Darn...I thought I published this last week...anyway, here it is.
It would be an understatement to say I was excited to go to Disneyland. It's not that I love rides or Disney, but I was excited to be able to give the girls this magical experience. Right from the start, Disney was magical. We arrived Saturday late afternoon and after we ate, we wanted to go to Disney to scope out the ticket booths, entrance and Downtown Disney. We stopped at one of the ticket booths to ask some questions. Now, at this point, I am totally excited (and probably acting a little cheesy) I told "Jonathan" the ticket guy that it was my first time and my girls' first time and we are super excited to be here. I told him we moved to CA from Wisconsin and we had some questions about Disney, tickets & lines. I told him we (Mitch, Lily & I) did the "Give a Day, Get a Day" so we were definitely going to do one day at Disney, but we were unsure about the second day. He told us to go get our Give a Day, Get a Day vouchers and return to him.
Wow! We were thrilled because he was going to exchange our vouchers for tickets and we didn't have to wait in line the next morning. So, we took the shuttle back to the RV and got the vouchers, birth certificates and driver's licenses. When we went back to Jonathan, he took our vouchers and IDs. As he was checking the vouchers and IDs, I asked him if we qualified for the Southern California 2fer discount (buy one day, get one free) and he said he'd give us one better. He handed me 3 2-day Hopper tickets and charged my credit card $75.00 (technically he should have charged me $227.00 for these 3 tickets). I started to cry. I was in such disbelief that Mitch, Lily & I were going to Disney/California Adventure for 2 days for only $75.00. I was so happy and thankful. Jonathan said that I wasn't allowed to cry at Disney. I just couldn't help it! I felt so grateful! Then I remembered that I still needed tickets for Camy & Abby. He said "Don't worry about the little one. Let me get a ticket for the other one." I gave him my credit card again to buy Camy's ticket (I'm crying even harder now because he's letting Abby in for free - saving us $131.00!) After he finished with Camy's ticket, he handed me her ticket & my credit card and said "She's on me. Have a great time!" Now the tears are really flowing. The girls are looking at me trying to figure out why I'm crying. Mitch is shaking his head because he can't believe I'm crying so hard. And the girls are saying "Thank you Jonathan -- we're going to Disney!" (Goodness...I'm crying now just remembering it! I'm such a Hogan/Jeneski!) I walked away with a huge smile, not really believing what just happened - All 5 of us were going to Disney for 2 days for a total of $75.00! The total cost should have been $489.00 for 5 2-day Hopper Tickets!
As we walked around Downtown Disney, I thought, "Wow, good things really do happen to good people!" See Mom, despite your regular declarations that "life isn't fair", sometimes life is fair! (I'll have to remember this when I say "sorry, life isn't fair" to my girls.)
I'll write more about Disney tomorrow..Until later, my hope for you (especially you, Kirsten-if you're reading this) is that good things will happen to you too!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
RVing
As I mentioned in my last post, we rented an RV for Spring Break. Wow! What a trip it was! Living in an RV, going to Disneyland, camping in the high desert and driving 8 hours straight home. I have a feeling this is going to be a long post. Let's start with renting the RV....
One day I was messing around on the internet and I saw an ad for Cruise America. Out of curiosity, I went to the website and got a quote for renting a 30 foot RV for a week. Surprise, surprise....it was only $99.00 a night! That's cheaper than a hotel room. But wait...what are the "other" costs? Hmmm...you pay for each mile you drive. Oh, but they have a special right now...1/2 price mileage! 800 miles will cost only $124.00! OK - what about gas...yeah, 50 gallon tank which we foot the bill...well, whatever, it'll be ok.
I told Mitch what I found and he was really, really excited. We love camping and he has always wanted to buy a camper. We made the reservation and then figured out where to go. I pushed for Disney since we have lived in CA for 2 years and still have not gone. He wanted to go camping, so we split the time -- 2 days at Disneyland (really 3 days in Anaheim) and 3 nights of camping. How was the RV experience, you ask??? Well.....we're still married and all 3 girls are still alive which is a miracle considering how badly I was PMSing at the beginning of the trip. (PMSing sucks..but that's a subject for a different post.)
Living in an RV takes a lot of patience. Someone is almost always in your way. I can't tell you how many times I tripped over one of the girls because they are small enough to fit through a little space and they happened to decide to go to the front of the RV at the exact time I started to wash the dishes. Also, it was kind of hard to work together as a team to make meals because the space is rather small. This may not be a problem with some families, but Mitch and I almost always work together to make meals. So, having the limited space meant that I opened a cabinet at the same exact time Mitch was putting something in the sink, which, in turn, meant that I slammed his head with the cabinet door on numerous occasions. Sorry My Love!
The small space also means that it gets messy really easily. Even though there are many nooks & cranies to store stuff, stuff tends to get out of it's place pretty easily. It didn't matter how many times I "picked up", there were always things out and about, especially the girls' toys, books and crayons. It seemed to get pretty dirty quickly too, but that could be because we were camping and at Disney so our shoes carried in a lot of debris. Next time we do this (and yes, I do think we'll do it again), I am going to make a "no shoes" policy for the inside of the camper. As well, we didn't bring a broom or dust buster or anything like that, so I was using paper towels to try to get rid of all the sand and food crumbs off the floor. I won't make that mistake again, that's for sure!!! Really, these are the only drawbacks that I found with living in an RV for a week. (Oh yeah, I am comparing RV living to tent camping, NOT RV living to living in a home.)
