I Love This Crazy Life

55 Inches of LOUD & A great buy

2007-07-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well, our home improvement project is still coming along. Our basement is finished. We refinished part of our basement to make a playroom for daddy and the kids. We built a closet under the stairs to store all the kids toys so they can pull them out easy and I can shove them in easy for quick cleanup. Daddy's toy is easily stored in the new tv entertainment center. DirecTV is coming tomorrow to hookup all the tv goodness that now comes with our 55 inch HD television. My husband assures me that tv watching will never be the same. Right now, as I type this, my son is watching Star Wars on the big screen. Paired with our surround speakers, we never need to go to the movie theatre again. Which is a good thing, considering our movie going has greatly decreased in the last 4 years since we started having kids.

On another note, I just ran to Pier One to browse after having lunch with a friend. Apparently, the Pier One Kids store is closing, so all their stuff is half off. I got a round table with a shelf under it, for $49 and to matching chairs for $44. The same looking table and chairs is at least $400 at Pottery Barn Kids. I love a good deal and this one has sent me over the top!
I'll post some pix when I get it put together.

Slacker

2007-07-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm really a slacker with this blog thing. I love reading them, but posting my own has been a bit of a challenge. Back when I was about to quit work (retire), I thought I would post like all the time. But then life as a stay at home mom started happening and I just couldn't find the time. Now we are in the midst of a major home renovation, which is going to be just wonderful when it's finished. But in the meantime, we have been pretty much living with my parents. Which has been a challenge in and of itself. I really like my parents, but you know what they say about you can never go home again? Well, we are about to end week number 4 and I have to say that I'm starting to twitch a little. My mom is very high maintenance, but likes people to think that she is easygoing. I'm more easygoing, so you can see where some problems may arise. For example, I don't like being a mooch. So, I threw in a load of her laundry last week. She came home and saw it folded and ready to put away and was like, 'oh, you did the laundry.." I said yeah, I just wanted to help you out. She said, "I usually only do laundry on Sundays and Wednesdays." Silly me, it was a Tuesday. She tried to shake it off like it was no big deal, but I could tell she was about to start twitching herself. Did I mention I'm also dealing with 2 boys who are going to need some serious detox once we move back into our house?

So hopefully, the house will be done in the next week or so. But, then our builder just gave us a bid on the master bathroom and my husband gave him the go-ahead to start on it asap while he's still there. So, we won't be getting totally back to normal for a few more weeks. Here's some pictures of what my kitchen looked like last week. I haven't taken any this week, but the new cabinets have been put in, so it's looking a little better.

2007-03-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

It's 6:43 p.m. There is so much must see tv for me tonight, that it's all I've been thinking about. I know I need to get a life. But if you care, here's my lineup for this evening.
1. Amazing Race
2. The Apprentice
3. Desperate Housewives
4. And my guilty pleasure.....The season premiere of The Girls Next Door on E!

Thank goodness for Tivo!!!!

So to prepare for this major television event, I gave my youngest son some cough medicine and just put him to bed. (He does have a cough and went to bed late last night and was up early this a.m. and from his nap). I'm debating whether to give my older son some benedryl for the runny nose he had 5 days ago. Yes, I know....Mother of the Year. I'd like to thank the academy er...DHR....

It's now 6:47. I have 13 minutes to convince the 3 year old it's time for bed. Wish me luck!!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

I thought I had escaped my curse. You see, every year starting in 2003, something happens to me in the late summer/early fall. In September 2003, I had my first child. Now, this is not a curse, but a blessing. But it was a traumatic experience that changed everything. ....eventually for the better. In late August 2004, I fell, broke my right ankle and had to have surgery. This was the worst experience of my life. My marraige aged like 7 years in 8 weeks. I realize why it happened... I had become obessessed with being in complete control of my child and my husband and our life. My husband had also come to rely on me doing everything from changing diapers, to bathing the baby, feeding the baby ....EVERYTHING. So me breaking my foot, was God's way of teaching me the invaluable lesson that I cannot be in control. It also taught me to rely on my husband more and that even though he didn't do things my way, he still got them done. It was a very hard lesson to learn, but looking back, I'm so glad God used that experience to teach me that he's in charge and that it's okay to ask for help every now and then from friends and family. In mid-August 2005, I was 38 weeks pregnant and had a massive hemorage that resulted in having a c-section to have my 2nd child...also a boy. And while we were both fine...a blessing....recovering from a c-section was much harder than that of a normal delivery. August/September of 2006 went by without event. I breathed a sigh of relief. However, on Friday 12/29/06, I fell going down my basement stairs. Pain shot up what I refer to as my "bad ankle". I immediately pleaded with God, "Please no...Not again" over and over again. I was eventually able to get up and get upstairs to the couch, finding comfort that it wasn't nearly as painful as the accident 2 years ago, but then getting discouraged that it was still hurting at all. My orthopedic was able to squeeze me in later that afternoon and I was relieved to find out that nothing was broken. My plate and pins were still intact from the surgery. I had, however, torn some tendons and ligaments. So they put me in a brace that fits into my sneaker to wear for a few weeks. This was not how I wanted to start my New Year. I have been making all sorts of schedules and routines now that I was going to be a stayathome mom. Then it hit me, in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and my scheduling, etc., I had once again taken the wheel and put God in the passenger seat. As we all know, He doesn't care for that role very much. So, rather than let me keep driving down that path, He nipped it in the bud and got my attention. I'm taking the sprained ankle as a warning, that if I keep neglecting Him, He'll put me out of comission altogether like last time. The thought of not being able to drive, walk w/o crutches, and depend on someone for everything except going to the bathroom, terrifies me. So, I'm off to pray and thank God for sparing me that experience again and letting me off with just a warning.

