Saturday, February 27, 2010

Me time

In Mom to Mom, a support group/bible study for mothers, I was asked what do I do for myself on a regular basis. I really didn't know. I laughed and said I go grocery shopping. Now, I was at least half serious, cause all of ya'll know that I do love to do it when it involves the game of couponing and bargain hunting. But it does usually come with at least one child, so it can be a decent amount of work anyway. So then I said, Mom to Mom. That is my one thing I do for myself (and my family truthfully). As I thought some more about this question, I realized that choir also falls in that category...except it is just for me and my emotional / spiritual health.

But, as you read my blog, you will see that my kids are with my parents for the weekend! I haven't had a break like this in sooo long. So, after getting the all clear from hubs I have been working on some "me" things. Yesterday, I had my hair done for the first time in probably 9 months or more! It looks awesome! I had someone come and clean my house. I have a ton of laundry to finish and fold, but most of the dirty work is done. I tried to quit the gym yesterday (haha this is a reference to the episode when they attempt to quit the gym). I have been having a lot of joint / back pain and thus find it regularly hard to go--not to mention that this gym has no childcare which makes going 10 times harder. I was unsuccessful! In fact, I have a free visit with one of their personal trainers who specializes in injuries! That should be interesting.

This is not a bad thing, and truly is something that I can do for myself...just need to find time to go! Maybe he'll help me figure out ways to reduce the pain and what not! And today I'm headed for a massage (that will hopefully also help with the pain). Later today I'm sure to get that pedicure that I have gift certificate for! J wined and dined me a bit, as we went to a fun swanky little joint in downtown Greer for dinner, BIN 112. Those of you who live in this area...the atmosphere and pricing AND food of course are perfect for any date night when you want to take it just one step further than Texas Roadhouse or Ruby Tuesdays! Your getting the royal treatment, but the prices aren't over the top. LOVE it!

Of to the massage...wonder what else my day will hold...oh yeah, probably finding boxes, paper, and packing them.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Scratch That!

Well, today was going to be barbeque chicken for buns...but it turns out the kids are going to meet up with their Nani and Pop today instead of tomorrow, so that means that I'll either be eating on the road by myself, or having a date with my hubs. Either way, that is a no CrockPot ordeal.

Speaking of a day off! It looks like I'll be getting several, and that's just in time! Yesterday was the worst it's been in a long time. W was unbelievable. Hubs thinks he's been acting this way in part because he's super mommy-centric right now. Maybe there's something to it, but there is definitely something else. My only real guess is that he is teething and my other real guess is that he has been reacting to something we are feeding or exposing him to, and/or the shots.

His aunt says the Cuzin C is like bringing home an evil twin after her shots for upwards of 7 days! Yikes! I'd forgotten. We were so careful about splitting up shots and such. Now we are playing a bit of catch up to get him into school. Thinking about taking him to the allergist regardless of the astronomical price of those visits! Time will tell.

There was that moment (several of them actually) late afternoon / early evening, where all he was doing was flopping around like a fish and cry/screaming! When he would use words, I would try to accommodate, but even then he'd get mad about it. Nothing I was doing was right. So after several time outs for unacceptable behavior and the color of my skin turning red and blood pressure rising on my end, I just put him in his bed and pulled the door to. It's a safe place, I can only barely hear him screaming and I can get dinner made and pay attention to my other child who was very obviously vying for my attention in between his shenanigans!

When hubs came home I gave him the very basics..."Your son is in his bed. Believe me that was better than the alternative. Maybe you should go in there, cause clearly I'm not cutting it right now." That was it. So he did go in there and distract w. Oh to be a dad once in a while!

Thank goodness for Choir last night, cause M and I headed to church. Both of us were in brighter spirits just to be getting to make music! And be with people our own age that aren't screaming incessantly. He managed to sleep through the night again for the first time in days, though M appeared in our room twice last night drug seeking! Haha! first she says that her leg and ankle hurt (which is quite likely she's not usually a seeker), so I found some tylenol and sent her back to her bed. Then just as I dozed off she appeared right in front of my face asking for cough medicine. I sent her back to bed and reminded her that you actually have to be coughing alot to receive this med. Haha! I think that middle of the night interruption was more based on habit after being woken up in the mid nite by her brother for several days in a row.