Oh, I just thought of another con....since we didn't "tow" a car, sight seeing was kind of difficult since we had to disconnect the RV to go anywhere. It is also kind of hard to find parking places for a 30 foot vehicle. So, if you want to go RVing, it is best to stick to one location and just camp. Or, tow a car so you can go do day trips without having to unhook the RV and get it ready to go on the road (which means putting everything away so it doesn't fall as you are driving.)
To us, the major PRO of RV living is that you have a bathroom. Having an easily accessible bathroom with four girls is a big bonus, especially on those five hour drives. As well, when we were camping, it was great to be able to go when you had to go without having to walk to the outhouse/bathroom. The bad part (really, really, really bad part) of having a bathroom in your camper is that someone has to empty the tank. Totally GROSS! But, I wouldn't know anything about that since Mitch did all the emptying (thank you My Love!) I would rather clean up puke 10 million times than dump the "black water" tank in an RV. Yuk-gives me "shivs" just thinking about it.
Another pro is that you have electricty. This is great for making a hot cup of coffee in the morning. Usually when we are camping, I have to wait for Mitch to make a fire before I can have my cup of coffee. With the RV, Mitch would wake up and just make my coffee in the coffee maker. Yum!! Cooking is also easier because you have a microwave and stove top, so you don't have to depend on a camp fire to cook things. Having electricity for the DVD player also helped on our 8 hour drive home. And for all you women who have to look pretty all the time...having electricity means you can blow dry and curl (or straighten) your hair. However, I personally believe that camping "excuses" you from doing your hair or makeup. Remember, you are getting back to nature. Just throw on a baseball hat and it's all good!
The last major pro is.....sleeping arrangements. Sleeping is MUCH more comfortable in an RV than tent sleeping. You are actually sleeping on mattresses or cusions. You're not stuck in a sleeping bag, praying that the inflatable air mattress doesn't have a leak. And if it happens to rain (or snow as it did our first night of camping), it doesn't really matter. Nothing gets wet. The temperature isn't as much of a factor with regard to sleeping either. There is a heater and air conditioner that regulates the interior temperature really well. You know how everything seems damp in the morning when you are tent camping -- it's not an issue with RVing.
But, by far the best thing about RVing is spending time with your family. There really isn't TV or movies or video games. There is coloring, reading, playing games, hiking, fishing, swimming and making each other giggle.
So, overall, I really enjoyed renting the RV. The weather did not cooperate some of the time we were camping (it snowed one night, rained another night and was really, really windy) and it didn't really matter because we were able to hang out comfortably in the camper. I couldn't imagine enduring the weather we had in a tent! I will definitely go RVing again (as long as Mitch continues to empty the "black water" tank).
Well, since the RV part of this post turned out to be so long, I'll post about Disney and camping in the high desert in another post.
Until later....I hope you have had some good, quality family time over Spring Break.
One day I was messing around on the internet and I saw an ad for Cruise America. Out of curiosity, I went to the website and got a quote for renting a 30 foot RV for a week. Surprise, surprise....it was only $99.00 a night! That's cheaper than a hotel room. But wait...what are the "other" costs? Hmmm...you pay for each mile you drive. Oh, but they have a special right now...1/2 price mileage! 800 miles will cost only $124.00! OK - what about gas...yeah, 50 gallon tank which we foot the bill...well, whatever, it'll be ok.
I told Mitch what I found and he was really, really excited. We love camping and he has always wanted to buy a camper. We made the reservation and then figured out where to go. I pushed for Disney since we have lived in CA for 2 years and still have not gone. He wanted to go camping, so we split the time -- 2 days at Disneyland (really 3 days in Anaheim) and 3 nights of camping. How was the RV experience, you ask??? Well.....we're still married and all 3 girls are still alive which is a miracle considering how badly I was PMSing at the beginning of the trip. (PMSing sucks..but that's a subject for a different post.)
Living in an RV takes a lot of patience. Someone is almost always in your way. I can't tell you how many times I tripped over one of the girls because they are small enough to fit through a little space and they happened to decide to go to the front of the RV at the exact time I started to wash the dishes. Also, it was kind of hard to work together as a team to make meals because the space is rather small. This may not be a problem with some families, but Mitch and I almost always work together to make meals. So, having the limited space meant that I opened a cabinet at the same exact time Mitch was putting something in the sink, which, in turn, meant that I slammed his head with the cabinet door on numerous occasions. Sorry My Love!
The small space also means that it gets messy really easily. Even though there are many nooks & cranies to store stuff, stuff tends to get out of it's place pretty easily. It didn't matter how many times I "picked up", there were always things out and about, especially the girls' toys, books and crayons. It seemed to get pretty dirty quickly too, but that could be because we were camping and at Disney so our shoes carried in a lot of debris. Next time we do this (and yes, I do think we'll do it again), I am going to make a "no shoes" policy for the inside of the camper. As well, we didn't bring a broom or dust buster or anything like that, so I was using paper towels to try to get rid of all the sand and food crumbs off the floor. I won't make that mistake again, that's for sure!!! Really, these are the only drawbacks that I found with living in an RV for a week. (Oh yeah, I am comparing RV living to tent camping, NOT RV living to living in a home.)