Save the date

2006-10-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

I love putting stuff in my calendar. I love scheduling, organizing, juggling, etc. When I was pregnant, I would put in every Monday what week I was on. After each appointment, I would write down the date of the next one. When I start a new planner each September, I go through and put in all birthdays and important dates. My husband has offered to buy a cool blackberry like his to receive emails, text message as well as calendar. But I refuse. There is something about writing it down that I love.

Today, I wrote down a very important date in my calendar. It marks the end of much frustration, stress, and spinning for control. I have been a working mom for 3 years now. I never had any idea that working with small children would be so hard. Actually, motherhood is hard, but working fulltime away from the home makes it all the more challenging. Today, I wrote the words "Last Day" on November 30th. I resigned on Friday 10/27. I have a little over a month left to finish up a couple of projects, train my replacement or a temp, basically get things in order. I am excited and terrified to see what life as a stay at home mom is like. But then I go back and read my journals from the last 3 years and can remember the struggles like it was yesterday and then I'm confident that staying home is the best thing for my family. Just as me working the last 3 years has been the best thing for the family. I'm so grateful to my husband for putting up with me as there were days that he could just look at me wrong and I would start crying. It's been a long way to get to this point, but the lessons I've learned are priceless and will no doubt help me as I encounter future struggles.

So, Save the Date! November 30th! I'm sure I'll call on my old friend Margarita to help me celebrate it. She's always comforted me in the past...who better to celebrate with?

Here's a picture of the 2 most precious babies that I'll get to stay home and love.

Guilty Pleasure

2006-10-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have a guilty pleasure. Actually my husband and I share it together. Now, get your minds out of the gutter it is absolutely NOT sexual. It may be hard to believe this, but it's a television show. I've come to look forward to it, make sure the tivo is set to record in case something else comes up, don't want the phone to ring or the kids to wake up and interrupt. I wish I could say it was Desparate Housewives or a cool new show premiering for Fall 2006. But, alas, it isn't. My guilty pleasure is . . . . . .(drum roll please) . . . . ."The Girls Next Door" on E! featuring Hugh Hefner and his 3, count them 3 live in girlfriends. I know, I know, it really goes against everything I'm learning in my Beth Moore Bible study, in Sunday School and generally everything I've ever read in the bible. But, God help me, I can't walk away from it.

For those of you that know nothing about it, the show is 30 minutes long and centers around the 3 girls that Hef has chosen to spend his golden years with... Before I get to the girlfriends, let me just say that I'm worried about Hef. He tries to stay hip and happening and keep up with these young girls. But, he looks like a dirty old man coppin one last feel. There's Holly, the main girlfriend. And then Bridget and Kendra the back-up girlfriends. Now, I don't care too much for Kendra. She's annoying and immature and her laugh makes me want to slap her across the face. Holly is somewhat delusional and actually believes that Hef will marry again and at 80 will be capable of producing more offspring with her. But Bridget......Bridget is my favorite. Bridget is everyone's friend. She never says anything mean about anyone. She listens to people and what they have to say. She's very upbeat and positive about everything. From her cat's dental hygiene to her carefully planned and thought out striptease busting out of a cake for Hef's 80th b'day, she takes pride in everything she does. And in a very limited way, I would like to be more like her.

Since there are only like 2 people reading this blog, I'm not too concerned that my sanity will be questioned across the masses. If you haven't checked it out, stear clear. It will suck you in as it has done me. There's nothing like 3 girls in a mansion, with anything they desire at their fingertips, trying discover their meaning of life to make me appreciate my real world so much more.

