Such Is My Life

Rampage 5k Obstacle Run

2011-10-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I ran in my first 5k. Not only was it a 5k but it was an obstacle run complete with hurdles, hay bales, a giant slip & slide and a huge mud pit! I signed up for this race about a month ago and I did pretty much NOTHING to prepare for it. However, I was too excited to back out.

I met up with some online friends Saturday morning to stretch and loosen up prior to the race. I had never met them in person before but they are some pretty awesome ladies. Most of them have been working out and getting ready for this but we were all there to have fun.

John and the kids and our best man from our wedding, Nick, were there to cheer me on. The kids were even more excited than I was, I think. Hubby brought the camera to get some good pics of the obstacles you could see and the embarrass me later on HA!

At 945 we lined up for our 10am heat. The front was for those that wanted to run it... the back was for those that wanted to walk it... we found our place right in the middle. A couple of us were more of the running type so they ran on ahead when the heat started but for the most part, the rest of us stayed together.

We started our run up hill and waving at my cheering squad on the side lines. From there we made our way into the woods where we went up hill, down hill, over logs and around trees. I preferred the downhill part :p So far I was doing great. I was keeping up a pretty good pace and we were all staying together nicely. After making our way out of the woods and losing two of or friends for a bit as we made our way through a local neighborhood we found our selves facing what was supposed to be 20ft "sewers" but seemed way shorter. A short jog around the corner brought us to the cargo climb where we caught up to Amanda & Randi who took some pics of us going over the top of the obstacle and we all took another short jaunt through the woods.

Upon coming out of the woods we were instructed to run down the hill to ring the cowbell, then run back up. This is where I really started to feel the pain. My side was cramping like crazy and it was rough to keep up the running so I started walking more and more. Randi & Amanda really started to get ahead of us here but Bekah & her husband stayed far enough behind that I could catch up when I was ready. When Bekah was running, I was walking and vice versa so we pretty much stayed together the entire time. Her hubby was even nice enough to wait on her even though she said he could go on ahead. We then met us up with Spiderman and his web in the woods. All the runners helped each other out by holding down on the rubber web in some spots and holding it up in other spots. It was fabulous team work :) We had finally caught back up to Amanda & Randi who were helping with the web too. You could tell everyone was having a great time.

As we made our way out of that set of woods we were greeted by family members and cheering squads, including mine. I was not expecting that and it was great to hear all my kids yelling for me and waving at me. Sara even followed along the side of the sand dune as I went up and over. She even tried following us onto the race path but was quickly stopped. The run to the next obstacle was tough. I was having a hard time running, I was having trouble breathing and it was the biggest space between obstacles yet. We finally made it to the tires and it was probably the easiest obstacle but we were also about half way through already!

Next up was the super slide... basically a giant slip and slide. Everyone kept saying you needed to get a good run going before hitting that thing or you would get stuck. I took off on my run with every intention of going belly first down the slide but I chickened out and hit my knees first. I quickly hit my stomach after that but it didn't really help. I started to get stuck about half way down and had to push myself down. It helped that the people behind me were bumping into me to get me down the remainder of the slide. It was fun but wish I'd have gone faster. I helped the lady behind me get off the slide and I headed up and over the hay bales. John yelled for me to pose at the top and I did. It's one of my fave pics from the race LoL Running with soaking wet clothes was not that fun. I could hear my pants and shoes squeaking and I was a little worried about chafing but was having too much fun to completely care.

The junkyard jump was next. It consisted of 4 cars, side by side and bumper to bumper. I climbed up on the bumper of one and hopped from hood to hood. Luckily I didn't slip off or twist my ankle since everyone climbing over was wet from the slide. However, I did slip on the hurdles that we came up to after that. Thankfully I didn't get hurt, although there was potential for it. Bekah decided she wasn't going to attempt to jump over the barriers while I thought, what the hell, I am here so I am doing it and I did. I got my foot up on the first barrier and it slipped off making me straddle the hurdle. If I was a man it would have hurt so bad but since I am not and I anticipated my foot slipping I was prepared and didn't injure my lady parts. I cleared the next hurdle no problems :) We were quickly approaching the final two obstacles and I could taste the victory.

I spotted my cheering squad as the fire came into view. They were all yelling for me to keep running since the noticed I was alternating between walking and running and I humored them by dramatically leaping over the fire. Unfortunately, no leg hairs were singed... probably cause I was still wet from the slip 'n slide. I am sure they planned it that way for safety reasons but dammit, I was hoping for some cheap beauty maintenance LoL

Last but not least of the obstacles was the mud pit which was the most anticipated obstacle for me. I was ready to get dirty. I disappointed the hubby cause I didn't dive in. I started out crawling because the fake barbed wire was high enough for that but for the last one I went straight in, army crawl style even splashing mud into my mouth. Yummm. As I was climbing out of the mud I noticed Bekah coming out on her back and her front was way too clean so I picked up some much and threw it at her. Amanda & Randi were also waiting for us which was nice. I also made sure everyone had plenty of mud on their faces and gave my kids a high five as I made my way to the finish line.

Amanda & Randi went on ahead to finish in about 44 minutes with Bekah, her husband & I not too far behind at about 47 minutes. I jogged my way across the finish line and threw my hands in the air. I DIDN'T DIE! That was all I cared about HA! My first through upon finishing the race was that I wanted to crash on the grass right there but I didn't. I stayed on my feet and went to get rinsed off. Not before giving my hubby a muddy kiss and wiping some mud on Nick's cheek. I love those boys! Heehee!

The water truck allowed us to rinse off with the coldest water they could conjure up but it didn't bother me. I stripped out of my teeshirt, shoes and socks and soaked myself from head to toe to rinse off. You'd think I'd be freezing but I wasn't. I think I was in a state of shock that I actually finished the race in under an hour and survived it. Even today my legs are hardly sore even though at times I can feel it. I did it! My husband is proud of me, my friends are proud of me, but most importantly... I am proud of me!

Back on Facebook

2011-09-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

As of mid Sunday, I am back on Facebook. My break didn't last long but it was long enough. Besides, a lot of my favorite people are there and we don't want anyone needlessly worrying about me :)

I am determined to stay off as much as I can. If my kids are not allowed on the computer until their jobs are done, then the same should apply to me. I may make the rules, but I should have to follow them too... right?! I never was big on rules, actually, but if I expect my kids to follow them, I need to lead by example.

So when the kids are home, I won't spend all that time I used to one the computer. I will do all my jobs as a mom and make sure they are getting their jobs done too. We will do more stuff together and if they can change their behavior then I can say yes to more things, rather than no all the time.

The first step in fixing a problem is admitting you have one... so here is my confession... my name is Bri and I have a Facebook addiction. If I get on the computer that is the first place I go. I have a habit of making sure I am all caught up before signing off again. I don't want it to affect my home life and vice versa. But I won't be giving it up again any time soon because that's where my friends live!

Weekend Summary

2011-09-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

I posted on Saturday about the kids not playing in their soccer game... and they didn't. They wore their shirts with jeans and sat on the sidelines watching their team play. Actually Lexi watched, we cheered and Jacob played around because he cannot sit still! But, I think my point was made. If they cannot change their behavior then they cannot do the things they want to do... like play soccer. One of the other dads was bummed that Lexi wasn't playing because he likes watching the only girl hold her own against the boys. Their team ended up losing 8-3 but it was a pretty good game, none the less.

Before soccer we went to our friend's house to watch the Buckeyes kick some butt... FINALLY! They haven't exactly been playing very well but we still watch. It's always a good day when they win though. Everyone is always in a much better mood :)

After soccer we ran home to get the corned beef I had in the crock pot. On the way back to our friend's house the full crock pot spilled on the floor at my feet. The next time we turned and it tried to spill I did my best to stop it but I forgot to use the pot holder and burnt my finger. It hurt like a biatch but it was worth it because we love hanging out with Nick & Helena. So even if that meant I had to keep a close watch on the hot crock pot the entire 30 minute drive through winding roads, that was okay because they are awesome, and worth it.

They don't have any kids but the kids love "Uncle Nick" and "Aunt Hena" so they love going over there. They keep candy and juice boxes on hand. They have a Wii & tons of kids movies. And my favorite thing about them... they are bad asses! They would make awesome parents. It melts my heart when they put the kids in their places instead of coddling and giving in to them like most other adults.

Anyway, we enjoyed some whiskey slush and some delicious corned beef. Not that I am being biased to the dinner I made, but I was told so by everyone that it was yummy. It always makes me happy to know other people are enjoying my food. It's even better when Lexi eats it... and she did!

After dinner I have no idea what we did HA! We sat around talking... oh and we made s'mores with the kids. Uncle Nick lit a fire and us ladies helped the kids roast marshmallows and put together their snack while the guys watched football & drank beer in the house. So typical LoL

Kadie was tired and ready to go home right after that so we got everyone ready and as I was walking out the door, John offered to let me stay and go out with Helena since she had been more than hinting at it all night. He would take the kids home and I could crash at their place. I was tired, and not really in a going out mood, but how could I pass that up! He was giving me an out. An out that I really, really, really needed after the last couple of weeks I have been through. So I took it.

Helena and I went to the bar for some drinks and karaoke... although we didn't actually do any karaoke. We just sat at the bar with a steady flow of drinks. We used the cash we had to buy some pull tabs and we each won $1 that we spent on more pull tabs HA! The guy next to us won big from the same set of pull tabs that we were pulling. Such a bummer, but we were happy for him! We also had some amazing bread sticks and had a good laugh when the bartender accidentally changed the channel to Barney. I was feeling pretty good and actually cheered, cause I <3 Barney and I made him change it back so I could get a quick picture. I was actually pretty sober for having drank so much but Helena was another story. I decided it would be best if I drove home or else we were getting a cab.

We got back to the house and I watched some movies on tv with Nick while she pecked at the keyboard on her phone. It was hilarious watching her focus with one eye closed and using one finger punching one letter at a time. She ended up falling asleep with her phone in her hand too! Been there, done that... and those seem to always be great nights, at least at the time. Hind sight might prove other wise but, eh, what can you do.

Then on Sunday, Nick and I headed to a bar to watch some football while we waited for John to come get me. John brought the kids and we had a yummy breakfast that ended up costing us $60! The kids meals were $6 each so I ordered a la carte items for them. Unfortunately, the cost of drinks at this place are $2.74! Yes, almost $3 for a kid sized drink... and we had TWO FULL CUPS that weren't refills still sitting on the table when we left. Thankfully everyone enjoyed their brunch (since most had already eaten breakfast and it wasn't lunch time yet) or else I'd have been pretty pissed about the cost. I'll remember to order water with lemon & sugar next time we go... make them some lemonade for FREE instead of spending $3 per person on fountain pop. Anyway, it was a nice morning out with the family (and Nick!)

So I had an amazingly fun weekend with some amazingly awesome people. Thank you to my hubby for being okay with me staying even though we had a new puppy at home. Thank you to Helena for really wanting to go out because we all know I needed that break from reality. Thank you to Nick for making sure I had a place to crash and Gatorade for rehydrating in the morning. I couldn't ask for better people in my life. Love you all!

Soccer Saturday

2011-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the kids' 3rd soccer game here in Washington and they won't be playing. Not because we will be out of town. Not because we have some prior commitment. But because of their behavior this week. In fact, this will be the first time they have missed a soccer game for this reason. I just couldn't let it slide though.

They have been exceptionally rude and disrespectful all week. Listening has proven quite difficult. Fighting has been a daily occurrence. And the back talk, in heavy supply. As you probably saw from my last post... this week has not been much fun around here. However, that is going to change.

That change starts with mama sticking to her guns. I will not bend on this. While I am incredibly sad and disappointed that I will not get to see them play with their team, I know that me bending is not what is best here. They deserve to learn real consequences for their actions and know that when I say something, that is what goes.

So I will sit on the sidelines cheering on Yelm Storm while my children sit on the bench for the entire game. I hope that this teaches them something and that they will be ready to listen and behave next week. I do not plan on them missing out on any more soccer games this season but I will not hesitate to take that away either if their behavior continues down this path.

On a similar note... the three little ones start their games on Thursday and they couldn't be more excited. I am a little worried about being in two places at once but I think I can dig out my supermom cape by then. Lexi and Jacob practice from 6-715 with their coach requesting they arrive early to warm up and the other three practice from 6-630 with a 30 minute game to follow. Luckily the two fields are not far apart. We will see how it goes.

One Week

2011-09-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

It's been one week since my last blog post. Other than wanting to sing the Bare Naked Ladies song, I now feel like I'm introducing myself at an AA meeting. And if I was a weaker person, this week may have driven me to drink... or smoke... or well, let's not think about anything else that could have happened.

I haven't given up who I am but I am finding it hard to be the outside me, while the inside me is screaming in agony. Every once in awhile that dark soul rears her ugly head and she can be found complaining on Facebook. Generally, that is all she needs to be put back in her place but this week has been different.

It seems that one thing after another is making her... making me... crazy. In the grand scheme of things, nothing major has happened. No one has died. We still have a roof over our heads. Money isn't really a problem. The kids are healthy. Our marriage is intact. Still I am finding it hard to handle the petty crap I have to deal with on a day to day basis.

The petty crap that is my children misbehaving. Their behavior has progressively gotten worse as the school year drags on. Our summer was less stressful than this and I am one of the moms that cannot wait for school to be back in session. You can call me selfish, or unfit to be a mom but you won't be saying anything new or nothing I haven't thought at one point or another. My point is, this is who I am. For the most part I enjoy my kids when they are home, but I need that 6hr sanity saver that is school. Besides that, it wouldn't do them any good to stay home anyway. I am not a good teacher. John is way better than I am and he has to work to support the 7 of us (9, if you include the dogs!). It just isn't fair to them or to me which is why they go to school and why one of my favorite times of year is Back2School time!

Anyway, it's just been a hellish week. On top of the kids behaving worse than they have in a long time, we also have the issue with ABF, the moving company we used for our DITY move to Washington. Long story short, they never got the weight tickets that we specifically asked (and paid) for. No weight tickets means we have no paperwork to turn in to transportation. No paperwork to turn in to transportation means our advance needs to be paid back and we won't get the rest of the money we are owed for doing a DITY move. After 6wks of trying to figure this out we get an email from our ABF contact that they will be refunding our money. That sounds reasonable, right? Except for one little tiny factor... what we paid them is not the same amount that we received in our advance from the Army. It's about $1100 short. That means once we get this $5000 back we then have to turn around and pay the Army that money plus the other eleven hundred on top of it. And there goes our Christmas vacation which we had planned with the other $4000 that we are no longer getting from the Army due to the ABF driver's failure to DO HIS JOB!

So yah, my week has been rough. And let us not forget the drama that comes from Facebook. Like I said, petty crap. But in all honesty, it is my petty crap. It sucks, and I don't have to feel bad about feeling crappy over such stupid stuff. It's my own demons and I need to work them out for me and my family. I can't do that if I am constantly on Facebook getting annoyed and irritated by every little thing that doesn't matter. So I deactivated my account for now. I don't know when I will be back but I know I will be back. If you can understand that, I thank you. If you can't, I'm sorry you will still have to deal with it. I just hope to be welcomed back, when outside me comes back.

Fun Photo Friday

2011-09-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

My kids are tres chic! Or so they think! I love posting pics of their outfit choices... most of which are picked out solely on their own with very little influence from mom, or anyone else for that matter.

Here is what we have seen since school started last week:

501!!!!!

2011-09-15T15:06:00.001-07:00

WHOA WHOA WHOA!!! My last blog post was #500!!! Way to go me :)

Usually when someone hits a blogging mile stone they give something away. However, because I am not your usual blogger (cause I suck at keeping up with it) I am asking YOU to give ME something.

Kidding! Well sort of! Leave a comment on this 501st blog post and let me know what your favorite past post of mine is. If you haven't read many... you've got some catching up to do. And if you have read them all, but forget which is your favorite... skim through them and I bet one jumps out at you.

Also, don't forget to check out my other blog listed on the left side over there <--- it's called You're a Poet and Didn't Know It. It's got a whole bunch of cheesy poems on it, and some pretty good ones too. Did you know I recently hit 70 posts over there??? And trust me, there is WAY more crap to post over there that will be sure to have you doubled over from laughter at my patheticness. Just bare in mind that I wrote a lot between the ages of 12 and 15 when I thought my world would end if boyfriend of the week broke up with me.

Anyway, for those that have been here all along, thanks for sticking with me. For the newbies, welcome aboard! And hold on, it's sure to be a bumpy ride :)

*Edited to add that THIS is blog number 500 HAHA! I already wrote tomorrow's blog post which made me think this was 501... ok, back to your regularly scheduled normalness*

Dear Kadie Bug,

2011-09-15T13:08:00.001-07:00

From the moment I found out I was pregnant with you, I hoped and prayed you weren't a boy. I had my hands full enough with one boy and one girl and I knew I couldn't handle two boys back to back. You HAD to be a girl, for my own sanity.

Lexi told me from the get go that you were a girl. She seemed to have a knack for knowing these things. Not too much later, an ultrasound confirmed it. You were in fact a girl. I couldn't have been happier. Yet I occasionally had this overwhelming feeling that you were a boy and that the ultrasound was wrong.

I was scheduled to be induced the morning of Sept 15th. You weren't due until the 29th but daddy was leaving for Georgia and we wanted him to spend some time with you when you were born. On our way to the hospital I had a mini panic attack. I was afraid that you were going to in fact be a boy and we did NOT have any boy names picked out. I think I scribbled down Kyle and Lucas, just in case.

The labor and delivery was pretty uneventful, much like Lexi's and Jacob's. There was no high speed driving to get to the hospital, like with Sara and no mommy yelling at doctors and nurses that the baby was coming, like with Adam. It was pretty normal and we were so excited when you were finally born 12hrs after arriving at the hospital.

Aunt April brought Lexi and Jacob to see you. Jacob instantly fell in love but Lexi was another story. She didn't like you... not one bit! She wanted nothing to do with you, or with me. I don't think she smiled for days. I bet she was just afraid you were gonna be the princess now and she would be forgotten. But that didn't happen. At least, we didn't forget about her.

You, however, are a little princess. Middle child syndrome does not hold you down. You know what you want and you know how to get it. You are a diva. You are a rock star. You are smart, and beautiful, and funny, and a tom boy! You've proven to me that it doesn't matter if you are a boy or a girl you can do it all and you can be it all.

I love you to pieces, Kaydence BreAnne! Don't you ever change! Happy 7th Birthday!

Blogging is an Outlet

2011-09-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

Apparently I haven't had much to let out in this last year. Since the beginning of 2011 I have only posted 13 blogs... 9 of which have been this month.

I think I need to get back to blogging with discipline. It really is a great outlet and it keeps my brain working. The more crap I post, the more good stuff will come out as well. I may not always entertain you with my rambling, I may not always invoke some emotion but I will be doing something that I love.

Ever since I can remember, I have used writing as a way to get things out. I don't necessarily do it for other people, but for myself. It keeps me from going completely insane. Holding everything in just makes me crazy... er, crazier. We all know I'm not the sanest person.

Anyway, I hope you stick around to see what I have to say... and if you don't, that's okay too. I will still come back here and say what I need to say. The good, the bad, the ugly... this will be my outlet.

Retail Therapy

2011-09-13T20:27:00.001-07:00

Today has just been a blah kind of day. I wasn't feeling very well... I didn't want to sit at home but I also didn't want to go do anything. Sara twisted my arm though and made me go to Starbucks.

I ordered a Venti Skinny Caramel Macchiato. Yes, it was a venti kind of day. And she ordered a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (which she didn't like). I also enjoyed a slice of Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake which was heaven on a plate! Mmmm. Sara decided on a Rocky Road Cake Pop but they were out. She was so bummed and it took her like 3 minutes (while others were behind us in line) to pick out something else. She finally decided on the Birthday Cake Pop (the pink one with white dots) and the nice barista gave her two since they were out of the other one. This made her happy!

We left Starbucks and went over to Walmart for some retail therapy. Yelm is so small that Wally World is pretty much our only option for all around shopping. I was on the lookout for a pair of brown boots for Kadie. I knew we had seen some there when I took all the kids shopping with me one day so I decided I would look again. Of course I couldn't find anything in her size. They had 11's and they had 1's but finding 12's or 13's was not happening. I ended up getting her a pair of size 12 black Hello Kitty boots and gave up on the brown boots. I had just bought new boots for Lexi so she was all set and Sara found a super cute pair of pink sparkly Ugg-style boots.

I knew I wanted to look for the boys too, so we walked over to the next aisle. You know there is never a big enough selection of shoes (or clothes or anything else) for boys. However, they did have the cutest brown & camouflage cowboy boots AND they had ONE pair in Adam's size. There wasn't hardly anything for bigger boys, so I went with a pair of tan work boots for Jacob.

