What's today?

Hey, I'll tell you what's today? It is finally Freakin' Friday!!! Yeah, I put it out there, that's right it has with out a doubt been one of those weeks!!
I first must say my children NEVER hear me say any type of "potty word" including freakin', but these last few days I don't know what was going on, the way the world was spinning, mother nature, whatever...all I know is, I had to have hit a record with saying the word "freakin".
Did I write yesterday? Oh, no, that's right I didn't because I was having an inner meltdown! From the minute I got up to the minutes before I went to bed, incredibly insane!!
Let me just say, normally my day would start with a shower, umm, nope that didn't happen yesterday.....not even today, but guess what I'll be doing once I'm done here (yup, that's right, closing the bedroom door, taking a glass of wine, and that jacuzzi bath tub....it's all mine!! hopefully).
So, Squiggly traded days and decided to come on Thursday instead of Friday, okay, I can do that. My kids have 2 weeks left until school starts (whoops, did I type that right? I hope I did since I was uncontrollably jumping in and out of my seat as I typed it, sorry just couldn't overcome my emotions!)
Anyway, I thought to myself, well, I will just make Friday a complete fun day for my kids, we won't worry about dishes, cleaning, or work. I thought we could go rent a new game for the Wii, pick up our pizza early, come home and swim, play the Wii, and just have a complete fun day.
Well, the pools filters are having issues, we just cleaned them and again they're clogged so the pool is a light green which means we weren't swimming (and another couple hundred dollars to replace those filters!). Okay, well, I get myself up in time to come downstairs and have a cup of coffee before Squiggly arrives. I was turning on the T.V. to watch the morning news as I sat there and tried to wake up with my luke warm coffee. POP!! Is exactly what I heard from this 60 inch T.V. and then it went black.....I immediately turned it off and knew it meant the bulb blew out....well, no Wii games for us. I had to order that part (which was a little over $100.oo).
We all ended up hanging out in the front room watching the kids T.V. and playing. The kids were going crazy running around, poor Squiggly was trying to take her nap which only lasted about 45 minutes. By the end of the day she was exhausted, I managed to get her back to sleep, but with J and his "out of the blue complete non stop side" she only slept for 30 minutes more. Poor baby, she was just pooped out! You know when baby's hit that exhaustion, they don't want you to put them down and they don't want to go with anyone else.
So there I was holding her on one side while cooking with my free hand. In my mind I thought "I seem to remember doing this once upon a time, man do I not miss it one bit!".
Squiggly left and I hope had a peaceful night. We all had dinner in the front room together. I worked on the website, which did I mention is now up and running?!?! Yes, that's right I got it to work. Is it what I wanted? Not exactly but hey it'll get better with time (and learning).
Our website address is www.thefamilyview.net
Check it out, you can access all of our blogs through the site and even email us any messages or suggestions you'd like to pass along...

Anyway, towards the end of the evening J just wouldn't settle down, Daddy ended up going to bed early (well, since his baby burnt out what else could he do?)
I was going to write my entry but between Mom Jr. watching everything I did and J just sticking to me completely I knew I wouldn't be able to get it done. By the end of the evening I was ready to have the title be "Frustration and Suffocation".

Friday morning came around, I heard my husbands alarm going off and in my head I was thinking it was Saturday morning and he just forgot and set it on accident. The second time it went off I knew I was the one who forgot it was actually Friday. Okay, get up, one more time, turn the coffee on, get out lunch and drinks, pour coffee with milk.....
Off he goes, for one more day...off I go back to bed, sleep, just sleep, I don't have to get up for Squiggly and as long as J's out I can just sleep......
Next thing I hear is D's voice, he's standing right by the side of my bed saying "No she's not asleep, you can talk to her". I have one eye open, he hands me the phone.."it's Daddy".
Let's just skip the rest, I'm up, J's now awake and so here goes my day.
I get up, J's starts his complaining about the T.V. I so badly just want to take a shower and not deal with any of it, although, I know better. My Friday begins back on the computer, I work on it long enough to drink enough coffee to get me moving and long enough for the kids to have breakfast, play, and get ready to head out the door.
Yes, okay, I went out without a shower!! Whatever, it was to the point of no return. I'm telling you I could see the smoke coming out of my ears!! The kids were in rare form, I needed to just keep going, there was no waiting for anything or anyone. I wet my hair, put on some deodorant, clean clothes (yes, clean clothes, I'm not that bad) and sandals.
We went to Costco, picked up our pizza, and came back home. I got the website working, Daddy came home and I took a deep breath and released it.................

Some weeks are a crazy ride, the ups and downs, the curves that are thrown out at you, the unbelievable speed that just doesn't slow down....

Damn, this week was just that......my determined, invincible, little J, he just keeps going and going....but if you ask him he's still my little snuggle buggle..

Just a Mom.........with a new website!!! Check it out!!!

Can you feel it?

Is today Wednesday? You know, without even knowing the day I'd be able to tell just by the mood of people (okay, me, yes I'm talking about me but wait). Yesterday was my shopping day and I again was determined to get my website up and going. Yes, I signed up with a web host server, yes, I tried to upload, download (which ever way you want to look at it)my site, oops, sorry I mean our site to our new server, didn't happen (obviously). Mom Jr. started her blog, she's having a great time doing it. She loves to get comments and know that people are reading her blog. She said "Do you have comments on your blog?" "No", "Oh, I do, hee-hee".
Yeah, okay. I'm excited to see she's so interested in writing (just like her Mommy), it's funny she even sounds like me she said "I start to think about what I'm going to write about and then when I start it just comes out as I'm typing". Hmmm, I do believe that was almost my wording to my Mom about how I come up with what I write?! Is it just a coincidence or were her ears on when I was talking?
So this website thing is really bugging me, it really isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Any help?
Back to today, yes my little J and his EverReady Rabbit ways, you know he just keeps going and going. I can't even understand how he just doesn't get tired!? Not only that but I pick up one thing, turn around and clean somewhere else just to have the area I picked up first to be a disaster!! Finally, I just gave up!(See, I told you I could tell it was Wednesday).
Yes, I must confess I was grouchy to my Mom and Sister today, yes, I know completely wrong of me, especially because I only have the Best MOM in the world. Did I feel bad when they left? Totally!
The thing is, with my kids, there's a schedule, like I've said before, 12:00 I'm either serving lunch or getting ready to. Now, when Squiggly is here the schedule changes just slightly, because she also eats when they do. So picture this, I have the skillet on with enough tortillas on it to make two quesadillas per child, at the same time I am preparing Squiggly's sweet potatoes and cereal in a bowl and getting her bottle ready for later. I'm slicing cheese for Mom Jr. because she doesn't like cheese slices in wrappers and I'm unwrapping cheese for the boys who like it. I am also warming up some beans and rice from the night before for the kids to have with their quesadillas (the goal here is to feed them well, so that they won't be bugging in an hour). Okay, I get it all done, I manage to make 4 plates of food for my kids as well as Squiggly's bowl of food. At the very end I make myself a quesadilla and pour some salsa and chips with a diet soda.
And this is where the deep breath comes in, everyone is fed and relaxed, now they're watching T.V. quietly while Squiggly is in her excersaucer happy playing. I know I have maybe 30 minutes to just sit, eat, and watch mindless T.V.
I sit down in eye view of seeing all the kids in the front room, my food is in front of me. As I pick up a chip, my two older ones stand up and say "someone's at the door".
You know that noise you hear when a car slams on their brakes, well, that was exactly what I heard. I get up to get the door and I can hear my Sister saying "hello, it's Lala". I open the door, the kids get up, my Sister gets Squiggly out of her happy place at the time...And well, my lunch time was just lost.
Yes, I felt bad, I was cranky, but this was my one break.
Is it Wednesday?? Hmm, I kinda think so....
So lunch was over, Squiggly no longer is happy being where she was, time to move her. We play for a while, put her in the swing and she falls asleep, I hit the dishes. Daddy comes home, plays with Squiggly, takes Mom Jr. to dance. He gets back and puts in his very first entry in his blog.
I make dinner, run to the store for water for my husband to take to work for a retirement party. As I'm getting out of the car with J (of course, I'm telling you he is on a roll!!) this woman is walking out with her 2 kids. She has the "Mom-stressed" attitude. She tells them "you want to go live with your aunt, well let me tell you when I was little your aunt was very mean to me so if you want to go and live with her I'll gladly send you and maybe you'll come back as nicer children and I'll be saying yahoo!!" The two kids started pleading "No Mommy we don't want to go, don't make us we're sorry". Hmmm, wonder what they did or said? Is it Wednesday? He** yeah it is!!!
My whole reasoning in letting J go with me to pick up Mom Jr. was that I thought for sure he'd fall asleep, wrong, yes I was wrong....
Okay, so the day is done, tomorrow is a new day, with a new attitude.
Here's my wish for you, wake up with a smile on your face as you sit up and take a deep breath, look out the window and see the beautiful sun shining through and if you get up before the sun, enjoy the quietness of the early morning, as you look up and see the stars still shining with the moon so bright as they shine the way for you to start your day. Hey, we are just one day away from the weekend!!

Just a Mom feeling and hearing the mid week stress.....

Told ya I'd be back...

