Thursday, December 27, 2012

Santa Claus is Real to Me


I read an article recently, written by a 27yr old women about how harmful believing in Santa is. She was telling her story how hurt, upset, betrayed and traumatic it was when she was 9 yrs old & learned Santa wasn't real.  It caught me off guard to read this from a grown woman.  There was a lot of bitterness and the spirit of Christmas seemed lost on her.

After I read the article I thought back on my own personal experience with this figure we call Santa.  As a child I looked forward to celebrating the birth of Christ our Savior with the opening of gifts from Santa Claus.  Santa was very real in our hearts and minds.  He brought gifts to everyone who was good and even if we were bad on Christmas.  I never remember any traumatic or hurtful experience from believing in Santa, nor can I say when I stopped believing in Santa Claus. There was no startling revelation that made me lose my faith in the unseen. I never stopped trusting my parents or anyone else.

With time I simply came to a realization that he is not real nor are his reindeer.  I never let on to my siblings that he wasn't real!  Each and every Christmas I kept the Santa alive. I am the eldest of three. I made sure they looked forward to finding gifts from Santa under the tree!

My parents have always kept Santa Claus alive so to speak in our home.  We never got to old or thought it was stupid or silly to say things like, "I hope Santa Claus brings me.....".

Even as we grew up to adults, my parents had gifts for us from Santa under the tree. My parents would also have gifts for each other from Santa. It was tradition and no harm came from it. Instead, we would laugh and giggle, even as teenagers opening our gifts from Santa.

As a parent of 2 young children, I wonder how will I handle that moment when Santa is no longer real to them. My wish is they never lose that joy and magic of Christmas that believing in Santa & his 8 Reindeer bring each year.  I hope they have the same experience that I had and realize that Santa Claus symbolizes so much more then just a jolly old man bringing gifts.


That's me on Christmas Morning enjoying my Coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had made a very similar post to this in my Facebook Group Coffee Time for Moms and we had a great time chatting about this.  I do feel bad for the woman who had such a horrible childhood experience.  I can't help but wonder if her parents could have helped her more and handled it all a lot better.

As parents we have such a great responsibility in raising our children.  It is NOT easy.  We are not perfect and we will make mistakes.  I would not fully blame that woman's parents, because she is now a grown woman and has chosen to keep these bitter and angry feelings towards Santa Claus instead of seeking out help and for healing.

To be a parent, our lives change as do our priorities.  These changes can come easy to some, while others may struggle.  It can be easy to rush to judge another mom or dad based on your views and perspective.  I've been guilty of this myself.

I want to be more uplifting and encouraging to other Moms.  We all make mistakes.  It is what we do afterwards that is important.  Use those mistakes as life lessons to become the best Mom that YOU can be!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that Santa Claus brought your family all you desired!  And I wish each of you a very Happy New Year!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are interested in joining a group of Moms who really are accepting of each other and supportive please check out :

Monday, December 17, 2012

It's Monday & I sent my child back to school...


Today lil dude went to school.  He is unaware of the kids his age who died Friday while they were at school.  No one brought it up Saturday at his birthday party, no word was ever mentioned on Friday either.

Today I am nervous.  We chose not to let fear ruin our child's weekend.  Friday night his class had a party and Saturday was his birthday party.  This was a time for him to be a child and not have the worries, burdens and fears of an adult.  This is how my husband and I felt and our decision.  (every parent makes decisions based on their situation and their children, only we know our kids best)

I emailed his teacher and let her know that Kyle was unaware of the shootings.  I also let her know that on Saturday the kids never mentioned it either and I had hoped, that it continued for her today.  I also wanted her to know that if Kyle accidentally did hear about it from other kids to please let me know by email or to call me.  I trust her to help Kyle if he gets upset or scared, but Nathan and I want to come and get him; and comfort him and talk to him if this happens.

She thought this was a great plan!  I am praying hard.  At lunch time Kyle is no longer just with his kindergarten class, but with the older kids too.  However I know these older kids are very protective of the kindergartners and know he is in good hands.  This is comforting to me.

Yes I am still nervous though.  I am a mom, what do you expect?

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Beware of the silence! Moms always warn....


Oh Please Lord have MERCY!!  

I have, had this cold, stuffy, nose and a cough for a few days but am alive.  My son this morning said he wasn't feeling good and wanted to stay home.  This is not normal for him and so he stayed home.  I could tell he was sick.  I noticed he wasn't acting well the night before.

He was in his room in bed watching cartoons.  My daughter was in her crib. I had changed her diaper and tucked her back in.  They both seemed content and relaxed.  They share a room and if they are in there together they both seem to behave better.  I was happy.

I was taking this time to try to get some peace while getting up.  I had only about 3 hours of sleep and was dragging.  I had been laughing with friends on FB through my iPhone and snuggled under blankets in a comfy LazyBoy Rocker Recliner.  For a moment, I felt peace and that all would be well today.