As I was walking away I noticed a brown pair of boots sitting on the bench seat where you can sit to try on shoes. They were the exact ones I was wanting to get Kadie but they didn't have her size. Luck would have it that THESE were a size 13! (Lucky 13?!). I'm not usually that lucky. Then we saw some clearance shoes where they had these leopard print slip ons... also in a size 13 for $3. I couldn't pass them up, so I snagged those too!

There went an easy 100 bucks on shoes for the ever growing children. This comes after scouring Ebay for rain boots for the kids and spending about $100 there too. I am thinking my kids are set on boots for awhile... at least I hope so. I, err, the check book can't handle another growth spurt right now. We need to save some money for our movie addiction LoL just kidding... sorta :p

Speaking of that... I spotted the $5 movie bin and had to check it out. I was just talking about wanting to find Dante's Peak and hoping I'd find it in that bin. I have a love/hate relationship with that bin. On one hand, it's great! They put some great older movies in there and sometimes double, and even quadruple, features. And they are cheap dvd's. On the other hand, it sucks! You can't really look through it because it is pretty much overflowing and you seem to pull out the same movie over and over again. And then you find more and more and more you WANT to buy and could easily spend a small fortune in 10 minutes.

I didn't find what I was looking for but I did find a Mask double feature... The Mask and The Son of the Mask for only $5. I also found a Dumb & Dumber double feature... the first movie and the second movie... sweet! Then I let Sara get a movie since she said she didn't like what I picked out. She went with Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. I have never seen it but they love Coraline and Alice in Wonderland and I think they have seen The Nightmare Before Christmas. So I be they will like this one too. Sara seemed pretty excited about it.

I also got some groceries while I was there but still need to get some meat for the next month. I could drive 45 minutes to the nearest Sam's Club or I could see if the local Safeway is having their BOGO meat sale. I guess I could always see if the neighbor is making a trip to Costco any time soon and check that out. I don't know.

What do I know? Tomorrow is payday and I will be getting in some more retail therapy some way, some how. And there will likely be a trip to Starbucks because dammit if it isn't 1/2 a mile from my house.

Another Year, Another September 11th

2011-09-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

I spent the day yesterday doing laundry, watching Grey's Anatomy & NCIS Los Angeles and catching a little bit of football. The kids did their chores and played outside. John made me breakfast, the kids had lunch and then they had dinner at the table while John and I ate in front of the tv.

I thought that yesterday should have been something more. Ten years ago there was a horrific tragedy placed upon our country that anyone old enough to remember, does. I do remember. It does break my heart. But yesterday felt like just another day.

I had hoped to use the 10 yr anniversary as a teaching point for my kids. My oldest is going on 11, so she was a baby when 9-11 happened. My kids have watched World Trade Center (the movie) and we briefly talked about it being based on real events but I am not sure that they know this is the reason why their dad has to go off to war and may be doing so in just a few short months.

While yesterday didn't bring some big emotional wave across our family, I do plan on some time this week sitting down with the kids and talking about it. There was a movie that John recorded for the kids not too long ago about 9-11 so we will probably watch that. And we will also tell them that Daddy might be deploying in December (although it was confirmed, now they are back peddling).

We do remember. We will never forget. There will always be a broken piece of our hearts for those victims of the 9-11 attacks but please don't judge if we live our normal lives for our children. I'd prefer they live in their own little blissful bubble like I try to do. We will tell them what happened and why, but we won't try to scare them. Tragedy is plastered all over the news and the internet that that is all some people can think of. We prefer not to live that way.

God bless the families of the lives lost that Tuesday in September. Remember to kiss your loved ones, tell them you love them and live for today.

On The Wagon

2011-09-10T06:21:00.002-07:00

The weight-loss, workout, 5k bandwagon, that is!

A few weeks ago another military wife posted about a 5k obstacle run coming up in October. It looked like a lot of fun so I bit the bullet and signed up. I have never run any kind of race before and this first one is sure to be a blast with all the obstacles.

In preparation for this run, called Rampage at the RAC, I decided to do a workout called the 100 Workout. It consists of doing 100 jumping jacks, 90 crunches, 80 lunges, 70 leg lifts, 60 jumping jacks, 50 crunches, 40 lunges, 30 leg lifts, 20 jumping jacks and a 10 minute run. It sounds like the perfect overall workout to prepare for the running, the climbing, the crawling and the jumping that is sure to be included during the race.

I knew I would never be able to the workout straight through so I devised my own little plan. I would start with 1/5 of the workout for a week, then 1/4 the following week, then 1/3 and so on. So far it has worked out great! I have even been changing it up a bit and instead of the leg lifts I have been doing bicycle crunches and instead of the final 2 minute run for this first week, I have been doing 10 push ups (the girly kind cause my arms are like jello LoL).

Today was my last day of the first week so starting tomorrow I will be up to 1/4 of the workout. I think I will do bicycle crunches in place of the higher set of leg lifts then keep the leg lifts for the lower set. I will also keep the run at the end because that is really going to help me with the race. I am a terrible runner. I get out of breath so easily so I need to get my stamina up. So in order to get some upper body workout in I think I will throw in 10 push ups after each set of crunches.

I really hope to be able to complete the full 100 workout by Oct 8th (the day of the Rampage). So wish me luck!

Fun Photo Friday

2011-09-09T14:13:00.005-07:00

Friday has always been my day for sharing random photos from my life (or just from the current week) but with Facebook I don't really need to share them in two places. Not sure what I will do from here on out, but for today I will be posting some photos I edited on picnik.com. It's a free site where you can put some pretty cool effects on your photos. I have photoshop on my computer but picnik is so easy and you can save the images back to your computer! Anyway, here are a few that I whipped up yesterday afternoon...

Enjoy!

Adam's 1st Day of Kindergarten

2011-09-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Favorite things to a 5 Year Old

Color: Pink (Jacob's was pink at this age too)

Number: 10 (I'm surprised it wasn't 5 since that's his age)

TV Show: Scooby Doo, Dora, Diego and many more (he cracks me up!)

Movie: Scooby Doo

Song: Red, Gold & Green (aka Karma Chameleon)

Food: Yogurt

Candy: All kinds (of course!)

Toy: Webkinz Reindeer and Froggy

Activity: Cleaning (yes, he really said this)

Superhero: Iron Man

Princess: Mom (awwww!)

Singer: Mommy (I swear I'm not prompting him)

Book: The Shark Book (I think it's just called Sharks)

Animal: Dogs

Drink: It's the best drink in the world, chocolate milk!

Restaurant: The Pizza Place (he doesn't care as long as it's pizza LoL)

Game: That's easy! BATMAN!

Website: That's easy too! Webkinz!

Place to Live: At this house

Place to Visit: That's easy! Wendi... no, Aunt April (I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to!)

He was so excited for his first day of Kindergarten! That also meant he would get to ride the bus. What a big, independent, little man he has turned into. I love this kid to pieces and I am so glad he loves school! I didn't cry, he is my 4th to go off to Kindergarten after all, but I did get a little misty eyed with pride. You go rock that Kindergarten class, Adam Bomb! Mommy loves you!

A Week of Firsts

2011-09-07T09:49:00.002-07:00

I had only planned on writing one blog for today but then I realized there are so many great first time things happening this week.

The kids started a new school year, in a new school. While that isn't the first time they have started in a new school... it was the FIRST day in a new school. They had a great day too! All the kids liked their teachers and they have even started making friends already. I think I may have them all write a blog post from their point of view about their first week of school. It could be interesting.

Tomorrow Adam gets to start his FIRST day as a Kindergartner. He is super excited! He keeps telling me he wants to go to school and ride the bus and I have to keep reminding him that it will happen. He just has to be patient... and we all know how patient 5 year olds can be.

And TONIGHT Lexi, my oldest daughter... my little girl... my baby, gets to attend her FIRST EVER concert! Last year for her birthday she received tickets to see Taylor Swift in May in Iowa (technically Illinois, but whatever) but was unable to go because we had a funeral in Ohio that same day :( She was upset but she understood why she couldn't go. But we still owed her tickets. When we found out we were moving to Washington and that Taylor Swift would be here in Tacoma just a month after we got here, we knew we had to get those tickets. I made sure I was online to get decent seats as soon as I got the pre-sale info and the sale opened up. Unfortunately the ticket hoarders were too quick and there were no seats in any of the sections I wanted so I waited. I kept watching StubHub to see if there were any good seats with decent prices. I was not paying $500 for nosebleeds and would prefer $200 (or less) for two tickets since retail was only $70. It took a while but I eventually found seats in a section I liked for just over $250 total including fees and what not. Not bad for a sold out concert and the lower level closest to the stage! Anyway, she was excited when she found out we got her tickets and cannot wait to go. And I cannot wait to hear all about it!

Next week she gets to attend her second concert after winning Selena Gomez tickets from a Radio Disney event at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup. I get to take her to that one. They aren't exactly great seats but it's at a fairground and the tickets were free so we will take them without complaining. She just wishes she would have won the meet and greet passes too!

So anyway... a week of firsts is upon us. So many first time things that we will look back on one day and wonder where the heck time has gone!

Dear Family & Friends

2011-09-07T09:22:00.001-07:00

As we have settled into our new home near Ft. Lewis, WA, we also settle back into our lives as a real Army family. You may think that we have always been a real Army family and I would be inclined to agree if we hadn't spent the last two years on a cake assignment in the Midwest no where near a major installation.

Being at Rock Island Arsenal, IL was like being on a 24 month vacation. We had daddy and husband at our beck and call. He was able to coach soccer, be home for school functions, go into work late so I could go to appointments and take long weekends to Ohio on a whim. It was nice and I was spoiled. Now back to reality.

He now has regular p.t. in the mornings and we will be lucky to have him home in time for dinner. He has already left us for a week and a half for training and I was a mess. Not to mention the late nights of meeting flights this week putting him at work between the hours of 9pm and 3am. I was so not prepared for any of this. I think I lost my supermom cape in the move... or it was revoked! I don't know. But I definitely need it back.

We learned last Friday that the 3rd Stryker Brigade would be deploying in December for 12 months. Not all of it, but most of it. One unit would be deploying later than the rest but be back before them due to the new 9 month deployments starting in January but that's not John's unit. Another unit is staying behind altogether... also not John's unit. However, not all of his unit would be deploying. We had anticipated the deployment due to rumors but we were hopeful that he would get to avoid a third deployment but no such luck. Before Christmas, our hero will be deployed to Afghanistan.

It wasn't easy news to swallow. Especially since we have a Christmas vacation planned. We were supposed to go as a family to Southern California but this deployment has changed that. The kids and I will still go and my sister is meeting us there but we still wish daddy could go. It won't be the same without him and we will definitely miss him.

I had already been contemplating a Thanksgiving vacation. I was trying to work out the details for flying to D.C. with the kids for a long weekend while one of my friends is in the area. After receiving the confirmation of deployment I began to rethink that idea. A better idea would be go home to Ohio to visit family before John goes overseas again. However, neither vacation is proving to be affordable. Flying 7 people across the country is costly. Add in a rental car because no one has a 7-8 passenger vehicle to loan us plus food and we are talking easily $4000 for a 5 day vacation.

This lead me to an even better idea. We just moved to a new house that many people are interested in coming to see. After all, it is a beautiful house in a beautiful state. So I extend to you, a Thanksgiving invitation. If you would like to visit with us before John ships out then you are more than welcome. Or if you have an extra $4000 lying around, that would work too :)

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-09-06T19:44:00.003-07:00

Today marked 103 days since my kids' last day of school. 103 days of my kids home 24/7. 103 days of which flew by in a blur yet dragged on like a lecture about well, any lecture.

Finally school is back in session. There is structure again. There is a bed time. There is a wake up time. There is breakfast before 10am and the door isn't constantly being left open with the kids running in and out all day. I could not wait for this day to come.

Yes, it makes me sound like a terrible mom when half the other moms out there are weeping over their babies starting Kindergarten and their oldest going off to Jr. High and their fun summers coming to an end. Don't get me wrong, we had a fun summer and watching my children grow up in the blink of an eye causes me to have minor panic attacks but I was soooo ready to have them out of the house 6hrs a day.

Three out of five kids started the 2011-2012 school year today. One more starts on Thursday. Unfortunately for Sara she will not be starting until next fall. We decided it would be best to save the money on preschool and keep her home with mommy. And in case that makes me seem selfish... it gets worse! I really wasn't prepared to be alone 6hrs out of the day. What the hell would I do with myself? With my time? Yikes!

Anyway, today started out pretty good. Kadie was up at the butt crack of dawn and watched the sun come up while I worked out and made lunches. Lexi and Jacob were up just after 7 and the other two were up shortly after that. The bus was a few minutes late but no major issues this morning.

Sara, Adam & I then took a morning trip to Starbucks to celebrate the kids' first day of school. That was the one thing Sara had been looking forward to since we told her she would be staying home with me instead of going to school this fall. The little booger didn't even finish her hot chocolate LoL

Then we headed to the school for Adam's Kindergarten testing. Many of the teachers thought Sara was there for testing as well and were surprised that she wasn't. Adam went back with one of the teachers and Sara sat listening to some Dr. Seuss books. When Adam was finished I asked if he was ready to go and didn't notice that Sara went missing. It took me a minute but I realized that she was trying to sneak into Kindergarten. She had gone back with another teacher to do some activities (aka the testing). Everyone thought it was hilarious and said she would definitely be ready next year.

Next on our agenda was shopping at Walmart and a haircut for Adam. I let the babies get some lunchables for lunch and they picked out the healthier version with pineapples and a fruit strip instead of cookies and candy. I also got them playdoh to play with after lunch which I NEVER do. I hate playdoh. They always make a big mess with it and mix all the colors together. They did well with it though. Adam then got his haircut and impressed me with his patience like always. He has always been good while getting his haircut, ever since he was a baby. Sara begged for her haircut too. Too bad I wasn't paying $12 for her to get her bangs cut so we compromised and she agreed that I could cut her bangs later.

After that we came home, had our lunch, played with our playdoh and took a nap. Mommy needed it. It didn't last long though because I got a call from the school saying we could come in today to meet with Adam's teacher. That was quick! We weren't supposed to know until later and go in tomorrow. He was excited though, and we were ready to get that part of the process done. His teacher was really nice and really impressed with what he knew already. And I really liked her too so that's a plus.

We unpacked his school supplies and then came home for a snack. The kids would be home in an hour and I had hardly gotten to sit down all day so I took some time to sit down at the computer and get a little Facebook in. I uploaded the pics from open house and this morning so all our friends and family could feel a little bit a part of the kids' new school year.

I finished that up and realized the kids were going to be home any minute. I grabbed my camera and went to sit outside with Sara. At 420pm (5 minutes after the bus was supposed to drop them off) the neighbor said she just got a call saying the buses had not arrived at the school yet. I came in to check my phone and listened to the message. As of 409pm the buses were not at the school and the kids were expected to be 15-25 minutes late getting home. They finally made it around 435pm and were none too happy about getting home so late.

If I thought my day had been hectic already, it just got worse. My house now sounded like a mental institute. There was screaming, there was fighting, there was crying, there was whining and I may have been rocking in the corner sucking my thumb, but that cannot be confirmed. I had one child that was overly tired. I had two children complaining about the new chore chart. And the other two were running around the house as if they lacked attention today. They were ALL starving. I couldn't think straight and dinner was in the process. There wasn't much time to get dinner done, get the kids fed and ready and off to soccer by 6pm.

We made it to soccer on time but not without more screaming and crying. Jacob couldn't find his socks. Sara set my car alarm off. Adam tried "killing" Jacob with the car door. I was feeling my energy coming to a screeching halt. It was not pretty. But I dropped Thing 1 and Thing 2 off at the practice field and used the last $5 on my Starbucks card to calm my nerves. I came home and shortly after daddy came home. He said he would get the older two from soccer so I could stop going a mile a minute and that made my stress level drop about 1000 degrees.

So while I love that my kids are out of my hair in a structured environment, in a place they actually like to be and I wait in high anticipation of this time of year... it sucks on days like today where I am on the go for the majority of the day. I suppose that means I have a love/hate relationship with the school year.

Jr High is Forever

2011-09-05T10:36:00.007-07:00

This weekend I had the opportunity to fly cross country. The sole purpose of this trip was to reunite with some of the best friends I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Some of them I haven't seen in five years, some even longer. However, if you were a fly on the wall this weekend you would never have known that.

These were my best friends from Jr.High. We did everything together. We hung out at the mall. We left each other notes in their lockers. We skipped class to hide out in the bathroom or to make pancakes. We had parties. We made silly videos. We laughed. We loved. We cried. We broke up. We kept in touch. We lost touch. And we always came back together as if nothing had changed.

The reminiscing was not in short supply. Megan rambled off her memories that we agreed she needs to put in print so the rest of us can try and remember. The girl doesn't forget a thing and she never lets you forget it either. We discussed the difference between the Billy's which I embarrassingly couldn't figure out. But I think I got it now... Billy O. = Jr. High, Billy M. = High School... Check! We recalled embarrassing moments that do not bare repeating and we joked about what could have been.

The memorable quotes were a plenty but I will just share my faves. The will be out of context, but they were funny or cute or just us. You may not get them but it's okay, we do!

"Is she pregnant?!" "It would appear so!" "ARE YOU PREGNANT?!"

"Every one's wife hates me." {cough, cough} "I mean, my wife doesn't hate you."

"I'm not drunk. STOP LAUGHING AT ME!"

{Listening to old school music on our phones} "I was thinking more like this..." {plays So In Love by All 4 One}

"I've never seen her drunk. She's always been pregnant. Except for 8th grade."

Oh, it was such a fun weekend. I will never forget it... and if I do, I will know who to ask for details ;)

My best friends that I left behind when we moved from Massachusetts to Ohio 16 years ago never let our friendship die. We may have drifted apart over the years but we always found our way back to each other. We found our way through life as individuals but could never live without the memories we created. And that is always the best part of my visits.

Thank you for helping to make me who I am today. Thank you for loving me after all these years. Thank you for being you. I love you to pieces!

Look at Ryan big pimpin' with all those hotties! Poor Toby Keith getting no lovin' ;)

10 States, 10 Days

2011-08-24T20:39:00.006-07:00

Reading a couple posts back I saw that I said we would not be taking another vacation for a couple of years, but I lied. Well, sorta.

This summer my husband received orders from Rock Island Arsenal, IL to Fort Lewis, WA. We decided we would take about 30 days in between duty stations. We would start by heading east to Ohio and staying roughly 3 weeks before heading west. The plan was to then stop back in Davenport, IA to visit some friends for a night but having to push our plans back by a day threw us off.

The day before we were leaving Ohio for Iowa, the van decided to blow a tire. John was driving with 4 of the kids and luckily they were driving slow enough that he didn't lose control of the vehicle. It put a kink in our plans but knowing everyone was okay was really all that mattered. Thankfully we had the insurance on the tires meaning we wouldn't have to shell over hundreds of dollars to replace it but it did mean we had to wait another day before leaving.

When we finally headed back towards Iowa, we only had a couple hours to spend with our friends. I dropped Lexi off at our old neighbors house so she could hang out with her friends one last time and the rest of us headed to Kristina's (one of my best friends). Unfortunately, she was working but Trista (my other BFF) was there with her kids. It was nice just hanging out again and surprisingly no one cried this time. Lexi did have a minor meltdown over the phone when I told her it was time to leave but she was fine by the time I picked her up. We had Chick Fil A one last time while we waited for daddy to finish up some work things and then we got back on the road.

From Iowa we drove 7hrs to Brandon, SD to spend a few fun days with a great friend we had never met in real life. Kama is one of those friends I met 6yrs ago on an internet forum, along with Tracy (the girl I met in Chicago) and many other wonderful mamas. Some I have met IRL and others I can only hope to meet some day. Kama's boys and my kids got along fabulously, as did our dogs. My kids loved Kama, her dogs loved us. Kadie & Brady fell in "love" and all the kids were said when we had to leave. But we had a fabulous time hanging out playing video games, going to the pool, the drive in and the ice cream shop. It was a nice relaxing time and Kama was a fantabulous hostess. She had everything all ready for us when we got there, she made us dinners and she was great to chat with. I can't wait to get back that way... or for her to come visit me {wink, wink}.

Our next stop would be at Mt Rushmore. The kids were really looking forward to this and I actually was surprised at how excited they really were to see a big rock. It wasn't something that I thought would really interest them but it did. They loved seeing the faces, taking pictures and walking the Presidential trail. They were able to climb rocks and just be kids in one of the most beautiful places in the country. We spent a fortune on lunch and souvenirs at the monument but it was all money well spent. We did some other touristy things in the area like visiting the National Presidential Wax Museum where my kids were exceptionally quiet and respectful and we also played mini golf on an extremely challenging course. The kids really wanted to ride the tram up to the mountain but by the time we got over there they were closed. We had dinner at a local pizza joint and did one of those old fashioned photos. It was a great 3 days for everyone and my stress level was pretty low if I remember correctly.

