Christmas 2009

Had to bribe the girls with lip gloss to get them to pose!

Oh, well that is the least a mom can do to get these great pics of their girls. Believe me, it was worth it, even tho' Li ruined 4 of my MK lip sticks by twisting them up and then putting the lids back on without rolling them back down!

if life were a bowl of cherries....

then i'd be out of luck. The fresh fruit is gone, the veggies are almost out and it's another week until we get groceries again. There are a few things that I have found out in taking care of a family of 5 with a low income.... make soup! I do like to make soup, especially in the winter! Down to only 1-2 chicken breasts? only one pound of ground beef or turkey? have plenty of frozen veggies and noodles or rice....Soup them up!

It's wonderful, you can add a can of any kind of beans you may have on hand, a can of diced tomatoes if you have any. The best part is cooking the meat in a large dutch oven and then adding all the other ingredients to it with seasoning and water. Letting it cook/simmer all day and enjoying with a some bread and butter (of course I buy mine at the bread outlet at $.79 a loaf!! and stock up the freezer) or saltines.

It's nice to have leftovers for lunch the next day too. It only gets better tasting!

As far as clothes, there are Goodwill stores in about 4 different towns within an hour of us. Who can NOT spend $.99-$1.99 per article of clothes for the girls. I have done this since both girls were infants. There are clothes that are in great shape and name brands! No one needs to know where you got them, of course I'm not too proud to say that I found them at Goodwill!! Another great thing in our area is a free clothing pantry at a local church. I have found sweaters from Penney's, Target, and other name brand stores for GP and many pieces of clothes for the girls. This past Saturday I found a beautiful embroidered white blouse and black velvet jumper to match for Lauryn. It was is perfect condition, except for a stain on the cuff (it's white for goodness sake, put a little bleach there and then rinse it out before washing it). It was also from The Children's Place. FREE!!!!!

Now for entertainment. There are two options we use often for videos. Our local library rents out vids for $1 a week. They are really good about getting new releases quickly (of course it doesn't hurt when aunt Cheryl works at the library, she often will let us watch a new release that she has picked up for the library before she takes it in) FREE!! There is also a chain video rental place that lets you take out children's video's FREE! Then there is always, always, always table games. We love playing games with the girls (even tho' GP isn't able to play with us). Some are easier for Li than others, but she is always wanting to play or be on someones "team". Of course our kids are like most other children in this world in that they have toys and such. FREE entertainment!! We often cook, serve, and sell things from the play kitchen, restaurant and store!! Money from the Monopoly game.... etc.

Family fun and traditions. We do have things that we really like to do as a family that the girls really love and get terribly upset if we miss doing it for one reason or another. Friday nights are Sleepovers. The girls get out their sleeping bags and pillows. Greg or I sleep on the couch (this gives the other on a chance to enjoy the queen size bed, quiet time reading or listening to music). The girls enjoy staying up as late as they can eating popcorn or another snack and watching cartoons and/or movies. Sunday evenings we have a PJ party with the family. Everyone gets into their jammies around 5 pm and we have time for making brownies (a great dad and girls project), playing games (board games or made up games), having family devotions and some singing/dancing time. We often will end up eating brownies and laughing at Americas Funniest Videos before getting the girls into bed at 8 pm ready for school the next morning.

So, this isn't my usual witty, snide and sarcastic entry that so many of you like. It is something that is on my mind a lot. Money and your kids have an enjoyable life, when you don't have the extra funds to spend on classes or camps or things like that!! I think we are doing great, I think my kids aren't missing out on anything that other kids get!

Besides who has time to run kids to classes, and camps when you are constantly picking up and cleaning up after them!!

the jury is out

Well, I got called up for jury duty again.... only this time I had to go to court. Then they drew my name out of the "bowl" on the second try..... I then had a bad feeling that I was going to be there for a while. Well, it was a civil suit that was supposed to take two days. They met this morning before court was in session and due to some "indiscrepencies" on the plaintiffs part under oath yesterday, they decided to settle out of court and there was no money awarded either way!

WHEW! I didn't know what to think, a day or two away from the responsibilities of GP and the kids, or two days in court listening to boring testimony from Dr.s!!

So now it's back to the old grindstone. Greg's working with Mr. Pete today and I'm taking his day on Friday! Hey, that doesn't seem right, that will give Greg a four day weekend.

Christmas went well, I've still got totes of decorations and a tree in my dining room waiting to go back down to dad's pole barn... hey, Greg does have a four day weekend.

Lauryn got the one thing she was asking for a Nintendo DS... it took two grandmas and mom and dad to be able to afford it. She was really good about opening only 3 presents as opposed to Liyah's 5-6. Liyah asked only for dress up princess clothes and shoes that go "click click" so we scoured the thrift stores and found some lacy, flowing dressy dresses a few sized larger than she wears. A couple dollars for each one and the kid is done!!