Oh my gosh!!! If I wasn't' so out of shape I'd get on the treadmill and run for at least an hour straight (yeah, I know if I was already spending time on there I'd be able to)!! Instead let me just rock out to the top hits of the 80's with a glass of nice wine (thanks to my Aunt "A", thanks lady and no I haven't thought anymore about your suggestion, we'll have to discuss that in the women only blog site).
Can I just say J is still going strong!!! That boy, you know how kids go through growing pains well, I think toddlers go through verbal pains. They are advancing in their language skills so they have this need to talk non-stop!!! My husband got home (thank God, it's his turn) J turned immediately to him and just started babbling about his (make believe) friends, where they are going, how he cant wait to see them, blah, blah, blah......Finally my husband said "Boy, aren't you just full of words?!" I told him, "Yup, can you just imagine he's like that all day!!". My husband said "No, I sure can't". Boy, J was in rare form today!! The fair is coming so we're getting ads for it now, he saw a picture of Dora and Diego. "Der's my fenz! Dey are going to be at fairytale land". So J and Daddy went back and forth about when we could go to the fair. J insisted he wanted to go on Monday, Daddy told him it opens on Friday. J came to me in tears "Mama, Dada says we go to fairytale land on Fiday but I want to go on Monday". (After a lonnnnggg day of this I knew exactly how to stop it) "Okay, J we'll go on Monday". "We go on Monday Mama?!" "Yes, papa". Aaah, it's over, he let it go.
Now he's found something new to jump on...let's just say he's still going non stop. It made me think, um, did he get into some caffeine? And if he did, where is it because I was dying for a diet soda this afternoon and couldn't find one....
J has been non stop since he got up this morning, I mean you know it's been a lot when Jr. tells him "J, just be quiet for a little bit"!!! Okay, yes, I have to say I did that evil giggle when I heard Jr. telling J simply because it now just wasn't me who thought "AAAHHHHH!!!!!"
I'm convinced that boy got into something he shouldn't of and if so he better lead me to it so I can keep up!!!
Even with Squiggly, the poor baby is teething ( I know I feel sorry for myself too, thanks for the thought I totally feel it) she just seemed uncomfortable, hey I turned my air on it wasn't like I had her in the plain heat (are you crazy, I learned my lesson cool is comfortable no need for cranky children because of the heat!!). I knew she was tired so I gave her a bottle and as she was drinking she started grunting and crying off and on, I thought "okay, either she has to go potty or it's those teeth that are really bothering her". I picked her up and put her in the swing, that's all it took, soon she was falling asleep, then the dreaded "ding dong". The kids are at the door "who is it, who is it". It's Grandma, luckily Grandma has this light voice, I could hear her talking to the kids as she walks to where I am right next to the swing. My Mom the savior she came to help me clean ( Yes, my Mom came to clean the bathroom!!!) THANK YOU MOM!!! She then took the boys to Great Grandmas house, which they love to go play with the dog and of course climb the tree in front of her house.
Eventually Squiggly leaves, Daddy and I are working on our website, looking for a host, J is still running around as we are in disbelief. We have dinner, I make my way to my blog, Daddy goes to bed and he convinces J to go up with him. Finally peace, oh, well, would you look at that it's late. The day is done, I guess I couldn't say it was boring...

Just a Mom making it through a Manic Monday.....................

The littlest one...

Okay, just had to get this out there right now. What is it with the last one? Or for some of you maybe it's your only one. J is my only one who at his age makes his way into the fridge or freezer whenever he feels like it. Here I was checking out some stuff on the computer and J comes strolling in with an ice pop. "Who gave you that?" "Me, I got myself, Momma you open it fow me, peeeeeeaassssee". "No, first of all you didn't ask, second of all it's not even afternoon yet". "Ooohhh, man!!" (yes, he's a Swiper fan from Dora). I buy the big bag of pretzels from Costco for the kids to have for snack. It usually doesn't fit in my pantry once I've gone grocery shopping and have that filled up with cereals and other dry items. I usually will put them on top of the table (okay, no we all don't sit together at the table and eat, first of all we wouldn't fit at the table we have, second I actually think we have outgrown our kitchen space all together). You know somethings up when all the kids are quiet but especially when J's quiet for a while. I look up from what I'm doing to see him running from the kitchen to the front room where he plays. Okay, maybe he's getting a drink of water. Now that he no longer uses sippy cups for water he has to leave his big boy cup on the counter just like the others do. I go about my business, um, wait the other boys seem to be pretty quiet too....now even when they give in to watching J's shows they're never that quiet. Oh, there goes J all I see is the top of his head going from the kitchen to the front room. Man, he keeps drinking that way he BETTER make sure he makes it the bathroom and in the toilet, not around or a little on the side but inside!! There's nothing worse than having to clean the bathroom especially with 3 boys (but that's a total other story!)! What, there he goes again! Okay wait what's really going on? I get up to see what he's doing. Hmmm, he's working for his brothers, he's the perfect height for me not to really notice him coming in and out of the kitchen, he's quietly doing it too, and he has the perfect size hand to stick inside that big pretzel bag without making any noise from the bag. J was grabbing pretzels running to the front room and handing them over to his brothers, back and forth, he'd go. I walk into the front room and both Jr. and D have their mouths closed with a smile on their face, their hands are in fists on their laps. I ask them "what are you doing?" "mm,mm" "What? I don't understand what your saying, are you eating something?" You could tell they want to chew but then it would give away that they've been using their little brother to sneak them stuff. J looks at them then looks at me "Mama, they eating putzels" "why? I thought you already had your snack?" "Mama, I sharing, that what boys say I do". "Well, J that was very nice of you if your brothers had decided to have pretzels as their snack but they didn't and that was your snack". Sneaky boys, I told them no more. J said "No mow, fow you boys". J walked back into the kitchen and grabbed more for himself. Well, can't leave that there anymore seeing as J will help himself to them all day and I'll start finding broken pretzels trails all over where J has been playing.
Oh, okay, now it's back to normal there's the noise I was missing they're back to playing as usual...
Ugh, J he's a busy boy who make me even busier!!!

Just a Mom having to share a little in the middle of the day..........I'll be back later

It's always something.....

It's Sunday evening, finally it begins to cool off, the kids are sprawled out asleep on the floor and Daddy's fast asleep in bed.
Finally a chance to just focus on me, if I just wasn't so tired! I did manage to finish creating my website which now I just need to get a "web host", hopefully that'll be very soon. It's always something....
I can't believe summer vacation is so close to ending! I need to make a list of back to school items for the kids. I have to start jogging so I'm ready to run them to school the first morning while they ride their bikes. I need to give the boys hair cuts so by the time school does start their hair won't have that "just cut" look. It's always something.....
I didn't make my weekly dinner menu for this week. I didn't check the sales or coupons in the newspaper. I can't go to the store tomorrow, Squiggly will be here and there's no way I'm taking all of them. Hmmm, it's always something........
Hey, but there's always later, tomorrow, the day after, just don't wait too long because just as fast as summer has gone by school is going to be here even faster!!!
It's getting late, I need to get to bed since I'll be getting up at 3:45 to start my week of my normal routine. I now get to try and wake up each child just enough to help them walk up the stairs to their rooms one by one and last but not least I'll come back to carry up the little one.
It's always something..........

Just a Mom with always something going on

The sun is shining!!!

It's a new day, the boys are playing, J is ready to watch "Caillou", Daddy's playing his game, and there's dirty dishes in the sink. Yup, just another day, we're moving on from the bad feelings that were brought out during the past few days.
I continue on with my normal Saturday morning routine, clean up a little in the kitchen, start the coffee, open some windows, and then make my way over to the computer. I start to work on my website or shall I say "our" website as now Mom Jr. will have her blog starting soon and now Daddy is going to be starting his own blog. It's going to cover family, sports, politics, and work from a man's point of view.
I just finished the front of the website and asked Sr. to come and look at it. He liked it but wanted to try and mess around with the software to see what he could do. I had to leave to go pick up Mom Jr. from her sleepover and of course J wanted to tag along. We pick Mom Jr. up and head off to the grocery store and the video store. We get home right around lunch time and Sr. is still on the computer. We had lunch, J took a nap, D soon joined him, and Jr. decided to draw. After 8 hours of working on his blog Sr. finally decided to take a break.
Towards the evening J was determined to go swimming. He put on his swim shorts and floaties and out we went to the pool. Jr. and D soon made their way out there as well as Mom Jr. They were all having a great time laughing and playing. The sprinklers came on for the grass so they all got out to run in the sprinklers. Little J wants to be just like the big kids. The three of them would jump over the water as it sprayed across the grass. Eventually Mom Jr. and D decided to come back to the pool. J stayed with Jr. and continued to run around the grass. J was so funny he would try to jump over the water but his little legs just couldn't do it. J would end up getting sprayed in the face, watching him from the other side of the yard by the pool was just so funny. It's been a long time since I've laughed that hard, you know the kind of laugh that makes your stomach hurt. J was so determined to stay running around the grass with Jr. even though he couldn't avoid the sprinklers no matter what he tried. All of a sudden it looked like J decided to take on the sprinklers the only way he knew how to. The way he knew the water wouldn't get in his face, the way he knew he wouldn't have to try and jump over it or try to avoid it by ducking when it came around. He went right up to the sprinkler, turned his back towards it and stuck out his bottom! We all started laughing and laughing. There J was with his bottom out blocking the sprinkler, he had the biggest smile on his face! He stayed there just long enough that the sprinkler wouldn't be spraying towards him once he moved. Poor little guy, running, shivering, but not giving up on his quest to dodge the sprinklers. Soon they turned off and J made his way back to the pool. He stayed in just a little longer but then got out because he was too cold.
We were back, we were back to the family we were before all the worries and uncertainties from this past week. We turned back into the family enjoying a nice summer evening playing in the pool and Daddy barbecuing. Nothing can take back what had already occurred, we can't erase what we all know or how it made us feel but we can continue enjoying what we have, appreciating it, and never take it for granted.
As our lives go on we have different issues, situations, problems that occur. For everything that we face we learn. We become stronger and wiser. And then there's the gift, the gift of love, of protection, the gift we always knew would be there it's been there since we were little, it was always just us, we only had each other, our family. And for you, my family I thank you, for the reassurance of letting me know we aren't alone, we won't be lost, we'll be okay. My Brother, the one who has always been my protector, I have always been proud of the relationship I have with you, my little Sister, you step in when I need you the most without me even saying a word your there, and to my Mom, there are no words to even begin to say what I feel for you. You are one of a kind, you are unbelievably strong, you are exactly what we all need and more.
It's the end of a good day, the moon and stars are out.
Tomorrow morning the sun will once again be shining as we continue on, one day at a time.