The next part of our trip would be the longest leg. We were driving from Mt Rushmore to St. Regis, MT. There really wasn't much in Montana besides hills, windmills and a 75mph speed limit but wow was it beautiful. We took I-90 most of the way which actually took us through Wyoming before actually getting into Montana which had the kids and I debating geography. They loved all the mountains and the hills and we got some pretty cool pics on our drive. The drive was uneventful but fun to watch John play catch up in my rear view mirror as I had my cruise set at 80 and he was busy downshifting.

We did run into one minor snafu in terms of a severe thunderstorm. We could see that it was going to start raining but had no idea it would get that bad. We had just got back on the road after a stop at Wall Drug which is apparently a major attraction in Wall, SD when we could see lightning up ahead. We weren't too far into our drive when the wind kicked up and my van was being blown all over the road. I was having trouble seeing through the rain and windshield wipers and decided to pull over into a gas station. I parked the van and the wind just rocked it back and forth making me really nervous. Right behind the gas station though was a military museum that said, "Yes We Are Open" on their big flashy sign so we drove over and parked in front of it with the intention of riding out the storm within those 4 walls. Lucky for us though, the sign on the door said "Sorry We Are Closed" so that plan was shot. We sat in the parking lot with John in his Jeep to our right and an RV on our left. Rain spattered the windows, pebble sized hail pelted the roof and the wind shook us like crazy. I was getting extremely nervous and hoping with all my might not to get stuck in a freak tornado in the middle of nowhere. I HATE, HATE, HATE storms and to be stuck there in the middle of one took all my effort not to flip out. It didn't last as long as it felt and when it was mostly over we went on our way.

Anyway, Montana was a pleasant drive aside from the kids getting annoyed that we had been in the car for 8 days already. We were all getting worn out and I was ready to not have to drive anymore. We pushed on for those last few hundred miles and made it to our hotel in St. Regis, might as well be Washington, MT. It was pretty much the only hotel on our route and luckily they allowed pets for a $10 fee. We only booked one room and I was afraid the lady would notice we had more than 5 people (plus a horse for a dog) so I made John wait outside with the boys while me and the girls went in first. They followed shortly after and the lady at the counter, wasn't at the counter anymore so we were good. The next morning I walked Buckeye outside and down the hall I hear a guy say, "That's not a dog. That's a horse." And then a little boy in the lobby, maybe 4yrs old, says, "Mom," in a disgusted tone, "dogs should NOT be allowed in the hotel." Sorry kid, they are. I paid for the hotel, I paid the pet fee and nothing you can do about it {neener, neener, neener}. We stopped at the gas station to fill the tanks, fill my washer fluid and to fill my tummy. I don't remember what I got but I know the kids were jealous :p

We stopped again shortly after entering Washington. The kids had to pee already and I figured I would feed them lunch since we were stopping at a McDonald's. Hands down the NICEST McDonald's ever. It was chic, and clean. Had it not been for the menu, the silly hats and the menu board you wouldn't even know it was a Mickey D's. However, the decor made up for the crappy service. Not impressed, at all. Oh well, we won't be going back there again anytime soon.

Traffic instantly picked up after that. It was a nice change from the empty roads through the mountains. It was a nice introduction to what we will have to deal with the next few years living an hour from Seattle. It was nice to know that people did in fact exist in the west. And it was exciting to know that we were ALMOST THERE! Our new home was just a few hours away.

I got in contact with our landlord's liaison so that we could get into our NEW home. Our timing was impeccable considering had we been just an hour behind we would not have been able to get in our house for hours or possibly til the next day. That would have been oddly similar to the last time we were getting a new house and I would not have been happy. So even though we weren't going to have any of our household goods until the following day, I was just ready to be in our own house and get on with this phase of our lives. Ready to be done driving.

10 states in 10 days... while it was necessary, we still made it into a family vacation. The second family vacation of the year. And once again, I lied because not only had we taken another vacation since Chicago, but we are in the process of planning our third family vacation this year. This time it will be to Southern California for Christmas. As much as I dread these vacations due to stress and fear of my children misbehaving and embarrassing me, I never regret them. I know my kids will treasure these moments when they are adults and have their own children.

The Dreaded Becomes the Memorable

2011-04-01T16:41:00.005-07:00

I had myself so entirely worked up for something bad to happen during our vacation and believe me, it didn't start off so great. We left home later than usual, which is normal but then that damn curb jumped out at the husband while we were driving. Luckily it only gave me a mild heart attack and a good laugh but it was a bad omen. Then we stopped to get gas. Hubby left the radio on while he pumped and when he got back in the damn thing wouldn't start. Yes, we knew we needed a new battery but damn, I didn't realize it was that bad. The battery was running for not even 5 minutes and it died. The people behind us were really nice and jumped it for us and we were on our way out of town. Thankfully our bad luck ended there. We started our vacation off at John's aunt & uncle's house where the kids were awakened by goodies left by the "Easter Bunny" aka Uncle Rick. I think daddy enjoyed that surprise the most since it was mostly Cadbury Creme Eggs... his FAVORITE! Uncle Rick also made a yummy breakfast of french toast, bacon and sausage. What a great bed and breakfast :) On Monday we met with Tracy and her boys. I met Tracy through BabyCenter almost 6yrs ago and she is a part of a group of us girls that talk daily. This was the first time we met face to face and she is a great girl (just like all the others I have met from there). Her boys fit right in with my heathens and we had a good time together. No one embarrassed me at Legoland and we had a great day. It did end up with me getting a migraine but the hubby got me some meds and I slept good. Tuesday we headed into Chicago and the traffic in was alright. No heart attacks for me but I can't say the same for John. He does all the driving, especially in big cities cause I would freak! However, we made it to The Field Museum unscathed. The kids had a pretty good time, I think, but I was stressed. It must have been the museum atmosphere that drove me batty. I was on edge most of the day and the kids were worn out by the time we left. Wednesday was our last day and we headed back into the city to visit the Shedd Aquarium. Traffic was about the same going in but on the way back... GAH! We almost got squished by a big truck when two lanes went into one with NO warning. We were literally driving between cars. The day was good otherwise. The kids really enjoyed the shows we saw and all the fishies. I was much more relaxed than at the Field Museum but still on edge with all the people there. My kids did manage to embarrass me first thing in the morning when Lexi and Jacob started fighting and she shoved him to the ground but after separating them (and getting a few head shakes from other parents), all was well. We spent an insane amount of money on eating out and getting souvenirs but everyone had a great time. I am not looking forward to the next one but will revel in the fact that it won't be for a few more years. Maybe they will be a bit better behaved and we can fore go the "leashes" or we just use them for Lexi and Jacob instead of Adam and Sara. Our vacation might go off without a hitch if we go that route ;)

Family Vacation

2011-03-27T09:49:00.003-07:00

We are getting ready to take the first real family vacation in a long while. The last time we took a vacation together was 2yrs ago when we went to Disney World over Valentine's Day weekend. While it was fun, it was stressful. Adam & Sara kept running off in opposite directions, Lexi had a full on meltdown while watching a live High School Musical show (still have no idea what the problem was) and Jacob and Kadie were just, well, Jacob and Kadie. You would think now that they are older that I would be looking forward to this and it wouldn't be as bad but I am still nervous. I am already anticipating the whining, the fighting, the overreacting by mom & dad and the feelings of embarrassment that I am sure to encounter. I am already stressing about forgetting something and the kids have been asking every hour what time we are leaving even though I have said it a million times already. These trips are supposed to be fun. The kids are supposed to have a good time and laugh and be carefree. I am supposed to smile as I watch my kids play with legos and ride rides at Legoland, learn about dinosaurs at the Field Museum and as they watch an assortment of fish at the Shedd Aquarium. But that isn't me. I am constantly on my toes waiting for one of my kids to lag behind as the rest of us are moving along or to try and climb up on something while all the other parents around are shaking their heads at my terrible parenting. I just want to enjoy myself but I am so afraid of being judged by the "perfect" parents that I keep myself on edge. Maybe my kids will surprise me and actually listen and not make me want to rip my hair out. However, I will not hold my breath. I won't set my expectations too high and if by chance I still have hair left when we get home I will consider that a good vacation.

No Good at Anything

2011-03-25T11:23:00.003-07:00

That's right... I am admitting I have a problem. A problem with committment. I may still be with my husband after 10 long, crazy, emotional, amazing years... but I still have a problem keeping up with anything. I did a 30 day photo challenge... missing a day somehow, I start diets and exercise programs all the time but before long they are non-existant, I become the perfect housewife for a day or two then I am back to my lazy self (you know, as lazy as a person with 5 kids can be) and I love working outside of the home for a short period of time but after awhile I am done. I must say though, I didn't quit this time (for a change).

I may have said this before, but sometimes I just need to pour on the self pity to get myself out of a rut I am in. I hate when people worry about me. I hate when people try to cheer me up when I am in a bad mood. I hate being told to calm down or smile or unwind when all I want to do is scream at the top of my lungs. Some days I am in such a bad place that the littlest things set me off. Everything and everyone annoys me. I am afraid on those days that I will say things that I don't mean... or worse, that I do mean. And I know you all know what I mean by that.

Today is just one those days where everything is okay but nothing feels right. I feel like the worst mom for yelling at her kids on their way out the door to school. I feel like a terrible wife for not wanting to kiss her husband because that is how bad my mood is but doing so out of obligation. I feel like a crappy friend for not wanting to talk or hang out or really do anything that involves people. I feel like everyone and everything in my life is suffering because every other day I am in a foul mood that is unexplainable.

I don't have a problem or feel bad when I am all pissy for a reason. Had I not slept all night or I was fighting with my husband or everything was going wrong, then I wouldn't feel like dirty dishwater. And to top it off, I'm not even sure what the means.

Maybe I am just stressed out because of the move. We finally found out we are moving to Washington State this summer and it is going to be a big move. But that's a subject for a future post. So while I am no good at keeping up with this blog, I do have plans to get back to it. I hope everyone can bear with me as I continue on this rollercoaster ride of a life I am living. And I hope at least some of you are glad to have me back :)

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T18:45:00.004-08:00

Days like today seems to bring out all the patriots we have among us. Those people that respect the military and their families and all that they do for this great nation. There are discounts at restaurants (some even give away free meals) and there are church services and flag ceremonies and an outpouring of gratitude shown to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces.

My husband is one of those brave men. He puts on his combat boots and goes to work every day in honor of the freedoms that were bestowed upon us by the great leaders of yester years. He protects the freedoms we take for granted when he is called to do so. He may not be fighting a war today, tomorrow or any other day but he is still willing to stand there on the front lines for you and everyone else in this country as needed.

There is a saying in the Army that I think reflects what it means to be a soldier, a veteran. "There is strong. Then there is Army strong." You can be strong but that does not make you Army strong. I think this can be applied to anyone in the Armed Forces. These men and women face challenges that the rest of us hope to never have to face. They fight the battles on enemy land rather than putting us in harm's way. They leave their families for weeks on end to train for such instances, and then for months at a time to fight for our freedoms. Sometimes they even pay the ultimate sacrifice... their life. They do this for you... for all of us. There is no I in team, there is no I in Army and there is no I in Freedom.

So today and all days we say thanks to our military for laying their lives on the line in the name of freedom. We are the land of the free because of the brave. Remember...

30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge

2010-11-09T16:04:00.002-08:00

Facebook is a source of many things... and this month for me, it is a source of accountability.

I saw quite a few people doing a 30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge for the month of November and embraced the idea. I have been very good about keeping up with it and I know it is because of the people I have on facebook.

Now I don't know if they really want to know what I am thankful for but knowing there are people out there reading my status updates makes me keep up with it. Quite the opposite from this blog. I mean, I know there are people that were reading it but I didn't feel like I was held accountable enough, I guess. No excuse, really, because I should hold myself accountable. Anyway, I digress.

The point of the blog, really, was to tell you of this challenge and challenge YOU to join in... either on facebook, your blog or twitter... or just write it in a journal for reflection at the end of the month. It may be hard but you will be grateful for the daily reminder of all the little things to be thankful for.

Remember Me?

2010-11-06T09:40:00.004-07:00

Yah, probably not! So here is a quick intro...

My name is Brianna but most people call me Bri. In fact, it is easier to introduce myself as Bri because half the time I cannot say my own name right. Everyone always asks, "Is it Bri-Ah-Na or Bri-Anne-Uh?" So guess what, it's neither. It's Bri (actually it's Bri-Ah-Na, but I think you get my point).

I have 5 kids. Yup, you read that right. FIVE! I know I am by far not the only mom out there with lots of kids and 5 doesn't seem like a lot anymore when so many people have 3 and 4 kids nowadays. I know moms with 6, 7, 8 and more kids. It is more common now than in past years where 2 kids was the norm and if you had one of each (a girl and a boy) then you were expected to be done since you now had the "perfect" combination. Well, I will tell you... I had a girl, then a boy so I was supposed to be done, right?! HA! I then had another girl, then another boy... done again, right?! NOT! Then came #5, my baby girl. Girl, boy, girl, boy, girl and no plans for another to even it out especially since our luck it would be another girl.

Besides that, we are evened out already. We have a male dog to round things out. His name is Buckeye. Yes we are Ohio State fans... yes we are from Ohio... and yes we HATE Michigan (but still love all our friends and family that chose the wrong path). Anyway, Buckeye is a great dog. A german shepherd/rottweiler mixed beast but the biggest baby you will ever meet. He wishes he could be a lap dog and he loves people, especially my husband.

Speaking of that man of mine... he is my Sugar Daddy. HA! He makes all the money by playing a soldier by day and by night he is a soccer coach and scout master. He is a better man than I ever deserved and his kids are lucky that he is their daddy.

It's a great little family we have here in Iowa. Our home for now since that is where the Army sent us. Next year we will be elsewhere but that destination has yet to be determined. Our ideal location would be Ft Campbell, KY which puts us 8hrs from our hometown of Toledo, Ohio, 8hrs from our besties here in Iowa and 8hrs from our besties in Savannah, GA. We like to stay close to our family and friends while the kids are young. It helps so much, especially when daddy has to go overseas.

Anyway, that is us in a nutshell... the nutty Buckeyes we are. Hope you stick around to see the craziness we get into and I promise to make no promises of being a good blogger. After all, I never finish anything I...

Lisa Leonard Giveaway

2010-08-21T09:26:00.003-07:00

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lisa Leonard!

Second, how great is it to celebrate with a fantastic giveaway?! Not only is she giving away $100 to shop her line of products but also $100 to Target as well.

http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/2010/08/19/birthday-giveaway/

So go, enter and maybe you could win. You don't even have to share your winnings with me :)

Haunted

2010-07-22T08:52:00.002-07:00

Ever since I turned 18 and moved out of my parents' house, I have felt haunted. Actually, it was even before that.

When I was in junior high I had a couple of incidents with hauntings. My horror movie loving best friend was always around when these things occurred, so I blame her. She once showed me the ashes of her dog and as she was putting them away I felt something brush across my leg. It was fast, too. I remember turning around to see what it was and nothing was there. The cat wasn't around, the dog wasn't around and the iguana wasn't around. Of course, it couldn't have been the iguana because it was way too fast so there was only one solution... GHOST DOG! Another time, with that same friend, we saw a ghost floating down the street. It could have been a plastic bag but it wasn't windy and it disappeared just after passing the house (if I am remembering correctly). Needless to say, it was a little bit freaky.

Anyway, when I lived on my own for the first time I had a haunting experience. Nothing scary, and nothing blatantly ghostly but it was still weird. I had recently lost a child and I had just set her memory cabinet up in my new room just the way I had wanted it. I left my room for some time and when I went back, the baby blanket was spread out over my dresser instead of folded up nicely over the top of the curio cabinet. My roommates swear they were not in my room and I believe them. Why would they mess with something like that anyway?!

The next time I remember having an out of this world experience was after I had bought a touch lamp from Goodwill. It was a gorgeous lamp and I couldn't pass it up for only $2.50. I swear I brought home a spirit with it though. I would be sleeping and the lamp would turn on all by itself waking me up. Sometimes I would just be sitting there reading and the light would cycle through the settings before stopping back where I had it. I am no electrician, so I suppose it could have been a wiring issue or even a static issue but I am not convinced. I was sad to part with it when we moved but I also didn't want to take any spirits with us either.

When I was younger, I had liked the Child's Play movies but then I realized that they were NOT funny anymore when they came out with My Buddy and it looked too much like Chucky for my tastes. My siblings and cousins thought it would be funny to hang the doll from the top bunk one morning while I was sleeping and it scared the living daylights out of me. This fear of mine would come back to haunt me years later.

As I was sleeping in bed next to my husband with all three kids in my room I heard a strange noise coming from the other side of the house. I sat up and listened intently. It was one of the kids' dolls TALKING! I immediately woke my husband up and sent him to get the demon toy. He asked what to do with it and I told him it was going in the garbage... it was not staying in my house. Thankfully the next day was garbage day!

I don't recall having many (if any) haunting experiences while living in Georgia which seems pretty strange considering all the haunted tours that you can take there. It wasn't until we moved to Iowa that I started feeling haunted again. This time it is just random noises. My upstairs floor creaks when no one is up there and my bedroom ceiling fan makes noises in a rhythmic fashion as if someone were playing music. My husband thinks I am crazy but I swear I am not (at least not THAT crazy).

What Was That?

2010-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

As a mom, most times we understand what our kids are saying but there are still times where we hear ourselves saying "WHAT?!" over and over again and still not realizing what the kids are saying. And then suddenly we understand and it is hilarious.

Adam, my 4 year old, for some reason cannot say oatmeal. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. it comes out as meatloaf. We have had meatloaf before and he knows what it is so for him to call oatmeal, meatloaf is just plain hilarious. Now, if I tell him to say "oatmeal" he will say it right but he calls it meatloaf so often that when the kids tell him to say oatmeal, he says meatloaf just to make them laugh.

Sara, my 3 year old, is even funnier. She actually talks better than Adam does and can pronounce stuff with a little coaching but the things she says just throw me for a loop all the time. She cannot say bubblegum... so it comes out as "buggledum" and it is too cute to correct. Remember the "bubblegum, bubblegum" song we would sing to figure out who was "it" yah, well, my kids do that all the time and you can just imagine how cute it sounds to hear, "Buggledum, buggledum, in a dish" coming from Miss Sara Bear.

This girl is also known for funny statements she comes up with. Just yesterday she told me that she could not wait to be "Big Sara" so she could have a baby and have big boobs like me. SHE. IS. THREE. This one scares me HAHAHA. And then as we were lying in bed, she noticed I had a little underarm stubble and says, "You not have that, that for dads." For being just three, this girl knows her do's and dont's. She just cracks me up.

All of my kids have had an issue with saying cookie... or anything that starts with K or a hard C. It always comes out as a T sound. This is normal! That hard C and K sound are just hard to get. The sound comes from the back of your mouth instead of the front so it is difficult to imitate. Ever since I can remember my in-laws and husband have tried correcting my kids and this is the first time it has made me laugh. Sara was trying to say "cookie" and it was coming out as "tookie." My husband and his parents were coaching her, telling her it was "cuh-cookie" and she could say it correctly. That would be fine and dandy if every time we walked into a store she didn't start shouting, "I want some cuh-cookies" over, and over, and over. She doesn't just say "cookies", it is "cuh-cookies" and it drives me a little batty LoL

I am sure there are more funnies coming from my kids but my poor mommy-brain will not let me recall anymore at the moment. What are some funny things/pronunciations your kids say?

Decisions of an Army Wife

2010-07-20T14:21:00.003-07:00

Being an Army wife is tough work but making decisions as an Army wife is even tougher. Most times we don't have much of a say. When we do, though, it is important to consider everything. All the pros, all the cons, all the negatives and the positives... Sometimes thinking about what others might think or say make those decisions even harder.

Our first PCS we were given a list of possible duty stations and were allowed to choose where we wanted to go. John left it up to me after narrowing it down to two. He wanted Ft. Carson, Colorado and he knew I did not. The other option was Ft. Stewart, Georgia... and if you know me, you know where I picked. Not sure why he let me choose, but I took the opportunity and ran with it. We spent almost four years down south.

This last PCS was much like the first. We were, again, given a list of possible duty stations and the choice was ours. We didn't have nearly as much time to discuss it as we had the first go around and this time we had about 5 options (a 6th option was Ft. Carson but they were deploying soon and that was not an option we were looking for).

Option 1: Ft. Huachuca, Arizona
Option 2: Indianapolis, Indiana (Recruiter Duty)
Option 3: Hawaii (Schoffield Barracks)
Option 4: Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois (Non-Deployable)
Option 5: Ft. Jackson, South Carolina

It was quite easy to narrow it down. There was no way I was moving to Arizona. I do not think I could handle the heat. Ft. Jackson was still in the south and I wanted out... plus, John didn't care much for the area and I didn't care much for the schools. John didn't really want recruiter duty so that left us with island duty Hawaii or a midwest tour.

Hawaii was a great opportunity. How often would that option come up, right? But I wasn't sure. I researched both areas and came up with a clear answer to my pressing dilemma. Hawaii was not right for us. Everyone thought I was nuts. Who in their right mind turns down Hawaii??? Well, I don't ever claim to be in my right mind, but my left mind knew better.

