I Need a Chill Pill...

Today was a doozie.  My two-and-a-half-year-old was a maniac and my nearly-seven-year-old has no common sense.  I am tired, stressed, my head aches and I am in just complete shock about how much trouble two kids can manage to cause in one short day.  It's like they know the exact buttons to push, and boy... do they like to push buttons!  But... as I sang Callen a night-night song and as I read Hank The Cowdog to Preston before he laid down... I can't help but be so very grateful and full of love for those two.  They are my world.  God gave me two lively, adorable and brilliant children - they are healthy, they are complete, they are amazing. 

Lord, grant me patience and gentleness with these two!  And keep the coffee coming.

Praising God for Our New Van!

Filling her up for the first time.  Yikes!

After nearly two years of being a one-car family, we now have two cars again!  I got a 1997 Honda Odyssey!!!  It's runs great, handles well, only needs a few minor things worked on and has a bit of cosmetic distress (the hood is all primer, I think) and the inside is rather nasty right now... but all in all, it's AWESOME!!!  And, best of all, it was in our extremely limited price range!  :::doing a happy dance:::

I know that not having a second car was certainly a "first world problem" to have, but the freedom of just knowing I can take the kids to the doctor without having to track down a ride or inconvenience other people is such a relief!  I can run to the store whenever I need to, don't have wait 4 days till I'll have access to a vehicle.  We can go on field trips and drive across town to visit grandma without making her come to us all the time.  I'm so excited!!!  Thank You, Jesus, for Your blessings!!!

Valentine's Day 2012!

This year, I let the boys make their own Valentine's... with a lot of help from me, of course.  We printed some things from the internet and assembled them with lots of glue!  Preston helped me a lot, and did a great job signing him name to each one (there were 40!):

Diligently writing his name over & over!

I let Callen do his little scribble on each one too, then I followed up by writing "Callen" under it, haha:

Callen adding his scribble.

They came out really cute.  A maze on one side and a reminder of the source of True Love on the other:

Final product.

We went to our homeschool group's Valentine's party and the boys had a blast playing with the other kids.  Snacks, games, passing out Valentine's... it was a lot of fun!

Michael worked that whole day, so the boys and I had a special Valentine's dinner: Pumpkin Pancakes, sausage, eggs and yogurt-covered frozen strawberries.  They didn't come out quite as I expected, but the boys enjoyed them anyway!

Does my mouth look heart-shaped?

It's a little tart, mama!

We also played "Towel Ball," which is really just wacking at the ball with a towel to try to get it past Mama.  Haha!

Get it, Callen!

Fully Relying on God...

Y'know, I don't usually want to blog about things that are going to be depressing.  But maybe it would actually help me to get it all out.  These past few weeks have sucked.  Now, don't get me wrong... there has been so much joy and love and blessings flowing through my life... I really can't complain for the most part.  I know that God is good!  But there are all these things bearing down on us right now, and I don't know what to do with them.  I keep giving them to God, then snatching them right back up to worry about some more.  I can't help myself.  I'm a natural worrier.  I want to have a plan of action, and know how things are going to go.  I don't have anything like that right now.  

What's wrong?  Well...

- My husband's back is in such bad shape that he can barely move at times.  Nothing seems to help.  (Not to mention he still has his full-blown migraines constantly)

- Husband also starts his third job this week.  He has a full-time job, and now two part-time jobs (and that doesn't include a few things he does on the side and the volunteer work he does for church).  It makes me feel awful that he has to work this hard (while in such pain too!) for us to merely survive.  It's not like we're rolling in dough because he's working that many jobs, it's still only getting us by, barely.  We have property taxes due by the end of this month...

- My youngest child has decided that he MUST climb on everything, which, in turn, means he must fall off of everything.  It's seriously becoming a problem.  How many bonks can he get on his head before he becomes brain damaged?  And he doesn't listen.  But, ya know, he's not-quite-two, that's kinda standard and I understand that.

- My in-laws are moving this week.  Not just across town or anything, but 1,000 miles away.  It's really difficult to imagine how things are going to be without them nearby.  Especially right now in the throes of this mess we're in.

- The car situation.  Where do I even begin?  The car (our ONLY car) had some sort of a leak.  It wasn't overheating, didn't blow up, just had a leak so we wanted to get it fixed before it got worse.  We took it to a shop that was recommended by a friend, was on the lower end of the price quotes we got and could get it in the soonest.  We weighed our options, and this place seemed like the best one.  Well, two weeks later we get our car back with MORE problems than when it went in.  It appears that the engine was put back together wrong.  It grinds and vibrates, has a leak still and doesn't start every time.  We've had several people who know engines look at it, and tell us that the place put it back wrong and they need to fix it.  So, we take it back to the place and the guy says he did a little work on it, but the rest of it isn't anything that they did, and he doesn't see anything wrong with it.  Um... what?  Michael will go this afternoon, after work, to check it out and see if the car is fixed.  If not... I really don't know what we do.  If he's refusing to fix what they messed up, I'm not even sure what our options are.  We don't have another car to fall back on.  We can't afford to buy another car or to pay for more repairs (the amount of money that we paid him for this "repair" wasn't chump change... it's a huge addition to our debt).  We don't have time for small claims court or anything like that.  It just feels so dirty and hopeless.  And completely unbelievable.  How do you do that to a family?  "Fix" their car by making it worse and then not owning up to it?  Wow.

- I am madly trying to hash out some sort of plan to get me back working so I can bring in some extra income.  Usborne is not bringing in enough money, no one will call me back or answer my emails, people are avoiding contact with me completely it seems.  I don't really have any other skills that I do at home to make money.  And I don't know what I could do outside of the home either.  But something has to give.  Then what do I do about child care?  About homeschool?  Me working would probably just have me spending my income on child care anyway, how does that help?  I feel like God called me to be here at home with my children, homeschooling.  We always knew it didn't make sense financially... but things always worked out.  Well, now that they're not working out anymore, does that mean it's time for a change.  I don't know.

Things just feel like they're spiraling out of control right now.  I know a lot of this stuff is menial, completely silly compared to most people's suffering and major things wrong with the world (oh, and speaking of... my laptop, still broken after many different people trying to help us fix it, sigh).  God has blessed me far more than things have gone wrong.  But you know, sometimes when you're in the midst of battle, it's hard to see anything but what's directly in front of you. and all you can think of is how to get past it, then we'll worry about the rest.  I will just keep trying my hardest to give it to God, and not spend my energy worrying.  His plans are better than ours.  His ways are always right and just.  I just need His guidance and direction as we have to quickly make some serious decisions about major things.  Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement, friends.

