DSL AND MY WONDERFUL GIRLS!

YEAH we got DSL! I have never enjoyed anything more... ok so I exaggerate at times but it is incredibly exciting. Now maybe I can go about updating this blog with a Link section and other stuff that I have been wanting to do. Before it took so long to get anything to take that I would just give up. Another cool thing is being able to listen to music. Right now I am listening to AllWorship.com. (Thanks Brandy for mentioning it in your blog). I am listening to praise and worship.
We started preschool this week. Its going pretty good though I see areas I really need to organize more. Ok just changed to Contemporary Worship... yeah I think this is more what I like. Back to homeschool. The littles seem to be enjoying it. I am also on day 3 of the MOTH schedule. Loving it. We have not followed it totally yet but thats because we are still in the rough draft part.
I have had to keep my five year old home from school for 6 days already this year. When my dad died she missed two days of school. Then she came down with an upper respiratory infection and missed three days. Now she is out again with... ready?... head lice! YUCK! Im at my wits end but she went back to school today. I think I have the buggers licked. If not look for us on the news. Our house will have burned down and our family will all have shaved heads. Can you tell Im not dealing well with this new parenting journey?
We are heading up to Atlanta for Labor Day to see my husband's oldest sister. We are also hoping to hook up with one of his best friends while we are there but we have not heard anything from him yet. We go back to Tampa in a few weeks for the baby dedication of our sweet goddaughter who was let out of the hospital a month ahead of time. She is doing great. I cant wait to hold her. Its a dedication which is different then a Christening in that mom and dad will be committing to raise her in a Christian home. She wont be baptized. Mom wanted her to be but dad argued against it for a long time and stood his ground. Anyway after that we should be home for awhile and then we are going for a week at Thanksgiving to North Carolina to see my friend. Im so excited. I love to travel. In all of this hubby and I are trying to plan a weekend mini vacation. We want to get a hotel room down by the beach and take the children swimming everyday and stay up late playing games and eating takeout. We have been wanting to do this for some time. Just our little family but things keep popping up. But hubby has sat down and really started trying to fit it in lately with the emotional ride we all just went on. We think it will do us all some good to get away.
Hubby and I got up at 6am this morning and spent 30 minutes in prayer together for our children. We have been wanting to do this for awhile but someone kept hitting the snooze button and before we knew it it was 7:15 and I was 30 minutes late for my routine and 45 minutes late for prayer. So last night we put the alarm clock on the other side of the room. When it went off this morning I got up turned it off and stumbled over the bed to wake up hubby. After the 30 minutes were up we both commented that we felt awake and refreshed and he sat down and read his Bible while I got a shower and dressed for the day. It was a nice time. Prayer has really been our hearts the past few months. It all came to a head this weekend when our preacher preached a GREAT message on prayer and the power of it. Sunday night I made sticky note reminders with Bible verses and we put them all over the house so we can remember to pray. Funny thing is you can glance at them and just disregard but when I find myself doing that I force myself to go back and pray. I think its really helped and I am excited about the prayers we have both sent to God. Even our eight year old has had a good time reading the Bible verses and asking questions. I just feel that our house is so peaceful this week and it has to be the attitude of prayer around here.

Around the House:
Following the MOTH schedule has been going GREAT! We are getting so much done. I have not yet completed a full hour of chores in the AM like I would like but we are slowly getting there. There are many areas I have to tweak but thats the great thing about the MOTH is its so easy to tweak.
My kitchen and living room have stayed fairly clean all week. I am on schedule with the laundry. Although I had to mix it up a bit. Typically the girls' laundry gets done on Tuesday and the boys' on Wed but this week since the boys were running low on clothes I decided theirs needed to be done Tues. Did not make a big difference. Im on the third load of girls' clothes right now and have about one load left maybe another small one after that. Tomorrow is towels and Friday is sheets. This is the first time since I came up with the laundry schedule that we have been on task. So its exciting.
I am having to clean all the beds and furniture and toys and bedding really well thanks to the pestilence that has come upon our home. I read somewhere that tea tree oil will help keep the eggs from sticking to hair so we are using that in our conditioner.... IT STINKS but it really seems to be working as I have found only a few nits on my 3 year olds head and none on the 8 year olds. In the past when we have dealt with this plague it has rapidly spread to all the girls. So I am thankful for that.
In the latest issue of Laines letters she suggested toilet bowl cleaner to clean your shower with the admonishment that you scrub and rinse really well. Since the dollar store did not have The Works when I went in the other day I will try the toilet bowl cleaner. I did find the all purpose cleaner that I like the most at the Dollar Store so that was exciting. :)
I am taking over the bill paying. NOT the finances but the making sure the bills get in the mail or get paid on payday. Im excited about it and already have all the bills we are going to pay with tomorrow's paycheck ready to go. The Lord has really blessed us financially the past few months. We are so excited and just praising God.
Oh I just have to share this. The other day I was working in the girls' room so I asked my 8 year old to wipe down the kitchen counters. She did that and came to see me. Then I asked her if she could sweep the kitchen floor. She was very excited but wanted to make sure that if she swept she would get to use the Swiffer mop as well. I told her sure. Now I left ALL of this to her without really checking because I was in the middle of something else. I figured when I was done I would go inspect and then we would go over it together again. A learning experience. OH NO! She did a perfect job. The kitchen looked beautiful. My five year old wiped down the kitchen table and picked up the clutter in the living room and after I sprinkled the carpets the eight year old vacuumed. THEN last night 8 year old helped me clean off the table after dinner and she put all the food away by herself. I am truly blessed to have such great girls. They are so eager to help and learn. The 8 year old wants to learn to sew... Im setting up my sewing area so she can learn straight lines. The five year old is getting ready to do some simple hand sewing projects. Basically straight lines. Im so excited!
Ok better get back to work. My littles are napping and its project time for me. :)