Yah, Hawaii sounds cool and EVERYONE would have come to visit us there {insert eye roll} but think about it. Be realistic and really think about it. Would YOU want to take 5 small children to Hawaii? To me, that did not sound like fun. Add that on top of the many other reasons for NOT going to Hawaii. The schools were not good enough for our standards, the cost of living is outrageous (our BAH wouldn't even cover a decent place for us to live) and our dog would have been quarantined. Also, the Army would only ship one of our vehicles, we would never be able to afford to come home for Christmas and even though everyone says they would visit, I don't want to only be visited because I live in Hawaii.

So while Hawaii sounds like the perfect place to be stationed on the Army's dime... it was not the place for our family. Those are the kinds of decisions and sacrifices Army wives have to make all the time. We have to think of our family, our children, our pets, our every day lives and make tough decisions based on those factors. It isn't just cut and dry. Hawaii may not ever come up again but that is ok because I know that I made the right decision... no matter how crazy it seems or how difficult it was.

And yes, the hubby let me have the choice again... and if we get a choice next year, I bet he puts the weight on my shoulders. Unless of course he gets the option to PCS to Ft. Carson because then he will gladly take it. Third times a charm, right?

Movie Review Monday

2010-07-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the urge to watch the Jaws movies so I scoured Netflix for them. I was in luck! They had all 4 of the movies. Did you know there was four?! And not only did they have them available... they had them available to watch instantly.

I watched the first one from my computer while I was in Ohio. The second I waited and watched at home via Netflix Wii with the kids and much to my surprise, they loved it. Next was either Jaws 3 or Jaws: The Revenge. I couldn't remember which I had seen and it turned out it was Jaws: The Revenge, so we went with that one first. I had heard that Jaws 3 was one of the most terrible movies of all time so I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to watch it or not. Yesterday, though, I broke down and watched it.

Jaws 3 was originally made to be in 3-D. I am guessing it just isn't the same without those special effects. The floating arm, the severed fish head and the exploding guts probably looked so much cooler popping out of the screen in your face. The plot of this third installment of the Jaws franchise was set in an Orlando theme park. Michael Brody was an employee of Sea World and his little brother Sean came down for a visit. All grown up now, the two brothers must face yet another shark attack when a baby shark is captured and mama shark is none too happy. The effects are terrible, there are so many parts that could not/would not happen, and the shark was as fake as it gets. Of the four movies, I would say this is the worst. That being said, it does not make the series any less appealing. Shark movies are all about the gore and the unrealistic plot, IMO. No one wants to think that these shark attacks would actually happen, so the more fiction the better. We know sharks are not vengeful and don't come back time and time again but still we watch because Jaws is just an epic movie. Gotta love the Brody family!

If you like Jaws and haven't seen this one, give it a try. It is very laughable but still another shark notch in the Brody boys' belts. Can't just skip over it.

Six Word Saturday

2010-07-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

***Swimming without kids... oh sooooo nice***

Fun Photo Friday

2010-07-16T11:51:00.002-07:00

Cheater, Cheater

2010-07-15T11:41:00.001-07:00

Once a cheater, always a cheater... that is what they say, isn't it? Well... it's true. I am a cheater and there isn't anything anyone can do about that.

I am quick, smooth and fly under the radar. No one suspects a thing. I seem like such a devoted person and you do not deserve to be lied to. What is there to say? I am not sorry... and it is probably gonna happen again.

And now that I have your attention... today's post will actually have been typed out a day late and then backdated. Such a cheater, I am.

Remember

2010-07-14T07:43:00.002-07:00

Why is it so hard for me to remember things? I am not talking your usual forgetfulness like "Did I close the garage before I left?" NO! I am talking about my kids' names! Which child is missing! MY WHOLE LIFE! My memories are few and far between and it is very frustrating.

My dr says there is nothing wrong with me but I am not convinced that this is just your old run of the mill mommy brain. Who goes through all the kids' names and sometimes the dog's before getting the right one?! I mean, yah eventually I will get it but should it take that long? I also don't remember conversations I have had, things that I have said just seconds before. It is annoying to say the least.

My memories of my life, my childhood, are so few... maybe one from every year. I never remember specifics, just bits and pieces thrown together to form some sort of memory. Sometimes I am not even sure if they are real memories. I have this one where someone tells me that my dad isn't my real dad but I have asked around and even to this day (at age 29) no one admits to that. My guess is that is one of those false memories... a dream of sorts, I guess.

Anyway, just frustrated with this thing I call mush. My brain does not work correctly these days and even simple words evade me. Am I alone? Should I just chalk it up to mommy brain or do you think it could be something more? I am probably just crazy and a bit of a hypochondriac but still... it worries me to be so forgetful. At least I haven't forgotten any kids anywhere!

Is Today Monday?

2010-07-13T08:27:00.003-07:00

It sure as hell feels like it is. My kids have gone insane... insane I tell ya.

John left for work this morning being jealous of me sleeping in while the kids calmly git their own breakfast. Gotta love when the gallon of milk is only half full so one of the kids can make breakfast for the rest :)

That is when all hell broke loose. I swear something in their heads just clicks off when Daddy walks our the door because all of a sudden there was screaming, and fighting, and crying, and yelling, and a stampede coming up the stairs.

I don't even know what happened but apparently Jacob hit Kadie for kissing Sara, and then he was flinging a rubber band at all of them. Actually, not a rubber band, it was one of my ponytail holders that Sara had in her hair yesterday. And now, they are still at it.

The fighting will stop for a few minutes, but then something else will set someone off. "She isn't cleaning." or "He is helping Adam! Why can't he help me?" or "I wanna go for a walk, I'm hungry, Kadie won't let me help her!" That last one drives me crazy because it's when they don't even know what they want and they just keep changing their minds.

I even told them we were going to the bookstore and to get dressed but could they listen. Not a chance. It was as if I told them we were going to the doctor for a round of 8 shots so they were going to do anything to not go.

Adam lost TWO, yes TWO, outfits within a 5 minute time frame. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?! Where did they go? Did he eat them? And Sara... that girl just knows how to push all the right buttons and she has the cutest damn smile that it makes me want to slap her silly (luckily I have a little more restraint than that though). So yah, I am just going a bit nutso today and feeling a bit Monday-ish.

Game Over

2010-07-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Back to the grind of day to day life. Vacation is officially over. Daddy is back at work and mama is back to restraining herself from stringing the kids up by their toes.

John and I were not ready to come out of vacation mode. We could have stayed in Ohio forever! Too bad the in-laws wouldn't like supporting our family of 7 plus a dog. The kids were definitely ready to come home though. They were going a little kooky being out of their own elements. We had decided by a vote that we would stay an extra night. The only one that voted against the idea was Sara... our three year old... who said with a pouty lip, "I GO HOME!" We had a lot of fun though and while normally that would make a vacation fly by... it didn't. Our vacation seemed to go on forever.

We arrived on the 1st and stayed through the 10th. Our days were pretty much filled. We had a cookout at my mom's with tons of fun games and fireworks. John took the kids to a baseball game on the 4th followed by fireworks at my mom's friend's house (which were SPECTACULAR). Monday we went up to Detroit to pick up my friend and her kids who had just flown in from Georgia and had a nice dinner at the in-laws. Tuesday was our trip to Cedar Point and we had a blast. It was not even busy for a hot, summer day. We could have easily rode everything had we not had to take so much time with the kids. On Wednesday we went to the Toledo Zoo and saw the amazingly cute baby polar bear. I got some amazing shots that I will post on Friday when I finally resume my Fun Photo Friday segment. Thursday was another trip to the Detroit Airport... this time I was sending Lexi back with my friend and her kids. Friday was the day we were supposed to leave, but instead we went to the store to buy some beer and wait for John's brother and his wife to get in town. We had a fun night of drinking, frisbee cup and Trivial Pursuit (a family tradition when the 3 Whitehead brothers get together). Saturday we headed over to my dad's to visit with him for a bit before heading home. The kids were very well behaved for the majority of our vacation and that is always welcome. Just wish there was more we could have done while there... like visit with more family but time just was not on our side this time.

We plan to go back for a weekend in the fall... either Labor Day weekend, or the second weekend in October. Not sure yet... or maybe both, who knows. I know we still won't get to see everyone while we are there for just a weekend but know that we do miss all of you and wish we could get together way more often but such is my life!

Always Apologizing

2010-07-03T10:14:00.002-07:00

It's the story of my life... I get caught up in life with 5 kids and forget about my life in blogger land. I know you all will forgive me because, well, who hasn't been there at some point or another. Every day life just seems to get in the way of my typing some times.

Right now we are spending a week or so in Toledo with family so I doubt I will have much time for posting but I promise when I get back home I will do better. We have been down 2 kids and have been keeping the other three busy with friends and crafts and when we get back we will be down 1 kid.

Our oldest is going to Georgia to spend 3 weeks with her best friend! She hasn't seen her in almost a year and they could not be more excited for this reunion. They are meeting us here in Ohio and we are going to Cedar Point and the Zoo and definitely taking them to Bob Evans. Can't wait!

But for now, you can enjoy reading my other blog posts that you may not have read before. Some good ones would include Sara's birth story, a soccer post, and a post that makes my blood boil reading it again.... among many others. So while I am off enjoying our vacation, I hope you find the time to enjoy some of my ranting and raving :)

Movie Review Monday

2010-06-28T08:47:00.004-07:00

Toy Story 3:
We went last Tuesday to see TS3 and everyone loved it. Of course if you read last week's post you would know that it didn't start out all that great since I am pretty sure Sarah Jessica Parker was NOT in any of the Toy Story's LoL
Toy Story 3 is the final installation of the Toy Story Saga and it was just as good as the others, IMO. This movie was about Andy being all grown up and having to decide what to do with all his toys. After a mix up landing all the toys at Sunnyside Daycare, Woody must convince them they were not meant for the trash and help them return to Andy's house. Toy Story 3 is about love, friendship and sharing. Anyone who has ever seen any Toy Story should see this one and it is definitely worth the price to see in theaters. All of the kids sat through it and didn't make a sound. We cannot wait for this to come out on BluRay. It is one of the best trilogies of all time (again, in my opinion).

My kids love Toy Story so much that they have to have just about anything Toy Story related. We have the Toy Story 3 book with CD in the car, two Buzz umbrellas, Woody and Jessie dolls and numerous Toy Story themed pajamas that we have accumulated over the years.

And in the deepest voice he could muster, Adam says first thing this morning: "I'm Sheriff Woody!" Although he would have preferred the Buzz pjs (which they didn't have in his size), you can see how happy he is with these ones that daddy bought him yesterday at Wally World for only $9!

What A Weekend

2010-06-28T08:24:00.003-07:00

Did you miss me??? Nah, didn't think so. But that's ok. I can still torture you with my pointless blog about my crazy life as an Army wife and mom to 5 kids. So there, you have been warned.

This weekend was jam packed full of fun... and pretty cheap fun too.

Friday was my hair dying adventure. If you missed it, you must check it out here. It is probably way funnier to me and Trista and probably would have been even funnier with pictures but we didn't think that far ahead. John had to get dinner ready while I was finishing up with my hair and then we all rushed out to Jacob's last baseball game.

The game was a good one. I think they lost... not quite sure but they don't tell the kids who won or lost. It is about having fun and learning how to play, after all. Jacob had a nice hit before we got there, struck out twice and then had another nice hit. He was batted into home and made a nice throw from center field to third base holding the runner at third instead of allowing the run to come in. He really enjoyed baseball but says he didn't enjoy it enough to play next year. We shall see though. He will likely play basketball in the fall so he can see how he likes that.

Saturday was the Quad Cities Air Show. John took the boys and went with a friend and his sons out to the airport for a hot, muggy and loud day. They didn't see many of the air shows but saw a lot of stuff on the ground. John got some good pictures of the boys on the Army helicopters and tanks and even some of Jacob doing push ups for the drill sergeant. Jacob and his friend got to man a couple of boxing robots and in the video I was sent on my phone I can hear Adam crying cause he wanted to do it too! They had a good time but ended up leaving early because of the heat.

While the boys were out enjoying the planes, we were in side shopping. Went to Old Navy first to use my rewards coupons. They were offering 30% off the entire store and I had $40 in coupons. I came away with almost $70 worth of clothes for me and the girls for only $5. After that we headed over to the mall for some random stuff for our 80s night. We went to Claires and found a hot pink shirt and lime green suspenders. We then met up with Kristina and her kids, and the guys at Spencer's before heading over to Hot Topic. Those three stores are like the ultimate 80s headquarters. We sent the boys home and then enjoyed some smoothies from Bubble Tea.

We were at the mall so long that the kids were starving so we had to get home for dinner. We made the kids some leftovers, John and Jacob went to the baseball picnic to get Jacob's trophy and Trista sent Jason to get us some chinese food. Mmmmmm. The rest of the night is a blur and I wasn't even drinking HA!

Yesterday was our road trip to the Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis. Sounds like that would be a blast, right?! Not exactly. It is just a bridge over the turnpike with restaurants in it. We were meeting my mom there so she could take Jacob and Kadie for the week. It was a lot of fun though. Trista and I sang along to Britney Spears and all the Alice in Wonderland songs and talked about anything and everything we could think of. We made a stop at a gas station in the middle of the smallest town in history and stocked up on goodies for the ride home.

We got home around 6 last night, I got caught up on Facebook and then went to bed. I was exhausted. Next road trip, Trista drives :p

Adventures in Hair Dye

2010-06-25T19:49:00.005-07:00

Today I let my friend talk me into dying my hair again... this time I went blonde (again) with a two pink stripes in the front. Mind you this is not the first time I have had hair this color but the last time was 15 years ago. And we used kool-aid! This time we went with the real deal. The good stuff from Hot Topic. And it went something like this...

Around 1230pm Trista showed up to dye my hair. I had two boxes... one medium blonde and the other medium auburn. I went with the blonde so we could do a pink stripe instead of the red with a purple strip since Trista has purple in her hair. We decided next time we would swap :)

We ran out of dye but managed to cover my hair and let it sit for 15 minutes. The box said 10 but we gave it a little longer for good measure since we were covering up red. It didn't work... my hair was now a strawberry blonde and not light enough to look good with the pink, so Trista ran out to get some Color Oops so we could "start over" and then the lightest blonde she could get.

We had the leave the Color Oops on for FORTY MINUTES!!! Saying this stuff smelled bad is an understatement. It smelled like a cross between rotten eggs and dirty diapers. I had to open the window and plug my nose. I was in my bathroom and Trista could smell it downstairs... it. was. bad. It worked though... for the most part. It took out the red but the blonde was now a nice yellow. Sadly we didn't think of getting any pictures until we were already fixing it with the new blonde.

Another 20 minutes later and I had blonde hair. Now it was time for the pink but it was after 5 o'clock so John was stuck making dinner. That didn't make him too happy. By the time we finished with my hair John and Jacob had already left for baseball and the rest of us had to eat dinner before we could go.

I brushed out my hair and blew dry it for the 4th time today and pulled my new hair back into a ponytail. I didn't have time to do anything else and I really liked it like this. I even put on a hot pink shirt and still have hot pink nails from my last mani/pedi. It really turned out good and I don't think I got any funny looks.

This is going to be awesome for 80's night and I feel 15 again and I LOVE IT! But if my hair falls out, Trista is buying me a wig... a good one too :)

Where Did Wednesday Go?

2010-06-24T07:46:00.004-07:00

That's right! It was another one of those crazy hectic days that just got away from me.

We started yesterday morning with severe thunderstorms with a chance of tornadoes so Jacob stayed home from day camp. Good thing, too, cause he is scared of storms. We then had friends come over around lunch time to do some crafts. We made some cute Duck Tape purses! We made one for each of the older girls and it took forever. 4 rolls of Duck Tape to make 7 purses all for around $15. Not too bad!

After that was all done I sent Jacob home with a friend and kept two extra girls here with me. Then it started to storm again so we spent about an hour in the basement waiting it out. These storms are getting a bit ridiculous if I do say so myself. My friend has had her garden saturated, her basement flooded and half the shingles blow off her roof JUST THIS WEEK! It's insane. Summer isn't much fun when we are all hiding from Mother Nature.

John finally made it home from work and brought home pizza for us and the 7 kids we had here. I was beyond stressed out from the crazy day we had and had no desire to cook anything... not even leftovers. Pizza is always a winner though :)

After dinner I made the kids get ready for bed and watch a movie so that I could relax and do the same. I ended up watching Gracie. It's a soccer movie set in the late 70's where a girl wants to play on the boys soccer team after her brother (the team's soccer star) dies in a car accident. It's a feel good, you can do anything you put your mind to, kind of movie. Perfect for a lazy, rainy, stressed out from the day kinda night.

By the time that was over it was almost 11 and I was exhausted. So yah, that is where my Wednesday went. How was yours?

Adieu Good Friend

2010-06-22T19:59:00.003-07:00

Thankfully, I am not referring to a real friend. At least, not a real HUMAN friend. However, I am saying a heartfelt goodbye the the movie theater that I have come to love and cherish.

12 years ago I worked for a great company. The people were awesome, the pay was alright but the perks... that was what made this job so desirable. FREE MOVIES!!! Anytime we wanted, we could go see a movie AND bring friends. How awesome is that?!

That company has now been bought out, sold, gone under. Not entirely sure since I haven't done any research but I do know that our local theater has been changed over and the theater I worked at is closing down. It is a sad day.

What makes this even sadder is that for about as long as I can recall, we have been visiting one Showcase Cinemas or another. Savannah didn't have one but I enjoyed going back to Ohio and visiting my former employer. Showcase/National Amusements was the envy of all other movie theaters.

Today I realized that no one can compare... at least not Rave Motion Pictures. Don't get me wrong here. I am not going to bash them or say don't go there. I am just a bit disappointed in our experience this evening. An experience that prompted my husband to say, "This never would have happened if this was a Showcase Cinemas."

You see... just recently our Showcase Cinemas was bought out by a company called Rave Motion Pictures. During the transition they cut the frequent customer program which allowed card holders to receive points every time they visited and at one point they could only accept cash due to a system change. They changed the entire pricing for their concessions and they even changed the military pricing for their 3D movies.

While all that is a bit disappointing, there is nothing that can be done about it. It is the only theater in town and heck, I like me some buttery movie theater popcorn straight from the concession stand. None of that is going to stop me from going. And still, nothing is going to stop me. I might as well get to the point of this story before you all stop reading.

Tonight we made a trip out to Rave Motion Pictures to see Toy Story 3 with the kids. We opted to go with the 2D instead of the 3D since we were already there and didn't want to wait around with the kids. Besides that, I hate the 3D movies, I had a headache and the kids never keep their glasses on anyway so basically it's a waste of money. Tuesdays are only $6 for all movies, all ages and even the 3D shows so taking 5 kids on a Tuesday saves us $10 (more if we weren't military and more if it's a 3D showing).

We get our tickets, find enough seats for all 12 of us that went together (the theater was packed for a weeknight) and waited for our movie to start. When we first sat down they were showing some commercial with Toy Story characters in it and then moved right into the previews. We saw previews for movies like Life As We Know It and Morning Glory which were not exactly kid friendly. I enjoyed the previews but we saw Rachael McAdams in lacy undergarments and heard Christina Applegate talking about dry humping. Yes, all that with a bunch of kids in the theater.

I was getting a bit concerned but remembered seeing the Toy Story commercial when we first came in and figured they were marketing movies for the older crowd. You know the ones I am talking about. All the teens and 20-somethings that have waited, what, 10 years for a Toy Story 3. So ok, I get it. Then it happened. The movie started and it was NOT a kid friendly movie. There she was strutting her stuff across the screen... Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City 2. Big OOPS!

Myself and another movie-goer ran out of the theater to track down an employee. They immediately came in to check it out and got in touch with the projector room to get it sorted out. It took forever and not before a few choice words were blurted out on screen and a bird was flipped. Nothing my kids haven't encountered but I am sure there were some parents that would not be taking this as lightly as I am.

We didn't get to start watching our 7 o'clock movie until 8 but we were offered the opportunity to switch to a new theater (to see the 3D showing) and then were all given passes to come back another time. We waited it out and even when it was showing the right movie it still was not completely fixed. Some how the alignment got thrown off and there was about a foot of black on the bottom of the screen and a foot of projected movie above the screen. It didn't hurt the movie any and no one seemed to complain... we were just ready to get on with our movie.

The movie itself was great. Very funny. The kids loved it, the parents loved it, the teens loved it and I will definitely be first in line when this comes out on Blu Ray. The cast of voices were all the same and all the new characters were great. If you haven't read about the hidden things in this movie, keep your eyes peeled and see if you can spot them. *HINT* Check out the garbage man's teeshirt :)

Just So You Know

2010-06-21T06:43:00.003-07:00

It may seem like I am purposely not posting a blog on Sundays... but I wish that were true. Sundays just seem to get away from me. It is our "clean whatever needs cleaning" day and we usually just spend the day together as a family.

