5 Things You Want Your Kids To Know

My First Tag!

Thanks LoveMyStarr at Scamp's Place for this meme - I am so excited! Participants are to list five things they want their kids to know before they "grow up". Then go to the original post that started it all and leave a link to your entry.

1. God loves you. He wants you. No matter what.

2. Jesus will forgive you. No matter what. All you have to do is ask.

3. I love you. No matter what.

4. Jesus is the only way, there is no other.

5. Do the right thing. Follow God's will for you life. It won't always be the easiest choice at the time, but it will always yield the best end results. It may not make you popular, loved, or liked here on earth - but your Abba Father will be looking down at you smiling, and there is nothing better.

I know this list is short, and perhaps I haven't put enough thought in it, maybe it doesn't say all the right things. But they are the things on the top of my mind, that I know will serve them well.

I tag the following:
Andrea at The Laughs Will Go On
Sgt and Mrs. Hub
Up the Hill Gang

Movie Review Monday

Movie Review #11

A Mighty Heart

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman
Rated: R for horror violence, some sexual content and language

Type of Movie: Drama, Thriller, War, History

Theater or Rent: Not at the theater anymore - so you'll have to rent

Description:“It was an event that shocked the world. This is the story you haven't heard.”
“On January 23, 2002, Mariane Pearl's world changed forever. Her husband Daniel, South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As Danny left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner. He never returned.In the face of death, Danny's spirit of defiance and his unflinching belief in the power of journalism led Mariane to write about his disappearance, the intense effort to find him and his eventual murder in her memoir A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl.Six months pregnant when the ordeal began, she was carrying a son that Danny hoped to name Adam. She wrote the book to introduce Adam to the father he would never meet. Transcending religion, race and nationality, Mariane's courageous desire to rise above the bitterness and hatred that continues to plague this post 9/11 world, serves as the purest expression of the joy of life she and Danny shared.”

OK for Kids? No, this is an adult movie.
Opinion: This movie was just OK for me. I felt like they could have left out the bad language and sexual content and still had a good film. I didn't know much about the Daniel Pearl incident so I found that interesting, and sad. The acting was good and Angelina may well win an Academy for it. Though, I am not sure what I thought of the way Mariane was portrayed as handling the incident. I had to think about that for a while. She seemed to have it "all together" when around others and when asked in the media about her feelings, she always commented saying this happens to lots of people, Daniel is just one of them. I guess, if say - my husband was a missionary who was killed "on the job" it would be good to point out that he was one of many who are doing this good work, etc. - I guess I just don't get how anyone could hold it together so well after something so tragic. Anyways, if you can overlook the bad language and sexual content, it's an interesting movie to see, but if not, I wouldn't say you're missing anything spectacular.

A good Review: here

Eat Out Often?

No, this is not a paid ad! I haven't even started using it yet. Really, I don't get to eat out often enough to have it work for me. BUT, if you do eat out, this is a neat way to earn free money! Open Table asks you to make your reservation with them, then, if you show up and fulfil your reservation, you earn points. Once your points level reaches a certain amount, you can get a gift card. Neat! I love getting something for doing what I'm doing anyway!

Scamp's Anniversary!

LoveMyStarr had her blogging anniversary last week at Scamp's Place. It's a fun blog that is one of my "MUST READ" sites everyday. Check it out!

Missing Something . . . .

I watched this YouTube video over at the wonderful blog "Rambings From Life". Thanks Alexis for posting it. (I can't figure out how to get a video on here!) I urge everyone to watch it. The speaker, who is dying of pancreatic cancer makes some great points, and if we all lived by his words then many lives would turn out differently/better than they are now.

BUT, at the end, I am saddened. The speaker says "if you lead your life the right way, the Karma will take care of itself." "If you live properly the dreams will come to you."

karma is "the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence"

I am sad because, you can do all the "good" humanly possible on this earth - but it will be all in vain. Without Jesus as your Savior, despite doing all that "good" you will still suffer for eternity in hell. A lot of people think they are "Christians" because they try to do the right thing and do good in the world. Fact is, to be a Christian is to know Christ as your Savior, to have a personal relationship with Him. It has nothing to do with my acts on this earth - it's about my faith and belief as Jesus as the Son of God. I can't earn my way to Heaven with my good deeds. I will not be reincarnated into a "better" person.

