I do something so stupid? Well, it seems that the other day I vaguely remember removing the battery charger from my car (lovely children left the doors open all afternoon while we carved pumpkins), unplugging it, & placing it in the building. What didn't dawn on me was the fact that the battery charger was plugged into an extension cord along with the freezer. UGH!

So we emptied the freezer & had to throw out several things & ALL of the milk that I had pumped for Logan! UGH! UGH! UGH! Do you know how much time & energy that was?

But.....I had a clean kitchen, finished hairbow orders, had supper ready on time, & made it to church. The laundry will eventually get folded.

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ a ??Free?? Week

My original plan when setting up our school year was to have "structured school" for 6 weeks, then have a week off for whatever. As I was looking ahead to last week, I realized that I needed to make 3 school related trips to Wilkesboro, so we took our free week a little early. I use the term "free" very loosely!

Monday involved a 2 & 1/2 hour meeting on the 4H science fair. Followed by no time for lunch & a clothing exchange. Since I was coming to town anyway, I was planning on meeting a friend to sell hairbows. I got ALL the way to Wilkesboro when I realized I f o r g o t the hairbows so......I left the 4H meeting early & drove ALL the way back to Elkin. We inhaled lunch & made it to the park in time to grab some good finds for the kids. Sometime in the midst of this, I learned that I needed to scrounge around & make emergency plans for Contenders on Tuesday because what was planned fell through. Then back home & off to football.

Tuesday, we left bright & early for a trip to Walmart & biscuits on the road. Then to Keepers & Contenders. Thankfully, someone stepped up to teach the boys wood sanding & staining, so I just covered the devotions with them. I did stay out there to help. We only have 10 boys this year, but the majority (7 - I think) of them are K-2, so all the supervision we can get is helpful.

After the boys got finished, I went in to "save" Makenzie. Yeah....she was attempting to weave a basket. She was trying, bless her heart. Yet again, someone stepped up & took Logan for me. Thank God for willing vessels & helpful hands!

Ran off to meet daddy for a quick lunch and to sell hairbows. Thankfully!

Then off to Rendevous Mountain for 4H. We hiked around, & talked about mushrooms, insects, & leaves. We had to leave there a little early to ...... yep, sell hairbows. - Don't get me wrong, I not complaining - just tired. And, yet again, barely making it to football.

Did I mention, I had a cold? Oh yeah & it was kicking my hind end.

Wednesday we were supposed to go back to Wilkesboro for a Soil & Water field trip. Notice I said "supposed" to go. Yes, you heard me, I actually said no to something. It was pouring the rain & I was still sick, so we stayed home. I worked on hairbows & tutus instead.

Thursday, I went grocery shopping & attempted to clean house...........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Friday was devoted to cleaning Makenzie's room. Have you SEEN her room?!?! I HATE going in there. She feels the need to change clothes 15 times a day & hide all the clothes in the back of her closet. Anytime we go somewhere, she has to pack a bag of toys, but then never puts them back where they go. She hoards food, trash, & anything else she can sneak into her room. If its missing, check there first.

After emerging from the pits of insanity, Justin & I went to Olive Garden, the mall, & Toys R Us.

Saturday - Walmart, picked up Austin from a friend's, Makenzie's birthday party, the Pumpkin Festival & 2 football games.

WHY did I think it would be a free week????????????

Why Does This Drink Taste Funny?



The kids got a little confused when
Justin asked them to load the
dishwasher because he was going
to mop. They  tried to wash the
dishes in the mop water.



I'm not sure about your family, but here at the Bauguess Manor, I am not the maid. Wait, let me repeat myself so that my husband & kids heard me..... I AM NOT THE MAID!!!





Hold up, who am I kidding? Unfortunately I get stuck um, blessed with the majority of the household duties. I'm sure its like that in most homes. That's ok, I really (choke) don't (choke) mind (choke). At least, most of the time, I don't mind. What I do mind is when everyone starts leaving their "stuff" laying around until I get aggravated enough to pick it up. Like I said, I'm not the maid.

Austin mowing for the first time.
His feet don't even reach
all the way down.

I do insist that my kids (husband too - hehe) help with the chores & when I really mean it, they really pitch in. Amazing.....maybe I should use my "are you mad" voice more often! It seems to scare inspire them to do things.

 So anyway, we do believe in child labor around here & it doesn't matter what our government says, there's no "law" against it! The big down side to all of this help is simply the fact that if someone else does the job, it might not be just exactly the way that I like it. Sorry, its that overly obsessive, controlling nature in me! The up side is that my kids are learning to be responsible, self reliant, & part of a team.....I HOPE!


Makenzie canning pickles.





Logan surpervising!

Creative Inspirations

Relying on one income is hard for any family. Many families are forced down to one income due to sickness, job loss, death, whatever. This is the lifestyle we have chosen because we feel that God has directed our family on this adventure. Its not easy, but I know that its worth it. We have all had to make sacrifices & changes to the way we live. And we might not see all the rewards for our efforts here in this life, but one day, I hope that God will look at me & say "Well done, my child!".

So.....in an effort to add a little extra income to our family, we have become very crafty lately. I have always enjoyed playing around with things, but I have never had the passion for it like I have now. I am so thankful that God has put this desire in my life.

I hope that you enjoy our creations & will support our little business!

Check out our Blessed Boutique on FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blessed-Boutique/185896581434260