Checking In

I know, it's been a while. Since I am fairly confident that pretty much no one reads this I am not feeling too bad about it.

Let's see. Our lives did a bit of an upheaval since the last time. My son was kicked out of his day care. Apparently he has panic attacks and the day care interpreted them as temper tantrums and classified him as a horrible kid. The one worker there is close to my age and childless. She should stay that way after the way she treated my son. Grrrr.

Football season is over and basketball season has begun. Since I am not busy enough I decided to coach my daughter's Upward team. Yeah, I know, I am nuts. 2 jobs, 2 busy kids, why not add one more thing?

 I can't believe that we are already in December. It feels like time is just slipping away. One one hand it seems to go slow, but then I look at the calendar and 6 months have passed!

Let's see, current interests:
The Flash (last night's episode which crossed over with Arrow was AMAZING!)
Glee (ongoing)
Christmas music (getting into it slowly now that Thanksgiving has passed)
Origami Owl
Phone cases for my S4
Finding a new job

Wonderland!

The days after my birthday were spent in Gatlinburg, TN exploring the former Wonderland Hotal and Clubhouse near the Elkmont Campgrounds.  I had spent the week before googling and looking at maps and knew on a theoretical level exactly where it was, but getting there was another story.

Fortunately, I am good at maps. We found it almost right away.  I walked down the road because I wanted to go in via the steps.  The group with me didn't believe they were there so they just started climbing up the hill.  I walked for about a quarter of a mile and I found it!

Beautiful hair, right?  LOL!

While this isn't a big secret place, it was fun to explore knowing the history.  There were several homes in the area that were vacation homes back when the hotel was active.  They were beautiful homes (at least they were at one point).  It is a shame to see them in such a state.

So I came, I found, I conquered the Wonderland hotel exploration.  Now I need to find my next adventure!

Fall

I have been feeling a little down lately.  When I think back on past falls, I realize this is a common thing.  I find it slightly funny because on an intellectual level I LOVE the fall!  My birthday, the changing leaves, my birthday, cooler temps, and of course, my birthday.  It is interesting to realize that while this is my favorite time of year I am not able to enjoy it to the extent that I want.

While I cannot pinpoint why I feel bad, I can focus on what I can do to help me feel better.  Going outside as often as possible during this time of year helps, however working 2 jobs from 7:30am-9:00pm doesn't allow a lot of strolls in the woods.

I WAS working out almost every morning.  I would be at the YMCA right at 5am and would get my work out in before starting my day.  That schedule was disrupted when I started my second job however and I haven't been able to get back in the habit and I can feel my body getting lazier as a result.

One thing that is working is hobbies; easy ones like reading on breaks, journals where I am writing nothing of importance but practicing my handwriting skills, Christmas shopping (yes, already!), and sleeping.  Between working and still trying to be full time mommy I don't get a lot of time for the above, but I have to make time for it for my own sanity!

The good news is I get a break starting this weekend.  I am going to Gatlinburg and get to hike around the Smokey Mountains for a day or two, then an extra day off when I get home to sleep.  Let's hope that turns my mood and outlook around!!

The F Word

It is THAT time of year again where kids go around with their best Oliver expressions and violate no solicitation orders all over the neighborhood.  Nope, not Halloween, but fundraising season.

Having both kids in school means I get to hear both kids go on and on about the cheap dollar store crap prizes and how they HAVE to have the googly eye glasses that will be lost in less than 5 minutes and the inflatable sneakers that will pop the moment they take a step in them.   Not to mention the trip to Larosa's with their friends.  Can't I just organize a play date with their school friends at Larosa's next weekend?  No?  Ugh.

When B was the only kid in school, it was easy...one kid, lots of grandparents each buying a little and BAM: up to 26 items and lots of cool prizes comparable to that of goods you find at the dollar tree:  light up Shoelaces that weren't long enough and broke the first time he tied them; a key chain (really, he's in KINDERGARTEN; he doesn't have keys!) that went on his backpack and fell off the next day never to be seen again; and a water bottle "bag" that was impossible to clean out and stunk after one use with water causing it to be thrown away.  Sigh, totally not worth all the effort of mommy driving up to the school to pick up the stuff, deliver to family across 3 states, hold frozen items in my freezer for months, forgetting to give it out. I think I still have some in there. 