It's sad to see that this speaker, who appears to be a "good" person either hasn't heard about or hasn't accepted the One who can give him eternal life.

Click Here to learn more about asking Jesus to be your Savior and live an forever with Him in Heaven.

Robbed!

Last Friday evening we arrived home as usual. I had to change, and pack an overnight bag for my eldest to take for a sleepover at a friend's house that night. 30 minutes after we got home, it was time to leave again. I told eldest to get his Nintendo DS (handheld game system) to take with him to friend's house (they like to play this together/switch games). He went into the living room to get it and came back to me and said it wasn't there.

me: "Well, isn't that where you plugged it in this morning to charge?"

eldest: "Yes."

me: "Then it's got to be there, go look again!"

eldest: "OK." "It's not there!"

me, thinking, must I do everything! How hard can it be to get something from where he put it this morning! Sigh! Going into the living room - "OH! OK, well, you failed to mention the TV was missing too!"

eldest: "I thought maybe Dad had taken it somewhere."

me: "And he would have cut these wires with a knife because?"

eldest: "I don't know. Didn't notice that."

me: "Well, looks like your gameboy did get stolen. Along with our TV. And hummm, what else - oh great, they took all 3 remote controls! Guess they didn't know which one worked the TV, so they took the Dish and the DVD remotes too! Brilliant!"

me: " Well, we need to go - you have to be at your buddy's by 7pm. I'll call Dad and he can call the police!"

OK, I have to admit. We were probably asking for this. We have lived at this house about 10 years, and never lock our side door. We live out in the country, I even leave my keys in my car at night! Well, not anymore. We now lock up everything.

The thief was just not very brilliant. He walked past my computer, which was worth 2x what my computer is. Walked past my engagement ring (forgot to put it back on after making meatloaf). He was obviously in a hurry. and high.

We are blessed that he did not take more. Glad that eldest wasn't home alone that day.

Now I have the headache of dealing with the home owner's insurance! joy!

Passport Problems . . . . . .

To give you some well, no so relevant history or insight into my life. . . .

I am not as organized as I'd like to be.

My house is not nearly as orderly/neat/clean as I wish it would be.

February of 2006 I went on a cruise with some family members. I had to get a passport. (And so did my HWH, so that cost about $325.) I am going on another cruise February 2008. Do I know where I put HWH and my passport? NO! Time is ticking . . . . . . I have to either find it this week or go get new ones (which I just don't have $325 to do!). I have looked everywhere!

This is going to cost me . . . . . .

Please pray that I find it soon! And if you have some "feeling" you know where our passports are hiding - let me know!

(I know it's not in the file cabinet, under the bed, the junk drawers, the dressers, the night stand, my briefcase . . . . .)

Monday Movie Review

Movie Review #10

Transformers

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson

Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language.

Type of Movie: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Theater or Rent: Not at the theater anymore - so you'll have to rent

Description: Their war. Our world.
The Earth has become a battleground. Centuries ago, on a distant planet, the robotic alien races known as the Autobots and the Decepticons waged terrible war over a powerful cube called the All Spark. The cube was lost and both races vowed to find it. Now the cube has come to rest on Earth, hidden away by the US government for years, and the final stand of the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen) against the Decepticons, led by Megatron (voice of Hugo Weaving) will take place on our planet. But the Autobots have an ally: humans.
Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) is just an ordinary teenager. He wants good grades, a girlfriend, and above all, a cool car. Imagine his surprise when his slightly used Carrera turns out to be Bumblebee, one of the Autobots, and thus it turns out that Sam is far from ordinary. He is the last hope for the Autobots and possibly for all mankind, the only person who can help them in their battle. As the US military and top scientists prepare for a cataclysmic confrontation with the Decepticons, Sam and his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) race against time to help the Autobots locate the All Spark before Megatron does.

OK for Kids? No. When Sam is locked in his room, his parents ask him if he is, well you know what (a solo pleasurable act). He/the camera looks at/checks out the girl co-star in a sexy way. There is some mild curse words as well (mild meaning s**t). Also there are intense action scenes which some kids would find scary.

Opinion: Disappointing that they had to make what could have been a fun movie for tweens/teens into what I view as an adult movie. If you are an adult who likes action movies and special effects, you'll enjoy this. I thought it was OK, but would have been fine if I'd never seen it. I watched it because my 12 year old son wanted to see it and I wanted to pre-screen it.