Just a Mom who is lucky to be the sister and daughter to a wonderful family......................

The day after...

The end of a crazy week is finally here, a week that has left me feeling completely drained, you know the kind of feeling where you just feel empty, vulnerable, unstable. Of course the day after the storm all I want to do is make my children feel safe, feel normal, happy, just like any other day....until they see the newspaper and there it is on the front page in bold letters, they don't understand the wording but what they do understand is it's about Daddy's work. After the discussion we had as a family the night before where they listened and didn't ask many questions (which is unusual for their little enquiring minds) now that they had time to absorb what information was given to them last night they were ready to ask questions. Of course it has to be with just me. Okay, I'm ready for this, I'm going to answer to the best of my ability and make sure I answer them in a way they understand. I don't want to scare them but I want them to be informed. Mom Jr. is up first (which normally she is the leader of the pack, she is the oldest, the comforter, the one that will be my help in explaining to younger ones) "Mom what does it mean by liquidating?" So I try to explain it and I can tell already she isn't really getting it so I turn it around the way my husband said was another way of explaining it. I tell her "okay, when a couple gets divorced they have to decide who gets what" as I'm explaining this to her D jumps in and says "you and Daddy aren't getting divorced right?" "no!" I tell him I am just trying to explain the situation in a way that I think will be easier for you to understand.
Anyway I make my way through the explanation and I can tell Mom Jr. is catching on. They get it but they are kids, they have their own ideas and thoughts, I don't want to interrupt that at all. I did tell them we were telling them so that they were informed but in no way did they have to worry about it, it was something Mom and Dad would figure out, they just had to keep in mind that when we say no to something it's not that we don't want to get it for them it's that it's just not the right time. I think they got it, it still makes me sad to have to explain any of it to them. I love their smiles, their no worry attitudes, their giggles, their silliness, I hate to put any type of dent in that.
My good friend calls me this morning after reading what was going on and invites us over for just an evening of fun for the kids and good conversation for us. It was a great thought but I know I am not good company right now, I am of course still worried to the point if it's brought up I fall apart in tears. I need time to turn my thoughts around, to remember the strength within me, to bring out that determined Mom inside me that will do whatever it takes to make sure my children are not only smiling on the outside but on the inside too. They deserve to be light on their feet, to have their giggles flow through the air, to have their smiles sparkle unbelievably bright that it's just contagious for all that's around them. And eventually I will get there I just need time to allow myself to absorb it, release it, and rise from it.
So Mom Jr. gets a call from my good friends daughter (which happens to be one of Mom Jr.s best friends) she asks her to spend the night. Daddy says he'll take her and of course the boys want to go with Daddy to drop her off. I'm glad my husband says he'll take her because for one he needs the get away, the time to talk with his friend (who happens to be a great guy, a good dad, and husband) he says he's taking the two older boys which just couldn't wait to go and hang out with the twin boys who are also their friends. I keep J with me, we pick up pizza and come back home. I knew the boys wouldn't be back, when they do show up they are all smiling. Just what they all needed. I'll get their too, it just takes me a little longer.
So to end the week, Mom Jr. is at her friends and I'm sure is just soaking up the fun times with her friend which she should do entirely without any worries in her mind, she's a child after all and the only thing I want her to think about is what makes her smile, what makes her heart warm, what makes her laugh, this is after all her summer before 5th grade. As for the boys they are completely in their comfort zone when they are with their Dad. He is their idol, he is their shining star, their coach, their teacher, their best buddy. They instantly glow with huge smiles when they see him at the door. He is their hero above anything else. He is their DAD, the one that can fix it all, that has the solution to the problem, that will make it okay. I remember the day he couldn't wait for a boy and now he has three that just can't get enough of him.
This is the end of an extremely uncontrollable week of emotions. So fast, they came, so fast they ended up the same. It's crazy, I know, all I can do is look for some positive, some light between the clouds, and I'm sure eventually it'll be shining bright down upon us. Until then I will do what I can, find the strength within, and make sure my children stay being children without the worries us parents are trying to handle one way or another.
We will survive, we will make it, we will find a way.........................because we believe!!!

Just a Mom holding her Husbands hand as together, we are trying to find the strength to pull us through along with our family...

What a day........

So, yes I know things aren't good with my husbands job, we were just discussing that last night which my last entry was about. I get up this morning, grab my iced coffee and make my way over to the computer. Thought I'd do a little research on my endless quest to get my website up and going. The discussion my husband and I had last night was still fresh in my mind so with the Internet and all it's information just a few typed letters away how could I resist? I typed in those few letters of my husbands company's name. Up pops one article stating it's decided to close. Okay so that's just one, you know news sites, they as well can voice their own opinion and since I only see one comment I don't think much of it. All of a sudden I notice another pop up, then another, then another. I get on the phone call Sr. at work to ask how things are going? He says the usual. I tell him what I'm seeing, he then starts to check it out himself. By now the news is everywhere it's no longer just one sites comment it's on every cities websites in the area. Okay that little crack that had begun with the little bits and pieces we were hearing has now opened up quite widely. I'm starting to take deep breaths, the tears that were barely hanging on are now flowing freely down my face. I see us barely hanging on to the edge by our fingertips with our children on our backs as we're dangling there about to fall in this widening crack. My husbands saying "it doesn't look good, try not to worry nothing has been said here yet". Yeah, well, I knew it was only a matter of time because with the news everywhere it was only a matter of time before the employees would hear about it. I'm scared, I get the reassurance "you'll be okay, you guys will make it, you'll find a way". In this economy that's hard to swallow, I knew I'd have to go back to work. Sure I see that happening very easily, I haven't worked outside my home since Mom Jr. was born!! 10 years!! Who's going to hire a stay at home mom who has not worked in that amount of time. Sure I KNOW I could do the job but with all these other hungry people out there that probably have an up to date resume and more experience well, I think we can all see where this was heading. Meanwhile my kids are sensing something as they see me sitting here staring at the computer getting on and off the phone with tears streaming down my face. J is unbelievably quiet playing with his toys right beside me. He's not asking me a million and one questions, he's not tapping my arm with his little finger or asking me "what coming on next Mama?" He's just playing quietly. The other 3 went upstairs and were playing until they started to get loud as they were blaming each other for something. By now I was done with the yelling between them I knew I wasn't going to be good at handling this if it continued. I called them all down, I turned around to talk to them and I don't know if it was the fact that they could see I was crying or just the vibe in the room but as soon as I started to talk to them they all began to tear up. I explained to them today was not a good day for me, today was a day where I needed them to be nice and not argue with each other. They all shook their heads and went their separate ways. J never looked up just continued to play quietly. After talking to Sr. once more he informed me of a notice that had been sent out regarding all the leaked information and said nothing was formerly decided. Still I had to start thinking of what to do next, although I really couldn't focus on much I was just scared. J started running in circles saying "I have to pee, I have to pee" I told him "go to the bathroom". He looked at me, walked over to me and said "Okay Mama, I love you" and hugged me. I knew right then I had to snap out of it, J was keeping an eye on me, he didn't want to leave me, he needed to make sure I was okay. I got up and made myself do stuff. I went outside to mow the lawn, perfect I would have my sunglasses on, pushing the lawn mower no one would no I was upset. I turn and see Jr. standing by the side of the car watching me, I look further up by the garage and there's D he's watching me too.
The rest of the day they are pretty much quiet not asking me for things, patiently waiting for their lunch (which was given to them late). This is something we will have to discuss with them so they don't worry on their own instead we can all discuss as a family and figure what our next step will be. This will be a test of our strength as a family to hopefully get our footing on that edge that we're dangling from and climb our way out.
After a while of sitting on the couch I got up to go to the restroom, as I was washing my hands I looked in the mirror, wow, it's been so long since I've seen my eyes that swollen, great, now I look like a frog with big puffy eye lids!! What a day!?! It's been the longest, scariest, unbelievable day that ended with the work situation being the exact way it was just yesterday. My husbands thought on all of it "Don't look up the company, wait for word from the company itself"!!

Just a Mom with way too many emotions for just one day.......................who's completely drained

Those Freakin' big lemons

Yeah, okay so we all have heard the saying when life gives you lemons you make lemonade. Well, right now it feels like we're getting ready to have a truck full of lemons dropped right at our front door!
So Hubby's job is on the brink of shutting down. Month to month, we kept trying to look to the positive side, maybe things will pick up, we just need to hang in there, it's all talk, well, you can only be positive for so long. Slowly things have been crumbling down, now it's just about to fall completely apart. There's really no more positive thinking, forget the "if it's" now it's "when". So here comes those lemons rolling up our driveway. Too many to dodge, time to grab them and figure out what to do with them.
I hate this feeling, feeling of the unknown, how to continue, how to survive, it's not just him and me, it's him, me, her, him, him, and him. That's a lot on my mind. Enough to feel the tears barely hanging on the lids of my eyes. What do we do? It's not like there's jobs out there just waiting for us.
So what can we do? Time to start thinking out of the box. Maybe this is the time for us to consider starting a business out of our home? A lot of people are doing that now a days. We have a lot to offer, why not us? When my Mom first brought up the idea of us buying a house we didn't think we'd qualify for anything, turns out we qualified for a brand new house, having exactly what we wanted at the time.
Everything happens for a reason, so I'm told. I'm still learning from that phrase because I haven't seen the comfortable side of living. Okay so there's a reason, maybe my thought of comfortable is different from others thinking. My idea of comfortable is buying what we want, when we want, and not worrying about not having enough until the next pay check. Is it just me or do we all live this way? I don't think so, I see others happy buying and spending, going here and there, and then there's us. We stay home, try to make fun out of what we have and hope that's enough for our children. Granted, my children don't really complain, their wishes are to go on bike rides, to go to the movies, to have a friend come over, to go swimming, to play basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, outside in the morning. They really aren't that picky I just worry about them when they go back to school and friends are talking about vacations they took or places they went to. I dread that story their teachers ask them to write "What we did or where we went over summer vacation". I want my kids to have something great to say and so far it doesn't look that way. It's not too late, maybe we'll take them camping for the first time, the fair's coming, they always look forward to that. Time for us to start squeezing those lemons and eventually we'll find our way to the sugar to sweeten it up. I have to believe we'll make that great lemonade there's just no place for any sourness in our lives!!

