Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Organized Chaos

Is there such a thing?  I think so.  To other ppl my desk may seem chaotic but to me, I know where things are.

 

I am trying to get better.  I am trying to get more routines going in my day so that things get done on time.  Before Aiden was born I had a routine down pretty good.  I had certian days for certian things but that has kind of been thrown to the way side.  Time to start back at square one with the baby steps.  I enjoy the Flylady site.  Her tips and gentle nudges in my email/twitter and facebook are great (yes I need all three).  Her idea that anything can be done in 15 minutes takes a load off when I am facing larger tasks.  If you haven't gotten to know Flylady please go check out her site.  The main page can be found HERE.

Here is a view of what I see from my desk when my wonderful son is awake and playing:

DSC08383

 

Nice view huh?

 

My goal for the next few hours:

Finish up cleaning the master bath while daddy can keep baby in living room away from the chemical smells. I know Green cleaners, I use vinegar on a lot of things but we have such high iron in our water that I need some kind of iron remover for the tub or it is yellow.

Do another load of laundry. 

Do some more research on getting my own domain name and web server for my blog.  Any ideas on website addy's I should use?

midlifemomma.com is still available but I'm not sure I wanna stick with that.... what are your thoughts?

juliedriver.com is actually still available too so I could just use my name...

 

I have also been playing around with changing the name of my blog and thus the name of my domain would want to reflect it...

My first idea:  Was THIS In The Fine Print.  Referring to many of the things you don't think about ahead of time when it comes to being a parent.  Things that no one ever told you OR things people told you but somewhere in the back of your mind you thought "ya maybe for them but I'll be different."

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

It's Coming....

Last night I ran into the Dollar General to pick up a couple things.  While going up and down the aisles I kept smelling something.  Something familiar... yet I couldn't quite put my finger (read nose) on it...then at the register it hit me and I looked around.

Sure enough not far from the register is a box of cinnimon brooms.

You know what that means right?   Fall is coming... cooler weather is just around the corner!  I am doing a happy dance.  (well not really because that would be pretty close to exercise I believe).

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Getting Revenge On My Farm town Avatar

So... I am a bit addicted to farm town... I'll admit that right off the bat.  Not as bad as some people but when you call friend and say "hey I have some crops ready can you come harvest...?"  You might have an issue or two.

One thing that has always irked me about the game is that as I am harvesting my little avatar likes to exercise.  Here I am in a hurry and in order to walk one little block in front of her...she walks the whole entire outside edge of the farm.  Then does the block.... then will walk several more laps till the next one.  It's aggravating.  When I want her to just get her job done she wants to stop and smell the roses and take the scenic route.

So, tonight, I am dealing with a bit of insomnia.  I decided to plant some crops on my farm.  That's when it hit me... it's the middle of the flippin' night, maybe my avatar is tired.  So, instead of planting nice squares where she could walk a little at a time I just started clicking all over the place.  One here, one way over on the other side of the barn then one back by the house, and so on and so on...

Take that!

Friday, August 21, 2009

License to Flee

Well, my son got his license today.

He called me and asked: "Do you have a picture of me?" To which I said "Huh?" Not because I hadn't heard him but because I couldn't understand WHY I wouldn't have one and what he would need one for.

"I said, do you have a picture of me?"

"well, yes why?"

"because you won't be seeing much of me anymore... I got my license!"

To which I replied "sure I will, your flywheel on your car is bad remember?"

Ahhh... to still be the burster of bubbles from time to time.

A couple weeks ago I kept telling hubby and Lew that they needed to get in bed. We had to be up early but they insisted they were watching a movie. Lew had the baby. Well, a while went by and I didn't hear the normal banter of father and son back and forth about what they were watching so I ventured to the living room. Here are my three "men" watching a movie:



And just for another Awwwww factor. Here is my lil guy last night in his swing hamin' it up for the camera. Hard to believe he is three months now.


Sunday, August 16, 2009

Thank you... thank you very much

Since today is the "anniversary" of the death of Elvis Presley TCM is playing Elvis movies all day.  My mother must be in Elvis heaven. 