Other Reviews: here or here

Rating (out of 5)

If You Only Had A Minute . . . .

If You Only Had a Minute . . . .
What Would you Write . . . . .

What a great idea! Read the details below, then go here to write your note.

Angie Hunt is the author of the book "The Note" that this movie is based on. Her website is A Life In Pages.

IF YOU ONLY HAD A MINUTE, WHAT WOULD YOU WRITE?

HALLMARK CHANNEL SEARCHES FOR AUTHORS OF ‘THE NOTE’

Network Launches Internet Campaign to Bring Inspirational Words to Millions and Possibly Aid in Renewed Connections.

“The Note,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, Premieres Saturday, December 8 (9/8c) on the Network. If you were asked to write a few heartfelt words to someone but only had a minute to do so, what would you say? Who would you reach out to? Would you express love, appreciation, regret? This is one of the central themes of the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “The Note.”

To exhibit the power a few words can have on the lives of others, Hallmark Channel is launching http://www.whatwouldyouwrite.com/ on Monday, October 22 as an outlet for viewers to submit their own notes.

The site’s first featured notes will be from the film’s stars, including Genie Francis (“General Hospital”) and Ted McGinley (“Hope & Faith”), and producer Joel Rice.In addition to serving as a forum for these inspirational words, Hallmark Channel is aiming to use the site as a catalyst for real-life reconciliations. If a parent wishes to speak to an estranged child, a pro athlete wants to thank his high school coach or if someone needs to express their feeling to ‘the one that got away,’ Hallmark Channel will do its best to put their words in front of millions, hopeful that it will result in heartfelt reunions.“As an actor, you ask yourself what you hope an audience will take away from your role and your film,” Francis says. “Of course, ‘The Note’ is meant to entertain. But during the production of the movie, Ted (McGinley) and I have hoped that the WHAT WOULD YOU WRITE campaign might also have the power to reconcile people and differences, regardless of the rifts that may exist, or how long any bitterness has persisted. It would be amazing to see an hour of “Oprah” dedicated to the goal of “The Note,” a true example of the healing power of love and forgiveness on display during the holiday season.”

In “The Note,” Francis stars as Peyton MacGruder, a struggling newspaper columnist who suddenly finds herself in possession of a scrap of paper containing a hastily written but heartfelt message written by one of the passengers of an airliner that was about to crash to hischild. Inspired by the power of the words, Peyton pledges to discover the note’s intended recipient and deliver it by Christmas. Taking her readers along for the journey while trying to stay one step ahead of a TV tabloid reporter, Peyton sets out across the country in her search, and unexpectedly confronts her own personal demons in the process.The film is of particular importance to Rice, who turned to film production after several years as a licensed social worker. Although he appreciated the chance his work gave him to help people heal and grow, he regretted only being able to assist a limited number of people. He has since made it his life’s work to bring uplifting and inspiring films to as many people as possible, and has produced more than 20 made-for-television films. “The Note” proudly carries on that tradition.“The Note,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie premiering Saturday, December 8 (9/8c), stars “General Hospital” legend Genie Francis and Ted McGinley, best known for his work on “MarriedWith Children” and “Hope & Faith.” The film is a co-production of Hallmark Channel and Lightworks Pictures in association with WildRice Productions. Joel S. Rice (“Shredderman Rules”) and William Spencer Riley are executive producers. Maura Dunbar is the executive in charge of production for Lightworks Pictures. Doug Barr (“To Be Fat Like Me”) is the director. Paul W. Cooper wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Angela

Winner!

The winner of my latest book drawing "Confessions of a Shopaholic" is Paige! Congratulations! Thanks for entering! Please email me your address so I can ship it out to you.

As soon as I finish reading Gilead, I will have a drawing and PASS IT ON.

Vaccinations?

I read an article on parents falsely claiming "religious reasons" for not having their children vaccinated. Interesting. I guess they must be claiming religious reasons because that is the only reason the state will accept and still allow their children into school.

Now, I seem to recall that some of my loyal readers are people who do not get their children vaccinated.

I have never given a second thought to having my children get their shots. Just this week all 3 have gotten their flu shots. All have had chicken pox shots. I guess I am uninformed on the issue - because I just don't get it.

I think I've heard that some people feel like some shots may have a link to autism. I have a cousin with autism - I believe his parents feel it is more likely something that happened in the birthing process, but I'm not real sure . . . .