Yesterday was such a busy day that I didn't have much time to get on the computer. We didn't get up until 1030am, ate "breakfast" at noon and then at 2 I had to rush out the door to get a birthday present for a birthday party that started at 3. When I got to the party and met up with a friend she handed me her phone. Apparently, I had left mine at home and my husband was calling to let me know his mom would be there around 6... not 9 like originally thought.

That may seem like an honest mistake... a bit of dyslexia, if you may. I assure you, it was not. It was a case of, "Hey dad, what time is mom going to be in town?" to which he replied... "Not til late, around 9 or so." Then the husband calls his mom to see where she is, what time she will be here, etc etc, to find out that she already left and would be here around 6. Oops. Guess he isn't taking the girls to the park... he has to clean! And on father's day!! Double oops.

I must say, he did an excellent job. I was very impressed. I even left the birthday party early so I could come help and he didn't have all that much left to do. I made a bed, picked up a bit of the kitchen that had gotten messy again and then started dinner (which we ate just shortly after the mother in law arrived).

After dinner we took a ride out to Scott County Park to see where Jacob would be spending day camp this week with the boy scouts. We found it without getting lost in the ginormous park... woohoo! Then we came home for some popsicles, but not before stopping to get me a tall caramel lite frappachino hold the whip :)

Six Word Saturday

2010-06-19T10:08:00.001-07:00

***The weather is nice... for now***

see my previous post in case you are wondering why this is my life in six words :)

Blucky Weather

2010-06-18T20:47:00.003-07:00

The weather here in Iowa has been blah and yucky... hence, the blucky weather title. Overcast, hot, humid, rain, thunder, lightning, hail and possible tornadoes. And have I mentioned... I HATE STORMS!

I am a big chicken when it comes to storms. Not so much now that I have kids because I have to make sure they aren't too scared but they still make me nervous. I never have an emergency bag ready so I almost always run around throwing some things in a backpack... just in case.

Today we had a severe thunderstorm warning with high winds and the sky by my house was an eerie shade of green. That did not make me comfortable so I sent the kids to the basement and did my rounds of the house. I turned off lights, made sure the kids had clothes and shoes on (you know, so their feet don't fly away in the storm), threw some flashlights and important documents in a bad and took our laptops downstairs to wait out the storm.

The kids were completely calm and no one complained about being stuck in the basement. That probably had something to do with us having three laptops and a tv down there and still had power to use them all. Nonetheless, they didn't drive me crazy like they would have if we were in Savannah still.

In Savannah we had to sit in our hallway which was right in front of the washing machine and dryer which made me very uncomfortable. Sometimes I would make the kids sit in the closet at the end of the hallway since it was the innermost place in the whole house but it wasn't very big. They hated being in there without me and if I was in there it was hot and noisy. The kids would fight with each other and fight over who was sitting with me. That is the great thing about having a basement... they can spread out.

After the first row of storms passed by, I came upstairs and left the kids down there. Much to my surprise they actually stayed down there for well over an hour. I had enough time to wash all the counters, do a load of dishes, clear the table and wipe it down, sweep the hallway, dining room and kitchen and clean the living room. It was so quiet. I wish it was like that more often but I won't hold my breath.

A second set of storms rolled through this evening and they didn't make me quite as nervous as the first set. The sky was much more ominous in some places but by the house it was mostly just a thick cloud cover with occasional thunder and TONS of wind. Wonder if my garbage can is still standing?

When John came home from work he found our garbage can had been knocked over with the wind from the first storm. Luckily that is all that happened at our house. Our friends weren't so lucky. Yesterday they had a flood in their basement and today half their roof shingles blew off.

Sadly, this is not the last of the blucky weather we will see. The forecast for the next 10 days is nothing but rain and storms. Anyone else think there might be something to all the end of the world movies??? They all center around crazy weather! (Well except for the ones where we are attacked by aliens or giant robots).

*edit* I have been informed that my garbage can is safely tucked away in the garage. Now I can rest easy :)

Blogging

2010-06-17T06:40:00.003-07:00

I am lying in bed this morning and as I am trying to go back to sleep I remember that I have been terrible about blogging this week. I have been a day late with all my posts (but backdating them... sneaky, huh).

So to get on top of things I start blogging in my head. Have you ever done that?! Or maybe it was an email, or letter, or a conversation you wanted to have... you just start saying what you want to say in your head and it just flows so easily.

I was half way through my WFD blog and thought to myself... if I sit here too long thinking about what I am going to write, then I will forget it by the time I actually get down stairs and start blogging. So I jumped out of bed and got right on it. It didn't turn out exactly like it played out in my head but it was still a decent entry.

There really wasn't much of a point to this blog except calling myself out on my deceitful blogging, but I just wanted to share on time, at least once this week. So like it says, "Blogging with Discipline, regular writing, occasional brilliance." This was just a regular writing :)

WFD

2010-06-16T18:30:00.001-07:00

Almost every day before coming home from work I get a text from my husband asking, WFD, what's for dinner. And up until recently I always knew. I had a menu with two weeks of dinners planned out and all I had to do was consult that. Now it seems my answer is always, IDK, I don't know.

I forgot to take something out, nothing will be thawed within the hour and what can we make that is quick and easy. Lately we have been really good about cleaning up the leftovers in the fridge. So good that my fridge looks empty without any in there. On the plus side, it has kept us from wasting food. Another common dinner around here has been breakfast. Pancakes, corn fritters, eggs and even cereal some nights.

Makes me feel like a crappy mom for not having a better dinner planned, so last night I took out some hamburger. It had been forever since we had tacos and that was what I wanted. I didn't make them the same as I usually do... with taco seasoning... but with chipotle seasoning this time. On whole grain tortillas too, instead of regular flour tortillas.

The kids loved them! I was surprised that each and every one of my kids ate their entire taco. Even Lexi, the pickiest eater in this house, ate her whole taco. She didn't ask for seconds, but she did say she liked it after asking why it tasted different. I was pleasantly surprised and extremely happy to know my daughter is giving different things a chance rather than just saying she doesn't like it and refusing to try it.

And since I was such a good mom for dinner tonight, I decided to pull out dinner for tomorrow too. Tomorrow we are having crockpot roast. Mmmmm.

I HEART Chick Fil A

2010-06-15T18:34:00.003-07:00

Shortly after moving here, I attended a playdate at Chick Fil A. They were offering free breakfast every Thursday so it was a super cheap breakfast and a nice way to hang out with new friends. That lasted through the end of the year.

Then we learned about Mommy & Me which was every Tuesday morning. Free coffee or hot chocolate for moms. Singing, dancing and crafts for the kids. It became such a routine that when summer hit, we weren't sure what we were gonna do. Taking 5 kids to Chick Fil A for breakfast and crafts can be expensive and a test of any mom's sanity.

But even though it is crazy sometimes we still plan to go at least twice a month (when we get paid) so the kids get their dose of chick'n minis and I can pay the bills. Yes, you heard me... pay the bills. They recently started offering free wifi at our local Chick Fil A so while the kids do their fun stuff and play in the play area, I can get my bills paid so I have more time at home for fun stuff like doing the dishes and washing the laundry. I know, that was pretty funny, wasn't it ;)

Movie Review Monday

2010-06-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Johnny Depp was excellent, as was the entire cast. In this movie adaptation of the musical, a man is wronged and comes back after 15 years for revenge with a new name and unrecognizable by the townspeople. I thought I would be "scared" to watch this by myself but up until the end I found the "blood" pretty comical. It was a great story and I loved the music. Worth a look if you like dark movies/musicals.

2012 - Toted as the "Best Disaster Movie Ever Made" by some guy from Fox, I did not think this was the case. Don't get me wrong... I LOOOOOOOVED the movie but I still think The Day After Tomorrow was much better. 2012 is a gripping movie with lots of action and a family outrunning everything that comes their way. If you like disaster movies this is definitely one to check out. It will keep you on the edge of your seat... but if you are one for the "believable" you may find this more comical than anything since there are lots of unbelievable aspects. To me, that makes the movie that much better. I only had a few "issues" with the movie myself... one part being when a plane is engulfed by an ash cloud but manages to escape when I know the ash would have ceased up the engines and took down the plane. But nonetheless... great movie! Great acting! Great story line!

Six Word Saturday

2010-06-12T07:06:00.001-07:00

*A Handful of Kids All Summer*

Plus some! I don't think we have gone but a few nights since summer started without at least a couple kids staying the night. It has been fun for the kids and not too stressful on me. So far, so good. It's free fun for them and that is what matters, right?

Lexi's Dilemma

2010-06-11T09:24:00.003-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Lexi dropped her High School Musical piggy bank and the bottom corner broke in several pieces. She brought it down for her dad to fix but we didn't have any super glue so it sat on the counter until a couple days ago.

This morning Lexi took it upon herself to fix it. She improvised and used some nail polish. So proud of herself she just had to come show me in the kitchen. I admired her handy work and then came her dilemma.

"Mom, what do I do with the piggy bank that is in my room?"

You see, we had an extra piggy bank and I gave that to her until we could get hers fixed. I told her to just leave it for now until I figured out what to do with it and she turned around to go back upstairs.

That's when she got her answer as to what to do with the other piggy bank....

CRASHHHHHH!!!! Her bank slipped out of her hands and shattered into a million (ok, maybe not that many) pieces and there was no way it was getting nail-polished back together. Our hands flew to our mouths and then we both started laughing. Guess we now know where that other piggy bank is going... no where!

It's Been One Week

2010-06-10T11:50:00.004-07:00

since the kids' last day of school and I must say, it has flown by.

We were kept busy with end of year parties, final soccer games, cleaning for our bi-annual inspection and just trying to not be driven nuts in each others' company. I have a feeling come August I am going to wish the summer hadn't quite flown by.

We have a ton of tentative plans for summer vacation. We already went to Adventureland once and I think we may make another trip some time later this summer. The library is offering a ton of free summer events including crafts and movies so that will keep us busy for at least a couple hours. Going swimming is also a free activity since we have two friends with pools. We already found out that our two youngest are little fishies in the water. Put a life jacket on them and let them go! They are little pros.

Jacob and Kadie are going to Ohio at the end of the month for a fun-filled week with Grandma Kim and Papa Don. They are going to play baseball in the yard, go fishing, go to a Mud Hen's game and do lots of other fun stuff. They cannot wait!

We will all be going to Ohio the first week of July and Lexi's friend Ashley and her family are meeting us there! How exciting! We will be going to Cedar Point, the zoo, and definitely making a stop at Bob Evan's. You know, no Toledo trip is complete without that traditional Bob Evan's meal. We will probably make a trip to Tony Packo's too for some fried pickles that we did not know existed until recently. Yummm!

When that trip is done, Lexi will head back to Georgia with Bonnie, Ashley & Tyler for three weeks. She has flown before, so I don't doubt she will be fine but she will be a UM on the way home. That is an "unaccompanied minor" and that makes me a little nervous. Thankfully it is a non-stop flight and she is a very independent, smart and mature 9 year old.

After Lexi comes home from Georgia it will be time to meet my friends from all over the country! It's the annual Spunky meetup, only this year we invited the RCC girls along too. I cannot wait! We have plans to go to Chicago, the Mississippi Valley fair and drink lots of yummy stuff of the alcoholic variety.

I am hoping to make a trip up to Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair to see Jeff Dunham for John's birthday but nothing is definite yet. It would be a total blast and he definitely deserves a great birthday treat. We will see how that goes... it would be a great end to a great summer though. That is for sure.

Two and a half months with all 5 kids at home while the hubby does his Army duties sounds a little bit like torture but when I put it all out there... I don't see much time for being stressed... let alone enough time to hog-tie and gag 5 kids while I rock in the corner sucking my thumb begging for my mommy!

Adventures in Adventureland

2010-06-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we made a last minute decision to tag along with a friend to Adventureland. The military rate is about $10 cheaper than the price at the gate and I got a sitter for two of the kids while John worked so we could save some money and gas by taking just one car.

The forecast called for rain and yesterday morning the sun was disguised behind a mass cover of clouds. Luckily the rain held off for most of the day and the potential of rain held off the locals, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves from 10am to 8pm. I don't even think we waited 5 minutes for any ride.

There were 6 kids (3 of mine, 3 of my friend's) and 3 adults (my friend's mom was our lifesaver). It worked out perfectly so that 2 kids would go with 1 adult but by lunch time we were all together again and stayed that way for the rest of the day.

The babies (3yr old Ayden and 4yr old Adam) had a blast on all the kiddie rides and even some big kid rides. They both rode the log ride, an underground/in the dark roller coaster, and Adam would have rode anything they let him on. I cannot wait til he is big enough to ride the coasters with me.

The 5 yr old girls (Kady & Kadie) were a little brave as well. They both rode The Dragon which is almost like the corkscrew. It goes really fast and upside down twice. My Kadie cried when she got off the first time but wanted to ride it a second time with other Kady. Unfortunately the gift shop did not have any "I survived The Dragon" shirts small enough for the tiny girls.

The two 7yr old boys (Seth & Jacob) were not quite so brave but had a blast on all the water rides getting soaked from head to toe. Even though it was a rainy and cool day, we still managed to have a fun time riding the log ride, the river rapids and a waterslide ride where 6 people sit in a giant innertube and get splashed (but only a little).

Trista and I enjoyed having her mom there to watch the kidlets while we road on some rides. We rode "Space Shot" 4 times... once on each side for a different view of the park from the top. The kids loved waving at us from down below. We didn't really ride anything else that at least some of the kids could ride but being such a dreary day and having her mom there allowed us to be able to enjoy ourselves more than we would have had we been there on a hot and crowded day with no extra hands and eyes.

Now I just can't wait to take Lexi to an amusement park again now that she is a bit taller and maybe a little bit braver. Now that she knows her 5 yr old sister can do the big rides, maybe she will too. I just won't traumatize her with a big ride first :)

Everyone Has A Twin

2010-06-08T09:57:00.004-07:00

We were at Target today when EVERYONE had to use the bathroom. I was standing outside the "green" stall (the one with the green handle... the ONLY one with the green handle that my 3yr old insists on using whenever we are there) when I noticed a lady standing behind me.

It was kind of busy in there but not enough that someone had to wait since there were still plenty of open stalls. Feeling like I was being stared at, I turned to see if she was actually staring. And she WAS! Right at me.

And to top it off, she looked just like me. Maybe that is why she was staring... she, too, knew that everyone has a twin somewhere in the world and she was just as shocked as I was to see hers standing next to her in the bathroom. It was just too weird.

I had to do a double take when I noticed that my twin was even wearing clothes similar to mine and even had her hair pulled back the same way I did. I realized then that my twin was really, truly my twin in all ways because she was just my reflection staring back at me from the mirror. I swear I came to this conclusion much quicker than it took you to read this LoL

I Expect More

2010-06-07T08:27:00.001-07:00

In every relationship you get what you give... at least that is the way it should be. It doesn't always happen that way and it drives me a little crazy.

Mostly I am talking about friendships. Doesn't matter if you have been friends for 18 years, 18 months or 18 days... if you are friends, then you are friends. You expect to be treated the way you treat your friends.

I think I am an excellent friend. If someone needs a babysitter for mom's night... I offer my husband. No, seriously, I do. He usually agrees. He is awesome like that... because he is a good friend. He knows that if we want someone to watch our kids that we have to watch their kids at some point too.

I am always willing to help. If I am out shopping with a friend and they forget their debit card... I cover their total. If my friend wants a date night with her hubby and has no one to watch her plethora of kids... I do it. No questions asked. I even feed them dinner if they haven't eaten yet. Someone needs to borrow a vacuum, a car, a stamp... I am offering what they need. It is just who I am and it makes me expect more out of my friends.

So it kinda bothers me when I ask a friend for help... no matter how small or large... and they turn me down. Or completely ignore the request altogether. Do unto others, right?

Bad Soccer Mom

2010-06-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

In seasons past, I was always taking pictures... I attended every game... I took videos and cheered loudly into the camera. I was a great soccer mom and I loved every minute of it. Maybe that was because I HAD to be there...

John wasn't always able to and I had to make sure he didn't miss anything. This year he is Lexi's soccer coach and is able to stay home with all the other kids when Adam plays so I can actually relax and watch the game. When you are taking pictures you don't actually get to watch the game and see your kid play. So all the memory you have of that game is in pictures which don't always hold the same emotions as actually seeing the game. So I took it as a nice break to be able to actually watch my kids play.

I confess, I have been lazy with attending things now that John is home all the time. I can send him to games, school functions, and to the grocery store for milk when we run out. It just makes life so much easier... and less chaotic. It almost makes me forget how I did it without him. So maybe this soccer mom isn't so much a bad one... but a dependant one. I depend on my husband to give me that much needed break even if it is just me taking one kid to a soccer game, drinking my coffee and not taking pictures.

It is a break I welcome but it's not the soccer mom I want to be. Next season I promise to try harder... take more pictures, cheer louder, and post videos on YouTube for the world to see. And maybe I can even talk John into coaching again... yah, probably not.

Six Word Saturday

2010-06-05T08:10:00.003-07:00

*Will soccer be cancelled or not*

That is what is on my mind this blucky Saturday. Lexi's last soccer game is this afternoon and the forecast calls for severe thunderstorms today. It would kinda work out nicely if it was cancelled because we have the library's reading kick off at noon and her game starts at 130. Then again, my luck is not that good. Which is why I really want to know if they are going to have the game or not.

And... You Are?

2010-06-04T19:41:00.004-07:00

All day I was thinking of things I could possibly post on my blog and now...

NOTHING!

Can you believe it?! No????!!! Well, I can. My brain is complete mush these days. I am lucky if I can spit the right kid's name out before going through all of my options (and some that aren't even mine). Imagine calling out to one of your kids and wondering why they aren't answering only to find out you were calling them by the neighbor kid's name.

Ok, well I'm not that bad... yet. I am getting there though. I, seriously, cannot remember anything anymore. Ask me my soc. or birthday and I spout off John's. Not that that is unusual for an Army wife considering we need those two numbers so often that that alone makes my brain hurt. Just today I forgot my own phone number. It's getting crazy.

I swear I have a brain tumor... or early onset Alzheimer's. Alright, stop your laughing. But you know it starts with pregnancy brain... then it's mommy brain... and what then? Will it ever end? Seriously... will I ever get my brain back? Because... well... damn, I forget what I was going to say :)

Liar, Liar

2010-06-03T14:45:00.004-07:00

Mediacom's pants were on fire!

Ok, so they don't really have pants... but they did lie to us.

On Sunday, my dear husband accidentally cut through the cable line. Of course it had to be on a holiday weekend and we were not expecting anyone to come out until at least Tuesday. However, the nice lady on the phone assured us that someone could come out THAT. VERY. AFTERNOON. I was about to be head over heels in love with a cable company! Then they didn't show...

At 7pm, my hubby called back and this time he was told someone had tried calling us twice. I looked all over for my phone after he talked to them and found that I had no missed calls which prompted John to call them back, AGAIN. Only this time he was told he was lied to... not once, but twice.

There are no techs that work Sundays and the soonest they could get anyone out would be on Tuesday. Not this person's fault, but she apologized profusely and set us up with an appointment for Tuesday afternoon. Ok, so we could wait a couple days since we weren't expecting a quick service call on a holiday weekend in the first place.

Tuesday rolls around and I make it a point to be home by noon to wait for the cable guy. Again, a no show so John makes yet ANOTHER call to Mediacom. This time he was told that no one would be able to make it out because of a commercial outage that would prevent us from getting any service anyway (I am assuming here because the lady was not clear but obviously nothing was going to be resolved with attitudes and choice words). She told us we may have someone come out on Wednesday but probably not until Thursday. So, another appointment was scheduled... this time for Thursday, between 3 and 5.

I tried napping and kept the phone close by anticipating the call saying they were on their way (which is what we were told would happen). No call and still no tech at 4pm. They still had another hour but I wasn't going to hold my breath and was ready to scout alternative cable/internet providers. Then the doorbell rang!

Finally, they were here and my faith in them has been restored. It didn't take but 5 minutes for the cable guy to splice our line. A quick tv check and resetting of the modem & network adapter and we were back in business. Woo! How good it feels to be back in the land of the living.

ECHO.... echo...

2010-06-02T09:40:00.003-07:00

Wow! Has it really been 4 months since I last posted?! Yah, I have no excuse. I spend a lot of time on the internet and there is no reason I shouldn't have been posting. I take that back, I do have an excuse but it's not a good one. In fact, it's such a bad excuse that I won't blame you if you never come back...

I am a quitter. Seriously! I quit EVERYTHING! I mean, I did graduate from high school and I did graduate from college and I would never quit being a mom no matter how much I want to... but still, everything else, I have quit. Other than being a mom, the longest job I ever held was for 11 months and while I thought I was fired, I actually quit... long story that I might share at a later date but right now... we are talking about me being a quitter.

