Parenting 101 from yours truly (no it won't serve as a court ordered class credit)

     So it dawned on me the other day as I was reading another blog that it's been a lifetime since I wrote in mine...Okay not literally a lifetime but long enough.

     Cheer is about wrap up for the season, and honestly it is bittersweet. I enjoy it-most of the time, but practicing 3-5 days a week on top of being at football games all day on Sunday can wear a person down after a while. Tomorrow is our cheer competition. Unfortunately it was rescheduled from about a month ago, and that caused me to put a personal dream on hold. See, tomorrow is also the Open Cast Call for the show MasterChef in Columbus, and I was going to try out for it. But, as the Cheer Advisor/JV Head Coach/Parent of a cheerleader, I had to put my personal wishes aside. Heartbreaking, for sure but I always put my kids before myself. Sure, I could try out, make it and even go as far as to winning the competition (and of course I would!) but there would be that outside chance I wouldn't. Then I would have to live with that decision. I've missed a lot of things in Tehya's first couple of years of life because of my (then) hectic work life. I made a promise to her that I would never do that to her again. So personal wishes take a back seat.

     Sure, I could be resentful about it, and maybe a very small part of me is. I am human, after all. But It's not the end of the world. Hopefully, they will come back next season, I can try out then.

     But you know, I get to thinking about how we, as parents, are always sacrificing for our children. Then again, there are so many of them that put their children off to satisfy their own wants and desires. That really saddens me. I would be lying if I said that I didn't have selfish wants and needs. Yes, there are times I wish I could be like the 18 year old version of myself again. Road trip for the weekend? Hell yeah! Where to? Wherever my finger lands on the map. Yeah, I miss those days...a lot. But I would not trade them in for game days for nothing. My kids have helped shape me into the person I am today. I don't think I am that bad. Not in comparison to the many that I see on a daily basis. I definitely could have turned out worse.

     I am not saying I am perfect by any means, but my kids don't go without, at least as much as I can help. But it bothers me to see kids wearing tattered clothes when mom and dad (or just one in the picture if that's the case) have designer names on. They could be knock offs for all I know, but really? I bought myself a pair of new wedges a couple of months ago, but they were on clearance! Before that, I couldn't tell you the last time I bought myself new clothes...and I desperately need to since nothing fits anymore! People cry and complain that they can't feed their kids, so they turn to welfare to help. Then please explain how you have the money to buy the cigarettes that you are smoking? A few years ago, I gave up smoking because it was that or stop paying bills. Well, once again, I put personal wishes aside and stopped. (Not that it was a bad thing, I am healthier for it and will be around a few more years). I can't speak for my husband, but he is weaker than I am, but that's another story. People cry they can't afford this and that for their kids, but they are talking on the latest model iPhone (which sucks, I will never go back to iPhones, again that's another story). Anyways, I can keep going on and on but neither one of us have that kind of time on our hands.

     What I am getting at is that people need to put their kids before themselves. They didn't ask to be born, but they deserve to be taken care of. Sometimes it boils down to taking care of them or yourself. I have been put in that position many times-and in a sense, right now I am also. My kids will come first always....Sorry Chef Ramsay, I know you were looking forward to meeting me as much as I was you, but it will have to wait until next year. I have other obligations.

How Lord and Lady Ward will spend Labor Day weekend with their young Maidens

     Summer is about over and kids are back to school. I feel terrible in that we haven't had a chance to do anything together all summer long. Next weekend (Labor Day Weekend) Corey and I are taking a 5-day weekend since it has been so long since we have been able to spend quality time together. Now, not all of this "quality time" is going to be all fun and games.

     One day we are going to spend going through and cleaning the garage. Are you jealous of us? Yes, I know you are. Who doesn't want to spend an entire day going through an extremely cluttered, dusty, spider web filled garage only to throw 90% of whatever is in there away (then go to cheer practice that same evening)?

     Another day we will be spending doing a good thorough cleaning of our house. I am talking front-to-back, top-to-bottom, get on your hands and knees to scrub the floors kind of cleaning. I couldn't even tell you the last time I did even a half-way decent job cleaning the house. This time of year, my poor house gets neglected, and that just drives me crazy. So I know after a good cleaning (as much as I loathe cleaning) I will feel better.

     Sunday will be spent at a football field because we still have games on Labor Day weekend. Now that I am the Cheer Advisor, I have to attend all three games, and, I have to arrive early and (most likely) stay late.

    So, 3 days out of my 5 day "vacation" have been planned out already-and not with anything fun. Well, cheerleading isn't bad, just makes for a long day. That leaves us with 2 days. One (which I am designating Monday for) will be for nothing but R & R because buddy, I NEED IT! I have been such a ball of stress, I can't even stand to be around myself.

   Corey and I have decided that since it has been so long since we ourselves have been to the Ohio Renaissance Festival and our kids have never had the joy of going, that we were going to take them on Saturday (Opening Day). We really couldn't have picked a better weekend to go either, because kids 12 and under get in free (yep, that's both) and adults are BOGO free adult admission with a code word at the gate. SCORE (no that's not the code)! I have always enjoyed the Renaissance Festival and we used to go every year, several times a year. But with our crazy work schedules and money being tight, we just haven't made it out in a few years. Okay, more like 10, I was pregnant with Tehya the last time we went. I can't wait! A full armor joust? Yes, please! I want front and center seating for that (better grab my seat early). So many shops to browse through-and wish I had a few grand to spend at and live performances! The only thing I am down about is that the Swordmen won't be there the weekend we are attending, but if you go make it a point to see them, they are great! I am also hoping that my mom will be able to get the girls' dresses made so they can dress up with me. Yeah, I really do get into it. I may even break out the accent, but we'll see about that. I think it's a bit rusty, mate.

    If you would like to see some information, buy tickets online, print an itinerary visit there website at http://www.renfestival.com/ or visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OhioRenFest. You may even see me there!

    

Finally some nice weather...what to do?

     Every morning I follow the same routine, whether it is a work day, weekend, holiday, school day, etc. I start by somehow figuring out how many scoops of coffee I need to put into the coffee maker to brew my coffee-when I'm only half awake at best, sometimes that is a daunting task. Then I go to the bathroom-thanks to the fact that I have to turn on a faucet to make coffee, which makes my bladder remind me I better go sooner rather than later. Then I let Sasha-our husky outside, thankfully she is patient with me. But this morning, I realized it was actually chilly! I'm sure she loved it, me, not so much. It didn't warm up a whole lot either by the time I had to take Autumn to my mom's, I was half tempted to grab a hoodie. How she (Autumn) was wearing a tank top and shorts without freezing is beyond me. I do have to admit, it was kind of nice driving with the sun roof cracked just to let some fresh air in, and not be running the AC in the car. I'm willing to bet the car was kind of thankful to.