Oh, I just thought of another con....since we didn't "tow" a car, sight seeing was kind of difficult since we had to disconnect the RV to go anywhere. It is also kind of hard to find parking places for a 30 foot vehicle. So, if you want to go RVing, it is best to stick to one location and just camp. Or, tow a car so you can go do day trips without having to unhook the RV and get it ready to go on the road (which means putting everything away so it doesn't fall as you are driving.)
To us, the major PRO of RV living is that you have a bathroom. Having an easily accessible bathroom with four girls is a big bonus, especially on those five hour drives. As well, when we were camping, it was great to be able to go when you had to go without having to walk to the outhouse/bathroom. The bad part (really, really, really bad part) of having a bathroom in your camper is that someone has to empty the tank. Totally GROSS! But, I wouldn't know anything about that since Mitch did all the emptying (thank you My Love!) I would rather clean up puke 10 million times than dump the "black water" tank in an RV. Yuk-gives me "shivs" just thinking about it.
Another pro is that you have electricty. This is great for making a hot cup of coffee in the morning. Usually when we are camping, I have to wait for Mitch to make a fire before I can have my cup of coffee. With the RV, Mitch would wake up and just make my coffee in the coffee maker. Yum!! Cooking is also easier because you have a microwave and stove top, so you don't have to depend on a camp fire to cook things. Having electricity for the DVD player also helped on our 8 hour drive home. And for all you women who have to look pretty all the time...having electricity means you can blow dry and curl (or straighten) your hair. However, I personally believe that camping "excuses" you from doing your hair or makeup. Remember, you are getting back to nature. Just throw on a baseball hat and it's all good!
The last major pro is.....sleeping arrangements. Sleeping is MUCH more comfortable in an RV than tent sleeping. You are actually sleeping on mattresses or cusions. You're not stuck in a sleeping bag, praying that the inflatable air mattress doesn't have a leak. And if it happens to rain (or snow as it did our first night of camping), it doesn't really matter. Nothing gets wet. The temperature isn't as much of a factor with regard to sleeping either. There is a heater and air conditioner that regulates the interior temperature really well. You know how everything seems damp in the morning when you are tent camping -- it's not an issue with RVing.
But, by far the best thing about RVing is spending time with your family. There really isn't TV or movies or video games. There is coloring, reading, playing games, hiking, fishing, swimming and making each other giggle.
So, overall, I really enjoyed renting the RV. The weather did not cooperate some of the time we were camping (it snowed one night, rained another night and was really, really windy) and it didn't really matter because we were able to hang out comfortably in the camper. I couldn't imagine enduring the weather we had in a tent! I will definitely go RVing again (as long as Mitch continues to empty the "black water" tank).
Well, since the RV part of this post turned out to be so long, I'll post about Disney and camping in the high desert in another post.
Until later....I hope you have had some good, quality family time over Spring Break.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Too Much Stuff Going On!
Ahhh!!!
There have been so many things going on last week and this week that I am swamped. Birthday parties, softball practice for Lily, car shopping, Disneyland / camping preparations, sick kid (Lily), School Carnival preparations, "Jesus Is Alive" parties. Whew! I am exhausted and we're only half done with all this stuff. Let's see, where do I start? How about the scariest thing...Lily being sick.
I got a phone call from CUSD (Clovis Unified School District) at lunchtime on Tuesday. The nurse said that Lily was complaining that her head hurt a little and she had a low grade fever. OK?!? I will be there as soon as I wipe the peanut butter and jelly off of Abby's face. So, we went to pick her up. Tuesday and practically all day Wednesday Lily slept and drank water. Her fever never dipped below 102 despite Tylenol & Motrin. Thursday morning I rolled over (she was sleeping in my bed) and felt her and she was on fire! I took her temp - 105.9! Yikes! I took it again - 105.9 and yet again - 105.9! Time to call the doctor. We got a Dr's appt at 10:45 (note to other Moms - if your Dr's office is open, bring your sick child to them 1st, if she/he need to go to Children's Hospital - your Dr will get you in really quickly. Much less waiting time in the waiting room! Of course, if it is a life threatening emergency--call 911 and then freak out! Just kidding. Freak out once you are at the hospital and the medical professionals are taking care of your baby.) Anyway....there were no other symptoms other than the super high, brain frying fever and the headache (which Lily described as "my brain is kicking the inside of my head"). The Dr didn't find anything wrong with her. So, she did a Urine Analysis.
It was Lily's first time peeing in a cup. Camy has peed in a cup and Abby has peed in a cup, both with my help, so I figured this would be cake. We read the directions ("See Lily, even these directions say to use the wipe to wipe FRONT TO BACK!") and I held the cup. Big mistake. Her peeing was like a loose hose, there was pee going in all directions! The entire cup was dripping with pee. She peed all over my hand. It was totally gross. For some reason a 3 month old peeing on you while you change their diaper is not nearly as gross as a 6 year old peeing on you. She laughed and I freaked out (if you are unaware....I am kind of a germ-a-phobe). After I washed my hands 3 times, we went back to the room to wait for the quick response test.
