Mama Vivas - It's a Vivas Thing!

Feb 28 2011

Moving On

The Drama Queen was in tears this morning because her cousins are moving to another state. She wanted to know why they couldn’t stay here like we do and why they always have to move.

It’s had me thinking a lot this week, actually. When I was younger, we moved a bit. By the time I was 13, I’d lived in 7 states; 8 cities, and just as many homes. I always made friends easy, so it never seemed to big a deal. It was hard to leave, but my parents made it exciting to be going someplace new and I have many warm memories of our adventures all over!

My husband’s dad was in the Airforce, so he moved, too. Only he had the opportunity of living in different countries, as well! He being another social butterfly, he adjusted well to new adventure, too.

I’ve been living in the same city now for 22 years! I never dreamed I’d ever live someplace this long! Hubby and I met, married, had our children and are raising our family here.

Friends have moved on; and yet we stay.

Family has moved on; and yet we stay.

My children celebrate birthdays each year with friends they have known since…well, always!

They go to the same church they were dedicated in. Pastors have come and gone, but the church family remains. They have been with us through many the good and many the bad times.

My younger kids attend the same school that their older brother attended and visit the same parks that carry many childhood memories.

There are plenty of adults who are there for them in a heart beat because they’ve known them since before they were born.

I’m sure if God willed it, I’d move to wherever He decided to take us. But in the meantime, I’m glad that my children have been able to experience lifelong friends and memories.

The Drama Queen has stopped crying now. She’s home from church and playing with a friend. I smile and wonder what these two will be like as teenagers together; just like we smiled when B-boo turned 16 a few weeks ago and celebrated with friends from her toddler years.

We’ll miss our family as we wish them well in their new adventures. One by one, they have plans to move away. We understand, but as long as we remain, it sure is nice to have others that have been here just as long,

Feb 26 2011

Bountiful Basket

I recently found out some of my friends have been holding out on me. You see, they've been participating in this program called, "Bountiful Baskets."

And they never shared it with.

Lucky for me, I happened to overhear their bountiful discussion last week and was able to ask why they'd never shared!

One of them is a bountiful volunteer…such a good volunteer, as a matter of fact…the she volunteered to pick mine up for me! (Actually, she even ordered it for me!)

This morning I was up waiting for my bountiful delivery, not really knowing what to expect for the $16.50 I was spending. I was pleasantly surprised!

Fresh tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, pears, mango, bananas, asparagus, lettuce…and more!

Oh! And a coconut!

We started off with a breakfast of scrambled eggs with sauteed spinach and diced tomatoes topped of with gouda cheese. Yum!

Then we had strawberries.

And some of us had fun with a coconut! I got to share childhood stories of coconut while the Smart One googled how to open one. Then drained the milk, had fun passing it around for taste tests…and finally we got to eat it!

And the bread…delicious!

And so, after a bountiful day, I thought I'd share with the rest of you about bountiful baskets because I'd hate to find out you'd miss out on them because I never shared!

Feb 07 2011

Party on a Dime

Bboo recently celebrated her sweet sixteen. (Pictures are coming!) We knew we wanted something fabulous, but were also on a budget. In order to plan the perfect party, we had to plan ahead! Here's some tips for planning a party on a dime!

We made our own custom invitations using Publisher. I created an blank page with a size 4X6. I then added a black background, some word art, a text box with borders and some colors. I then grouped it and saved it as a jpg. The result? Invitations printed at Walgreens with a coupon for 5 cents a piece!

Next came decorations. We knew the colors we wanted, so we started shopping clearance after the holidays. We were able to purchase ornaments, sparkles, ribbon, candles and centerpiece items for 75% off! We purchased sparkly silver grass at the dollar tree and roses for 50% off at Hobby Lobby. The result?

Backdrops run for a minimum $150. We found a black tablecloth on clearance. I sewed a loop on it to run a shower curtain through it and put it in a large doorway. We then bought silver posterboard and made our own mask, decorating it with glitter and feathers. The result?

