The Sentimental Soup Label

When I was a little girl, my Granny was always saving soup labels to send in for school.  At any given time, there might be a stack of them in the napkin holder, or in a basket, in her kitchen.  I can picture her, in my mind, with her favorite pair of scissors (and we knew better than to miss with her favorite scissors!), going down the seam in the label and pulling it off.  

When my Granny passed away, there was still a very large collection of soup labels at her house.  Even though Jason & I were out of school, she still continued to save her soup labels.  I remember taking them from her home and putting them in a collection box at Berea Walmart.  It was one of those bittersweet moments because I knew she'd be happy that they were going to a school, but also sad because I knew this was the last time that I'd ever be donating labels that SHE had saved.

Now that my kids are in school, I am slightly obsessed with saving box tops and soup labels.  I nearly have a fit of rage if I see that Brad has tossed something in the trash that had a box top that wasn't clipped.  I buy name brand instead of generic, just because I can get the box tops.  I buy Campbell's brand SpaghettiO's instead of the popular Chef Boyarde because Campbell's has labels for education. 

This morning, in the shower of all places, I started thinking about soup labels and my Granny's faithfulness in saving them, even when she didn't have to.  My Granny - as I have said so many times before - was an awesome person!  It's no wonder that I love to clip the box tops and soup labels...it's a sentimental thing for me, as well as a great way to help out the kid's school.  This is one of the many traditions my Granny had that I really hope to carry on.

So before you toss your next box top or soup labels for education in the trash, think of me, and think of my Granny, and know that sometimes, something as simple as a soup label can have a deeper meaning!!!

One Month Later...a School Story

We are officially a month into school and we have survived, although there have been moments that have made me question survival.  The first night that Leah and Logan both had homework was a disaster.  Not just a disaster but a disaster with a capital T!  It took us over four hours to finish both their homework.  Leah had homework in every subject but one...Logan didn't have a lot of homework, but what he did have was hard for him because he had never done it before.  This blog is a story of our first month into school and some of the highs and lows along the journey...enjoy

LEAH

Leah is in the 5th grade now and the 5th grade is proving to be a difficult grade.  There has been SOOO much work and so many tests.  Within two weeks, no joke, I think they've had more tests than she did the entire 4th grade year (with the exception of their weekly spelling test).  I really do feel like I am going through school again...I'm just hoping "this time around" that I can retain the continents, what latitude and longitude are, and what the cuticle on a plant is for.  The thing that is really troubling me, though, is MATH.  What has happened to simply adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing?  I distinctly remember the MAD MINUTE tests that Mrs Cox used to give us in school.  We learned our multiplication and daggone it, we knew how to use it.  It seems that Math has just gotten blown way out of proportion with all of these "fancy-smancy" ways of doing things.   Go back to the basics!!!  Everyday Math is what Leah is supposed to be learning, but in my everyday life, I have never needed to know the prime factors of something...or whether a number is composite.  The EVERYDAY MATH that I use might involve fractions when I am cooking in the kitchen, addition, subtraction, multiplying for sure, and division...I need to know how to use a tape measure and ruler, but I don't need to know how many factors the ruler has.  

Leah is a smart girl, but sometimes always seems to lack the responsibility and motivation to carry through with something.  Overall, though, she's doing pretty good.  She makes me proud even when I don't show it.    My hope for this school year, for her, is that she can learn to be more responsible for herself and her school work and take pride in it.  Next year, she'll begin the middle school journey!!!  I'm planning on trying to enjoy this last year of grade school with her because she is truly growing up in a hurry!

LOGAN

Logan's start to school has been quite an entertaining adventure.  What Leah's year has been in stress has been balanced out in laughs by Logan's year, so far.  BELIEVE IT OR NOT, he has been able to get in the treasure box every week to get a prize for being good.  I, personally, find it hard to believe, because I know what a little rascal he truly is.   

Logan has adjusted a lot better than I thought he would, considering that he'd never been away from me.  Don't get me wrong, every morning we still go through the same ole' questions of 1)  Why do I "HAS" to go to school  2)  The reason I hate school is because of centers...Centers are dumb  3)  I hope we don't have PE

Logan is learning his letters and doing really well as far as I can tell.  I can give him letters and he will sound them out and tell me the word.  Simple words like pop, hog, log,...but I'm super proud of him.  He still can't buckle his seat belt, but we are working on it.  He still doesn't wipe his own butt, but will in time, I know...I am much more easy going with Logan than I was with Leah, just because I know that if he can't do everything that the other kids can do, it will be OK and he will do it in HIS own time.  