So yah, I'm a quitter. That Couch to 5k I started... never finished. This blog... just up and quit one day. Workouts, diets, jobs... the list goes on and on and on. I want to change, I do... and I think this is where I will start.

I always feel like I have no purpose in life... like I want to go back to school or get a job to occupy my time. You know, what little time I have left after my kids have sucked the minutes out of the day. Something for me, something to escape to and that is what this blog is supposed to be. And even though I talk about my kids a lot... it is still my little vacation. A chance to feel like I am doing something useful besides the typical screw-up-my-kids-and-save-for-their-therapy-bills-instead-of-college-mom.

So, what do you say? Are you with me? Will you help me do something and hold me accountable? Hello? Is anyone out there? Are you even listening? Well... even if I am the only one reading this I am still going to do it. Like it or not, Bri is back in Blogger Town!

Couch to 5k Challenge (aka C25K)

2010-02-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

This past week I decided to start the Couch to 5k Challenge. Better known as the C25K. I am not a runner by any means but this challenge promises to take you from being a couch potato to being able to run a 5k in just 9wks. You only workout 3 days a week and it builds you up so you don't feel like you are dying on day 1.

Week 1 Day 1 I decided to run around my house because, frankly, where else was I going to run. The babies (and the dog) loved it. They followed me around thinking I was playing with them and it was great. I downloaded these podcasts that tell me when to walk and when to run so I didn't have to pay attention to the time. My legs weren't sore the next day and I was already thinking about running again.

Week 1 Day 2 I thought I would go running outside. Snow on the ground but not too cold and a friend at the house able to watch the kids... so why not. I got all geared up and headed out. I got to the stop sign, turned right and started to head up hill. At this point I was still doing my 5 minute warm up walk so it was going great. Then I started my 60 second run and let me tell you... I am not an outdoor, cold weather, wind in your face runner. I thought I was going to die. I made it back to my house and came back in to finish my run inside. The dog didn't even think twice about it today. Apparently the novelty already wore off for him LoL

Week 1 Day 3 will come tomorrow and that will be the end of Week 1! I cannot wait to see how I handle Week 2. I have heard several people have to repeat a week and I do not doubt that I will need to as well. Like I said, I am so not a runner (I mean, I'd probably be the dumb blonde that gets killed first in the horror movie)

Fun Photo Friday - My Baby Is Growing Up

2010-02-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

My first daughter with my husband was born on January 14th 2001. My first real delivery and I had just turned 20. John was barely 19 and saying he was pale during delivery is an understatement. It was an induction that went off without a hitch... except for the fact my doctor didn't make it back in time to deliver and the on call doctor looked like my grandpa ;)

This little girl has been the light of my life. She is beautiful, intelligent and as goofy as her daddy. She is growing up too fast though. Next year she will be in the double digits and before long we will have two "women" in this house. Why can't they stay babies forever? Where they love Barney, think watching you play video games on your phone is cool and radiate such joy with their contagious laughter and you think life can't get any better.

I know there are bigger and better things around the corner but feeling like I missed my baby growing up even when I was here every step of the way is hard. I can only imagine how hard it is for her daddy that missed two years of her life by serving his country. But we are so proud of this little girl. I couldn't have asked for a better little girl to help me learn to be a mommy.

Happy 9th Birthday Alexandra Noelle!

I've Come to Realize...

2010-02-03T07:38:00.001-08:00

1. I’ve come to realize that my body. . . has gone to hell in a hand basket. It literally makes me gag.

2. I’ve come to realize that my job. . . pays me in hugs, kisses and dirty dishes.

3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving. . . I can multitask. I can't just drive. I have to call someone, listen to the radio, yell at the kids, find a blanket wedged between the door and the seat, change the movie for the kids, check Facebook. I am a great driver despite all that though!

4. I’ve come to realize that I need. . . a perfectly timed cup of caffiene to calm me down when my stress level is through the roof.

5. I’ve come to realize that I have lost. . . my mind. It becomes more and more evident every single day. And it scares the crap out of me.

6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when. . . John yells at the kids when I ask him to take care of something. I could have done that myself ;)

7. I’ve come to realize that if I’m drunk. . . I don't feel so old.

8. I’ve come to realize that money… is the root of all evil. If you don't have it, you want it. If you have it, you blow it. If you blow it, you bitch that everyone else has more money money than you and you think they should spread the wealth. If you have it and don't blow it, there is no way in hell you are sharing it. I hate the politics of money!

9. I’ve come to realize that certain people. . . cannot get past the negativity and they have a way of bringing you down too.

10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always. . . read about other people's drama even if it makes me furious.

11. I’ve come to realize that my sibling(s). . . will always be my friends.

12. I’ve come to realize that my mom… could make better choices but chooses not to.

13. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone. . . has legs and is trying to get away from me. I am always losing it.

14. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning. . . it was trash day so I had better get John up so he doesn't forget

15. I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep. . . I wasn't as antsy as usual

16. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking. . . about day 2 of the C25K challenge

17. I’ve come to realize that my dad. . . is still the same man I didn't get along with when I was younger but I still love him because he is my dad.

18. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook. . . I have trouble getting off it.

19. I’ve come to realize that today. . . is the start of a healthier me.

20. I’ve come to realize that tonight. . . I am going to the mall with Kristina

21. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow. . . will be a cleaning/laundry day since I made today a workout day.

22. I’ve come to realize that I really want to. . . get rid of a lot of useless STUFF in my house and make more room.

23. I’ve come to realize that the person mostly likely to repost this is. . . bored, like me.

24. I’ve come to realize that life. . . shouldn't be taken for granted. We should live every day as if it were our last.

25. I’ve come to realize that this weekend. . . I am going with a great friend for a mini roadtrip :)

26. I’ve realized the best music to listen to when I am upset. . . is my 1432 CD my hubby made me, it always makes me feel better.

27. I’ve come to realize that my friends. . . will always come through for each other.

28. I’ve come to realize that this year. . . John and I have been together for 10 years.

29. I’ve come to realize that my husband. . . is a different man now than when we met and were married. Sometimes that's not a bad thing though.

30. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should. . . spend less time in front of the computer/tv and maybe I would have less headaches.

31. I’ve come to realize that I love. . . Victoria's Secret's workout clothes.

32. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand. . . politics.

33. I’ve come to realize my past. . . is better left in the past.

34. I’ve come to realize that parties. . . are better with a couple great friends than a large group of acquaintances.

35. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified. . . of getting old.

36. I’ve come to realize that my life. . . is only as good as I make it.

2010 Has Been Crazy

2010-01-21T09:19:00.002-08:00

That is why I haven't been around much in the last two weeks.

My kids got sick after we got home from Ohio and it made it's rounds skipping over me and Jacob {knock on wood}. It was a tiring, 3 days of puking starting with Sara and moving quickly to Kadie, Lexi, Adam and John.

My dog has become a pill lately too. He barks at me for EVERY. SINGLE. THING. He barks for food, he barks for water, he barks to go out, he barks to play and it's EVERY. FIVE. MINUTES. UGH it's super frustrating. The only time he doesn't bark is when he wants to come in. Nope, he sits quietly for a few minutes and when no one notices he jumps on the door. The worst part, he only barks at me... no one else. Just me. Like I needed one more person/thing vying for my attention.

And on top of these mundane annoyances... a friend of over 4 years has suddenly passed away leaving me with a heavy heart and loss of words. I never expected to feel this way. When I heard she was having complications from surgery I was worried but I never thought it would turn out like this. She was only 32yrs old and left behind a husband and four kids. Today her family will say their goodbyes and tomorrow they will lay her to rest. RIP Anna

Six Word Saturday

2010-01-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

***Can I skip Christmas next year?!***

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2010-01-01T18:36:00.002-08:00

Wow, has it really been 10yrs since Y2K was a big deal?! Now we are talking about 2012 being the end of the world. Will it ever end? Not the world. HA! I mean the "OMG THE WORLD IS ENDING" frenzy. I didn't think twice about the world ending in 2000 and I won't think twice about it ending in 2012. I choose to live for today and not think about what COULD happen. If the world is going to end, it's going to end. I'm obviously not missing out on anything since everyone else is going to wherever I am going (you know, that spot reserved in hell... it's gonna be GREAT).

Ok, so more seriously... 10 years have gone by and it doesn't seem like it has really been that long. But when I think about it... 10 years ago I was SINGLE!!!! No children to take care of, no real responsibilities and I was bouncing around from job to job and home to home. Now look where I am. Married to a soldier with FIVE kids, a dog and a nice house in Suburbia (only renting, but that's how we prefer it right now). Our finances are in a better place, our vehicles are only a couple years old and our kids are happy and healthy. Life is great. I can only imagine what the next 10 years have in store for me, besides getting older. Please don't make me think about how old I will be in 2020. GAH!

I have about a gazillion resolutions I want to make but have not started any yet. Since we are still in holiday mode I am not setting any official resolutions until we get back to Iowa. I guess you can say I am the typical person when it comes to this sorta thing. I resolve to lose weight, to eat better, to spend less, to save more. None of it usually happens but I really want to be a better person in general. Now what exactly will I plan to resolve this year, I am not so sure. But I do know what I want to do. I just have to figure out how to do it, and stick to it.

Check back on Tuesday (or more likely Wednesday) for my 2010 resolutions.

Adam Turns Four... Later

2009-12-30T06:55:00.003-08:00

If you were to ask me what today is, I would tell you it is Adam's birthday. Technically, it is not though.

Four years ago, I went into the hospital to be induced. I arrived around 7pm with the assumption that he would not be born on the 30th. I mean, the 31st was just mere hours away. There was no way he would be born today but then I did it... I made a silly comment that would change EVERYTHING. I jokingly said, "He could still be born today."

They started up my induction with some cervadil which had put me into labor once before and sure enough, it worked. No pitocin needed. My contractions came on strong and hard. I kept begging the nurse to check my progress but she kept putting me off. She would say "Let me know when you want checked" so I would tell her, and she would say, "Oh, not yet. Let's wait til X time." I rocked in a squeaky rocking chair to ease my contractions and everyone in the room was cracking up cause they knew when they were getting bad.

I asked the nurse one last time to check me... around 1130pm and again, she wouldn't. She wanted me to take a walk, or take a shower. I finally gave in and said I would take a shower. I knew there was no way I could go walking. I barely made it to the bathroom on my own. By the time they got me undressed and in the shower I was in so much pain that I was screaming that the baby was coming.

The nurse came rushing from the next room and was shocked when she saw me. I could tell she was embarrassed since she would not listen to me when I asked her to check me earlier... so when she got me back in the bed and checked me, what do you know... I was complete and ready to push.

I couldn't though. I had to wait for a doctor and I was getting very agitated. I was ready to have this kid and they were dilly dallying around. I could hear the nurses chit chatting and I finally shouted, "JUST GET A DOCTOR IN HERE!" To which they replied... "The dr is in here." Ok, so I did feel a bit sheepish but COME ON I am about to shoot a kid across the room here.

Then all hell broke loose. And when I say hell, I mean my water... it popped, like a balloon and sprayed EVERYWHERE. It felt like a movie... a comedy, actually. But it was not funny, not to me. The dr finally came over and I was given the go-ahead to push. I was assured it was after midnight so I pushed to my heart's content... or more like to Adam's content. Just 2 1/2 pushes later, he was out.

The called out his birth time as 12:00:59 (so almost 12:01) and I was so excited. He wasn't born on the same day as my cousins, he would have his own birthday (at least in our family). I kept asking the nurses to be sure I heard them right and then it happened.

"No, he was born at 11:59"

"Excuse me?! I thought you said..."

"Yah, I did, but we have to go by the clock on the monitor, not the clock on the wall."

WTF?! Yah, I was MAD! I mean, it all worked out fine... the 30th fits in with our family (long story) but still. Come to find out, on New Year's Eve, when I spent it alone, in my hospital room watching the ball drop, the time on the wall was actually right... or at least right on with everyone else in the world, just not the hospital monitor.

So yah, technically he was born on the 31st... and that was when I cut to cord (the most surreal thing EVER), so shouldn't be just count that as when he was born since he was still attached :p

Three Down, Three to Go

2009-12-29T06:30:00.003-08:00

We are half way done with our Ohio Christmas plans. I have not decided if I prefer them spread out like this or if I would prefer them to happen all in a few days. Maybe if they did happen all in a few days I could take the kids home when they really started to grate on my nerves... which occurred Christmas Day!

They were so bad Christmas Day. We didn't have any plans until later in the day and I completely forgot that every time we open gifts with John's dad's side of the family they get left out. They are the only little kids that are here then and thankfully they didn't seem too heartbroken but the babies didn't quite understand why everyone else was getting gifts and they weren't. I guess next year I will have to remember to have an extra gift for them to open at the same time. Unless of course we skip Christmas next year... which sounds sooooo good right now.

Anyway... Saturday night we had John's mom's side of the family Christmas and then our immediate family Christmas (with John's parents & brothers). The kids got a couple books, a couple outfits, a couple movies and were all around happy with everything. John's mom and I both got his brother the same thing... TWICE! This is why I don't tell two people the same thing. He says it's so he KNOWS he will get it. I'd rather go buy it myself than have to worry about returning something. That's just me, I guess.

I went shopping on Sunday for some clearance Christmas stuff and ended up getting the kids some new Ohio State shirts. It makes me kinda glad that they aren't readily available EVERYWHERE in Iowa or else we might be in trouble. Kadie wore hers yesterday and wants to wear it again today. The ironic part is she spent the day at my mom's yesterday and we are going there again today... they are Michigan fans HAHA! We are just doing a gift exchange over there this year but it should still be fun. John is bringing two of our Wii games and I am looking forward to a family snowball fight (if the snow will pack)!

Tomorrow is Adam's birthday and our plans are not set yet. We have a pic appointment at Portrait Innovations to get Adam and Sara's birthday pictures done and I am hoping to get my brother and his family in there too so we can get all the cousins together and a pic of all of us for my mom. I suppose I should probably see if my stepsister and stepbrother can make it so ALL the kids are in there, and we should see if we can get our little sister on my dad's side so we can give him one too. After that we are hoping to go sledding, but it looks like the snow is melting. Not sure what our dinner plans are (Adam's pick) and then we are hoping to go see the Lights at the Toledo Zoo. Hopefully it's not too cold!

New Years Eve we were invited to a kid friendly party with promises of booze and Wii! Can't beat that, can you?! Not sure if we are going or not, but with no plans... I don't see why we wouldn't. And then New Years Day is the Rose Bowl! Can't miss that. My aunt wants us to come over at some point but not sure what time... just hope it's way before the game starts so we can be back here to watch it. I mean, I suppose we could always watch there, but the house is too small and too crowded. Guess we will play it by ear.

Our last Christmas is at my dad's on Saturday (the 2nd). Since my brother wasn't getting in town until yesterday and my dad works during the week, I figured that would be the best time to do it. No time has been set yet, but I am thinking sometime in the afternoon. Guess I should find out what we are eating and if I should bring something.

Yah, so that is our week coming up and I still need to get together with a few people... I hate when I am in town and can't get together with friends. There are a couple I haven't seen in FOREVER and miss so much but we always seem to not be in town at the same time or not make the time to get together when we are. Something needs to change, I think.

Six Word Saturday

2009-12-26T07:05:00.000-08:00

*Shopping for Christmas 2010 can begin*

Christmas

2009-12-25T06:59:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a big

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope you all get everything you asked Santa for! Lots of well behaved children, fun times, sweet husbands/wives, big hugs and strong drinks (as needed). Here is to a happy remainder of 2009 and all the best to come in the new year!

Traditions

2009-12-24T06:54:00.001-08:00

Today is Christmas Eve and our usual tradition is to eat dinner with the in laws, go to church, then come back to the house to open presents. This year is going to be different though. Since John's brother won't be able to make it Christmas Eve, we won't be doing presents until Sunday morning. Hopefully the kids don't mind, which I am sure they won't but I still worry. We kept things as normal as possible around here though... we opened our presents Sunday and Santa even left some big items for the kids. We spent all day Saturday making cookies and Tuesday we headed to Ohio after the kids got out of school.

We don't really have any other family traditions but Christmas Eve has always been Lexi's favorite part of the whole holiday season. Thankfully it's the church part and not the presents part. Next year we will be starting a new tradition with the Elf on the Shelf that I got this year and never put out.

What are your family traditions? Any new ones you started this year?

Out of Town

2009-12-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

In place of What's for Dinner Wednesday I just wanted to let all of you (I don't know, 12 readers, if that) that I will be out of town for the next couple of weeks. I will have internet access but with the Holidays I am not sure how often I will be on.

Our plans right now don't even start until after Christmas, which is crazy but we will deal with it. We did Christmas with the kid and Santa yesterday so they won't be expecting anything Christmas morning (can't wait to surprise them with another visit from Santa though).

So anyway... if you don't hear from me, it's just cause we are busy, not because I am being lazy. I am going to try to write up a few posts and schedule them so you at least have something to read. That way you know I am still alive and don't go through Bri withdrawals :p

It's Official

2009-12-22T06:40:00.000-08:00

It is NOW winter! Yesterday was the first day of winter and you wouldn't know it with all the snow we have already got. A couple weeks ago we were slammed with blizzard like conditions and 8+ inches of snow. We even had snow back in October when my kids were playing soccer. What a nice welcome back to the Midwest for us, not!

So thinking back on winters past for this week's Time Travel Tuesday would be much easier if I didn't have mush for brains. I do remember my favorite part of winter, growing up, was going sledding. Something my kids have rarely gotten to do. And I think only Lexi & Jacob have ever gone sledding and that was years ago. Living in Georgia for 4 years and not getting much snow while home for Christmas has prevented them from enjoying that part of the season.

This year we are living in Iowa and have a small hill in our front yard... nothing like the giant hill that in my front yard as a kid. The hill we would sled down and slide right into the street from. It was a blast. I can only hope my kids can know that kind of fun. Yah, we do fun things but there are some things you just can't skip... like sledding down BIG hills!

So anyway, with all the snow we have been getting and probably more to come now we just need sleds. All my kid are little snow bunnies and loved it when we played outside. I can only imagine the excitement they will get from going sledding. Maybe there will be time while we are in Ohio and we can go with my niece and nephew since they too have never gone sledding. What a blast that would be... my family, my brother's family and my sister all together sledding. Let's hope it works out that way!

Movie Review Monday

2009-12-21T06:28:00.003-08:00

Would you believe it if I told you we haven't watched any movies this week?! Yah, I wouldn't believe it either. Now the real question is, have I watched anything I haven't reviewed yet. My brain doesn't seem to want to work this morning so the answer to that question is still unknown.

Last night I had intended on going to see a new movie with a couple of friends. Either Precious or The Blind Side sounded good and were at a good time too. However, I decided that I like hanging out and chit chatting with my friends and sitting in a movie for two hours would make that near impossible... no, I take that back... it would be impossible because I am not a movie talker. It drives me nuts, so I won't do it to others.

Anyway, amid all my rambling about not going to a movie, I remembered a movie we have seen recently that I know I haven't reviewed because it was the first time ever seeing it. Ever hear of the movie Taken? No? I don't know... maybe you have, but I know I didn't. When I read the description after John getting it from Netflix though, it made me want to see it. So after having lost the movie for two weeks we finally watched it.

Taken: A 17yr old girl is kidnapped in Paris along with her friend. The locals are trafficking young women travelling alone in the country, getting them addicted to drugs and turning them for profit. The father of the 17yr old happens to be on the phone with his daughter when the girls are kidnapped and he just so happens to be ex-military with friends in high places. He heads off to find his daughter which he only has 96hrs at best, to do. The movie was very intense and very good. Think Bond saving the girl and killing 1267 people in one shot. Ok, so most of it wasn't believable but what action movie antics are?! It was still a good movie. Pick it up the next time you are out (or get it from Netflix, at least it isn't going to cost you extra if you don't like it, right?)

Thrifty Thursday

2009-12-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a last minute Christmas gift for those hard to buy for people? Why bother with going out to the crowded, overpriced stores when you could possibly find the perfect gift right in your own house?

I am talking about baked goodies! Cookies, fudge, chex mix, puppy chow, anything chocolate covered, trail mix, and the list goes on and on. Today I am going to give you some recipes that are sure to be a HUGE hit this holiday season. And who doesn't love goodies!

Chex mix is a huge hit in our house. We make it every year, and several times each year. Better than trail mix but takes a bit longer. If you want to just go with a trail mix, get a big ziploc bag and throw a variety of snacks in there. Peanuts, cashews, m&m's, reese's pieces, raisins, goldfish crackers, pretzels. Shake it up, then fill a decorative tin or jar as a gift. Chex mix is very similar but you have to cook it. You will need all three flavors of Chex, pretzels, mixed nuts, cheerios and if you want you can also do Bugles or an extra can of cashews (like we do). You can find the recipe for that here. We always skip the bagel chips, but you can use those too.