Guess I never really considered there may be children in my kid's classes that do not have their immunizations. It's a bit scary to me to think about that. That a child may come in their with TB, measles, etc.

What are your thoughts on vaccines?

My Middle Child

My middle child is my beautiful daughter. I love her so much. She drives me crazy. She is 10 years old. I remember the day she was born. We really thought she would be a boy (we didn't find out before she was born if we were having a boy or girl. We already had one boy.) After she came out the first thing I heard was my HWH say in a joyous, SURPRISED exclamation "IT'S A GIRL"

She is my buddy. She craves my attention. She doesn't get enough of it (because my youngest DEMANDS it). I love you sweetie!

Stirring It Up . . . . .

OK, I just don't get how people can "hate" President Bush so much. I read this one blog of a lady who is quite funny, but every once in a while she'll post on how much she hates the president. She has said some pretty nasty things about him.

I honestly believe the President knows more than I (or probably most of America) do about foreign affairs, what is going on where, why it's going on, and what the best way to handle it is.

I honestly believe the President has access to confidential information that I (and probably most of America) know nothing about, but it influences his decisions.

I honestly believe the President would not be letting Americans die in Iraq if there was another way to stabilize the region and protect our country.

I honestly believe we are giving millions (maybe billions) of dollars to other third world countries, trying to help the people that live there. (I also believe it doesn't do much good because in most of those countries the government and/or groups running the countries are so corrupt, the money never gets to those who need it.)

I honestly believe that it is NOT President Bush's fault that people in other countries (like Africa, etc) are getting raped, killed, HIV, sold into slavery, etc. (These things were happening before he was in office and will happen even if Hillary gets elected - American can Not stop those things.)

And I JUST DO. NOT. GET. how people can blame him for those things above.

I know he's not perfect, I know he's made mistakes. But I think he's acting in the best interest of our country. I don't pretend to be an "expert" ot that I have/know all the information and intelligence he does, thinking I would know how to do it any better than he has.

I love our troops. I hate that they are dying. When I first got married my husband was in the military. It would have devestated me if he'd have gone to the first Iraq war. But it was always a possibility, and he knew when he signed up that the military are the ones who fight the wars. My cousin was in Army special forces, he may have been in the first Iraq war (he couldn't say were he ever was). I hope this ends soon. But I don't believe we can just pull out of that region and expect our life here in America to stay the way it is now.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I know there are many that disagree - and that's OK, but those are my views . . . . . .

Honored . . . . .

I am very honored to find out that Shawna at Scamp's Place has given me the "Totally Fabulous" award!

Shawna has a way of being there and encouraging me at just the right time! Thank YOU!

Lately I have been wondering about the time I spend on doing this blog. Is it wasted time? I talked to my HWH about it and he told me that if it's something I enjoy to keep up with it. I look at this like my diary, I always kept one while in school. Nobody I "know" reads it (not even HWH). I know it's not as witty, insightful, or interesting as many things out there - but I do enjoy sharing and writing about my life. That others choose to read it once, and some even every week is mind blowing and touching. Thank you!

I want to pass this award on. Shawna passed it on to many of the regulars on my blog reading list, so if I don't name you, it's probably because she did already (Lauren, Momma, and Stacey)!

The following ladies all have really fabulous and interesting blogs that I enjoy reading every week. Thanks for sharing your time and life with me!

My daughter at Noel's Diary - She only gets to use the computer on the weekends, but she is the one who asked me about making a webpage. I love you honey!

Andrea at The Laughs Will Go On - she and I are very different but I love reading about the way she approaches parenting!

Alexis at Ramblings From Life - she is having exciting things happen in her life right now, plus she lives nearby!

Trista at The Pumpkin Patch - Her posts make me laugh and she is the one who got me started on Meal Planning. Great blog!

Miss Paula at Gathering of Friends - She just updated the look of her blog and it looks fabulous!

Jill at Who Could Ask For Anything More - A beautiful blog with very creative posts!

I could go on and on - but I have to save some in case I ever get another award (yeah, it's going to my head already!)

Thanks gals - I enjoy you all!

Book Reviews!