     While I work inside an office, I really don't have any windows around me except the "sky light" type windows, that are behind me. I can tell when the sun is out in the afternoon, because it comes through the window and makes it next-to-impossible for me to see the computer monitor. I haven't been going on my lunchtime walks lately thanks to the heat wave we've been experiencing. Anyways, I went out to get the mail after lunch and couldn't believe how absolutely gorgeous it is outside! The sun is shining, and it is warm-this time I could wear shorts, maybe not a tank top, but definitely wouldn't need the hoodie.

     It also dawned on me the other day that I have YET to do any hiking, or even going for a walk around my neighborhood, or Crystal Lakes at all this summer. Today, I am hoping I can take advantage of this lovely weather and not having cheer practice. It would be nice if Corey-my husband, was able to get off work at a decent hour so he could join me and Autumn for a walk. I'm sure Tehya is enjoying the nice weather up at Indian Lake. She went with my in-laws to help keep Charli-my niece entertained (it's Charli's first time camping). I'm hoping she (Tehya) is also working on her backbend-walkovers, toe-touches, splits, straddles, and stretches like I told her to!

     Well, I better end it here, until next time bloggers...

A week off! Or is it really?

    So Cheer and Football camp is over, and now I have a break (for a week) from coaching. Well, that's as far as a break as I am going to get from it this week!

     I have to go pick up the uniforms today (about 40+) to get them washed and inspected. I know I am going to have an issue with some of them being too big for the smaller group, but there isn't much I can do about that other than have a few altered. Unfortunately, I had 3 girls that never returned their uniforms from last season, and 2 of those were XS's, which is what I am running short on, and will need more of. I am hoping this situation will help me plead my case in that we really need to get new uniforms for next season!

     I finished up my halftime show choreography over the weekend, and even have made for an even numbered squad and odd numbered. As of right now, I have an odd number, and I am hoping that doesn't change. Unfortunately (again) they are still allowing people to sign up during the first week of regular season (which is the week of July 29th). While it won't be as much of an issue for the halftime routine, I am only about 1/4 of the way with our competition dance routine. This one is already giving me enough problems figuring out, but if I have to add anymore girls to it, I will basically have to start over. I won't have time for that! Not to mention, I will be sending the warm up "fit kits" back that Wednesday, so I won't be able to fit anymore girls at that time. I'll also be ordering them that Friday, and I can't just add on to the order, if I ordered some separate, it will cost twice as much.

     I'm sincerely hoping that we luck out and don't have any more girls sign up. I think our squads have the perfect sizes as they are now. Not to mention, we've done a lot of sign ups between April and the last day of camp, July 18th. I think if people were going to sign up, they had plenty of time to do so. I can't stand it when someone procrastinates, especially if and when it affects me! I'm the kind of person that likes to plan months in advance when I can, or weeks if I have to. I have never been a fan of people doing things, or changing things on me at the last minute. I almost quit coaching last year because of it.

     So, during my week off, I am planning on washing all the uniforms and seeing what I have to work with for my girls. Then I need to finish my competition routine, and maybe do like I did for the halftime routine, and add groups "just in case". The problem is, that I am not doing pairs for competition like I am for halftime, so it's not going to be a matter of adding pairs, I will have to see who I can fit where. I haven't even started on the cheer chant part of competition. I told my assistant I am pretty much leaving that to her, I have a cheer or two to add, but as far as placement and order, I have nothing. That's the point of an assistant, right?

     Well, not much else to say here, so I guess I better get back to doing that work thing...and redrawing my movements/placements so my assistant can actually understand what I am trying to have the cheerleader stick figures show! Ha ha ha...I never claimed to be an artist.

The Joys and Problems of being a Cheer Advisor-Head Coach

     We wrapped up the first week of football and cheer camp yesterday. For the most part, I think it went well. I am hoping for pretty much the same next week. Right now, my squad is the perfect size, but I know that I have at least one addition (maybe two). I've already got most of my half time routine figured out, but now I will have to make some adjustments now that we are adding on. I'm hoping to keep it an even number, because if I have an odd number, I am going to make some people mad. I already see a few headaches coming my way in the next couple of weeks (not just routine related). Allow me to share them with you...

    1. If I do have an odd number in my squad, I will not be able to pair all the girls up like I originally have in my routine, one will obviously be alone. I have decided that if this is the case (and I am truly hoping it isn't) that it will be my daughter, Tehya. There are a few reasons behind this. First, she has the advantage of learning the routine sooner than the rest of the girls because she lives with me. In fact, I kind of use her (or her body I should say) to see if certain things will work, especially tumbling stuff-since I am too old and my body doesn't forgive me like it did once upon a time. This leads me to my second point, if I have an odd number and she isn't paired up, then I can have her do some of her tumbling moves that the other girls can't do. I don't single her out because she is my kid. Every practice after warm ups and stretches, I have all the girls go through different tumbling moves-somersaults, cartwheels, round-offs, cartwheel/round-off combos, back bends (by going into them backwards, not doing what is called a "bridge" where you lay on the ground and push yourself up), and back-bend walkovers. While a couple of the girls can do a back-bend, she is the only one that can do a back-bend walkover. I also let them freestyle a couple of times to show me what they like to do. Most of them stick to simple things, but Tehya pushes herself. I know this will have parents thinking I am showing her favoritism, but in all actuality, I am harder on her than anyone else on the entire team (including the older girls). I am doing a skills assessment on all the girls the first week of the regular season-which is the week of the 29th, so that is about 2 1/2 weeks away. Both my assistant coach and myself will score the girls on their abilities and I average them out to give them a score. She's the only one that can do the walkover, so why should I not allow her to do it if she's the only one that can? If it were someone else and not her, I would make that girl do them. Then again, my attitude has always been "if you don't like how I run things, you should've volunteered when you had the chance." But this isn't the headache I am worried the most about...

   2. As I stated earlier, I know there is at least one more coming to my squad, but I could tell from my 5-minute talk with the girl's mother (the girl was not present) that the mom has a serious attitude problem. Upon meeting her, I hand her a cheer info packet (like I did with all the cheerleaders the first night of practice) that contains rules, dress code, a list of excused/unexcused absences, disciplinary/reward actions, and information about our cheer competition. This packet has two sheets that need filled out and signed, then returned to me. The first sheet is just basic info about the cheerleader (like allergies, previous injuries, or any information that coaches need to know so they know how to work with the kids-like ADHD, shy, etc.) then the second page is for the parent and cheerleader to sign stating they understand everything that is in the packet and they will follow it. Every sport or club has something like this. She immediately rolls her eyes at me, then says "There's rules? Oh my F***** God, are you serious?"...Um yeah, I am serious. I told her I run a tight ship, but that all the girls know this. Then come to find out this girl has learning disabilities, is dyslexic, and (I already knew) she never cheered before. But then the mom says "she MIGHT be at practice the week of the 29th"...Um, that's the start of regular season, attendance starts counting at that point and yes, I take attendance and I am a bit of a stickler for it. You need to understand that cheer is a team sport, and when one girl misses, it affects the rest of the girls who are there every day. I can really see me and this mom butting heads, because I have a game plan in place and I don't plan on budging from it much, especially if I already have to re-do the routine to fit her kid into it! I mean, I am willing to work with her a little bit, but at the same time, the mom needs to work with me or it won't work out at all. What is really bad (for me) is that she-the mom, is friends with two of the Board Members, so I am sure she is going to try to get them to pull strings. So I have decided that I am going to have a talk with them while I am working the concession stand with them tomorrow about it. Like I said, I am more than willing to work with her, but she has to work with me. She needs to understand that the rules I have put in place are for everyone, including her. If she doesn't like it, she can go.