Next challenge was a balloon arch. I had googled a way to make one, then found one of those nifty tapes with holes in it that are supposed to be easy. Don't waste your money! The balloons kept pulling out and flowing to the ceiling. I went back to my googled help. We had used fishing line to string the ornaments across the dance floor and make it look like they were kind of floating. We used the fishing line to make a balloon arch. I took two balloons and tied them together with the fishing line running through the middle. That way, I could slide the balloons up. I wasn't sure it would work, but was amazed at my newfound hobby!

In the end, the party was a beautiful hit! The guests laughed and danced the night away! I'll share more about that in my next post!

Jan 25 2011

A Good Day!

Today was a good day!

The Drama Queen woke up happy and was ready on time. That's ALWAYS a good thing!

The Smart One started at a new school today. And he liked it! He smiled, made new friends, got to do new things…and had a lot of fun!

B-boo won Student of the Quarter in her English class! That just makes a mother's day when others see how wonderful her children really are!

And the Talented One made it through the 1st day of the last semester of his high school years! (Yesterday was Senior Ditch Day…and well, you only live once!)

It's so nice to have days like this!

Jan 22 2011

Senioritis

Between getting things ready for graduation at the school I am employed with and getting the Talented One ready, I've been reminded of what it takes to graduate these days.

I'll have to say, "Things were a lot simpler in my day."

When I was a senior, I remember taking my ACT tests. I honestly don't remember getting announcements for graduation or any of that other stuff; I just had a gown on graduation day. It was in our gymnasium. My family showed up, I graduated. They took me and my friends out to dinner. That was it. Oh, and there was a photo opportunity with my parents; it must have been a senior dinner at the school, which I honestly can't remember, but I still have the photo with my parents to prove that something happened!

When the Good Looking One graduated a few years ago (well more than a few…he's getting to ready to graduate college this year!)…anyway, when he was in high school, he had an AMAZING counselor. We didn't have to worry about anything. I remember him coming home with a a packet to order graduation stuff. We filled it out, turned it in and that was about it. She was always sending home stuff for him to apply for scholarships, etc. The hardest was the SAT's. He studied so hard for them. What a lot of pressure. For his Senior Pictures, we took him to Kiddie Kandids in his cap and gown. We got pics of him with his High Honors certifcate and called it a day. Graduation was at the New Orleans. After, we had a party at our home and then he went out with his friends. Graduated and ready to begin his new life.

And now, I have another one graduating. Counselor, not so great. It feels like I know more than him. These days, if you want an answer, you have to find it, tell the counselor about it, have him look for it, and then get back with you. Oy. And the pressure feels harder for these graduates. There's the SAT's, the ACT's, the applications for college, scholarship applications, FAFSA applications, caps, gowns, announcements, senior pictures, senior apparel (of which he wants none), and more. Graduation again at the New Orleans, only this time, it is towards the end of June!

This morning is his SAT test. His alarm didn't go off and dad went back to sleep. They made it in time, but it was a bit of a rush this morning. What a way to start the day! I guess I understand the reasoning for the tests, but sometimes it feels like we test too much. It's like the score of the test determines who you are and what you can do. My oldest son graduated with High Honors in three years. I think that determines what he's capable of more than his score on the SAT test, which wasn't bad, but wasn't outstanding either. The dedication, work ethic, character and integrity is what it should be about. Sometimes I think we are so focused on testing in schools that we forget that the students need time to be educated so that they can pass the tests!

I've got three more coming up. Bboo will be a junior next year. She's trying hard to take the right classes now so that she can get into the right classes as a Senior so that she can get into the right classes in college so that she can be a nurse. It never ends.

It's so bad, that the Smart One, still in middle school, is so concerned about what classes he's taking, how he's going to graduate and where is he going to go to college. He was much relieved this week when he met with his new school counselor and she helped him plan out his next few years in high school. (This counselor is AWESOME!)

The youngest is still *free to be me.* She doesn't have a care in the world right now. She knows she wants to be a pop star who helps women have babies. She doesn't really care right now how she gets there; she has time for that later.

And I'm ok with that. There has to be a point when we let our kids be kids instead of putting on the pressures that society has for them.