Our favorite holiday cookie around here are Buckeyes. Being from Ohio, and HUGE Ohio State fans, you shouldn't be surprised. These are chocolate, peanut butter, sugary goodness. Basically the only ingredients you need are peanut butter, melted chocolate, and powdered sugar. You also need a bit of butter and vanilla extract and you can find the recipe here. Unless your recipient has a peanut allergy, these are probably the best home baked gift you can give. So yummy.

Fudge is one of those things that sounds difficult but well worth it. Plus it is so versatile, you can add different flavorings and textures (like nuts, m&m's and even bits of peppermint). I bought a fudge kit made by carnation for right around $6 which makes two trays of fudge. I have not made it yet, but it seems easy enough. Here is a link to making the perfect fudge.

Some of the easiest things you can make are anything chocolate covered. We have done chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered triscuits and chocolate covered animal crackers. Other things you can cover in chocolate include peppermint sticks/candy canes and cherries. Pretty much any kind of cookie can be chocolate covered too. All you need is one package of "make your own almond bark" in chocolate (you could do vanilla too) and your choice of snack to dip. Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe dish then dip. Lay snack to dry on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Once they are dry/hard, transfer to a decorative tin or jar, or you can put on a colorful paper plate and wrap in festive saran wrap. What kinds of things would YOU cover in chocolate?!

There are so many things you can make for your gifts this year. I hope you find something that intriques you to either give to someone or try yourself. If you are reading this from facebook and the links don't work... just do a Google search. The chex mix recipe can be found on the chex website and the perfect fudge was found on allrecipes.com. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy!

What's For Dinner Wednesday

2009-12-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

We were originally supposed to be having steak, corn pudding, baked beans and salad for dinner tonight but since yesterday was an uber stressful day I didn't make what I had planned for last night. Instead, I went to Toys R Us and Target with a couple friends. Such an amazing stress reliever. So tonight we will be having baked porkchops, mashed potatoes, green beans and salad.

For my porkchops I usually just coat them in breadcrumbs. Rinse them well, dip in an egg and then cover with breadcrumbs. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 30 minutes. So easy when you don't really want to make dinner (that is if the porkchops are already thawed LoL).

My mashed potatoes are so yummy. There are three secret ingredients. The first is cream cheese. Instead of using so much milk to make them creamy, use a bit of cream cheese. A half block to a full block depending on how many potatoes you are using. Mix that in with the potatoes, a half - one stick of butter (again depending on number of potatoes) and maybe 1/8 cup of milk (more if the potatoes still seem too dry). After you have the potatoes as smooth as you want them, you can then add the remaining secret ingredients which are seasoning salt and garlic salt. Shake in a decent amount and stir well. You will not be disappointed in these mashed potatoes. They are perfect... no need to add butter, extra salt or gravy :)

So what are YOU having for dinner?

Can You Believe It?

2009-12-15T07:08:00.001-08:00

Christmas is NEXT week! Ok, so it's not til the end of the week, but still... next week is Christmas!!!

I have finished my shopping... as I stated a couple weeks ago... and now I have started wrapping. I think I got all the things for our extended family done, and all the things for John. I will work on getting the kids' done today and then we need to decide when Santa is coming.

Do we have him come before we go to Ohio like we usually do? Do we have him come while we are in Toledo so the kids can be surprised when they get home? Or do we have him come to Toledo and leave presents under the tree at the in-laws? Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. But whatever we decide, we need to decide soon. Santa needs to be kept in the loop.

Movie Review Monday

2009-12-14T06:54:00.003-08:00

Boondock Saints:
My husband bought this movie on Blu-Ray yesterday. He put it in last night and I must say, as much as I didn't want to watch it, I stayed up for almost the entire thing. My attention was divided between the movie and Facebook, but for the most part I couldn't take my eyes off the movie... neither could my two 3yr olds. Not really something they should be watching, so thankfully one of them fell asleep pretty quick. If you have not seen this, it is very violent (the main characters are offing all the bad guys in town) and very colorfully worded. Every other word had to be a swear word. While there was a lot of blood, I didn't think it was very gory (is that even how you spell that?!). A great, action packed movie. So I guess my friend Trista was right... she said I would like it, then I would want to go see the new Boondock Saints movie. I am thinking we need to find a sitter and make it a double date, what do you think?!

The Best Birth Story Ever

2009-12-12T13:11:00.006-08:00

Three years ago today I was in labor with my beautiful baby girl. If you weren't around to hear my birth story you will not want to miss this.

***

I've given birth 6 times. Only one of which wasn't induced and that was the most exciting one. I must warn you though, do not drink or eat anything while reading this. I cannot be held responsible if you choke on an apple or spit coke all over your keyboard.

December 10th 2006:
It's two days before my due date and I have been having some minor contractions all day. I had originally been told I would not go past December 8th. As you can see, that was not the case. This is what happens when you see 3 different people for your ob visits.

I began timing my contractions around dinner time. Seven minutes apart. I knew that once they were 5 minutes apart then I should get to the hospital. How I was getting there was another story. My husband was "in the field" and had been for a couple weeks already. If you aren't a military wife you probably have no idea what "in the field" means. Basically he is training out in a field somewhere close but it takes 6 hours and 12 guys to get in contact with him. Okay, so I may be exaggerating on that but it does seem to take FOREVER.

I had never gone into labor on my own before so you could say I was new to this. After three 7 minute apart contractions my uterus gave up. That was that. No baby today.

December 11th 2006:
Ahhh, one more day until my due date. How was I going to go past my due date. I HAD to go into labor tonight, or tomorrow. I have never even seen my due date without holding a baby in my arms. Misery set in weeks ago and I was saying the whole pregnancy that this little girl would be coming early. She just HAD to prove me wrong.

I have an appointment in the morning and I am demanding that I be induced NO LATER THAN Friday. I am not giving in, no way, no how. I just couldn't see why they weren't as concerned with my child's health as I was. {Background: my first pregnancy ended in a stillbirth at 26wks. One of the causes of death was a placental insufficiency - the placenta wasn't doing it's job - this being the reason I was induced every other time.}

The day came and went faster than I could even believe. I had a few contractions but nothing worth writing home about. Still no sign of baby.

December 12th 2006:
D-Day, as I like to refer to it. I was quite looking forward to my appointment at 1030am. I also had playgroup immediately following and had no intentions of missing it. I dropped my two oldest off at school and, shortly after, I headed to my appointment.

I was curious to see if I had dilated any since my last appointment. After all the contractions I had been having I was hoping to hear, "Wow! You are already at a 3. It won't be much longer before you are holding your baby." Not sure it actually would have accounted to much seeing as the last visit she said, "I wouldn't be surprised if this was the last time we saw you before you have this baby." Surprise, I'm back and NO baby yet.

Needless to say that was not the news I received when she checked my cervix. Imagine how disappointed I was when I heard, "You are a good 1, stretchable to a 2." She HAD to be kidding. That's what I was last time and the time before that. What was the point of the pain I've been through the last few weeks? Still not entirely sure.

She offered to strip my membranes "to get things going" just like she had the week before. The last time I surprised myself by turning her down. With my husband in the field I decided I better just try and wait it out. Now he would be out of the field in two days so I didn't see the harm in trying. Of course it wouldn't help anyways, it never does. I was doomed to be pregnant until they induced. I would never get to experience natural childbirth.

I "demanded" I be induced on Friday. She checked the schedule and wouldn't you know it, there were no openings. They were booked solid but they would schedule for Monday and if anything changed before then they would put me in on Friday. Yay, wonderful, at least I have a date now.

It didn't seem to calm my nerves at all. I was still worried about the baby. How could I go SIX days past my due date. I would go crazy for sure. And my baby? How would she do being inside me for SIX MORE DAYS!? I suppose the good part is daddy would be able to be there. He missed his last son being born; at least he wouldn't miss his last daughter's birth.

I left feeling let down and a bit crampy. I wasn't concerned with the cramps as they were normal after an exam. I just went about my day as I had already planned. I still had time to make it to playgroup; it was just about noon and we were meeting them at the mall at 1.

I arrived at the mall to meet playgroup and I was hoping they had actually shown up. I would hate to have already been let down once and show up to find no one had actually come. I was not let down a second time. They were there and excited to see me.

I told them about my appointment and how I wouldn't be induced until the following week. They knew how much I had wanted to have this baby already so I jokingly said, "I could still have her today if these cramps keep up."

For the next hour I had dull cramps and they didn't really bother me. I continued to converse with the other moms and take pictures of the kids playing. Some of the moms kept asking if I was okay. I seemed okay, or so I thought. I told them I was fine, the cramps weren't even regular. I knew as long as I could go about my day, talk, walk, etc that I was fine.

I remember checking my watch at about 220pm and by this time my "cramps" were becoming regular. They were 7 minutes apart and I hadn't told anyone. I wasn't worried as I could still handle them. I was very nonchalant about the whole thing. Some of the girls had to leave so we all decided to walk out together.

On the way out of the mall we stopped at Target. A couple of the girls were shopping and one asked if I was alright. I really thought I was fine so I assured her I was.

"Yah, they are about 7 minutes apart now." This seemed to shock them.
"Are you ok or do we need to take you to the hospital?" they asked.
"Oh no, I'm fine. I had some contractions like this on Sunday as well." This satisfied them for the time being.

We went about our shopping for another half an hour or so. We left the mall shortly before 3 because I had to get my older two from school. As we were leaving I mentioned my contractions now were about 5 minutes apart. My friends grew more concerned and thought they should follow me home. In hindsight, I wish they had. I told them I would be fine and I would talk to them later.

Before even leaving the parking lot of the mall my contractions were back to being 7-8 minutes apart. I was under the impression that if they were not regular then they were not "real" contractions. Boy, would I ever be proven wrong!

I headed to the kids' school. I made a number of phone calls on my way (the last of which was to my husband). I called my aunt; I suggested I may be in labor and she said to keep her posted. I called my friend Kristen; she accused me of lying. She didn't believe I was in labor but then again, neither did I. I called my friend Callie; she is the one that convinced me to get in touch with my husband. She could tell I was in labor. I tried calling my husband numerous times on his cellphone to let him know that I "might" be in labor. I didn't get an answer so I stopped trying.

I finally got the kids from school and headed home around 330pm. By this time it started to sink in that I really could be in labor. The contractions were fairly close together but I had stopped timing them. Really, how do you time contractions while unloading 4 kids out of the car?!

I realized I had to get in touch with my husband so I finally got on the phone to staff duty.

"Staff Duty this is Sgt C."
"Hi, I'm trying to get in touch with Lieutenant John. This is his wife and I am in labor."

And of all the stupid things someone could say, this is what I get...

"Lieutenant John is in the field. Can I take a message?"

Now, did I not just say why I was calling? And would I be calling staff duty if he wasn't in the field?"

As calmly as possible I replied, "Yah, this is his wife and I'm in labor. THAT is the message."
He seemed flustered at this point. "Oh, ok, I'll get that message to him right away."

I later found out he never actually got the message. The connection was fuzzy and all he heard was wife. He immediately left knowing I must be in labor.

I hadn't even considered who I was getting to take me to the hospital. I called the only friend I could get in touch with but she was still 45 minutes away. It was now 340pm. I then called my husband's cousin to come watch the kids as he had agreed to. He said he would be right over.

Scott (John's cousin) showed up not 10 minutes later and I was sitting on the couch while my kids ran amok. I was too immersed in the contractions to even think straight at this point.

"Are you ok?" he asks.

Seriously, who in their own right mind asks a woman in labor this?

The only thing I could muster was, "I don't know." I knew that was not a good sign.

I didn't know what I should do. Thinking unclearly I called my friend back. I told her I was loading the kids into the car and Scott was taking me to the hospital. She could meet me there. I knew there was no way she would make it to the house in time.

We were finally pulling out of the driveway about 4ish. As Scott drove, I frantically tried getting in touch with the doctor's office. Not having done this before I wasn't sure what to do. Do I go to the office or the ER or straight to Labor & Delivery? I couldn't get in touch with anyone at the office so I decided to try John back again. Still no answer on his phone. I probably called 20 times already.

About 3 miles from my house we got stopped by the second red light in less than a minute. I remember telling him I wouldn't care if he ran the red light (he was driving my car) and as soon as it was clear, he did. I can only imagine what the other drivers were thinking. What would you be thinking?

Scott was driving like a maniac and I didn't care. I knew my kids were in the car but I was so scared of having that baby in the car. Every story I had ever heard about someone delivering in the car was going through my head.

We were nearing the hospital when we got stuck in traffic. It was a two lane road with tons of traffic coming towards us and trees on the left. That was when my water broke, about 415pm. I began to freak. My last baby was born just 10 minutes after my water broke. I knew it, I was going to have this baby in the car. I went into panic mode.

I started to call the doctor's office just one more time when John finally got through to me. I was crying and frantic. I told him my water broke and he said he was on his way. I can only imagine how fast he was driving.

Traffic was at a standstill and there was no where to go, except on the shoulder, through the trees. I told Scott to drive on the shoulder, my water had broke and the baby was coming NOW! My window was all the way down because it was the only thing keeping me from completely losing it. As we drove through the trees I was being smacked in the arm by random branches and the side of the van was being scratched up. I did not care.

Scott is beeping at every car that we pass. We got up about 6 or 7 cars when we couldn't go any further. The shoulder was no longer just a shoulder, there was a curb too. We couldn't exactly drive over it. I was again freaking.

Traffic started to move and Scott wedged his way into the line. I started to feel lots of pressure and knew the baby was coming. Like a scene straight from a movie, Scott maneuvered into the left turn lane and sped up in front of 3 cars to go straight through the light. I'm sure he ticked a lot of people off but I wasn't in any state of concern for them.

I was really scared this baby was coming. Traffic slowed once again. With the hospital in sight I picked up my cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. Yes, I called 9-1-1!!! I was not in my right mind and I did NOT want to have the baby in the car. The operator couldn't understand what I was saying so I tried calming down as best as I could. He assured me they would be waiting for me at the main entrance.

We pulled up the entrance and Scott, bless his heart, jumps out yelling, "She's in labor and the baby is coming NOW! We need some help." He gets a funny look from a man standing by the door but he nonchalantly gets a wheelchair. He was slower than molasses in winter time, or so it seemed to me as I was "dying" in the car. Although the pain had let up, I could still feel all that pressure.

Scott opened my door and even had to take my seatbelt off. I just couldn't get my arms and legs to cooperate. I was in a daze and soaked from my water breaking. This guy that brought the wheelchair took me into the hospital where he transferred me over to another guy in the elevator. I felt like a piece of mail. "This needs to go to the third floor. Could you run it up there for me?"

Elevator guy as I will call him walks just as slow as door guy. Even worse though, he doesn't know where to take me. He stops at every possible desk on the way to Labor & Delivery. Thank goodness I was already registered and thank goodness the nurses believed him when he told them I said "the baby is coming!"

I was rushed into a room where I threw (literally) my purse and my phone into a chair. I stripped out of my sopping wet jeans (yes, I could wear jeans at 40wks pregnant, and they weren't maternity either... how jealous are you?) but I kept my shirt on (that was maternity if you makes you feel any better).

It was about 430 when I finally got to push. I was there all by myself with a bunch of nurses and my doctor. My husband didn't make it and my friend didn't make it but the only thing I cared about was delivering this baby. I pushed maybe 10 times and let out a few loud screams and my little girl was born at 445pm. Sara Mackenzie weighed in at 7lbs 5oz.

My friend finally got to come in the room about 5pm after the doctor stitched me up and that is when I started making phone calls. I got in touch with John at 510. Since he had already missed the birth I sent him to the house to get my hospital bag. In all the excitement, and denial, I left it at home. He finally made it at 6 and got to meet his daughter when they brought her back from the nursery at 9.

It was a wild and crazy day but I am so glad I was able to experience labor on my own. I'm still not convinced I actually got a hold of the right 9-1-1 operator since no one was waiting for me at the hospital... anyone know how that works when you have an out of state cell phone? Oh well, good thing I didn't end up having her in the car. Although, that would be an interesting story to read huh?

Up until July 2009: I still got flashbacks whenever I drove through the light that Scott ran or when driving towards the hospital. As nerve wracking as that day was I'm glad that I can have those flashbacks. What fun are the flashbacks from my other births? 'Well I had my aunt drop me off at the ER. I signed in and they wheeled me up to labor and delivery where they started me with cervadil to soften my cervix.' Not very exciting is it... I hope that everyone gets to experience this at least once. Oh, and cut the cord. That is the most amazing thing outside of childbirth.

Six Word Saturday

2009-12-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my Sara Bear!

MIA

2009-12-08T16:00:00.003-08:00

Yah yah yah... no surprise there, right?! Ok, so the blog is going to be put on the back burner this week. We are getting some massive snow storm tonight (we already got 3 inches this morning) and I have been busy with stocking the cupboards and preparing for any problems we may encounter, like having firewood for the fireplace in case the power goes out (which they say could happen, and for an extended period of time... and that would not be fun without a toasty fire) and making sure my snowed in kids can be kicked out of the house if need be (but I promise when it is below zero I won't leave them out too long, heehee, joking!)

So anyway... in case I don't get back to bloggerland this week, that is why. I promise I will come back with snowy pics though cause the kids and I had a blast playing outside today :)

Six Word Saturday

2009-12-05T16:39:00.002-08:00

No Help When Daddy's Back Hurts

Fun Photo Friday

2009-12-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

Thrifty Thursday

2009-12-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

My Thrift Thursdays always start out with FREE breakfast at Chick Fil A. The restaurant here in Davenport, on 53rd St, is offering a free breakfast item every Thursday until the end of the year. I am not sure what we will do when they stop offering it, but for now, it has become a great weekly outing for our playgroup.

I am not sure what this week's entree is but they offer one of the following each week... chik'n'minis, biscuits & gravy, chik'n'biscuit, or cinnamon clusters. Since I only ever have just Sara and Adam with me I only end up spending less than $5 for us to eat breakfast. Three of the free items, two chocolate milks, an orange juice and order of hashbrowns and we are good to go.

We usually hang around for an hour or so and chit chat with friends. The kids always run off and play in the indoor play area. Our Chick Fil A even offers mouthwash in the bathrooms to promote good dental hygiene and hand sanitizer wipes for when the kid's are done playing to prevent the spread of germs. It is a very family friendly place and a great breakfast on a budget.

Do you guys have any places like that?!

I usually head over to Target afterwards and I always, always, always check their clearance rack. There is one hidden over behind electronics, near the hardware stuff. You can usually find some cheap games but sometimes their clearance prices just aren't low enough for me so I pass it up. They have them located in several areas throughout the store, so you just have to keep your eyes open. I also look for unadvertised deals, especially on Blu Rays. A lot of times I can find them for 20 bucks or less but I have to stop myself from buying them EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I walk in there LoL We just got our Blu Ray player in August and we already have at least 20 Blu Rays. Yes, my hubby is spoiled.

Do you guys know where to find the clearance racks in your store of choice?

And So It Begins...

2009-12-01T07:28:00.001-08:00

December is officially upon us. And with that comes sooo many things to do.

Sara turns 3 on December 12th and Adam turns 4 on December 30th! Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday John was coming home from Iraq and knocking me up. Now my babies are getting so big, so smart and so talkative. For Sara's birthday I am planning an indoor teddy bear picnic and for Adam's we are letting him pick where we go for dinner and then going to see the lights at the Toledo Zoo. Should be a fun night. Hopefully it's not too cold or too nasty out for us to go.

School lets out for winter break on December 22nd. It doesn't feel like the school year is almost half over already. The kids have fit in so well at their new school and have only missed 1 day so far this year {knock on wood}. We may head out of town earlier than the 22nd to avoid holiday traffic if we can.

My brother is coming to Toledo for the first time in YEARS! Since his wife was pregnant with their first child, actually, and she is 4 now! I used one of John's credit cards to pay for them all to come home since they have a new baby too... a new baby that is almost a year old! I cannot wait to see them!

Christmas is going to be all out of whack this year. Since my brother isn't coming into town until after Christmas we are not getting together with my side of the family until the 29th (with my mom) and the 2nd of January (with my dad). I still don't know when we are doing Christmas with my dad's side of the family since we aren't doing it on Christmas like we usually do. And Christmas with the in laws is usually Christmas Eve but we aren't sure if John's brother & his wife are going to be in town. So I guess the only traditional part of Christmas this year will be going to church on Christmas Eve... which just happens to be Lexi's favorite holiday tradition, so it works out.

This year we will have Santa bring a couple gifts for the kids to Ohio so they have something to open Christmas morning. We don't usually do that because that is more that we have to bring home but we are making sure Santa keeps it small this year. Everything else will come from us at some point before we leave for Ohio. Squeezing that in shouldn't be too hard... getting it all wrapped before then though, hmmmm. LoL

I am sure more stuff will come up between now and Christmas though... so what are your December plans?

Movie Review Monday

2009-11-30T08:03:00.003-08:00

In a last minute decision I asked two friends to go see a movie with me on Saturday night. We all wanted to see New Moon and two of our daughters did too. We left two daddies here with 5 kids (two went with us, one was staying at the other girl's house) and we went to enjoy a nice night out.

