Let the frenzied purchases begin!

What is it about the kids going back to school that make the normal, mini-van driving Mom turn into a foaming, fanged creature? The employees hide when they see you coming with your screaming brood and as you destroy the Children's dept. in a whirlwind of pint-sized fashion. I stepped over countless piles of shoes and clothes and backpack piles in my quest for a birthday present today because I, unlike the rest, am done with my back to school shopping. Yes, that would be done as in finished, complete, and not continuing to do so any longer, so there! Ha!
So what's my secret? Okay, I'll confess to a little cheating this year, two of my kids are wearing uniforms to school this year. Once I learned of this and made the decision to keep them there at the same school for another year, I got to work collecting the necessary blue, white, and yellow polo shirts and the khaki or navy shorts, pants and skirts. I didn't cheat all the way though, I didn't just roll over and order everything from the school's uniform supply (as was suggested by the school) I did my leg work and made some pretty good scores! Yes, bargain shopping is the life blood of yours truly!
I read the uniform guidelines carefully and scoured the kid's existing clothes for what was uniform appropriate and to make a list of what to get. Anytime I went out shopping for the last 2 months I looked and when I came across a good deal, I snatched them up! Wal-Mart had appropriate colored shirts in my daughter's size on clearance for 3 dollars a piece, I snatched up the last 5 of them! Score! Sears had navy blue shorts in my son's size for 2.50 a piece and I bought 3 of them as well! Score! One of the very best scores I found was at Old Navy, polo shirts for 5 dollars a piece and long pants for 10 dollars a piece, I was easily able to get the rest of what the kids needed, without breaking the bank! Score!
My condolences to anyone who still needs to brave the throngs of screaming kids and over-stuffed racks in the quest for "the perfect pair of sneakers", I won't be joining you. I'll be getting the last bit of my vacation time with my kids for the next 2 weeks before I wave them off to learn and to get my house to stay cleaner longer than an hour! =0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY

There's a fine line...

Being a parent is the best way to motivate yourself to be a better person in all aspects. You need to put your best foot forward monitor your actions because you are now the example they learn from and follow. There's a fine line we have to walk between our fears and projections and what is truly best for your child. Just like ignorance is fed through the mouths of the uneducated/disadvantaged to their children, hard work and determination and selflessness can be too.
I have found that people don't always deem this as important as it should be and am often questioned when I point out otherwise. Children aren't miniature yous, they are humans and deserve to be treated with respect just the same as any adult. I let my children decide things for themselves (and guide them of course), but I always stay neutral unless I'm asked for my opinion.
My daughter made the decision to join a church last year age nine and I have been questioned and brow beaten on both sides over this decision, as if it were my own. On the converse my oldest son had had the opportunity to do the same, but has no desire and questions the concept of religion all together. On both decisions I gave my children my honest opinion and encouraged them to follow what they believe is right. I had a friend recently very upset with me for "allowing" my 9 year old daughter to make such decision, he blustered, " ...but, she's only nine! How can you let her make such a life altering decision?" I explained that she had made the decision, not only that she set her own interview and baptism time and whatever my feelings are, I could not see how having religion in your life could be a bad thing.
Which it isn't.
No one seems to understand my oldest son's decision on the other side of this either. I would not ever force him to participate if he didn't want to, it's his decision entirely. He is a man of science and even though we have explained to him the concept of creationism, I'm not entirely sure he believes it. Space travel and super-novas and black holes are fascinating to him, he could tell you all the facts of every planet in the solar system, but could he tell you if there is a God? I don't know.
What kind of parent would I be if told my kids that the sky is yellow, just because I though it should be? I hate ketchup with a passion, but that doesn't mean I don't buy it, or not let my kids eat it. If I'm afraid of something or unsure or passionate without fact and I teach my kids that, what would I get? Kids who think the sky is yellow, hate ketchup, are afraid of their shadows and yell the loudest with out anything substantial to back them up. If all parents did this, I would be afraid for our future. I don't know how much of a tip this was...but, it works for me! ;0)

