Monday, June 29, 2015

Worries and Woe

I thought I was an anxious person before I had kids!
Before kids I could do what I wanted without worrying about too many other people. If the laundry didn't get done, I just wore cleanish and sort of inappropriate clothes. No dinner food? Popcorn it is! If I promised myself I would do something and didn't, it was just me I disappointed. (Usually)
Now everything is different! Self care is still important, of course. Because without me, the whole system breaks down! But if I don't get the laundry done, my babies and hubs can't operate successfully. If I don't go grocery shopping and plan ahead for meals, everyone suffers.

Besides all that, I worry about worldly things. How will the banks closing in Greece affect us here? Should I enroll my son in toddler classes? How can I be more organized? What kind of germs did the cat bring in with that dead mouse he left in my bedroom floor? What will happen in our future?

I worry about diseases, financial ruin, mental health issues, social issues, bullying, school mayham, scheduling conflicts, and my inability to get out of the house on time.
My husband says if we just put one foot in front of the other, and do the next right thing, we should be okay. I hope he's right.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Mama Rama

At present, I am reading a book titled Mama Rama- A Memoir of Sex, Kids, & Rock 'n' Roll  by Evelyn McDonnell. She writes of eras past but not forgotten by its members and founders. Her memories and life are dictated by a soundtrack and her gender and sexuality. She caught the very beginning of Riot Grrrl, but was almost too old to take part like she wanted. I caught the end, and rode that wave (pun intended) writing papers, making mix tapes (yes, tapes!) and donning the appropriate Riot gear. My thoughts and love on and for the Grrrls were fogged by my need to be intoxicated. I know there were others like me, but I have yet to find them. McDonnell writes of her past with such ease and clarity. She has her hindsight specs on, and she owns who she was, and who she is yet to be. She does not seem to carry shame or confusion about her journey, and her writing is poetic. Long stretches of time are covered in a few short pages, and yet I feel I know who she is. I am envious of her writing, of her dedication-despite-life, and of her ability to push through a male-dominated genre (aren't they all?)
The page I'm on just finished the birthing process she endured while bringing here first (only?) biological child in this world. She goes to a birthing center, forgoes drugs and doctors for hot tubs and midwives. Her experience was one I don't  envy. Both my kids were delivered with both drugs and doctors, a decision and experience I wish I could tweak (for the first one only) but not re-do. Although wishing for something different about the past only makes me feel fearful of the future and unsure of myself, so I try hard not to waste my time on such nonsense. Lucky for you, Dear Reader, the younger of my two miracles is yelling from his crib, so I will spare you my birthing stories. For now.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Father's Day

To me, a dad is someone who provides for his family. He is able to see the world through his child's eyes, he is able to facilitate learning and fun-times based on his child's interests. He can put his adult life on hold to play with his kid.
A dad is a family man. He deals with the ups and downs of his family member's moods and needs, and he allows his family to deal with his.
A dad's love is an asset to the fam. He doesn't need to prove his love, his everyday actions speak for themselves.
The family can lean on him, rely on him, and know that he will be there to provide for, protect, and love them.
Despite continuous social pressure, a dad will help out with the everyday stuff. He helps with errands, meals, events, and cleaning.
I have been blessed with a father who has done these things, and who usually feels this way. I was blessed again when I realized The Hubs fills this role too. My mom chose a good one when she remarried. (She chose well the first time too...just wanted to give a shout-out to the step).
Happy Father's Day.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Old Navy

The Baby woke me up at 6 this morning. But we didn't leave the house until about 10:30 am!

We made it to Old Navy for the $1flip-flop sale. I bought 13 pairs, obviously spent $13 plus 9.5% sales tax.
We also stopped by two yard sales! There were 2 guys who were trying to get ridiculous deals and they became aggressive enough that the homeowners asked them to leave. I'm not like that. In fact, I forget to haggle! I spent $8 at the first sale; I bought The Boy a butterfly hook (he chose it), two pairs of big sunglasses, a hat for The Hubs, and a luxurious sweater. Right on!

Dinner at my mom's tonight was great! Saw some extended family. And a guy I went to high school with. I'm getting some anxiety about what I said or did. Or didn't say or do...

Friday, June 19, 2015

CVS

The Baby starts flipping out at 6:59pm, because his bedtime is at 7pm. I had gone out earlier, so by the time I got home, it seemed he really missed me. While we were in the bathroom, I asked if he wanted to help me turn on and off the light. He reached out his arm, and started to grab at the light switch. I'm so proud of him!