Everyone in our house gets jammies from Santa so we all are cozy and would like to sit around all day in them (actually Lauryn did wear her "Princess and the Frog" nightie for three days before I told her she had to get something else on and let me wash it!!

We had fun convincing Lauryn that there is a Santa, she said if Santa ate the cookies she made him then he is real! Of COURSE we ate them.... she's back on the belief wagon for now! Although she did find a Walgreen's price sticker on the tube of toothpaste that Santa put in Liyah's stocking. I don't know... mommy said that Walgreen's is a 24 hour store and it's a good thing 'cause sometimes Santa may need to stop and pick up a few little items on his trip around the world. When does it become a lie?

Ah well, enjoy it while they are young. I don't remember ever thinking that Santa was real.... other than a great story to read about. Maybe I'm too much of a realist, I never thought fairy tales were real, that princesses were repressed or that Barbie's were a bad "role model" for my fragile psychie. Like I really thought a plastic doll with rubbery legs that popped when you bent them was real!! I snuggled with my mother enough to know what a real woman felt like. Then again, she was a great role model too.... not perfect, but fair in all things!

So when my girls love to play Barbie's or Bratz or dress up and make believe I don't worry too much about them getting the wrong idea on what life is really like.

I still tell them that I'm not spending my money on every toy they see, I'm not letting them stay up past their bedtime, and no the boy Bratz are NOT allowed to go to the bedroom with the girl dolls (unless we've already performed the wedding!!).

Life for kids, have fun, use your imagination, laugh, play and above all things believe. 'Cause real life will hit you sooner than you know and then you have to "schedule in" these things!!!

HA!!

Happy new year to all!

Laughing all the way....

to work! Yeah, I said work. I'm back to work (outside of the home that is.... don't for one minute think that I WASN'T working for the past 18 months) that pays!!

One of the young men that Greg has been working with the last couple years fired the worker that worked on Greg's days off. He needed someone to work the days Greg didn't cover so I asked if I could cover Wednesday and Thursday. It means that I can get out of the house, get away from all the things that can cause me to be "crazy". Caring for someone else a couple days a week actually gives me time to step away from the chaos of home and relieve some stress. It comes at a really good time, Greg quit his other job last week and this more than makes up for the hours lost there.

Speaking of stress, Greg gets to enjoy the craziness of getting everyone ready to go to Liyah's school holiday program tonight. Then getting the four of them out tomorrow night for Lauryn's program @ school. I think he'll be fine, it's only his first day.... he's hasn't been worn down yet!

I can't tell you how many things have gone on since our trip to OH. I forgot to take my anti-depressants with me. I was in bed crying the third day there. Greg took the girls out and let them play with there cousins and then went to grandpa F's house. I made it through the rest of the weekend without too much of a breakdown.

The girls had a great time, and I'm going to be eternally grateful to whoever made DVD players in vans!!

Liyah is going through the dress up stage, with tea parties every 15 minutes. She wanted me to have a tea party this morning and I told her I was sorry, but she would have to have a party with daddy today after school!! FUN, FUN, FUN!!

Lauryn sees things and wants to get them, I've not convinced her yet that if she doesn't have the money then she probably won't get them! Both of her grandma's and mom and dad had to pool their funds to get her the ONE Christmas gift she wants. She better like it!! I mean like it for LIFE, or atleast until the new version comes out!!

Greg and I have spent all the rest of our Christmas money on repairing vehicles this year, "good bye Christmas fund". We are really having fun keeping two cars running. I won't complain tho' since one car is free to us (I clean my sister's apt. each week for her to keep the insurance on it) since Cheryl got her new car. The other car is the van that Greg's dad helped us buy, so we owe him instead of an interest bearing auto loan. Family is soooo good, thank the Lord for all of them.

Example, today my mom is running Greg and GP into town to get Liyah from school, and will be taking them in tonight for Li's program too. Dad got a chance to look at the car, and has come to the conclusion that it is the battery (DEAD). Not the starter or alternator!! The list of ways our families help us could go on forever.

Well, as the holiday season is quickly coming and going this year, we are thankful that we do have family. Parents, children, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends too!!

Love, blessings, and Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.

Alone again...

Well it's Tuesday morning and the girls are in school. Greg is off work today because we thought that we would be leaving for OH this morning, but we are going to be getting the oil changed in the car, gas, groceries, laundry, and getting things packed for our trip tomorrow. Lauryn's last day of school is today and Liyah's is tomorrow morning. We'll pick Li up from school at noon and then head off to Columbus!!! Thank the Lord for a DVD player in the van!! This might be the best trip to Columbus we've had in a long time.