Just a Mom feeling those freakin' big lemons rolling up our way....

Totally not my day!

Today, today, today was suppose to be my shopping day, my cleaning day, my day to get my new running shoes that my Mom was buying me for my Birthday. The day I get stuff done that I didn't do yesterday or won't be able to do to tomorrow because Squiggly will be here and as we all know it's all about Squiggly in this house when she is present. We have the boys who are her personal entertainment, they'll do whatever it takes to make her giggle, Mom Jr. is her next care giver who loves to hold her, take her outside, and give her a bottle right before nap time, and of course J loves to have her watch his shows with him.
Well the plans for today were all was pretty much out the door when J woke up this morning and just didn't look quite right. He got up to pee, took his pull it off, and then usually he'd put on his conees (as he calls his underwear) although not this morning he just got back up on my bed and layed there naked. Hmm, something's just not right, he asked for some water and before he drank it he let out this little cough. Uh, oh I don't know if I mentioned this before but I am not one who deals with throw up. I can handle a cold, a fever, a cut (as long as it's not gushing otherwise I'd need help too), or a bump but throw up, nope not for me....
My kids all know when they get sick like that they call Daddy for help in the bathroom or where ever they are at. Sometimes Hubby would even have to take the day off to be with them. Yes, yes, I know the secret is out I'm no Mary Poppins!!
So, back to J, there he lay on my bed naked I get him his underwear and tell him I needed to start some laundry so I was going downstairs but I'd be back. No, he was not going for that he wanted to come down too. I got him situated on his favorite blue recliner, turned on his shows and went about my business. I heard him coughing again so I got him what we call "the throw up bowl" (no, don't worry people who I have made food for before I would never use that bowl!). I was folding towels in the back room, I could see him squirming uncomfortably, he started crying and walking over towards me. I knew what was going to be coming next. I knew I was trapped, he had me cornered, and there was no Daddy here to send him to quickly or to call out to very loudly. I quickly told him "get back to your bowl!". As he turned back I followed him and quickly grabbed that bowl and shoved it underneath his mouth. Woooh! Thank goodness we made it, I knew it wouldn't be bad because he fell asleep so early the evening before he didn't eat dinner and this morning all he had was a little water and apple juice. Mom Jr.'s plugging her ears as she runs upstairs (she's like me). Jr. just continues playing his game not bothered at all and D quickly looks the other way.
I cleaned him up, and knew right then this was not going to be my day. As soon as he fell asleep I sprayed the house with Lysol, continued with my laundry, and started dinner in the crock pot. You know it takes just one sick little one to completely stop your day and to top it off I had cramps from he**!! Usually, I don't like to take any meds but today totally called for it!!!
Once J woke up he must've been dreaming cause he sat up and said "Mama when you gow up you be my Mommy?" I said "yes, I will" "oh, okay Mama cause I gonna be yow big boy when I gow up and I gonna bing my toys wit me too". I said "okay" He was thirsty and hungry so we started off with the usual ice chips and water, 7 up, pedia lite ice pop. Must've been something his tummy didn't agree with or who knows with a 3 year old. By the late afternoon he was asking for all kinds of things and was following me around everywhere I went, no one could change the T.V. for him, no one could get him anything except for me. Did I mention I have cramps too!!! I couldn't figure out what to make for dinner but I knew it had to be something we could all eat which included J, there was no way he was going to fall asleep early or not want to eat dinner with us. The only thing I could think of was chicken soup. Okay, I know it's blazing hot out who wants chicken soup in the heat?!?! Guess what, they're eating it cause that's what I'm making!! Besides I don't just make blah chicken soup, I spice it up!! I just better turn the air on so they won't really complain of being really hot!
Yes, now it's evening, Daddy's home watching T.V. and I jumped on here to blog. I put my ear pods in, put on some rock music and tuned out kiddie world. Oh, wait here's their famous little commercials they throw on, what? Okay, major complaint coming- what is it with the pad commercial that says "have a happy period" who has a happy period?@! I mean honestly, like some girls/women wake up and say "oh looky looky I got my period I'm just sooo happy". I don't know who made their commercial but they had to be high on something because that's the last thing I'm thinking!! I could understand being relieved you got your period, you know it happens you're a little late, me, I completely freak out then it comes down and I'm relieved not happy, jumping up and down but relieved! Whatever, had to throw that in there, stupid commercial....
And still kiddie world isn't completely tuned out as J is poking my arm with his little finger "Mama, Mama".
Is it Friday yet?

Just a Mom with cramps and a clingy little boy who thankfully is obviously feeling better!!

The Weekend

The weekend I was dreading, actually the day, the Birthday........actually turned out pretty well!! Saturday morning Mom Jr. and I headed out to find some software for me to use to make my own website so that I can expand my blog with other items. We stopped at Costco for some snacks to have during this weekend. The kids love to have snack trays out when ever there's something to celebrate and **bonus** I don't have to make lunch, in fact I don't have to be anywhere near the kitchen all day!! We got a veggie tray, a package of veggie sticks and hummus (which Mom Jr. and I have been enjoying a lot lately), oh, and a strawberry cheesecake. Do I need it? no, but it is my Birthday so I got it!! We stopped at the video store and got some movies and then made our way home. Daddy was out working on the pool filters trying to be in the little bit of shade left from the house on the driveway. The boys were playing around on the driveway. Mom Jr. and I came in the house, closed windows and doors and turned the air on. It was getting way too hot!


Soon the boys came in for the same reason, this heat just zaps out all your energy. We all hung out inside for the rest of the day until the evening when at least the sun was down then we all went swimming.


Sunday morning came around, I sat up trying to wake up. J was asleep on the bed, I made my way quietly over to the bathroom to pee (I know, too much information but there was no way for me tell you what happened next without mentioning that). I heard J by the door, I opened it just a little and there he was with his pull it (as he calls his pull up that he only wears at night) off doing the pee pee dance. As he's squirming around he says "Happy Birdday Mama". He remembered all on his own! Well, if that just didn't start my day off with a smile!! I wanted to hug him but I knew he only had one thing on his mind right then, he ran in and made it!! Yahoo!! We came downstairs, opened some windows and the back door to let in any cool air -NOT but it was worth a try. Daddy went out and got us some frappucino's, we sat out in the back under a shade listening to mellow music. It was nice, we drew with chalk, I drew Handy Manny for J, the boys drew tanks, and army guys coming down on a rope from a helicopter, you know just a bunch of boys stuff. We all came in and for the most part the day was just relaxing. I worked and did some research on the computer, watched a movie, my Mom and Sister came over just for a minute. We all ate some cheesecake and as I was noticing the kids trying to throw out their garbage which they really couldn't because it was full. I said out loud "the garbage is full it needs to be thrown out". Nothing, I guess maybe Hubby didn't hear me even though he was right there sitting on the couch watching T.V. which wasn't loud. I told the kids "don't try to put your paper plates in the garbage because it's too full and it won't close if you do". Along comes J with a napkin and proceeds to try and throw it away. I say "Hone, the garbage needs to be thrown out". Hmmm, now both my Mom and Sister just look at me. I say "never mind I'll do it". I throw it out, come back and he still is just staring straight at the T.V. My Mom said "you need to speak up". I said " what do you mean I said it once, then I mentioned how it was too full for the kids not to throw their garbage in it, then I specifically said the garbage needs to be thrown out". Whatever, so we start talking about something else and my Mom is talking very low (I think it was about the kids or something) all of a sudden Hubby comments on what she was talking about!!! I looked up at her and my Sister with a shocked look on my face, I said "see, I need to talk up? You were talking low and he heard that!". "I know what it's called, it's called Husbands selective hearing!!!". Again hubby doesn't know what we're talking about as my Mom tells him "Oh, I think there's going to be an entry about you in the blog". He just said, "yeah, I'll just read about it". I'm thinking 0n my website (soon as I can get it together) I am going to have a link specifically for the ladies.... just for us to vent a little, it'll make us feel better as we give each other cyber high fives on some of our comments!!! Yup, that's it, that's what I'm going to do!!
Our day went on, we ended it with playing Rock Band and then going swimming until it was dark enough for us to turn on the floating pool lights which we made a light show of colors against the wall.
All in all it was a good day, the beginning to my barely over the mid 30 mark. Time to make a list of things I want to accomplish before I mark another year, um, wait I think with my new age along came some wisdom that's telling me "first things first- to he-- with the list!!!" Yeah, baby I think I'm going to just go with it..........

Just a Mom who's a little bit wiser with her new age.............