Ah to sleep through the night with no interruptions AND to sleep in if I want, and take a nap if/when I want! It'll be short lived for sure, but I can't wait. Much thanks to mom and dad for this needed break!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

A Day Off

Oh how I need a day off in a bad way. But this is really about my CrockPotting. Wednesdays are very full. I rush to get out the door for Bible Study in the morning so I don't really have time to do dinner prep. Not to mention, that Wednesday night I have choir rehearsal, so my lackadaisical pace is squeezed not allowing for much dinner time. So, Wednesday is leftover night.

Seeing as my husband wasn't a big fan of either meals I prepared in the pot so far, I'll be making him chicken wings that are simply heated and broiled in the oven, and the rest of us will be eating leftovers. Back to the grindstone tomorrow. 2 recipes on deck for tomorrow. Barbeque chicken for buns and a side. So, I'll be taking the day off from actual cooking. More tomorrow I'm sure.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Laugh Out Loud

I titled my blog "Laugh Out Loud" because my original idea for it's title was so funny that I literally laughed aloud on the way to the computer! I was going to title it "Domestic Diva" but if you could see the state of my house after all the work I did yesterday, You, like my husband would surely have to ask, "so what did you do all day?"

Now women, you know that this question is like the no-no of all no-no's! And my husband has been made quite aware of this on numerous occasions over the last 8 years, yet yesterday, he dared to ask it. I want you all to be amazed that I didn't explode and go into a rant about all the wonderful things I do all the time that go entirely unnoticed. I simply said what do you mean. After careful conversation I realized he literally thought that the 2 dishes left in the drying rack were the only dishes he thought that I'd done. And we got a small laugh about it.

The house is pretty much a mess...I was going to list it as being in shambles, but that wouldn't be sooo accurate. It has certainly been worse. Actually what I did yesterday, hopefully, will go mostly unnoticed. I did the pre-spring cleaning sort through of everything in the kids room, and most everything in the play room. Anything they never play with or have outgrown went into trash bags. You understand that if it does go unnoticed, then I did my job. They obviously didn't notice cause they don't play with it and don't even remember that they own one of those whatever they ares. PLUS, if I were to engage the child in this activity (which we have been known to do from time to time) one of two things will happen. He/she will flip out over every thing and swear up and down that they will start playing with it or that it really is supposed to fit that way. OR sometimes, and this always catches me by surprise, she'll get overzealous and start putting things she does actually like in the going away pile!

On a side note, my eldest child has actually confessed to having nightmares that I forced her to give her blankie away to goodwill! Yikes! Though I find that terrifically amusing, i also see how it is a bit sad. Believe me I reassured her, that her favorite things would never go away except with her choosing. Then I assured her that if there ever came a time when she was finished with her blankie that mommy would still be keeping it for her because it is sooooo special.

I didn't intend to blog so long this a.m. My main point in getting on here was to encourage those of you who may feel overwhelmed or stuck in the mess that is known as your house. I don't remember where I heard it, but years ago I heard this message and it has stuck with me. When you are overwhelmed with you housework, put your household helpers to work. What the person meant by household helpers, were the dishwasher, the washing machine, dryer, crockpot...you name it. If it can be done by a machine...get that machine going. So, this a.m., my eldest is off to school, my youngest is still asleep due to a terrific tummy ache that kept all of us up a good bit last night. And though I'm blogging, my household helpers are up and running. If I had a dishwasher I assure you it'd be running. My washer is going. My oven has been used already, my coffee has been made, my dinner is in the crockpot...

Even with a cranky boy and a dr. visit on schedule for this afternoon, I will have a productive day. I'm determined.

Monday, February 22, 2010

I was right.

Well, the dinner was made and was delicious...the clean-up was so easy, I will easily cook the chicken overnight. M didn't like the lasagna either, but she tried 3 bites and even decided to try a tomato and some lettuce dipped in ranch. She ended up eating a pizza. AND w spit out the lasagna first, but then decided he liked it after all. He called it pizza soup! Cute. Plenty for leftover night and freezer. yahoo!

CrockPot Day #1

I almost didn't start this today, cause I had hoped to do a different recipe first, but hadn't managed to CrockPot the whole chicken in order to use the pulled chicken in various recipes. But since this is all I planned for my next 2 weeks worth of menus, I had to try something else.

Helen's Lasagna recipe from the Fix it and Forget it book. I have done this before, so I know that it is soooo very delicious. This will mostly stand alone and will likely feed us twice and still have half or so to freeze! yahoo! By alone, I mean I won't have to cook anything else, unless you count the toasting of the Texas Toast garlic bread that I purchased multiples of when it was on sale for 67 cents. I will include a salad as well and maybe I will cook or let M help me cook some cookies. Also bought for cents.