Growing up she watched Elvis movies EVERY time they came on tv.  I remember the day Elvis died and I was only 8 but I guess since my mother's reaction was so shocking it stuck with me.  I was coming through the kitchen and it came across the radio that Elvis Presley was dead.  (My mother ALWAYS has the radio on in the kitchen.  She often jokes she wants to be buried with a radio but to be honest I don't think it'll get a signal that deep in the ground).  Mom was on the back porch hanging up laundry and I knew she would want me to tell her this tidbit of information.  I went through the screen door which slammed behind me with a thud and told her, very matter of fact, "Mom, Elvis is dead"  I still remember,she stopped, arms in the air about to clip some article of clothing to the line.. looked right at me and said "Julie Anne (rarely was I called this) don't lie!"  Like, as an 8 year old I would know that lying about this would just irk her.  I assured her "Mom! I'm not lying!  They guy just said so on the radio" 

She dropped said article of clothing back into the basket and stormed past me.  I followed just to see her get proven wrong and learn that I wasn't lying to her.  She went past the radio and into the living room to turn on the television.  (maybe the tv had more authority?)  She turned it on and stood there as the program was interrupted and the sad news I had already told her was repeated.  She cried.  She said "no, it can't be" many times.  For days it was all people talked about.  I guess much like what happened recently when Michael Jackson died.

Watching Jailhouse Rock this afternoon brought back a memory of when my daughter Emily was probably about nine or so.  We were all watching Blue Hawaii when Emily came in the living room and asked "Is that Elvis?" 

My husband answered "yes" 

She said "I didn't know he made movies"

My son quickly picked at her for not knowing that fact then she asked a question she will NEVER live down...

"did he make this one before he died?"

The room was silent for a few seconds.  All of us turned to look at her. 

My husband answered "Nope, he made this one when he was dead."  That was when she figured out what she had asked and why all of us were looking at her like she had suddenly grown two heads.  She took quite a ribbing all afternoon.  (still does today)

So, whenever there is an Elvis movie on we ask her... "was this one made before he died".  She isn't home this afternoon.  I texted her and told her what was on tv and asked her the question. 

She hasn't texted back. 

Lazy Days

Yesterday and today I will admit were pretty lazy days.  I was up early yesterday with Aiden and then about 11 I had rocked him back to sleep.  I had almost rocked myself to sleep.  I looked at hubby and told him "I can barely keep my eyes open" He told me to go on in and lay down with the baby.  So I did.  He woke up around noon, nursed and we both went back to sleep.  We got up after 2 pm!

Today we got out of bed at one!  Not sure what has me so tired.  I guess my anemia is kicking in again.  I need to order some more supplements from Nature's Sunshine.  They seem to help a lot better than the prescribed iron the doc has me taking. 

Yesterday afternoon I did make something I had been wanting to attempt for the last several years and I had put it off because I thought it would be too difficult.  I couldn't have been more wrong!  I made Baked Potato Soup.  It was to DIE for!  Was not hard to make, not an expensive thing to make and was so delicious.  I ended up using a recipe from Paula Deen and tweeked it a bit more (not that it needed any help but I added more potatoes, used a sweet onion and extra bacon... you can never have TOO much bacon).

Here is the link to the recipe I used.

Baked Potato Soup

There is even a video at the site to show you how to make it.  It was quick and easy and oh so good. (I've said that a few times huh?)  The main reason I decided to try it is we had baked potatoes the night before and I had leftovers of them.  So, next time I bake potatoes I might just have left overs on purpose.  Shhhh don't tell hubby.  I wish I had taken a photo of the big bowl of steaming goodness to post here.  Guess I'll have to make another batch soon just to get a photo!

We had Bible study here last night with Brother and Sister Curtis.  I enjoy them so much.  They are both such a wealth of knowledge and it is always great to have older and wiser brothers and sisters to look up to and learn from.  They are sharing experiences on raising their own children that will be nothing but a blessing to us in raising ours. 

Kait came down last night so her dad and brother could help her boyfriend do some repairs on her car.  Once that was all fixed today she took off with her sister to take her school shopping.  This was a blessing in many aspects.  One, I didn't have to deal with rude people in the stores.  Two, I didn't have to deal with a whining daughter wanting to go to just one more store and Three... she paid for her clothes herself this year.  I will eventually reimburse her some of the funds but right now we are so broke we couldn't have gotten her anything at all.  Hubby missing work for a week due to a kidney stone, having to replace a tire in that same week and a couple other unexpected things sure sent us into a financial nose dive.  It stresses me to no end having to deal with things like this.  Me not working is both a blessing and a curse.  Financially it straps us to no end to not have the second income but I could not imagine having to have my son put into daycare.  When my other children were young I was home with them.  I took in other kids and did daycare in my home to supplement my husband's income at that time and also sold Tupperware.  I may have to find something like that once again to help out. 