It was quiet and all was well.........   

~~~~~~~~~~~~WRONG~~~~~~~~~~~~~WRONG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WRONG~~~~~~~~~~~~

(not even 15 minutes had past)

Hailey had taken off her clothes and her diaper after she pooped.  She had then proceeded to finger paint her legs, arms, crib and everything in her crib in POOP!!! 

Some how her brother did not smell or notice this even though he was but an inch away from her!!!!!! O_o  

Nathan, who fortunately is home all day, today was the first one to find this mess.  His gagging and proclamations of HORROR as he yelled, "NO...NO...NO...NO", in utter disbelief that his precious little girl was playing in her poo, had me leaping from my comfy recliner.  With blankets flying, I jump into the room and see the horrific site.

So while I bathed my poopy princess, he was getting the bedding all in the wash and running it.  Then he fed and played with the kids (kind of like herding cats) while I disinfected and removed the "shitty" artwork, my darling little girl finger painted all over her crib.

Oh Nathan and I can't get the smell out of our noses.......perhaps it is all just in our heads now.  Perhaps some coffee and time away from poop, we will recover.

If there is anything to gain from this, a great story to embarrassing the kids with when they are older and once the trauma of this Poop-tastrophy passes a whole lot of laughs.

Has my morning gotten any better?

Well I managed to make a pot of coffee and start some chicken and dumplings in my crock pot.  My Precious Princess is down for a nap with fresh bedding and my son is wondering what he will be getting for his up and coming birthday.

I think between Kids Netflix and all his apps on his iPhone, he will manage to rest and not drive us too crazy the rest of the day.

I hope....






My Two Christmas Elves!

*my son's iPhone, is not activated, it was my old phone, that is now being used as an iPod.  As if I would give a 5 or 6 yr old a smartphone to go around texting and calling his homies......  smh

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Women's Rights to be Mothers and Work



Right now I am ashamed to be a woman.  Women laughing at other women who want more flexible rights in the work place to be there for their family.  Women discriminating against other women in the work place being ignored by the media and politicians.  Men are not the only ones to blame for work place discrimination.  I am sicken by women who look down on mothers who are working and juggling a family, especially single moms trying to do it all.

Who are you to mock a woman, working full time and raising a family?  Why should a woman NOT be given flexibility to take extended breaks while pregnant, or time off to make her doctor appointments without penalty or risk of losing her job?  Who decided 6 weeks was acceptable to separate a mom and a child after birth or risk losing her job and or be on an extended leave without pay?  Why should a woman have to sit in the bathroom, being docked pay to pump breast milk, to feed her baby?  Why should an employer not acknowledge that mothers, even fathers, need time off to pick up sick kids from school, or take time off to care for a sick child? 

It was a real eye opener for me when I became pregnant, was single and working.  I had to literally keep track of the minutes used for an actual break, bathroom breaks to pee, or vomit because I had constant “morning sickness” up and through my third trimester”.  This way they could track my work productivity and dock me the minutes used over the allotted time for breaks.  All the while, I had co-workers male and female giving me a hard time because, I needed to use the bathroom a lot and in their eyes, I wasn’t being treated equally and getting in trouble.  Oh I was being scrutinized and talked to about how I could possibly skip my regular breaks that I used to rest, as a pregnant woman needs too, so that I was more “productive”.   

Suggestions, like drink less water, and be more careful what I eat, so I am not having to use the restroom as much, were also made to me. 

I felt like I was a burden,  in trouble and at risk of losing my job because I am a woman and as a woman, we are the ones who get pregnant and give birth to babies, who grow up to be the next generation in this world.  This is how a woman is made.  Woman should have the right to bear children and not be mistreated, because their bodies are made this way. 

The mentality that a woman must be striped of her womanhood and more like a man to succeed in the work place, needs to end.  This notion isn’t only brought on by men, but women also who are in the work place. 
When I had to take time off to visit my doctor and because of some complications, I needed physical therapy 3 times a week, I needed to use FMLA in order to not accumulate “occurrences” and get fired, that would then end my health insurance.  (Being pregnant and out of work as a single mom, I would not be able to raise my son.  It would be near impossible to find a job where someone would actually hire me, knowing I would leave, plus I would no longer have FMLA to keep my job secure, and who knows how long I would have to wait until I would be eligible for insurance and what they would actually cover.  As for COBRA, without a job, I could not afford that extended coverage.)  FMLA only allows 12 weeks of time off in a 12 month period.  There are a lot of restrictions, paperwork and an approval process in order to actually use FMLA time.  I also could use FMLA if I was taking time off from work due to sickness related to pregnancy and had doctor proof and the paperwork done and approved.  While using FMLA sounds great, I would end up using a lot of those 12 weeks in the 9 months that I was pregnant, even before I gave birth and needed to use it to stay home with my child. 

For instance, I ended up having to take my leave early on October 31st but my son wasn’t born until December 22nd.  My early leave was nearly 8 weeks.  I may have had a couple of days of FMLA left by the time I gave birth to my son.  From that point on, my employer no longer had to save my position for me.  

My job was up for grabs and I was a nervous wreck.
I was fortunate, that I was able to secure my position and returned to work in six weeks after I gave birth to my son.  I kept in touch weekly giving progress reports and reassuring my employer that I really wanted to return to work and keep my job.  I felt under pressure, to impress my employers and wasn’t able to push work out of my mind, while I was supposed to be healing and bonding with my son.  Yes, I was lucky, I did get to return to a job, but it felt way too soon and there was no guarantee I had my job until I walked in and was given back security access and shown where my new desk was.  Too many mothers end up losing their job or are terminated as soon as they return.

I chose to breastfeed my son, for the nutritional benefits, as well as bonding ones.  As a working mother, this is not easy.  Many work places do not have private rooms for a woman to set up her pump and use it to get milk to feed her baby while she is at work.  Trying to set up and pump in a bathroom is not conducive to a productive pumping session.  I do not even want to think about the sanitary issues.  Also a lactating woman needs to take plenty of breaks to pump, so that she does not put her health at risk of infection and other dangers.  Oh and not to mention embarrassing spontaneous “let downs”. 