Tonight after I transfer the remaining lasagna into the fridge and freezer (used a liner for minimal cleanup), I'll crock pot the chicken overnight. Then I can de-bone it in the morning. This lasagna, though I know it is good, is a stretch, cause my hubs is not a big fan of red sauces of all kinds. As for mess making and cleaning up...not too bad. I will say, I'm not sure it was any easier getting this meal ready, than cooking on the stove and such. Actually, since you start with hamburger meat, you have to brown it with onion and garlic first. I ended up with 3 large dishes to clean. Which I did immediately since that is the easiest time to get it done. The trick with the CrockPot is not that all recipes are less hassle then other types of cooking, but rather that you get that part of your day done earlier. You aren't having to time things out just so, and such. And, maybe normal just before supper cooking time is not so great for my kids...they seem to need constant attention which translates into constant interruption and dinner that gets pushed later and later. Now that time can turn into mommy and me time! And dinner will be on the table when hubs gets home AND I will be calm and relaxed instead of rushing about trying to get it all done!

Maybe that's what's most important.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Irony!

Ah, it's that time of year again. Seems like it's always that time of year! Just about spring cleaning time, and I have done 2 things over the last little bit to get ready. Friday, I sorted through all of M's clothing, current and next size up, to make sure that they all fit, that we didn't have 8 gazillion of the same things, and that each item either did have a match or needs to be found a match.

I have at least 1 whole garbage bag full of things that need a new home either consigned, given away to another, or goodwilled. That was all I could get done in the allotted amount of time. More of that to come I'm sure. I began W's clothes too. Made it through his current clothes, but not the spring/summer apparel.

Today, as it is flip flop weather, the whole family spend time outside playing on the swingset, with the new hula hoop, with a ball, cleaning up the 10 tons of litter that people throw out of their cars, and J filling in the well some more. Gonna need more dirt/gravel/clay for that one!
This is where the irony comes in. I NEVER clean up the litter that flies into our yard from the busy street! It didn't really take long even though there was alot because we all worked together. When we were all said and done, we came inside to wash off and have a nap. As I was washing my hands in the kitchen sink and looking out the kitchen window, there is a brown bag blowing across the street and into our yard. Good grief!

Next day of flip flop weather, we are going to borrow a rake and pick up and pile up sticks! What are your next spring cleaning plans?

On a side note, thank you Aunt K for the toothbrush rug tool! I'm excited about using it! Will have to get through the busyness of the next little bit till I can be appropriately set up to delve into that project.

On another note, I was shocked to see the bill on my last reciept from grocery shopping. As it is now known, I will be CrockPotting for awhile and have been working on my menus. So I tried to work with what meats were on sale and things I already have. But then I realized that I actually prepared for 2 weeks worth of menus, so I said an appropriate, "Phew!" and remembered that I'm right on target budget wise. Anyone else notice that alot of Aldi's prices went up a bit...new packaging as well, so I assume that is to be related.

Friday, February 19, 2010

30 Recipes of CrockPot Madness

Ahhh...nothing like knowing that dinner is basically already made as you are running your errands, doing your chores, playing with your kids. If you saw my post from earlier this week, there was quite a "mom" day there where in, literally, one of the best parts of the day was knowing that dinner was made! And as most CrockPot dinners go, there was plenty left over for another day and another lunch for me.

After that day and glorious realization, the very happy comments from my hubs who thought it was phenomenol, I decided I needed to do that more often! So I'm going to challenge myself to this task. Just 30 Crock pot recipes...that's all. Not too long, but of course you must know it'd be silly to CrockPot EVERYDAY as I would have more leftovers than I knew what to do with. I still may! Also, hubs has declared Friday, Fruity Friday and we are going to eat meals based primarily around fruit. So, unless I find a crockpot/fruit recipe (and there are some), my goal is to choose 3 main dish recipes a week and then 3-4 side or dessert dishes to go with it. This will require 2 crockpots, or likely I will just slow cook one in my large, deep casserole dish. Don't forget, there are those lovely liners you can put in the crockpot before you get to cooking to make the clean up sooo much easier.

My first 6 days worth of recipes will be as follows:

1.Meatloaf w/ potatoes with
2.Greenbean bacon bake

3. Poor Man's Steak (smothered-esque)

4. Roast w/ potatoes and mushrooms

5. BBQ Chicken for buns w/
6. Mac and Cheese

7. Lasagna

8. Sesame Ribs w/
9. Candied Sweet Potatoes

10. Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole

Still looking for a few more complimentary food recipes to go with some of the main dishes, but this should set me for the first 2 weeks. Today will be shopping day and then I shall begin shortly after that. I'll keep you posted!