80's Fashion Trends I "Will" Support

2006-09-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

I, like so many others, will not succomb to this return to the 80's skinny pants/jeans extravaganza. I adore Audrey Hepburn and commend The Gap for yet another great commercial. However, I am not enough of a slave to fashion to spend my hard earned money on this madness. The title of the "skinny pants" or the "skinny jeans" leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Even when I was at my "fighting weight" I don't think I would have endorsed this trend. I like the idea of pants or jeans, that when I wear them, make me look skinny. So, all this being said, here are a few of the 80's fashion trends that I do and will don this fall.

1. Big, sparkly, cinchy purses. Love this look and am glad that big purses are back in style as I've always carried them. I like to refer to my purse as the MotherShip - a bottomless bag of bobby pins, hair clips, bandaids, exedrin, tylenol, advil, hand sanitizer, lotion, not to mention makeup, money and credit cards....

2. Big earrings. I've spent the last few weeks updating my accessories and am excited to debut my new hoops, loops and chandalier dangles.

3. Bangs.. I never can keep up if their in or out, but I've always had them since God blessed me with a rather large forehead. Either way, I've gotta have them. So I can do long and sweepy or short and straight. Every other year, I'm in style with them.

4. Knee boots. This is a trend from the 70's that I am just passionate about. I love that the weather is getting cooler for me to break out my tweed skirt and my knee boots.

So there it is. My 2006 Fall Fashion Must-Haves. I'm all for being funky, trendy, sassy (as Boomama calls it); So, if you see me walkin down the street in regular boot cut jeans an obvious fashion emergency, please don't call 911, just let me keep going.

Hats off to Single Parents

2006-09-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

My husband has been out of town for work since Sunday morning, so I've been doing the single parent thing for 4 days now. I'm tired. It's always a gentle reminder when he goes out of town of all the little things he does to help out with the house, the kids, the pets, me, etc. Doing it on my own is always tough. I don't know how single moms and dads do it every single day and work at the same time. He's coming home tonight and I'm counting down. Not only am I praying for his safe return home. But I'm also praising God for such a wonderful, devoted husband and father. I'm also praying that God will remind me to show B. how much I appreciate the little things he does, and that while they have become a part of our routine, I am still grateful of every little or big thing he does. I thank God for such a positive, hard-working, patient, caring & easy going man. My children and I are so lucky to have him.

Top Ten Things I Don't Feel Guilty About as a Mom

2006-09-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

This was inspired by a book I started last night. It's called "Motherhood: The Guilt That Keeps On Giving". So, in my effort to focus on the things I've done right, here's my Top Ten.

10. I don't feel guilty for not cooking every night.
9. I don't feel guilty for leaving the kids with a babysitter for some QT with their daddy.
8. I don't feel guilty for leaving the kids for some QT with myself.
7. I don't feel guilty for wanting the house to stay somewhat picked up and enlisting the children for help. (They need to learn to pick up after themselves)
6. I don't feel guilty for kissing and hugging my kids every chance I get.
5. I don't feel guilty for giving my kids vienna sausages and easy mac & cheese for dinner when I'm stressed and in a hurry.
4. I don't feel guilty about throwing away some of my children's artwork that's just a crayon scribble on a page. I can't keep everything.
3. I don't feel guilty for not scrapbooking.
2. I don't feel guilty for letting the kids watch Spongebob to occupy them for 20 minutes when I'm desperate for a shower.
1. I don't feel guilty for not wanting sex every single time my husband does.

So there it is. I must admit this was harder to come up with than I thought it would be. As I made the list, I kept coming up with things I do feel guilty about. There's something inborn in us women that make us want to please everyone. And when we can't we feel guilty about it. I have so many friends who are on so many committees at church and are spread so thin. Their roots grow wide, but not deep. It needs to be the other way around. We have to prioritize and say no every now and then.

Happy TGIF Eve Everyone!!!

Spinning

2006-08-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

When I was little, my cousin and I used to play forever on those sit n' spins. You sit down and turn the steering wheel thingy and spin around and around. I feel like I have been spinning like that for about 5 days now. Saturday we had my youngest son's first birthday party....which he thoroughly enjoyed. Sunday we went to look at a house that was about to be on the market. We've been passively looking for a while now, as we need more room. We bought our house when I was pregnant with my oldest
So we've essentially run out of room. Back to the reason I'm spinning. Since Sunday, we've put a contract on it and are about to list ours. It's very exciting, but the thought of leaving our house, EVERYDAY, presentable to "show" is stressing me out. Then add to that the thought of packing EVERYTHING and moving with 2 kids 3 and under is why I've had a headache during the waking hours for the past 5 days.

Enough about me. I just started the Beth Moore Bible study on "Daniel", so I'm trying to not focus so much on me. As if this is my world and the rest of you just live in it. Anyway, I highly recommend this study. We're only on the 2nd week, but it's very powerful....a great ride.....much smoother than the sit n' spin.