While I was allowed to take breaks to pump, I was under a lot of pressure to keep them timed; in order to dock my pay for anytime I needed that went longer then my allotted break times.  I did not get a regular break or time to run out for lunch as other employees.  I was expected to sit in a dark room pumping, so that I was still a productive employee.  I was ridiculed for how long it would take to pump and how often I had to.  I would be questioned why on one day, I needed less time and then another day, I needed longer time.  I was being treated like I was a machine that should be able to produce on demand and the same out each time within a specific time limit.  By the way, that is not how a woman’s body works when it comes to producing breast milk.  I was also being compared to another woman who was also pumping.  She was getting treated far worse then I because, I was able to not need as much time for breaks to pump as she did.  

No two women are the same and this comparison never should be made.  I did try to explain, this to my employers to stick up for my fellow co-worker.  Unfortunately, it did not get through their heads. 

As a few months went by, it became harder to pump and I was being asked when I was going to stop breastfeeding, so they could figure out what they need to do.  I wasn’t clear on what they meant by, need to do, but I didn’t like the sound of it.  I felt like it was a threat.  I didn’t let their bullying stop me.  Even though almost daily I had to meet and report on how my pumping was coming along and promise to somehow magically get better and faster.  Trust me, these meetings were also held against me because I was not being productive and they had to take time to talk to me about these issues! However through all of that nonsense, my son was breastfed for a year.  I should not be pressured to stop after 2 months or even 6 months, nor should I be docked pay to take time to pump or to have daily meeting on the progress of how long it takes to pump and how I can reduce my breaks.  I even asked if I could come in early or work a little late, to help cover the time I was being docked and I was denied that by my employers.  I was told, to figure out how to manage my time better, so that I wasn’t being docked pay.  For me, that was ridiculous!

Remember how I used up my FMLA and had to wait another 12 months before I could use it again?  Well this meant, that if I needed time off to take my newborn to his doctor’s appointments or he was sick and being a single mom, I had to be home with him, I was gaining occurrences, too many occurrences like 3, would put me on probation and if I missed work or was late while on probation, I would be fired.  This is neither right nor fair for mothers, single moms, or parents. 

No one, especially women, should be penalized in the workplace for having children!  Co-workers should not be ridiculing or mocking their fellow co-workers for being parents and needing time off for their families. 

No this is NOT the 1950’s, and making jokes trying to portray today’s working moms as the non-working homemakers of the 1950’s and putting women down who do want to be home on time to cook dinner for their families, hurt’s women’s rights and causes division instead of uniting women and standing up for what women, including mother’s in the workforce rights are!

There needs to be equal pay!  A man should NOT be hired over a woman, because she is a mother or young enough to become one.  Women should be treated equally and given equal opportunities for promotions.  However a woman should not have to give up her right to be a woman, which includes, having and caring for her children.  This should not be left up for the state’s to decide, this is a federal government issue.  There needs to be put in place by the federal government laws to protect women nationwide.  Too many states have loopholes, such as “right to work” that are used against employees, such as working mothers who need flexibility in hours and breaks.

Employers need to stop trying to track an employee’s productivity with spreadsheets and graphs, calculating averages based on week to week activities, monitored and kept tracked by minute to minute detailed updates to verify, the employee is not wasting company money.  Employees are human beings and unable to maintain a specific task at a constant pace like a machine.  There are constant variables that need to be added to the equation when figuring out how long something will take to get done.  No matter how hard you try to predict a timeframe, you cannot expect it always to work out the way you hoped.

If employers could accept this concept, perhaps it would be easier for them to be more open and willing to be fair to women and not treat a pregnant or lactating woman, as an object.  I felt like I was an object and had to share with a group of people the intimacies of my pregnancies and my personal struggles as a breastfeeding mom.  It was degrading and embarrassing.  My right to privacy was being denied.  There is no reason, why I should account for the minutes and explain in detail why I had a bad day of needing more breaks.  It is not their place to tell a pregnant woman not to drink so much water, or what to be eating, so that I am not having to pee or getting “morning sickness” as much and needing extra breaks. 

All of this was humiliating and this pressure and ridicule came from the women I worked for, who were single, didn’t have kids, and/or never had severe “morning sickness”, and used formula instead of breastfeeding.  Perhaps some of the men, told them to do this, but that doesn’t make it right. 

As I said, I am ashamed right now to be a woman.  I hear women screaming about the importance of women’s Rights, but if a mother speaks up about her rights, she becomes the butt of jokes. 

Listen up, and pay attention, I made a choice, and my choice was to have my son.  Respect that choice of mine and don’t try to stifle my voice!  I want the right to raise my children to be good, wise and productive members of society and I don’t want that hindered by archaic beliefs that a woman has to de-feminize herself and be more like a man in order to get equal rights in the work place. Do NOT take away my right to be a WOMAN, have a family and hold a job.  This means that I, a mother should be allowed to be pregnant, give birth, choose what is right for my child and take an extended leave that is more than 6 weeks and breastfeed my child, without, risk of losing my job, losing pay for extra time off and getting equal job opportunities and pay!

Wow I sure sound demanding!  No, I am being blunt and straight forward.  I am not saying men; do not deserve many of these rights either as a single dad or parent. 

What I am saying is; every woman should have the right to be a mother!