Whew! Menu planning is alot of work, and just so you know, I chose recipes based on the meat that is on sale this week. Since this is enough to feed us for at least 2 weeks I won't have to buy meat again for at least that long! Now to match the menu to the grocery list! Yikes!




If I don't get to some of these, we'll try them the next week.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Another Induction into Motherhood

Ah, every woman who has been a mother for any length of time has had one of these days...

The usual can't seem to get anything done due to the constant demands and interruptions, began. No big deal...I can roll with it. Morning nap time is a perfect time for that. Since I just got my sewing machines fixed, I pulled one out and some almost finished outfits from my Grandma, Katie, and decided to get at least one project from the pile done...then a shower.

Of course, I did it exactly wrong and had to redo it, so the short project took longer than I had hoped, but I still had time for the shower. However, I didn't have time to fix my hair like I had hoped (with my new set of rollers). Got M, came home, ate, played with kids, then it was nap time.
I lay W down for his nap as he was bringing me his blankie and saying "sleepy", "rockery" (which means he wants to rock and/or rock and read. M and I were to lay in my bed. She was on absolute nap today due to her sassy, stinky attitude, which I was sure was due to exhaustion as she had tossed and coughed all night. We both slept. I slept a little and she slept alot.

I woke her early enough so that she would be ready for bed at a decent hour and let her watch a bit of a movie while we waited for W to wake up. When 4:45 arrived we decided to wake him up only to find him covered in throw up! Poor guy had coughed himself into a frenzy I suppose. Only thing is, he didn't fuss about it...And then he slept! Sheesh!

So of course I get him in the bath and strip down the bed and put it in the wash. But, as it would happen, he proceeds to poop in the bath as well. Good grief! Funny that hubs would call in the midst of this. Of course I didn't take the call as I had my hands full enough. When I called him back he wondered what I was up to that I couldn't take his call! Haha!

If I could say one good thing...at least I had chosen earlier in the day to crock pot dinner, so we still had nice hot dinner when he got home. The house was a total wreck, but food was on the table. Thankfully, I was able to get all the dishes done after supper, so I was able to see the bottom of the sink when I woke up!

Unfortunately my induction wasn't over yet. When I got laundry out after finishing the dishes, I found out that hubs had put crayons in his pocket! Luckily it hadn't escaped the confines of his pocket, but it did ruin those pants. When putting the kids to bed, as you can imagine, I fell sound asleep! I NEVER do that! Hubs woke me up when he was going to bed at 11 something...I couldn't believe I had slept so long! Oh well. I missed him and the whole night, but he said that was ok cause he was able to get lots of work done. We'll try again today.

I wonder how bedtime will go during lenten season when I give up naps! Hmmm...

Sunday, February 14, 2010

What to do, What to do...

I think we may be rounding the corner of this ridiculous illness. Whatever in the world it was...some type of sinus thing. Not ears thank goodness. M is at the stage where she coughs incessantly and if I hear myself or hubs say "cover your mouth" one more time I may need to check myself into the asylum. W seems to be finally beating the fever. Our thermometer has all of a sudden given out, so I can't be sure, but if he still has a fever when the meds wear off it is very low grade. This is a huge leap forward from what we've been dealing with consistently for the last 6-7 days. I can't really imagine fever for that many days. One day of fever really wears me out! Now he gets (and we get) to experience the residual side effects of a hefty antibiotic! Only 8 more days of that! haha!

On another note, we usually bathe the kids every other day if they haven't had excessive outdoor play or mud puddle episodes. Well, tonight would have been our night off, except that M decided to douse herself in vicks (not a bad idea with the cough) only it was a bit much and good portion actually ended up in her hair. And certainly you can't bathe one without bathing the other. W LOVES bathtime. So that is where they are now.

And yet another note, I was trying to clean the kitchen and cook. And though I'm not extremely short, I'm not really tall either, so their are many things out of reach to me in my own kitchen. This is not a fact I'm real thrilled with, but I don't seem to have many choices. I had a simple step stool that was specifically mine for the kitchen, but being that it was a kitchen necessity, it got very dirty. This item drove hubs crazy. He constantly tripped over it and thought it was unsanitary (which it likely was), so he threw it out in the yard to (supposedly) hose it off and clean it. Then proceeded to "accidentally" run over it. That long story to say that it is no more. I do have a step ladder that is a pain to get out, but is at least useful. I was trying to avoid getting it out, but also trying to reach things too high for me. I managed to drop a rather large and heavy duty pot lid on my head (handle down) and now I have a decent headache.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Now that's a SNOW!