It is my hope that I will be able to look back at this blog years from now and think about this time in my life and laugh at how God brought us out of it, and it all worked out for His good.

* Update #1 - The car is fixed!  The guy fixed everything, including the stuff he said they weren't responsible for, and was completely civil about it when Michael and his brother were up there.  They test drove it, and everything is in fine, working order.  Drove it home with no problem... no grinding, vibrating or even any sensor lights on anymore!  Praise God!!!! This is a HUGE burden lifted from us, which means we can focus on other things... because at the moment this was the biggest roadblock.  :::happy, praise dance:::

"Unstopable" Freshness!

A few weeks ago I received a full-sized bottle of Downy's new product, Unstopable In-wash Scent Booster, and a pair of socks (lol!) from VocalPoint.  I was happy to try it out because we normally use unscented detergent and don't use fabric softener because of my children's sensitive skin, and I miss having a scent on my fresh, clean laundry.  

The product comes in a what they call and a "squeeze and sniff" bottle, which means that you get a nice whiff of the scent when you take off the cap.  You pour your desired amount of the little gel capsule thingees (for lack of a better term!) into your washing machine, add clothes and detergent, wash as normal.  Straight out of the washer, they smell great... but the scent really does last!

Last week I was just out of the shower when I got a whiff of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.  It was clean, fresh, gentle scent.  I sniffed around my vanity to see if it was coming off of any of my skin or hair products, nope.  Then, after literally standing there for about 3 minutes, I realized... it was my towel!  It smelled so good!  Hooray for the Unstopables!

The only thing that bugs me, is that they spelled unstoppable incorrectly, and I don't exactly know why.  Hmm.  Anyway, thanks VocalPoint!

If you'd like to receive free products or coupons, you can join VocalPoint too!  They'll be doing another Dowyn Unstopable campaign soon, maybe you'll snatch a free bottle of this stuff and be as fresh as me!

[I received a free product to try out, but the opinions stated above are my own, honest thoughts.]

31 Days to Clean, part 5 (of 5)...

It's not too late to start, if you are interested in the 31 Days To Clean Challenge.  The blog info is here and the 31 Days To Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way e-book can be found here.  You can start anytime, do it any way you want to, there aren't rigid rules... don't be intimidated.  There's also a helpful and encouraging forum, as well as twitter friends at the #31daystoclean hashtag!

Day 27 - I've got several boxes and bags ready for Goodwill - clothes, dishes, random trinkets, etc.  It will feel so nice to have that extra stuff out of the way.  And hopefully someone else can find it useful!  The remaining Martha Challenges have to do with the utility room.  Well, mine is teeny-tiny, only enough room for the washer, dryer and to walk through to the garage.  So, I scrubbed down the machines and cleaned the floor (except under, unfortunately).  That's really about all I can do in there.  I could tackle the two shelves, but honestly... there's not much hope for those, no other place for that stuff, so... I'm done with that!

Day 28 - I think my biggest area of guilt is the bathroom.  Ok, bathrooms.  I tend to let them go a little longer than they should.  I love, adore, cherish my giant bathtub... but I don't take care of it as I should.  I also tend to shed... BAD!  And the floor of my bathroom gets... hairy.  Gross! I know, sorry.  I go too long without sweeping up the hair.  So, I feel guilty about that.  I am really the only one that uses the master bathroom, I think that's why I don't give it more attention.  But I know my husband walks through there to get to the closet on occasion, and then I'm all "Oh no, don't look!"  Definitely planning to give it more attention from here on out!

• Getting off easy for the last 4 days of #31daystoclean, don't have much of a utility room!
• RT @sarahmaewrites: @heyjade slacker. ;) #31daystoclean // Thinking it's a bad sign when the author of the book calls you a "slacker." Ha!

Day 29 - I am certainly thankful for my "maids" - a.k.a. the dishwasher, the clothes washer, the dryer, the heavy duty vacuum, and the Swiffer.  I don't think I could even get out of bed if these things weren't readily available to me.  I can't afford a maid, so I am definitely thankful for these things that make my life so much easier!  Again, since I finished up cleaning the utility room on Friday, today I hit the hall closet.  It wasn't as bad as it could be (I've cleaned it a few times in the recently past) so it only took me a few minutes to clear out some stuff and rearrange it so that everything fit nicely.  No big deal today!

Day 30 - Coming up with 10 things I am thankful for took less than half a second.  I am so incredibly blessed.  Much more than I deserve that's for sure!  That's the beauty of God's grace... we don't have to earn our blessings!

1. My husband.
2. My Preston.
3. My Callen.
4. My parents.
5. My in-laws.
6. My home.
7. Our car.
8. Michael's jobs.
9. Freedom.
10. My Savior.

Yeah, they probably seem cliche, but I mean it.  My family is the best... so supportive and precious.  Living off of one income this past year has helped me realize how blessed we are that we have a house and our one car, and that Michael is able to work two jobs to make ends meet.  Our freedom in this country to worship and live as we please.  We can homeschool here in Texas with no harassment, I can't take that for granted!  And obviously, I am thankful for a God that sent His Son to die in my place, so that I could be here, now, living this very life.  Indeed, it doesn't hurt to take some time thanking HIM for all these things!  Even when you don't have much by the world's standards, you have SOMETHING to be thankful for.  Remember that!


Day 31 - I love the challenges for today - rest and enjoy life!  I can do that!  If only Callen hadn't been up all nite and spent most of the morning crying his face off!  But, it seems to have passed, so I think we can make a go at the rest of the day.  Make it a good one!

* Challenge Complete! *

Final thoughts: 
I loved this month-long challenge.  It really got me moving.  I don't think I would have really gotten around to doing some of this stuff... ever.  I have to say that having other people to tweet at, talk to and blog hop around with truly motivated me.  I guess I kind of felt that I was the only one not keeping my house up.  I'm glad to know that I'm not alone, and there are so many others out there just like me!  Thanks to Christin at JoyfulMothering.net for hosting this challenge.  Thanks to Sarah Mae for writing such a fabulous e-book that not only inspired me to clean my home, but to dig down deep and think about the reason WHY I should keep my home clean!  And thanks to all the others out there that took part in this challenge this time around for helping me get this done!  I pray you all enjoyed it, and learned from it, as much as I did!  Now, let's keep our homes clean from now on, ok?  Otherwise, I'll see ya in a month or two when we all have to do this over again!  =)

P.S. Looking forward to helping Sarah Mae kick off a new set of challenges.  She's using some of us as a focus group to see how they work.  Totally pumped about it!  Starts Monday!