*This was my experience back in 2005-2006 and it changed my outlook on life and women’s rights.  I am now married, my son is almost 6, and I have a 10mos old daughter and am a Stay At Home Mom.  I sometimes miss working, I really do.  Being a Stay At Home Mom has brought on many new challenges and I feel like I am running a small business.  Working Moms and Stay at Home Moms need to unite and speak up more about the right of a woman to be a mother without shame.  I cannot believe how there is a division amongst women when it comes to views of a woman’s place and rights in the work place.  Perhaps one day, all women will see eye to eye and realize that being a mother and making children the priority is neither a negative nor a step backwards.  Being a mother has been the greatest gift in my life. 

Please feel free to comment and share your experiences below!




Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Living in Small Spaces

Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your family, in order to have a better future.  My family made a 3 year commitment that will bring about much prosperity to us, but with a lot of sacrifice.

My husband and I had jobs, and a nice modest home, nothing extravagant but in a good family neighborhood but we were miserable with what we were doing for a living.  There were always layoffs and companies buying each other out and we kept getting moved around or looking for another place to work doing the same thing.

We also felt like we were not doing enough for others in our jobs.  My husband was probably the worse off of the both of us.  While I was able to be more positive, he wasn't able to.  He felt like he wasn't able to properly help people and was tired of giving canned answers, that he knew, weren't worth much anyway.

So we sat done and he explained to me, that he wanted to go to Law School.  Our son was going on 3 and the work force was looking bleak again.  We knew it was now or never.  Law School is a 3 year commitment and we would have to move.



So the last two years we have been living far away from friends and family and in a VERY tiny 3 bedroom apartment on the university's campus in Family Housing.  Our family room in the house we lived in could fit the whole first floor on this apartment.  The first floor has the living room, kitchen and dining area.  Upstairs, is the one and only bathroom and 3 very small bedrooms.  (BTW being pregnant and having the one and only bathroom upstairs was horrible!  I was seriously tempted to wear depends, TEMPTED! for all you clowns.)  Before we moved, we had to give stuff away and put stuff in storage. We thought we had room for what we did bring up.  BARELY, was the reality.  This apartment was smaller then imaged!

We have had to bring stuff down to storage in Boise to help some.  We have gotten rid of stuff, but it's of no use.  We now have 2 kids instead of one, 2 and a half years of stuff collected plus Law Books!  Well this year, I have to get down and dirty to be ready to move.

Here is the thing, once I sort through things, I have no place to put aside the stuff that is not to be thrown out, until it can make it's way to Boise.  Therefore I have no way to get to other things and we have a mess.  So I discussed this with my husband.   We rented a small storage unit and are going to put things in there to be kept stored, and things that we will use once we move and have space for it.

I am downsizing a lot while we are in this small space.  Kyle has agreed to get rid of some toys, donate some toys, put some away for when we move, some will be stored away for Hailey and some stored for when he has kids to play with.  I have kept up on the kids clothes but that is something I must stay on top of and going to do so again.  Summer clothes that I got that were slightly big on him will be stored until next summer/spring.

I am getting rid of most of my clothing, since I have a totally different body shape since having Hailey.  I have a bunch of new things that I wear now and those I will keep.  This will make so much more room!

On a side note, We are NOT hoarders nor does our place look like anything you see on those tv shows.  We just look like a family squeezed into a small place, tripping over each other.  It's like we are pin balls in a pinball machine and are getting tilted all the time!



I am even moving furniture into the storage unit to make space to walk!  Adding all the new baby stuff, just crammed us up even more!  I am getting rid of the DVD rack and all the DVD cases and putting the DVD's into binders and on to the bookcase, as well as all the PS3 and Wii games.  All the instruments for RockBand are going into storage also since we have no room to sit down a play them in the Living Room.  I kid you not, we have a sofa and a TV and that takes up most of the room!  I had to move out the coffee Table to fit stuff for Hailey and am removing the DVD rack so the kids can have space on the ground.  This place is TINY!

Downsizing isn't fun, but you need to create a game plan!  Map out areas to work on, and start in one area first.  Work on one thing at a time and don't let yourself feel overwhelmed.

Pick a time in the day to tackle an area.  Do not try to do it all in ONE day or set a new impossible goal as your finish date.  Set a reasonable goal, so that you don't feel discouraged or like you are failing.  Setting a goal will help you remain focused and motivated.

Remember some days things will not happen as you planed.  Do not be too hard on yourself and remind yourself, that you can catch up and get things done still.  Be realistic with your goals and your busy life.

Get your family involved, in helping you.  Find things the kids can do to help you out in areas.  If you have a spouse/partner also ask them to be involved.  My husband will be taking out trash, going to the storage unit and when he isn't nose deep in law books, will be helping me out by watching the kids, or going through things too.  Don't feel like you have to do this alone.

Make sure, you pack up your belongings in proper packaging and LABEL everything.  If you use a storage place, make sure your belongings are insured.  Some items do not store well in cardboard boxes, and for them use plastic bins, and/or storage bags, (not trash bags for valuable items!),





On a quick note, have an idea of where you are putting things in the storage unit so if you need to get to them, you can.  Perhaps making a quick map, and making sure there is a path in the middle to walk through and access your belongings.  A storage unit can become a huge mess, very easily and it's best to avoid the mess, as much as possible.

So this is what I will be working on this year.  I made a list of things I need to sort though, and am mapping it out.  Lil Dude is on board and has small tasks to do to help and is excited because it will go towards him earning his allowance.  (He earns so much by how much he does and he loses money if he is does something worth losing money over.)



I can't wait till the days of feeling like a tilted pin ball are over!

TTFN

Monday, August 20, 2012

Meal Planning and To Do Lists

You know your day couldn't possibly get worse, when you start it out by forgetting to grind the coffee beans and/or even add the coffee to the coffee maker when you brew your morning coffee....