Well, momentarily we are receiving an actual decent snow! If we weren't all sick I'd be entirely more excited about the possibilities and snow men that tomorrow will surely hold. I believe W will miss most of these festivities if his health doesn't improve significantly by the morning.

Actually, he is being delightful right now. Seems to be feeling at least a bit better. He has been so pitiful it'd break a mommas heart. Sitting around with weak eyes and congestion like crazy. Not to mention the constant fever. It would go down a bit with meds, but we would have to alternate them to get it to go down significantly. Then when they wore off, his fever would shoot back up.

Today was no different. Seemed lethargic and only wanting mommy. So we called the Dr. got new medicine and had to get out in the freezing weather to go the pharmacy and get this medicine. Since we were headed that direction I went ahead and kept going to Spartenburg to pick up my 2 sewing machine that were in the shop. Yay! Soooo glad to have my machines functioning again. Since December they have been out of commission.

W didn't eat any lunch, so I couldn't give him his new medicine. I finally convinced him to have some yogurt and gave him the medicine with that. He had a long nap and then ate a pretty decent supper, so I gave him his other dose with that meal. I'm hoping this helps him turn the corner tonight. I'm ready to see my little boy again.

J went grocery shopping! I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that, but I couldn't have been more thankful as I certainly didn't want to do it in the snow with 2 sick kids! So no coupons and $50 later, he got everything on my list! Oh well for the $50...I guess we'll call that a convenience fee.

On the W front, we found him using the plunger and trying to plunge the toilet. Funny and disgusting all at once. Also, the kid dropped his blanket down a very precarious space between M's mattresses and the actual footboard of her bed. In his zest to retrieve it, he fell there himself and got wedged sideways. Lucky for him m and I keep a close eye on him and were able to fish him out rather quickly with only a tiny scratch on his face. Now if we could just keep him from climbing onto her bed in the first place...

...Time passes...Cookies were made (from scratch)...kids were put to bed...more snow has fallen

I just put a sweet fever free baby boy to bed! Hallelujah. So sweet to get to pray over your sleeping children. The blanket of snow here is pretty awesome and still falling quite a bit. Can't wait to see what it looks like in the a.m. Wonder about how the well will hold up. We had it filled in again on Tuesday...but it's been sinking a little since then. The snow won't help any. We certainly won't be getting anywhere near it. Well, time to enjoy the cookies I made and try not to fall asleep too early.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

400th post!

This is my 400th post. didn't want that to go by without at least acknowledging it...
Now on with my post...

I have blue ink ALL over my hands. Actually, I have blue ink all on the inside of my purse which is how it got all over my hands. How did I manage this you ask? Obviously a pen lost it's top and ink inside my purse without my noticing.

This a.m. has been a doozie. W is still sick and feverish. But M is fine. Congested, but able to go to school. Sort of. My car will be needing minor attention today, so the question was how do I make sure she gets picked up from school. Our ride to school is also sick with fever, so I'll be taking her this a.m. So I call the only other back up I have to see if she can pick M up from school. Straight to voicemail. So I text...no response. We get m ready for school, but don't leave till we know how to make this work. On top of that, I'm to provide a sweet snack for the party that is tomorrow...but they want the sweet snack today! Hmmm...

Back up plan finally texts to say she can pick M up. So I throw on clothes. Look terrible, but no big deal. Chances are we'll be late to school. As I get just 2 blocks down the road the gas light comes on. Sheesh! So I have to stop for gas. I try the debit card...twice in the freezing weather with lots of wind. It doesn't work. I forgot...we had to order new ones because someone stole our number when J was out of town. So, luckily I have cash in my purse and thus run in and get a pre paid amount. Since we are already sooooo late, we just head next door to the store, get a store bought v-day cake. Now we are really late!

Finally we get to school with the cake...but I forgot to tell them someone else is picking M up from school. Guess I'll have to call! When I got home I had to clean out the massive mess in my car due to lots of kids and errands...and food, in the freezing windy weather! Yuck. But, M has made it to school and has a ride. My car has made it to the shop, and W and I are warm and cozy in our house...resting. Hope I have time to do all the dishes that are taking over my kitchen!

