|
| |
Organized Chaos
I am a 30-something mother to 5 kids aged 11 and under. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for over 14 years and have enjoyed almost every minute of it. As you can imagine life at my house is chaotic at best and insane at worst. Either way I do my best to keep it organized and under control. Join me for a rousing story of life in my house.
|
Statistics
Unique Visitors:
Total Unique Visitors:
Visitors Out:
Total Visitors Out: |
1
176
982
982
|
|
|
| Articles
|
Rock, Paper, Scissors! Upgraded
2008-05-09 20:31:00
Yesterday Mr. Bill asked his Dad if he wanted to play rock, paper, scissors with him. We were surprised as we didn't even know he knew of this game.So Billy starts playing and ends with rock. Mr. Bill does his move and ends with...TORNADO??????Which apparently beats all three rock, paper, and scissors.So they play again. This time Billy ends with paper and Mr. Bill ends with...LASER????Clearly the game as I remember it has been upgraded. ...
|
Done
2008-05-08 00:09:00
I went and left PayU2Blog. That is right. There will be no more sponsored posts on this blog.Please don't cry. I know you will miss them. ;)Seriously though, I have struggled for months with the feeling that I had 'sold out'. But then I would get paid and I felt like I could handle being a 'paid' blogger. But in fact I can't. I liked my blog better before it was bringing in money. And I want to get back to that. So as of today you won't see any regular posts about sponsored products.If I post a link it will be because it is a product I believe in and feel like you all should know about. Not because a company is paying me to link to it.Amen. ;) ...
|
Working?
2008-05-07 22:32:00
This morning Cassie bounded down the stairs and found me laying in bed, again."Did my prayer work Mom?" she asks."What prayer?" I ask."I prayed that you would feel better and not be so sick anymore." she replies."I don't know. It might be awhile before I feel better." I respond."But not too long right?" she asks."A few more weeks." I say."Okay." she says as she bounces off toward the bathroom. ...
|
Bawling
2008-05-05 20:17:00
I have gotten a few emails from some of you sort of asking if congratulations are in order as you couldn't tell from my posting if we are happy about this baby. I guess I never explained.We weren't trying to get pregnant. Quite the opposite actually. Billy had the Big V about a month ago but apparently it was a week or two too late. I was already pregnant although we didn't know it.We were shocked and a bit disappointed when we first found out. I really thought it would turn out to be a false alarm. But no, I am in fact, very pregnant.We are slowly adjusting to the idea and are getting more and more excited and happy about it. We just weren't prepared for this little speedbump in our life. But we are flexible and we will be just fine.I am struggling very much with the ms right now. The medicine helps a little bit but I am back to throwing up at least twice in a day. (Which is way better than 8-10 times a day). I don't know how I did this the first four times. It is beautiful out today ...
|
Hospital Visit
2008-04-30 19:49:00
This baby is kicking my butt!I went into the clinic on Monday afternoon and promptly got myself sent to the hospital for dehydration.I got out last night and thankfully seem to be on some medicines that are helping. I haven't thrown up since Monday and I have been able to keep some food and liquids down.We did get to have an ultrasound too while I was there so that was cool. I will try to get the pictures of it posted soon. It is a pretty small baby so there isn't a whole lot to see yet but it was definitely in there.P.S.I have quite a backlog of sponsored posts so bear with me as I get a few done this week. Thanks! ...
|
WTF?
2008-04-30 19:43:00
I was watching HGTV yesterday and they had a couple on who wanted their bathroom remodeled because it had pink marble all over in it. They had attempted to make it better by painting the walls a deep green color. Which of course they discovered only made it stand out more.So the design team came in and instead of ripping out the marble they decided to cover it all up. They put river rock on the counter top and around the tub. And instead of going up the walls to cover the marble they put some black board glued directly onto the marble.While the bathroom did look good in the end I have to wonder how long that bathroom is going to hold up. Why didn't they just rip out the marble and do the project right? It would have been better than putting in the kitchen faucets and river rock. ...
|
Remodeling on my mind
2008-04-30 19:39:00
With another baby on the way now we are seriously looking at our house set-up. We had wanted to add two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs in the attic that we are S.T.I.L.L. remodeling. That may have to change.But I don't want to take out the bathroom from the plan because with 8 kids we are going to need it. And any project that lets me drool over Franke sinks is a project for me.Of course I have to be able to walk from one room to the next without wanting to hurl first. ...