     3. This issue I am not quite as concerned about as I was a week ago, but there is a lady who messaged me on Facebook about signing her daughter up (if she does, she will be there Monday). She said she never cheered before, etc. etc. which isn't a big deal. The issue is that I recognized her picture, so I decided to do a little bit of stalking (yes, I am guilty of that). Come to find out, she went to school with me, and is/was friends with the ex-boyfriend I was with before I started dating my husband. That guy was abusive, which is one of the biggest reasons why I broke it off with him (once I got the courage to do it). Well, this chick threatened to beat my ass, and all this other stuff...I am just hoping that either she doesn't remember me (I don't look like I did in high school, nothing close) or she, like myself, has grown up since then and won't make it an issue. Then if she does sign up, then I will have an even number again, so then issue #1 won't be an issue anymore.

     So, those are the problems I am facing all within my first week as the Cheer Advisor and Head Coach of the JV squad. I am hoping to be able to resolve them all within the next few days, then I think it will be fairly smooth sailing from here on out. Thanks for letting me rant and rave for a moment, have a great weekend bloggers and followers!

2013 Cheer Season Begins!

     Coming back to work after a long and lazy (for the most part) weekend is bad enough, but now we are getting ready to kick off the Wee Arrows Cheer (and football) season! Today will be the first day of camp, and I am hoping that Mother Nature turns off her water works, at least for a few days.

     We only have about 14 cheerleaders signed up total so far, but Camp Week is when everyone decides to join, so that number will double, if not triple in the next couple of days. We are starting camp a little early this year-due to some misinformation some of us board members got about a month ago. It's not necessarily a bad thing, in fact I think it could work in our favor. Since are starting so early, we decided to run camp for two weeks. This gives us an extra week to practice the fundamentals, and it gives us an extra week for sign ups...That's a win-win right there!

     I've already started working on one of the cheer dance routines for my squad. Let me tell you something, it is NOT easy to do! Not only do you have to have some kind of creativity to come up with a good one, but you better be in somewhat decent shape to, or you will quickly learn how out of shape you really are (like I did yesterday)! Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I am pretty good at choreographing dances, at least for not having any previous experience or training at it. The only experience I have is from the days when my cousin and I would make up dances in hopes of getting on the show, "Star Search" (yeah I know, I just revealed my age there), and watching my daughters do ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop dance for 8 years. It is a really rewarding feeling to work your butt off (along with your little cheerleaders) towards perfecting the routine and watching them perform it. It is truly awesome! This year is a little different for Tehya and I though, because we moved up a squad. We will be doing two routines instead of just one, and one of those will be for competition, which we will actually get scored and placed. Last year we just performed and were scored. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that if our level would place, we would have taken 1st, hands down. I haven't started working on our competition routine yet, but I am hoping I didn't outdo myself last year. We shall see.

     This is also my first year as the Cheer Advisor. This means I get to deal with all the parents (not just the ones from my squad). I'm not overly concerned about it, as I think I get along with most of the people there. Even if I ever came across a parent who doesn't like how I do things, or wants to complain, my words to them would be "if you don't like how I do it, feel free to run against me after next season...or take over as coach next year so I don't have to". I know my fellow board members like me enough to have my back in anything I do. I think I bring a good perspective to the table in that I understand where EVERYONE comes from. I understand the parents' point of view, I understand the coach's point of view, and now I see things from a Board member's point of view. I'm not out to please anyone, my job is to make sure that things are ran the way they are supposed to be, and to resolve issues that could arise. Given that we got rid of a board member that had a lot of bad stigma attached to us, I don't think it will really be much of an issue.

     For the first time in 6 years, I am actually looking forward to a season starting up. Go Arrows!

Nothing exciting here

     After reading my mom-in-law's and a friend's blog today, I realized I haven't written mine in a while. Guess that tells you how exciting my life is (or isn't)...lol.

     Well, As of Monday, I am no longer involved with direct sales. I am no longer a "dildo distributor" as a friend of mine likes to call me. I was kind of upset how the company treated me towards the end, but oh well. It really doesn't matter anymore. After 14 years of off-and-on direct selling, I don't think I will miss it. I know my bank account sure won't either! I got into it originally to get my own stuff cheap, but when you spend your profits and then some, it really isn't worth it. It's a lot of work, and when you already work full time, it's even worse! I don't know how I did it while going to school full time and coaching pee wee cheerleading on top of that!

    Speaking of cheerleading, that is getting ready to start up in less than a week. I am having a meeting with my coaches tonight to go over everything. I am mostly excited to start, but there are parts I do dread. I am not really looking forward to my days not ending until 8/9 at night (after getting up before 6 to get ready for work). The heat (more like humidity) and bugs get to me sometimes to. I'm also hoping I don't have a lot of parent drama, but there is always someone that wants to find something to bitch about. My thoughts have always been "if you don't like what I am doing or how I do it, you are welcome to do it for me" but naturally they don't want to step up to the plate. They just like to hear themselves talk/complain. Whatever floats their boat.

     We found out that Autumn's cheer uniform is going to cost $288 this year, and I also learned that it's a $100 increase from the years before. Apparently, pom poms cost $100 now, whatever...I think that the middle school is covering costs for the high school (who have to pay close to $400 for their uniform) which is bull shit, but I know if I said anything about it, it would only fall back on Autumn, and I don't want that. So I will just grumble as I write the check to pay for her uniform and hope that she really appreciates that I am doing this.

     I don't have any exciting plans for the 4th of July this year because Corey has to work all weekend. He tried to get it off but they denied his request. So, aside from football/cheer sign ups, I really have nothing to look forward to over my long weekend other than cleaning...yay...Did you sense the excitement in my "yay"? Ha ha ha...

    Well, not really much else to say here, so on that note, I'll write again later...Hopefully sooner than a week.

   

Happy Summer Solstice/Litha

    To my readers, I wish a Blessed Litha, or for those that don't follow a Pagan or Wiccan path, Summer Solstice!

     Today is the first official day of summer, and it is also the longest day of the year. No, there isn't an extra hour in the day (although I wish that I could add hours in a day all the time!) but it is the day that we see the most daylight. Of course, if you live (in the northern hemisphere) where it is cloudy or rainy, you may disagree with me. Seriously though, the sun is above our horizons more than it isn't. So why not celebrate it?