TTFN!

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Sickness Be Gone!

Well, I just rocked a precious little one to bed upright so that he could finally fall asleep without being reawakened with a coughing fit. He was soooo tired! Of course the only time we could get to the Dr. was smack in the middle of what should be naptime. My goal then was to skip it and put him down early, but due to his illness, that was basically impossible. I would venture to say that by the time we made it home after the Dr. and the pharmacy, it was about 4:15? And it took him all of 30 seconds to pass out in my arms in the rocking chair. I let him rest for an hour. He woke himself up though with a coughing spell.

Like last night, he ate almost nothing. At least he's been eating during the day. So adorable though! He will straight up tell you what he does or doesn't want! Do you want some Green Beans(which he normally loves)? "No." "Waker" (supposed to be Water and pronounced the same except for the middle consonant). So he gets water. He did eat a bunch of orange and a bit of hot dog and crackers.

I won't blog long cause I'm anticipating a LOOONG night with the coughing spells and medicine that only lasts about 4 hours at a time.

M stayed home today too as her congestion was backing up into her eyes. I had originally scheduled a well visit for today to catch W up on his shots. That didn't happen and then on top of that we got to pay our outstanding bill and double the meds! 2 meds for each! Thank you Lord, though, for blessing us with the ability to pay it and the blessing that is is available to aid our children in their recovery. Hard to complain about having access to medical help when there are so many in the world that don't.

I am hoping and thinking that it is actually true that M will be able to go to school tomorrow. I'm hoping that hubs doesn't get any sicker, as he too appears to have this raging illness. I'm resigning myself to the fact that I will most likely not be able to prepare made from scratch cupcakes for M's V-day party on Thursday. I'll have to hit the store on the way to pick her up from school tomorrow. In addition, I have no idea if all this will even work out cause I have to have my car worked on tomorrow at some point. Hoping to get all of the "Hallquist" clan together at Mom and Dad's for Valentine's Day.

We'll have to celebrate our super romantic V-day getaway later...

Say a prayer for the sickness bug to be gone. Poor M has been sick with various types of illnesses for 3 weeks! W's been dealing with congestion for about as long and is cutting teeth on top of that. He had a pretty decent fever today of 101.6 after the Motrin! He was pretty pitiful today. I'm hoping he starts to recover quickly. Gotta get well so we can catch him up on some shots in order to enroll him in PDO (Parent's Day Out) once a week. He and I both could benefit from this. Eighteen/ Nineteen months is the age when the separation anxiety really sets in! Well add to that the fact that he has always been a bit of a Momma's Boy and you have a scene from Family Guy! Just hope the whole transition doesn't keep him sick all the time too. Oh the give and take of it all! Off to bed.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Crazy Times at Home

Well if it's gonna happen around here, seems like it will, and right now!

M is still having tummy issues, her brother seems to be teething and is amazingly cranky. On top of that he has taken to skipping his nap every other day. M doesn't want to eat much and I don't blame her, but she's doing well considering. I had a touch of it myself today but have taken it very easy and haven't eaten much. We shall see.

I woke up and my back was tight and tired...bet it has something to do with the fact that W is OBSESSED with me right now. I'd be flattered if I wasn't annoyed and didn't actually already know that 19 months is a very strong time for separation anxiety. When Auntie B came over the other day to take M to school, he seemed to think that I might be going with her somewhere (as is the case on occasion), and he started fussing, repeating "mama" over and over, and started pushing B. It was amusing. I still am experiencing headaches on a fairly daily basis. I also suspect some nightly teeth clenching...which would explain alot of things. The question is what's with the tension?

I think next week will slow things down a bit. I was blessed by a visit from B to watch the kids for a little during the day so that hubs and I could run errands gathering things to make this place more efficient and livable. I had lots of plans. Unfortunately, my plans were drastically altered when we went out to the car and noticed that the old well had caved in about 10 feet! Yikes! So off to the landlord's house we went...who knows when we'll fix that! We are due for another big rain Tues!

But we did manage to get to Target and find a fantastic buy for a replacement coverlet for our bed! We couldn't be more thrilled! The to lunch at Wild Ace in downtown Greer, and then home again to our lovely children. Best part? Auntie B had been the good cleaning fairy! I just love her! Not to worry, we compensated her for her generosity even though she would never require it! I'm seriously considering asking her over at least 2 times a month to help remedy the mess problem.