I'm sure that his teacher wonders about us though.  From sending in a box of Hamburger Helper in his "H" letter sound box to him putting his favorite food was SpaghettiO's on his "All About Me" poster.  She probably thinks that we are the most redneck family ever!  

One of the things that has been a "highlight" of Logan's first month of school is that he gave away one of his books from the book order!  The funny thing is that it is the book that we'd ordered for Leah - a dinosaur book.  Oh dear me.  We still haven't got that book back, and I don't think that we ever will...sigh.  At least he was willing to share with other kids, right?!!!  

MOM

I am adjusting pretty well to having two kids in school, I think.  Logan only goes 1/2 a day and that isn't really a lot of time to accomplish much but I am enjoying it.  I have been home with the kids for 10 years...I was ready for a few hours of alone time!   Things are hectic at times, and I get frazzled over Leah's school work, but overall, I think I am doing OK.  My house is not any cleaner than it was before, I'm not fixing anything fancier for supper than I did before, and I sure as heck haven't started exercising like I had planned to, but that's alright.  We are all three on a new adventure...Leah with the rigors of 5th grade, Logan starting Kindergarten, and Mom adjusting to having time to do nothing!  

So far, we are doing well...one month down, how many more to go???  I don't even know...just taking one day at a time and trying to enjoy the journey!!!

School Starts Tomorrow

Oh my goodness...I knew it was coming, I thought I was prepared, but I am having a really hard time knowing that tomorrow, SCHOOL STARTS!   Leah will be a big 5th grader and Logan will be going to school for the very first time, as a Kindergartener!  REALLY???!!!  How's this happen?!

I have been washing clothes for them to wear tomorrow, and only, "almost," had a slight breakdown at the sight of Logan's little shirts and shorts.  I have also been trying to prepare him for what to do and not do at school.  I told him to make sure he used good manners.  As he looked at me, expressionless, I asked him if he knew what good manners were...he replied, "Don't say people are weird and don't spit on people."  Yep.  I told him that was right but to also make sure to say please, thank you, and no thank you.  I also had to tell him that he could not talk about his "privates" at school since this is one of his favorite things to laugh about.  Another thing I had to tell him was that if he drew any pictures of the family, that he could NOT put boobs on us.  Yes, these are things that I have to tell my child because I know how his little brain works!

Please say a prayer for us tonight...tomorrow is going to be tougher than I had thought and I just want to cry when I think about him starting school.  And I want to cry thinking about this being Leah's last year of grade school.  My babies are growing up, whether I'm ready for it, or not!

Kindergarten...

Oh my.  I knew it was coming.  I can't believe it is here.  ONE WEEK until Kindergarten for my little Logan!  I am so sad.  I am so excited.  I think I'm ready for this.  I think I'm gonna cry.  So many mixed emotions about him going to school, already!  I am not even joking when I say that it feels like he was just a couple years old, and now, he's FIVE!?!  

People say that time flies, but until it happens to you, you can't possibly realize the truth in it!  

I hope that he's ready...I have worked with him for awhile on his letters and things.  He is really good at patterns.  He loves to play games on the computer.  He seems to be smart.  I worry about the other things.  The small things that I haven't let him do just because it was 1) either more convenient for me to do 2) I just didn't realize that he would be 5 so soon and need to know how to do these things on his own.  He doesn't fasten his own seat beat - if I remember correctly, Leah didn't know how to fasten hers in Kindergarten either though.  He probably doesn't know how to put his own jacket on, I have always done that because if he needed his jacket on, it meant we were leaving, which usually means we are in a hurry!  He is currently wearing his shorts backward, etc.  He isn't the best at writing his letters and he isn't very good at using scissors.  Have I babied Logan?  AB-SO-FREAKIN-LUTELY!  He was my baby that I didn't think I'd ever have...2 years of heartache and then a bouncing baby boy to spoil rotten?  You better believe I have babied him!  LOL!

