This Thing We Call Life

Week #2

2010-01-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, so I'm actually posting on time this week! Yay me!

I wish I could write something funny, entertaining or both, but I'm fresh outta stuff like that.

My brain is mush tonight and all I'm really wanting to do is go to bed! However, I'll at least recap the week:

I got all of my Week Two Goals accomplished and actually started on Week Three! The purging and organizing is coming along nicely and I've already had a bunch of stuff hauled off to charity. Yay!

I am in the middle of my first ever embroidery project that I was hoping would be completed by today, but it proved more time consuming than I had thought. So in order to accomplish my weekly goal to create something I whipped up some repurposed canisters (pics to follow soon). I'm not entire sure where they're going, but I'm sure I'll find a place for them.

My mother is also in the midst of purging and reorganizing her house. We chat about our projects every day and we finally decided that a blog is in order! So be on the lookout for a post regarding our blog Like Mother Like Daughter to be coming soon.

Well folks, as I mentioned above, I'm pretty beat. So I'll say goodnight and wish you all peaceful slumber!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-08T04:58:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy New Year!!!

I'm a day late posting this (well, about 7 hours late if you want to be technical ;)) but a day late is better than not at all right? Right! So let's get to it!

A new year is upon us! Many of us are exercising more, eating right, organizing their stuff, setting new goals and making resolutions. It's a great time of year right? A fresh start, a clean slate...ahh...

I'm right there in the thick of the New Year hoopla. I've set new goals for myself, goals I've set before and goals I'm sure I'll set again in my lifetime. :) Among them is the goal to purge and organize everything in my house.

Now that we've lived in our house for over 2 years--and believe me, that's a big deal! (While Chris and I have been married, the longest we've ever lived in one place is about 18 months!)--it's finally time to completely unpack.

I think it's safe to say that we've led a somewhat nomadic lifestyle in the 12 years we've been together, moving from place to place, packing and unpacking and I'm glad to be done with it. However, it's taken me some time to finally get my head around being settled. But, I finally have and now I'm finding myself wanting to decorate rooms and find places for all the things I've kept in boxes--because really, why bother unpacking it all if you're just going to move again in 18 months right? ;)

So anyway...

My goal for 2010 in a nutshell is:

Unpack, Purge & Organize -- EVERYTHING

Oh, and to create something once a week. Anything, be it a craft, sewing, crocheting, photography...it's got to be something though.

And for the first week of January I made this:

Cute little pocket calendars! I found them on this blog http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/home/2009/12/11/printable-2010-pocket-calendar-by-sam-cheryl.html and since I have a ton of scrap booking paper and zero scrap booking skill, I decided to put the papers to good use and use them on the calendars. :)

Inside each pocket I will be putting weekly to do lists or goals, like this~

I'm hoping that this will help me to stay focused on my goals. ;) If not, well...at least it looks cute right? Haha!

Once again, Happy New Year and I hope that this year brings you happiness and joy!

January 6th

2009-01-06T05:26:00.001-08:00

It's here, it's here, today is here!!!! :)

Not that I'm excited or anything. ;)

The boys have just gotten on the bus and here I sit, with just one child awake, happily sipping (or rather gulping) her morning milk. The other child is blissfully sleeping. :)

Ahhh...can you hear that? It's nice and quiet! It's music to my ears!

Haha!

It's funny, Dev was actually more excited about school starting back up than he was about Christmas! According to hubby, Dev was up 3 times before 6:00 AM because he couldn't sleep. (I didn't know this because I had retreated to the couch to get some actual sleep--let's just say it's quieter there ;)) By comparison, on Christmas Eve he went to bed at 8:30 without a peep, slept all night and didn't get out of bed until 7:30 or so. Hmm...that's not quite how I did things when I was a kid LOL I guess he likes school huh? ;)

As for me, I'm looking forward not only to the reduced volume of the house, but to the return to our 'normal' routine. The whole day seems to just have a nice, although some days hectic, rhythm to it. I tend to stay in a lot more than I used to (something I'm working on) and having to go out everyday to get Ry from school ensures that I get at least a little fresh air.

Today is also special because it's my Brother and my Best Friend's Birthday!!! So, Happy Birthday to you two!! I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

Well, I guess I should get crackin' on that whole 'routine' thing 'eh? Have a great day all!

P.S. Just so y'all know, even though I'll enjoy the quiet and return to 'normal' I'm gunna miss havin' my boys around all day, sigh...

Epiphanies

2009-01-05T06:12:00.000-08:00

I had an epiphany the last few weeks of 2008. While I was figuring out what to get the people on my Christmas list, I found myself getting overwhelmed. You see, I planned on making most of the gifts and it was a long list. Add that onto my regular list of Things to Do at Christmastime and I was feeling in over my head.

Every year it's the same thing, handmade gifts or not, I make a giant To Do List for Christmas which usually includes tons of cleaning, shopping, baking and crafting--well guess what? I almost never get it all done. Sure, cleaning gets done when guest come over (although there seems to always be things thrown into a closet hidden behind a bedroom door), shopping gets done--but usually last minute and baking, well, if I manage to get it done, it's because I've stayed up until 2 o'clock in the morning. Not fun. What about the crafts? Well, that's usually the thing that never gets done. I've always blamed it on lack of time or having too much to do--I do, after all, have 4 kids to take care of on top of everything else.

Well, that's a bunch of hooey.

I know this because I actually succeeded in doing each and every thing on my list this year--in a timely fashion even! LOL

I sewed a ton, I cleaned, I baked--even tried my hand at chocolate covered pretzles for the first time, I even crafted--I made handmade ornaments!! So, it CAN be done. And here's how I did it:

Mini Lists

Yep. Mini Lists. I figured out that, for me, Big Giant To Do Lists are overwhelming. Sure, they're nice to look at *if* you finish them, but just looking at a giant list sends me into a sort of desperate sense of pre-failure that leaves me feeling overwhelmed and helpless. I look at my list and wonder, 'where on earth do I start?' and then I just keep staring at the list and looking around my house and looking back to the list...

