Christmas Will Be Here Sooner Than You Think

Did you know that Christmas is less than five months away?  Whenever I think about that, I get really stressed out.  This is the first time that I am going to have to get the kids things on my own, and I have no idea where the money is going to come from.  My only option is to start buying things now, and hiding them from the kids.

One of the things I know I want to get for Kasi is art supplies.  She can sit for hours with a pencil and paper and create the most beautiful pictures.  She loves drawing out designs for clothes, as well as pictures of animals. Heck, she likes drawing just about anything.  I am curious to see what she would come up with if I got her some paints and canvas' for under the tree.  

I have no idea what to get for Ryan and Boo, though she likes to draw, too.  I have several of her creations hanging on my fridge right now. One of them is a tribute to me, which I absolutely love.  I know some day she will outgrow making me pictures, and that makes me especially sad seeing as how she is my youngest.

Benched

The kids have been in school for two months now, and we are finally settled into a routine.  Bedtimes are established once again, and I finally got the kids into the habit of laying out their clothes the night before so that they aren't running around in the mornings looking for socks or underwear.  My only issue is that I don't have a place for them to lay out their book bags, shoes, and coats.  Right now, they are thrown on a chair in my kitchen, and I really want to find a spot specifically for these items. 

I looked around a little online, and found some pretty awesome log furniture.  There was this one bench in particular that I love, and it looks perfect for what I need.  What do you think?

  It's long enough to hold all three book bags and coats, and their shoes can be placed underneath it. They could even sit there to get their shoes on in the mornings, instead of fighting over space on the couch.  I will never understand why one kid needs to sit exactly where another kid is already sitting.  This is a constant, everyday thing in our house, and it drives me crazy.

This bench might just save my sanity.

School Is Almost Out For The Summer

I can not believe that the kids only have three weeks of school left.  Their last week is three full days and two half days, which makes no sense to me, but it is what it is.  I am looking forward to sleeping in and spending time with three of my favorite people on earth.

And as mush as I am looking forward to it, I also know that Summer break will go by too fast.  Before long, Brandi will be in third grade, Kasi will be in eighth grade, and Ryan will be in ninth grade.  Ninth grade, and old enough for his learners permit.  It scares me to death to think about him operating a vehicle, and I will most likely make him wait until I think he is ready.  Who cares when the law says he can drive.  I am his mother, and he will wait until I think he is responsible enough.

The things I am dreading the most about a new school year, though, are the PTO fundraisers.  They are always the same things, year after year.  I wish they would come up with something new.   I know there are a variety of fundraising products available, they just have to look for them.   I know what you are thinking, too. That I should join the PTO and voice my opinions.  Let me assure you, that will not happen.  I am way too shy and self-conscience for that.  I may send them a letter, though, letting them know about Fast Track Fundraising .  

It is time to stop the years of trying to sell over priced wrapping paper and candy, and try something new.

Boys Will Be Boys

The other day, I was sitting here at the computer, and I heard a funny noise outside.  I got up to look out the window, and could not believe what I saw.

The people who live in front of us have three kids.  All boys.  The parents are not friendly, and the kids are monsters.  Totally undisciplined and disrespectful. Their two youngest boys, who are 5 and 7, I think, were responsible for the noise I heard.

It was their laughter.  Their sinister, evil laughter.

You see, they were hiding under their back porch (I guess so they wouldn't been seen by mommy or daddy) and the oldest one was holding a water bottle while the younger one peed in it.  He must have really had to go, because he filled it almost all the way.  Now, had Brandi or Kasi been outside, or saw this out my front windows, I would have gone and knocked on their door to tell them how inappropriate that was.  But, since they didn't, I just watched to see what they were going to do with it.  (they hadn't yet spotted mt through my window)  The oldest one was carrying it, and they decided to come into my yard area, behind our van.  I couldn't see them from where I was, so I told Ryan to go outside and get something out of the van, so he could see. 

While Ryan was getting a shirt and shoes on, the boys came back, and they still had a full bottle of pee.  The youngest got out his little ride on toy, and was about to sit and ride when the older brother came up, lifted the seat, and poured the pee under the seat (there is a little storage spot).  The youngest then got on and started riding it.  Yeah, gross.  By this time Ryan was ready, so I stepped onto the front porch as he ran to the van.  As soon as the boys saw him, the oldest one starts bragging about what they did. (they were beside our van at this time)  I told them that they needed to take themselves, and their pee, into their own yard, and stay out of mine.

Well, this ticked the older boy off, so he pushed his brother off the riding toy, picked it up, and threw it.  Yes, all the pee came flying out, all over his brother, who went running into the house.  The older bot gave me a "go to hell" look, then followed his brother into the house.

I wonder if they told their parents what happened????

Check Mate

Junior loves to play chess. I can play, but I hate playing with him because he ALWAYS wins. In like three moves. What's the fun in that?

His solution to this problem was to teach the kids how to play. And they LOVE it! I was impressed with Junior's patience as he taught them. Now they not only play with him, but they have started playing each other. The girls are fun to watch, because they aren't sure of all the rules, so they kind of make them up as they go along.