It's Monday and right about now I am just grateful I survived last week.  It was our first week back up in the Great Palouse and Panhandle of Idaho.  I admit it is gorgeous and green up here.  However unlike the rest of Idaho, this part is in the Pacific Time Zone.  Trying to adjust back to the PST has been a struggle for my family, along with having a sick lil Dude.

I am never a big fan of Mondays.  The weekends are usually so busy, running around doing things with the family.  Trying to entertain a family and get things done over the weekend can be so hectic, by the time Monday arrives, you just don't have it in you to do much.  But can you take that break?  Oh my, you sure can't.  Your family needs you to help get them ready for the day.  Even on a summer day, they got you running around.

Today was however a big day for my Husband, he started his classes for his 3rd and final year of Law School.  I am super damn proud of him.  His morning hasn't be easy either.  Plus he is trying to make sure he can go back to Boise the first week of September to do a trial, pro-bono.  Pro-Bono work is required and not many Law Students get the chance to go to trial. So far it is looking like he can go.

Kyle's teacher already said he can go, and that means in 2 weeks, we are all headed back down to Boise for a week.  Which means that I need to pack up my family again!  No I am not looking forward to packing and unpacking.  I still and going through things now.

Anyways, I usually try to set up my meal plan and my to do lists on Friday or Saturday for the following week.  This does NOT always happen.  I find it harder to find meals that my family really enjoy during the summer when it is so hot.  While we had the central AC at our place in Boise, they we more open to different meals.  Here in Moscow, ID., we do not have that luxury.  In fact it is so hot and stuff, not only do you not want to eat but you would rather stare at your to do list, then do anything.

I am eager for some cooler weather and for Kyle to start Kindergarten.  I think then I can be more active and will have more time to actually tackle my to do list.

So today, I am keeping my meals, light and simple for my family.  For breakfasts, yogurts, smoothies and granola nut bars, seem to really hit the spot, plus some fresh fruit like grapes or bananas.  Lunches are sandwiches, with cold veggies such as carrots and broccoli on the side.  Dinner, also has been sandwiches, and light fun meals, like little smokies.  I have used my crock pot to prepare meats for sandwiches for dinner.   BBQ ribs or chicken with corn and fresh bread is always a nice meal.  It can be hard to stick to a meal plan but you can rotate things around as needed.  There is no reason to be too strict and not bend things to fit your day and how you or your family are feeling.  The plan is there to help you budget out what you buy, keep track of what you have and helps you have a plan to go by for meals.

As for my To Do List.  I create a few.  There is one with normal daily tasks full of things to do to maintain your home.  I even make a list for my son.  It's simple, such as pick up toys in Living Room, put dirty clothes in hamper, etc.  And yes there is a Honey do list I make, or he makes for himself often.  I love it when he adds, to massage and pamper wife.  (He is a good husband)

Cozi is a FREE online family calendar, shopping list, family journal & photo collage screensaver. Simplify family life with Cozi. 

Steps When Creating A List:

  1. Figure out how you plan to maintain your lists, spreadsheets, online planners, etc...
    1. I personally use  http://www.cozi.com/ 
  2. Prepare a Daily List, a Weekly List, a Major Task List and Final Major Task List.
  3. Organize your tasks under each list starting with Daily Tasks.
    1. Daily tasks, can be picking up things left laying around, doing dishes, in other words, things that need to be taken care around the house every day.
    2. Weekly tasks, can be your grocery shopping, vacuuming, laundry, cleaning out refrigerator, things that have to be done on a regular basis but not daily.
    3. Major Tasks, usually are things that need to be done around the home, organizing the pantry, sorting through kids toy/clothes, cleaning out closets
    4. Final Major Task List, I wish I had a better name for this list, but it is for those things you can do once the major tasks are done, such as decorating, realizing you need more storage space and getting it or getting more baskets to organize better.  If you are in a small space, getting all that stuff BEFORE getting rid of a lot of stuff, you will have no room to clean things out or you may buy more stuff then you need to organize.  Be frugal and thrifty and keep it simple. (Lessons I have learned the hard way!)
  4. By sorting out your lists they are easier to tackle and manage.  
  5. Start with your Daily List and move on down.  
  6. Do not expect your Major Tasks to be done over night.  Do not pressure yourself.
  7. Get your family involved in these tasks and have them helping out.  Kids can do smaller tasks and parts of major ones.  Be creative.
Remember when going through your belongings and your children's only keep in your home, what is being used and what there is room for.  If you have storage space, to save keepsakes, or for another child not yet old enough for some things, store them properly in waterproof packaging not just a cardboard box, that can get wet, or be torn apart or eaten buy vermin.

Later I will post more on how to create more room in your home to store your kids toys, dvds and many other things and share, blogs from some of my favorite Mom's and Author's out there.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Shopping for Kids and Saving Money!


Walking into a Macy's One Day Sale looking for ONE thing, is never safe.  I never did purchase that pillow I wanted there.  This smaller Macy's up here in Moscow, ID has such a small selection and lack king size pillows, that I did not buy what I was looking for there.




However, the sales on lil Dude's and Miss Diva's stuff was to good to pass up.  Kyle got hooked up with his favorite Nike Track Suits and shorts.  Hailey, got a bunch of warmer clothes also.

I wish that was all the shopping we had today.  But nooooooo!  We had more and I was determined to find a new pillow.  My other pillow was old and needing to be retired.

Shopping with the family can be fun and a nightmare all in the same trip.  If one kid isn't acting up a bit, then the other may start up, unless they are going at it together.  Sometimes I think they are just testing us parents and our abilities to multi-task between them both.

Yes at Bed Bath and Beyond I found the perfect pillow and yes they too were having a sale and they carry King size!  I FOUND MY PERFECT PILLOW!  And it was not over $100.  King size pillows can be so expensive and you want one that will last long and has the right support for you neck.  I have major neck issues.  Normally the pillow I chose is around $159.00 and I was able to purchase it at $79.00.