     Many Pagans or Wiccans have rituals or ceremonies that they like to hold in honor of the Sun God/King. But you don't have to follow these spiritual paths to have your own. Think about it for a moment, you have a gathering with your friends. You could be having a cookout, a bonfire, or just hanging out on the porch while the kids play in a sprinkler or pool. Later in the evening, they could chase lightening bugs (if they live in your region), roast marshmellows on the bonfire (or better yet, make s'mores....mmmmmmmmmm). In a sense, you are having your own summer ritual or celebration! I think it is awesome to celebrate the seasons (even winter, the one I could really do without!), but I really enjoy the celebrations of summer.

     While celebrating the summer months can be fun, it is wise to take precautions so that you don't injure yourself or become sick. With summer (at least for many of us) comes the heat and humidity. For instance, today my area is under a heat advisory as well as having a smog alert. This can be hard on those that are infants, elderly, or people that suffer from respiratory problems. It can be harmful to all of us if we aren't careful, but this group of people are especially at risk. Your body is pretty good at letting you know something isn't right. If you are having problems breathing, slow down or rest. If you are feeling faint or lightheaded, sit in a shady spot to cool down. Don't overwork yourself in this heat! Water should be one of our best friends this time of year, you can cool off many ways with it. You can drink it (the best thing for you to do), swim in it, have it poured on you, etc. You should also ALWAYS wear sun screen, even if you are a tanner. We are seeing record numbers of skin cancer being reported (granted, many of them are a result of laying in tanning beds, or what I like to refer to them as coffins with bright lights). It's best to use one that is LOWER than SPF 50, because anything higher is just a marketing ploy. You need to reapply it anytime you have been swimming, or if you've been out for a few hours. Yes, it may say that it will protect you for 10 hours, but if you are sweating, chances are it has worn off. It is better to be safe than sorry! Me, I avoid the sun for the most part simply because I burn very easily and I also get freckles and moles, plus the fact that my dad was diagnosed with a very mild case of skin cancer (it only required putting on a topical cream for a period of time to get rid of it). I don't like taking my chances, but if I am out in the sun, sunscreen is one of my best friends.

     One of my favorite summer time activities is to reconnect with nature by going on hikes in wooded areas. Not only is this a great family (or couples) activity, it provides exercise and has it's own form of entertainment. I love to see wild animals and butterflies in their natural habitat. I see things every time I go, and I always enjoy it. But like doing activities out in the hot sun, hiking can also pose it's own threat. While the heat/sun may not be as much of an issue because wooded areas have lots of shade and is usually much cooler than an open area, there is the threat of ticks. It is important to check yourself thouroughly after doing any outside activity, but especially when you are in wooded areas (where they like to live). They travel from the ground up, so if you are wearing pants (why? I don't know..but some people do) and tuck your pant legs into your socks, this is a good way to prevent them from getting onto your body. Mosquitos can also pose a threat because of the West Nile Virus, although I don't think it was as bad as it was a few years ago. In any case, it never hurts to use a DEET free bug spray. If you have pets, please treat them for ticks (and fleas) as they are prone to these pests this time of year. Fleas don't necessarily carry disease, but they sure are a pain in the.....(anyone that has had to deal with them will understand where I am coming from). My poor Dixie-Kitty had a bad allergic reaction to them, and when she got them, they infested her so bad that she usually lost all of her hair :( It pained me so bad to have to give her baths when she was that bad, but it usually helped after the fact. I am lucky my boys don't seem to have the same trouble she did, rest her soul...

     Something else I used to really enjoy this time of year was camping. The first couple of years that Corey and I were together we spent practically every weekend at Indian Lake (or some other place). It was always a blast, even when it rained as we would find some kind of trouble to get into. We were able to take Autumn quite a bit when she was a toddler and for Tehya's first year, but between the camper we used being destroyed by flat-line winds and me having to work weekends up until a couple of years ago, we only got the opportunity to go one or two weekends a year. Sadly I don't think we are going to make it happen this year because Corey works weekends and he won't have any vacation time to use for a camping trip. I have to admit I am kind of bummed about it, but we are definitely planning on doing something next year, I've already been looking into some places that we've never visited before (including out of state places) so that it can be an adventure for all of us! I am open to suggestions if you have any!

     Well, I think it is time to stop writing so that I can give my readers the opportunity to spend the Solstice-Litha the way it was intended to be....OUTSIDE!

Brightest Blessings on this Litha!!!

Chore Charts?

     Like most parents, I enjoy (even relish) the peace and quiet that I get when my kids go camping for a week with their grandparents. By the end of that week, I am ready for them to come home. I do miss my kids when they are away and sometimes the silence can be deafening...Then I realize after they have been home for a few hours that maybe it wasn't so deafening after all?! Ha ha, oh well, I think the week was good for us all, but I am glad they are home safe and sound.

     While my children were gone, I did some thinking...Yes, I realize that can be dangerous. I decided that my kids needed to do a much better job at completing their chores than they have been, especially since we are getting ready to shell out a lot of money for their cheerleading and school clothes. How could I accomplish this? I decided that I would put together a weekly chore chart that would need to be completed daily. I also drew up a contract between them and us (Corey and myself). So that is what I did. I created a separate chore chart for each of them, since they have a couple of chores that are not the same. For example, Autumn is responsible for cleaning the kitchen, her room, the rec room (was formerly called Play Room), putting laundry away, and homework (during the school year). Tehya is responsible for her hermit crab tank (that is once a week), litter boxes, her room, Rec Room, putting her laundry away and homework. It may appear that the youngest one has more jobs, but the kitchen is actually much more detailed than the rest of the jobs, plus the hermit crabs are hers, so she is responsible for them (and it's once a week!). Each job has a block for each day of the week. Once the job is completed, either me or Corey will check to see if it is completed correctly and if it is, we will sign off. If not, they will have to redo the chore. What the contract does is explain the chores in great detail so that they can't come back and say "I didn't know I was supposed to do that" or something along those lines. It also explains that if things aren't completed or something wasn't corrected that they would lose privileges. This could be anything from me throwing things away, grounding them, or not being allowed to participate in cheer. I read it to them and made sure they understood what was going to happen as a result.

     I am giving them the benefit of the doubt this week because they were tired, so I knew their bedrooms and Rec Room wouldn't get cleaned to my liking yesterday. I told them they had until I woke up Saturday morning to get them completed, all I am asking for is that they work on it each day so that I can tell they did and to do their other jobs. They did fine yesterday, so we will see how this works out.

    So now I am asking for advice from other parents that have tried the "chore chart" idea. Did it work for you and your family? Do you have any recommendations or suggestions that I could use? If it didn't work out for you, then what did you do instead? I am open to any and all suggestions.
Thanks!

I can see clearly now...

     So I spent last weekend sick as a dog...I think I had a touch of the flu that has been going around, I felt absolutely awful! Sunday I started feeling better, finally! There's not much that I hate more than feeling sick and not being able to do anything about it...

     Monday afternoon I took my girls and their cousin up to Indian Lake, where they will be spending the next week with their grandparents. So far they seem to be having fun, or at least I am assuming they are. Neither one of them has bothered to call their dad or I. We have been enjoying the peace and quiet around the house, but I think the fur babies miss them. The cats were sitting in the window when I came home from work yesterday, and they looked so excited when I pulled up, but then when they saw that I was alone, they just laid back down...Wow I feel loved! Ha ha...