|
Whining
2008-04-28 04:21:00
I am afraid this blog is going to become a sporadic whine-fest about how absolutely miserable I feel. I am sorry for that.I have been in constant contact with the doctor and so far we have not been able to find any medicine that even takes the edge off the nausea or puking. Sadly this is what I expected. I had so wished their would be a miracle pill for me.I was supposed to go for my first OB appointment on Friday but we got over a foot of icy snow instead so now I go next Friday instead. They will be doing an ultrasound that day so that is a bit exciting.Life sort of feels like it is on hold for me and I cannot believe I have to live like this for another two months. That is such a long time. I am extremely grateful that this does not continue for the entire pregnancy for me.The doctor said I am due December 6, 2008. That means I am 8 weeks this week. Only 6-8 more weeks of puking... ...
|
Words of Wisdom
2008-04-23 17:46:00
I truly appreciate all of your suggestions and ideas for helping with my morning sickness.I wish I could say so far something has helped but no...I am still wanting to be put in a coma for the next 3 months. Ugh.Just to let you know, I have severe morning sickness with ALL my pregnancies so this is nothing new to me. I throw up continuously from 6 weeks to 16 weeks with no break. I have tried unisom, not taking prenatals, eating before I get up, ginger in every form, and all the other methods people and books recommend. And not one of them has worked. This weekend the doctor prescribed phenergan which I tried with no success either. Monday she gave me Zofran which is proving to be no good either. I spent all day yesterday throwing up despite taking the medicine. I called her back today to see what she wants to do now. She said in her 2 years of working at this clinic they have only had one mom they couldn't help. I am afraid I am going to be #2. My morning sickness is that bad.So I am ...
|
Tagged
2008-04-22 19:56:00
What I was doing 10 years ago?I was just getting ready to graduate from College. I had 2 baby girls and had been married for 5 years. Seems so long ago now. Five things on my to-do list today:Not puke.Not puke.Not puke.Not puke.Attempt to eat.Five Snacks I enjoy:chocolatefruittrail mix/granolacrackerspicklesFive Things I would do if I were a billionaire:Pay off all of my debt and my family's debt tooFind something I am passionate about and help with itSet up a scholarship fund for low-income familiesPay someone to MAKE a better solution to gasolineTry to make the world a better placeFive of my bad habits:Eating in the afternoonBiting the inside of my lipForgetting to tell my kids how wonderful they areSaying Thank YouNot stopping to smell the rosesFive places I have lived:HawaiiAlaskaOregonCaliforniaSouth DakotaFive jobs I’ve had:CookWaitressStudent TeacherLine LeaderMomWhat I’d like to be doing in 25 years:I would like to be an empty nester who is enjoying her grandkids and grown ...
|
Promote YOU
2008-04-22 04:21:00
When I was a kid I was always fascinated by personalized stuff. My name was one that was sort of difficult to find so I was always excited to find pencils, pens, notepads, and other accessories with my name pre-printed on them.Of course now-a-days you can get your name on anything. You just order it online and it is delivered right to your home. While that makes it a little less special it does make running a business easier. Instead of personalized products you can get promotional products with your company's logo or name.Technology is a good thing. ...
|
Forgive Me
2008-04-21 17:00:00
You will have to forgive my lack of posting. My life is moving in very slow motion from the toilet to my bed and back again. I don't know how I did this the last four times but I am not doing it very well this time. And I have at least 8 more weeks of this.8. weeks. ...
|
At My Dads
2008-04-19 19:21:00
The wall of snow we had to drive by. It was a scary part of the ride. All of us with Claudia A blue Heron that liked hanging around when Jamie was fishing. He snatched a chicken neck on a large hook and swallowed it whole, hook and all. Hopefully it passes through with no problems.My siblings: Jamie, Angie (holding Ian), Dad, Vonnie, and Me. ...
|
Old
2008-04-19 18:53:00
While I was out at my Dad's he had us go through my step-mom's clothes to get rid of them. Her best friend Claudia was there helping me and my sisters. She is a little ball of fire and it was so much fun to be around her.After we got through all her clothes Claudia brought out a ziploc bag full of vintage sunglasses. I am not a glasses type of girl but both my sisters are. They had fun trying them on and seeing which ones worked for them. Although a lot of them were prescription glasses or readers so they wouldn't work too well for them.We had fun reminiscing though. My step-mom was a great lady with an awesome sense of humor. ...