What a great time I had on my business trip. It was a trip to Mariner's Landing at Smith Mountain Lake in VA. The weather was perfect. There was plenty of free time. I got to catch up on my reading! Reading as I sat on the porch and looked over the lake - it doesn't get much more perfect than that!
From my Fall Reading List is a book I've wanted to read for a long time! The Secret Life of Becky Miller by Sharon Hinck. Sharon has created a group of characters that are real and believable. The struggle to figure out what God has planned for us is something I identify with, and seeing how Becky deals with the many twists and turns that occur in her quest to find out what the Big Thing she is supposed to do is both awakening and inspiring. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Favorite part: A friend of Becky's writes the following about her: "She drops everything for a sick child or a friend in distress. She dispenses kisses, Band-Aids, meals, hugs, and encouraging words-never knowing who might need them next. Her life is a frustrating melange of interruptions. Yet everyone who knows her agrees that in the midst of these small choices, Becky makes a big difference."


Snow Angel by Jamie Carie is a great read! I highly suggest getting this book. It is an adventure/romance that draws you in from the beginning and won't let you put it down. The characters are well developed and you end up really caring what happens to everyone in the book. It had just the right amount of romance, no smutty sex scenes I detest. The adventure scenes are nail biting and thankfully, the scenery descriptions are perfect - I don't care for too much, and she gives just enough so I feel like I'm there. I would have never guessed this was Jamie's first book if I hadn't read it at her website. She has a promising career as an author ahead of her!

Gone till Wednesday!

HWH and I are going out of town to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. We are staying at Mariner's Landing Resort. Work starts Sunday afternoon, but we are going up a day early to have some time together. I encouraged my HWH to plan some special, romantic time for us - we've been very busy lately and haven't seen too much of each other. Plus, my birthday is at the end of the month, so it can count as a birthday gift too! I know it may sound odd that I have to suggest/urge/nag/give suggestions/specifics/phone numbers of possible romantic "surprises" things for him to plan. He just doesn't come by surprise or romantic naturally. And after 15 years I've learned to be OK with that. That he actually does the calling/actual planning is enough for me. That and the time I get to spend with him.
Though, I will miss my kids - I have missed my HWH and am happy to be with him without distractions for a day or so.
So, I'll be back posting on Wednesday.
I sure wish I could set a date for posts to appear on the blog and it just happen automatically!
Hope you have a good weekend!

Need Guidance Picking a Canidate?

I don't yet know who I'll be rooting for in the upcoming Presidential Primaries. I know better who I WON'T be rooting for.
Visit here for a neat little survey that shows which canidate has views most similar to yours.
My results?
Tie between Fred Thompson and Duncan Thompson.
Still, it wasn't 100% agreement. Point of disagreement - the Energy Question. Do I support the Federal Government getting involved in making/subsidising alternate fuel? No, I don't. There are lots of farmers out there that could turn their farms around by farming products that can be used for alternate fuels. Why does the government need to get involved? Let capitalism work.
I did the survey again filling in the exact opposite answers to what my opinion are - and came up with Dennis Kusinich. I was surprised to see Romney 6th on my list, Huckabee 8th, and not so surprised to see Giuliani 10th.

What is Your REAL Age?

Neat survey! Here are my results:

Biological Age: 36
Real Age: 20.8

Average Life Expectancy: 74
My Life Expectancy: 89.2

I can expect to live approximately another 19400 days.

You can go here to take the survey. Let me know your results!

PASS IT ON Book Giveaway!

Because Books Are Too Precious to Only Be Read Once . . . . .

I know I am late on this. I've been meaning to post another giveaway for a couple weeks. But, here's the problem - I've been reading Library Books! I am running out of already read books to Pass On! I have plenty of books ready for me to read that I have won - but I feel a duty to read borrowed Library Books first.

This drawing is for a very fun book - "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella. This is not from the "Christian Fiction" genre - but I don't recall any bad language or other objectionable content. I really enjoyed this book, it is a fun, witty read. Similar to a Bridget Jones type of story. There were many places I laughed out loud and I'm sure the person sitting next to me on the plane thought I was just strange! It really made me think about my financial situation and being a better steward of my money. I will definetly check out the rest of the series (I believe there are four more in the series).

Drawing will be October 19th!

Be sure to check out my Fall Reading List - I will post reviews as I read them, and give away some of the books off the list when I'm done!

Also - you MUST visit Overwhelmed With Joy - she has a LOT of book giveaways herself and links to many others. A readers heaven! Enjoy!

Looking Forward To This . . . .