From the mouths of babes

For those of you who cared to notice, I missed my "This is what I like" segment yesterday. I've run out of things worth touting for the time being and will get back to it when I feel so inspired! I also wasted most of my blogging energy to a long winded entry in my Among the Lambsfold blog (click it if you're interested!)so, I have a little tidbit for the time being!
As a parent I consider myself lucky to be in charge of the upbringing of such wonderful little spirits that are my children. When they are very little they learn by mimicking what you do and say. When you laugh out loud they do too, when you unwittingly let lose an F-bomb, chances are they will do it too! As they grow though, it is great to listen as they develop their own personalities and thoughts about the world around them. Being home all the time now, I am able to witness these things more often and I love it!
My little one at 7, still drops his "R's" in his speech and his "L's" sound more like "ul" instead of "el". This makes for some interesting conversations when you aren't listening very well. The word Wal-Mart sounds more like Waul-Mawt and his speech is full of "W's". I could hear him growling at his siblings yesterday in the next room and asked what the problem was. "Mom, they'we making fun of my accent", he pouted. I snickered as he frowned and shouted at his siblings, "It's not funny!" and they laughed. I apologized and told his siblings to knock it off, I shouldn't have laughed...but it was so cute, I couldn't help it! =0)
My daughter is the boss and her nickname from my Man and I is "brat-child", she has a strong personality and natural leadership skills. She is in charge (self-appointed) of her brothers' behavior and takes the role very seriously. Being the only girl and the only granddaughter on one side of the family, she gets what she wants most of the time. She is nothing like me in personality, but is my only ally in the land of testosterone. She chatters incessantly about her dolls and clothes and the latest i-Carly episode. With an endless supply of friends and shoes and the annoyance of having to wear a uniform this year to school, she told me last night, "I hate that we have to wear uniforms to school this year, I just have an entire closet full of clothes that are inappropriate and it's not fair!" =0)
My oldest boy is not overly expressive (unless it has to do with whatever he is obsessing about) and his expressions don't generally match his feelings. I always take the time to listen closely to what he has to say because occasionally he shocks me. He told me on the way home from Wal-Mart last night, "I sure am a lucky boy!" I asked why that was and he told me, "I have my very own DS (Nintendo), I have a violin, and most importantly I have a home." "Yes son, you are a lucky boy", I smiled knowing that I really am the lucky one. He is such a good boy, Asperger's syndrome and all. He will never see the world like the rest of us do, but is learning to navigate his way through...and I really am the lucky one. =0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy

Never underestimate the power of a little positive thinking.
According to the staff at the Mayo Clinic you can better manage stress and improve your overall health by practicing a little positive thinking. I know we've had this discussion before: I'm not really an optimist, more of a realist, but even I can appreciate the power of a little positivity in my life.
Life can be hectic with schedules and kids and chores and jobs and just breathing some days! Why not help improve your chances for things to work out in your favor by thinking positively? It can't hurt anything and if everything is crappy now, why not try this out? A couple of tips from the Mayo Clinic staff would be:
Check yourself. Practicing positive self-talk (our internal dialogue) is so helpful! Instead of thinking you don't have the ability to do something, put a positive spin on it. I'm not good at this, but with a little practice I'll get better.
Find the Humor. Look for the humor in situations that are uncomfortable or stressful. Trust me, if I didn't ever laugh at myself I would be ornery constantly! I'm goofy and a little clumsy and that's okay, really it is!
Be Healthy. Healthy eating and regular exercise are proven to make you feel better, so why not try it? Take up walking, eat vegetables, take your vitamins...I do these things and I feel great!
Surround yourself with positive people. My ex-husband was such a downer, if anything could go wrong with him it would and it really drug me down. My man is such a happy/sunny person, he makes me want to better and be positive and happy despite the downs in life. It makes it so much easier to maintain a positive outlook when those around you are too.
Instead of thinking the worst is bound to happen, try a positive spin. This hasn't worked out the way I wanted, but hey now I have more time for something I truly enjoy! See how it works? I don't underestimate the power of positive thinking and you shouldn't either...just a thought! =0)