Sure, I try to give myself pep talks and get everyone onboard with my To Do List, but it usually ends the same...everyone feels grumpy and stressed out and complains most of the time about the chores I've doled out, sounds fun huh?

Nope.

So, Mini Lists. What I did at Christmas was to take my Giant List and divide it up into smaller daily lists. Instead of writing 'Sew gifts for A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I' I wrote things like,

Monday~ Cut fabric for A, B & C's gift
Tuesday~ Cut fabric for D, E & F's gift
Wednesday ~ Cut fabric for G, H & I's gift
Thursday ~ Sew gifts for A, B & C
...and sew on... (haha, get it? "sew on" Bwahaha, I crack me up! :D)

I found it much easier to look at these lists as do'able. I didn't get overwhelmed! Wow! And the best part--I actually DID the things on my lists!!

Ahhh...

Which leads me to my next epiphany:

Fast forward to the last couple of days of December. I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to make any Resolutions and I'm thinking of all the things that I want to change and get done.

Lose weight -- well, isn't that ALWAYS on the list? ;)
Keep up on the housework
Spend more time playing with the kids
Learn more about photography
Get organized

Screeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaach!!! Whoa there! What's that? Or-gan-ized? What on earth does that mean? How does one get or-gan-ized? How do I start? How will I benefit from being 0r-gan-ized? Hmm...

Could it be that *if* I were more organized my life might run a bit more smoothly? Hmm? Could it be that if my house were more organized that there might be less stress in our house? Hmm? Could it be that if things were more organized that I might be able to keep up with the housework? Spend more time playing with the kids? Learn more about photography?!?! Heck, I might even be able to--blog more!!!

Hmm...

I think I'm onto something here. Yup. I am!

Can you guess what I did next? Well, if you guessed "Made a mini list" you're a WINNER! Haha! Yes, that's exactly what I did. Sure, I made a Giant Master To Do List first, but only so I could get everything all out of my head (where it's been taking up way too much space I might add) and so I can look back on it later when I'm all finished and gloat a bit. ;)

Then, before the New Year even began, I started conquering that list. Yes, I started kickin' that list's butt!!! And you wanna know what? It feels GOOOOOD! It feels good to cross stuff off of my list and it feels Fantastic to look at my finished work. Has it been hard? Sure. Time consuming? Absolutely.

Worth it?

Oh you betcha! :)

I feel fantastic! I have more energy than I've had in a long time and the drive to get more done--for those of you who know me, you know that's saying a lot. ;) It's also gaining recognition. My husband asked me the other day,"where's all this stamina coming from? How are you getting all of this done?", to which I replied,

"Well you see, I had this epiphany..."

Hope you'll join me on my ride, it might bumpy, it's bound to take a while, but, it's gunna be FUN! :)

Baby Steps...

2008-12-29T18:09:00.001-08:00

Well here we are at the end of another year...amazing isn't it? Every year it's the same thing, no sooner are all the Christmas gifts unwrapped and littering your floor (well, at least that's how it is in our house ;)), then the New Year is upon us.

The New Year.

It looks so Important typed out like that--in Capital Letters and everything--it just begs to be celebrated and looked upon with a certain amount of hopefullness.

Is that why people make resolutions? Because the New Year is Important? Because it is an Official Holiday? Or is it because it signifies a New Beginning? A Fresh Start?

It's funny, because when I look back on things that happened in my life, I usually recall my age at the time, not the year. My Brother, on the other hand, can recall not only the year, but the month and sometimes even the day that things occurred in his--and many others'--life. We like to tease him about his incredible memory, laughing at how accurate he is and how 'no one else would ever remember that'--but for the record, I find it amazing and I'm a little jealous of him. I wish that I could recall things like that!

Anyway, I digress...

I remember very few years as being monumental or all that memorable for that matter.

1972 ~ The year I was born (although this technically isn't a memory for me per se, but rather a
fact of my life)

1989 ~ The year I graduated High School

1999 ~ The year I got married

2000 ~ The year I had my first child

2003 ~ The year I had my second child

2006 ~ The year I found out my third child would actually be my third and fourth children

2007 ~ The year I had my third and fourth children

2008 ~ The year we're in currently and therefore the one freshest in my mind

See? Not a whole lot of years stand out to me. My age at certain events however, do. I won't go into a long laundry list of ages and events--none of them are all that interesting or entertaining--but I just thought I should mention it.

Anyway, I am hoping that the New Year will be a year I will remember as The Year I got my life together. The year I Finally became Organized. The Year I got rid of all the old useless stuff I've held onto for years and years. The Year that I took steps to Better Myself. The Year that, when I look back on it, will bring back memories of goals accomplished and happy memories made.

Yeah, I hope that 2009 will be that year.

Will I be making resolutions this year? That's a tricky question. I plan on making lifestyle changes and doing my best to be a better person, but are those really 'resolutions'? Or are those lifelong goals? Hmm...

Well either way, I'll be taking steps forward to a future filled with New Experiences and New Possibilities, New Friends and New Places to see, New Ways of doing things and New Plans...yep, everything will be all nice and shiny and New and I'll start out my journey with Baby Steps.

Because after all, if I start out taking giant steps, I might just trip over my big 'ol feet and fall flat on my face! ;)

Happy (Soon to Be) New Year to you all!

A break in the Facts...

2008-09-01T19:17:00.001-07:00

Just a quick blog update because I'm sooo far behind! I've been up to my neck in painting and bbq'ing with family this weekend, but wanted to update anyway.

Let me first warn you--no pics. Sorry, didn't want to risk getting paint on the camera or anything ya know. So, the 'ol camera was tucked safely away in the office all weekend.

So, let's see...