Yep....after the dip stick test, initial lab tests and cultured tests, she has a bladder infection-Ecoli bacteria. Really??? I have only said "Front to Back!" about 5.2 million times in the last 5 years. I don't say that so I can get some yelling in a bunch of times each day. I say that because there are negative consequences to not wiping properly--bladder infections. Unfortunately, she had absolutely no pain when peeing. I know, I know, I know---how mean am I? You see, like I said, I have said "Front to Back" about 5.2 million times. I have explained to all 3 of my girls WHY "Front to Back" is the right way, but do they listen?? NOOOOO!!! So, in a way, I was kind of hoping she would have a little bit of pain to make more of impact of what I have been telling them. As it is, Lily missed a whole lot of fun things...Wacky Wednesday (St. Patrick's Day party), softball practice (twice), a big play date, and a birthday party. She definitely did not like being that sick, so hopefully she will be a little more conscientious in the future. As for me, as much as I was freaking out (about her high fever), I know there is always someone watching over us and taking care of us. I trust that, although I might be challenged and frightened, everything will work out in the end. These two points my Mom DID teach me. It makes life a little easier just knowing this. It's been a long week / weekend and I'm tired. So I'll write more about buying our car, camping & Disneyland preparations later.
Until later....My hope for you is that these "freak outs" are few and far between. Good night!
There have been so many things going on last week and this week that I am swamped. Birthday parties, softball practice for Lily, car shopping, Disneyland / camping preparations, sick kid (Lily), School Carnival preparations, "Jesus Is Alive" parties. Whew! I am exhausted and we're only half done with all this stuff. Let's see, where do I start? How about the scariest thing...Lily being sick.
I got a phone call from CUSD (Clovis Unified School District) at lunchtime on Tuesday. The nurse said that Lily was complaining that her head hurt a little and she had a low grade fever. OK?!? I will be there as soon as I wipe the peanut butter and jelly off of Abby's face. So, we went to pick her up. Tuesday and practically all day Wednesday Lily slept and drank water. Her fever never dipped below 102 despite Tylenol & Motrin. Thursday morning I rolled over (she was sleeping in my bed) and felt her and she was on fire! I took her temp - 105.9! Yikes! I took it again - 105.9 and yet again - 105.9! Time to call the doctor. We got a Dr's appt at 10:45 (note to other Moms - if your Dr's office is open, bring your sick child to them 1st, if she/he need to go to Children's Hospital - your Dr will get you in really quickly. Much less waiting time in the waiting room! Of course, if it is a life threatening emergency--call 911 and then freak out! Just kidding. Freak out once you are at the hospital and the medical professionals are taking care of your baby.) Anyway....there were no other symptoms other than the super high, brain frying fever and the headache (which Lily described as "my brain is kicking the inside of my head"). The Dr didn't find anything wrong with her. So, she did a Urine Analysis.
It was Lily's first time peeing in a cup. Camy has peed in a cup and Abby has peed in a cup, both with my help, so I figured this would be cake. We read the directions ("See Lily, even these directions say to use the wipe to wipe FRONT TO BACK!") and I held the cup. Big mistake. Her peeing was like a loose hose, there was pee going in all directions! The entire cup was dripping with pee. She peed all over my hand. It was totally gross. For some reason a 3 month old peeing on you while you change their diaper is not nearly as gross as a 6 year old peeing on you. She laughed and I freaked out (if you are unaware....I am kind of a germ-a-phobe). After I washed my hands 3 times, we went back to the room to wait for the quick response test.
Yep....after the dip stick test, initial lab tests and cultured tests, she has a bladder infection-Ecoli bacteria. Really??? I have only said "Front to Back!" about 5.2 million times in the last 5 years. I don't say that so I can get some yelling in a bunch of times each day. I say that because there are negative consequences to not wiping properly--bladder infections. Unfortunately, she had absolutely no pain when peeing. I know, I know, I know---how mean am I? You see, like I said, I have said "Front to Back" about 5.2 million times. I have explained to all 3 of my girls WHY "Front to Back" is the right way, but do they listen?? NOOOOO!!! So, in a way, I was kind of hoping she would have a little bit of pain to make more of impact of what I have been telling them. As it is, Lily missed a whole lot of fun things...Wacky Wednesday (St. Patrick's Day party), softball practice (twice), a big play date, and a birthday party. She definitely did not like being that sick, so hopefully she will be a little more conscientious in the future. As for me, as much as I was freaking out (about her high fever), I know there is always someone watching over us and taking care of us. I trust that, although I might be challenged and frightened, everything will work out in the end. These two points my Mom DID teach me. It makes life a little easier just knowing this. It's been a long week / weekend and I'm tired. So I'll write more about buying our car, camping & Disneyland preparations later.
Until later....My hope for you is that these "freak outs" are few and far between. Good night!
Monday, March 15, 2010
It's OK To Be Selfish (Just don't tell the kids)
Me again....
OK, so you know how your life has become all about your kids? When I was pregnant with Lily (my oldest daughter) I knew my life was going to change completely. I knew that pretty much every hour of every day was going to be dedicated to this little life that we were bringing into the world. I knew that the days of "get up and go" were going to be over.