Friday, HOT Friday

Yes!! Friday is here!! It's kind of bittersweet, one thing is I was so ready for the week to end, on the other hand I'm that much closer to starting a new birth year. Oh, well, it's inevitable right? I really don't know why this year is such a big deal to me compared to the others? I mean it's just another year, we can't stop it, it may not be as exciting as hitting the double digits (you remember when you went from being 9 to 10!!), or officially becoming a teenager at thirTEEN, then there's the sweet 16 (yes, it was a big event for me, the church, the limo, the hall, the works, thanks Mom!), who can forget 21 finally we're legal!!.
After hitting all those special ages that we just couldn't wait for, and remembering parents, aunts, uncles telling us don't rush to grow up, enjoy the age you are, after all you're only that age once for one year and after that it's gone forever.
Well, when we're that young we think "yeah, okay". Now that it's gone, we finally understand what they were telling us back then.
I am always telling my daughter that now. I see other children, especially girls trying to grow up way too fast. They don't realize they're losing the best, fun, make believe years of their life. I tell Mom Jr. it's fun to pretend, to play with dolls, to laugh, to giggle, to love being a kid because once your older you really can't do some of those things. So play your heart out!! I'm glad she has friends who are still into make believe, who like to play with dolls, who enjoy taking care of their "pretend pets" and who will giggle with her a lot!!! I love the fact that she takes what I say for exactly what it is. My boys, well, they're boys, they love to play video games with their Dad, but at the same time they still pretend, I hear them in their room, I hear them playing with their Sister, I see them outside.
So the age thing for me has it's highs and lows lately. What was in my sign off on my last entry oh yeah, trying to get over it!!!
So, Hubby calls me around 11:20 this morning, he asks "is everyone asleep?" I tell him "no, just Squiggly was" he says "oh sorry, well I would've woke her up anyway when I open the door". Turns out he was able to leave work early today so he was going to surprise the kids. I had him come through the garage because the kids were all in the front room, Mom Jr. was on the computer, D and Jr. were playing a racing game, and J was just playing with his toys. He came in and was just waiting for one of them to notice him. Finally J looks over and Daddy pretends to shoot him (usually J pretends to shoot anyone who walks in the front door first, we tell anyone he does that to, that it means he likes them) and he continues to shoot each kid. Jr. was surprised he jumped off the chair he was sitting in and did the whole falling to the ground thing. Needless to say they were all excited to see him home early, as I was too!
Of course Daddy joins in on the game and eventually takes it over, the boys watch but soon get bored knowing all to well, their chance to get back on is next to never. I feel a little relief thinking I'm going to get some help with the kids especially since I had Squiggly who was dealing with her teething issues.
I made lunch for everyone, all the individual sandwiches for each one and of course Squiggly's lunch of cereal and sweet potatoes. Everyone was fed, and the boys are now moping around, acting like they have nothing to do. I finally say, "okay bring me workbooks". I get Jr. going on his and just about that time Squiggly is getting fussy, time for her nap. Well, since Daddy's here I figure I can just take Squiggly up to my room, close the door, put her to sleep, and maybe just maybe I might take a little siesta with her or read my book. Now for that to happen on a Friday afternoon is close to never but since Daddy is here, I will take advantage!!!
We end up staying up there for an hour and when we come down Daddy had finally end his racing for the day, managed to get J to clean up his mess, and headed out back to check on the pool which the kids and I have been working on the past few days. I hand Squiggly over to Mom Jr. so that I can step out back to see how the pool looks. It's blazin' hot out the kind of heat you just want to turn around and go back inside. Which is exactly what I did. Soon Daddy joins us inside, he makes his way over to the couch and I take Squiggly in there with him. He makes her laugh!!! She squiggled her way towards Daddy's T.V. area which consists of a few new game consoles and is a big NO NO area for anyone to touch (unless we are dusting). He lays in front of it, yes, she gets mad but she does get over it with him playing with her as she giggles endlessly. Soon her Mom shows up which normally I bring her with me to the door but this time I didn't because the boys were playing with her. I opened the door and my cousin is asking where she's at because her Daddy also came to pick her up!! I'm surprised, I told them they could step back out in the heat and I would get her but they decided they'd come in. Squiggly sees them and she starts giggling and kicking like crazy, it's so cute!! The Dad's start talking and I show my cousin the funny gift my Birthday buddy gave me, we laugh, and my kids like it a lot (it was a molding of teeth, you put water in it to make ice and then put in your drinks). I notice that Squiggly's Dad has a new tattoo, it's of the place where my cousin and him got married. I said "oh, that's nice". "Hey honey, did you see his tattoo, I think you ought to go get a tattoo of my Mom's backyard on your arm". My cousin and I started laughing!!! (That's where we got married, in the middle of August, out here in the valley, where it's hot!!!) My cousin said "your wedding was hot" I said "yeah, it was pretty cool ha". We started laughing again. They left and I went about my normal Friday evening business. Pick up take n' bake pizza for dinner and Mom Jr. and I got some Root Beer for the them to drink as a special treat.
It's now Friday night, the weather outside is 96 degrees and the pool is warm....time for night swimming.

Just a Mom ending this hot week on a night swim!!!!

Mom's Confession

Okay so is it just me, or I wonder are other Moms or even Dads feeling like I do? Yes, I must admit part of it might be the fact that in a couple of days I will no longer be in the early to mid 3o's I will just past the mark of mid 30's. I will be in my late 30's. You know that really sucks that you are only considered mid 30's for just one year. I mean we don't even get a chance to get use to the idea of no longer being in the early 30's! Nope, it's over just like that. You know when I was in my 20's I don't think it really phased me being 25 then 26. Actually during that time I had a lot going on, I got married and I had a baby. Okay, yes I was 4 months pregnant when I got married. So a lot happened during my 25th year. Not that there isn't a lot going on with me now. My children are growing up, I don't have any in diapers (which I have totally lost that baby bug), I have not reached the teen years although I am on the heels of the pre-teen years with my daughter who recently turned 10. I do share my birthday with one of my Mom friends. It's nice to share a birthday with someone especially with my Mom friend. She LOVES our birthday!! My birthday buddy is a year older than me and if she felt any sadness turning a year older you'd never know it or at least I wouldn't. She always seems happy, yes there's times where we have our "Mom complaints" but we always manage to laugh about them.
Today my Mom must've known Friday wasn't coming soon enough because she decided to meet me and the kids at Costco. Again here I am with my own personal crowd, "move over guys", "single file guys","watch where you're walking", "look up". And again I get the occasional smiles, and some with surprised looks. The thank-you's come out to the servers of the testers as I try to maneuver through the store. My Mom asks J if he wants to be in her cart he says "yes, Gama I want to go with you". So I move him over to hers and he's happy as long as I stay close. The minute I move along he says "come back guys". So we stay pretty close as we shop, soon Jr. eyes more testers over where my Mom is at so he says "I'm going with Grandma". Okay, now it's even she has two and so do I. As I'm shopping for what I need and thinking it through in my mind the other two are scoping out the testers. Between the kids it's all about getting all the snacks they can. I'm going along and they're pulling on the oversized cart. I'm hanging in there, trying to tell them which way I'm going without running them over on the side or in front as they run around me trying to make sure they get all the snacks we walk by. I head over to the fish and they are questioning me on everything I'm getting. Remember, I only have two with me. On the way towards the fish we go to pick a watermelon and they both want to choose it so I tell them they have to decide together, meanwhile I had Hubby on the phone asking him to make a decision on what beer he wants. Okay, here I stand two of my four kids are putting their ears on watermelons trying to figure out which one is the good one (they got that idea from seeing the people because in my mind I'm thinking all your doing is getting yucky germs all over you!!) and hubby is trying to decide whether he wants cans or the bottles of beer which he actually enjoys bottles more!!! Why do I allow everyone else to make choices when I'm the shopper, I'm the chef......what's wrong with me? I allow choices because I want them to feel like they have some say in what is brought in this house, what they are eating, these are their choices too. Finally, the two decide on a watermelon and as for Daddy, yeah, I took care of it. Off to the fish, now Mom Jr. is right with me, watching me as I check out the salmon, "Are we having fish tonight?", "what vegetables are we having?" and she's not saying it in a happy voice, she's saying it in a nagging voice. I tell her "yes, we are having salmon tonight now step back and quit asking me questions". I must've snapped at her pretty good because my Mom looked at me with her eyes wide open like I did something wrong. She didn't say anything because being a Mom herself and being lucky enough to have children that didn't fight or nag at her she does know that at times I get overwhelmed.
My Mom decided to take the two older boys home with her so I made one more stop. I stopped to get a few other things which included a birthday card for my Birthday buddy and my next door neighbor who happens to also share my birthday. As Mom Jr. and I looked at the cards she tells me "Mom I already know which card I'm giving you for your 50th birthday". What?!? She did not just start talking to me about my 50th?? Where's my martini?? I need it now!!! Here I am having a hard enough time hitting my late 30's and my one and only daughter is already finding cards for my 50th!!! Aaaaaaahhh!!!!! I simply just blew it off... I look at myself in the mirror, I don't see wrinkles around my eyes or my mouth, I colored my hair so I don't see the white hairs.
Whatever, life definitely goes by too fast. In my mind I don't feel the age I am. I don't know if anyone that hits their middle to late 30's, 40's, or even 50's feels that age either. I use to wonder what it would feel like when I got there, I guess I now know.

Just a Mom trying to get over it!!!!!!!