The living room is painted! Woo hoo! While it is not a dramatic change at all (in fact, it's nearly the same color), it is, CLEAN. The walls were horrid prior to painting and it is so nice to see clean, soot free walls. The prior owner burned candles--must have been 24/7 by the looks of some of the walls in our house--and despite trying to clean them, they were icky to say the least. We also have a newly painted bathroom, complete with a new towel holder and tp holder too! Yay!!! All that's left to do in that room is replace the sink and faucet, mirror and light fixture...ya know, gut it! ;)

Next I think we'll paint either the 'playroom' (aka 'future dining room') or the kitchen. We'll have to see what we have energy for. I don't mind painting at all, in fact, I rather enjoy it--but it comes down to time. It's tough to paint with 2 curious toddlers running around.

Besides that, the boys are enjoying school--Dev more so than Ry--but he's coming around. The girls have adjusted well to not having Ry-Ry and Brother around, and are just giddy when we go to pick Ry up and when Dev walks in the door after school.

We managed 3 well days after the start of school and on the 4th day we received the gift of snot. Oh joyous day. It started with Ry and made the rounds...then, we got a blessed 4 or 5 day break and now, we've got 2 out of the 4 with--you guessed it--snot. Poor Em is a mess. She also has a slight fever to go along with it. She and Dev both have stuffy, snotty noses and watery eyes. Man, now I remember what I don't like about back to school. Ugh...I hate snot...

Other than that, I'm down 15 lbs so far! Yep! Oh, and I guess I should add that I ended up getting up to 200 before I started the 'ol weight loss mission (you can blame major water retention for that!) so I'm down to 185. Hopefully that sticks, because I fell off the wagon big time tonight (Damn AF is coming soon--damn her!!)!!

Alrighty, well, nothing amazing or fantastic I know...but I'm updated now right? Right! :)

Lastly, I'd like to send well wishes to everyone who lives in the areas that were in the path of Gustav. I pray that everyone stays safe and take care!!

Fact #4

2008-08-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Truth.

The truth is, if I stay at this weight I will have health problems. I won't have energy to play with my kids, I will continue to be uncomfortable, I will continue to be mad at myself for my lack of motivation. Staying here will only make things worse for my aching joints and ill fitting clothes.

The truth is, I'm sick of it. Totally, completely sick to death of it.

The truth is, I can don't have to stay at this weight. I can make the right choices and stop making excuses. I can be a positive role model for my kids and get up and play with them more. I will reach way down and find the motivation in me somewhere! Exercise will not be a stranger, it will be my best friend!

The truth is, this is a long time coming and I will do it.

Just watch me...

Fact #3

2008-08-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

There are those who are organized.

There are those who have lives that run seamlessly.

There are those who have a place for everything and everything in its' place.

There are those who never freak out when company unexpectedly drops by.

There are those who have clutter free surfaces throughout their home.

There are those who have a tidy office with papers filed neatly.

There are those who purge their home of unneeded items regularly.

I am NOT one of these people.
(and I am not going to be sharing pictures today--I think we can all get along just fine without pics of my messy house, right? ;) )

Nope, not me. Truthfully, that sounds like a perfect little utopian world. Everything neat and tidy, clutter free and things easy to find...ahh, but I just can't seem to manage it. I want to, I really, really do, but I haven't been able to yet.

Is it because I'm lazy? Hmm...maybe it's because I love to collect things? Or, maybe it's genetics--I do come from a long line of hoarders and collectors. Could it be that I was destined to be this way? That it is truly out of my hands and these are the cards I was dealt?

Haha! Yeah, if only I could get out taking responsibilty that easily!

Maybe I just lack the ability to stay on task long enough to get the initial cleaning and organizing done! Ahh yes, this is more realistic. I mean, the kids do keep me pretty busy and on those rare occassions that I have attempted to organize and declutter I do tend to get interrupted...often!

Ahh, but then there's always a way isn't there? I mean, I see people who have kids who have immaculate houses--why can't I do that?! What is it about those people that they can accomplish this seemingly impossible task? Do they have more motivation? Do they have better organizational skills? Do they crave order more than me? Do they have a cleaning lady?

Hahaha!

I've tried making lists, I've tried prioritizing, I've tried dedicating specific blocks of time to specific tasks, I've tried delegating, I've even tried http://www.flylady.com/ but, her daily emails annoyed me. Haha!

I guess I could ask questions all day, but is it really doing me any good? I am who I am. I collect things, I put stuff in random places, I have much filing to do and I am (in my opinion ;)) genetically predisposed to hoarding treasured items! I do want to improve my organizational skills and long for a tidy, orderly house, but I've got so many other things that I want to do too! Maybe it's all just a time management issue.

Speaking of which--my time here is up for the day. There are children to feed, laundry to put away, a floor to mop...an endless list of things to do.

If YOU are one of those people who lives and organized and tidy life--feel free to share your secrets! Got any tips, advice, personal stories of how you were once just like me and turned over a new leaf? ;) Feel free to share them!

Not one those people? Well, share your story too! I'd love to hear that I'm not the only one! :)

Have a great day all!

Fact #2

2008-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

I believe in fixing that which can be fixed.

Here we go...

2008-08-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

Helloooooooooo!

Okay, so I bet some of you are wondering why I've decided to blog about myself of all things. Well, let me assure you, it's not because I'm a snob or anything, actually it's the opposite.

I am always amazed and in awe of people who are so comfortable in their own skin that they post pics of themselves on bulletin boards and Flickr and such. I'm the type of person who much prefers the other side of the camera thank you very much.

I am, now don't laugh too hard when you read this, quite shy. Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking, "her?! SHY?! P'shaw, yeah, um...okay." but really, I am. I may be loud, mouthy and spout off about things, but in truth, I'm completely out of my mind nervous when I'm in a room full of people I don't know. I'm forever worried about what others might think of me, despite telling myself and others that I could care less.

So, among other things, I thought that blogging about (and taking pictures of) me might help me to shake this poor self esteem thing that I can't seem to shake.

Okay, so now that you know, let's get on with it!!

Now I'm going to start off slow and easy and just share little tidbits of boring, ho-hum stuff--I don't want to go spilling all the juicy stuff just yet now do I? Haha!