What I didn't know, was that no matter how many times magazine articles, friends and family would tell me to be sure to take time for myself, that it would be SO HARD to actually take time for myself. It's not that I have a hard time finding the hours necessary to "take time for myself", afterall, Mitch is home every weekend and I have 9 hours of "kid-free" time a week. It's just that I feel guilty. When the weekend comes, I feel like it is our family time and I should be with everyone for the bike ride or softball practice or gardening or whatever is going on. Then, when I am taking advantage of my kid-free hours, I feel like I should be volunteering in someone's room or getting the kitchen floor washed. I really have to make a conscious choice to "do something for myself", like go get a massage or just watch a movie I had been wanting to see.
The worst part of this is that when I do actually take time for myself to do what I want to do, I find myself "justifying" my choice. One of my friends did this earlier this year. She spent a lot of money to get her hair straightened. When we talked about it, she said, "Well, I thought since I had a garage sale and I still work part time that it would be ok to spend the money. Afterall, I'm not the type of person who gets a weekly manicure or pedicure. In fact, I hardly ever spend money on myself." I thought about her comments over the weekend and when I saw her on Monday I told her that she should NOT have to justify doing a little something for herself. But, I am just like her. I justify why I spend X amount of dollars on this or that and I justify taking time for myself (well, I finished all the laundry and put it away, so it's ok if I sit down to watch a movie in peace and quiet.)
We shouldn't have to justify doing little things for ourselves, especially if it doesn't happen very often. More importantly we shouldn't feel the need to justify our choices to OURSELVES! I'm sure that most of our husbands agree with us when we say we need a break. Most of our husbands are more than glad to take over so we can go have a spa day or a girls night out or just to go shopping without kids crawling under the dressing room doors. So why do we feel the need to convince ourselves that it is ok for us to take some time for ourselves? I don't know, maybe because we're Moms and that's what Moms do?
What I do know is that we deserve it. No matter if you are a Mom working full time or a Mom working part time or a stay at home Mom, we deserve time to ourselves to do exactly what we selfishly want to do without having to justify it to ourselves or anyone else.
Until later......I hope you get some "me" time to do whatever your heart desires, whether it's read an entire chapter of a book without interruption or get a massage or a mani/pedi (I hate saying that--mani/pedi) or go shopping all by yourself for yourself. It's OK, just do it, enjoy it, don't justify it and be guilt free!
OK, so you know how your life has become all about your kids? When I was pregnant with Lily (my oldest daughter) I knew my life was going to change completely. I knew that pretty much every hour of every day was going to be dedicated to this little life that we were bringing into the world. I knew that the days of "get up and go" were going to be over.
What I didn't know, was that no matter how many times magazine articles, friends and family would tell me to be sure to take time for myself, that it would be SO HARD to actually take time for myself. It's not that I have a hard time finding the hours necessary to "take time for myself", afterall, Mitch is home every weekend and I have 9 hours of "kid-free" time a week. It's just that I feel guilty. When the weekend comes, I feel like it is our family time and I should be with everyone for the bike ride or softball practice or gardening or whatever is going on. Then, when I am taking advantage of my kid-free hours, I feel like I should be volunteering in someone's room or getting the kitchen floor washed. I really have to make a conscious choice to "do something for myself", like go get a massage or just watch a movie I had been wanting to see.
The worst part of this is that when I do actually take time for myself to do what I want to do, I find myself "justifying" my choice. One of my friends did this earlier this year. She spent a lot of money to get her hair straightened. When we talked about it, she said, "Well, I thought since I had a garage sale and I still work part time that it would be ok to spend the money. Afterall, I'm not the type of person who gets a weekly manicure or pedicure. In fact, I hardly ever spend money on myself." I thought about her comments over the weekend and when I saw her on Monday I told her that she should NOT have to justify doing a little something for herself. But, I am just like her. I justify why I spend X amount of dollars on this or that and I justify taking time for myself (well, I finished all the laundry and put it away, so it's ok if I sit down to watch a movie in peace and quiet.)
We shouldn't have to justify doing little things for ourselves, especially if it doesn't happen very often. More importantly we shouldn't feel the need to justify our choices to OURSELVES! I'm sure that most of our husbands agree with us when we say we need a break. Most of our husbands are more than glad to take over so we can go have a spa day or a girls night out or just to go shopping without kids crawling under the dressing room doors. So why do we feel the need to convince ourselves that it is ok for us to take some time for ourselves? I don't know, maybe because we're Moms and that's what Moms do?
What I do know is that we deserve it. No matter if you are a Mom working full time or a Mom working part time or a stay at home Mom, we deserve time to ourselves to do exactly what we selfishly want to do without having to justify it to ourselves or anyone else.
Until later......I hope you get some "me" time to do whatever your heart desires, whether it's read an entire chapter of a book without interruption or get a massage or a mani/pedi (I hate saying that--mani/pedi) or go shopping all by yourself for yourself. It's OK, just do it, enjoy it, don't justify it and be guilt free!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I LOVED my Durango!
It's me again...
I don't know about you, but I have always loved my cars. I don't love cars, but I love MY cars. All of the cars that I have owned (or that my parents purchased for me & my siblings) I have loved. Each car had it's own unique personality and lovable traits. Some were total junkers, but started every day and others looked pretty good, but seemed to always break down. I rubbed the dashboards, talked to them and thanked them for getting me where I needed to go. Each car I have driven has a special place in my heart and are filled with memories. My Dad taught me it is ok to love your car. I remember how sad he was when Victory Auto Wreckers came to tow away the first BRAND NEW car he ever owned (I think it was 23 years old). He literally chased the tow truck and asked the driver to stop so he could honk the horn one last time. THAT'S how I felt about my Durango.