It's all about control

The end of the week is practically here and if I didn't know it by the calendar I'd know it by my energy. It just like a cycle Monday, feeling refreshed, strong, and slowly from there it starts to disappear (okay, maybe it's intensified by my nagging PMS). With this heat it sure doesn't help either, I go to bed it doesn't feel so bad (that's cause the a/c is going strong), by the time I get up to get the coffee for hubby the a/c is off and the house just feels okay, I open the front door and there's the reason the a/c is off it's just about the same temperature outside at 3:45a.m. as it is in the house about 82 degrees.
I wake up again around 6:45a.m. to the screams of "J". He's upset because the boys are quietly downstairs watching T.V. and he wants to change it to his shows. I must say I think we've created a monster!! Isn't it suppose to be that with the more kids you have, the easier it gets just because you should have it mastered by now (especially me with 4). It kind of is going in the opposite direction with J. My other kids didn't watch T.V. as much as J does (granted most of the time he has it on, he's also playing and running around). Now that I think about it as I'm typing this I think it's a way for him to have control over something. He does leave the T.V. and will go outside or will play with the other 3 when invited but the minute one of the others try to come in and watch something he comes running over there and starts crying because he wants to watch his shows. Back to this morning, J comes back upstairs with tears streaming down his face tapping me "Mama, Mama, boys won't let me watch my shows". I just lay there for a minute as he is now just whimpering. He starts to walk back towards the stairs and I know if I let him go back down there it'll just be a repeat with one of the bigger boys coming up to tell me what I already know. I stop him and explain to him he can't watch his shows if the boys are already watching something. Again, with the tears and now his little lips are hanging down with a frown. To end the conflict and give me some time to get some caffeine in me I put his shows on in my room as I get up and make my way downstairs. I open the back door and windows to let any cool air at all in before it really heats up. I stand there for a minute, still half asleep, waiting for any cool morning air..........nothing, the only breeze I'm going to get is going to be made by the fan! No warm coffee for me, I get a glass, fill it with ice, pour the coffee in, stick a straw in there, and suck it down. I step outside trying to feel something cool, something invigorating, something that would make me feel like I am actually outside......again nothing. Well, at least it'll give me time to finish my first glass, wake up a little more while it's quiet. Here comes the boys (that dam invisible chord!!). "Are you guys done with the T.V.?", they both say "yes". After all that, the screaming, the crying, the waking me up, they turn it off!?!?! Why didn't they just let J watch his shows and save all the drama for at least later on in the day? Control, it's all about control!
Well, the day has officially started, they all had breakfast, they all went to play in the back and I'm starting my 3rd glass of iced coffee. Soon we'll be off to Costco and then home to catch up on the cleaning and picking up around here. With Squiggly starting to crawl the kids now have a mission to get all little things up and off the floor. I give it about a week and Squiggly will be exploring anything she can get to.

Just a Mom getting through another hot summer week.......

The heat is on!!!

Back to hibernating in the house! Triple digit weather, no one in this household wants to venture out not even to go swimming. The kids would either want to go swimming in the morning or later in the evening. Of course the kids are on "let's bug each other and drive Mom crazy" mode.
It all started early this morning when D comes running in my room because the phone is ringing. It's my cousin calling to ask about J's cold because Squiggly (aka Smiley) has caught it and had a bad night. We talk about the cold for a while and I know it's hard when a toddler has it because they get cranky but it's that much harder for a baby. I feel so bad for Squiggly and I really tried hard to keep J away from her but even my cousin said "You know it's almost impossible to think she wouldn't get it when they are with each other all day". It's true, J likes to give Squiggly toys (and sometimes even take them away!) and they share J's high chair too. The good thing for Squiggly is when she starts school she'll already have built up her immune system!
By the afternoon I was starting to go a little crazy with the kids so it was time for work books to be done in separate rooms otherwise if they're in the same room they're making noises with their mouths and under arm pits and giggling.
I picked out their pages for each subject, Jr. still had pages he hadn't finished yesterday because he threw a fit about the very first one which he ended up spending way too much time doing that by the time Daddy got home he only did one other. I told him to finish all the pages he had from the day before and sent him off to his room. J was whiney, crying, and very cranky so I made him lay down next to me and take a nap. Silence, if just for a little while was fabulous. One by one they would bring their books as they finished their work. Jr. gave me his first. He said "Here Mom, I did them all". Like it was no problem. I told him "See when you just put your mind to it look how fast you got them all done and done right". He looks at me with a little smirk on his face and says"Well, that's just because the pages you picked for me were way to easy". What?!?!? This kid was practically crying yesterday over these pages and now he's going to be a little Smartie with me!!!!! This was a definite "Just Breathe" moment. J was asleep leaning on me on the couch which was very lucky for him. I told him "you finish that one page then bring your workbook back to me so I can give you new pages for today". Huh, he instantly turned into that little sad boy that was here yesterday. He didn't come back to me after that actually he was very quiet and kept his distance from where I was with J.
Daddy got home from work, J eventually woke up in a better mood and I made my way over to the kitchen to start dinner. I called one of my Mom-friends to see how she was and for the few minutes we talked we managed to let out some of our stress moments of the day. It was nice! It's so great when you finally meet those few friends that you just connect with and are able to discuss anything including our feelings and thoughts. It doesn't matter if you don't talk every other day or once a week you just know exactly where each other are coming from.
Tomorrow's another hot one, Squiggly will be back, and once again we'll be in the house.......

Just a Mom trying to make it through the heat..

Yes, it's Momday, Monday

Monday morning, Daddy back to work, Mom back to picking up what was let go during the weekend and preparing for Smiley's arrival.
So, over the weekend I made it my goal to figure out how to set up my own website and at the same time I wanted to refresh the look of my blog since my Husband decided to tell me the colors that were currently on there weren't working for him. I had the idea to make it look a little lighter, more relaxed background. Let's face it that's probably the closest I'm going to get to feeling like that right now.
As I was updating, changing, and trying to figure out the website thing I had another thought. Why not start another blog about the daily healthy (I really try) meals I make for my children. They seem to like them and don't even recognize what different veggies I stick in there for them to eat. Even some of my Mom friends have given me ideas that I know I could share. Hmmmm, sounds like something else I could start?
So here I go again, I decide to yes, just do it!! The whole time that I had been spending on the computer Mom Jr. had been coming around and listening to the brainstorming I had been throwing out to hubby. She finally asked "Mom, could I have a blog?" Hmmm (wheels turning in the brain again). Well, as I was envisioning my own website with my main blog and other blogs I start along the sides, I thought I could see Mom Jr.'s blog. Day to day thoughts, feelings, and situations from her point of view. I could not only give myself a chance to read my pre-teen daughters thoughts and feelings towards daily life situations but I could give other Moms a chance to see what their pre teen daughters might be feeling or thinking about!?!
Not to mention all the practice she'll get in writing (oh, my daughters following in my footsteps). Well, how could I say no? Okay, I told her yes, you can. That's all she needed, she pulled up a chair next to me at my desk and started writing her blog out on a paper. I'm still trying to figure how to link it all.
Here comes the impatience of it all, maybe I should've waited till I knew exactly how to link them all together because now she can't wait to put her first entry. "Mom, I'm ready, can I start typing it?". "Mom, here I wrote some more, can you read it?", "Mom, is it ready?". Aaaaaahhh!!!
WAIT!!! Let me figure it all out first. Well, I'm still lost and she wrote more....."Mom, here's my entry for today, can you read it and let me know if it's ready for me to post it?". "I still haven't figured it all out yet". "Oh, then I guess I should've waited".
What is it with kids? They think we know how to get it all done with a snap of our fingers. That's nice that they think we can accomplish all, I wish I had that much faith in myself. J is still getting over his cold, so yes he's still fussy about certain things and I knew I had to keep him away from Smiley today. Poor J was confined to the front room granted he had his toys, his shows, his water, and he could see me in the family room but I couldn't comfort him or have him get close to Smiley who he just loves to be around. J is always saying "What you doing missy girl?","I love you Missy",. He asks everyday for her and the days that she does come over the first thing he wants to do is hug her and it actually seems like she hugs him back (or maybe she just wants to pull his hair, hmmm, we'll just go with the first thought on that one).
By the time Smiley who I now call Squiggly because she's just about to crawl so she always wants to be on the floor and if you try to hold her while your sitting down she tries her hardest to wiggle her way out and once on the floor she squiggles (it's half of squirms and wiggles) her way to the item she is trying to get to. Anyway, soon her Mom comes, Squiggly turns into Smiley the minute she sees her Mom, her little feet start kicking and kicking and off they go. Now I start dinner and J wants milk. I haven't been letting him have any with his little cold, so I give him apple juice then he wants to know what's on T.V., I tell him then he says "Mama, what next?" I tell him "then what Mama". "I don't know, just wait and see". "No Mama, look".
What?!?! These kids with just a push of a button on the remote can see what's playing through out the day and at the ripe age of 3 J has already figured this out. What happened to that good old T.V. guide that use to come in the Sunday paper? That's what they need, "here, go crazy and figure out your whole weekly show schedule". I must be getting out of touch with the T.V. and the remote. These kids will pre-program their T.V. to change at a certain time for a certain show. J will get upset because he'll be sitting their watching his favorite "Caillou" and bam, all of a sudden it's on some other show.
I say we ought to get them an old school T.V. where you had to turn the knob and only get a few channels, no knowing what's coming on through out the day, no programming the T.V.
So, here I sit ending this entry while still in the back of my mind trying to figure out how to get this all together.
Have patience with me, I'll get it, in between putting dinner away and getting Hubby's lunch and coffee ready for another day......I'll figure it out, sooner than later especially since "my thing" has now turned into "our thing, with Mom Jr. starting".

Just a Mom trying to get it all together......