Fact #1

Every single day, without fail, I vacuum. I vacuum my kitchen and my living room--sometimes the office and the play room, but mostly the first two rooms. I vacuum them at least once a day, but usually twice. I hate to have crumbs and stuff on my floors!! It makes me insane! My husband calls me obsessive about it. The only exceptions to the rule would be if 1. I am not here to do it, and um...well...okay, so maybe that's the only exception. Well, *maybe* if I was too sick to do it I would skip it, but I have a feeling it might just get done anyhow. ;)

Me pushing my 5th baby around~

(ha ha, like my self portrait? Baby steps people, baby steps!!)

And without fail, as soon as I am finished vacuuming, my children do their very best to make sure that I don't get too used to having a clean floor. :D

And now you know one more thing about me! :)

Ahem...test--test--1, 2, 3

2008-08-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

Just testing the waters to see if anyone has held onto even a sliver of hope that I'll update the 'ol blog. Haha!

Yes, I'm bad. I admitted this already so it's really not a surprise, yet I still feel bad. After all, it's not like it's incredibly difficult to type a few lines and post a few pics right? I seem to have no trouble doing it on Flickr and Bulletin Boards...

Sigh...

So anyway, I'm here, and I'm updating! Although admittedly, this is a boring way to go.

But wait! I have news!

I have decided to start up a little blog project! Maybe this will be just the thing I need to keep me in gear! I can't promise you'll be wowed. I can't promise you'll be amazed. I can't promise you'll be moved to laugh/cry/gasp. You might experience stunned silence and disbelief! I dunno. What I can promise you is, you'll learn stuff. Yup. You will learn stuff you might not know. Stuff that you may not have wanted to know, but stuff all the same.

Stuff...

About Me

...and with that, I will say, "Goodnight!"

:)

Easily influenced...

2008-04-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here it is, another day and can you believe it? Another blog entry!! Haha! Well, this one is inspired by another friend who is a self proclaimed "Gardening Nerd". :)

After seeing her blog entry about her new flower beds and truckload of mulch I had to finally bust out the seed pots, soil and seeds and the kids go to town.

Please pardon the craptastic pics, these were taken about 10 mins before the bus came to take Dev to school and the girls were wailing at the lack of attention being bestowed upon them (they're very demanding in the mornings!!). So, quick snaps is all I got.

Also planted were Lemon Balm (who knows what we'll use that for, hubby wanted that one ;)) and a couple of apple seeds that Devin got from a school mate yesterday. I hope, hope, hope they do something because we've tried in the past to grow apple seeds and nada. Zip, zero, zilch. Dev would be tickled if we at least got a sprout out of them. :)

Anyway, that's what we did this morning! :) Thanks Lisa for the motivation!

PSA~ Reading other blogs maybe be dangerous!!!

2008-04-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's true folks! I never thought something could happen to me just by reading another person's blog, but it did!

There I was, reading a friend's blog and suddenly the very content of her blog consumed me!! It made me crazy! I couldn't stop obessing about it! I knew I wouldn't be able to get it out of my head until I was able to recreate exactly what I saw!!

So...

I did it. *sob, sob, sob* I'm telling you I had no choice! Her words seduced me! They whispered sweet nothings into my ear to make me do their will. The images...I could not get them out of my head!!! It drove me mad I tell you, MAD!

That blog. That danged blog!!! Just LOOK at what it made me DO...

Seriously Jill, I MUST stop reading your blog! I mean, I'm supposed to be dieting after all. Sigh...but oh my goodness were they good!! 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies, who would have thought?!

Ahh well...they're gone now. LOL Maybe next time you'll blog about liver and onions or something like that and I won't be tempted. ;) Haha!

Pit Stop

2008-04-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Ya know, when you have 2 freshly potty trained toddlers in the house and you hear the words, 'poo poo' it gets you movin' for sure! When the toddler uttering the words is holding a Speed Racer action figure on the potty seat, you move even faster--to grab your camera before the moment passes (*snort* 'passes' haha!)!!!

Go Speed Racer,
Go Speed Racer,
Go Speed Racer, Gooooooo!!!
(Bwahaha~ potty humor ROCKS!:D)

That girl cracks me up!!!

All better!

2008-04-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, mostly. The pain killer did it's job and my headache is gone! Woo hoo! I could still use some more coffee though...might have to make another pot seeing as how it's gone and all.

Anyway, had to share these! I begged Dev to help me by being my model today for a super quick photo shoot. Here are a few~

(need to work on this one a bit...maybe apply Jenny's color pop on it? Hmmm...)

Silly kid

And now for some outtakes!

This one kills me! You'd have thought I had him out in sub-zero weather (I'd never do that! *snicker, snort, bwahaha!*) the way he was complaining! "mommmmm, it's COLD out here! Are we done yet?!" keep in mind this was taken 3 minutes after I started and it's not that cold out. LOL

Ahhh, that kid! He was a trooper, despite whining a bit. Hmm...it's a little warmer out...and the sun has changed position a bit...wonder if he'll let me take some more? :D

Yeah, probably not.

It's worth a shot though! I'm outta here--gotta find something to 'convince' him to help me! (ya know, a good bribe!! LOL)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!! :)

7:48 AM...Cup #2

2008-04-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said.

Hope the drugs kick in soon so I can return and post a better entry! :)

*can you believe it? 3 entries in 3 days!!*
Hahaha!

It's that time of year again!

2008-04-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

The glorious time of year when we bust out the clippers and shave the boys' heads!!

(Btw, Dev is demonstrating how to shoot a bow & arrow, not preparing to hit someone LOL)

Once completely opposed to the idea of shaving the boys' heads, I've since grown used to the idea and can now tolerate seeing their lovely locks shorn from their heads. In fact, I actually prefer Ry's hair this way! It's just that the first couple of days take getting used to--it's like I forget that we've done it! Haha

Anyway, just thought I'd share one of our warm weather traditions with you all. :)

'Come on kids, everyone grab a towel, throw it over your shoulders and head outside--It's Noggin' Shearin' Time!!!' (cue banjo music)

Hmm...do you think it could catch on like decorating Easter eggs or wearing green for St. Patty's Day?