31 Days to Clean, part 4 (of 5)...

It's not too late to start, if you are interested in the 31 Days To Clean Challenge.  The blog info is here and the 31 Days To Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way e-book can be found here.  You can start anytime, do it any way you want to, there aren't rigid rules... don't be intimidated.  There's also a helpful and encouraging forum, as well as twitter friends at the #31daystoclean hashtag!

Day 20 - Washed the mirrors in the bathroom and pondered where all my time goes... then I realized I was sitting around pondering for a while and wasted a lot of time.  Um... vicious circle much?  Or... question answered, perhaps.

Day 21 - I quickly cleaned the toilets and sinks in the bathrooms because the rest of the day was full of wedding festivities.  Preston was ring bearer in our friend, Dannell's, wedding... and thankfully everything went smoothly.  Yeah, I was a bit nervous that my sometimes-rebellious-5-year-old would have one of his moods and things would go all wrong on his part, but... he did SO GOOD!  Everyone kept telling me (and him) how great he did the whole day.  Super proud of him!

Day 22 - I wore myself out on Sunday, trying to finish up the rest of cleaning the bathrooms (tubs!) and tackling window in the boys' rooms.  I also added dusting the fan and the rest of the rooms, since I was on a roll.  I didn't have the energy to work on... or even think about... routine, or making up a schedule.  Once again, slacking on the Mary challenges here.

• Doing Day 21 and 22 of #31daystoclean today. Instead of home office, I'm doing the boys' rooms. So much to be done!

Day 23 - The boys' rooms both have wood laminate... so for the Martha challenge all I did was sweep (though I did make sure to move the beds and stuff to get under those too!).  Concerning distractions... basically if I don't put it down on my to-do list, it might not get done.  So, my Six List has been my best friend that past few weeks!  Hooray for being able to mark stuff off a list instead of trying to wrack my brain at the end of the day in hopes of remembering something I was supposed to do!  I may get distracted, but I can always go back to my list and see where I'm at.

Day 24 - One thing I'm really bad at is filing paperwork.  I tend to just throw it on top of the filing cabinet until it topples over, then I might get around to filing it.  So, today's Mary and Martha challenges both had to do with organizing a 'hot spot.'  I got all that stuff filed away a lot quicker than I thought.  Guess it wasn't as bad as it seemed.  Now, if I could just do that on a regular basis, there'd be no paperwork mountain threatening to come crashing down every time you walked by our door!

Day 25 - I totally lost my momentum today.  The Martha Challenge was to clean/organize home office shelves/desks.  Since I don't have a home office and I already cleaned our desk in our bedroom anyway, I was going to tackle Preston's book shelf.  It tends to get out of control, and all the books start falling out and what not.  I just... didn't do it.  I went in there a couple of times to get started, took a look at the shelves, and walked back out.  I read the Mary Challenge but shrugged it off.  Total fail.  I'll try again tomorrow.

• I'm on #31daystoclean Day 24, but lacking the motivation to get in there & do it (don't have a homeoffice, the boys' shelves are my goal).
• I mean Day 25... whatever. I lack the motivation to know what day it is too, apparently. #31daystoclean

Day 26 - Today I did what I wanted to do yesterday... cleaned and organized Preston's bookshelf.  I got Callen down for a nap and Preston and I pulled off all the books, sorted 'em and re-organized 'em.  It looks great. For now.  I was also able to make enough room to move some of the homeschool books back to his shelf.  I'm having a hard time figuring out where I want those kind of books.  For now, I think this works.  I ended moving half of his book collection to his little corner shelf so that the big bookshelf wasn't completely overloaded.  There was also a big stack of baby/board books that he wanted to give to Callen, so those helped free up more room too.  We have room for more books now!

I also quickly dusted off the laptop and both computer screens since that was part of today's Martha Challenge.  The Mary Challenge focused on laundry... I try to stay on top of that pretty well.  Though, I admit, I am not the best at folding and putting away clothes that have been cleaned.  The kids usually have a basket in their room of clean clothes that just need to be put away... yet, it takes me a few days to ever do that!  Gotta work on that!

31 Days to Clean, part 3 (of 5)...

It's not too late to start, if you are interested in the 31 Days To Clean Challenge.  The blog info is here and the 31 Days To Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way e-book can be found here.  You can start anytime, do it any way you want to, there aren't rigid rules... don't be intimidated.  There's also a helpful and encouraging forum, as well as twitter friends at the #31daystoclean hashtag! 

 Day 14 - Today's Martha Challenge was something about trading winter bedding for summer bedding.  Ummm.... what?  Never heard of such a thing.  Ok, fine, it makes sense in certain parts of the world I guess... and well, I don't even have a Winter/Summer wardrobe either.  I wear the same thing year-round... I also have the same comforters and sheets year-round.  I did, however, get a jump start on Day 15's Challenge because we plan to be gone most of the day tomorrow.  I'm only doing the master bedroom right now.  Taking on all three at once is a little much for me, I think.  So, since I don't have a home office (our computer, desk, etc. is set up in our master bedroom), I'll work on the boys' rooms then.

Day 15 - We had church and went to a Rangers game, so there wasn't much time for anything else.  I feel kinda guilty because I have been slacking on the Mary Challenges the past few days, but getting the Martha Challenges done just fine.  It seems to be easier to get up and clean lately than to spend time sitting still and figuring out certain areas of my life.  And today's challenge, having to do with coming up with a lesson plan... that should be right up my alley, being a homeschool mom and all, but, nope... totally ignored it.  I'll try to come back to that sometime this week!

Day 16 - What's blocking me from achieving my goals and ideals?  Lack of motivation... thinking it's too hard or not worth the trouble, I guess.  I feel like I don't have what I need or know where to start.  What can I do about it?  Do blog challenges!  Lol!  Seriously, doing this Mary/Martha Challenge is kicking my butt and getting me to do things I've NEVER done.  Today I vacuumed the mattress.  It wasn't part of the challenge, but I felt like it probably needed it!  I also dusted the fan in the bedroom and then vacummed the floors and some under the bed (eeeepppp!!!).  So, I didn't do exactly what the challenge told me to do, but pretty darn close at least.