Now we are trying to make lil Dude's bed more comfy and tempting to sleep in for him.  So we purchased a faux down mattress pad, also at BBB.  Then we went to ShopKo where they were selling Micro Fiber sheets.  Kyle picked a set with strips with lots of blues.  This goes great with his favorite Blue comforter he got last Christmas at the Ronald McDonald House and the rug I put in his room.  I will get pictures later of his bed.



Yes I do get excited at a great deal on an item!  Yes his sheets had been marked down to only $9.88.  When there is something I need and I can find it at a great price without giving up on quality, I feel like I am doing good for my family.  

I did find a great lap tray for my son's drawing, and writing for UNDER $5!  He starts Kindergarten and has been wanting to practice a lot and this lap tray I found at Michael's yesterday has been great for him so far! I also purchased a few sketch books and sticker sets for him and managed to leave the store spending under $20.  I was thrilled with my loot at such a low price.

Today I want to do very very very little.  I ran around way too much and am so drained.  I can't wait until this heat goes away!

TTFN

Thursday, August 16, 2012

So Are You "Buying" Summer Slam?

Oh yes, every month, before a PPV for wrestling, the internet is a buzz with the big question, "Did WWE sell  the PPV enough on their shows leading up to it, for you to buy it?"

It is amusing watching all the editorials come out many often complaining about the lack of build up, to be interested in purchasing the PPV.  Then reading the comments from internet fans soundly agreeing and then joking how they haven't bought one for years.

It is these same people, the fans who come up with all sorts of rational excuses as to why the PPV ratings are not as high as they should, with the one except of pointing the finger to themselves.  The ones who are stealing them by watching the PPV's on internet streams are part of the problem.

I find it annoying when I see wrestling sites and writers joking on twitter, about finding these free streams and being serious when asking people to message them where there is a good free stream to watch the show on. NOT ALL SITES OR WRITERS DO THIS! I have never seen, Wrestlezone, nor PWTorch ever do this and therefore I want to make mention of their integrity on this matter.  (Now some of the fans who comment on twitter or in articles on these sites do, but those running and writing on these sites, do not ask for free streams publicly from what I have seen.)

Why do I find it odd and amusing for all these internet fans aka IWC to discuss if WWE creative did a good job of selling the PPV to them?  HELLO?  Why would the WWE or even TNA try to sell the PPV to the IWC when they openly admit to not paying for them.

Yes I know they are expensive.  However that is no excuse to be stealing something.  Just because it is easy to do and you feel safe doing it, because you won't get caught or into any trouble, it still does not make it right. Still the main point I want to make is, complaining about something you weren't going to buy anyway and still watch.

If it is important for you to see and talk about it with friends, find ways to save money to watch it.  Don't buy so many latte's or forgo buying a game that month.  How about get a bunch of friends together and see how much everyone can scrape up and then buy it.  Get creative!

Yes my family enjoys watching these PPV's and guess what, we pay for them.  We have put it in our entertainment budget and cut out things so we can do this.  To help out friends, we invite them to watch it with us.  We make a party out of it and have a BLAST!



Here's the thing.  If you are not going to buy it no matter what, and be watching online from a stream, just remember, WWE is going to focus on those who pay and that is what they have been doing for quite sometime.

Also before a bunch of you start going on and on about the Attitude Era and how the WWE has been ruined and that's why you won't buy it. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!  You are watching WWE, right?  You still hold some interest in it, then.  Plus if it wasn't ruined as you feel it is, would you really be buying it, when you have such easy access to get it free, legal or not?  For many IWC, being able to get something so expensive free through a hack is just too tempting.

So until the attitude begins to change in the IWC, the WWE isn't going to be bending over backwards to cater to your wants.  It just is NOT going to happen.

And YES MY FAMILY WILL BE PURCHASING SUMMER SLAM ON SUNDAY!!!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Finally Home, New Car, Sick Kids


This past summer has been a whirl wind. It reminded me of one of my favorite roller coaster rides at Knott's Berry Farm, Montezooma's Revenge. A whole lot of, adrenaline racing, back and forth, upside down, full of exciting fun and stressed out adventures.



It was three months living away from home in furnished apartments and trying to keep up with friends and family, my husband's internship at the Public Defenders Office and trying to keep some normalcy in our lives. I really am not sure if we truly achieved all of that. However, it feels like we sure gave it a good try and it was worth all the ups and downs. 

This is a summer our little family will never forget. Well, perhaps Hailey, she is nearly 8 mos and will not have these memories, but I digress.

Our car, our beloved Isuzu Trooper V8, 4WD gas hog, that has brought our family all over the Northwest in good and hellacious weather, is no more. Last summer we dropped in a new engine, when the transmission and alternator started acting up, my father in law looked at me, and said, it was time to get a more reliable car. Yes indeed it was time. 

So yes we now have a more fuel efficient, Eco friendly V6 4WD RAV4. With this car being more streamline and smaller in the back, it was more difficult packing stuff to return home. 

That was a whole other adventure and everyone involved is still amazed at what we achieved! Yes my in laws did follow us back up as they follow us back down with a load of stuff in the gigantic Suburban. That vehicle made our Trooper look like a speck of a car next to it!

Being back home is nice but also hectic. Kyle unfortunately, got a virus, from the swimming pool at the YMCA, he went to for Day Camp, (mind you the week and a half before we was out sick with hand, foot and mouth disease he caught from some kids there).

Having a whining, sick, tired child with a stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhea is frazzling to say the least. At first you are confused, wondering why your child is so sick and full of worry and concern. Then your motherly instincts kick into full gear and you do all you can to comfort and nurse your child back to health. 

However, your child is not getting well within 24 or even 48 hours and since this is viral, you have only so much you can to to help your child. 

Your beautiful child is becoming restless, tired, and frustrated with being sick. That pleasant and respectful attitude you are so use to has been replaced by whining, snarling, frowning, mini monster, that is grating on your nerves. You find yourself looking for opportunities to get out of the house alone, even for 15 minutes.