I watch him play with his toys and on his DS with such amazement.  I'm sure all parents do this - I do with Leah too.  How did "I" get to be so lucky as to be his Mommy?!  I might fuss about the kids driving me crazy, but daggone it, those kids are the thing that keeps me going!  I am blessed beyond I ever deserved to be!

Kindergarten.  What a huge milestone.  I'm excited for him.  I think he's going to do OK.  And, I think I'm gonna do OK too.   

Here's to my baby boy starting school next week!  

I salute DESTIN, FL

We ventured to Destin, Florida on vacation and had a great time.  Here are some of the things that I learned while on vacation...

1.  While on the dolphin boat tour, I did not get sea sick.  This was very much a relief as, one day, I want to be a part of the Sea Shepherd's which is an anti-whaling group featured in the show "Whale Wars."  However, this probably won't happen since it is in Antarctica, but a girl can dream...   

2.  Although Leah is growing up, she is still unable to eat a giant stack of pancakes from iHop.  She gave it a good try, and then we accidentally left our to-go box at the restaurant...

3.  I can wear shorts that don't go all the way to my knees or mid-calf, and SURVIVE!!!

4.  Brad is as big of a kid as the actual kids when he's in the ocean!

5.  Lily May is getting pretty good at this vacation thing, other than her great escape and run while we were in TN for the night.  She was a perfect little Pug while we were in Destin!

6.  I think that I might like wearing a sundress!  I felt like a girl!  Woo hoo!  Now if I could just learn to sit like one :)

7.  My Logan has NO FEAR of the water

8.  ESPN radio is the devil...plain and simple...I have no picture for this because it was just that bad!

9.  No matter how much sunscreen I slap on Brad's back, he always ends up burned!

10.  I could get REAL used to Brad entertaining the kids while I sit with my feet propped up and read!

11.  GOD has given us an amazing beautiful world to enjoy!

12.  Logan likes to have his shirt unbuttoned so he can show off his "chest hair!"  

13.  I am a pretty awesome sand castle builder...well, I have awesome intentions!

14.  My kids like to have their picture taken with Charlie the bird :)

15.  It's really hot when you play putt-putt golf, no matter how early you go...but for four of us to play golf, that early in the day, was a grand total of SEVEN DOLLARS!!!  Well worth the sweat ;)

16.  We really like to say Whataburger

17.  I have a pretty fantastic family!!!

18.  Just because a random, nice lady offers to take your picture on the beach, with your back to her, doesn't mean she's going to run away with your camera!

19.  I take a lot of self photos of me and Brad

20.  And finally...I learned that the Johnston's are pretty awesome while on vacation!  We might have our moments, but overall, we have a great time together!!!  We are obsessed with Animal Planet shows.  We like to eat.  We like to be goofy.  We like to laugh.  We like to sleep (well, me and Brad like to sleep).  The kids like to stay in the pool all day long.  The Johnston's had a great vacation!!!  

I salute you DESTIN, FLORIDA for your sandy white beaches, your pretty clear water (except for the seaweed), your lack of shark sightings while we were there, for your nice little Marina area that I loved, and for your souvenir t-shirts that I bought.  I salute you for your cleanliness and your dolphins swimming in the water while we were on our boat tour.  Thank you DESTIN!

  

My Introvert

It amazes me that two children can have the same parents but have totally different personalities.  My Leah is totally an introvert...I really realized it this past week, even though I have known before that.  And Logan, well, he's definitely NOT an introvert :)

Ever since Leah was little, she has been on the quiet & shy side.  Never one to quickly warm up to strangers.   Ever since she was little, I have always felt like I have had to defend that fact.  People acted as if there were something wrong with her, that she was unsocial, etc, because of it.  I have finally gotten tired of that and have decided to write a blog about it.

My Leah is a great kid, she does well in school, she has friends, she can sing good, and she loves her family and animals.  Is she super outgoing?  No.  Is she open to talking about sensitive matters?  No.  She doesn't like to be put on the spot, she doesn't like to be the center of attention when we are out, she isn't one that is going to voluntarily give you information unless you ask for it.  She is an observer, she doesn't really relate to people who are overly friendly or very outgoing.  I think that she sometimes gets overwhelmed or intimidated by them.