Robin Hood - Season 2 premiers Saturday, October 6th - 9pm

If you didn't watch this last season, you missed a fun show. All last season's episodes are still online to view.

These are my favorite shows:
Monday - Prison Break and 24 (during the summer - The Closer)
Tuesday - American Idol
Wednesday - Lost, Private Practice, America's Next Top Model
Thursday - Survivor, Grey's Anatomy, ER
Friday - looking forward to the new show - Women's Murder Club based on the James Patterson books
Saturday - usually watch something I've taped or a movie
Sunday - Brothers and Sisters

So, what are you watching this year? Any shows you absolutely don't like.

Tell you what shows I wish I liked, but just do NOT get - the Office and Scrubs. I tried watching them, but they just don't mesh with my sense of humor or something, cause I just don't get them, they are not funny at all to me.
Show I miss the most - Everybody Loves Raymond. That was one show my HWH (who generally only watches sports) and I would watch together, we would be ROFL during that show. Loved it! Still watch re-runs!

Monday Movie Review

Movie Review #9
We Are Marshall
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox
Rated: PG for emotional thematic material, a crash scene, and mild language
Type of Movie: Drama, Sport, based on True Story
Description: The story covers the events of 1970-71 in rural Huntington, West Virginia, home of Marshall University. On the fateful night of November 14, 1970, nearly the entire Marshall football program was wiped out in a plane crash that devastated the fans, the families, the University, and the town. The calamity left just 3 veteran players and 1 assistant coach, who by God’s sovereign design, were not on the flight that night.
After 75 funerals, the weary college town can’t cope with the thought of continuing the MU football program. But the remaining players, led by a well-acted team co-captain Nate Ruffin, insist that Marshall football must continue to honor the victims. Finding coaches and players proves very difficult, and leads to the hiring of a most unlikely coach named Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey). Lengyel is from small town Ohio, and has no ties to Marshall whatsoever. Jack’s personality is magnetic, if a little eccentric, and watching him pull things together is nothing short of fascinating and positively awe inspiring.
OK for Kids? Well, I let my 12 year old watch this, but if I had of know how much bad language was in here, I may have rethought it. It was the sh*t word or the da*n word like 10 times or so. Yes, it's a great story, it's inspirational, and no sex. But I don't like my 12 year old hearing swear words thrown in with regularity (even mild swear words), thinking it is ok to use in normal conversation. The Christian Reviewer here suggests it for teens. Put it this way, if my son had a friend over, I would not let them both watch it.
Opinion: I really enjoyed this movie. The story was well written, it really delt with the many emotions of the situation. I would suggest this movie to people 16 or older.

Rating (out of 5)

A day in my life . . . .

I don't usually end up sitting down for the evening until about 9:30 - 10:00pm.
I work 8am - 5pm outside the house at a family business my Dad owns.
I pick up the kids at the YMCA aftercare program at 5:30, get home around 5:45.
I then coordinate them all taking showers, (I have to bathe the 5 yr. old still), do homework (except the 5yr. old), make dinner, do family devotions and their personal devotions. They go to bed between 8:00 - 8:30pm. So they 2 1/2 hours at home while they are awake - are very busy.
After they are in bed, I get the dishes cleaned up, get their lunches together, start a load of laundry in washer/dryer, load/unload dishwasher, tidy up the downstairs.
Then, around 9:30 - 10:00 I usually sit down and watch TV (off the DVR - I rarely watch live TV). I need this down time to relax (well, I usually eat something sweet and fold laundry once I sit down) before bed. I typically go to sleep around 11:00 - 12:00.

Every other Monday I help lead Girl Scouts.
Every other Thursday middle child has horseback riding.
Every Thursday eldest has piano.
Beginning in December eldest has Volleyball in a different city on Wednesdays (the other two have a church club).
In the winter, younger 2 have basketball (practice 1x during the week, games on Saturdays)

They keep me busy, but we have lots of fun!

Now, for the "controversy".
When I started all this at the age of 22 or so - I wanted a career, I wanted to be a parent, I wanted to be a wonderful wife, cook, housekeeper, and I thought I could do it all.
Put it this way - I am going to encourage my sons to marry women who want to be a SAHM, and I am going to encourage my daughter to be a SAHM.
I regret not being home with my children. Then, and now, when they get out of school in the afternoons and during the summer.
I like my job. But it has not been worth what I missed.