Mom vs. The Anti-sleeper

This would be my precocious, almost 10-year-old daughter. This would also be the anti-sleeper in my house. Now I can understand if she were a little younger, the refusal to stay put in bed, but she really is almost 10 and fairly mature for her age. I'm writing this blog in the hopes that I can gain a little insight on the "why" I keep getting woken up in the night to her aimless wanderings.
I sleep like the dead. My boys are good sleepers too. I'll first have to place the blame on her Dad, who is an extremely light sleeper. I awoke to babies in the bed countless times when they were teeny because he heard them whimpering in their sleep, clear on the other side of the house. So, I know she comes by the light sleeping honestly! I have tried countless things to keep her down and I'm running out of options. I am sitting here with a lack of sleep headache because she got up twice in the night last night. The first time it was because the dishwasher turned on (it's on a delay timer because it's noisy during prime-time) and I could hear her coming toward our room. Our flooring is a bit noisy, BTW... (I can hear the kids coming from all the way down the hall) She came to my man's side of the bed and he woke up a little and it jolted me out of a dead sleep. I followed her back to bed and asked what had woken her up. She told me and I kissed her forehead and I told her to go back to sleep. The second time she didn't wake me up, but she woke my man up and he bolted out of bed, jarring me out of sleep again. He put her back to bed again. *Yawn*
This is what we've tried:
Melatonin. This works sometimes and sometimes not so much. It's the natural hormone your body makes that induces sleep. If I take it, I am dead. If she takes it, it works sometimes, sometimes not...eh, go figure.
White noise. I have a small fan by her bed that runs and helps block out any of the house creaking and outside noise from our lovely neighbors. The only problem I have is that I can't get her to let me turn it on most of the time. I will be making sure it gets turned on from now on though.
Bed schedule. Do the same thing every night, brush your teeth at the same time, put on pj's, take a bath, go to bed at 9. This will have to get strict again (we are pretty lax during summer break), it may be a big factor.
My man uses a STOP sign. He puts it on a chair in the hall and it has a large STOP on it and directs the offender back to bed. He claims great success. I pointed out that he has used it like once and I don't think she even got up that night. So, who knows on this!
Rearrange the room. I removed the bed from the outside wall, she kept claiming she could hear the neighbors outside, the wind, the branches, etc. My man even bought her a new trundle daybed as a surprise for her up coming birthday. It'll take up a whole lot less room and still serve the purpose we need and she won't outgrow it, unlike the bunk bed.

What to try now:
Wear her out. It's stinking hot in our area, the kids don't get a whole lot of outdoor playtime. I think I'll make a better effort to take a walk in the evening, or to visit the splash pad (which is close by) or to take a bike ride with her. Let's see if this is a little more helpful.
I'm going to get her to move to her bottom bunk. It'll be cooler for sure and she won't be up high enough to see out the top of her window either. The new bed will solve this issue as well.
Follow the bed time schedule. I blame my man for part of this, he gets home pretty late, so we eat kinda late, and the kids miss him and want to hang out with him all evening until bed. I'll just have to put my foot down and get him to make a better effort to get home at a decent time as well.
Alright, I think I have a plan to wrangle my anti-sleeper and I would love to hear any suggestions you have as well! I think a nap is definitely in order for today, *yawn*.

TiP fOr TuEsDaY

I have hand sanitizer and I'm not afraid to use it!

I know we've had this conversation before, you know the one about me being a bit of a closet germ-a-phobe? Anyway, it's true. Germs are icky, germs make us smell, germs make us sick and deserve to be zapped! ZAP!! I'm all for hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer when necessary, but did you know that it has so many more uses than just on your hands? It's true! Read on and find out!

Hand sanitizer versus smelly armpits! TMI coming up... (sorry YOU'RE the one reading this!) I sweat, a lot. Not all over, but mostly my armpits. Yes, I know...ick! Not only do I sweat from being hot, I sweat when I'm too cold too. I sweat when I'm nervous as well, I use prescription strength deodorant, which helps mostly. At the end of the day though, it never fails, my armpits smell! If I'm just going to bed and not out on the town (okay, I never really do this but, I can dream right! ha!) I don't want to put on more deodorant because it builds up and is really hard to scrub out in the morning. I use a little hand sanitizer and voila! Smelly armpits zapped! Thank-you hand sanitizer!

