The New "it" Shoes?

Brynne isn't too much into fashion. But last year she really wanted some Skechers Twinkle Toes that lit up when she walked. We found some Kohl's knock-offs, and since she doesn't know real brands from knock-offs, it was an easy sell. She loved those shoes!

This year, however, she has stated that she wants real Skechers. I have been looking for just the right pair.

And then today she came to me and said she wanted the new Skechers "twirl" shoes that help you do a pirouette. Since she typically doesn't ask for anything new, and since being homeschooled she really only needs one pair of good tennis shoes, I immediately started looking. She was talking about the Skechers Prima Princess sneakers with a built in twirling disk on the bottom. She squealed when she saw them!

I did a little online searching and found a pair cheaper than anywhere else at Beallsflorida.com.

They will be here in a week.

Does your girlie have a shoe that is a must-have?

Where to Find Me

With school starting in three weeks, and me spending just about every waking minute getting prepared for it, you are more likely to find me over at Journey to Excellence these days than here at Taulman Times. If you are at all interested in what we are doing, you might want to hop over there to catch up. Become a Follower, if you'd like!

I Gotta Brag ...

Do you see this man with me? He's awesome. He's awesome in a lot of ways. But I want to tell you how awesome he is in a couple of specific ways.

Rick endured a job situation that was less-than-stellar for the past couple of years. There were many moments that I am certain he wanted to just walk out. But, he loved his family too much to do it. The things he was most frustrated with were lack of incentive from his company, and lazy co-workers and management.

Rick is not lazy. Rick is a go-getter. Rick likes to work and work hard. Rick likes to make a difference in what he is doing. But Rick also wants to be given credit when he has gone above-and-beyond (which is often) and told that he is valued.

Rick was recently contacted by a recruiter with a job that she thought was just up his alley. He interviewed for it and got a job offer immediately. Here's the cool part. Yesterday he was told that they had interviewed around 30 people for that position. They knew he was "the one" at their first meeting. Yes, he's that good. (And I knew he was "the one" after our first meeting. He has that affect on people.)

I am so proud of him! I know that he will make his new company very proud! And I hope that, in turn, they will reward him when reward is due.

Here is the crazy thing. Rick values good work ethic and integrity so much that he even took a pretty significant pay cut. And he learned of the pay difference within days of being socked with a financial obligation that was based on his previous salary. It's not fair, really. And, if it were me, I'd probably fight it (cause I'm a fighter). But that's not Rick. Rick takes things like this in stride and always tries to do what he believes is right! He gives up his rights so often for the benefit of others, even when they don't deserve it.

I am proud to call Rick my husband. He is a man full of integrity. And I am lucky.

How Hot is it in Oklahoma?

(** I received this in an e-mail from my friend, Springfield Pal. Yeah, it's this hot).

HOW HOT HAS IT BEEN

IN OKLAHOMA

This is is an un-posed picture of Elliot, a British Bulldog,

(trust me, you couldn't actually make Elliot do anything)

after his owners had emptied their cooler

in the driveway.

 

 

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... It's going to be another scorcher, projected 108 degrees today! We did have a little rain shower sometime in the night, that was nice, because we are now on mandatory water rations and today is not my allowed watering day.

I am thinking... about a busy day ahead.

I am thankful ... that Rick is now at his new job!

I am wearing... pj's still.

I am planning... Brynne's birthday party, U.S. History curriculum (still), class subject binders, schedules, reproducibles file, lots of school stuff.

I am creating...  no actual creating right now, but lots of planning for upcoming creating.

I am going... to take my hard-working son to open his first savings account today. He has $500 that he earned this summer.

I am reading...  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson (homeschool play group moms book study), and More Faith in My Day by Emilie Barnes (daily devotional).

I am hoping... that my Aunt's recently diagnosed breast cancer is truly as in the early stages as they believe and that it will be able to be taken care of with radiation only. Please be praying for her. She is my favorite aunt and her name is Rhonda Hart.

From the learning rooms... We have started back to daily reading this week. Co-op activities are starting up and even Eli is joining the Boys' Club sponsored by our Co-op. We'll be going to his first meeting today.

Noticing that ... Christmas decorations are out in stores. Really? Good grief. It almost makes me mad to be so hot and to see Christmas stuff.