Funny moment came when she walked into the joint bedroom and found it trashed...not 10 minutes after she had cleaned it. M was to blame of course, but B couldn't believe that M had managed to undo her closet, dressup, drawers, and bed all in that short amount of time! I had to laugh and say, see...it's not that I'm a terrible housekeeper... On a side note, M redeemed herself in cleaning all of the mess up with very little help or prompting. She was rather proud of herself, as was I.

In addition to nothing going quite how I had planned today, we found out that we could now join the club of other Rosebowl attendees in that our de*bit card number had been stolen and used by someone multiple times at various CVS's in another state. Lucky for us the company flagged the card for suspicious charges. I wonder what tipped them off...the fact that someone was spending $50 at a time at CVS! You know I never do! Ha! So now we are cash only for everything till we remedy that situation on Monday.

So let's recap. Wake with headache and back pain...early! M still having tummy aches. W teething and all that comes with that. Someone using out card and therefore deactivating it for the entire weekend and longer. The well falling in, resulting in a rearranging of the errands we were going to run. Me ending up with M's stomach thing. The good things were; I got to spend time alone with my hubs however short it seemed, my house was lovingly clean when I got home, I got to rest (even though it was due to tummy ache), even though we didn't get to run all the errand's I'd hoped we did find an awesome deal at Target on a clearance coverlet and matching bedskirt and shams! So the goods and the bads level out a bit, but do leave us pondering what to do about this living situation that certainly doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Another Day in the Life...

What is it with Murphy's law? All the 15 minute increments in the day and as soon as I'm in the shower the doorbell rings! I knew this would happen. Yard men were coming some time today...no time frame given. Well, a girl's gotta get clean! Sheesh!

At least the yard trimming and such has now been accomplished! I swear for that cost we could have bought the tools and done it ourselves, but it is done and I didn't break a sweat! Since I was once again home bound all morning, I buckled down to clean. This is one of the necessities that housemom/wife just has to get over and succumb to its reality. I do indeed clean all the time. Not that the house is ever clean...fully!

But I got realistic and looked at the minimal amount of time I actually had to get anything done and decided to work one room at a time. Generally. So it was the kitchen. I had done a good bit of work in there yesterday, so I thought it might be easier to make a dent that actually appeared as if I'd done some kind of work. And I did. I finally organized and took care of nitty gritty things that I've been putting off in there. Still not fully clean as you can imagine! One or two more naptimes should do it.

W was so adorable today! I was going to have him skip that morning nap this a.m. as he had slept till 7 this morn, and then get my 2 and the friend that stays with us 2 afternoons a week down for an early nap this afternoon. But little man was saying "nap" and "sleepy" and trying to climb into his bed. I decided I'd better take the hint and put him down. It IS easier to get things done without any little person underfoot. But an hour goes by fast...

Veggie Tales, then naptime up on the docket. I definitely feel a nap in the works for me as well. And I got a package today! From my grandma Katie! she's cleaning out her sewing room and sent all the cutie things in the sizes of my children! I few things for me to finish with buttons and what now, but M is very excited. She's already put one on!

Then the tea party. M's home center now includes a working coffee maker (kids that uses water). So, the 3 kids sat down at the princess table from Uncle John, Aunt Connie, and Cuz B, and ate little debbie's and coffee "water" in their tea party set from one of hubs relatives. I think Gammy and Pawpaw, but I don't remember! She was so excited that this was her first REAL tea party. We will definitely have to do this again, with our tea hats!

Though I intended to actually try to fix my hair today, the yard men threw off the plan! I searched for the faithful Noodle hat and couldn't find it! I laughed off the thought that my hubs may just have discarded it so I'd get the hint, and threw this hair into yet another pony tail! Sheesh. I gotta figure out what to do about that.

I think I may finally get to take my sewing machines to the shop tomorrow! Can hardly wait to get them back! So much to do!

BTW, God has really amazed me and taught me alot about myself this week! Praise to Him for answering some very serious and constant prayers! And for those who faithfully prayed alongside me!

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Keepin it Real

This is a post of somewhat random things that pop into my head from time to time. Don't try to make sense of them or overanalyze...I'm just trying to be honest and keepin it real.

I sang today...something other than The Little Mermaid. I actually thought it was pretty good. We are certainly our worst critics, but considering the round and round that I went through to choose, purchase, and practice these songs, I was kind of proud. I was a little anxious about it, mostly because I didn't want my inadequacies to get in the way of what God wanted to say/wanted us to hear. What a silly concern really...I could hardly get in the way of God's plan.

