Balancing Act

Moving - apologies

I'm in the process of moving my blog, and will post the new address as soon as I get it all or mostly situated.  Hard to do when I can't mess around on my laptop, because my power cord broke (the little piece the connects into the computer - snapped - probably shouldn't drop my laptop). 

My nap time and bed time free time has been engulfed with playing Santa's elf, helping my mom organizing gifts for 16 people. 

Oh, and we have had someone with the flu or a sickness for the past two weeks, as well. 

Hang around, I'm hoping to get things situated and moved sooner than later.

28 - the year of taking care of myself, or at least that is what people are telling me

This birthday, my 28th birthday, was full of surprises.

• Cody was here with me, when he wasn't supposed to be. 
• Addy went shopping with daddy and picked out at least two of the gifts, and only told me one of them. 
• Not only was I throwing up the day before, but I also welcomed the morning of with my never present should be monthly visitor.  Perfect timing, right?

Here is a list and a dissection of what I received.  

From hubby and the monkeys:

Yes, an apron.  Addy picked out this particular one, and then my mom embroidered my name and a saying at the top.  I promise you, that I actually hinted at wanting this.  Pathetic, I know.  I think I might test it out tomorrow when I'm prepping some potato soup.  Oh, and you know what would make this even better?  A dinner bell.  I ring a ling every night for the kids, but it would sound so much better if it was from a real dinner bell. 

New running shoes - hoping to actually work out tomorrow, as it has been over a week due to someone being sick every stinkin day.  If all goes well, I would really, really like to run a 5K this spring. 

Since we will need to be making budget cuts with the move, I will probably need to start running outside, you know where it is free, so this will be a great way for me to track how I'm doing.

Too lazy to upload a picture of a pink phone case - another choice made by Addy. Which was the one thing she told me she bought me, but she said it was purple.  

 

My parents picked me up the following:

I just wish I could actually use this bedding and snuggle up under it.  

Replacement since the clumsy hubby broke the ceramic part of my old one.  

I have been borrowing my mom's blow dryer, because it dries so much faster than my 6+ year old blow dryer.  I wouldn't have known there was a difference between blow dryers until I tried someone else's out.  

 

There you have it, I am old, need to get back to the gym, get cooking and baking, and make myself look presentable. Ok, ok, I got the hints.

Turkey day 2010

Another year, and just one more day to make sure to give thanks on.  There are so many things I could be angry about this past year, and I'm sure there are many that could also do the same. 

But, we can all find at least ONE thing to be thankful for. 

This year I'm more than thankful and appreciative of simply having my family together.

 
As we gather around our own tables with our families enjoying so much yummy (fattening) food, smile because these are the moments to truly be thankful for.

An Ugly Truthful Tuesday

• The rent was NOT paid. 
• It could take up to a month before we are able to get this loser out of our house and HOPEFULLY find a more reliable, PAYING tenant.  A MONTH!
• So stressed and worried these past few days, my stomach is torn up. 
• I've thought about personally calling this soldier's chain of command myself, as well as calling and threatening the dude, but Cody has been trying to squash those thoughts out of my head.
• If my house would have sold, this wouldn't be a problem. 
• Can't look or move if payments aren't being made to our house.  We are not rich, wealthy, or well-off.  Simply surviving, and now it is going to be so much worse than we could have planned for.
• Had to fork out $200 today to renew the tags for the vehicles, Happy Birthday to me (no it's not today, but 11 days shy). 
• I do NOT like today, and wish these truths were nothing but negative thoughts. 
• This Tuesday is not fair, and holds nothing but ugly truths.

Friday Night Leftovers - 11/12/10

 

• Addyson absolutely refuses to wear jeans, and complains that they hurt and she wants and NEEDS to wear her comfy pants.  This is what happens when your children don't go to daycare, school, etc where you feel the need to dress them up a tad bit. 
• Kinsley tells many of the adults in her life, "Leave me alone!  I do it!!!"  How come if I ask to be left alone, it doesn't happen?  So, I will continue to annoy her when she asks to be left alone until they all listen to me. 
• I download more children's applications and music than I do adult items.  Think they have taken me over? 
• Addyson also insists that she can do it all herself, which I have been allowing her to do for quite some time.  It has lessened the workload for certain things, but daddy is still learning that sometimes it is best to let the little diva struggle on her own and ask for help when SHE feels it is necessary. 
• Kinsley and Eligh will both take their pants off when getting dressed, and Kinsley will go so far as taking her shirt off, as well.  It is quite hysterical to see her running around with her arms stuck behind her back trying to struggle out of her shirt.  She, too, doesn't want help unless SHE asks for it.
• Eligh, instead, likes to ask for help before even attempting anything.  Maybe he has watched the girls struggle with their independence that he just isn't ready to work for anything just yet.
• I have had a migraine yesterday and today - think I'm just a little stressed about the renters we have in our house?
• I finally got those Halloween pictures uploaded - now to get them up on the blog.

Go check out the amazing inventor of Friday Night Leftovers.