• Day 16 of #31daystoclean complete. Half way there!

Day 17 - Today's Mary challenge involved taking the DISC Personality Style Quiz.  I don't know how many times I've taken this thing, but I always forget what I am or what my choices are.  Anyway, for the record, I'm an "S" which apparently can mean "supportive" or "steady."  Basically, I like familiarity, I care about feelings, I'm dependable and understanding, etc.  I don't like change or confrontation... that's so true!  Anyway, now I know... let's see if I can remember.  I finished dusting the rest of the bedroom that I had already started. I peaked ahead to tomorrow's Martha Challenge, ugh our closets.  I swear, I organize that monkey every couple of months... it'll be nice for a few days, then BAM, total chaos again!  Anyway, I felt like it would a big task, so after the boys went to sleep, I got started.

• Uhhhh.... I just peaked at tomorrow's Martha Challenge. Closet? Clean? Organize? Are you kidding me? #Panic #31daystoclean

Day 18 - Since I got a head start last nite, it wasn't too bad.  I really just had to vacuum what I could of the floor in the closet.

Before

After

Well, at least you can SEE the floor now!  Granted, the closet is not how I'd like it to be, but we gotta but our stuff SOMEWHERE!  There isn't a lot of clothes or things to purge in there anymore (done that too many times already!).  But, I really struggle with the balance between throwing things away and keeping mementos.  So we have lots of boxes of letters, pictures, cards, and random things from concerts (tickets, posters, flyers, autographs, etc).  Sometimes I wanna just throw it all away because it causes so much clutter.  But then, I'm all... BUT THE MEMORIES!!!  I have also wrestled with selling my wedding dress and prom dress (yes, still have it 11 years later!).  I keep thinking I will list them, then just never get around to it in time for proms.  I guess there's always next year!  Haha!

• Tackled that closet last nite, now just need to vacuum the carpet in there (at least what I can get to). Take that, Day 18, #31daystoclean!!

Day 19 - We're supposed to move into the bathroom today, but our medicine cabinet is actually in our hall closet... so I started there and ended up in my bathroom.  I threw out several expired medicines and prescriptions, sorted some of my random stuff in the closet and made lots more room. 

Before, all crammed in there

After, slightly less crammed in there

It looks the same because I was able to take stuff that had been cluttering up my bathroom and move it into the cabinet.  Haha.  It still looks cluttered in here, but now my bathroom space is de-cluttered.  Moving junk from one place to another...  you can relate, right?  Please tell me you can relate!  =)

• Got most of Day 19 done, just waiting for baby to wake so I can vacuum the closet floor (our med cabinet = hall closet!) #31daystoclean
• Yay, hall/medicine closet organized, master bathroom de-cluttered! Successful Day 19, I'd say!  #31daystoclean

31 Days to Clean, part 2 (of 5)

It's not too late to start, if you are interested in the 31 Days To Clean Challenge.  The blog info is here and the 31 Days To Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way e-book can be found here.  You can start anytime, do it any way you want to, there aren't rigid rules... don't be intimidated.  There's also a helpful and encouraging forum, as well as twitter friends at the #31daystoclean hashtag!

Day 6 - The Mary Challenge was about lists, and well... I love lists, so this should be no problem for me whatsoever.  However, it also says to put your lists in order of importance... that, I don't do so well.  I usually just scribble out whatever pops into my head, and go about it as it seems fit - not necessarily from top to bottom.  The Martha Challenge had Preston and I digging out all kinds of stuff, rearranging and piling up a pretty good size donate box!

• 1/2 of the cabinets are clean/organized, got a donate pile, wondering if I can put my non-stop-talking-5-yr-old in that pile. #31daystoclean 
• Match game! #31daystoclean http://twitpic.com/4u84jd

Oh, if only it could stay this tidy!

Nothing comes crashing down when opened!

Day 7 - I technically started Day 7 on the evening of Day 6 because I knew I'd be busy most of Saturday.  I was right!  So, I finished up the last little bit of cleaning out and organizing my pantry Saturday evening.  I didn't have much to throw away, because I've done a pretty good job of staying after the things in there and making sure they don't expire and sit for ages.  Of course, that's only after having issues with that in the past.

• Got a head start on Day 7's Martha challenge last nite, just a little bit to do today... but busy otherwise! #31daystoclean 

Day 8 - My husband helped me do some organizing (well, it WAS Mother's Day after all!).  And after I finished throwing lots of random things away, I couldn't believe the difference in my drawers!  We also got a couple drawer organizers so that little stuff isn't just rolling around in there and getting lost.  Hooray!  It's amazing to open a drawer and not be completely overwhelmed at the mess!

Everything has a place!

This drawer OPENS now, yay!

Day 9 - Oh boy, dealing with laziness.  Yikes.  I definitely took this message to heart and stayed busy and active ALL day (on a Monday!).  I took little breaks to rest and check email, but pretty much kept going the entire day long!  That made me feel good, like I was really accomplishing something.  And I got that kitchen floor looking awesome.  For a few minutes, till the kids went back in there.  Oh well.  Better than nothing!

• Ok, Monday, I certainly have a "Six List" for you! But first... coffee! #31daystoclean 
• Caught Callen just before he made friends w/a quarter-sized spider in my kitchen! Yikes! #31daystoclean
• Got baby in his bed for a nap, setting up the kid on the DS for a bit... Kitchen floors, here I come! Day 9 of #31daystoclean 
• It feels weird to walk on clean floors... that's bad, huh? #31daystoclean

Day 10 - I already see my house (at least my kitchen) shaping up in the way that I want my whole house to be.  Organized, clean, inviting - my goals, for sure!  There's a huge difference walking into my kitchen to get a drink... opening the cabinet to find the cups all nicely arranged and then opening the fridge and seeing it so clean!  It not only looks good, it makes me feel like I'm finally doing something right!  Moving into the Living Room today.  Spent some time with my windows... again getting a bit O.C.D. with the dirt in between the screen and the sill.  I'm serious, I don't want that guck in my house anymore!