     Tonight there's supposed to be some pretty bad storms rolling through, with the possibility of winds reaching 60-70 MPH and large hail. I am concerned about them up there in Indian Lake, because they are in a Fifth-wheel camper and I didn't see any sturdy shelter nearby. I am also hoping we don't lose power this time around! Last year we had one of those "derecho" storms rolled through, it about rolled my car, and we lost power for 4 days. The worst part about that was I had just gone grocery shopping the day before and spent about $250, most of it on freezer food and meat. Needless to say, it all had to be thrown out. Good thing I haven't gone grocery shopping this week, or I would be worried again. I just don't feel like sitting in the dark with no air conditioning!

     Yesterday I did something I haven't done in almost 10 years, I got an eye exam! Plus, I treated myself to contacts-well, right now I have a trial pair. I've never worn disposables before, and they don't make the "annual" ones like I used to wear, so they want me to make sure I like them before committing to buying them. So far so good, except the 20 minutes it took me to take ONE contact out last night! Guess I am a little out of practice! I have to go back in two weeks to order them, I am debating whether or not to take Autumn with me at that time, or do it before. She wants contacts to because she is afraid her glasses will slip off during cheer practice (this wasn't a concern last year). I think she is finally starting to care about her image a little bit! This isn't a bad thing, because before she could care less, so I welcome her wanting them.

     Yesterday I added a little bit of a work out to my afternoon walks. I thought it would be a fairly simple exercise, but it is anything but! I felt the burn in my abs an hour after going on my walk! I will probably do it again today, because this is supposed to help burn belly fat and tone the ab muscles, which is the #1thing I would like to change about my body...I also need to start the 30-day AB challenge, maybe next week I will incorporate that into my daily routine (since things will somewhat go back to a normal schedule). There's also the 30-day squat challenge I want to try, but I think I will save that for July. A friend of mine started that and said be ready to feel it. I don't want to do too much all at once or I may give it up altogether. Not something I want to do...

     Well, that's about all I have to say about anything today. Hopefully I will be back tomorrow, otherwise you can assume that either a house dropped on me or I lost power...Say a silent prayer, do a chant, a dance, light candles, whatever you want for me, PLEASE?!..Peace!

1 year since my furbaby, Dixie Kitty passed

     Today is a very sad day, as it marks the 1 year anniversary of my fur baby, Dixie-Kitty passed away. Of all the deaths I have had to deal with in my life, she is by far one of the hardest, and I am still grieving. Most days I am okay, but today has been hard. I have been crying off and on since I woke up this morning (plus I am catching a cold on top of this, so I am a hot mess today). I keep thinking about the day before she died, and how I wish I had just sat on the couch for a little bit longer, and let her lay in my lap all night. Maybe I could have stopped whatever it was that caused her body to shut down-I believe she had a stroke. I remember waking up a year ago today to find her laying on my bedroom floor, in a puddle of her vomit. She tried to cry out but no sound came out of her mouth. Her eyes had that far off look, I knew she was dying. I wish I could have stayed there with her and held her until she took her last breath. I remember kissing her little head and telling her it was okay to go, I knew it was her time and I would always love and miss her until the day I joined her in the Summerlands. Here is a pic of my baby girl, she looks so sweet and innocent, but the funny thing is, she is giving Corey the "Dixie Death Stare"...

It never seemed to fail that if Corey and I were arguing (whether it was something trivial or serious) she would get on the couch cushion that was between us and just stare him down! Looking back, that makes me crack up...I always had someone to side with me, even if I was wrong (which for the record, I am never wrong).

     She was such a good cat. Her life started out rough, and I believe she may have been a runt, because she never got very big and had skin problems all her life. She was dropped off and abandoned at the root beer stand I was working at in September 1999. The owner (at the time) got in touch with an adoption agency to try to find her a new home, and in the meantime she kept her at her house. She would bring Dixie to the restaurant with her to keep an eye on the kitten during the day and in case a family could pick her up. I loved this little kitten so much, she was just too adorable, and we bonded instantly. I spent my breaks playing and petting her. One day, my boss told me a family was going to adopt her, and while I was beyond happy for her, my heart broke into a million pieces because I didn't think I would ever see her again. So at the end of my shift, I went home with tears in my eyes. Corey tried to cheer me up, but was pretty unsuccessful. So we decided to eat dinner at the root beer stand (we both worked there) and he said he had to take care of something inside. So I waited in the car. A few minutes later, my car door was opened and there sat my Dixie-Kitty! We were the family that had adopted her! Needless to say, my frown was instantly turned upside down! I couldn't take her home right away because we had a boy kitten that needed to be fixed (he was just starting to spray, so that was getting done anyways!). We were definitely meant to be with one another, there is no doubt in my mind about that. It broke my heart when I had to leave her with my parents for a few years because we moved back/forth from my in-laws to apartments that wouldn't let me have cats. But she was always happy to see me, and sit on my lap (her favorite spot). We were able to bring her home 2008 when we bought our home, and that is where we spent the last years together.

    I miss everything about her, but the thing I miss the most is her sitting on my lap. The ironic thing is at times it would annoy me, especially when I was trying to work on my laptop. But, I would have given 10 years of my own life to have 1 more with her. I miss her so much. I have two boy cats now (they are just a little over a year old) that we got shortly after she passed, and I love them to, but they aren't lap cats like she was, and they are more loyal to my kids than they are me.

   I did find a great website that I could make an online memorial of her, it costs $25 a year, but a portion of that gets donated to a local non-euthanizing shelter, so that is awesome. People can sign a guestbook (which I appreciate each and every one that does). They also have a free pet loss support forum. That really helped me deal with it, as none of my friends or family really understood how I felt. She was my baby, and I had her before I had my kids. I used to kid with Autumn that she was a middle child because Dixie-Kitty was my oldest! Anyways, I may come back and write more a little later, but I am getting over-emotional and I am at work, so I better stop for now. But please feel free to visit her memorial at  Dixie Kitty's Memorial or you can visit the pet loss forum at Rainbows Bridge.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my baby, she meant the world to me....

...The little white butterflies remind me that you are with me in spirit, even if you are not here in body...Blessed Be Dixie-Kitty!

Just a little bit of randomness today...

     I really don't have anything specific to write about today, so it's just random things going on...

1. It is raining today, so I didn't go for my walk. Normally I would be bummed out about it, but we need the rain pretty bad here. The ponds that are around my walking trail look more like mud puddles that are about dried up and the poor geese, ducks, frogs and turtles need that water. Plus my plants at home would greatly benefit from Mother Nature's raindrops. Plus I treated myself to a McDouble from McDonalds today. Hey, we all need our cheat days and I've been eating cottage cheese and pineapple everyday for lunch. I deserved it! I thought about doing laps around my desk, but couldn't figure out how many I would have to do to make it equal 2 miles, but my guess is a lot. I get dizzy easy, so that wouldn't be good.