From the kitchen... I saw a Mexican fast food restaurant commercial that had a brisket soft taco, or something like it, that sparked my menu for this week. The brisket slow-cooked all day yesterday and is ready for us to eat tonight. Here is what else we are having:

Tuesday ~ BBQ beef brisket sandwiches with pasta salad
Wednesday ~ Fend for Yourself and Wine Wednesday
Thursday ~ Spaghetti and breadsticks
Friday ~ Brisket and cheddar roll-ups
Saturday ~ Burgers on the grill and jalapeno poppers
Sunday ~ Nothing planned, maybe some leftovers
Monday ~ Cheesey chicken and rice casserole

Around the house... it smells like apple spice. I have been using the little 99 cent Glade oil warmers from Wal-Mart and Aldi has a cheap refill ($1.67 each) that smells SO GOOD and after several weeks I still smell it all day long. I have had people tell me how good my house smells. And that's with four dogs! It's so much cheaper than the Febreze Noticeables and Bath and Body Works warmers that I have been using for years, and those lose their scent after a while.

One of my favorite things... watching my husband read a book, and be so into it! I've been using The Book Whisperer as a way to get my kids to want to read. Turns out the tactics have worked on my husband who claims to dislike reading. He can't seem to put his book down now.

A few plans for the rest of the week... I thought this week was going to be quiet and calm (and I guess after last week it is), but we do have lots going on. Today I need to run lots of errands (library, bank, recycling, post office, Walmart) and Eli is going to his first Boys' Club and then I have a Co-op Back-to-School Parent Support Meeting this evening. Tomorrow we have our Co-op Playgroup and then in the evening we are going to church to help get ready for the big Back-to-School Mission that is August 3rd. On Friday we are going bowling with our Co-op. And then the weekend is clear. I'm sure, for me, it will consist of cleaning house and working on school stuff.

From my picture journal.

Me and the Man I love. Soooo glad I got to spend a night away with him this past week.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Over a decade ago, I met Rick in Springield (not Rick Springfield, but Rick in Springfield, Missouri). At the time, he was living in Joplin, Missouri. We moved here to Oklahoma and got married 10 years ago.

At the end of last week, Rick and I took an overnight trip to Springfield to revisit some places that are special to us.

Rick was excited to rent us a car for our trip. And it wasn't just any car ... it was a Cadillac CTS Coupe. It was beautiful and a nice way to travel!

On our way to Springfield, we stopped for lunch at Summerside Winery in Vinita, Oklahoma. We had the yummiest lunch and purchased some wine and wine accessories. Then we got back on the road.

Our next stop was Joplin. Rick's house was just a block away from the high school which was completely destroyed by the recent tornado. We assumed his house had been hit by the tornado, but was surprised to find it still standing.

That's it in the bottom left hand corner. But just three houses away, you find this ...

and this ...

for blocks and blocks and blocks, both directions. Rick just kept saying, "I don't know where I am right now." He was very affected by the devastation.

We pulled ourselves together and finished the drive to Springfield. Our first two stops? The church where we got married and my old neighborhood and house.

I got nostalgic in a hurry! I lived in a beautiful, aged neighborhood with large lots and beautiful trees! (In fact, Brad Pitt's childhood home was across the street from my house.) The neighborhood was even more beautiful than it was when I left it 10 years ago.

We checked into our hotel, the same hotel we and our families stayed in the night before we got married.

After a short rest, we got dressed up and went to dinner at an Italian restaurant recommended by a dear friend. We also stopped by the park where we went on a walk on our first date.

And it was on this bench that we shared our first kiss.

We made one last stop that night to the parking lot of the restaurant where Rick proposed. I suppose his proposal wasn't the romantic moment he had planned, because I ruined it with my suspicious nature. But I sure am glad he went through with it!!

Being the party animals we are, we were back to the hotel and watching t.v. by 8:00 p.m. I did take a nice bubble jacuzzi bath (because I begged for the upgraded room), but we were crashed early! We slept in the next day and then went to spend a few minutes with a former co-worker and very good friend.

This is "Springfield Pal", who you often see commenting on this blog. She is someone I love and respect greatly!

Our last stop before heading home was Mille's Cafe in downtown Springfield. Rick and I went to lunch there shortly after we started dating, when he was in between jobs and we were unsure of our future together. It is one of my favorite places to eat. We found it funny that we were eating there while Rick was without a job again! He has a new job, starting today, but we thought it was pretty ironic.