• My Six Lists keep becoming Sixteen Lists. #31daystoclean 
• Day 10 of #31daystoclean COMPLETE! And before lunchtime even, woot!
• #31daystoclean is seriously cutting into my 'net surfin' time. I suppose that's a good thing, though. Clean house v. 1,000 blogs to read...

Yuck!  Ugh...

SO much better!

Day 11 - So, I accidentally got carried away and did most of Day 12 stuff today as well.  Oh well, less work for tomorrow!  As I'm sitting here, looking over my work... I am just so pleased that I'm actually accomplishing these goals.  The kids are being mostly cooperative (not completely, but when Callen takes a nap I am able to get Preston distracted with DS, tv or computer long enough to really get things done!), and though I'm exhausted from the hard work... my results are gratifying for sure!

• Curse you, popcorn ceiling!!! Full-fledged living room dusting going on over here! #31daystoclean 
• Got a little carried away and did most of Day 12 too, oops. Less to do tomorrow, though! Living Room looks wonderful! #31daystoclean

Day 12 - I really appreciate that this e-book is so encouraging, especially in letting us know that we don't have to get everything just right all the time.  It doesn't wave it's finger at me, telling me that I've been a bad housewife all these years, and it's about time I shape up!  It allows for grace and forgiveness, at the same time as it says "hey, get up and do SOMETHING at least!"  It is giving me the motivation to get off my butt, off the computer, and get busy!  Not quite half way through with the 31-day challenge, but feeling great about it!

Day 13 - I got carried away again, which... is a good thing... I mean, the house needs it, right?  I mopped the entire living room, entry way, laundry room, hallway, and both bathrooms.  Once I had finished the living room, I was just like... well, I have the mop and stuff out... might as well get after it!  Haha!

P.S. This wasn't part of the challenge (yet), but I spent some time tidying up Callen's room, and 5 minutes later, this is what I came across...

Oh, baby... way to go.

He pulled down everything from his shelves and spread it around like it was before.  Apparently, he likes it that way!

31 Days to Clean, part 1 (of 5)...

I started on Sunday, May 1st, even though the blog challenge didn't officially start till the 2nd.  They are taking weekends off, and I don't plan to at this point.  I guess I'll see how that works out with our schedule anyway, and if I need a breather I won't get too off schedule. I will be posting a day-by-day recap every week on Thursday.  It'll include ... well, whatever I want it to include, as well as tweets I've posted as I go.

Day 1 - I went over my reasons as to WHY I want a clean house.  Y'know, other than I don't want to live in complete filth.  My mission statement (was a lot less inspired than most of the other ones I read from other participants... I'm never good at those things!) had to do with having a clean, safe, inviting home.  I skimmed through the Martha Challenges and made a mental note of what kind of cleaning supplies I might need (and what's going to be coming up this month!).  Thankfully, I think I have everything I need.  We'll see.

Day 2 - Cleaned my fridge and freezer... inside and out, top and bottom. Took me allll day (in spurts, of course, between crying kids, phone calls to yell at AT&T, crying kids again, feeding the kids, etc).  It looks amazing, and I really don't even want anyone to touch it!  Haha.  I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment after that.  It certainly didn't seem like a big task, but once I got started and realized how many nooks and crannies there are in that beast, woo boy!  I feel like I really did a good job, so the first person that spills something in there... dies!

• Day 2 of #31daystoclean: I was thinking "no big deal!" Took me ALL day! But I did it, it looks great... I feel good!

Day 3 - I realized I'm very bad at using life-giving words.  I tend to be more of the "no" "don't" "never" type mom.  I need to be more encouraging... and relax!!!  In order to do Martha's Challenge on this day I had to pretty much de-clutter, find new homes and re-arrange the things piling up on top of all of the horizontal surfaces in my kitchen.

Before de-cluttering

That took a while.  After about two hours, I had only finished one-half of the room!  Again, a seemingly small task ended up being intense.  Then I realized why it was intense... because I haven't done this stuff in a very, very long time... if ever!  Had I been more on top of it, scrubbing the outsides of the cabinets would not have been such a big, stinkin' deal!  Note to self: Be very glad you are doing this, it needs to be done!

• Looking forward to starting Day 3 of #31daystoclean, just gotta wait till the kids nap. Dear Lord, please let them nap today!
• Again, didn't seem like that big of a deal but Day 3 of #31daystoclean is intense. Have finished half the room & it looks great! Break time!
• Helpers? #31daystoclean http://twitpic.com/4sy4a4
• DONNNNEEEE with Day 3 of #31daystoclean. May I order pizza so my counters can stay sparkly white? Please?!   

After de-cluttering and cleaning

Clean surfaces!

A place for everything.

Completely rearranged this stuff!

Day 4 - As far as the Mary Challenge goes for this day, I'm pretty sure our house appears lived-in enough to be comfortable, just need to work on the inviting part... making it look inviting and not scary.  I divided the Martha Challenge into two parts, finishing up the microwave quickly as the kids had breakfast... then got after the over when Callen went down for a nap.  I have discovered my nemesis... it's name is "nooks and crannies."  Seriously, they're killing me. I can clean just fine, then I discover an area that is just impossible to get at... drives me crazy!  I feel like I fail because I can't get that area clean - because there's no way to GET IN THERE!  Oh well, gotta let it go... while I don't want to have the attitude of "good enough" anymore, there are just some things I can't manage.

• The sunshine streaming in reminds me that my computer screen needs dusting! That's not on the agenda today though! Oh no! =) #31daystoclean
• Finished the first part of Day 4 Martha Challenge, leaving the harder part for nap time! #31daystoclean
• Day 4 of #31daystoclean complete! All this kitchen cleaning makes me not want to cook. I need a separate challenge for that I guess!
• I think my hubby approves of what I've done so far for #31daystoclean, he suggested @ChickfilA for dinner. I love that man!
• Looking up info on how to clean my window treatment for #31daystoclean. I've never really been able to get 'em clean, but determined now! 

Helpers!

Day 5 - Priorities...hmm.  After reading the priorities that Sarah Mae (the author of 31 Days to Clean) wrote, all I can say is DITTO!  I love exactly what she wrote, they completely apply to me and I'm stealing them!  Um... hope she doesn't mind!  The Martha Challenge was kitchen windows.  I recently cleaned the inside of my windows, but did it again.... but what really needs to be done is the OUTSIDE, because they're still mucky to look through (will attempt that later this afternoon, I need a rest now!).  I also cleaned the ceiling fan above the dining table, washed and vacuumed the window treatments.  I got a little O.C.D. about the dirt/mud in the window sill and worked on that for a long time.  Clean now!  Woo hoo!