My new goal is going to be to stretch our food budget as far as possible in order to the money saved there to be used in other parts of our budget.  I have found several great websites that help to teach you how to save.  I have saved greatly using the CVS extracare program from time to time but some of these woman are just amazing at saving money.  One you can check out now is a woman who feeds her family of four on $800 a year!  Yes, that's a year... not a month!  I will share more great sites in future blogs so you too can reap the savings and knowledge of these very wise women.  Maybe someday I'll be just like them. :)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Riding with teens

Even though I have a 26, 21, 20, 18 and 16 year old and three have driver's licenses today is the first day I rode with one of them that has a restricted (aka learner's permit). My son bought a 1971 Ford Torino 500 a couple months ago. He will get his license next week. He has been hounding me to ride in the car that he absolutely LOVES. Tonight I took the plunge. It wasn't TOO bad. I only squeaked one time when he got a bit close to the edge of the road... ok... so I kinda shouted "Lewis! Get OVER!". I lived. I don't think I got any more gray hair. Next week I might even ride with my daughter... slow... in the driveway.... on Sunday....

Lew's Car:




Lew is very proud of his car. He worked for and earned every cent that bought "her". He is working on slowly restoring her. He spent ALL day Friday sanding and priming about 1/3 of the hood so eventually "she" can have a nice new paint job.

After riding in his "baby" I have found it is a tank. My husband had told me not to worry about him but to worry about what he hit if he was ever in an accident. Now I know why. It took me not one, not two but THREE tries to push the heavy door shut!

I liked it so much better when the emblem on his car said "Little Tykes" Those days are gone.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Commercials

After watching a recent commercial I sat quietly with a perplexed look on my face.  I know I'm old but I didn't get it.  My son did have MTV on so maybe that's why I'm not "getting" it.  So, I turned and looked at him, only to find the same perplexed look on his face.  He was actually staring at the television like at any moment a voice over would come on and explain what we watched.

 

"What was that commercial for?" I asked (stupidly, I admit, because from the look on his face I knew the answer)

"I dunno" he replied.

 

People... I don't get it!  Who are the morons making these ads?  Who are the morons paying the lower morons to put out ads so dumb you have no idea what they are for or how the commercial relates to the product?

 

Cases in point:

Dell computer laptops... a factory with the song lollipop lollipop oooo lolli lollipop... cute catchy tune I just don't get it.

 

The stupid, idiotic commercial with the band of money with eyes "following" people around.  First the people just look at it... I, for one, would snap me up the moo-lah if it was just setting there and secondly... it's just plain DUMB!  When I saw the first one I remember thinking... well the dude that made that thing up is going to get fired!  But nooooo he probably got a big fat bonus because there are many of those DUMB commercials out there now.  For goodness sake, stick with the talking lizard...at least it has legs and you could explain him "following" you.

 

So, what commercials irk you the most?  If dumb ideas are for sale I have plenty I'd be willing to part with for cheap... let me know.

 

I still have no idea what the commercial was for we watched earlier.  I could rewind the dvr but hey, I have the dvr to have the ability to skip the commercials.  They make my brain hurt sometimes. 

Monday, August 10, 2009

Threats

We really do not ask TOO much of the kids... at least i don't think we do.  They rotate between doing the kitchen after dinner and cleaning the living room.  They have done their own laundry for several years.  They are 16 and 18.  The other day they were complaining about doing a chore.... I made a threat.... "I will start charging you rent and hire a maid".  They haven't complained much in the past few days.  In fact, tonight, their dad asked them to mow the yard and they did. 

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Monday, August 3, 2009

What's For Dinner

Trying a new recipe tonight.
It can be found here: http://www.frenchs.com/recipe/frenchs-crunchy-onion-pork-chops-RE1416.html

So, is this a BAD thing?

So, my son decided to pull and all nighter again after two weeks of being on a semi-normal schedule. I crawled into bed at 4:33 a.m. (not that I was paying attention to the time or anything) I vaguely remember at some point in the a.m. getting up to get him to nurse. I KNOW I changed his diaper... do I REMEMBER changing his diaper... heck no! Is that a BAD thing to be in automatic mommy mode???

Almost 20/20-

To think that in less than three weeks the year 2020 will be here is surreal. To think that I am about to be grandma to 18 in February is ...