When lunch was over we got back on the road to get back to our current life, in Oklahoma with our children, and our less-than-Cadillac automobiles. Thank you, Aunt Krissi, for holding down the fort so we could spend some much-needed time together!

Thank you, babe, for a wonderful couple of days away! While in Springfield, I realized how much I missed it. But I also remembered very well the way I felt when I met you there. And it was so great to revisit that.

NKOTBSB

On Sunday night my sister, daughter, niece and I went to see New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys in concert. Let me just say this ... I had WAY more fun than a woman my age should have, and I hope I didn't embarrass my daughter too much! It was FABULOUS!! I loved every second of it and was bummed when it was over! If they are still on their way to your city, and you were a fan in your past (or still are, like me), then GO to that concert!!

The other part that was so cool is that it gave this mom and her teenage daughter something to celebrate together! Twelve years ago I took Kyndal to see Backstreet Boys ... on her 5th birthday! She's always been a music fanatic, and she loved Backstreet Boys. We wore out a VHS copy of a Disney concert they put on. At the concert she and I sang and hugged and laughed and screamed. It was such a great night for us. If you have a teenage daughter, with a job and car and friends, then you know how precious this time was.

And it was also fun that my sister and niece were here to share it with us. It was a true girls night out! We went earlier that day and bought some fun new clothes and shoes and just really lived it up. My sister was a huge New Kids fan as a young teenager, so she and I had some real memories going on!

The girls are still laughing about all that went on that night. My sister and I are still recovering.

It was just an amazing night!

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... The sun is going down, but it's still 100 degrees outside.

I am thinking... about what a difference this week as been in comparison to last week. We've had a pretty empty house for a couple of weeks with not much activity. This week, our house is full and things are going on every day and night!

I am thankful ... that my sister is here for a visit this week and staying with the kids while Rick and I go away for a night to celebrate our 10 year anniversary (that was last month).

I am wearing... a white t-shirt and denim capris.

I am planning... Brynne's birthday skating party.

I am creating...  a Sunflower day tomorrow for Brynne and her three friends.

I am going... to really enjoy sleeping tonight. I am tired!

I am reading...  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson (homeschool play group moms book study), and More Faith in My Day by Emilie Barnes (daily devotional).

I am hoping... that the temperature starts to drop SOON!!

From the learning rooms... We haven't done anything of the school variety this week. We are going to do a Sunflower study tomorrow, but I have completely fallen off the reading wagon with the little two because of all of the activity we have had this week.

Noticing that ... I haven't really been in the mood to blog much this week, when it's typically the thing I look forward to most in my day.

From the kitchen... I've cooked the last couple of nights, but the rest of the week will include easy food.

Around the house... it almost looks like fall because the leaves on the trees are scorching and falling off.

One of my favorite things... sitting with Dawson in the waiting area at Brynne's dance camp this evening with the two of us each reading a book.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Tomorrow we have some Co-op friends coming over for the day. On Thursday, Rick and I are going to Springfield, Missouri, to celebrate our anniversary. Then this weekend we are just hanging out and calming down after a busy week.

From my picture journal.

Kyndal, me, my sister Kristen, and my niece Rylee before the NKOTBSB concert

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Tonight

A Rarity

On Thursday and Friday I got to do something that I seriously cannot remember the last time I did .... I was HOME ALONE all day!

That would have been my life starting last school year when Brynne started kindergarten. But, by early summer it was decided I would homeschool Dawson and then right after school started it was decided that I would also homeschool Brynne. So much for having all the kids in school and being home alone every day.

I couldn't be happier about that situation, by the way. But, an occasional day alone wouldn't kill me!

What did I do with my rare days alone???? ..... I cleaned house (from top to bottom), I grocery shopped and I planned history curriculum for next year. Yes, I lead a glamorous life!

Actually, I am sitting in my very clean house very happy that I spent my time alone to spruce it up! This is the first time it has been collectively clean from top to bottom in a long, long, long time! Usually the downstairs gets it's weekly cleaning, but the upstairs gets terribly neglected. It feels so good to have a clean house!

And I am up to week 21 of 36 of the history curriculum I am writing for Dawson and Brynne for this next school year. It is really time consuming to do, so having quiet time to do it was invaluable.