2. Today is "Throwback Thursday" on many social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. I got brave and posted a picture that was taken my senior year of high school. That was in 1998, I was the young tender age of 17...Seems like a life time! I was in a bad car accident almost 2 months before the pic was taken, but putting Neosporin on the cuts on my forehead 2-3 times a day helped them heal up nicely-I barely have any scarring left.

I had a great head of hair to, so beautiful, long, thick, wavy, and no grays! But anyone that's had kids know that will change that (I am proof, lol).

3. I am trying out a new recipe this evening. I think I am going to like it, but I have yet to break it to the family that it has spinach in it. Hey, I think I may be anemic and need to remedy that, plus it doesn't hurt anyone to eat a little bit of spinach every now and then...They may even discover they like it! Not banking on that idea, but you never know.

4. Autumn got fitted for her cheer uniform last night, but I still don't know how much it is going to cost other than being told "be prepared to pay around $300". Yeah that made me throw up in my mouth a little, but I have heard worse, so I guess I'll try not to complain too much. But, she found out that she was the alternate for the competition squad (she's still in the football cheer squad). I didn't think it would bother her that much, but once she found out all her close friends made it, it did. I felt a little bad for her, but I think it was also good for her. Kids need to learn what disappointment feels like and how to cope with it. I told her it was something to work on for next year, and sure enough she was doing her stretches that my friend/her past pee wee coach taught her. So a good lesson learned, at least I think. She realized it wasn't the end of the world and everything will be okay. Especially since her dad took her to the local archery range to practice using her soon-to-be new hunting bow (it will be her birthday present from all her family in September).

     Well, I don't think I have any more random thoughts to put on here, so I will leave it at that...Peace!!

Hi brick wall, how are you today?

     There are times I think I am better off talking to a brick wall, because at least it listens to me (or at least I think it does...or at least I pretend to think so). I know people sure don't! While my kids are probably the worst ones, I don't really count them simply because they are kids. I mean, I did the same thing to my parents when I was a kid, and I am sure I am not alone. I'm talking about grown adults.

     Sure, I could put Corey in this category, but like the kids, I am sure he is not the only husband in the world that doesn't always pay attention to what his wife is saying to him. But to give him his credit, he has done much better about it than he has in the past. He could use a little tweeking, but for the most part I really have no complaints with him.

    Recently I had to decline a home party invitation. I have my reasons, but that's my business. I don't feel like explaining myself, I simply can't come. Thanks for the invite, but please accept my decline. I could be one of those people that never give you an answer one way or another (which gets on my nerves). By you asking me a thousand times why I can't come, you are putting yourself at risk for me to hurt your feelings. I am very outspoken, and sometimes the brain-to-mouth filter doesn't work. So, unless you want me to tell you that it really pissed me off that you chose a competing company after I have been regularly advertising my business and have the nerve to invite me. Not to mention, I haven't heard a word from you in probably 8 months or more, and now you want me to come to your party and spend my money so you can get free stuff? Sorry, my money is tight these days, so I only spend what I absolutely need to... So No thanks! Please leave it at that...

    That's not the only person that has made me mad recently, but it just happened yesterday so I am still a bit tiffed about it. But seriously, if I tell you something, there is a reason behind it. I wish people understood how very busy I am and how fast my schedule fills up for this and that. This means I pretty much have to plan things months in advance. If I tell you I or we (family) can't do something at a certain time, there is a reason. I am not going to change my schedule around for you. I say we can't do something at a certain time because we have other plans or whatever, don't get mad at me because I won't rearrange my schedule around for you. Especially when it is a last minute thing. Not everyone has free time at their disposal like that, certainly not me! So if I tell you no, leave it at that, or you will get an earful of something you don't want!

      If I ask you once to stop sending me catalogs because I no longer need them and won't be making my purchases through you, stop sending them! You are only wasting your time and money, plus aggravating me because you obviously didn't listen to me. I mean, I know if someone told me not to send anymore, I would be a little upset, but I would rather you tell me than let me continue to send catalogs I pay for and then the $4+ to send it to me every couple of weeks. I don't even bother opening them, they go straight to the burn pile. You spend probably about $10 or more a month for me to get my backyard fires started...Thanks!

     I know I sound harsh, cruel and bitchy, but I did give you fair warning that I am outspoken, and don't always think about what I am saying, but save us both the trouble of listening to me the first time around!

...End rant...Hopefully tomorrow is a better day!

Back in the day...

     I've mentioned before how I do most of my best thinking during my lunchtime walks. Today was no exception, in fact I got so lost in thought that I went an extra half lap (half mile) before I realized what I was doing!

     We recently had our loan modification application approved (as I mentioned that before also) and just received our new "trial period" payment plan. It is great, in fact, our payments are about as low as when we first purchased our home 5 years ago. So when I received this paperwork, I immediately started to work on a new budget for my family to start following. I crunched numbers, and crunched them some more. I spent the good part of Saturday afternoon working on this budget and I was ready to pull my hair out of my head. I have yet to show Corey this budget, but I know he isn't going to like what I will have to tell him.

     Back when we bought our house, he was making quite a bit more than he does now, but he works a lot more hours than he did then. His job doesn't pay by the hour, it pays by the job. I make a little more now than I did then. But man, prices sure have gone up since then! We used to have plenty of money to pay all of our bills (on time, and sometimes I even made double payments). After bills were paid, we still had plenty leftover to go grocery shopping (without worrying too much about how much stuff cost) and even a little extra to enjoy a few finer things in life-like going out to eat, taking the kids to the zoo, those sort of things. We were even able to spend a week in Tennessee in 2009 right after he was laid off! But after working this budget, we are left with just over $100 a week to use towards gas and groceries (and anything else that comes up that isn't a monthly bill). Needless to say, we are going to have to make some serious cuts to try to save a little.

     After much debating within myself and talking it over with Corey and a few close friends, I have decided that my days in Direct Sales are coming to an end. It just isn't proving to be profitable, in fact I have lost several hundred dollars trying to make it work. So, that is a minimum of $30 a month I will save. Now I need to talk him into quitting smoking-a task that is going to prove to be much easier said than done. But it needs to be done whether he likes it or not, we just have to make sacrifices to benefit our family as a whole.

     So during my walk today, I was thinking how is it that 40, 50 years ago families had the father working while the mother stayed home and took care of the house and kids. Wow, look at us today. If you are part of a family that is fortunate enough to have both parents there, chances are they are both working. Some may even have one (or both) parents working more than one job, and still struggle to make ends meet. I think we are kind of at that point now. As much as I hated it years ago when I was younger and my body could actually tolerate it, I am putting some serious thought into getting a second job. In two years things SHOULDN'T be as tight as they are now, but who's to say. We are going through a debt management plan to get our credit card debt paid off, which is our second largest monthly bill. This is going to be paid off in 22 months, and that will definitely free up some cash. But we have to do something in the meantime, and I am not sure what that is other than one of us getting a second job. He can't because of his schedule, he doesn't have "set hours" like I do. Sounds like once again I will be overworked and driving myself into an early grave. What a depressing thought.