:)

Okay, wait a sec...did that just happen?!

2008-04-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hello all! No, you're not dreaming, I am--in fact--posting an entry on my blog! *GASP* I know, I know...I am so bad at this blogging thing, but does it count it if I at least *think* about blogging once in a while? Even if I can't actually manage to do it? :D

So, I bet you're asking yourself, "Self, why on earth is she blogging today? What makes today so special?", well, lemme tell ya what happened today!

Sit back, get comfy, because I'm in a chatty mood! :D

It started like any other day, got up got the oldest fed, dressed and ready for school. By 9:00am everyone was up and things were clipping along at the 'normal' chaotic pace. I had decided to take the kids to the thrift store and later to Target to see about buying some clothes for the small giant we have living here who has seen fit to grow out of all the extra big shorts from last year...

So, we go, we see, we buy, we come home. The kids get fed and the girls go down for a nap. Not much of anything goes on for a couple of hours, just laundry, ate lunch--*yawn*--you get the idea, same 'ol same 'ol.

At around 4:05pm Devin arrives home from school, things get a little louder, girls are starting to get cranky and everyone needs a snack. So, snacks are handed out and everyone's content.

At approximately 4:45pm I was standing near the entry way and I noticed the sound of geese flying overhead. Okay, no biggie, but then...

Okay, so here's where I have to interject and ask a question.

Ever have something happen to you that, after it happens, you sit back, scratch your head and say, "Did that just happen?!"? Yeah, well, me too! I mean, anyone who knows me knows that I've had a lot of stuff happen to me just since being with my husband (not saying he's the reason for it all happening, although I'm betting he is ;) LOL). I've been through a tornado, watched a hurricane pass over my city while evacuated, been in a couple of earthquakes--which, having grown up in CA is no biggie--however, we have had 2 in the past week or so here in the midwest (yes, we've officially been blamed for those...sorry :)), oh yeah, and remember my reaction to being told we were having twins? Haha! So yeah, we've had LOTS of those 'Did that just happen?!' moments.

However, I never, in a million years would have guessed that what happened today could actually happen to me!

So, ya ready? K.

We have geese flying overhead remember? Okay, so that's a pretty normal thing and I don't think much of it until...SPLAT! I look up to find the biggest, grossest, greenest splat of goose poop I've ever seen!!

Gross isn't it? *gag*

So, no biggie, goose poop on the window...but do you notice something? Look at the window...it's open isn't it? Yes, me in my wisdom thought, "ahh, what a nice day, let's open the windows so the fresh air can blow into the house!". What I did not think was, "Hmm...maybe I shouldn't open the windows today, I know it's nice and all but a goose might fly by and poop and the wind might carry it 'just so' and it'll hit the window and fly....

ALL OVER MY PLAYROOM FLOOR!!!!"

Now see, what you have here is a close up. A close up of lots and lots of itsy bitsy teensy tiny dark green specks. Specks, that if pressed lightly with a paper towel will bleed onto both the towel AND the carpet! Fun huh? Yeah, I know this from personal experience.

Moving on...

So, obviously I'm overjoyed right? I mean, it's almost 5:00pm and my kids will be wanting dinner soon and I've got a 1'x3' section of carpet covered in goose poop spray! Hmm, what to do, what to do...I tell the oldest to turn on a show for the girls and to keep them out of the playroom, then I grab the paper towels (we all know how that turned out), a dish towel and some carpet cleaner.

There I was working at removing all of the ick when I hear, "oh no, oh no, no, no, no!!" "Uh-oh" "Mooooommmmm!"

Bwhahahaha! "Yes my sweet angelic child, whatever is the matter?" *snort*

Well, apparently in my haste to toss the kids a snack pre-poop-fest, I neglected to properly close the 'ol toddler cookie bag and...

Hahaha! Ahh, yes, more clean up! Gotta be thankful that this mess wasn't from anyone's body though right? Right! :D

So...I was able to enlist Em to clean up her cookies (which I took pics of--of course!) and I managed to get most of the goose poop out of my carpet.

But did I mention the other clean up? Remember I said that this happened in my playroom? Snicker...well, we have lots of Little People and stuff...and let's just say not all of them escaped being sprayed.

Here they are after Step One of Goose Poop Removal (aka~ scrubbing the tar out of them in the sink with soap) waiting to experience Step Two~ A Brutal Silkwood Scrubbing With Clorox Wipes~

Yes...I'm afraid that is Noah...and his wife too!

Ahh, but it all ended well. Kids eventually got fed, the floor was cleaned and the toys scrubbed and a valuable lesson was learned:

When living in the flight path of migratory geese, exercise caution and open windows only if you're prepared to:

A. Run like mad to close them when you hear the geese
or
B. Clean goose poop out of your carpet.

So, next time it's a lovely day out and you want to open the windows for some fresh springtime air, think long and hard. Weigh the pros and cons. Keeping them closed will preserve your carpets and save you some clean up. Ahh, but that fresh air smells so good, you could open just a couple of them right? Besides, what are the odds of a goose flying by at just the right angle to your house...with the wind blowing *just* the right way...

Hahaha!

Goodnight all!
:)

Post Christmas Ramblings...

2007-12-25T18:26:00.000-08:00

I'm just thinking about 2007 and how it's almost over and I started wondering, 'what will 2008 have in store for me?' Hmmm...

Well, hopefully more blogging to start with! ;) A little birdie told me I should start a blog and since I happen to have this one, I figured I should take her advice and just update it once in a while. So Tracey, this is for YOU! :D

I hope that 2008 brings more organization for my family and I--we've added another move to the mix and we're still in boxes to a degree so it would be nice to have everything unpacked and it a nice, tidy, designated space. :)

Bwahaha! Those of you who know me and have actually SEEN my house are snickering right now aren't you? Ha ha ha...yeah, I can hear you! Well, I hope to prove you (and the skeptic in my head) wrong this year!!!!!