This is yard sale season! So far I haven't been to that many... I tried to go to one today (The Boy was excited because he wanted to look for a new bear) but we got there too late. So we went to CVS.

My transaction from CVS:
Softsoap Refill bottles-b1g1 (buy one get one) at $8.49 each
I had a coupon from the coupon printer, $2 off $8. And I had an ExtraCare Buck.
I paid $6.07, including sales tax. I saved 63%.

Instead of watching tv, I finished reading Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife. I really enjoyed it, but I like those diary entry books.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Lovelace Park

My house is very cluttered. It's clean, but it's cluttered (so I guess it's not all that clean!). I realize my clutter will (and does) cause problems.
I was sick with the stomach flu and I had family come in and help with the kids. There were some issues with where stuff was and how clean the van was. It was interesting to see how much of a breakdown there was when I was out of commission.
I get so overwhelmed thinking about all the projects I have, and all the de cluttering I need to do.

The kids and I met my friend and her 7-month-old girl. The Girl Baby is adorable! She smiles and engages much more than last time we saw them. I'm so glad we got to meet up with them! The kids had a good time and I enjoyed talking to my friend. We fed the ducks, and surprisingly, the catfish? Catfish? It was beautiful outside and it was great to enjoy it.


Thursday, June 11, 2015

Mr. Clean

I just got chocolate on the bed because I was eating a dark lemon and pepper chocolate bar. In bed.

While I was making frantic phone calls to my dentist (who probably won't be my dentist for much longer) and my insurance company, I wasn't really watching the kids...The Boy found a blue crayon nub and used it to make some artful designs under the window. As much as I love his artwork, I decided to clean this stuff up, and save the pieces he's done on scrap paper. First I tried spraying Windex Multi-Purpose solution on it, and using a used dryer sheet to scrub. It worked briefly. Then I remembered I had a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! It really worked! The end fell apart really fast, and got bits on my floor, but it will be my go-to for unauthorized artistic endeavors. That, and prevention.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Rocketship

The Boy spotted the daytime moon as I was getting him out of the car at the library.
"Moon! Mama, moon! Moon?"
"Yeah! That's the moon, baby! Good eye."
"Mama get moon?"
"No baby. The moon is far away, maybe thousands of miles. I don't know."
"Maybe with rocketship?"
"Yes! A rocketship! Good thinking."
"Mama go?"
"No, I don't know how to operate a rocketship."
"Maybe space guy?"
"Yes! A space guy, also known as an astronaut, would know how to use a rocket ship."
I'm impressed by his thought patterns. Being his loving mother, I'm pretty sure he is a genius.

The Baby doesn't take a long midday nap like The Boy does. Consequently, he gets super-tired around 5. I'm not sure how to help him...he has a hard time sleeping when The Boy is awake.
On the upside, he is babbling quite a bit. We are having many lovely conversations!

This Milka Strawberry bar was delicious! I had not intended to eat the whole thing. But I did.

I'm super-stressed about a call I received from my dentist at Webster Dental. Apparently while I was paying out of pocket, they were billing the wrong insurance account. Tomorrow I need to call Delta Dental and then the dental office...OMG. I'm furious and stressed and worried.


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Gabba

We went to my mom's today, for about two hours. We had a few snacks, played outside, and I got to relax for a few minutes. I'm so lucky we live about seven minutes away. But I'm annoyed that we were later than I said we would be.

During the day I try to get stuff done, but it seems that I take too many breaks and I get overwhelmed thinking about what I have to do. I get so much anxiety trying to prioritize, that I end up not doing a whole lot. It's very stressful. And at the end of the day I feel terrible.

This morning the Hubs left without most of his lunch, no coffee, and a little late. Those things could have been avoided with better planing and organization on my part.


Monday, June 8, 2015

GFS

We went to GFS, I bought in bulk, used a store coupon and got stuff on sale. I stayed on my budget, calculating in the store despite a minor freak out in the cart. Pretty proud of us.

There will be more tomorrow, and I will not be writing so late.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Covergirl

After going to the 'libo' - the library- I made a quick stop at Walgreens. I wanted to get the foundation on sale.
Covergirl foundation (ivory) $8.49
Covergirl foundation ( ivory) $4.24
Covergirl magenta nail polish $3.19
I had three Covergirl coupons, all of which said I could only use 4 per household and one coupon per purchase. One coupon per purchase means one coupon per item, FYI.
I saved 44%.