Well for myself this has been my nightmare with maybe a 5 or 6 day break of both kids being sick free. I would say I have gained a few gray hairs, however my recent dye job is covering them up, so I am unable to honestly tell. I have been sleep deprived. It is so bad, that I know as soon as I lay down either the baby or lil dude will need me to get up for them that I am falling asleep while sitting up in bed. Don't even ask how that is affecting my neck.


(see I got new glasses! oh yeah I am styling now!)

I had hoped to get a lot of unpacking done and start a lot of prepping stuff for the fall and planning my strategy to de-clutter things around here, (remove old toys and clothes and things we no longer need or use). 

None of my grand plans have come to fruitation. I have avoided making things worse, by cooking a lot in the crock pot and using paper plates and bowls. I hate not having room to put in a dish washer. It's even worse when you are so worn out, to do a ton of dishes you must resort to such tactics, that are not so environmentally sound.

I am glad my husband has been home this week, helping out.  He has been unpacking, cleaning and taking care of the kids.  Without him as a partner, I would be buried in a bigger mess and in need of a straight jacket!  

Saturday, May 5, 2012

A Busy week for a SAHM


You know that saying "Running around like a chicken whose head has been cut off"  That has been ME!  

SOOOOOOOO MUCH has happened this week!!!  I mean SO MUCH!  

Sunday - That was crazy busy fun!  We all had a simple bagel and cream cheese breakfast.  Hailey started being extremely cranky, which later that day we noticed all her drooling and felt her gums and realized, she has teeth getting ready to cut through!!!  The whole family went out to shop for Kyle's friends birthday gift.  Of course Nate and I then grabbed some Starbucks and then drove through KFC for some lunch.  Since we were nearby, we went to the indoor park at lunch and let lil Dude run loose and have a blast.  From there we went to the birthday party.  Nathan and I hung out at this one.  There are a few we hang out at, because we get along really well with those parents and it is usually a lot of fun
.  
Of course Kyle hung out a little later with a few kids at the bday party that was at this really awesome park with GREAT slides!  I was so glad I had already bought the WWE Extreme Rules PPV and had the dvr recording it or we would have missed the beginning.  I had dinner cooking in the crock pot all day and so it was ready when we got home and sat down to watch Extreme Rules.

Monday - it was freaking snowing and cold and miserable and Kyle had been sick with a cold, so I kept him home from preschool.  I was behind on my meal plan and had to shop for a few groceries.  I was just glad to get that all done.  Oh and balanced check book and paid bills and looked at budget for this month. Oh and we sealed a deal on a furnished apt in Boise for the summer!  We are moving into a one bedroom on May 23rd and then a two bedroom on June 2 until August 11th Then we are back up here in Moscow!

Tuesday - worked on sorting things and organizing Kyle's crafts, all of our books, old mail, pictures, and so much more.  This is ONLY the beginning and next week, I will do more, even all of our clothing. Oh and I got my nails done! ( I do them myself to save on money and time)

Wednesday - was my Birthday!  I am rejoicing and praising the LORD that I made it to 40!!!  Yes I am 40 years old!!!  Lil Dude wanted to stay home from school and spend the day with us.  I am so glad he did!  We went out to breakfast at my favorite breakfast place, The Breakfast Club.  We then went out to Pullman, Wa, to get me my "own" Beyblades to "share" with lil dude!!!  That was a lot of fun.  We ran around all over town and then back to Moscow, Id and the mall there.  We grabbed some starbucks and walked around the mall.  Nathan wanted me to go to Hot Topic to pick out some more earrings for my Birthday!  I found some great ones and guess what, you get a discount on your BIRTHDAY!!  

Then it was lunchtime and we went to Smoky Mountain Grill where I got my FREE lunch for my Bday.  Miss Diva was being super cute and wowing the staff there as was lil Dude. We then grabbed a few things we needed at RiteAid and headed home!!!  My hubby and lil Dude had done a ton of shopping for my birthday and I got to get into my gifts.  I had a BLAST.  

We were debating on where to go for dinner and finally chose Casa de le Lopez.  Holey Moley it was Margarita NIGHT!  We went early at 5pm but it still was full of tons of people with lots of large parties!!!  We almost left but we did end up staying and enjoying our meal.  Yes I wore the sombrero while everyone sang to me and got some free fried ice cream I shared with lil dude!


Now Kyle received his first wallet from his grandparents for graduation this week with a few dollars, which he added his allowance too and really wanted to buy something with it.  So we went shopping and Kyle bought this block Angry Bird game for kids, which we all had fun playing that night!

Thursday -  we got the news we had been waiting for.  We knew there were three places all very interested in having my husband intern there for the summer.  Well his adviser emailed them all to let them know whats up and find out the decision.  Now Nathan and I were both up at 6:30am with Miss Diva.  He checked his email and saw that around 7am, the Public Defenders Office in Boise had emailed requesting more information.  Since he was up, he sent it right out.  By 7:30am they called offering him an internship and wanting him to get there ASAP.  They also of course talked down the other places interested in him and promised him he would even get to do a trial  himself!  Of course Nathan accepted this!!  Plus this was his FIRST CHOICE!  

This was when our day got crazy.  There is so much that goes into getting a limited license to practice law before the BAR gives its finally approval.  We had already gotten the Dean to approve it and now needed to fill out an app and get it notarized and get paperwork for who will be his supervising Attorney and send it out to them to get it signed and notarized and forwarded to the Bar!  

Now that we had a date for Nathan to be there and had a better idea of where in Boise he would be working, we had a ton of things to confirm and do.  We didn't have a choice in waiting to rent out the apartment because there was a waiting list behind us and they wouldn't hold it much longer.  There were a couple places we looked at but chose the nicer one with a fenced in area around the apt for Kyle to play outside, plus a gym and pool and other services.

Well this meant I had to scan a ton of paperwork and email it back to the Boise YMCA to register Kyle.  Contact the cable company to see if we could suspend our services while away, find out what to do, to knock down the electric and gas bill while gone and other things.  I ended up on the phone, online and got those things confirmed!  