Slow Schedules on Sundays

What day is the day you go off schedule? Yes, I love having a schedule with the kids but it's also one of those things that easily cross that thin line to not loving so much. I am getting up at 7:00 (thanks to my little J who is tapping me saying "Mama I want you to come downstairs with me"). J has done his usual of getting himself dressed which means everything down to his underwear are on inside out and backwards. I've tried explaining to him the tag goes in the back, but he just says "Oh, okay Mama" and then he's off to play and will have his clothes on the right way until he needs to use the restroom or accidentally gets himself wet in the back after trying to water his plant. That boy can go through 3 or 4 sets of clothes in a day!
I come downstairs to see D is already getting out breakfast for himself and making J french toast in the toaster oven. Now if I really think about it when they're in school they are normally eating breakfast at this time. This is when (right now) I wish they were just a little off schedule. The two older ones have come to realize if they are patient enough to wait for me to have some coffee, look at the paper a little, and talk with Hubby they will get a "real" breakfast when I am ready to start. Sometimes they might get a little restless waiting. This is when they start to come over to see what I'm doing and casually walk away. They come back and ask what time it is in front of me again, they walk away. A few minutes will pass slowly they stroll back in the room, sitting down on the couch, here it comes they finally ask, "Mom, are you going to make breakfast?" I tell them "Yes, when I am ready to". Mom Jr. says "well, are you going to do it before the afternoon?" Then Daddy says "what time is it?" Now I know I hadn't been sitting down here that long for it to be anywhere near noon time. Jr. says "it's 8:30". Well, I know one thing for sure, these kids could never make it to a Sunday Brunch! Alright, I get up, make breakfast and for the amount of time I spend preparing and cooking it sure vanishes in a blink of an eye. Okay positive outlook, I have that much more time to stay out of the kitchen before their lunch timer goes off.
Sunday, is one of the days I'd like for them to go off schedule, heck, who am I kidding I'd actually love Saturday too!

Just a Mom saying "hey kids slow your roll at least on Sundays"

An unbelievable calm Saturday!!

Woke up this morning hoping to sleep in, come on it's Saturday! Unfortunately I hear water running and squint to see who's up. Oh, it's Daddy...wait!! what?!?! Why is he up at 6:00 in the morning? I lay back down but now I can't really fall back to sleep I look up one more time and he's about to go downstairs he says "I'm going to start working in the backyard". Crazy, is all I think. So I try to go back to sleep but it's a no go. I'm waiting to hear the house alarm say "back door", it never does so I figure he changed his mind. Well, great now I'm awake, I grab my book and start reading. J is sound asleep so I move very slowly and carefully so to not wake him up. J eventually wakes up all yucky from this cold he caught. He goes downstairs and I continue to read knowing very well that now all the boys are downstairs and are quiet which can only mean one thing.....Daddy is playing his video game! By the time I decide to put my book down I already have my mind set on what I'm going to do. I get ready and come downstairs ready to go making sure they know I have a plan. As Daddy is playing his game I give him the lowdown on my plans, Mom Jr. gets ready and we're outta here!
Saturday mornings, I for one look forward to them because it's my time to get out even if it means I'm running errands. Mom Jr. and I still manage to have girl time just by ourselves. We complete our shopping and make it home just as the boys are having lunch (yahoo!! I didn't have to get lunch ready!)
J is all too excited to see us home. "Mama bring me treat, I know!" Daddy says "he cleaned up all his toys because he said he knew you were bringing him a treat". Well, lucky I had saved those mini m&m's in the fridge for him. Our day has been quite uneventful since then. I don't know if it's because we are having the weirdest weather, it was suppose to be hot, we had planned on swimming but with the cloudy weather everyone seemed to just want to stay in. Mom Jr. has movies set up to watch, the boys and Daddy got a new game not to mention his Nascar race is on this evening, and J is watching his own movie.....ooohhh, gotta love these out of the ordinary summer Saturdays!!
Here's to hoping everyone else is enjoying a peaceful, relaxing Saturday and for those of you who plan on going out tonight, party on!!

Just a Mom enjoying an unbelievably quiet evening at home!!!

A naturally good day!!

Do you ever have one of those days where it literally begins from the second you sit up in the morning after a nights sleep (notice I didn't say a good night sleep because for me um, well, I don't remember one and why tease anyone else with that phrase)?
Today was one of those days, actually it started before sunlight, J somehow managed to catch a cold, not a bad one, but enough to bother him which in turn bothers me. I spent half the night curled by the edge of the bed, hanging on just enough that if I turned to the right just even a little I would've been on the floor!
Of course I did my early morning duty of getting up at 3:45 to start the coffee, get hubby's lunch out, and walk him out. At least this time I managed to send him to work with what I actually packed him for lunch. The day before I again was half awake from a repeatedly interrupted sleep due to J's sleeping tantrums (it's what I call them when anyone of them cry, scream, and kick in their sleep and all I can do is try to calm them down because they really aren't awake). I always get everything ready the night before so I just have to take it out and put it on the counter for hubby to put in his cooler. Well, that night I had got everything ready early because I was back at dance with Mom Jr. Someone must've moved things around in the fridge. I had originally packed some sliced meat in a Tupperware with some tortillas on top, and of course, some salsa. In the early morning, I'm half awake trying to focus on what I'm grabbing out of the fridge. So I do my usual routine, I see the tortillas on top of the Tupperware I pull it out and go about my business of getting his coffee. I walk him out and stumble my way back up the stairs. Usually it takes me a while to doze back off but because of all the activity with J I fall asleep. When I wake up and come downstairs for my coffee I notice Tupperware with meat is still in the fridge. So I start thinking what did I send him off with? I call him to see if he's eaten yet. He hasn't, I tell him I'm not sure what I sent, he checks and says "Chili!!" I sent him to work with my left over chili that I bought to mix into my salsa that I make. Well, that day he ate in the cafeteria at work.
Anyway, my day began with the simple noise of D getting up at 6:00 to watch a show. Well, I had to get up because Smiley was going to be here around 7:00. I come down quietly and down my warm coffee to try and perk me up just a little. After the 3rd cup I'm feeling a little awake. J comes down in a cranky mood, which is completely expected by me, I calmly get him watching his morning shows, he didn't use the restroom when he first got up so while I was making him an egg he comes running into the kitchen naked from the waist down crying and trying to tell me in his toddler language that he managed to pee all over the bathroom. Uh, you see how this day is starting right? Yeah, me too.
Meanwhile the other 3 have trickled down the stairs and are now cuddled on recliners and the couch with blankets on them. Let me just say, why would you even bother to get out of bed if you're still half asleep?? Is it just to tease us parents who have no choice to be up and doing things as they just lay there?
We get new clothes on him, get him eating his egg and apple juice (I'm trying anything to just avoid him asking for milk). I end up cleaning the bathroom at 7:00 in the morning, yes, just what I want to do at that time!!!
Smiley shows up and I have to warn her Mom who has been home for a couple of days due to some surgery she had to go through that J who just loves to have Smiley here has a bit of a cold. She gives me a look like "no way". I assure her I am going to keep him away from her. Oh, did I mention Smiley is also teething! Now what's worse a toddler with a cold or a baby teething? Hmmm, let me think, oh I don't know since I HAD BOTH AT THE SAME TIME!!!! I must say, the day did go by easier than I thought. J stayed pretty much in the front room with his toys and his favorite shows. He did venture outside with his brothers and sister who (okay, get ready for this because it only happens once in a great while) were playing very nicely all together outside. Mostly he stayed inside and Smiley and I hung out in the family room. It all worked out pretty great......until.........Jr. takes off his shirt which ended up getting ripped by Mom Jr. and then was thrown over the fence into the neighbors backyard by D.
What?!?!?!
D's balling his head off because he has to go next door to ask for the shirt but manages to mention that Jr. told him to throw it over. I call in Jr. who originally came into to tattle. He admits to it but says he was just kidding.
So I pull out the "If he told you to jump off a cliff would you?" I can't believe I totally used that old school saying! You know, you member(no that's not a mistake, especially if you've seen George Lopez's act, one of the best!) when one of your parents, aunts, uncles, teachers threw that same question out to you when you did something dumb just because someone told you to.
Jr. had a smirk on his face but D just shook his head no. I sent them both over to the neighbors to ask for it. They came back with it all happy "Here it is, we got it!". Good, I said now go throw it away and you each need to pay me a dollar for ripping a perfectly good t-shirt!!! Yes I did, I made them pay for ripping that shirt, okay, yes it was an old shirt but that's beside the fact! Lesson learned for them, don't ruin your clothes on purpose because your going to pay for it!!! I ended the day feeling pretty good, it was nice they all got along, they made a mistake, and they payed for it!! My job was successfully accomplished today and with their help!!
It's great when we can have a good day, a lesson learned, and it all just happened on it's own!
We ended the day with root beer floats as was promised to them from me for being great to one another.
Here's hoping your day ends with root beer floats and hopefully a GREAT night sleep!!!

Just a Mom loving this Friday!!!!!

To your corners!!