I love it, though, because I don't have to play anymore.

Back To It

The kids finally went back to school yesterday. I really want to know who decides how long these kids have off for winter break, because in my opinion, two and a half weeks seems a little excessive.

Just saying.

They all had a good first day back, and I had a wonderful, peaceful day here at home. In fact, I got a whole bunch of cleaning and packing done, and not once did I hear "it's my turn on the computer" or "why can't I play the wii". It was very nice and relaxing to just put on a CD, and spend the day doing whatever I wanted.

Until they got home, that is.

But, we are months away from another long break, and hopefully before then we will be in a new (and bigger...fingers crossed) place, and it will be nice outside instead of cold and rainy so they can all go out and play. Wow, that was a pretty long sentence. Anyway, I am off to enjoy the quiet while I can...

June 22, 2015

This June, Junior and I will be married for 15 years. Some days this is hard for me to believe, because it seems like only yesterday that he called to ask me for a date. Don't worry, I am not going to share the story of our first date again.

June 22, 1995. My wedding day. I was five months pregnant, and for the first time during the pregnancy, I had morning sickness. Or maybe it was just my nerves, who knows. We weren't having a "real" wedding because of the pregnancy. We were just going down to the courthouse with only family and a few friends in attendance. I never got to send out wedding invitations or have a bridal shower, and I kind of miss not being able to do those things. I wanted to have bridesmaids and wear a beautiful white gown. I still want to do those things, and I always said that on our tenth anniversary that I would do just that. But, that anniversary came and went, and now I have my fifteenth coming up soon, and I am not prepared. It is now my goal to have a wedding on my twentieth anniversary.

I am going to send out invitations from the kids, asking for friends and family to join them as their parents renew their vows. I want my girls to wear purple and be my bridesmaids, and my son to be the best man. Everything will be perfect.

I have five more years to plan this, and no more excuses.

My Girls

Here's a random shot of the girls. I took it a few weeks ago when we were fishing. I wish Ryan was in the picture, too, but what can I do. He hates having his picture taken. I used to be the same way, too. In fact, there are very few pictures of me in the past 15 years since I have been married. I wish I had taken some when I was pregnant, but I always thought I was too fat. These days, I have accepted that fact, and will, most of the time, smile for the camera.

Life is too short to hide from the camera. I mean, when I die, I want some pictures of my life to leave my kids. I mean, Junior and I have already provided them with our term life insurance, but I want them to have memories, too. Wonderful memories of a mother who was always smiling. Well, at least of a mom who was willing to smile for the camera.

Being Overprotective

When I was a new parent fourteen years ago, I questioned everything I did. I was so inexperienced. I have three younger siblings, so I had been around babies. It was just that I had never been solely responsible for one.

I was just like every new parent, I think. I mad sure everyone washed their hands before touching him. I made sure he was always wearing a complete outfit, from onsie to shoes. I never let him out of my sight, and I was completely overprotective.

I can admit this now, but at the time, I just thought it was good parenting. By the time I had Brandi, I was a pro, and I think I was a little more relaxed. I remember when Ryan started walking, we used to put him in a harness buddy whenever he wanted out of his stroller in public. People used to give us the strangest looks, but we didn't care. I thought those things were great, and I was thrilled the first time I saw my sister use one with Carson. In fact, I see them all the time now.

I still think they are great, and now they can look like animal backpacks. I told Junior the other day that we needed to have another baby just so we could use all the new baby stuff they have available these days.

He didn't go for it.

Whew!

From left to right: my nephew Carson, Brandi, Ryan and Kasandra.

This was taken right before we left the zoo. Can you tell they are all exhausted? It was a long, hot day, but they had fun. I had fun too, mostly because I got to see the elephants. :)

Kids Actors And Models

Do you have kids?

Has anyone ever told you that your child should model, or be in movies?

When Kasi was younger, someone signed her up to be seen by a modeling agency. To this day I have no idea who it was, and we never took her to the appointment. Junior and I decided that we wanted her to be old enough to decide if that was something she wanted to do. If she showed an interest in it, we would pursue it with her. We have broached the subject a time or two, but she hasn't shown any interest. Brandi, on the other hand, believes she was born to perform. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she will most likely name a profession where she can be on stage. I have looked into Acting For Kids, but am having a hard time deciding if I really want her to pursue it at this age. I know she would be wonderful, but do I want her to grow up in that industry?

I'm not sure.

I think I might talk my sister into entering my nephew in the Baby Photo Contest. There is not a doubt in my mind that he would win. A friend of hers already uses his imagine to advertise his photography business. She would just need to brush up on Child Actor Laws before she makes any decisions. Maybe she could just get him some modeling jobs. he sure does have the smile for it.

Sparklers

Junior bought the kids some sparklers to play with tonight. They had a ball! At first, Brandi was a little scared, but soon enough she was out there with Ryan and Kasi, twirling them around, having so much fun. Kasi started a small grass fire with one of hers, which didn't surprise us in the least. I have all the pictures posted on my picture blog. Go ahead, you know you want to see them.