 

Sunshine to hail storm

The past few days we have been enjoying the monotony of life with routines.  We have also been lightly browsing rental houses where we will be moving.  We found one last week that is available late next month that would be plenty of room for us and close to base.  A friend of ours, who is already living there, is planning on viewing the house for us tomorrow to let us know if we should even bother driving down there to view it for ourselves.  Then, we stumbled on the more than perfect house for us, and well under our budget.  More like country living.  Love, love, loved it.  We talk to the owner and she said that it was definitely still available, answered some other questions, and we planned on driving down there this weekend (as in just a couple days) to view this property.  It was THAT perfect.  We were living in a nice sunshiny world. 

Then, out of now where, a complete hail storm hits us damaging all our excitement, hope, and joy.  Our renters did NOT pay their rent.  First month living there, and they are late.  They have till Monday to make their payment or we will be looking for new renters soon.  I'm beyond pissed.  Why even bother renting our house if you couldn't afford it, when there were and still are a ton of houses under the price of ours?!  Why?  Why?  WHY??!!!!!!!! 

No weekend trip for us, no more browsing, simple anger and praying that this makes a turnaround.  I cannot handle this now.  CANNOT. 

Full heart

Yesterday while chugging along on the treadmill (yes, we all joined back at the gym) I was catching up on news.  As in, this is the only time I happen to see the news.  My attention was grabbed by the following segment about civility.  I felt so much of these comments deeply. 

I find it extremely rude when you are with a friend or family member supposed to be enjoying a meal, activity, etc and the whole time you are with them they are texting or checking various forms of social networks.  I feel completely disconnected to the person and wonder why I even bothered meeting up with them if they could not completely connect and engage in the conversation. 

I do have a phone that allows me to check and do all these things, and yes, it is with me or near me nearly all day long.  But, I cannot also separate myself from the device and be present in the moment, which I find many cannot any more.  It's sad, extremely sad. 

And then today while I was chugging along at the gym, I heard someone state that children are not hearing or saying "I love you" as much as they have in the past (can't find the exact quote or video at this time), and that made me even sadder for our society. 

My children, though, are the annoying children yelling over and over again, "I love you mommy, I love you daddy, I love you mommy AND daddy."  I say annoying, because they do it everywhere.  Imagine driving 16+ hours and hearing it over and over again. 

Now that my family is whole again, I find that I am spending less and less time on the computer, phone, etc.  Instead, I'm engaged and present in all aspects with all of our moments, and it is making my heart swell with extreme emotion. 

For example, last night the kids all snuggled up in their newly sewn blankets from gma and their pillow pets.  We put in "Toy Story 3" gave them all popcorn and cups.  Grandpa was on one couch with popcorn, and daddy and I were on another couch snuggled up.  My heart was smiling.  We were engaged in each other.  I witnessed the girls holding hands, Eligh snuggling with grandpa, and how much happier we are when we are all together and present in these moments. 

I don't have alone time during naps and bedtime as I have had in the past.  I don't search for things to do when the kids are sleeping.  I'm engaged with my children and my husband, and it feels great. 

Just a tad bit extreme

Sometimes as a parent we have to fib, exaggerate, or tell little white lies to get our children to stop asking questions, to answer a question, and to convince them to do something. 

Some examples of what works in our house.

• "Mommy, I need to brush my teeth, or my teeth are going to fall out."  Yes, I have told my oldest that if she didn't brush her teeth that they would fall out.  A tad extreme?  Sure, but it works.

• "If you don't close your eyes and take a nap, then we won't do anything fun."
• "Don't touch that!  If you touch it, it will make you sick and you'll have to go to the doctor."

So what fibs, exaggerations, or little white lies have you told your children lately?

Apologizing in advance

Been packing, running to the store a million times, went to dinner with my sister, packed some more, packed some more, etc.  Definitely been busy. 

I will soon be without internet access (except my phone, of course) so there may be a random post here and there, but I probably won't access any blogs for the next oh, MONTH!  So, you could say that I will definitely be unplugged for a while.  So, I apologize now for not being a good commenter and blogger, but I have some much bigger, anxiety filled, but exciting things coming my way. 

Send me some good travel vibes. 

 

Smooches - I'll miss you gals!

Friday Night Leftovers - fighting knives

 

• This week has just been defeating and frustrating, simply put. 
• I've been fighting off a cold, allergies, heck if I know.  I do know that my throat feels like there are knives or a golf ball protruding out of the one side every time I swallow.  Add on that, the feeling like water is constantly flowing through my ears. 
• With that said, I still managed to get to the gym 4 days this week.
• I have my outfit, including shoes ready for the homecoming.  The girls have their shirts, Eligh's is taking forever to get here. Just want all of it in my possession so I can mark it off that to-do list I started not too long ago. 
• The constant belittling comments about my parenting or my children is wearing me down, and I'm seriously debating heading to GA a week earlier than planned to sort of destress before the big man comes home.
• I haven't really explained to Addy that daddy is coming home soon, because she doesn't grasp what soon means.  But, she is sensing things, as she keeps talking about him being here soon and all the things we are going to do.  Like eat spaghetti and twirl it on our forks like daddy does or he is going to sleep in mommy's bed. 
• The most exciting thing I did this week was get my hair trimmed (attempting to grow it out long) and colored.  I went from a brown undertone with a few blond and red highlights to bleach blond all over with some red highlights.  You think hubby will be surprised? 

As always stop by our fabulous host, Danifred, and leave some love