     So I wonder when did things get so bad? When will the get better? WILL they get better? I think I will end it on this note, because I will just get more depressing and angry as I go on...

25 hours in a day, 8 days a week, 5 weeks a month, 13 months a year...

     Does anyone else ever wish that there were more hours in a day, more days in a week (or weekend!), more weeks in a month, or more months in a year? I know I am always saying if there were more hours in a day or more days in a week I could get a lot more accomplished, but is that really true?

    I feel like I am always on the go. The funny thing is I don't have near as much on my plate as I have in the past, but is sure doesn't feel that way! There have been times, like when I had Tehya (my youngest daughter) that I returned to working 2 or 3 jobs at one time-3 weeks after having her (against doctor's orders, which I heard all about), as well as going to school part time all at the same time. I think this helped age me a little because I used to be able to survive on a couple of hours of sleep...not anymore! Or how about the time when just a  couple of years ago (2008, so I guess it's more than a couple) I was working at Sonic as an assistant manager. I worked crazy hours! At one time we had 3 managers (including me) working there, which at the time was a 24 hour store. Yep, I put in 60-70 hour weeks, and mostly 3rd shift, but there were many times that we worked all shifts. This definitely did a number to me, because at one time I had 3 ear infections at once-one ear had a double infection. I never had a single ear infection until then. I also ended up with a very strange ringworm-like internal infection that even the doctor couldn't explain. It took a good month or so to get that mess cleared up-still no explanation as to what it was or how I contracted it. My sleep patterns have been screwed up ever since I had to work those really crazy schedules to.  Then about two years ago, I went back to school full time to finish my Associates Degree, while working full time, as well as running my own side business and doing quarter raffles every month...and being an assistant cheer coach-that ended up me being head coach because she wasn't there more often than she was. The bad thing was that was the second year of my program (Accounting Technology) and I honestly don't know how I made it through! It all seems like a big blur looking back on it now.

    Life has slowed down considerably since then, but I still feel like I am being pulled in 50 different directions all at once. I still work full time (not in the restaurant industry, thank gods!) and have a side business-which is very part time. I don't have school or quarter raffles anymore, which has taken a lot off my plate for me, but I put other things in their place. I am still the head coach for Tehya's cheer squad-and I now have to come up with new cheer chants and do TWO dance routines instead of one. I am also the Cheer Advisor for the Wee Arrows Board, so I have a lot of meetings and fundraisers to attend. My oldest daughter, Autumn made the middle school football cheer squad, so I will have games to attend. I am also trying to get my garden going, but I need some materials to get that to happen.

   There are many times I complain about having too much to do, with so little time to do it, but I try to be thankful for it. I would much rather be busy and stay busy than have nothing to do with my "free" time. I see so many people that seem to just waste their lives away. They might go to work, but that's about it. They don't do anything more than what is really required of them-if that much! It's also a good feeling to know that I what I do benefits many others, not just myself.

    Even if we could add time, would we just fill it with more busy work? Most likely, at least I know I would end up doing that. Sometimes we need to MAKE ourselves MAKE time for the unscheduled enjoyment in life. Make time to take your kids to the park. Make time to take the dog for a walk. Make time to go on a date with your significant other. Make time to visit with family and friends. Make time for fun. We get so caught up with wishing we had more time to take care of business, but in reality we want more time to enjoy life. Make time to do that!

...If only there were an extra hour in a day...

  

Happy MoTuesday!

     This past weekend has been one of the best weekends I have had in a while!

     First of all, I took my oldest daughter Autumn up to the high school for her middle school cheer try outs on Friday afternoon around 3:30. They drew numbers to see what order they would go in, well she drew #69. Needless to say, it would be a while before they would get to her. It was a little before 8 pm before she walked out of the school! The high school girls went first, which is the main reason it took so long, but she said there were around 30 middle school girls trying out, all but about 4 or 5 girls were in the same grade. There are only 12 spots on each squad (football and basketball) so she had a 50/50 chance of making the squad (her preference was for football). Sunday morning, I got a text from a cheer dad saying "Congratulations to Autumn!! Good job keeping Football a Wee Arrows thing!!". Well since I was in a bit of a haze (I'll get to that in a minute) I had to reread it again, then I jumped out of bed and fired up the laptop...I didn't even bother with the coffee pot, which is what I normally do first thing in the morning. There sat Autumn freaking out, and said she couldn't check the results because she didn't have her little paper with the website. My dear child has a tendency to lose things like this, so I had it put up. Upon seeing her name under the middle school football cheer roster, we both celebrated with a high five. Then of course she had to call all her little cheerleader friends. I couldn't be more happy for her, even if it means coughing up $300 for a uniform...Oh the things we do for our children.

     Saturday was a blast! Had a cookout with great friends and since we are close and our kids are best friends, it is really nice. Well we ate some great food (even if the burgers were a little more charred than I like, the weiners and everything else were really good), shared a few laughs (well a lot) had a few drinks and hung out until 3:00 am (my bedtime is usually 11, midnight at the latest) so this was a pretty good feat for me. So the girls and I didn't get home and in bed until shortly after 3, and Autumn was wide awake at 8, which is very unusual for her. But I guess her excitement and nerves got the best of her. It was funny thought because once she found out and talked to her friends, she pretty much turned into a zombie for the rest of the weekend. It had been a really long time since I was able to hang out with friends and really enjoy myself. The only thing that would have made it perfect was if Corey could have stayed longer. He was able to come and eat with us, but because he had a long and crappy day at work that day (and still had to work the remainder of the holiday weekend) he couldn't stay long. I felt bad for him because I know how crappy that is. For years I always had to work weekends and holidays and could never enjoy the long weekends. Now it's like we reversed roles because we are in different jobs now. I think he has a long weekend coming up for the 4th of July so maybe we can get some fun time in there somewhere.

     Sunday we played euchre with a couple of friends. We used to play every weekend but since Corey took this job in October we rarely play since he works all weekend. We had a great time with them as well, of course it doesn't hurt when you win 2 out of 3 games played! They also brought a big tall can of Bud Light Lime Strawberrita, which is Budweiser's version of a margarita. Jill and I split it, and it was actually pretty good-tastes nothing like beer, which is good because I am not a fan of beer! I could see myself drinking quite a few of those if I am not careful. I think it tastes like Hawaiian Punch and Sprite mixed with a slight alcohol taste (nothing bad). So if you like strawberry margaritas, these are worth a try.

     Monday was a lazy day. It rained in the morning so whatever motivation I had to do any kind of yard work was killed by that. It's okay I needed a day to recuperate from the weekend. I did a little bit of laundry and that was about it.

     So here we are on Tuesday (or I've been calling in MoTuesday since it really does feel like Monday). I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well. Until next time...Peace!

Making Memorial Day Weekend Memorable

     A holiday weekend is upon us! I've been looking forward to a 3-day weekend for quite some time now, and it is finally here!

