Today's Excitement: Angela, the crazy car people magnet!

Tonight I think I need to take a warm bubble bath, maybe have my wonderful hubby make me one of those rare drinks I enjoy occassionally and just find a good book to read and forget about my day.

Why?  Because today I was a magnet for crazy people on the road.

The day started out ordinary enough.  I worked from home today as with every Tuesday.  My daughter was with me as usual - doing her homeschool work.  We actually made it through our items for the day in pretty good time today.  Then about 2:30 we left the house for a meeting with our supervising teacher with the charter school.  We were a bit late getting out the door because as I started to leave at 2:15, I had a last minute "fire" pop up that I needed to take care of for work.  So I sent a text to our supervising teacher telling her I had gotten caught on the way out and might be a few minutes late.

A few minutes later found us sitting at stop sign just a couple miles from the house when all of a sudden we found ourselves pushed into the middle of the intersection.  We had been rear-ended!  They are so right when they say most accidents occur within just a few miles of your house.  In the past three years I've been rear-ended twice now and both times it was within a couple miles of the house, both times I was at a complete stop when hit.  The last time was in the Tahoe and a Mini-Cooper hit us.  No contest - the Tahoe had some minor scratches and the Mini-Cooper was totalled.

Today though I was in our Accord and the culprit was a taxi cab.  It actually took me a moment to realize what had happened and then I pulled off the side of the road.  The cab driver tried to talk me out of trading information but I nicely told him that I would take his information and let my husband take a look at the car when he got home tonight.  The damage does not appear to be much on the surface - a slight ring where one of the bolts from his license plate hit the bumper and next to it the bolt actually came out and got stuck in my bumper.  Can't pull it out at all!  At first actually he tried to tell me he did not think it was his bolt!

There is road construction going on near where this happened and at one point a truck driver stopped and asked if I needed any help.  He said that he had seen the whole thing and would help if need be.  How sweet!  I really appreciated that.

So in the end I got all his information which I'm passing off to my hubby tonight and he'll take care of things from here.  I've learned the hard way just because the surface appears fine does not mean there is not worse damage that needs to be addressed.

To the right you can see the indent (a bit of a hole on one side) where the one bolt from his license plate hit my bumper.  On the left you can see the bolt that came out of his license plate and got stuck in my car.  Will take pliers to get that thing out!

Here's a couple better close up pictures of the bolt.  Stuck in there tight!

This would be enough to shake up my day - but it was not done yet!  On the way home from the meeting, just as I was getting back into town and hitting traffic (it was just about 4:40 at this time) a sliver car full of young men came flying up behind me swerved around me and cut me off.  Then they slammed on their brakes.  Tires smoked and the back end of their car swung over to one side.  I had to put on my brakes pretty quickly and swerve to the side to avoid hitting them.  Talk about unnerving after being rear-ended myself just a few hours before!

I then watched as they began swerving in and out of traffic - once going from the far right lane all the way across to a left turn lane.  At that point the car screeched to a halt again and three guys piled out of the car.  At that point I noticed a small white BMW in front of them that put on its blinker, turned back into traffic and took off across the intersection.  By this time I had already passed the silver car which the guys piled back into and it pulled back into traffic.  Now myself and two or three other cars were stuck in what had now become a one lane road between these two cars.  The BMW turned off the main road a little further up and once the road went back to two lanes the silver car took off in pursuit.  I was thankful they had pulled off the main road.  Then less than a mile up the road as I passed a side street I noticed the white BMW waiting to pull out.  As I passed I saw the silver car pull up behind and the three guys piled out again.  I could see the fear on the other guys face as he pulled out directly behind me. 

My turn was coming up so I got into the left turn lane and then my heart dropped as I saw the BMW's blinker come on and pull into the lane behind me.  But he went across the other lane into a fast food restaurant parking lot that was on the corner of the upcoming intersection.  The silver car pulled across the lanes going into the parking lot as well, narrowly missing a head on collision with a truck coming from the other way.  As I sat in the left turn lane I saw both cars come flying out the otherside of the parking lot onto the same street which I was waiting to turn into.