I got in a really bad car accident on Friday night. I was turning left and got hit by a car going over 50 mph. I definitely had an angle watching over me that night. If I had pulled into the intersection one second earlier, I would have gotten slammed instead of the front end of my truck. I am truly blessed that I walked away without a scratch. With that being said.....
Today the insurance company told me that they are totalling my truck. I started to cry. I LOVED my truck, my Durango, my baby. I became emotionally attached to my truck when I drove it for the first time. I was six months pregnant with Lily when we bought it. I always felt safe while driving it. It kept me safe in the accident. Mitch doesn't understand my attachment to my truck, but he's a guy. He doesn't "get" why I cried. He said that we can't become emotionally attached to things. Anyway, I am sad and I feel like acting like a child....My arms are crossed, I am stomping my foot, puppy dog eyes are tearing up and I am pouting and whining.... "I want my truck back. I don't want a new car. I want my truck back. I don't want a car payment, I want my truck back. I don't even know what kind of car I want. I want my truck back. I want my truck back. I want MY TRUCK back!" So, now I am going to stomp up my stairs, slam my door and go to bed.
Well, not really. If I stomp up the stairs and slam the door, I might wake up the girls. So, instead I'll just pout, eat a bowl of peanut butter chocolate ice cream and hopefully get to bed soon.
Until later....I hope you are never in an accident like I was and I hope you are never forced to give up the car you love.
I don't know about you, but I have always loved my cars. I don't love cars, but I love MY cars. All of the cars that I have owned (or that my parents purchased for me & my siblings) I have loved. Each car had it's own unique personality and lovable traits. Some were total junkers, but started every day and others looked pretty good, but seemed to always break down. I rubbed the dashboards, talked to them and thanked them for getting me where I needed to go. Each car I have driven has a special place in my heart and are filled with memories. My Dad taught me it is ok to love your car. I remember how sad he was when Victory Auto Wreckers came to tow away the first BRAND NEW car he ever owned (I think it was 23 years old). He literally chased the tow truck and asked the driver to stop so he could honk the horn one last time. THAT'S how I felt about my Durango.
I got in a really bad car accident on Friday night. I was turning left and got hit by a car going over 50 mph. I definitely had an angle watching over me that night. If I had pulled into the intersection one second earlier, I would have gotten slammed instead of the front end of my truck. I am truly blessed that I walked away without a scratch. With that being said.....
Today the insurance company told me that they are totalling my truck. I started to cry. I LOVED my truck, my Durango, my baby. I became emotionally attached to my truck when I drove it for the first time. I was six months pregnant with Lily when we bought it. I always felt safe while driving it. It kept me safe in the accident. Mitch doesn't understand my attachment to my truck, but he's a guy. He doesn't "get" why I cried. He said that we can't become emotionally attached to things. Anyway, I am sad and I feel like acting like a child....My arms are crossed, I am stomping my foot, puppy dog eyes are tearing up and I am pouting and whining.... "I want my truck back. I don't want a new car. I want my truck back. I don't want a car payment, I want my truck back. I don't even know what kind of car I want. I want my truck back. I want my truck back. I want MY TRUCK back!" So, now I am going to stomp up my stairs, slam my door and go to bed.
Well, not really. If I stomp up the stairs and slam the door, I might wake up the girls. So, instead I'll just pout, eat a bowl of peanut butter chocolate ice cream and hopefully get to bed soon.
Until later....I hope you are never in an accident like I was and I hope you are never forced to give up the car you love.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Brain Atrophy
Hey There....
Isn't it amazing that women understand their moms so much more once they have their own kids? Doesn't it surprise you that your mom didn't tell you anything about what being a wife and mom was all about? My mom was a stay at home mom of 4 before we all went to school. I never understood why she went back to work when her youngest started Kindergarten. Now I know. She needed to talk to adults.
I'm trying to figure out why my Mom never told me what it was really like to be a stay at home mom? Granted, in some ways she had it harder than I did, especially because she didn't have a car. She was a TRUE Stay At Home Mom. I have a car, but that just means that instead of being a "Stay At Home Mom", I am a "Pick Up and Drop Off Mom". All day long it's go here and go there. Drop off this one here and that one there. Pick up this one here and that one there. Hopefully I get in an errand here and there. It's non-stop, all day. Exhausted at the end of the day, I feel as though I did not accomplish a single thing, yet I was busy all day. Sometimes (like last night) I think, "Really? Reeeeally??? This is IT? THIS is what my 'grown up life' is all about?" Wow! I did not expect this.
The other day I was at the bus stop waiting for Lily's bus to arrive. As I was talking to another mom, I said, "Yesterday I teached Lily how to subtract by counting up." Yes, I really said "teached"! You know you have been hanging around kids too much when their grammar errors start to infiltrate your speech. I hate incorrect grammar and here I was saying "teached". What the heck? It shouldn't surprise me too much, these days I spend very little time with other adults. Most of the time I'm hanging out with my kids. It's no wonder that I can't speak properly. It's no surprise that my brain has gone to mush. I no longer remember the simplest things. My family and I would not survive without my calendar. (Well, we would survive, but we'd never make a doctor's appointment or dentist appointment, we'd miss gymnastics, dance class and swim lessons. All this because my brain doesn't function any more.) No one told me about "Mommy Brain". It wasn't until I started complaining about the mush in my skull that other women told me about "Mommy Brain". WHY didn't my Mom tell me about this before I had kids????