And now there is TWO of them!

Both kids came home with big eyes full of all the prizes they would get and saying that we needed to sell as many things as we can (translation: MOMMY will be selling items).  They want to race in the inflatable shoes and squirt each other with the water gun shaped like a flashlight.  All for the low price of my time and sanity.

The problem is I have TWO kids selling now but our family has not doubled since the last fundraiser.  So now everyone has to choose which kid they like best or order less so they can help both kids out.  Either way, less orders each = less prizes.  How do families with 3, 4, or 5 kids do this????

After this ends, the word fundraiser is going to be banned from my house...until next fall when we start all over again!

Time to Catch Up to 2014...

Oh my, it's been a while.  Let's see if I can sum up the last 2 years in as short of a post as possible.

1) My kids are both in school now.  No diapers, sleeping all night, talking back, and generally being adorable little boogers 24/7.  They are active in sports and dance.  B can read and O is learning.

2) Family restored.  Nuff said.

3) I severed nearly all my internet friendships (except for the few I talk to almost daily) and have been focusing on people I know IRL.  Much much more rewarding and far less drama and back stabbing.  Granted, I have very few friends I talk to regularly, but I don't know if that is a result of my business in life or my reluctance to trust anyone.

4) I work part time at Best Buy.  I actually enjoy it.  It isn't hard; it is extra money; I know a lot more about cell phones and game systems and computers than I knew before.

5)  Still at same job.  Job duties are changing again.  New boss.  Still job hunting.

6)  I have given up the Pure Romance business.  I am currently still considered active but not for much longer.  I will miss some of the discounts on products but not the people at the company.

7)  I have aged 2 years since the last blog entry.  Still working on losing weight, which at this point I think is hopeless.  I work out regularly and try to eat right.  At this point I am just trying to keep the diabetes away.

8) I have a newer mini van.  It is maroon instead of green.  It HAD automatic doors but that broke.  I am sure I would have blogged constantly about my frustrations when it happened as it happened in the middle of the coldest winter in my memory.

9)  When I read back on my blog entries (some published and many never published) I did a lot of laughing and eye rolling.

10) We have a cat now.  He is adorable.  The kids named him Buzz.  He is now my third child.

That pretty much covers it!

I Love...

I am copying this idea from here but hope to make it a little my own so it isn't a total rip off!  Thanks for the idea!!

When I dropped my daughter off a day care this morning, I found out that the kids' school pictures came in.  WOOHOO!  Talk about making my day!

So since that made me a little happy, and life has been royally crappy difficult lately, I thought I would post a few things that make me happy.

1.  Seeing pictures of my children, particularly my son's preschool graduation picture!!

2.  Watching my daughter's reaction to her pictures, saying "LOOK AT ME I A PRINCESS" because there is a castle in the background of her picture.

3.  I rode the Diamondback for the first time last weekend.  As it was the first "adult" ride I have had the chance to enjoy since before my son came along, I was a little nervous.  I LOVED IT!  I would totally pay the 35.00 for the fast pass just to ride it over and over again.

4.  While I thoroughly enjoy riding my roller coasters, nothing beats sitting with my daughter on "Monster" and watching the thrill and excitement on her face as she rides the ride.  Even if it causes a small vertigo attack it is totally worth it!

5.  I attended my first wine tasting last week.  I now realize it is possible to actually enjoy the taste of wine.  Ironically, I had to work a faculty retreat at a winery the next day, and now I am itching to go back for another wine tasting.

6.  I am starting to get excited about using our Kings Island season passes this year.  I am planning on getting my money's worth out of it!

7.  The first of my "Fifty Shades of Grey" product line is in this week.  I really can't wait to have a 50 Shades party so we can demo them!!