Sometimes I forget WHO God is. I forget that He isn't like me. Though Jesus was more like me, I forget that they (the trinity) were altogether "other"! And when I try to humanize them (unintentionally) it seems I limit them. I'm trying to be more aware of this and to avoid it in the future.

I have been having fairly consistent early morning wake up calls from my kids. Usually somewhere between 6-6:30 a.m. This is not early to some of you I realize, but it is an hour or more early for me. I know that it is because we moved the kids into the same room and the littlest wakes the older one up and then there is no turning back...but I'm a morning person, so other than being much tireder these days, I don't really mind. It does mean their dad is waking up earlier too, cause there is entirely too much activity going on for him to bear sleeping through it. Bet he's wishing he could find those ear plugs he misplaced.

On that note, I am a ton tireder than I am used to being and I am a little concerned. I know part of it is the lacksidazical way I have been exercising lately...not enough consistency. I am curious if I'm having iron issues, which is something I have battled more than once in my life. I really LOVE to sleep...and if not sleep, lay quietly in my bed with the covers pulled up around me. If I were in college, I would do exactly that...alot, but I'm a mom and a business owner and I don't have time for all that. I don't have time to get a lot of things done around here, so sleeping and lounging around isn't really a luxury I can afford on a regular basis. I wonder if I just need a break (little vacation for myself or with hubs--sans kids), or something else...life change. Who knows. But some thing I ponder none the less.

BTW, I didn't know that tireder was an actual word, but it doesn't appear to need spell check. Hmm. It really is true that you learn something new everyday.

I don't like my hair as of late. It's long...and though that's not my favorite hair do, I don't mind it so much. I think maybe I just need a reshaping? I just can't seem to do anything with it. In other words I wear alot of pony tails. Worst case scenario is the ball cap...and i seem to be wearing that far more often than I would like. My fave ball cap is blue and says Noodle on it (something about golf) which I stole from my hubs years ago and never returned. I have just about decided that this is the stage of life that I will likely refer to in years to come as the Noodle years. I wear my hair long due to my profession or business. It makes certain characters altogether easier if I use my own hair, but it makes wig wearing easier as well. Hard to conceal and contain that short hair.

My house is a wreck! Ever since I moved the kids into the same room the house went through the remodeling sort of upheaval and I have yet to entirely right the whole situation. Even after several trips to Goodwill. I seriously contemplated hiring a made for a few visits or months.

I miss my FOO (Family of Origin). Haven't seen them in a while. I'm not a real miss you when your / I'm gone kind of person, but I think I'm gearing up for a visit. Just gotta make sure my car is in good enough shape to go. I'm starting to get annoyed with the car actually. One morning the volume button was struggling to function. Today it was all I could do to get the children's CD out of the player. I did manage to retrieve it, but am not even thinking about putting something else in there. I don't think I really want to press my luck. Maybe I'll try it with one of my favorite ones, so that if it doesn't get permanently stuck, I will at least like what I have to listen to all the time.

All the randomness I can handle for now. I have to wake the kids so they'll go back to bed later. Bed time is the trickiest part of joint bedrooms.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Stormy Weather

Ice storms that is...yes we had some snow but it wasn't much fun for the kids as everything sort of melted together and made most any kind of play impossible. We did some exploration, some swinging, some stomping through the ice and into mud puddles...but not really any pics. We did take pics last night when the kids had a wild dance fest! Funny actually! I don't think I've seen M exercise so much in one sitting... Maybe she's ready for dance class after all.

I ran to CVS since it's across the street. I had some really great coupons that expired yesterday, so I wanted to get the deals, and get out of the house since we've been iced in all weekend. Here is the run down.

Starting with $3 ECB's...

Transaction 1:

Men's Dove Body Wash--out of pocket: $1.57
ECB's : $5.49

Transaction 2:

Men's Dove Body Wash
Colgate Max Fresh
---out of pocket: $1.50
ECB's: $7.49

Transaction 3:
2 packs of huggies
(used $4/20 CVS coupon but forgot ECB's)
out of pocket: $13.96
ECB's: $5

Transaction 4:
4 Ragu
2 Skippy pnut
out of pocket: .52 cents
ECB's (still have $5 from when I forgot to use it earlier) and $3 = $8

Transaction 5:
1 12 pack coke
4 febreeze fab refreshers
3 2 liters
out of pocket: $7.98
ECB's $10

Total visit spending:$25.53
Total Value: $98.29
ECB's: $10!