And grocery shopping (and browsing clearance aisles at Hobby Lobby) alone? Hmmmm ... that was kind of nice.

But I realized that, really, these days weren't that much different than how it usually is around here. That's how great my kids are. On any given day, I am free to do what I want when I want. Kyndal is usually running around with her friends or at work. Dawson is usually in his 'man cave' upstairs playing video games or watching Netflix. Eli and Brynne play together so well that they are always somewhere doing something together. They don't ever need to be entertained.

I'll be honest. I enjoyed my time. But there were moments that the house was waaaaaaayyyy too quiet and I missed them. I am grateful for my kids.

Consider

As always, God must really be trying to get a concept through to me because it has shown itself in different ways over the past few days.

It started with a conversation I was having with a friend. This friend complains about her husband a lot, and tells me how her husband negatively treats her. I have often thought that there was much these two could do differently to make their marriage better, but instead have just been a listening ear. I try to drop subtle suggestions here and there. But it's obvious that the two of them are stubborn and really don't intend to change.

The thought that came to my mind the other day, after talking with her was ... those two are not considerate of each other. They really don't even try to be. I wondered when was the last time that either of them did something for the other just to make him or her happy?

I started thinking about how in order to be considerate of someone (or to CONSIDER him before you consider yourself), you have to humble yourself and sometimes give up one (or more) of your own rights or preferences.

I started calling to mind the scripture of considering others to be better than yourself ....

Then yesterday morning I was listening to an Andy Stanley podcast while I was on my morning run, instead of my usual Joyce Meyer. His sermon topic was Staying in Love. And what was the scriptural basis of his sermon? Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ~ Philippians 2:3.

Now, I stop to turn this back on myself. In the context of my marriage, am I considerate to Rick? Do I always consider him before I consider my own needs and wants? Do I value my needs and wants over his? I think that the two of us are fairly good at trying to be considerate to each other, especially in our words. But I definitely have room for improvement!

Just something to give me pause.

How about you?

My Night's Sleep

Rick had one of his episodes (he's a sleep walker).
Brynne had a bloody nose.
The cat was hacking up a fur ball.
My fan was making an obnoxious noise.
One of the dogs was sleeping under the covers with his back feet in my back.

Hurry up, coffee!

This morning ....

.... I just had to take a little time to do this ...

... because the sky looked like this ...

... and the patio looked like this ...

... because there was enough rain to actually do this ...

And that doesn't happen very often in Oklahoma in the middle of July.

It was brief, and the heat is returning, but we were blessed with a short break. And the grass, trees, bushes and flowers were eternally grateful. The birds were out and about, chirping through the sounds of thunder. It. was. delightful.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... The sprinklers are running, trying to keep all our bushes from scorching from the sun and drought.

I am thinking... about "stinkin' thinkin'". Have you ever really paid attention to the negative thoughts and complaining that you do? I did this morning on my run and it was shocking to realize.

I am thankful ... for my home and it's protection over my family from the heat.

I am wearing... white sleeveless t-shirt, black running shorts, tennis shoes.

I am planning... I'm always planning. There's Brynne's birthday (next month), Eli's birthday (in December), a trip to Florida (this fall or winter), Rick and my trip to Springield to celebrate our anniversary, homeschool curriculum, notebooks and schedules, meals, homeschool Co-op fun days, etc., etc., etc.

I am creating...  an American History masterpiece, and I'm half-way done.

I am going... to brave the heat this morning and take the kids to the water park for a couple of hours. Pretty sad that you have to plan to go before it gets too hot!

I am reading...  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson (homeschool play group moms book study), and More Faith in My Day by Emilie Barnes (daily devotional).

I am hoping... that Rick's last week at his job goes smoothly and that he enJOYS his new job he starts on the 25th!!

From the learning rooms... back to our reading schedule. Having a 'lax couple of weeks was not good for Eli. He was a bear yesterday when it was time to read and struggled all the way through it!

Noticing that ... the mama bird is no longer in the nest on our back porch, after she spent so much time building it and sitting in it for a couple of weeks. I need to climb up there and see what the deal is.

From the kitchen... Last night we had grilled burritos with fresh jalapenos and Spanish rice. It was so good! Here's what's on the menu for the next few days. (My older two kids, sister and niece are coming on Saturday, so I'll be shopping for the weekend and next week on Friday. I don't have my meals planned yet.)