Hand sanitizer versus the anti-glare lens! I wear glasses, I don't see anything anymore without them. I have both a scratch coat and an anti-glare coat on my lenses, which I love BTW... I have an astigmatism and live in a place with lots of bright sun and the anti-glare rocks for nighttime driving and had been a lifesaver for my astigmatism. The only annoying thing is they are a pain in the butt to get clean and streak free. I use a little hand sanitizer and a a dry cloth and ZAP! My lenses are clean and streak free, and no scratches either! Cool!

Hand sanitizer versus de feet! Sandals and hot weather were made for each other, right? As a hard core south-westerner, I know this well. People generally wear them year round, 'round these parts...spit-ding! =0) Now what do you do if your favorite sandals leave you feet not so fresh? Whip out yer hand sanitizer lil' Missy and wipe them down...spit-ding! Yer feet will be fresh again in no time! Hand sanitizer, my hero!

Curious as to why hand sanitizer works on smelly stuff? Well, germs are the culprit and that's what makes things smelly! You kill the germs and you kill the smell! Zap! Hand sanitizer, you've done it again! Here's your tip for Tuesday, it works for me...try it, I'll bet it will work for you too! =0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe

Now we're cooking with gas!
I know I'm getting away from my usual "This is what I like" segment, but this was from a suggestion from my man...I guess I'll roll with it! I know that this isn't a product that is easily purchasable at your local store, but it DOES make my life easier and if anyone wants to use it for future reference, have at it! I'm sitting here typing and enjoying the smell of my Ham and Potato Soup (gluten free, see recipe at sidebar) and thinking about the benefits of cooking with natural gas.
It's less expensive than electric cooking. Our gas bill hovers around 20 bucks in the summertime. This includes our hot water heater, gas-dryer, and of course our range. In the winter our heat in gas based too, but this time of year a great gauge of the savings we enjoy are reflected directly in the bill!
You can cut you cook times way down. It take no time at all to brown turkey-burger, to fry an egg, and if I use my power burner to boil water, it's usually ready before I am! Makes meals quicker and easier to prepare and that makes Mom happy, which we all know is a good thing!
It's conscientious. I know I enjoy living a little greener and keeping my mother earth happy, don't you? Instead of using electricity generated from mostly coal-fired sources, I'm using a cleaner alternative. It burns cleaner. Period. (This is by no way an opinion on coal-fired power plants. They are the source of electricity for 50% of American homes and a needed commodity. My family depends on it, I'm sure yours does too!)
Okay, that's it! I like natural gas cooking check my links too, I found them most useful! I'm off to enjoy my Ham and Potato Soup (gluten free) cooked with natural gas, I know I like it, maybe you will too!

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy

Belief.

Pronunciation: \bə-ˈlēf\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English beleave, probably alteration of Old English gelēafa, from ge-, associative prefix + lēafa; akin to Old English lȳfan — more at believe
Date: 12th century

1 : a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing
2 : something believed; especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group
3 : conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence

This is a powerful word and it seems to be much easier through the eyes of our children. They believe in things that cannot be seen or felt, but rather just known. Lacking in self-confidence is foreign among the littlest of them and an inherent knowledge that anything is indeed possible. To be a little child again and to just know that fairies and unicorns exist and that you can achieve anything if you just wished hard enough. Perhaps we should take a lessons from them. I know I have a hard time in the belief of myself and my abilities and things that cannot be seen nor heard nor felt. As we mature the world is no longer viewed through the lens of rosy assurance and cynicism and distrust take hold.
Plant the seed of belief in yourself and take enjoyment out of the things you have accomplished and the things you know. Belief in things unseen, belief in yourself and others. Belief in something greater than yourself, belief that all things are possible and that belief is justified as well. Belief that you a great and deserving. Belief in it's self and yourself or as I see it, just a thought. =0)