It's been a rough week with Lauryn. She is steadily trying to get herself to the top of the Leader board (leader being the key word there). She wants so much to do whatever that she doesn't want to listen when told to do something. I know I'm not the only mother out here in "blogville" that has this problem. Liyah on the other hand thinks she can be goofy and get away with not doing what she's supposed to be doing! I don't like either of the paths they choose to get their way, so I'm the mean cop and put a stop to it!

Greg played drums in church this past Sunday! He hasn't done that since we started going to the larger church. He did great and everyone involved with the music program liked what he did. I, of course, know he's an awesome drummer. I spent a lot of time during out dating months listening to him play and practice with the groups and bands he was with at the time. Ahhh, those were the days!

And then there were 2.....

Greg and I have the day (well from 9am-3pm) to be with each other without any distractions, ie. girls or grandma! It has been a time of sitting in Biggby Coffee shop in BR and playing on the Apple and doing personality profiles. I have just recently finished reading The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman. It was awesome and I would recommend it to any married couples... he also has a book for children. I think it is really going to help up relate to Lauryn a lot better than we have her first 6 years. Thank God, I was ready to pull my hair out, knock out a couple teeth (hers, they'll grow back), send her off to kiddie bootcamp!

I was listening to a cd the other day and a woman that was speaking read this little prayer:

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray my sanity to keep

For if some peace I do not find

I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.

I pray I find a little quiet,

far from the daily family riot.

May I lay back and not have to think

what they are doing at the sink.

Who they are with,

Or where they're at.

What they are doing to the cat.

I pray for time all to myself,

did something just fall off the shelf?

That I need not cook, or clean,

Well heck I've got the right to dream.

Yes, now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray my wits about me keep.

And as I look around I know,

I must have lost them long ago!

How true, how true.

Well, I did have a wonderful time with Greg for the day. We had a great evening with the girls going to AWANA @ church. We drove around Greenville in the dark and the rain, but we were once again alone and with each other. Quiet conversation and coffee!!

I'M TIRED

I'm tired of dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, dressing, feeding, making, washing, brushing, wiping, driving, buying, carrying and most of all acting like I'm not tired of it all......

I know, quit the whining (although that seems to be one thing I haven't gotten tired of doing). Everyone has to do these things in one degree or another. I need a break, a vacation, an escape, a getaway. I've been thinking a lot lately about running away. The only thing that keeps me from doing so is I don't know where I'd go. Sure I know there are friends and family that would let me come and stay for a little "visit", the problem is I don't want to visit!!! I want quiet, and peace, and nobody expecting anything from me!!!! Oh, sometimes I could just CRY!!

Things are going as usual. The kids complain and whine, GP sits and fusses at them. I stand and fuss at them. GP doesn't like what I fix for dinner, the kids complain and whine. It's cyclical, around and around, I'm quite dizzy and don't like it!

I'd like to know where I can come up with some meals that everyone would like. I would like to know how to get the laundry caught up and keep it that way for 2-3 days. I'd like to have a dishwasher installed so that I can atleast have a clean countertop and not see the dishes all day long. I'd love to have my 6 year old pack her own lunch, backpack and do her homework with out being asked. I'd love to have my 3 year old put her toys and dress up clothes away when she is done with them. I'd love to let my mother-in-law clean up after meal time and then do the dishes (it's not that she doesn't want to or hasn't tried). I'd love to get my back fixed once and for all so that I'm not hurting and grouchy because I'm in so much pain. I'd love, love, love for my husband to have the most awesome drum kit made on this planet!!!!!!!

It's coming into winter time and the sun isn't shining as much and that makes me sad. FOR REAL! I love the seasons, I'd just like a little more sun and not as much rain.

The world will continue to spin, I will continue to live in my little house with my family of 5. The seasons will come and go, I will still have to get up and help my family get through the morning routine. The days will start and end like clock work, I will continue to make meals, do laundry, find crumbs, beads and juice stains (I think that's what they are) on the floors. The nights will continue to go quickly, and I will continue to look forward to the day when I feel good, calm, in control and loved to the fullest!!!

Lauryn did have an awesome report from school. She is an awesome reader. She does so well at school, I'm really seeking to find a way for her behavior to be consistent throughout her whole day!!

Liyah is loving pre-school. She loves her new friends. She never remembers what she did, ate or played with at school, but I'm sure that will come!

Grandma Patty's day come and go without much change. She gets out when she can and she sits and watches tv when at home. I truly wish for her that she could do more, as I know she wants to!

Greg goes to work and brings money into our household. He is a blessing, as without him working we'd be without so much.

I continue to do the things that need to be done at home! Somedays it easy, other days not so much!

I 'm sure that we will all be better off when my back gets back to "normal".

Hey, drop me a note and let me know what you are up to. I don't hear from many of you, I don't even really know how many of you are reading this blog. But I'm always open for insights, tricks of the mothering trade and laughs (please tell me other moms have incidents that are worth laughing at!).

Gotta go now, --j