• Is it weird that I woke up looking forward to getting personal with my windows this morning? What are you doing to me #31daystoclean?
• Back from the park, kids in their bed (though not napping, sigh)... ready to tackle the rest of the windows! #31daystoclean
• #31daystoclean Day 5 complete, I love the feeling of getting stuff done! I hope this becomes the norm for me!  

I love the feeling of having a deep cleaned kitchen. I actually woke up this morning eager to get started on my task. Is that weird or what? Who wakes up excited about cleaning? Not me, not usually. I am definitely enjoying this challenge, even though it's incredibly hard work. But, again, it's only hard because I have neglected this stuff for so long. Hopefully, once these 31-days are up, it won't be so difficult to keep it maintained! I am excited about that possibility!

It's not too late to start, if you are interested in the 31 Days To Clean Challenge.  The blog info is here and the 31 Days To Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way e-book can be found here.  You can start anytime, do it any way you want to, there aren't rigid rules... don't be intimidated.  There's also a helpful and encouraging forum, as well as twitter friends at the #31daystoclean hashtag!

Oh My, Let's Do It!

So, I just started reading a book called Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living after stumbling upon the author's blog.  I have been doing this stay-at-home-mom/homemaker thing for over a year now and I still don't feel like I have a good handle on it.  Specifically the household chores part.  There is stuff that I just don't think about, know about... or care about.  But, I need to get on the ball!

Well, I'm only up to the fourth chapter of that book*, and then I stumbled across this e-Book called 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way and found out there is a challenge starting up on May 1st (um, tomorrow!).  So, headfirst... I'm diving in.  Hopefully this will help motivate me to stay after my house a little better.  I don't have any excuse any more for the dust and dirt to pile up, the laundry to go unfolded and all that... here's hoping having a blog challenge set before me will get my butt up from couch (and AWAY from the blog, funny enough) long enough to get my house in order!  Feel free to join me!  The e-Book is only $4.99 on Amazon (and you don't have to have an e-Reader to read it!).  Let's do it!  (You can click on the image above to find out more about the blogging challenge.)

* Home-Ec 101 has been incredibly inspiring and informative and I fully intend to continue reading and learning from it as well.  The author has a hilarious sense of humor (and references all kinds of 80's and 90's trivia, so it's right up my alley!), plus she really breaks down things so that you understand WHY and HOW of it all.  And I'm only on the fourth chapter so far!

Photo Prompt Challenge, #5: Your Day

Your day.

My boys never allow for a dull moment!

A quick rundown of my day looks a little something like this:

My phone alarm goes off at 6:15am, I check to see if Michael is up and getting ready for work.  We've had a few scares where he slept through his alarm, so I am the backup... must make sure he gets up and off!  Then, I usually fall back asleep till 7:30 or 8am.  Of course, I've already been up a time or two with Callen, and at this point he is most likely already in bed with me anyway.  If he's not, I get up and take a shower.  If he is, we get up and start getting ready for breakfast, waking Preston up by 8:30 at the latest.  Sometimes we watch cartoons/check email before we have breakfast and do school.  Sometimes we go straight to breakfast and school.  Either way, school is usually finished up by 10:30 or 11am with a few bits and pieces to finish up during the rest of the day.  We chill, watch cartoons, play in the floor, read blogs, facebook, email, etc.  If I'm not already showered, I do that while the boys are playing nicely (or Callen is taking a nap), then get them all dressed and ready for the day.  Preston is a big fan of being in his PJs, so that's why all the pictures of him doing school work usually have him PJ'd.  I figure as long as he cooperates with the lessons, I don't care if he's dressed or not.  At some point around 12:30pm or so, we'll have lunch and attempt to tidy up a little.  There's more playing, hanging out, whatever, and around 2pm, I TRY to get the boys to both take naps.  I usually fail with Preston, and we'll fight for an hour (sadly, I'm serious).  If I get them to nap, I catch up on one of my shows (not my 'stories' now, I'm talking about Chuck or Parenthood here, haha), do some housework, blog, chat with Rosie, whatever.  Then, about the time they're getting up, Michael gets home from work, unless he's working his second job (then he usually doesn't come home until 9pm or so).  I'll scrounge up some dinner, we'll play (inside or out), watch TV, tidy up a little, then start bedtime prep.  Callen's prep starts at 8, with him down around 8:30.  Preston gets to stay up till about 9, then his prep starts, with him in bed by hopefully 9:30pm.  Then I do another round of picking up toys and discarded clothes or what not, see if the kitchen is still in working order, and collapse on the couch, try to do some reading or spend some time talking to my husband.  I am usually worn out by 11pm, but don't usually get to bed till midnite.

So, now you know WAY more about my day than you ever wanted to.  What an exciting life I lead as a SAHM, eh?  =)

Why I Take Long Showers...

I know it's bad to use all of my city's water resources.  I understand that they're charging me for it too.  And I know it's probably rather harsh on my skin.  But I don't care.  I love a long, hot shower.  I've worked out a system of leaving Callen (happy and playing) in the play-pen with Preston nearby watching cartoons, so that I can take some time to get ready.  I rush through the tooth-brushing, the hair styling, the getting dressed, but I won't rush through the shower.  It's the one part of my day when it's quiet and I get to be alone.  I have been trying (ok, meaning...) to get up early enough to have some me-time before the kids wake up, but so far... no such luck.  So that shower is pretty darn important!

I grew up as an only child, so I was used to being on my own.  I don't mind being alone...I like the peace and quiet.  Cue husband, then kid, then second kid.  Well, I still got alone time when I was working after Preston was born, because I got to drive to work.  Even just that little bit of time in the car by myself... EVEN if I was sitting in traffic... was exactly what I needed.  But now, with kid #2 and my stay-at-home status, there is no  such thing as me-time.  There are rarely car rides that don't involve a certain 5-year-old asking "why?" or "what if?" during the entirety of the trip.  At home there is always a kiddo who needs something, even if it's just to be held and good grief, do you know how difficult it is to get them to nap at the same time?   Down right impossible! It's constant talking, herding, soothing, scolding, running around and ... togetherness.  Obviously, I love my children.  I love being home with them.  I love being able to homeschool and be here as they're growing up.  Obviously, I love my husband and spending time with him just as much.  Trust me, I'm not complaining.  At all.  I am ridiculously blessed beyond reason.  I'm simply explaining why I will, unashamedly, take a 20-minute, scalding hot shower!  Are you reading this, husband?  I know  that on the weekends, you are probably wondering where I've disappeared to.  It's the shower.