Tuesday ~ Reverse stuffed peppers
Wednesday ~ Fend for Yourself/Wine Wednesday
Thursday ~ Talapia with garden veggies and long-grain rice

Around the house... are beautiful flowers and greenery and bushes due to heavy watering. (See, I'm being positive. I almost typed "dead grass, scorched trees and flowers begging for water.")

One of my favorite things... Having people tell me how well-behaved and enjoyable my kids are.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Today we are braving the water park for a couple of hours. Tomorrow we have our Homeschool Co-op Playgroup. On Thursday and Friday, Eli and Brynne are going to a Mad Science camp all day. Kyndal and Dawson come home on Saturday with my sister and niece who are staying for almost a week. And on Sunday us girls are going to the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys concert!!

From my picture journal.

 My mom and dad's cute new house they moved into this past weekend. The inside is adorable!!

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Getting Fit ~ Weeks 6 and 7 {Falling Down}

Yeah, we won't talk about the fact that I only exercised two days in a 14 day period!! Many factors contributed!

But this is a new week. We hit a record 107 degrees yesterday, and every day this week it's going to be over 100 degrees! I. hate. heat. I wish we lived in Colorado. Seriously.

But the heat's not going to stop me! Crusoe and I got up and briskly walked our 1.8 mile "big block" route this morning. I opted out of running since it's been two weeks since I've really done any exercise and because of the heat. I didn't want to make Crusoe sick, either.

We might not hit it hard this week, but we will hit it ... every day!

When you fall down, you just gotta get back up.

I'm up.

Yuck

The Sad Goodbye

I've mentioned that my parents sold their house and are moving into their new one this weekend. They have been in their house for 14 years. Dawson was about 9 months old when they were moving in.

It holds special memories for me because my kids have grown up in that house. Some very significant events occurred while they were living there.

The kids will definitely most miss their pool and "their" basement. But they will also miss this porch swing. Dawson used to sleep in it at night. Many naps have been taken there. Snuggling up with Grandma and Aunt Rhonda occurred frequently. And Eli and Brynne love to cuddle up on it and watch t.v. The people who bought the house wanted the swing and my mom agreed.

As we were leaving on Wednesday, I had the little kids take one last picture in front of the house.

Bittersweet. There are many memories now to be made at their cute little new house in town and their house in Pensacola. But I hope the kids remember all of the great times in this house. Great times, indeed.

Treasures

When I got home from Missouri on Wednesday, Rick said it looked like I had been to a massive garage sale. I had boxes of treasures from my grandma's house, and even some things from my mom's house. To most these things might look like trash. But each item holds special memories for me.

Like these things:

These are items I played with on the floor of my grandma's house when I would go visit as a little girl. They are her tin measuring cups and spoons, her flour sifter and biscuit cutter. I plan to use these items routinely, and maybe someday my grandchildren will play with them, too.

Then there is everything you need to make the perfect angel food cake (without the ingredients, of course.)

There are my grandma's two cake pans, for round and square cakes. Her specialty was square. There is the plate she would place them on. Then she would hide it in her microwave and tell us she hadn't made one this time. There is the traveling cake pan that her angel food cake would go in should we be eating away from her home. And there is her electric knife. It cut the spongy cake perfectly!

These things were in my grandma's bedroom, and I don't remember a time when they weren't there.

The mirrored tray is actually a framed mirror from a frame-making company called Decorel that my mom worked at in 1969. My grandma had her makeup sitting on it. Then that brush and mirror set belonged to someone in her family. We are still trying to figure out exactly who. It is monogrammed. The monogram sent me down a rabbit hole yesterday trying to build my grandma's family tree. I have loads of information about her mother's side of the family, but not one thing on her father's. It's almost as if he didn't exist!

Then this is her Bible from when she was a girl.

I have it sitting on my photo table in my living room, opened to
Titus 2. It is a reminder to me to "urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Here is the dictionary she had as a girl.

I love her name hand-written in it.

And lastly, here are some ooooooooold cookbooks I found in her drawer. Neat.

I brought home all of the photos my grandma had at her house of her ancestors and her descendents. I am going to get them placed into some type of scrapbook for her.