Count your blessings

2006-08-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Our church has a ministry to help special children. The goal of the ministry is to assign a buddy to children who (b/c of developmental delays and or behavioral problems) need someone to attend Sunday School with them. It is a huge help to the parents who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend church or Sunday School. My first day was yesterday. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I am assigned to a 4 year old little boy. He doesn't speak, but babbles. He acts out very aggressivley when he feels threatened/scared, etc. So the goal is to keep him busy for an hour and 15 minutes. Yesterday he was having an especially rough day, so most of my time was spent holding him pretty tight in my lap and singing songs softly to him. The other girls and boys in the room are busy playing, coloring, and just being kids. Situations such as these baffle me. What is going on in this little boy's head? Is he aware of the other children around him playing? What frustrates him? What calms him? What makes him tick? Then I begin to think about his mother and the daily challenges she faces. I think about how her days must feel like years sometimes. I wonder if she asks God, "Why me? I'm not cut out for this!" Then I think about my children and how a rough day for them is usually the result of staying up past nap time/too late or a toddler on the verge of "Big Boyhood".

I hate to admit it, but I started my hour and 15 minutes yesterday watching the clock. However, by the end I found myself praying for this little boy's mother....to give her strength, patience, and encouragement. God works in mysterious ways and he clearly hand picked this woman to be this little boy's mom. I am asking God to use this little boy that I'll spend 1 hour and 15 minutes with once a month to remind me to count my blessings. So that on days when I think I want to wave the white flag, I'll get back on track and get back in the game.

The Perfect Storm

2006-08-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started out to be a normal day. At 3, I got a call from my daycare that my almost 1 year old (Frank) was fussy and running a temp of 100. It's a bittersweet moment....I'm thrilled that I get to leave work early, but hate that my baby is sick. Then there's the guessing game "do I take him to the doctor? or wait to see if this will run it's course?". I decided to wait and see how the night went. Given the time (3:30) I went ahead and picked up my 3 year old too. It was looking to be a nice evening. Little Frank got some tylenol and went straight to sleep when we got home. So, Jack ate an early dinner and we headed outside to hit golf balls in the front yard. Fast forward to about 1:00 this morning and I'm awakened by a fevery, fretful cry. As I'm shushing my pitiful, sick, baby, I get reinitiated into this sorrority called motherhood. My baby proceeds to vomit all over me, the floor (TGF hardwoods), and himself. There's nothing like the smell of stale, warm milk running down your chest. So, at 1:00 this morning, I'm bathing my baby, cleaning up throwup, administering more tylenol, suctioning a nose, and rubbing on vapor rub. As I crawl back in bed close to 2a.m., my husband starts snoring like a foghorn.

We were all feeling bright eyed and bushytailed this morning around 8. I got a shower and was getting us ready to go down to Children's Hospital for a carseat check and to turn the baby's carseat forward facing in preparation for our trip to the beach next week. Everyone is strapped in and ready to go....but the car wouldn't start. Upon further review, it appears to be something electrical wrong. This translates to expensive to fix, several days without a car, carpooling to school and work with the hubby, etc. All this, plus Aunt Flo is due for her monthly visit any minute and I haven't had any caffiene (was planning to stop at BP for a Diet Mt. Dew).

I'm not sure what else this day will bring, but I'm trying to bend and not break when these storms of life start blowing in. It could be worse, if I'm going to be stuck somewhere without a car, I'm glad it's at my house.
Toodles for now....

Pull out there and see what happens

2006-08-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

Those were the words my dad would tell me when I was learning how to drive. I thought it was appropriate for my first blog title. I discovered a couple of blogs a few months ago and thought it would be fun to give it a whirl myself. So, I'm pulling out there to see what happens.

Last Thursday, my almost 3 year old (Jack) came home from school with a "silly word". Lord, if it wasn't the F-word. My husband and I about died when he said, not once, but about 8 times, partly so that we could make sure we were hearing him right. We tried to disguise our laughter and tears and explain that this was not a nice word and that if he said it, he would get into big trouble. We made sure he understood, then abandoned all talk of the matter when he was around. We erred on the side that any attention (good or bad) would just further feed his desire to say it. Now here's the part that really scares me. I know I have a potty mouth from time to time. I work for children..er..attorneys, I can't help it. But I knew it wasn't me....When I asked him where he heard that word, he very innocently said "Miss Beverli" (his teacher). After further investigation with his "best friend's" mom, I believe it came from his buddy. Should I be worried that my not yet 3 year old ratted out his teacher to save his friend? I think I've got a lot of sleepless nights ahead of me with this one.....