When I'm in there I can let my brain wander.  Or, I can let it shut off for a few minutes.  I can just stand there, breathing in the steam, and be.  Just be.  There's almost always a moment when I'm all, "Ok, I'm clean, I should get out," but I don't.  I just.keep.standing.there.  It's refreshing, it's relaxing, it's QUIET!  It's MINE.  You hear me?  MINE!!!  Do.Not.Disturb.

There is the rare occasion that Preston will open that bathroom door and bug me every two minutes, until it proves useless to even try to enjoy it.  Or, maybe Callen isn't going to nap or play quietly for long enough... I won't push my luck.  So, it doesn't always work.  But for the most part... that long, hot shower is what keeps me able to spend the rest of my day wrestling with two rowdy boys.  That... and a giant cup of coffee (or two) every morning.  Have I told you how much I like coffee?  Coffee... and a shower, that's all I need.

P.S. It took two days to write this post, because every 5 minutes my children needed something or got a boo-boo or were fighting over a toy  And in fact, in the moments it took to write that last paragraph, Callen made his way into the kitchen, pulled down all of the homeschool folders and boxes from the shelf and made quite a mess. 

It's a good thing he's so cute!

 Do you think two long, hot showers in one day would be pushing it?  I mean, really?

Homeschooling IS Hard!

As a child, I don't really remember ever wanting to be a teacher when I grew up.  If I did, I'm sure it was fleeting... and most likely based on the fact that teachers got to play with school supplies all day.  I mean, who doesn't love school supplies?  But, really, especially as I got older, I had no ambition to be a teacher.

Then, I became a parent.  And, BOOM!, that automatically makes you a teacher, no matter what!  Add on to the fact that Michael and I made the decision, long before kids were in the picture, that we would homeschool our children.  So, DOUBLE BOOM, I'm a definitely a teacher!

And, ya'll, it's hard.  Not that I figured it would be all sunshine and roses all the time... I knew it would be challenging, of course.  But there are days when I question my sanity.  And this is JUST the beginning... Preston is only in Kindergarten.  We have 12 more years of this.  Oh, and uh... there's another one, right?  I gotta start over in a few years AND do two at the same time?  I am a lunatic.  An absolute crazy person.

There are days when I think... ok, well, Preston isn't even supposed to be in Kindergarten yet, so I could throw him in school next year and we can forget all about this.  Act like it never happened.  But then I remember all the reasons why we want to homeschool in the first place.  And those FAR outweigh the bad days.  Most of the time.  This morning, I don't know.

Maybe it was because I spent a lot of time planning this week's Presidential activities, was totally pumped to get started, couldn't wait to show Preston all the fun stuff we were going to be doing over the next few days.  Maybe it was because Preston woke up on the wrong side of the bed, didn't want to do anything, didn't want to try anything, didn't want to hear me, see me, be near me.  Maybe it's 'cause Preston was all "I wanna go back to bed, my tummy hurts, I can't help it, I don't know lower case letters, I don't like this, my eyeball itches, waaaaaaaa!"  Maybe it was because Callen is about to have another tooth pop through and he is a hot mess of hold-me-no-put-me-down-waaa-waaa-waaa!  Maybe it's because I tend to lose my patience when I know that one of my kid is not trying and the other one won't stop crying.  Maybe it's because I NEVER WANTED TO BE A TEACHER!  Or maybe it's because I'm having a nervous breakdown?  Y'know. Maybe.

I know there are going to be days like this.  And I know there are going to be days when everything goes just right.  I know there are days when things are fun.  I know there are days when things are a little more difficult to explain.  Days when I have no patience.  Days when one kid or the other won't cooperate.  Days when I feel like a freakin' GENIUS because I pulled it off.

I have the quick thought of putting Preston in regular school, figuring out a sitter/day care situation for Callen, and going back to work.  Lord knows, financially speaking, I need to be working or bringing in money some how.  It's been nearly a year since I quit, and we've made it (with some assistance), have not missed a single bill payment.  But, this past month we barely squeaked by, and the credit card balance is going up, up, up (it's been at zero all this time, praise Jesus!).  But, we have one car and Michael needs that for his two jobs.  And, anyway, could I really sweet talk one or both of the Grandmas to watch Callen on a regular basis?  Would I really be happy about Preston being in school?  Would I be able to find a job/make enough money to justify it all?  It just doesn't make sense.  I really feel called to be here with my boys, to homeschool them, to be a 'stay-at-home mom.'  So, I know the Lord will provide and it will get figured out.

And I know that I will continue this homeschooling journey with my sons... and we'll figure that out too!  We'll shrug off the bad days, take pride in the good days and just try to make the most of it all - of being together!  So, yes, it's hard.  It's VERY hard.  But it's worth it.  VERY worth it.

Variety is the Spice of Life...

Peanut Butter & Jelly or Mac'n'cheese.  Those are the two most likely things to come out of Preston's mouth when I ask the rhetorical question of "What shall we have for lunch today?"  Well, it's my fault for asking, I know.  Anyway, today, I relented and made Mac'n'cheese.  Oh my goodness, I'm so tired of Mac'n'cheese!  But then a lightbulb went off!  Do something different with it.  Not drastic enough to freak out the kid, but something to give it a little more "umph."

And so, let me introduce you to my new best 'tasty' friend:

Steak 'n Shake Fry & Steakburger Seasoning

Yep, it's amazing.  We were at Steak 'n Shake a few weeks ago and noticed it on the table, tried it on our fries and fell in love.  When Michael was paying our check, he noticed you could buy the seasoning to take home.  Yipeee!  We've had it on hamburgers and various things, and now... Mac'n'cheese!  It definitely gives the mundane taste a little kick.  And, to top it off... I poured some Fritos into the mix...giving the meal a crunch!  Now, I know neither of those ingredients are really any kind of big deal... but it helped me enjoy my lunch more and well, Preston... he was practically in heaven!

