Teacher appreciation doors from 2010. Just some ideas to help with this year.
Thanks So Much!!

Consistent

The older I've become and the more I get to know MYSELF. I'm finding if there is one word that can describe me, it's INCONSISTENT.

Though I put forth MUCH effort. I cannot get myself to follow through on anything for more than a few days. It's the truth! I try... I set up new bedtimes for the kids, new rules for the house, new chore charts to help keep the house clean. And yet, a few weeks later, I find myself trying something new, because I cannot keep myself in check and consistent about following through with the things I had already decided to do. That is probably most of my problem even with loosing weight. I can do anything for a day or two. My brain works well enough for that 24 to 48 hour period of time, that I can remember to follow through. But beyond that, I cannot stick with anything.

My poor kids. I know I'm passing on my inconsistency to them. I want them to know how to complete something once they've started it. But sadly, how are they going to learn that, if their father and I (yes I did add him in there...he is absolutely as inconsistent as I am - I guess that's one reason we are perfect for each other) don't follow through. As parents we both try. We talk about it often. "We have to be consistent...We have to teach them..." over and over. We have the same conversation's so much that it's beginning to seem funny. I just can't figure out how to do it.

How do you stay consistent? Do you have a fantastic memory? Are you able to keep all of the balls in the air and not let one drop? or are you like me...the balls are dropping all around you and you can't seem to even catch one?

I guess that's what goals are for. I continue to try and I continue to fail, but I guess that's how we learn. And I only really fail when I stop trying.

Challenges

So, I've been struggling lately with the challenges that have been appearing, with the kids getting older.

This may not be a struggle for most Moms. But I'm really having a hard time.

My oldest son has now reached the milestone of becoming a teenager. I knew that this would bring on new and interesting phases in our family, but the biggest challenge has really tested what I've always seen as, some of the 'values' that I've used in raising these boys and possibly protecting them a bit from the world. I'm not sure that I want to sacrifice these 'values' but, I'm not necessarily sure that I need to continue to hold on to them so hard.

Even so, in saying all of this. Many Moms, even my family members and close friends, don't really see these things the same way as I do, and you may not either. So, in all of my ramblings, you may find yourself rolling your eyes at me...and feel free to do so. I know that I'm a bit over protective in certain areas, then strangely under-protective in others.

But here is my dilemma...

In our home, I have always felt VERY strongly about 2 things. My children are not allowed to play rated T or M video games. Even to the extent that if they are at a friends house and a game is pulled out that is T or M rated they are to come home. Second, we don't do 'friend' sleep over's. We have done sleep over's with cousins, but not with friends. Late nights are perfectly ok, even until 11pm or midnight. But when others go to bed, my kids come home.
I have many reasons that I feel this way, but truly it is to protect my children.

But at 13 my oldest son's closest cousins are all girls, and the sleep over options now are really not appropriate. So really, he has no opportunity to have sleep overs. And at this point his friends have been having a lot of them. He usually comes home early, not even wanting to take part in a late night, because he will feel too bad leaving at midnight. Then add on top of that that his friends all play rated T games, he again finds himself leaving their houses when they pull these games out to play (there are usually more than one of them together, so they don't care that he leaves).

The other night, he was in tears that he wasn't able to stay and play video games and stay the night with the other 3 boys who he has hung around with all summer. He was jealous that the other moms, let them do these things that I wouldn't let him do.

Years ago, I had made these decisions, with my "valid" reasons to do so, but as he is getting older, I'm wondering if my choices should still be the basis for his learning and growing. Is he now old enough to start making these decisions himself? Is he old enough that I don't have to stand by him and protect him from the horrible things of the world?

I was broken hearted the other night as I held him and tried to explain why I feel the way I feel. He said that he understood and supported my 'values', but it didn't make it any easier for him to know that all of his friends were having a grand old time without him.

I really cant decide what to do, and I don't think I can bare it if we have another night like this one.

So, I guess my struggle, is...Do I let my kids do things that I don't feel good about, to keep them happy? Or do I stand by the things that I feel are right even though it hurts my kids and they may end up resenting me later?

Again, I know that most of you are rolling your eyes at me thinking..."lighten up, Stace" I know, I know.... It's hard to even express why I feel so strongly about these things. But I do. So now, what to do?...

Yay! I did it.

I actually accomplished one of my goals. I am so happy to say that I did it!
I have to say that I felt fairly calm going into it. It wasn't at all how I felt when I went into my first 5k. I think back then, I wasn't sure if I could actually do it. This time, I knew that I could in fact handle the run, as long as my foot held out.

Happily it did!!!

The picture above, is me and my friend Kim. She is one of my greatest inspirations. And especially after looking at us in this picture, I really hope to become just like her. Just a pound or two separate us...don'tcha think? Seriously, I really have been grateful for her encouragement.

This is the picture of me crossing the finish line. It's not too attractive, so I chose to make it really small, and hard to see. :-)

Getting my chip cut off.

At the finish, with Kim and my friend Marie.

It was such a great day for a run, and though today, I'm really feeling the strain that I put my body through it was worth it and I would absolutely do it again.

Alex and Eric watched as kid after kid came in and crossed the finish line, and now have decided that the next time I run, they want to join me. I'm thinking that sounds like a fantastic idea. So, it might just be the 5k in Heber for Swiss Days.

Soda-Pop Bottle Rockets

Here is a general overview of how to build a pop-bottle rocket.

1st you take a bottle. (Preferable size is the 16.9 oz size. We would rather avoid 2ltr bottles. With the crowd size, I'm concerned that we could have an injury.) Either way, it needs to have an opening the size of these bottles or it wont fit on the "launch pad". Then you need weight for the bottom of the bottle. I didn't have a tennis ball handy but I think that is our preferred method of weight. Though golf balls, coins and even rocks will work.

Then you need a STRONG tape. Packing tape, duct tape, or even electrical tape. It just has to be more than scotch or masking tape. We want these things to stay together all the way to the ground.

Then attach your weight to the bottom.

Again, coins work too, you just have to make sure that they are nice and stuck to the tape. Them apply several layers of tape over them to keep them in place.

They do attach nicely to the bottom.

Now after this you can decorate the rocket all you want. My kids have honestly found that "what's the point". The object is to see how high up that cool little rocket will go, and the more stuff you add to it, the more stuff that goes flying off as the bottle lands.

However, they are very cool when they have a nose cone and fins on the sides. We have used construction paper for these, but have found that the different color electrical tape twisted around the side of the bottle make really cool looking rockets. Use your imagination to decorate and personalize your rocket.

Then we fill it with water, and attach it to the launch pad (hopefully I will have a 4 or 5 place launcher built by tomorrow. That's been the goal, but it's been a busy week. I'll see what I can do.

They are a BLAST to see go flying. Depending on the weight and the water, and of course the air pressure from the compressor, the rockets fly REALLY HIGH.