We got to the theater about 630pm and got our tickets for the 7pm show. I bought all the tickets... three adults and two kids at the military rate for just $34.50. Not bad for a Saturday night showing of a new movie.

I didn't spend anything at the concession stand since I had one friend pay for Lexi's snacks and the other friend pay for mine. We all got our own 1-2-3 Go Box. A fantastic idea, if you ask me. You get a kid's sized drink, a small (or maybe a little smaller than a small) popcorn and a regular sized bag of candy (or snack of choice). I got popcorn, a red icee and peanut m&m's for $7 and it was the perfect amount. Makes it so much easier than trying to share a large popcorn with 5 people and then buying a drink for everyone. Might be a little more expensive, but not much... plus the convenience makes it worth it.

We got in the movie and watched a few previews before it started. Once it started the girls behind us were super annoying which makes me glad I didn't try to go when it first came out. They would be saying things before they happened and were constantly talking about how hot Jacob is and that he could turn them into a werewolf anytime. The two girls we took were entranced in the movie and didn't make a peep the entire time.

I have not read the books so my review will probably be different than those that have read them, but I prefer to see the movies first because the movie is NEVER as good as the book. So here is my opinion...

The movie was great. Bella is forced to be apart from Edward and it breaks her until she realizes that the more danger she puts herself in, the more she will see Edward. She then starts hanging out with Jacob who makes her feel so much better. I felt bad for Jacob with her flip flopping between the two but you can see how much she loves Edward. Very intense at some parts and kinda keeps you wondering what is going to happen next (if you haven't read the books of course). Even if you don't like vampire movies or have never read the books, you will probably still like the movies. My kids love them and I found myself wondering when the next one would be out before I was even finished watching this one.

I will never be a Twilight addict, like some... but I do like the movies and I will probably end up buying them at some point.

After the movie we signed up for the StarPass... it gets you points for every dollar you spend (I think it's 10pts per dollar) and it will spit out coupons on occasion just when buying something at the box office or the concession stand. My friend spent $14 at concessions and a free movie ticket coupon spit out just from using her StarPass (which is free to sign up for, by the way). So if you have a National Amusements nearby, definitely sign up for that. They will even let you claim what you spent that day before signing up (at least they did at our theater, but the manager is super nice).

Almost Done

2009-11-29T18:04:00.003-08:00

I started my Christmas shopping back in March. Yes, you read that right! I shop all year trying to find great deals for my kids and other family members.

It is usually super easy to buy stuff for my kids but then when everyone asks what to get them, I have NOOOO idea. Maybe I should just stop shopping. That would make my hubby very happy but it is my stress reliever. I LOVE to shop and I love buying new things for the people that I love... especially my kids and my hubby. So if I did stop shopping, they would probably wonder who I was and what I did with Bri :)

Anyway... I have finished my shopping for my kids and I am just about done with the hubby. This weekend I knocked out a few more people from my list and already got some Christmas cards out BEFORE Thanksgiving.

So yah, I am ALMOST DONE! YAY!

My Black Friday Savings

2009-11-28T08:46:00.002-08:00

Toys R Us
Spent - $47.32
Saved - $56.17

Old Navy
Spent - $4.96
Saved - $100.49

Kohl's
Spent - $32.08
Saved - $35.00

Target
Spent - $291.84
Saved - $155.99

Walmart
Spent - $75.93
Saved - $56.88

Kmart
Spent - $21.38
Saved - $29.99

Victoria's Secret
Spent -$42.27
Saved - $10 plus got a secret reward worth at least $10 but up to $500!!!

Barnes & Noble
Spent - $52.42
Saved - $16.00

Total Black Friday Savings - $460.52 plus what my secret reward ends up being!

Six Word Saturday

2009-11-28T07:58:00.002-08:00

***Black Friday is Better with Friends***

Fun Photo Friday - The Rest of Our Experience

2009-11-28T07:19:00.005-08:00

After leaving Old Navy we went straight to Kohl's. We got there at 359am... the line was super long and there was hardly any parking. We waited a couple minutes in the car for them to open the doors then headed over. We quickly found what we wanted and got in line. I check the line on the opposite side of the store and to my surprise I could not find the end... both lines merged in the middle of the back of the store, so we stayed where we were. There was no drama and the line went pretty quick.

We got to Target at 445am. The line wrapped around the store and we had considered waiting for the doors to open at 5am before heading in but am glad we didn't. The line went from the front door, all around the side of the building and more than halfway around the BACK of the store. Thankfully the line moved quick into the store and people were NOT crazy. We went straight into the video game section... I got the movies I wanted AND the LAST of one of the video games I wanted. We then headed over the home section where I found the mixer I was looking for. To my surprise I found EVERYTHING on my list and we were in line within an hour. We checked out, took a potty break and got our FREE medium drink!

We then headed over to Walmart. We couldn't hardly find anything we were looking for but did find some great deals. Trista got a Sony Blu Ray player for $30 less than it was advertised for and a game was half off of what she thought it was... so it was a GREAT trip for her!

After Walmart we headed over to Kmart and saw Santa on a bike! He was nice enough to pose for a picture but I swear he was following us :p I found a couple things I was looking for but not everything. The line even went pretty quick and again, no drama.

We then decided to head to my house for breakfast since it was about 8am but when we got home the kitchen was still a disaster from Thanksgiving and breakfast wouldn't be for awhile. Kristina started falling asleep so we decided to head on over to the mall. Our feet were feeling a little better so it was a good break. Unfortunately, coming home first made us just BARELY miss out on getting the free tote bag from Victoria's Secret. I did get a few people crossed off my list and we made it home just in time for breakfast.

Kristina and I ate a little bit of breakfast then us tired out mamas fell asleep on the couch. Kristina left before Trista and I even woke up. We napped for about 30-40 minutes... it was a good cat nap. I then went back to bed after 3pm when my in laws left and slept until 7 this morning.

All in all it was a great Black Friday... it was cold, crazy and crowded but it was FUN!

The check out line in front of us at Kohl's

Waiting at Kohl's
The front of Target at 445am
The side of Target at 445am
The back of Target at 445am
Inside Target
Waiting to check out at Target
Look it's Santa!
See, he's following us!
*I didn't get any pics at Walmart or the mall, sorry*

Fun Photo Friday - Old Navy

2009-11-28T06:50:00.004-08:00

We got to Old Navy about 1240am. (Yes, it only took 40 minutes to get into TRU, get what we wanted, check out, wait for Trista and drive to Old Navy LoL) We had hoped to wait in the car for a little bit since it was below 30 degrees outside but there were already about 20 people standing in line. This is the place I wish we had brought our chairs. It was so cold! The building didn't block the wind like Toys R Us did and there was no one selling hot chocolate. Oh, I forgot to mention that... while standing at TRU there was a guy selling hot chocolate from the back of his truck. Donations only, and the profits go to Toys for Tots. If he was lying, that is pretty shitty but even had he said "Just to make a buck." I still would have given him 3 bucks for 3 cups of hot cocoa. It's an ingenius idea!

So anyway... we get in line and start talking to a woman and a couple guys about our experience at Toys R Us. Then up walks a lady that we saw at Toys R Us. She starts chit chatting with us and come to find out... it's the Zhu Zhu Pet ticket lady that tried snagging a ticket and was asking us if we had heard the ladies yelling at her. Little did she know, it was us that were part of that and we just laughed. She ended up getting a ticket and admitted to not knowing what it was for and ended up giving it to someone else.

Channel 8 news showed up and interviewed a couple kids and probably got me and Trista swaying in sync but I don't see it posted online anywhere and I never catch the news. The lady behind us kept trying to get the news lady to let her say "Hi" to her husband but she wouldn't. Thank the Lord! She was annoying. She proved how annoying she was when the doors finally opened. Once again she pushed her way in front of us to get a ticket for the Lego Rock Band game which turned into more drama for us. The guy (and girl) handing out the tickets almost wouldn't give one to Trista because "She already got you one." Umm, no she didn't. She wasn't even with us. I am sure her mom behind us got one of her own too, whom she said she was grabbing it for. There was also a mad rush for the door from the crowd gathering in the parking lot that wouldn't get in the long line that went 4 stores down. They ended up opening the other doors which pissed a lot of people off... you know, the ones waiting hours upon hours to get in. They were, however, only giving out tickets at the door we were at but maybe they should have posted that so people could line up at both doors or they should have handed out the tickets before they opened just like Toys R Us did. Then we could have warmed our frozen toes in the car for a bit without worrying about not getting a copy of the FREE game.

We finally got in, got what we wanted and headed for the checkout. Not before losing each other, Trista & Kristina getting dizzy and running into Rebekah and baby Rin (only 4wks old, so they waited in the car for the doors to open). I got Jacob two pairs of jeans, a long sleeve polo and Lego Rock Band for less than $30 and I spent less than $5 cause I had a $25 gift card. It was soooo worth it waiting in that line. Although there is no way I could have done it without my amazing friends... they made the 2 1/2 hours just fly by.

Waiting in the CCCCCold!

The line in front of us

Waiting to check out
Rebekah, Baby Rin & Heather

The line behind us

Poor Trista got dizzy :(

We STILL look cold :p

Fun Photo Friday - Toys R Us

2009-11-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

When we got to Toys R Us the parking lot wasn't too bad. We pulled through a spot on the far end of the parking lot hoping to be able to get out quickly when we ran in, got what we needed and ran back out. The line wasn't too long either. They had carts forming a barrier so people couldn't push their way in the front of the line at the door when they opened and we were just past the end of those carts, near the exit... so not too far back at all. As time got closer we heard people saying that TRU was going to be handing out coupons for their popular items to the first 100 people but we didn't know what it was for. People were speculating and someone else said that it was for Zhu Zhu Pets, the hottest toy of the year... but we never saw them advertised any where. Sure enough, when they came out though, they handed out 100 tickets for those cute, battery operated hamsters. We got ours, but not without a little drama. One woman, who claims to have been in line just behind us, walked up to where we were standing trying to get a ticket. The people in front of us were yelling that she wasn't in line, we said the same thing, and she yells back "My daughter has been standing RIGHT back here!" Ok, maybe that was true but if it was, you could have been standing with your daughter waiting to get your ticket and would have gotten one without jumping in front of other customers. We, however, had not seen her once since we got in line. 30 minutes later, the doors opened. As we got up near the door a woman tried pushing her way through the cart barrier and got into an altercation with the people in front of us. The line jumping woman pushed a 16 year old and the mom was about to beat some ass... actually she threatened to shoot her in the head if she touched her daughter again. I intervened and stopped the fight. I told the people in front of us to just go in and the lady to go back to the end of the line. She said, "Get your arm off of me." to which I replied, "We have been standing in line since 930 (close, but not exactly true) and they have been waiting longer, you need to go back to the end of the line." Her only retort was that they lady in front of us threatened her, which some how gave her the rights to go in without waiting for hours like the rest of us. A manager and security came out and I finally made my way in to the store. I heard they let her come in anyway... but whatever. The store was crowded... I grabbed some cheap diapers to make a diaper cake (I had coupons on top of it) and Kristina & Trista headed over to the video game section. They gave away the game Kristina was looking for right in front of her, and then found the game I was looking for. We headed up the check out and didn't wait for very long. TRU does it where they have arrows where the line goes... usually within an hour of opening the line wraps around the entire inside of the store but we were lucky to get our stuff and get in line within about 10 minutes. I gave my coupon to Kristina for my Zhu Zhu Pet but they wouldn't let her use two, so I ended up paying for hers (and she gave me the cash for it). As I was checking out my total came to $143... and there was NO WAY! It should have been like $80. I always have issues at Toys R Us. I may never shop there again... at least not when I am trying to get a deal. Anyway, it turned out one the video games I was getting was not on sale like I had read on a deal blog (or maybe it wasn't on sale until 5am... they did run some deals starting at midnight and others starting at 5) so I had her take that off and then another game was the wrong game, thanks to the employee back there. And it wasn't only me he did it to... it was EVERYONE that asked for it. We finally got everything fixed and taken care of, but I think checking out took longer than finding what we wanted. We then had to wait for Trista to take a potty break... when we left TRU the line was STILL super long out the door. We then headed over to Old Navy. They were opening at 3am.

In line at TRU

The line in front of us The line goes on FOREVER
I read that several businesses had full parking lots at 130am

The checkouts at TRU around 1230am

Waiting for Trista

Fun Photo Friday - Ready for Black Friday

2009-11-28T06:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted... I came home from shopping yesterday, took about a 40 minute nap on the couch then got up to spend some time with our company before they left. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and I finally went back to bed shortly after 3pm (only according to facebook it didn't post until almost 6)... I just got up! So today I will post some of our experience and some pictures from yesterday, Black Friday!

Kristina and I were sitting at my house on Thanksgiving evening trying to take a nap before it was time to leave. Trista was going to meet us at my house at 1030pm and then we would head to Toys R Us. Kristina and I were too excited to sleep so we came back down stairs with everyone else. Around 9pm, one of Kristina's friends posted on facebook that she was heading over to Toys R Us and someone else made a similar comment. We started to panic a little and called Trista. She was sleeping so she hurried up and got ready to come over. She got here about 10 and we headed out.

Thanksgiving Thursday

2009-11-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

Today is the first time I will have hosted Thanksgiving for family. We used spend it several different places when we lived in Ohio, then we moved to Georgia and started spending it with friends. Last year we did something different and went to Sea World for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun.

This year was the first year we could have gone back to Ohio for Thanksgiving since we are only 6 hours away, compared to the 15 we were before. But also the first year family might be willing to come visit us so I decided to invite the in laws and some of my family for Thanksgiving dinner in Iowa.

The guest list includes my wonderful mother and father in law, my brothers in law plus a sister in law, two of my sisters, a friend and her family and a puppy in law! I had invited my mom, her husband and his kids and my dad but unfortunately they won't be able to make it.

The dinner menu is extensive... after all there will be 19 people eating here today.

Turkey
Stuffing Casserole
Corn Pudding
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Sweet Potatoes in the Crockpot
Green Bean Casserole in the Crockpot
Crescent Rolls
Salad from Olive Garden
Pickle Tray
Chex Mix
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Praline Pie
Sour Cream Apple Pie
Banana Pudding

After all this good food it will be time for the Black Friday ads so we can plan our strategy of attack! And I cannot wait!

What's for Dinner Wednesday

2009-11-25T07:33:00.002-08:00

Something simple, that is for sure!

Last night I made steak on the grill (luckily the rain let up), baked potatoes and garlic baked broccoli. It all turned out yummy but not as GREAT as it usually does.

John turned the grill on for me and I put the steaks on without turning down the heat. I came back in the house to tend to the potatoes and broccoli thinking it would take forever for the steaks anyway. So I get the potatoes all poked, oiled and salted... put them in the microwave, then cut up the broccoli, tossed in olive oil and garlic salt and put those in the oven.

After getting that done I went out to check the steaks and to my surprise the grill temp was up to 700 degrees!!! I opened it up and flames were surrounding my steaks. I flipped three of them to see the bottoms completely charred... the 4th one was a little tougher as it had actually caught on fire LoL I got that one flipped and took it in to check the inside... it looked perfect on the inside. What is that they say about not judging a book by it's cover?! Yah, it still tasted good.

I turned the grill off and brought in the remaining steaks. Only one of them was cooked enough though so I pulled the potatoes out of the microwave and threw the steaks in for a couple minutes. I do not recommend this cause it makes the steak pretty tough and pulls a lot of juice out of it. It was still good but better with A1 :)

The good part about all this was that dinner was done fairly quickly. John and Jacob got to eat before leaving for Scouts and no one complained. Gotta love that.

And then tomorrow will be our Thanksgiving Dinner so today... yah... definitely simple. I am thinking something along the lines of Kraft Mac n Cheese and hot dogs (if we have any left). Or we could do spaghetti with garlic toast. We will see. And maybe I will come back and let you know :)

Time Travel Tuesday

2009-11-24T06:39:00.001-08:00

First Date - March 8th 1996

Now

Alexandra Noelle - Born Jan 14th 2001

Now

Jacob Connor - Born Aug 3rd 2002

Now

Kaydence BreAnne - Born Sept 15th 2004

Now

Adam Chase - Born Dec 30th 2005

Now

Sara Mackenzie - Born Dec 12th 2006

Now

Buckeye - Born Jan 6th 2008

Now

Movie Review Monday

2009-11-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

I am not even going to try and bore you with all the movies I have seen in the last 2-3 months since I have been MIA. We get Netflix so we are always getting new movies and John and I actually went to the theater not too long ago to see one. I will try and review a good variety... the movie at the theater, a kid's movie and oh, I don't know. Maybe that's it :p

The Men Who Stare at Goats: This was the movie John and I saw in theaters. We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse on Veteran's day, then went to a 530 showing of this movie. It was still matinee prices and we get a military discount so it only cost us $10 to see the movie. How great is that?! And honestly, it wasn't even worth that. The movie was very lame. It had some funny parts... George Clooney plays a good crazy man, but for the most part we were sitting there thinking WTF?! Yah, so if you do have the desire to see it, I say wait for it to come out on video. It was great to sit with my husband for two hours but maybe a different movie would have been better.

Horton Hears a Who: We just got this for the kids from Netflix. It has been on their queue for ever and John finally moved it to the top so we could see it. Fantastic movie. The entire family loved it. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants. Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell are hilarious. Definitely a movie to watch with the family and anytime you need a good laugh.

I WON!

2009-11-22T19:25:00.003-08:00

OMG I never win anything but I did today!!!!

I won this fancy button :)

Check out The One Minute Writer and my winning post, here

The Way That I Am

2009-11-22T05:25:00.004-08:00

Do you know what I hate?

I hate people that say they are going to do something, and then they don't. But that is ME, with this blog. I come on here and say, "Oh sorry, I promise to do better." and I don't. Well, I do for awhile, but then something changes and I have no desire to write anything further. Not very disciplined, huh.

Doesn't surprise me though. There has been nothing in my life that I have kept up with. I have always quit something. I quit dance as a kid, I quit gymnastics, I quit softball, I quit being friend's with certain people, I quit jobs (many, many jobs), and somewhere along the line I quit believing in myself because I knew I would eventually quit whatever it was I thought I could do.

The only thing I have not quit doing is being a mother to all my babies. That does not mean that I believe I am a good mother, or even that I am a bad mother... but more like a mediocre one. Your average, run of the mill, screw them up kinda mother.

That's me... and I am not here looking for any kind of sympathy or praise from anyone. I know a lot of people out there think I am some supermom but I don't feel like it most days. Don't get me wrong, there are days I don't lose my mind, I get my house cleaned, the kids are fed wonderful meals for breakfast, lunch AND dinner and my husband gets some much needed attention too which makes me feel like some sort of superhero but those days are rare.

I am just average. And maybe I can learn to be ok with that... with the way that I am.

Fun Photo Friday - The Saturday Edition

2009-10-03T07:20:00.005-07:00

I don't know how my Fridays keep getting away from me. Maybe I should start writing my blogs a day early that way I know they get out on time. So since we don't have soccer today due to all the rain we had the last two days I figured I would take this time to get some ADORABLE pictures up of my babies from the last couple of weeks.

Such Is My Life

Rampage 5k Obstacle Run

Back on Facebook

Weekend Summary

Soccer Saturday

One Week

Fun Photo Friday

501!!!!!

Dear Kadie Bug,

Blogging is an Outlet

Retail Therapy

Another Year, Another September 11th

On The Wagon

Fun Photo Friday

Adam's 1st Day of Kindergarten

A Week of Firsts

Dear Family & Friends

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Jr High is Forever

10 States, 10 Days

The Dreaded Becomes the Memorable

Family Vacation

No Good at Anything

Veteran's Day

30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge

Remember Me?

Lisa Leonard Giveaway

Haunted

What Was That?

Decisions of an Army Wife

Movie Review Monday

Six Word Saturday

Fun Photo Friday

Cheater, Cheater

Remember

Is Today Monday?

Game Over

Always Apologizing

Movie Review Monday

What A Weekend

Adventures in Hair Dye

Where Did Wednesday Go?

Adieu Good Friend

Just So You Know

Six Word Saturday

Blucky Weather

Blogging

WFD

I *HEART* Chick Fil A

Movie Review Monday

Six Word Saturday

Lexi's Dilemma

It's Been One Week

Adventures in Adventureland

Everyone Has A Twin

I Expect More

Bad Soccer Mom

Six Word Saturday

And... You Are?

Liar, Liar

ECHO.... echo...

Couch to 5k Challenge (aka C25K)

Fun Photo Friday - My Baby Is Growing Up

I've Come to Realize...

2010 Has Been Crazy

Six Word Saturday

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Adam Turns Four... Later

Three Down, Three to Go

Six Word Saturday

Christmas

Traditions

Out of Town

It's Official

Movie Review Monday

Thrifty Thursday

What's For Dinner Wednesday

Can You Believe It?

Movie Review Monday

The Best Birth Story Ever

I HEART Chick Fil A