Media free days

Today is a "media free" day at our house. The kids can't watch TV, play video games, watch DVDs, you get the idea. Mom declares media free days about once a week, usually because I've gotten no cooperation from my lazy brood the day before. I should be probably better about limiting their exposure to brain sucking entertainment on a daily basis and during the school year this isn't a problem. They aren't allowed to watch anything or play video games before school and after school a good portion of the evening is taken up with required reading and homework. Normally during the summers this isn't a problem either, when I work that is. You see my schedule had me at work 5 days a week from either 9 or 10 to 5 or six and the kids had the opportunity to participate in their Daycare's summer program. The kids swam every week, visited museum's and restaurants and splash pads and went bowling and they loved it! It makes me wish that me not working didn't automatically make me extra poor as well and with temperatures topping 110 this week, just sending them out to play isn't an option either.
Right now the kids are participating in a reading/writing hour. They get to spend the hour quietly reading a book or writing and creating stories. I don't know how effective it is, as I keep hearing a little too much noise, but the noise level was getting a little too high and I was lucky enough to wake up with a migraine this morning...uhh, no. =0(
I will say the one thing about media free days, is that the kids never come complain to me that they are bored! They get out all their toys and stuffed animals and play and make up stories and create and use their imaginations, which I love! I'm not telling you that my siblings and I didn't watch a lot of TV and played a lot of video games growing up, because we did. I'm not telling you that my kids don't do a lot of that either...but, I will tell you that I love to hear my kids play and be kids and putting up with a little noise some days is totally worth it to me! ;0)

Let the continue commence...

Here's a shot of my nieces and my daughter sporting the pretty dresses I made them, they really turned out adorable if I do say myself! =0)

As you can read I have returned from our two day vacation and am tapping away at my keyboard once more. Other than I can't get today to feel like Wednesday for nothing and walking into my house made me realize how much it needed to be cleaned...I'm good, albeit a tad worn out, but good nonetheless! My kids have holed themselves up into their rooms and I suspect they are all a bit tired themselves!
We spent the one of the two days wandering around our favorite amusement park Lagoon. It was fun, it was exciting, it was hot and sticky and after about 7 hours, I was more than ready to indulge in a cool shower and fall heavily into bed! The kids had a blast of course and it took a fair amount of effort to get them to leave, as was to be expected! Remembering doing things like this growing up and knowing that it has created a lasting memory makes all the exhaustion well worth it!
The second day we shopped a little, checked the "check engine" light on the car to make sure it wasn't going to die on the way home and indulged in a Chinese buffet before hitting the road to go home.
That was it! That was our two day vacation! Yes, congrats Mr. Crappy Economy you successfully smooshed another vacation expectation in the "NoT yOuR aVeRaGe" household. I guess it's just as well though, vacations with kids really wear me out! =0)

To be continued...

Just in case anyone gets lonely, I want to you to know that I'll be back to the daily blog-grind on Wednesday! Here's to the whole 2 day vacation we're getting this year! Cheers! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy

Life is Good.
Well it is, isn't it? Not just a clever marketing campaign in the pursuit of selling t-shirts, it is a great way to think about life. I turn on the TV and I'm immediately bombarded with images of disaster and hardship and death. When we are sucked into the media hole and forced to view the world with only the bad things in it, it can be enough to depress even the most sunny of dispositions.
I am not an optimist, not that there is a thing wrong with being one, mind you. I am a realist..none of the glass half full/half empty garbage, more of a half a glass type thinker. I know there are bad things in the world, but I know that there are good things too. There is nothing wrong with thinking of things in balance and nothing at all wrong with thinking that the mere fact I am alive and well and able to enjoy life as it comes, is a good thing.
A trick I use in not letting the weight of the world drag me down to the ground is not to subject myself to it. I no longer watch the news constantly and I keep up with the times via the internet, where I can easily portion control my exposure to it. I focus much more on the needs of my family and myself and know that things are bad out there, but know that good still exists in the world too.
Life really is good or at least it should be. Just a thought.=0)

I love a good hobby!

