Traci's Testimonials

Today I made the decision to be productive....no matter what. When choosing what I plan to accomplish throughout the course of a day I base my decision on what's bugging me the most. I could have raccoons rummaging in the garbage bin and spreading week-old waste across my yard but if the dirty dishes in the sink are on my mind, the raccoons can continue their carnage until the dishwasher is full. This morning I needed to clean the fridge. So I shipped Hubby off to work at 6:00 am, donned my haz-mat suit and gas mask and dove in. Having cleaned the fridge and tidying the kitchen by 6:45, I was already feeling very accomplished when Buddies #1 and #2 came into view at the top step. We started school work at 9:00 am sharp and had made it through digit sums and consonant suffixes before the kids even knew what hit 'em! We had a short stall around 11:00 when Buddy #1 asked my what A-R-E spelled.    "It says are ," I offered without skipping a beat.    "Yes, I see

I am thankful that if I wasn't there to remind my children that garbage cans and laundry hampers have a purpose, my house would be littered with granola bar wrappers and dirty socks. I am thankful that if I didn't buy broccoli and non-fat yogurt my husband would "survive" on a diet of bacon and cookies. I am thankful that if I wasn't such a light sleeper the dog would have ruined the carpet months ago. I am thankful that if I didn't rescue my children from their father he would have literally tickled them to death. I am thankful that if I didn't pick out the boys' clothes before leaving for work my husband would take them to the store in their pajamas. I am thankful that if I didn't buy the children dress shoes they would go to church in dirty sneakers. I am thankful that my husband can't change the bedsheets to save his life. I am thankful for each one of these things and so much more because... if I know only one thing about my life t

Last week my husband turned 36. Birthdays have never prompted much merriment for him, he views them as "just another day". I find this sad and wrong. I'm happy my husband was born and I think that's cause to celebrate! He doesn't think much of his birthday and he doesn't like surprises. He doesn't like surprises but he does like presents. I have tried many times to surprise my husband with various presents over the years and it never works. Because of his strong aversion to being surprised he has become quite proficient at guessing. The first year we were together he told me stories about how he would frustrate his mother by shaking plain rectangular boxes under the Christmas tree and precisely deducing what it contained. While attending a local craft show that year I found him the perfect gift. My husband doesn't have "collections" per se, he has obsessions. One of his obsessions is the Datsun Z (a 240 to be exact, but any Z will do). I had

We, and when I say  we  I mean I , decided to take a break from the rigors of math and grammar the other day and replace it with some good 'ol manual labour. It was a lovely autumn day and I felt it would be a waste to spend it entirely indoors. I am a firm believer that children should be involved with the maintenance of their home. It teaches responsibility and appreciation for what's been given them.....ah, who am I kidding?! It's free help. The first task I assigned was to pick up anything in the yard that wasn't grass so I could mow the lawn. I thought the broad generalization would keep questions to a minimum. I was wrong. I was asked if the mower would cut everything from freezie wrappers to tennis balls. Once the lawn looked mostly green I backed the riding mower out of the shed. This is one of my husband's prized possessions and he is usually the one to do the mowing. He has recently started a new rotation at work and hasn't the time or energy as of lat