Calm. I want calm. I want less chaos and rushing. I want quiet and peace. Again...I hear laughing. Come on now! I mean, it's not entirely impossible to imagine a life with 4 kids under 8 being at least a little quiet...once in a while...maybe when they're sleeping? Maybe? Sigh...okay, go ahead and laugh--but hey, a girl can dream can't she?

More time with my hubby. He works too much. I want him home more. Simple enough, no need to elaborate on it. :)

To learn more. I'm obsessed with photography--in the best possible way of course, I don't need to enter a 12 step program or anything...at least not yet--and I want to do everything I can to learn all that I can this year. I hope to have more time in 2008 than I did in 2007 to devote to reading/experimenting and doing photog lessons.

Happiness. I want everyone in my family to be happier this year. We've moved, we're getting settled, I hope that we can start our new life and be happier than we've ever been.

Oh and of course I've gotta throw in the 'ol 'weight loss resolution' ugh...stupid fat. So, weight loss. I want and need to lose weight...I won't go into details--I mean, why on earth would anyone want to know anyway right? LOL But you can pretty much count on that being on my list of things to do this new year. Pbbbbt...bah!

So, there you have it--Christmas Night ramblings from an exhausted me. I can only hope that future entries are more entertaining and interesting for those reading. :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and that the new year brings nothing but good things your way!

Cheers!!

Now...I'm off to bed! *Yawn* I'm too old to stay up late!!! Haha!

So, let's recap shall we?

2007-04-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, I got to thinking about my life since Chris and I got together and thought I would write it all out for anyone who's interested...or bored ;)

Since 1997 we have moved 8 times (one move took place 2 weeks before our wedding)
We have moved across the country twice
We have owned 2 houses
We have bought 3 refrigerators, 3 washing machines, 3 dryers, 3 dishwashers and 2 stoves.
Our house was hit by a tornado and a hurricane within 9 months
I have been pregnant 3 times
I have had major surgery 3 times
We have 4 children
We have had 5 deaths in our families
We have had 10 births in our families

Ten years.
Man, we've been busy!!

2007-01-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Okee dokee--this might be lost on some of you younger kids out there, but endulge me for a bit while I make a comparison.

I'm a child of the 70's & 80's and because of that I was able to play with toys that are now considered 'collectables' or 'vintage' *choke, gag*, among them was a toy called Stretch Monster (it was Stretch Armstrong's enemy don'tcha know). He was green, was super stretchy and filled with slimy--most likely--toxic goo and would tolerate being stretched quite a ways before ripping. Here he is in all his glory:

See where I'm going with this? Haha

So, just call me Stretch. Yup, I'm beginning to feel like that monster. I've got 4 limbs--just like he did. I'm scary looking these days--just like he was. I can get pulled in 4 different directions--just like he did. And that goo...I've got it too! Toxic goo. It's the kind of goo that makes a rational mom become crazy. The kind that turns a patient mom into the most impatient mom on the block. The kind that when it starts flowing, it seems unstoppable...and I can't seem to find the special 'bandaids' that came with the monster in case of a tear.

I knew having another baby would bring it's challenges. I knew that. I was prepared for it--well, prepared for the caretaking part. I'll admit that the effect a new baby would have on my middle child was sort of glossed over in my pregnant brain...but I digress. I was ready for having a new baby. A BABY. Not twins!!

I would never change a thing. I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have both of my girls!! I can't imagine what it would be like with just one--perhaps easier, but it would be awful! I love them both so much it hurts! But...

I'm being pulled. Pulled and pulled and pulled, and it hurts. It hurts in ways that I didn't expect. I'm in physial pain--it's hard carrying two babies for most of the day. I nurse in some pretty strange positions too. And suddenly, my joints feel 100 years old! Then there's the sleep deprivation--I think you'll understand when I say that it's painful, you're just so tired that you're sore...your eyes burn, your head hurts and I'm walking around in a fog a lot of the time...Oh and my heart. My heart aches for my middle son. Poor kid. I feel like a pretty worthless mom when it comes to him. I can't help but feel that I'm neglecting him and damaging him forever. (but that's a whole other entry)

Sigh.

Yup, Stretch Monster, that's me. I can only hope that my limbs are up to the task of all this pulling and that which is still to come, otherwise I'll be in the market for some bandaids...lots and lots of bandaids.

Has anyone seen my baby boy?

2006-12-16T23:24:00.000-08:00

Anyone? Because he's missing. That's right, one minute he was here, wearing tiny little newborn diapers and cute one piece sleepers and then suddenly he just vanished.

Oh, and can anyone tell me who this boy in my house is? He's definitely taller than my other babies and wears jeans and screen tees, seems to enjoy rough housing and riding a bike--without training wheels no less--and is reading things he shouldn't be reading and therefore knowing things he shouldn't (like his kindergarten newsletter telling about upcoming events for his class)...anyone know this kid?

Maybe this'll help...he's got a loose tooth!!!

Sob, sob, sob...gulp, waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Okay, so I confess--I know this kid. He's mine. Yup, my first born. He's been out of diapers for a long time now and I've had less and less say about his wardrobe lately and yeah, I'm the one who taught him to read--although I never told him to read the newsletters for Pete's sake--but he seems so different to me since his tooth became loose. I mean, he seems so much older! Sniff.

Soon he'll have a gap in the bottom row of his teeth. Sniff, sniff. Soon he'll have a big tooth in it's place. Sob! You do know what this means don't you? Soon he'll lose that tooth and with it all traces of his babyhood will be gone forever!! GASP!

I just can't take this. Not now. Not during the holidays--I mean, I get all weepy and ridiculous this time of year as it is! I don't need this added emotional trauma! Oh, and need I remind everyone I'm still all post-partum-y and I've been riding a virtual rollercoaster of emotions? Man, how am I going to make it through Christmas without losing it??

I need to get it together man!

Sigh...okay, so it's a loose tooth. No biggie right? Right. I'm sure that I'll get over it. I'm sure I'll forget all about it and when he loses his
Very First Tooth (gulp) I'll be totally fine. I won't cry. I'll simply help him tuck it under his pillow so that the Tooth Fairy can fairly compensate him for it. I'll be fine. Really...I will.