Well, to your rooms is actually what I said. They were told no playing just reading is all they could do. Since two boys share a room one was left in the family room while the other was in his room. J stayed in the living room with me. I must say that was the quietest hour I've had in a long time. Even during the night there's the occasional sleep talker, sleep walker, or sleep crier (as we experienced last night).
We started off the day at Costco. And so it begins, J is in the cart, D is holding on to one side, Mom Jr. on the other, and Jr. himself is boppin' around behind us or next to us. The aisles in that warehouse are pretty wide (yes so are their shopping carts) yet I still have to tell them move over when someone else is coming our way. I feel like we're our own crowd trying to get through there. Then there's the testers, oh, do my kids live for the testers. They rush up there, again I have to tell them wait a minute. The poor servers are saying their little spill about the product they are serving as they are putting them out and here comes my little crowd that glide right up there, each taking one, saying thank you and away they go as the poor server who now has an empty tray and still isn't done saying what he or she started. They look up and some will smile or will just look at me. I just say "Thank you".
So, on we go and if there is nothing in their hands from tasting they are more than eager to help get whatever I need. I am trying to compare prices of certain things and may ask Jr. to tell me the cost and amount of an item while I look at another. If it takes him more than a few seconds to figure out the price or amount Mom Jr. is already on her way over there to find it out herself. Jr. then gets flustered as he's trying to see it knowing she's approaching him quickly. I then have to tell her "I asked Jr!". D is right next to me asking "can I bring it to you?" I still haven't figured out which one I wanted.
Okay, that's it I tell them from now on I will call you each by name when I want you to get me a specific item, no asking, no grabbing, no bum rushing anyone else who can't figure out what they're looking for.
Well, the rest of the time went fairly smooth, we made it out of there without anymore conflicts...Parking lot, now there's another story, what is it with kids who just bug each other just to do it?!?! Really I think it's their secret mission to behave that way just to drive us parents crazy enough that we can only stand to make it out to one store because we're just too scared to even dare risk our sanity by stopping anywhere else other than home.
You know you can just see their little smiles as they see you turn the corner to your home street.
Again they are more than willing to help bring stuff in. It doesn't matter what it is, the bigger the bag or box they rush to grab it before the other can get it. I turn around to see "D" carrying in a box of 24 glass filled bottles into the house!!!! Jr. tells him "Mom said not to carry that!!". So, we're done, they have lunch, and proceed to go out back to play. I hear Jr. almost in tears because the two other ones are ganging up on him when earlier D was the sad one because the other two were doing the same to him. I've noticed Mom Jr. is the little queen in their world if she chooses to be nice with Jr. and not D Jr. will follow her lead as the same thing would happen if it was D she was being nice to Jr. would be left out.
Well, I had enough of that, and that's where "Go to your rooms!" came into play. Aaahhh, the sound of peace within the house, yes, things aren't picked up, the kitchen isn't completely clean, I could vacuum but wait! it's quiet! why disturb the silence with such noise. It was well worth it for the hour of silence (well except for J who can't read yet and wasn't about to fall asleep so he decided to play which I can totally space out hearing one little guy play by himself).
I let them come out and they are pretty mellow right now but I'm sure the clock is just ticking on that..tick, tick, tick....

Just a Mom who loves those silent corners (I mean bedrooms)!!!!

The Reality of "Vacation"

Vacation- freedom or release from duty, business, or activity. an act or instance of vacating.

hmmm, that's what I thought it meant, at least for sure the first part but for me I think I need to also apply the second part of the definition in order to make it true for me.

Wednesday morning came around and it was official I didn't have to get up at 3:45 in the morning to get the coffee and lunch stuff out for hubby, I didn't have to re-get up at 6:00 in the morning to get ready for Smiley because she wasn't coming over. Ah, "vacation" has started!!! What are we going to do first? Sit outside in the morning, enjoying each other and coffee of course, plan a day trip, sleep in, hmmm.
We went for a bike ride which yes, meant I was running, and yes it meant more whining from "J". It was hot by the time we went, I was sore but hey, we were "vacationing" (sort of). We went to Costco after our ride/run they all got ice cream while we shopped. We came home Hubby plays his game which Jr. is right there next to him, "D" hangs out for a while but really would rather play as a team or be involved more. "J" likes his bi-lingual shows and Mom Jr. is content with spending time by herself in her room playing or listening to music.
I have come to realize "vacation" is really meant to vacate the premises to where you actually live. You need to go far away enough so that you don't fall into the same routine you are normally in. Our "vacation" consisted of Hubby playing his game on TV, watching sports, me cooking (as usual), and swimming maybe twice through out the time of being here. It's hard for us all to go out of complete routine when we are in the same place where we are all the time. Unfortunately, we at the time can not afford to take a nice vacation to leave our comfort zone. I have learned from this "vacation" we need to either walk away from what we are use to day in and day out and really try to enjoy just each other without our daily influences such as video games and T.V. As easy as it was for me to realize that it's that much harder to accomplish unless we are all on the same page.
We have watched in amazement at how much our daughter has accomplished in her dancing at the end of the year dance recital. It took all I had not to get emotional at what she has evolved into. My little girl is showing growth, grace in her movements, emotion in her dance, and maturity that wasn't there before. My boys are growing just the same, with strength in their swings at the ball, their competitiveness with each other for any sport they play.
Soon we were preparing for 4th of July. I purposely tried to make sure "J' wasn't born on the 4th. I wanted him to have his own day. 3 years ago I could feel the pains begin, I would just go lay down. I really took it easy so that he would stay in there until the 5th. Well, I accomplished my goal.
4th of July was fun, Great Grandma, Grandma, and Auntie La-la came over. We swam, barbecued, and did fireworks. It was nice.
The next day was "J's" big day, my baby boy turned 3!!! 3 years ago I checked in at 3:14 in the morning and he was born at 3:17. Yes, I wasted no time (or he didn't).
My lively little "J". The one who always has something going on, the best air guitar you've ever seen, the smile that just makes your day that much brighter!
"J" had a plan, he wanted a Diego pinata and a Dora cake. We gave him gifts, but he still wanted his cake, so Mom Jr. and I went out, got a cake, Diego candle, and Dora decorations. We decorated his cake, we all took him out to a restaurant (his other request). I thought for sure he'd crash after his dinner and sundae! No, he came home wanted his cake and ate it, then went swimming and still had to watch his shows!!! What can I say he is determined!!!
Needless to say the "vacation" flew by way too fast.
Work begins again for Hubby and Mom Jr. and I get back into the dance routine. Summer continues for the boys which they are enjoying.
As a child summer was long and fun, I hope it's the same for my children because as an adult days fly by, there's always work to be done, and the laughs are less as is the playing time......

Vacation-A time to vacate our daily routine, a time to enjoy each other, to relax, to make our days last as long as we can, to make our dreams go on just a little longer, to laugh a little harder, to release ourselves from what we are use to, to make memories.......................

Vacation

I assumed that when Hubby was on "vacation" from work, I was on "vacation" from my daily routine. Oooh, how I was looking forward to sleeping in, maybe taking a day trip to the beach, to the zoo, laughing with kids in the backyard, swimming, sitting out in the evening with hubby as we watched the kids play on the grass or draw with chalk on the patio......it was going to be so relaxing, I didn't even have Smiley this past week, she was at home with her Mom and Grandma. We were going to barbecue, rent movies, play rockband or guitar hero.
We recently bought "D" a new bike because his old one was too small. The kids couldn't wait to go on a bike ride! Well, before I use to run 5 miles a day so it was no problem for me to jog while they rode. It's been quite a while since my consistent jogging days (I will say I start up and stop and start and stop, it's the stopping that I need to not do). The weekend before Hubby was to start vacation we decided to go for a bike ride which meant Hubby, Mom Jr., Jr., and D would ride while I ran pushing J in the jogging stroller which was filled with snacks, medical supplies in case of a boo-boo (or a co-co as we call them), and the camera for any great photo moments.
Okay, so we were on our way and I was feeling fine, yes, I could definitely feel the difference in my strength from before but I was okay. We ended up being out for about 2 hours, now by the end I was so ready to come home, I was done hearing J say "where's Daddy?, where's the duckies?, I can't see sissy". Uh, you would think that would make me run faster to get home but the strength wasn't there and all I could think was next time I'm bringing my ipod!!!!
We got home, I'm drenched, J's still asking about his daddy, and it's hot!!!
I did it! Despite the constant blah, blah from J I managed to complete our trip. Of course they all notice Mom sweating!!
As the day went on I could feel the soreness slowly creeping up, Hubby had two days left of work, I had Smiley one more day, the last work day for Hubby I took the kids on a bike ride/run. We went to their school, they played and ran around for a while and then we came back home. I've come to realize with my ipod or not I can still hear J complain. His little voice travels through and in between the ear pods. I considered putting it louder but I really don't like the idea of blowing my ear drums out or being deaf soon. We got home, and once again the discussion between my children was Mom being all sweaty and why that was. Mom Jr. explained that Mom ran the whole time while they rode. I told them I was going to go out and cut the grass that way Daddy wouldn't have to worry about it and could just start relaxing and playing with them when he got home. As I was out there in the hot sun (I must say our weather was in the triple digits) mowing away with sweat dripping and falling in my eyes so I was only having one open at a time I thought one of them will come out and start sweeping up to help me out. Ah, yes and here one came out......my soon to be 3 year old "J". Okay, so I figured well, the other ones did hear me say their stuff was all over and needed to be picked up, the living room (which is and has been a complete room for the children) needed to be cleaned and vacuumed so maybe they were doing that while I was outside. After all they were saying how hot I was when we got home.
I finished the work outside and I was feeling good about what I had done and was assuming they had been working on the inside that I even thought about picking the kids up some lunch (which we never do). I come walking in and where are my kids?? They are sprawled out on two recliners and a chair, air conditioner is on as well as a fan blowing at them while they sit and watch their shows.
Okay, count, count, breathe, breathe.......the morning flashes through my mind them, bikes, playing, me, running, pushing, working outside, them laying around..............
I tell them "get your stuff picked up, and get ready to go to the store". "D" whines "store???". WRONG thing to do!!! I go into Mean Mom Mode.....YES, store, I need to go to the STORE to get items to FEED all of you!!!!
Well, when Mean Mom comes out they get up, and do as told. Just to make sure they knew how disappointed I was I made sure to mention I was going to buy them lunch, now instead they were having p,b, & j.
I still figured with all the work I was getting done just meant more relaxing would be done during our "vacation".

Just a Mom dreaming of our "vacation" that was to begin.......