|
Please Make It Stop
2008-04-19 18:50:00
Please oh please make the puking stop!I knew this was the reason I never wanted to be pregnant again. I cannot live like this for the next 10 weeks. Please oh please make it stop.I got some medicine from the doctor but it is not helping. I need to call and get some new medicine. Can't do this.....Ugh! ...
|
New Home
2008-04-19 18:48:00
A new baby sure brings with it a lot of change. Especially when it is your 8th child.We have been contemplating many things, one of which is our current housing situation. We don't need to do anything immediately as our babies usually room in with us for the 1st year of their life.But that doesn't stop us from thinking about it and making plans. I have been checking out several options online but I think for now we are going to stay in our current house and look at the ways to expand it. There are plenty of mortgage lenders willing to lend money for renovations so that may be the way to go for us. ...
|
Havoc
2008-04-18 04:52:00
Oh it is very true. Thank you all for your congrats. I got a good giggle out of your shock. That is pretty much how we feel too.I have already been to the doctor as this baby is wreaking havoc on my body. I have morning sickness all day everyday and it makes me pretty dehydrated. Needless to say life with 7 kids and morning sickness is not going so well. I got some medicine but it seems to only make me tired. Blah.I have a few pictures and a good recap of my week with my dad. I will try to get that all in here yet this week. ...
|
Off and Running
2008-04-10 06:17:00
I am supposed to be in bed. Because I have to get up at 4 a.m. to drive 8 hours to pick up my siblings so we can head to Oregon for my Step-Mom's funeral.But I wanted to come in here and say goodbye first. If we have wireless I will try to pop in at the hotel. Otherwise I will see you all in a week.Be good while I am gone. ...
|
My house is giving me a headache
2008-04-08 20:49:00
We have animals. Many. Animals.And while I love them. I do not love the fur they leave all over my house.While it is relatively easy to vacuum up from the floor and off of our couches, we have this ONE obnoxious woven office chair that seems to collect fur like a magnet.I am not posting a picture of it because I would die of utter embarrassment. It is not a reflection of my housekeeping. It is a reflection of the fur's attractiveness to the chair.The other day a family friend came over and refused to sit on the chair after he pulled it out and saw the mess. I can't say I really blame him as I wince when I sit down too. And then I have to check and recheck my backside to make sure there is no hair stuck to me when I get up. Not that there ever is because this is the magnet chair remember?I guess it is time to get some new office furniture. Preferably in leather, vinyl, or other non-fur-attracting surface. ...
|
I keep walking around poking myself...
2008-04-08 15:37:00
Despite my husband getting the big V a couple of weeks ago I am having a big pregnancy scare this week.You see I got what I thought was the beginning of my period last week. It started out the way it usually does and then suddenly stopped. And during this my breasts got OMG sore. And they seem to be happy in this state of discomfort. Even if I am not.So for the last three days I have been laying awake at night thinking surely my body is messing with me. I am not pregnant. It is just making some 30-something changes. Right?If I didn't have this breast tenderness I wouldn't even be thinking twice about it. I would just think I had a nice short easy period this month. But WTF?And I know I could go pee on a stick. But what fun would that be? I would rather torture myself for a few more days. ...
|
It's All About Me
2008-04-06 20:27:00
A package arrived in the mail the other day.But it wasn't for me.It was for Mr. Bill.It was one of many personalized books from Kids Personally. I choose the book about dinosaurs for him since he loves to read about dinosaurs. We went to Barnes and Nobles about a month ago and the entire hour we spent in the store he used to read one book about dinosaurs.But this book is even better. It not only has dinosaurs in it but the book has his name throughout the story. And three of his friends are listed in it too.When he opened the book he was excited because it was about dinosaurs but when I started reading the book to him he was really surprised to hear his own nickname throughout the story.He even took it to school the next day and his teacher read the book to the class. He came back with rave reviews from his teacher and his friends.Of course I now have 6 other kids who think they need their own personalized books. I am sure I will be ordering more. They are too cute and the kids never g ...
|
Professional Babysitter
2008-04-06 17:42:00
I was watching a commercial yesterday for Merry Maids and thought to myself, "Why don't they have professional babysitting services?"Yes, I know that is what daycare is. But daycare doesn't come to your house and many aren't open after 6 p.m.Just imagine a professional babysitter's service. You and your husband decide at 6 p.m. that you want to go out for dinner alone. You call the service and they send one of hundreds of pre-screened, dependable, and quality babysitters to your home. No more worrying about whether or not the teenage girl down the street has a game or other activity that night. No more worrying about calling at the last minute.For people in small town's like me without a wealth of teenage girls to call this would be great. And even in large cities if you are new to the area or don't know many people you would have a qualified babysitter at hand.I can dream... ...