At this point I was able to find my bluetooth (which had been knocked onto the floor when I was rear-ended).  I called 911 and found out that the dispatcher (I wonder if we only have on in our little town) was on another line with someone else who had reported the same thing.  Not sure if the cops ever found them, but I am worried about the guy they were chasing.

Talk about a freaky weird day.  Like I said - I was a magnet for crazy drivers today.  I was praying for the guy in the white BMW.  Traffic was very busy and the guys chasing him did not seem to care that others were around.  I had the feeling if they were able to corner him they were going to drag him from that car and pummel him regardless of who was around.

So that was my crazy day.  How was your day?

Photos of my blessings

A friend of ours is going to be starting a photography business in the new year.  Right now he is building up a portfolio.  He is the reason why you now see a current picture of me on my proflie for Blogger instead of a 14 year old picture from my wedding day.

Here are some of the pictures he took of the kids that are my favorite.  I have more on facebook if you are my friend there :)

Homeschool - Field Trip

Yesterday, one of the moms from our homeschool co-op arranged a field trip.  It was led by a group called Sequoia Ministries.  This was Austin's first field trip.  They both had a blast and had tons to tell Shaun and I about what they learned and about the nature walk they went on (unfortunately, due to timing of month end I was not able to attend this time.)

We are going to have more field trips with this group so I'm hoping to be able to join them next time.  Amanda was kind enough to take my children and send me pictures that I get to share with all of you now.

Austin was very attentive and LOVED that the guide had dressed up.

Tyler & Austin - Daniel Academy Field Trip (9/30/09)

Pianos and Computers

These last two weeks my 5 year old has been on a creative roll (actually this is really just normal Austin).  Give him a piece of paper and a couple markers and he can make anything. 

Last week, he drew himself a piano.  He drew some piano keys on one side, some music above it and then letters down the other side which he told me was the words so he knew what to sing.  We were driving and he sat in the back with the piece of paper on his lap "playing" the piano.  A few minutes into his masterpiece I hear him say, "Uh oh.  The batteries died.  Mommy you can turn on the other music." (meaning the radio).  I start to hear paper shuffling and then a few moments later I hear "Okay, Mommy.  Turn off the other music.  I found some batteries for my piano!"  And the recital began again.

A couple days later he folded a piece of paper in half and made himself a laptop computer.  As we were driving that day he asked me what type of music I liked then proceeded to type his "secret" code in his laptop.  Not so secret anymore though, as he quite loudly announced each letter and number as he typed it in.  Then his laptop began to play music for me.  This consisted of him singing to the tune of the "Go to sleep" lullabye.

Halloween, halloween.
You must give us some candy
We dressed up,
It's Halloween
It's Halloweeeeennnnn timmmeeee!

When we got home he had to set up his laptop in his room to play music for all his stuffed animals while we did school.  Every 15 minutes or so he would take a break from school to go change the music for his animals because he said "they like variety Mom!"

Homeschool News!

We started homeschooling this week - this year we have two in school. My daughter is in 3rd grade (her 2nd year being homeschooled) and my eldest son is in Kindergarten. Monday was the first day of our co-op and they both did great and loved it (picture above was taken just before we left for the co-op). Today was our first day at home. We are going with a new curriculums this year and I really like them. And I'm much more organized this year, which helps too.

We are part of a homeschool co-op 3 days a week and then doing 2 days a week at home. This co-op has been such a blessing to us - so much support and such wonderful families. We are a group of 11 families that all are homeschooling our children and have similar beliefs in how we want to raise up our children. The "teachers" are all parents. The main focus for us is to raise our children to be like Daniel in the Bible - to excel in academics, to lead lifestyles of prayer and fasting and to run with excellent comrades.

I never would have imagined even a few years ago that I would be homeschooling my children or that I would enjoy it so much. It is alot of hard work and takes a bit of juggling for our family since I work, but it has been so rewarding in so many ways for the entire family!