Oh....wait..... I know why....she wanted grandkids.
Until later....I hope you get a chance to have a decent "adult" conversation sometime soon. Perhaps you can try using a fancy word. For example, "My brain has atrophied since becoming a mother." Try it...it will make you feel smart.
Isn't it amazing that women understand their moms so much more once they have their own kids? Doesn't it surprise you that your mom didn't tell you anything about what being a wife and mom was all about? My mom was a stay at home mom of 4 before we all went to school. I never understood why she went back to work when her youngest started Kindergarten. Now I know. She needed to talk to adults.
I'm trying to figure out why my Mom never told me what it was really like to be a stay at home mom? Granted, in some ways she had it harder than I did, especially because she didn't have a car. She was a TRUE Stay At Home Mom. I have a car, but that just means that instead of being a "Stay At Home Mom", I am a "Pick Up and Drop Off Mom". All day long it's go here and go there. Drop off this one here and that one there. Pick up this one here and that one there. Hopefully I get in an errand here and there. It's non-stop, all day. Exhausted at the end of the day, I feel as though I did not accomplish a single thing, yet I was busy all day. Sometimes (like last night) I think, "Really? Reeeeally??? This is IT? THIS is what my 'grown up life' is all about?" Wow! I did not expect this.
The other day I was at the bus stop waiting for Lily's bus to arrive. As I was talking to another mom, I said, "Yesterday I teached Lily how to subtract by counting up." Yes, I really said "teached"! You know you have been hanging around kids too much when their grammar errors start to infiltrate your speech. I hate incorrect grammar and here I was saying "teached". What the heck? It shouldn't surprise me too much, these days I spend very little time with other adults. Most of the time I'm hanging out with my kids. It's no wonder that I can't speak properly. It's no surprise that my brain has gone to mush. I no longer remember the simplest things. My family and I would not survive without my calendar. (Well, we would survive, but we'd never make a doctor's appointment or dentist appointment, we'd miss gymnastics, dance class and swim lessons. All this because my brain doesn't function any more.) No one told me about "Mommy Brain". It wasn't until I started complaining about the mush in my skull that other women told me about "Mommy Brain". WHY didn't my Mom tell me about this before I had kids????
Oh....wait..... I know why....she wanted grandkids.
Until later....I hope you get a chance to have a decent "adult" conversation sometime soon. Perhaps you can try using a fancy word. For example, "My brain has atrophied since becoming a mother." Try it...it will make you feel smart.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
"Our" Life
Hello Again! Thanks for reading.
I told my husband that I started to blog (or do I say, "started a blog"?) He read my first one and then warned me not to give out too much personal information. Silly man. I wear my heart on my sleeve! I'll talk about anything. (Just kidding honey....I know, you were talking about information that strangers could use to identify where we live and who we are. Although in today's world, I am pretty sure anyone can find anybody at any time......it's called Facebook :)) Anyway, Mitch wished me luck and said that I'll probably have fun. He's right...so far I am having fun and have received some nice comments (on my FB link.) I'll also have to remember to consider my family in what I write on here, after all, I don't want them to get mad at me for "airing out dirty laundry" (or in my case, it's clean laundry in five laundry baskets that sit in the living room for over a week because I hate putting laundry away.) OK - get back on track Autumn - remember to be considerate of your family members - right. Which brings me to my next question...
Why didn't anyone ever tell me that once you're married and have kids....your life is NEVER your own? It becomes "our" life. This is a great thing most of the time, but there are some times when you just don't want to have to consider anyone else's opinion, schedule or feelings. Like making a gyno appointment. I hate going. I go because I am supposed to (and I'm a rule follower) and now I have to try to find some time during the week when there are no prior engagements. I have to figure out if I can schedule the appointment during a time slot without having to bring any of the kids. Really? I can't just make an appointment and go? NO!!!! The worse part about this is I have only 9 hours, 9 precious hours a week without any kids. And if I want to go to the gyno without kids, I have to schedule the appointment during one of my 9 precious hours. So now, I'm not only irritated because I'm going to the gyno, but I have to "waste" one of my kid-free hours to do so. Ugh!!! That sucks. (Side note--Mitch is more than happy to stay with the kids if he is home, but it's a crap shoot on whether or not he'll be home on a certain day at a certain time. I tried this once and got burned -- 3 kids fighting in the examination room in the middle of my exam. Therefore, if I want to be GUARANTEED that I won't have any kids with me, I have to waste one of my precious hours.) Why can't I just make an appointment and go? Because I am the Mom. I have to consider everyone's schedules and obligations, it's my job. Does anyone else get irritated that they have to use their "kid-free" hours for stupid stuff like doctor and dentist appointments? I want to use my kid-free hours for a massage, a haircut or to shop by myself for myself, not for doctor's appointments. I knew my life was going to totally change, but REALLY???? This much? Why didn't I know?
I know why -- I wouldn't have believed it even if someone did tell me.
Until later....I hope you can find time for yourself to do something for yourself.