Sigh...

Yaaaaaaaaawn

2006-12-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

Yup, it's official. I'm beat. Tuckered. Tired. Worn out. Bushed. Whooped. Stick a fork in me I'm done!

So...what the heck am I doing writing this?!?! Why am I not snoozing soundly? Why?? Why?!?!

Am I so starved for 'alone time' that I'll resort to severe sleep deprivation to get it?

Yup. I am.

Sad isn't it? Yeah, but that's what having twins will do to you. Well, twins and 2 other kids who keep you on your toes! Speaking of which--my dear friend Dawg (she knows who she is) wrote an update on her kiddos so I thought I'd do the same. Hope you don't mind Dawg--hey, remember, immitaion is the highest form of flattery! LOL

Devin~ smart, brilliant (well at least I think so) Devin. He's sailing through school and loving it. He seems to have lots of friends--he's always playing with a huge group of kids in the mornings before school and he's quite popular with the girls. Heh, heh. Ya, he's a ladies man (insert image of that SNL skit), but he still insists that none of them are his girlfriends--that spot is still reserved for his lifelong love, Emma.

He's bossy as all get out with Ryan and can be mouthy as a teenager--shudder, I don't even want to think about him as a teen! His mood is easily affected by his sleep patterns--lack of sleep, crappy mood--nuff said.

All in all, we're getting along--so long as he does what I say! lol

Ryan~ this boy is going to drive me to drink--literally! He is tenacious beyond belief (aka Stubborn as hell) and has the ability to expell the bones from his body (who knows where they go) and become a immovable blob of boy on the floor within seconds. He doesn't care where we are--if he decides he's done with participating in whatever it is we're doing--BAM! Boneless Boy!

Ah, but he's getting better. Making better choices these days and we're not fighting quite as much these days. Whew! He's still digging reading and we're still working on it when I am able to find the time to sit down one on one with him.

He's the most affectionate 3 1/2 yr old boy I've ever seen! He's always hugging and kissing me (well, everyone in the house) and telling me, "you're my favorite mommy" (who and where are the other mommies and why the hell aren't they here helping me clean the house?!) or "you're the best mommy ever" haha--yeah, lemme hear you say that in 10 years buddy!

The girls...

Emilee~ sweet, patient, easy Em. She's still content to lay around and observe things. She's mellow and quiet and pretty easy to please. Her hair is starting to fill in again and she's pleasantly fuzzy :). She's still clenching her fists super tight and her feet and hands are still that purply newborn color...we'll be mentioning that at their next dr's appt. She's got such pretty eyes, and her eyelashes are to die for!

Abigail~ holy cow--I'm in for it! She's a moody one! One second she's smiling and cooing away and the next she's screaming at you for no apparent reason. I spent so much time consoling her or nursing her! But, she makes up for her high maintenance by being cute. She wakes up happy usually and will chat your ear off. It's making taking decent pics of her hard because she likes to roll while she's talking. She can now roll from back to front--but not vice versa--so once she's on her tummy she screams to be rolled back over. "How on earth did that happen? I did not ask to be put on my tummy!! Moooooooooom!!!!"

Well, okay...that's it for me. I am no uber tired and am having a hard time typing so I guess that's my signal that it's time for bed.

A blatant, shameless brag on my two brilliant boys!!!

2006-11-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

Dang I have smart kids! Okay, I've said it--and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm hopelessly bragging here! I mean heck, they deserve it--they're smart cookies!

So here's the scoop:

My oldest, Devin, he's been reading for quite a while now and his kinder teacher got him set up with the 'excellerated reading' right away. There are 71 books in the group and he's blown through all of them already. So, she moved on to 'upper level' reading pages--basically comprehension pages where he reads a couple of paragraphs and does a few fill in the blank questions--blew through 6 of them in about 10 mins. So, now he's onto some harder ones--I'm not sure of what grade level they are, but he's enjoying these as well!! Ahhh ain't it grand? I am so proud of him!! I can only hope that he continues to enjoy reading and going to school! He's also whipping through his homework packets (usually 6 or 7 pages) at light speed--please oh please oh please let this love of school last!! lol

Now, onto my second little genius! Ryan, my 3 1/2 yr old, the boy who's never really been interested in sitting still long enough to let me teach him letters and how to write his name, this boy who can barely sit still during a story--this boy...this boy can read!!!! Now, before I continue, I must admit that he and Devin are completely responsible for this! I've had almost no time at all to devote to teaching my little guy the sounds the letters make, let alone how to put them together to form words, but somehow...he got it.

About 2 weeks ago, I had a rare day where both the girls were sleeping and it was just the boys and I. Devin was busy doing his homework and Ryan decided he wanted to do some too. So I said, 'okay, let's do some letters!'. I knew he knew his letters and some of the sounds (Devin likes to read to him a lot and sounds things out for him), but I was truly surprised to find that he knew them all! His only hang up was on the letters that had multiple sounds. Anyway, once I discovered that, I put 'at' on a piece of paper and asked him what it said. He looked at me like a I had a monkey on my head and said, 'I dunno'. I told him to sound it out and did the exaggerated 'aaaa-t, aaa-t, aa-t, a-t, a-t, at, at!' and went from there. Within about 10 minutes he was reading little words like bat, cat, fat, hat, etc. So, we've been working on different words, mostly phonics, but practicing sounding things out. Also the beginning sight words as well.

But here's another amazing fact: he's writing!!!! Now, I have been trying to get him to learn this for a while now, but he's usually only interested in writing a few letters--but since he's started reading he's been writing words all on his own! He uses his maganadoodle mostly (oh how I love that thing!) and he'll write words like cat, bat, etc. Today he even wrote his name (I helped with the spelling) and his penmanship is pretty good--especially considering he holds his crayon really strange. ;)

Ahhh, I am so, so proud of him!!!

So, there you have it--I just had to shout it from the roof tops so to speak. My boys make me so proud!!! :)

Looking for extra hours...