Then Nathan and I had to GRAB a STARBUCKS! (do you see a theme for us?) Go to the bank to have paperwork notarized, for Free since we bank there!  We also went to the school where Kyle will be attending Kindergarten.  We needed to drop off paperwork to register him and Nate had never been there yet and so we walked through the school.  I am super excited about this and infact already joined the PAT there.  I know a couple of the parents already!  Kyle was one of a few chosen to go there, who did not have older siblings already attending.  I am so thrilled Kyle was selected!



We also had to get to the DMV again!!!  I finally got the email notice that they released the hold on my car so that I can register it!  I printed out the email, to bring with me, since it said the DMV would call to get the number to confirm the release instead of giving it to me to give them.  Oh the woman at the counter was annoyed but called.  LOL  I am just glad it is done.  I prob will want to use the car this summer.

We also had to grab a pair of dress sandals for Kyle.  I didn't want to buy dress shoes that he would only wear once and grow out of before wearing again!  However sandals he will wear often!  We were so hungry from running around, that we managed to grab food at The China Buffet.  I was so glad to get home after all this and unwind!  However with a baby and 5 yr old, how much unwinding can one do?

Friday - Kyle's Pre - K graduation!!!!  Oh yeah!!!  He got all dressed up and looking good.  I still need to post the pictures but been too tired and busy!  (go figure) There were a couple things we had to grab at Walmart for Miss Diva and figured we would make a gift baggies of goodies and a gift card for lil Dude for graduation.  

Yes we did GRAB a Starbucks while we were out and about running errands.  We got the teachers these gorgeous flowers that they can plant somewhere.  

We got home and "tried" to take a nap but Miss Diva wouldn't have it.  Her teeth are really trying to push through and she is cranky!!!  Yes we are using teething tablets and amongst other things.  
Then we all packed up and went to see Kyle graduate from Pre-K!!!  It was so fun and Kyle was so excited when he saw us there!  The teachers each had something to say about each child and I loved what they said about Kyle.  "Kyle is very much a family man and is always telling everyone about his mama, and daddy and baby sister, he also drinks 6 glasses of milk a day, because when he grows up he wants to be a wrestler!"  That is so lil Dude!

Lil Dude gave his teachers the flowers and we gave Kyle his bag of goodies.  Of course he wanted to spend the gift card on something for today. So we went and he got a hulk mask and fists to wear for today!


I was so glad that dinner was once again cooked and ready in the crock pot!!!  

By 8pm Hailey was asleep and the rest of us crawled into bed and watched WWE Smackdown or at least tried to.  We all fell asleep within an hour.  Lil Dude was snoring before Nate and I dozed off!
Today - I got some sleep since Nathan was up with Hailey (we take turns every morning or we both just get up).  Breakfast was simple.  Often Nathan makes us a cheesy egg breakfast on Saturday or Sunday, but not today.  

Kyle woke up excited and anxious to go and see The Avengers today.  This is part of my Bday gift and Kyle's graduation gift.  We will get there a bit early.  Since the indoor park is right out in front of the theater, we will eat a lunch there and let Kyle play until it's time to go in to watch it.  
Dinner tonight is leftovers!!!  We have stroganoff and cheesy ham and potatoes to choose from.  YUM!!!

I am so glad that Nathan didn't have any finals this week or I would have lost my mind trying to do all this by myself! Next week he has a ton of finals.

And I have a ton of house work to prepare for moving this summer!  So glad Nathan helped with the housework this week!!!

So there you have my week.  If anyone DARES say that SAHM's do nothing they can kiss my ass!

By the way best tool I have found online to organize everything from appointments, to do lists and meal planning is www.cozi.com

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Wrestlemania, The Rock, Cena and Brock

I had meant to write this weeks ago but unfortunately life caught up with me and only now can I sit and write.

Minus The Rock even being a part of Wrestlemania, I rather enjoyed the PPV and feel like it was money well spent.  A few curve balls were thrown at us and HHH and The Undertaker were truly epic.  For me I would have not purchased Wrestlemania, if it weren't for my desire to see everyone other then The Rock.

I admit, that I have never been a fan of The Rock as a wrestler.  Now Dwayne Johnson the actor, I like and rather enjoy watching him on the big screen.  I just wish he could take that dynamic from the big screen to the wrestling ring.  Please understand I love a good heel.  I love hating a character so much that you enjoy watching their every move and hearing their promos.  However The Rock does not stir up those feelings of excitement.  Even as a face he bored me.  He is one of the few WWE Wrestlers out there that just get under my skin and not in a good way that a heel should.

I was truly disgusted and disappointed that The Rock won the match against Cena.  Of course that probably is of no surprise to you.  Whether or not you like Cena, he is there and works hard.  Cena has proven his dedication to the WWE and the fans.  I loved how he has stayed true to himself and didn't let anyone bully him into changing.  Sure there are fans wanting him to become a heel, but he comes across as a strong man of integrity, by "Rising Above the Hate".

Listen, if The Rock wasn't such a douche and actually wrestled more often, then I would not be so angered by him winning.  Cena deserved to win and earned it with his intense and sometimes even fun promos and working everyday with the WWE.  The Rock couldn't compete with Cena on the mic, nor does he wrestle much if any with the WWE.

It was a bad decision to allow The Rock to win.  Was it Dwayne's ego that pushed for this win or did WWE Creative get drunk on the job when making such a bad decision?

Since John Cena's lose to The Rock, he has had to deal with another wrestler "returning" to the WWE.  I am withholding my judgement on Brock Lesner and giving him a chance to excite me and draw me in.  His promos are hit and miss.  He has intensity but is slow when speaking.  His slowness ruins the build up.  I am sure this is something he can work on.  Oh, and perhaps Brock should re-think walking around with his sponsors on his clothes, this ain't Nascar, man!

I am amused that like The Rock, Brock is being allowed to not be so PG.  Here is the thing, if WWE is going to allow them to show blood, drop the f-bomb and other choice words, then the other wrestlers should be allowed to also.  Oh my I know a parent of a lil dude who loves wrestling, saying this can be shocking.  Seriously though, the WWE needs to figure out a balance between PG, and R.  Give me some PG-13 with a touch of R and I think people will still watch it and others may return to watch it!  In other words "GIVE ME BLOOD!", give me the nitty gritty WWE with out the "Sexual Chocolate."

Oh and I have much to say about this "Lord Tensai" and The Funkasaurus but I will save that for next time.