I told my husband that I started to blog (or do I say, "started a blog"?) He read my first one and then warned me not to give out too much personal information. Silly man. I wear my heart on my sleeve! I'll talk about anything. (Just kidding honey....I know, you were talking about information that strangers could use to identify where we live and who we are. Although in today's world, I am pretty sure anyone can find anybody at any time......it's called Facebook :)) Anyway, Mitch wished me luck and said that I'll probably have fun. He's right...so far I am having fun and have received some nice comments (on my FB link.) I'll also have to remember to consider my family in what I write on here, after all, I don't want them to get mad at me for "airing out dirty laundry" (or in my case, it's clean laundry in five laundry baskets that sit in the living room for over a week because I hate putting laundry away.) OK - get back on track Autumn - remember to be considerate of your family members - right. Which brings me to my next question...
Why didn't anyone ever tell me that once you're married and have kids....your life is NEVER your own? It becomes "our" life. This is a great thing most of the time, but there are some times when you just don't want to have to consider anyone else's opinion, schedule or feelings. Like making a gyno appointment. I hate going. I go because I am supposed to (and I'm a rule follower) and now I have to try to find some time during the week when there are no prior engagements. I have to figure out if I can schedule the appointment during a time slot without having to bring any of the kids. Really? I can't just make an appointment and go? NO!!!! The worse part about this is I have only 9 hours, 9 precious hours a week without any kids. And if I want to go to the gyno without kids, I have to schedule the appointment during one of my 9 precious hours. So now, I'm not only irritated because I'm going to the gyno, but I have to "waste" one of my kid-free hours to do so. Ugh!!! That sucks. (Side note--Mitch is more than happy to stay with the kids if he is home, but it's a crap shoot on whether or not he'll be home on a certain day at a certain time. I tried this once and got burned -- 3 kids fighting in the examination room in the middle of my exam. Therefore, if I want to be GUARANTEED that I won't have any kids with me, I have to waste one of my precious hours.) Why can't I just make an appointment and go? Because I am the Mom. I have to consider everyone's schedules and obligations, it's my job. Does anyone else get irritated that they have to use their "kid-free" hours for stupid stuff like doctor and dentist appointments? I want to use my kid-free hours for a massage, a haircut or to shop by myself for myself, not for doctor's appointments. I knew my life was going to totally change, but REALLY???? This much? Why didn't I know?
I know why -- I wouldn't have believed it even if someone did tell me.
Until later....I hope you can find time for yourself to do something for yourself.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Hello! It's Me.
Hello Everyone!
My name is Autumn. I am a wife of almost 10 years and a mother of 3. I have a degree in Spanish / Education. Currently I am a stay at home mom. I volunteer in all 3 of my daughters' classrooms. I volunteer for the PTC. I am my oldest daughter's "Room Mom". I moved across the country to help further my husband's career. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a friend. I am a housekeeper. I am a gardener. I am a reader. I make & maintain schedules. I am a chef. I am a laundress. In fact, I am just like every other mother out there. Just trying to get through another day. So, here's a little info about my family.....
I am in love with my husband, Mitch (even though I am sure to complain about him) and I could not have chosen a better husband and father. I am extremely lucky to have him--I haven't cleaned a toilet / bathroom since we've been together. He's gone a lot for work, but when he's home, he's 100% home. Every non-school morning he wakes up with the girls and I sleep until 8:30 or 9:00. He does laundry, dishes and cooks. He adores our girls and our girls adore him. I hope one day the girls marry someone just like their father!
The girls are great (of course, I am a little biased). Lily is 6 1/2 years old. She's in first grade and loves her teacher. She is a little social butterfly....report cards are great academically, but she needs to learn when it is appropriate to chit-chat. She has a great smile and loves her little sisters. She plays softball, attends tap/ballet class and loves to swim.
Camy is my almost 5 year old daughter. She is in a 4 year old preschool class and goes Monday through Friday. She has a kind heart and sweet spirit. She is everyone's friend and everyone loves her. She has a great sense of humor and makes everyone laugh. If anyone is crying (stranger or friend) she is the first one there trying to help them. She is very thoughtful and does a great job picking out presents. She attends tap/ballet classes and also is a great swimmer.
Abby is my 3 year old. She is in a 3 year old preschool class and goes Monday, Wednesday & Friday. She is full of energy and is very smart. She is a little peanut...only 26 pounds and still in 2T clothes. She is strong willed, determined and knows what she wants. Since the day she was born I have said, "God gave her to me last because He knew if she came first I would not have had any more kids." She challenges my natural parenting skills and forces me to become more creative in my child rearing.
Since I obviously have so much time on my hands, I decided to blog. Just kidding. Really, I figured that since I am horrible about writing in my kids' baby books, I can "record" their childhood this way. Also, I hope it will be a great way to "vent" my frustrations about parenting and married life. I couldn't figure out a good name for my blog, so since most of my posts will probably be about things that I didn't know prior to becoming a wife & mom, I figured "What My Mom Didn't Tell Me" will be all encompassing. Oh, and just for the record....my Mom is a great mom. She taught me a ton about life and its ups and downs. It's just these crazy, random things she didn't teach me....but we'll get into those later.
Until later.....my wish for you is to be able to sleep the entire night, without waking up, without kids waking you up, without snoring, without someone stealing your covers, without someone kicking you, without any nightmares and without having to go to the bathroom. Good night!
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