My Kids

I took this picture of the kids a couple of weeks ago. They were at the bus stop, waiting on the bus. Yea, it really was that dark out. It's lighter in the mornings now, and a lot warmer, too. I love this time of year. When we lived in the old house, this was my favorite time to walk. I still haven't found a good place to walk here. The roads are too narrow and busy for me to feel comfortable walking. Once school is out in two weeks, we are going to start going to the park everyday when Junior gets home from work so we can walk and the kids can play. I am really looking forward to it.

Lesson Learned

What are people thinking?

We were at the gas station the other day, and there was a big commotion about three pumps down. Junior and I walked down to see what was going on, and it was a kid locked in a car. The mom ran into the store, and the dad was pumping gas. They left the keys in the ignition, because they were right there with the car.

The child, who was about two years old, had gotten out of his car seat, and accidentally hit the button that locks the doors. The parents were trying to get him to hit the button again, but the child didn't know what they were talking about. After about ten minutes, the child started getting upset, and the parents were freaking out. They needed a Kansas City Locksmith to come and unlock their doors, but they called the police instead. They were able to use a slim jim to get the doors open. I have never seen a child so happy to be in his parents arms.

The lesson I learned is that no matter what you are doing, never leave the keys in the ignition if there are kids in the car.

New Kids Show

Mark June 23 on your calender if you have kids who love to ask questions. I have one of those kids who wants to know everything about everything, and sometimes I find myself making up answers just to get her to stop. I know, that's horrible of me, but really, do YOU know why the sky is blue and not green, and why the grass is green and not blue? I didn't thing so.

But starting in June, there will be a new web show airing that will answer the tough questions. Mr. Example and his friend Rodney will take the tough stuff, and find the answers your kids are looking for. Kids FAQ is also looking for kids to ask the questions. Just take a webcam video of you kid asking a question, and if they use it on the show, your kid will get a $50 gift card to ToysRUs. They will even send a gift card for the same amount to a kid in need at Saint Judes Children's Hospital. That's pretty cool.

They also have games on their site, and we all know how kids like to play games. I was checking out their games, and the few I tried are fun. They have many different games, so there should be something for everyone.

I am excited to see what the show is going to be like, and hope that my kids will enjoy it.

Peel Me Like A Banana

I am peeling.

I feel like a snake shedding my skin.

What's great is that my girls like to peel me.

I was sitting here last night, and they were peeling my shoulders.

I know, kinda gross.

But it needs to be done.

Success

When I was in high school, getting into college was not a priority of mine. I was already working at a pretty decent job, and making enough money to get by. I did, eventually, go to a local college for a while, but I never finished a degree. I realize now how important it is to have that continued education, and I wish I had finished what I started. I still think about going back to school sometimes, and maybe someday I will. For right now, though, it is important to me that my children go to college. Granted, it will be a few years until my oldest graduates high school, but I am making sure he knows now how important a degree will be for him. This world is changing so fast, and without a college education, he will never get a decent job, and I want him to be successful. I want all of my kids to be successful.

Maybe someday they can be like Theron Burraway, CEO of marcus evans and the corporate hospitality firm THG Wordwide. This man started his career with THG as a sales manager, and has worked his way up through hard work and dedication. His THG bio states that "through his leadership, marcus evans has become a $300 million worldwide leader in providing events, conferences and corporate hospitality programs around the globe". He also serves on the board of directors for Waterside School, which is a facility that provides education opportunities to low income children. This just shows that along with a great business sense, he also has a willingness to help those in need. Not a bad combination if you ask me, and both are traits I would love to see in my children as they get older.

Babies

I can not believe how fast this year is going by. I mean, it's already April! Next month is Kasi's birthday. I remember the year she was born. I brought her home from the hospital a couple of days before Mother's Day. This year I will probably get flowers for Mothers day, and that's perfectly fine with me. After spending the last two days watching my sister Cheryl chase her 13 month old around, I have no desire to have another child. I don't miss those days when I couldn't sit and have a conversation without a kid constantly needing my attention. Does that make me selfish? Maybe. But I've done my time with three kids. I don't need anymore.

That said, I can not wait until I have grandbabies. Of course, this will be many, many years in the future, but I can not wait to play with and love on a child I get to send home with it's mother when I'm done! lol!

My Kids Bugs

Saturday morning, the kids and I painted up some cute little bugs.
Here's Brandi hard at work...

...and Kasi...

...and Ryan

These are the finished products.

The first two are Brandi's, the middle one is Ryan's, and the last two are Kasi's.

Didn't they come out adorable?
I'll post a picture of mine later.

Fishing At Lake Blalock

When I woke up this morning, it was raining. Luckily by the afternoon, it was sunny enough to get in a little fishing. Yes, Boo is fishing in a pink frilly dress. What can I say, she believes she's a princess. Wanna see more pictures? Click here.