2006-11-29T21:34:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's about it--the total sum of my quest. I need more time. More time to sleep, more time to relax, more time to play with my kids, more time to teach my kids, more time to clean...

Okay, so that's really what I need--cleaning time. It seems when I finally get the motivation I lack the time. It's never easy to clean in my house it seems, if my 2 older kiddos aren't messing up the joint, my hubby is--although not nearly as much as he used to, I must give him a little credit--and if they aren't--I am! I am finding myself leaving stuff in the weirdest places these days--mainly cloth diapers that end up all over the house. I carry them with me as a sort of clothing accessory it seems, yeah, that's it--spit up covered scarves and sashes...

But I digress--I need time folks and plenty of it! There are simply not enough hours in the day. I need ample time to do the things that desperately need to be done or else I'm going to lose it! My house is so bad these days that I'm truly embarrassed when someone knocks on the door--heaven forbid they see the crap everywhere! It doesn't help that the 'playroom' is the first thing you see--oooh it's bad!

And thanks to our generous friends and family we've got baby clothes everywhere! I'm not kidding! In the living room there are 2 separate piles, in the hallway there's a laundry basket filled with clothes that need to be washed, and their room--egads, what a disaster! Let me tell you, I've been through a tornado and had less clean up to deal with!

I attempted to clean that room today, even managed to multi task and squeeze in a phone conversation with a certain Dawg while I cleaned. However, (there's always a 'however' isn't there?) one of my sweet little cherubs woke up earlier than I had expected and cut the cleaning short. Sigh...and I was making good progress too!! I mean, I could actually SEE the floor people!!!

Ah well...there's always tomorrow right?

But here's a question for ya, will I have the motivation? Heh, heh.

2006-11-18T20:13:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what life would be like without modern inventions like the cell phone, in car navagation systems, remote control everything...the vacuum.
Yeah, okay, so vacuums might not seem so fantastic to you--but to me, they're a Godsend! You see, I have 3 mo old twins and as you can imagine it can be quite a feat to get them to sleep...enter the vacuum! They LOVE it and it knocks them out almost instantly! To be honest, I sort of laughed when my brother told us that his daughter slept with a vacuum going all night and it never entered my mind to try this with my other kids, but when you have 2...well, all bets are off!
So, when you think of all the things you can't do without, don't forget the vacuum!!! It turns out they're not just for cleaning floors anymore!

Ugh...

2006-10-30T22:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it was a crappy day. You know, one of those days that go from bad to worse before it's finally over? It started out okay, but quickly fell apart. Ryan was a grouch, the girls were fussy and wouldn't sleep, Chris started talking about taking a job that would keep us here longer--at least a year longer...herein lies the 'Ugh' factor.

Sigh. I don't know how to feel about this. On one hand this job (which is by no means a definite thing) would mean less work for Chris and less time away from home--sort of. He's be commuting less but would spend one week a month out of town, not something I'm interested in thank you very much. But, I know that it's better than what he's doing now in terms of stress and chaos.

However, I don't want to commit to staying here another year!! I want to get out of here and buy our own house and finally get settled. I feel like we've been living out of boxes for the past 7 years. I mean, we've moved 7 times in the past 7 yrs--enough is enough! I want to unpack and make a home and know that we aren't moving again any time soon--is that too much to ask?

Sigh...and there you have it, my rant for the day. It doesn't help that I'm freakin' tired and both the girls are stirring and will most likely wake up soon and Chris is snoring like a chainsaw...grrrr! Oh, and that my house is a wreck, I have a mountain of laundry to fold, I need to color my hair, my feet are a mess, I need to lose a more weight than I care to confess, I have projects that I want to do that I'll never get to...sob, sob...anyone know of a free nanny? ;)

Forever the slacker...

2006-10-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, see, I'm so lazy that I've gone months without so much as a single blurb on my blog! Ooooh, how surprising! No, not really. However, I do kind of have an excuse...babies. Two beautiful, smiling, recently cooing, adorable little girls. Oh yeah, and did I mention they aren't the greatest sleepers? Yeah, well, there ya go. I'm in the throws of post partum sleep deprivation in the worst way! And it would be okay--except that I have 2 other kids to take care of during the day and I can't "nap when they nap"--which, btw is the single worst piece of advice anyone can give a mom! Um, hello...I'm not stupid--I'll nap any chance I get! You don't have to give me permission!! Ha! But I digress--no naps because of the boys...yeah, so even that would be okay, but then I've got my own version of a chainsaw sleeping next to me! How on earth that man can snore so loud and not wake himself is beyond me! Sheesh! Ahh, but he's tired too! So much more tired than me--how could he not be? What with his instant narcalepsy and inability to be roused at all and sleeping without a person (or people) attached to him, sucking the very life out of him...of course he should be exhausted--who wouldn't be? Geez.

But, I love him. He's currently up for the Husband of the Year award--not many men would take 7 wks off to help out with the new babies! And not every guy would step up to night duty and give up his bed for a recliner in the living room (I got the couch) so that he can be more help to me. He changes diapers--cloth ones at that--and he even knows how to wash them too! Ooooh, aaahhhhhh! He isn't afraid to jump right in (although sometimes it's after a slight push from me) and tackle crying, wailing babies and he puts the boys to bed every night. Yup, he's one heck of a guy!!

Well, okay, clearly I've rambled long enough--but hey, at least I wrote something! Yay me!

Until next time...

Ooooh, look at me I've got a blog!!!

2006-04-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

For the love of Pete. I can't believe I've actually gone and done it. I've created a blog! As if someone is going to be interested in anything I have to say these days--I'm not as profound as I used to be (if ever I was), plus my spelling sucks as does my typing...

Anyway, I guess I'll just use this as a little place to vent/rant/brag/bitch/complain/rave/ponder...whatever.

I hope that I can come up with some interesting things to say to entertain and engage people, but if not--who cares right? Yeah.

Thanks a lot D--you know who you are--you made me go and do it...a blog...who'd have thought??