To celebrate the new homeschool year I wanted to mention to everyone that The Homeschool Lounge is having a Homeschool Open House. Check it out!!!

If you homeschool or are thinking about homeschooling I recommend considering this site as a resource. I've found tons of great ideas here for us.

A Weekend with Austin

I have two adorable little boys. They really are good kids, but they are exhausting! So here is a little peek into life with my middle child (my eldest son). He'll be 5 next month - a bright boy if I do say so myself (yeah, yeah - I'm a little partial) and full of drama! I just know he'll be on stage someday.

Saturday morning my three year old comes running into our room, crying and babbling. The only word I can make out is "Austin". Right behind him comes Austin, saying over and over again "I said I was sorry, Jesse!" This is my first clue that he did something that probably is not an accident. My daughter does the same thing when she does something to Austin and is trying to keep him from telling us.

I finally get Austin to tell us that he "accidently" knocked Jesse over. As he says this Jesse starts going crazy again. He has a ticked off look on his face as he says something over and over again. Once again all I understand it "Austin" but his gesture is clear. He looks like he is hitting himself in the neck with his arm. Jesse has a habit of tattling on his brother, but is usually so upset that he can't talk clearly. So he proceeds to demonstrate on himself what Austin did to him. I think he usually inflicts more harm upon himself with his demonstrations than Austin ever does.

I look at Austin - "So, you hit Jesse in the neck with your arm and knocked him down? And you say it was an accident?"

Austin looks at me for a moment and I see the wheels spinning in his head - how can he get himself out of this one. Finally he looks at me, sighs deeply and then turns around and walks out of our room. As he leaves I hear a dejected mutter, "Fine, I'll just go put myself in my room now then."

I wish they were always that easy to punish!

Then on Sunday we were in Target, shopping for school supplies when all of a suddent Austin very loudly announces - "Oh no Mommy! I have to go poop REALLY bad!"

In the past I would have been mortified, especially when I noticed the couple near me start giggling. But this is just pretty much normal for Austin. I tell people that he has no volume control, no on/off switch and no filter between his brain and mouth. We are working on installing these things but it is a very lengthy and arduous process.

Since I know he has a tendency toward dramatics as well, I calmly ask him if he really has to go right this instance or if it can wait until we get checked out.

He looks at me for a moment, rolls his eyes up like he is thinking and then says "Yes, I have to go right . . . oh wait a minute mommy." (pauses while reaching back and touching his bottom) "Yep, my poop went back in, we're all good to go now Mommy."

At this the couple beside me can no longer hold back and they both double over in laughter. I just smile and push my cart on to the next item on our list.

Then later that night (Warning: this might be TMI for those with a sensitive stomach!) he walks in and announces to my husband and I that he has finally learned to wipe his bottom all by himself.

"Great job Austin" we tell him.

"Yep, I only use three squares and then I use my finger to check to make sure I have it all."

I looked at him for a moment and then asked, "You use your finger to check your bottom?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, Austin. We're not going to do that anymore. Don't touch your bottom with your finger. Use another piece of toilet paper to check, okay?"

"Okay"

Then I had to ask - "Um, do you wash your hands after that?"

"Yep! Oh. . . um, I mean nope! I don't!" He smiles at me.

"Okay, so from now on please use four pieces of toilet paper, don't touch your bottom with your bare hands and please always wash your hands afterwards, ok?"

"Ok, mommy!"

Ughh! Boys!!!!!

Antagonizing?

So, last night as I was finishing up some stuff for our homeschool co-op my eldest son (will be 5 in Sept) was sitting at my feet playing with some toys. I hear him say:

"Tommy, you must sit over here so you don't antagonize the others."

This boys concerns me at times. This is not the first time he has used a word that I consider over the head of a child his age. And he uses it correctly! And he pronounces it perfectly!

I'm a little worried that this child is a little too smart and my husband and I are in for some trouble in the future!