|
Home Ownership
2008-04-06 03:12:00
As we were out playing in the nice weather today we stopped by the lake. Of course it was still frozen solid so there wasn't much to do there. But there were plenty of new houses going in around the lake. As we walked around we saw one house for sale. Everyone saw the sign and commented that we needed a lake house. I laughed. I can't imagine why anyone would choose to live on the lake. In the winter time the wind blows across that ice and drops the temperature by about 30 degrees. No way I would want to live near that year round.Becca says, "Yeah. We just need one that we can use in the summertime." Yeah but where do you find that kind of deal. Apparently there is such a thing. It is called fractional ownership. Although with 7 kids owning even part of a second home isn't happening anytime soon.Bummer. ...
|
Gone
2008-04-06 02:30:00
My Step-Mom passed away last night. Thankfully she was peaceful and with my Dad.I will be driving to Oregon with my siblings on Thursday. I am excited to have a four day weekend with no one but adults. Should be fun. Too bad we are going for a funeral. ...
|
Faking
2008-04-04 19:11:00
For most of my life, memories of my Mom involve her being in pain. She always was complaining of some ache or pain. When I was 12 or 13 I remember it getting really severe.She went to her doctor. She told us he diagnosed her with fibromyalgia. She began treatment for the pain including new medicines.A few years later she informed us all that she had been diagnosed with Chrones too.And then my Mom got the internet. And suddenly every few months she was self-diagnosing herself with everything from post-polio to cancer.Now after she has passed away, my sisters were going through her paperwork and have found countless doctors letters informing her that nothing is wrong with her. They basically told her it was all in her head. This is something the doctors have been telling her for years but she would not accept it. One doctor recently diagnosed her with Munchausen syndrome. That is basically where they invent illnesses to get attention.That doctor couldn't have been more accurate.The scary ...
|
Again
2008-04-04 04:48:00
I just found out my Step-Mom is dying from the cancer she was diagnosed with.I cannot even begin to imagine what my Dad is going through. Losing my Mom was tough. But she wasn't my spouse.Please keep my step-mom in your prayers. She will likely be gone in the next 24 hours. ...
|
Finally
2008-04-04 04:43:00
Have you seen those commercials that tell us, "Diets Don't work!"? I saw one for the first time the other day and thought HALLELUJAH! It is about time a company gets that and starts telling the consumers as much. I relate to dieting like I do to the top diet pills, if they truly worked no one in the world would be obese or even pudgy.I am so happy to see business starting to realize that they need to stop making us feel bad about our bodies and who we are. I hope more of them start following suit. ...
|
Call me Mommy...
2008-04-03 19:58:00
This is the hardest job I have ever signed up for. Harder than being a parent.I am an adoptive parent.To a child who not only didn't come with instructions, but who came with a broken set of rules.I went into this situation blindly. "Love can cure anything!" I thought. I sat through the trainings. Yes, I heard about how children can have "issues" from their past life. I got it. I knew the ins and outs. I was a great Mom and nothing could phase me. I could fix a child with love.And then this cute cheeky little 20 month old child was deposited in my arms.She cried, she screamed, she hollered. And no amount of love, hugs, kisses, or gentle redirection phased her. She had her own ideas, at the ripe old age of 2, and I was not fitting into her grand scheme of things. She didn't need me and she most certainly didn't want me.For the first year we struggled. I fought to maintain some kind of control and BE THE PARENT. And she fought tooth and nail to usurp me from my role. She didn't need me. ...
|
Mixed Up Fairy Tales
2008-04-02 17:50:00
The kids came home with some sheep wool that the art teacher had given them. They were learning how to spin it into yarn.Cassie tells us the teacher said in the olden days women used a spinning wheel just like the one on Sleeping Beauty. You know the one she pricked her finger on?Mr. Bill pipes up, "No it was an apple on the spinning wheel. She took it off and ate it and then fell asleep." ...
|
The Skies Have Opened...
2008-04-02 17:22:00
Today I met with a therapist who is coming to help us deal with Jozey. Just the hour we spent together talking made the sun shine in my heart.She gets it. She is willing to help. And I am so grateful.There is hope that this boy will learn to be happy, loving, and comfortable in his own skin. Hope is a beautiful thing. ...
|
| |
Show All