Above as you can see is what I've used to occupy a little bit of my time this week. I love to sew quick projects and I found remnants of gingham at my local Wal-Mart for about 2 dollars a piece. These little sundresses for daughter and 3 nieces were perfect for my gingham!
I purchased 3 tank tops (3 dollars a piece) at Wal-Mart also and a baby onesie (1.50) for the littlest one and got to work sewing and hemming. I cut off the bottom portion of the tank tops so that the skirt would sit at about an empire waste. I cut my gingham and stitched the sides together for the skirt and attached the skirt stretching the tank tops so that the skirts would be full. I stitched a matching bow and flower to the collars and hemmed them up. The whole entire project took only a few hours to complete!
For the baby's dress I cut and stitched together gingham for the skirt and cut the bottom off the onesie. I fastened the skirt the same way and stitched the bottom of the onesie back on, making sure the seams were on the outside, so it would be comfortable. Other than attaching a bow as well, it took just minutes and they turned out adorable! For the little girls' dresses they only cost about 6 dollars in materials and the baby's was only like 3.
I love a good hobby and highly recommend that you should find one too! =0) There is nothing more satisfying than completing a project that you created with your two hands! =0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY

It seems that I am at a bit of a block for my "Tip for Tuesday" segment. If you noticed I didn't have a "This is what I like" segment yesterday either, I decided to fake it by taking an extra day off with the rest of the government workers, ha! Obviously none of this is helping my case though....hmmm....Did I mention how much I dislike laundry? Here goes...
Laundry. Laundry is a constant like death and taxes, we avoid it like the plague and eventually it catches up with us anyway! If you find yourself drowning in it frequently, try this:
Do at least one load per day. I actually try to do a couple of loads a day this way I can actually access my laundry room! I have three kids plus my man and I, not to mention bedding, towels, linens, etc. This makes a whole lot of laundry! I'm not overly organized, but I like to have things in place. I don't have a magic system I use either. I just do a kid's load (or two) per day, including folding and putting away. When I'm done with theirs I do mine and my man's and then I make sure to wash bedding and linens the rest of the week. See no magic, just perseverance! Ha!
Fold laundry as it comes out of the dryer. This take a few minutes, but it is totally worth it. I don't have wrinkled clothes and I don't have to spend backbreaking hours over the basket folding it up either. This makes getting it put away much easier as well. I just take the folded piles to their destination and put them away, voila! If you follow the do a load a day rule, this really takes no time at all.
Recruit help. School's out for the summer and I have a house full of helpers to my disposal or this is how I see it! I recruit my kids to put their own laundry away, they learn what it take to keep their clothes looking nice and I don't have to do all of it! I fold it and hand it off to be deposited into drawers. The way I look at it, I do so many things for the kids during the day, they can help me out a little too and I include it their allowance funds. Ha!
Okay well, here's my Tip for Tuesday! Give it try, it might help you too! =0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy

Respect.
Such a powerful word in many respects. Especially when applied to the freedom you and I enjoy as Americans. Respect for our service men and respect for ourselves, respect for the right others have to express their own opinions. Respect for our forefathers who fought and payed with their lives so that you and I can live and breathe and wish and worship as we see fit. Respect for our flag as it waves in solemn reminder with 50 stars for each of our 50 states and 13 stripes to represent the original 13 colonies. I wish everyone a great and glorious Independence Day as we celebrate the fact that we can call this great country of ours home!

It's official!

Summer is here! I know what you're thinking, wasn't the official start of summer more than a week ago? Yes, officially it was. You see at my house, the kids didn't get out of school until yesterday...so at my house, summer started today! First of all I would like to thank the teachers at my kids' school for putting up with my brood this long (as well as a the other urchins) and I would also like to thank them for having the foresight to vote down the "extended school year" for next year! Teachers you rock!
Now that there is a little more freedom around here, we can travel a little, slough off a lot, and enjoy not getting up early every week day! Let's here it for lazy days sitting by the pool (we'll imagine it until it magically gets out of the box and into the yard), for playing too many video games and finishing all of my books (okay, that's me!). So what fun things do you and yours have planned? I'd love to hear them! =0)