The kid mmm'd and yumm'd the entire way through his bowl of Mac'n'cheese, and then commenced giggling uncontrollably.  He exclaimed, "I am so happy, I'm crying!!!"  So, yeah, note to self:  Never underestimate the power of variety!

February = BRRRR!

So, February greeted us with ice, snow and freezing temperatures.  Not just freezing, but STINKIN' FREEZING temperatures.  Like high of 19, low of 8.  WHAT?  This IS Texas, right?  Weird. What kind of temperature is '8' anyway?  I mean, I know people live in places that get below zero and all, but... 8 degrees with negative windchill is kinda beyond belief 'round these parts.  Brrr.  And today, there are planned rolling blackouts all over the state of Texas to supposedly help conserve energy.  Geez, that's pretty serious! (Thankfully we were spared today, didn't lose power once!)

In a previous post, I said how happy I was that Michael did not catch the stomach bug.  Well, I spoke too soon because Sunday afternoon came, and Michael got hit with it.  Poor guy.  He managed to do his three hours at work that evening, then suffered through the nite and finally got some ralphing out of his system around 6am (about the time he was supposed to wake up and get to work).  Needless to say, no work for him Monday OR Tuesday.  Thankfully, his tummy is better, though he's still dealing with the chronic migraines and currently a nasty toothache.  He had a sleep study a week and a half ago to see if sleep apnea might be something causing the migraines, and he'll get the results in a week or so.  He's going to the dentist next week to get that tooth taken care of (he had an appointment for this past Monday, but he was sick, so it had to be postponed, geez).  Anyway, yeah... still all kinds of health issues going on... so the move to days was not an instant fix.  But, we're definitely still thankful for a day-time shift!

Callen has been a mess for days (weeks? months!?!).  That second top tooth is finally starting to peek through a teeny bit, so maybe once it finally emerges, he'll settle down.  But lately it's been a lot of clinginess, and crying his head off if you put him down (or pick him up, or talk to him, or don't talk to him... ok, pretty much just crying at any given moment).  I thought it was funny that one of the girls at church asked me on Sunday if he was ever unhappy ('cause he always seems so happy at church).  Ughhhh, seriously?  I feel like I've heard nothing but crying from him for a month!  He does have his precious, happy times though, and I am grateful for those, 'cause he is so sweet!  He's getting braver at cruising and standing up... he can almost stand without holding on, but I don't think he realizes it.  He's also babbling a lot, and a lot of it sounds pretty close to words.  I can't believe he's just one month shy of being a ONE YEAR OLD!  My goodness gracious, too fast, too fast!

Preston is doing good.  I post a lot of his school updates here, so there's not a whole lot more to add to those... we spend a lot of time on that stuff.  He also loves playing his Nintendo DS (like 3 times a week, for about 30 minutes each time, that's all I really allow him) and the Wii - we all like to dance and play Sports Resort.  He's doing so great on his reading.  The other day I was driving us to my Mom's and he was reading from a book about the United States, and he was sounding out and pronouncing some really big words with no problem.  So proud!  I've been trying to get him out in the backyard to play whenever possible (whenever it's not too cold), 'cause since we're at home most of the time, we start getting a little stir crazy... and a little tired of the sight of each other as well.  Haha!  He's taken an interest in watching old shows with Michael, like Knight Rider, The A-Team, Magnum PI, The Incredible Hulk.  It's really funny to see him get all excited and come running when he hears the Knight Rider theme song.  Ha!  And yesterday, we watched Groundhog Day with him (fast forwarding through one part only!).  It's nice to be able to watch things with him because he's getting old enough to follow the plot!

And me?  I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing.  Trying to keep up with a near-toddler and a 5-year-old is much more work than I could ever imagine.  But I love it (despite those moments when I run screaming from the room and lock myself in the bathroom... I... uh... yeah).  In my mind, I should be adjusted to this whole Stay-At-Home-Mom thing by now, but I don't really feel like I am.  It's all still rather foreign, even though it DOES seem to be getting easier.  I go through spurts where I get motivated to plan meals, do the couponing queen thing or get really excited and overeager about something for school.  I haven't really found the balance.  If I get too into school, I forget to figure out what's for dinner until it's dinner time.  If I spend time organizing coupons, I have to let something else slip.  Balance is hard work, and I haven't got it down... yet.  I just do my best to enjoy time with the kids, TRY to keep the house from falling completely apart (I'm still soooo not good at housework and cooking it's not even funny).  Another thing I keep letting slip is time with Michael.  It just doesn't happen.  By the time I get the kids to bed, it's time for us to sleep - there's no "us time."  So that's definitely something we need to work on.  Hopefully everyone will be feeling well, and things will get set in some sort of routine and we can figure it all out.  I dunno. 

Well, that blog started out as just a way to remember this crazy weather and turned into a full-blown family update.  So... there ya go!  Stay warm!!!

P.S. I forgot to mention something that happened yesterday, something that I've never experienced before in my entire life!  Our mailbox was frozen shut!  I couldn't believe it.  I had to scrape around the edges of the little door with my keys and a reward card, and though I was able to break off most of the ice, it was still frozen too solid for me to open.  I sent Michael down there and he was able to open it with a mighty tug (I loosened it for him! ahem!).  But, I thought that was really funny... all of the little doors on our street mailbox had water frozen around their edges so I'm sure we weren't the only ones who had trouble getting our mail yesterday!  And sadly... what we received wasn't even worth the effort.  Oh well.

What I Say, What They Hear...

Me to Preston: You play in your room quietly while I take a shower (thinking: and get a break from you!).

What Preston hears: Come in the bathroom every two minutes to ask completely random questions.

Me to Callen: Good nite, baby, sleep allllll nite long!

What Callen hears: Wake up every two hours and demand to nurse every time.

Me to Preston: Your brother is sleeping, please play quietly.

What Preston hears: Play as loud as I can, bang and crash every toy I own, sing at the top of my lungs.

Me to Callen: Don't grab the spoon while I'm trying to get the food in your mouth.

What Callen hears: Grab the spoon!  Grab the spoon!  Fling the food off the spoon!

Me to Preston: You have to wait until I'm done feeding Callen to play with your DS, don't ask me again.

What Preston hears: Ask again every two seconds. Now? Now? Now?  Now?

Me to Callen: I'm going to put you down for a minute, don't fuss.

What Callen hears: She's going to put me down and wants me to scream my head off. WAAAAA!