8.  Now that the event is getting closer, I am getting excited about the prospect of watching the sunrise on the Atlantic ocean while I am at Myrtle Beach.

9.  There are a few songs that when I hear them I immediately start thinking of the Zumba moves that go to them.  It cracks me up that my kids do the same thing and even start mimicking the moves.

10.  I love Love LOVE that it is lighter later into the evening.  I feel like I have so much more time in my day, and I can still enjoy a little daylight even after I am done for the evening.

Expressions of Sympathy

The housekeeping lady in my office has been out for the past few weeks and started back this morning.  She was out because her husband had a massive heart attack, remained at the Drake Center for several days, then sadly passed away.  As she walked into my office (I didn't know she was coming back today until she walked in) I had no idea what to say to her outside of our normal chit chat about the weather and needing coffee.

That seems to be a theme when talking to someone going through a major life change.  Since everyone handles grief and change differently, it is impossible to know what to say that 1) will not piss off or offend the person, 2) will not come across completely fake or insincere, and 3) that will actually express the intended message of sympathy or empathy to the recipient.

I know that everyone handles loss differently.  Some cry and like being comforted.  Some like being alone to grieve privately.  Some prefer to talk about their memories of the person.  Some want to go on like nothing has happened.  None of this is wrong.

The difficulty comes in how to approach someone dealing with such a loss.  Since everyone deals differently, they also react to well meaning expressions of sympathy differently.  Expressing sympathy can come in forms of 1) just a few words of sympathy but no difference in regular conversation, 2) offers to talk about feelings, 3) mothering instinct that makes the sympathizer want to take care of the person suffering, or 4) completely ignoring the subject all together not knowing what in the world to say.

None of the approaches above are necessarily wrong, just as there is no wrong way to express grief.  The trouble comes when the reactions above clash.  Rather than seeing the offers of support as just that, the griever may see the expressions as bossy, ordering around, or insensitive.  So it almost seems like the best option is to say NOTHING, but even then someone may be upset because they want the comfort.   

So how do we handle this???????????????

Well, my conclusion is to just offer my condolences my own way.  If the person gets offended, I will apologize.  If they think I am being fake or insincere, I will let them be upset knowing their real anger isn't at me but at their loss.  That is really all any of us can do.

10 Random Thoughts for this Week...

10 random things for the week...

1.  You know you spend a lot of time doing Zumba when you subconsciously think of moves to go with just about every song you hear on the radio.

2.  My daughter is the biggest girly girl I have ever seen.  She actually enjoys sleeping in hair curlers.  Of course, she has now pulled them apart, effectively ruining them.  That is going to be a melt down when she realizes what she did.

3.  My son is getting ready to belt test...again.  Man does this boy go through the belts!  I am really proud of him, but at 45.00 a go, it is getting expensive!

4.  I read the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy in one weekend.  Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I may even have to blog about it another time, keeping it PG-13 of course. 

5.  My son had his first bloody nose in a while last night.  The entire house looked like it was depicting a scene from a horror film.  If the FBI comes and sprays that stuff that shows where blood used to be, I am pretty sure both my husband and I would be arrested under suspicion of murdering someone.

6.  This weekend my husband and I will celebrate (or recognize at least) our 12 year wedding anniversary.  That is a long time!

7.  If I lose weight in my weigh in this week after eating a piece of Reese cup cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory over the weekend, I will do flips all over my house.

8.  Our 6 cute baby chicks that we acquired over Easter weekend are now 6 ugly chickens.  At least they are no longer in our house!

9.  Last Friday while riding the school bus for the first time, my son flew forward and hit the seat in front of him when the bus came to an unexpected stop.  It was funny.  Later, he was trying to recount the tale to his daddy, and when he reenacted the flying forward scene he banged his head on the truck seat in front of him, giving him a knot/bruise the size of a half dollar on his forehead.  That was even funnier.  I guess he is figuring out he has a flare for the dramatics.

10.  I can count on one hand the number of date nights I have had with my husband in the last year.  Both of them included a movie and rushing home immediately after to relieve the baby sitter.