This past week of Bible School has really showed me how much of an introvert she really is...and you know what, THAT'S FINE!  During one of our car rides to the store, Logan was talking about the people in his Bible School class.  Leah asked him what their names were and he didn't know...(although he did know what color shirts they had on - LOL).  She said that she knew everybody's name in her class.   I told her that was because she was a lot like me and her Dad in the fact that she's quiet and likes to observe and take it all in instead of being right in the midst of everything like Logan does.   I have tried to talk to her this week, about different things, but she totally shuts down.  Does it bother me?  Yes!  I WANT to have a great and open relationship with her, I want her to be able to talk to me if she needs to.  However, I am learning that I have to respect the fact that conversations like that make her uncomfortable and she acts standoffish as a way of coping with the uncomfortable feeling.  I get it.  I have been there.  In a sense, I am still there.

I know that most of you know me and know that I love to talk...that is true.  I do!  I am very social, with most people.  However, even now, at 34, I am easily intimidated by people, especially if I don't know them well, or think that I don't have a lot of intelligent things to contribute to the conversation.  I have never met Brad's coworkers because the thought of it totally intimidates me.  Leah has a lot of me and Brad in her.  Brad is the same way.  Is there anything wrong with it?  Not at all.  Not everyone is super outgoing and social.  My problem is that I am tired of people acting like it is a bad thing that my child is the way she is.  She's not going to be the child in class who raises her hand all the time.  I have observed her in some situations where she's really wanted to do something but is too intimidated by more aggressive and out going children and she's not spoken up for herself.   I have wondered, however, how such a quiet and shy child can sing a solo in the talent show at school and have come to the conclusion that she's comfortable there.  She's comfortable among her peers and her music teacher.  As long as she's in her comfort zone, she's good.

All children are different, my two are super different, but they are both equally special, equally intelligent, and equally loved.  I just wish that other people in the world realized that having a personality like Leah's doesn't make her any different than anyone else, nor does it make me a bad mom.  I know that, in time, she will grow up and come out of it a little bit...until then, I hope to be more understanding of the personality that she has and respect who she is.  My introvert and my extrovert...My Leah and my Logan.  I love them both so much!!!

My Little Brother

Years ago, if you asked me about my "little brother" I would have thrown out insults like nobody's business.  I mean, that is what big sisters do - right?  We used to fuss and fight and scream and yell and all sorts of badness! Of course, even back then, if somebody was messing with him, I would always stand up for him.  That is one thing that hasn't changed.

If you asked me about my brother, now, I would tell you that he is one awesome guy...He's funny, caring, and has a great heart...He loves God, he strives to do what God is leading him to do, although he struggles with "what" exactly it is.  He is the type of guy that would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it and I know that he's helped a lot of people out money-wise, even when he might have been needing the money himself.  I'm not seeking praises for my brother, just super proud that he's grown into a giving and selfless person.

He has gone through a divorce this year and through this, I have seen him grow and mature in ways that I never imagined.   What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, I have always heard.  I know that he still struggles with all that happened, but I do think that he's come out of it a stronger person.  It is amazing to see how God is working in his life...he's going on a mission trip to Haiti soon and I am super excited to see how this experience shapes him, because I know it will!!!

The past few months, I have talked to my brother more than I probably have the past few years.  We have talked about our childhood, our fears, our future, our hopes, and everything else it seems like!  I treasure the conversations we have had and have learned so much about him.  My brother is a pretty good writer.  He has read me some poems and some things out of his journals that I would have never thought would have come from the boy that I used to chase around the house with a broom!  He is a very deep thinker and is a lot like me in the fact that he always tries to seek the deeper meaning in things.

The other day, he told me that I was "the new Granny," which almost made me cry.  Our Granny was his confidant, his friend, and the one and only person that he always knew he could turn to, who would pray for him, talk to him, and encourage him, without passing judgement on him.   I know that I am a long ways away from having her Biblical knowledge and from being half the woman she was, but that, honestly, was one of the best compliments I could ever receive.  It would be nice if more people could be like my Granny - encourage and support - without being judgmental or biased.  Sometimes, the people that "should" be the ones who encourage are the ones that we feel like are constantly beating us down and discouraging us.

I remember a day that I would rather pull out my fingernails, one by one, with a pair of pliers before I would say that I loved my brother, but now, I am proud to say that I do love him...He's a great guy and I am blessed and thankful to have him as my little brother!!!