     Tomorrow night we are walking up the street to a friend's house for a cook out. Since we are all broke and complain about never having anything to do, we figured why not have a nice get-together with good food, drinks, and company. Our kids are all friends also, so this works out well for us all. I am very much looking forward to it, even if I end up paying for it on Sunday. I have noticed over the last year or two that I can't drink like I did 10 years ago. My body just doesn't recuperate as quickly as it did in my early-mid twenties. Please don't take me for an alcoholic, I rarely even drink anymore, but I have noticed that I get hangovers much easier now than I did back then, and I can't just bounce back the next morning. It usually takes the entire day for me to start feeling like myself, and that includes lots of coffee, a nice hot shower, and trying to stomach some food. But it will be okay, and well worth it. I haven't had much fun as of late because of all the things going on in life the past few months. It is time to let it go and enjoy the night.

     With that being said, did you notice that I said I was WALKING up the street to my friend's house? Yes I do live right up the street from her, so that is a feasible thing for me to do. I realize that people's plans may involve driving. If this is the case, PLEASE if you are going to drink, get a designated driver! This is one of those weekends that you hear about drunk driving accidents happening, and sadly people lose their lives. Don't let yourself fall into this category.

     Ok, that's enough with the lecture, I am sure we are all old and wise enough to know better. As for the rest of my weekend, I am planning on finishing up the spring cleaning I started about a month ago, and getting the "seedling" veggie plants (although they are too big to call them that) and flowers I got for Mother's Day planted into the ground. Maybe I will squeeze a hike in there on Sunday afternoon since Corey was promised by his supervisor that he would have an early day on Sunday. The weather is supposed to be nice, and that is something we all enjoy doing but don't get the opportunity to do much these days. Sadly, he has to work weekends, and this weekend is no exception, he is working today, tomorrow, Sunday and Monday. Yep, it's a drag, but at least he is working so I try not to complain too much.

     In other news, Autumn has cheer try outs today, and I am hoping that goes well for her. She will find out Sunday if she made a squad or not. Naturally, she is nervous (and I am nervous for her) but I think it is good to be a little nervous. She has performed in front of people pretty much all of her life-starting with dance recitals and demos-then on to cheerleading at games. I think she will do just fine, but I am bracing myself in case she doesn't. There are quite a few girls trying out for the 12 spots that are available in her grade level, and many of them are just as good as her. We have talked about the "what if you don't make it" because I want her to stay physically active and involved with school sports for several reasons. I refuse to let my daughters become couch potatoes because that will just lead to them getting lazy and overweight. Not only is that unhealthy but it's unattractive. I realize that comment may have made me sound vain, but it's the truth. Childhood onset diabetes is nothing you want for kids, and with my family history, it's not something I want to chance. Not to mention, being involved with sports in middle and high school gives you so much. You make friends, learn teamwork and other life skills, plus if you find something that you are good at, it can help you get into college! What parent doesn't want that for their children?

     I've told both my girls that they should take advantage of every opportunity there is for college, because realistically, Corey and I could never pay for college educations, even at the community college. I had to go on grants and loans for MY degree! (that I am still going to be paying for when they do go to college!) Sad thing is, college degrees don't give you that guarantee for good jobs anymore, so you have to be well rounded as well. I do plan on making my girls work when they are old enough to, just to learn what it is like and to learn more skills. It's competitive out there, and it just gets even moreso as time marches on.

     Well, that is all I have to say for today. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend, and remember the true reason for this holiday. Yes the long weekends, get togethers, and  the "official" start to summer (although the Summer Equinox isn't until June 21st) are great, but there is a reason we have that liberty to have those things and so much more. We need to take the time out to remember all of the fallen soldiers who died defending these freedoms. I am certainly grateful for their ultimate sacrifice, and I hope you are as well...

Blessed Be!

We Saved Our Dream!

     So the last post in my blog talked of my family possibly moving due to losing our home. Well, things have done a 180 since that post, but for the better!

     This morning Corey called our Relationship Manager about where we were at in the application process...After almost 9 long and antagonizing months, we have been approved for a loan modification. As of now, there is no real threat or worry about being foreclosed. I swear I could have done triple back flips out of my chair when he called to tell me of the news! Have you ever felt like a 1,000 pound weight has been lifted off your shoulders? Yeah, that's how I felt. I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this relieved about something, but then again, I can't remember the last time I was this worried about something either.

     This wasn't a subject that I talked with a lot of people about because honestly, I felt like I had failed myself. Corey and I made a lot of stupid mistakes when we were younger (the days I like to refer to as "young and dumb days") and we paid a hefty price for them. We had to file bankruptcy in 2005 because everything had caught up to us from those "young and dumb days". It got so bad that creditors were withdrawing funds from my checking account (that was court approved) without our knowledge and was threatening to take me to court. They even garnished 25% of my wages from one of the 3 jobs I was working at. It got really bad and really ugly. This is also a subject many people didn't know about us because again, I felt like a failure for letting it happen in the first place. But we got past this bankruptcy and worked hard at rebuilding our credit. This was a long, hard and painful lesson to learn, but we certainly learned from it!

     In 2008, we were finally in a position to become home owners. We were beyond excited and couldn't wait to find our perfect home. We looked at probably 20 houses in February and March, and found the house that was just right for us. I thought the whole house hunting process was fun (if not exhausting). We should've been on that show House Hunters, except instead of just a show, we would have taken up an entire season! Anyways, on our 7th wedding anniversary, we signed the papers to close on our house. Kind of a cool present to ourselves, huh? Life was all great and dandy...until June 2009 when Corey was laid off the first time, for 14 freakin' months! We were not doing bad until we got to the point that we had to use credit cards to pay for everything. Let me warn anyone that is reading NEVER depend on credit cards! I am sure many of you are thinking "I thought you learned your lesson" which I did. We did get new credit cards, but very rarely used them and when we did, we paid the full balance when we received the bill (with the exception of Home Depot because we had to use the entire credit line to buy materials for a privacy fence to keep Sasha-our husky in the yard!). Well, we ended up maxing out our credit cards to pay utility bills and buy groceries.

     We didn't want to declare bankruptcy again (we couldn't anyways because it hadn't been long enough) so we ended up going to a credit counselor and putting all our credit cards into a Debt Management Plan-you close the accounts and pay them off on different terms. Well, in order to start that, we had to pay something to start it up and a set amount every month-which was kind of high. As a result, our other bills, mortgage included, fell behind. We were able to get mostly caught up with everything in February 2012, but then Corey was laid off again in August of that year. We sought help from the Ohio Save The Dream act, but we made too much with his unemployment, and those people dropped us like flies, they said there was nothing else they could do for us. Not even tell us where to go from there. We sought help from our bank. This process started in September. As I stated in the first paragraph, it was long and tedious! Lots and lots of paperwork, followed by even more paperwork. Then continuously sending in paystubs and bank statements, followed by tax return info...Be ready for lots of paperwork is all I can tell you, and be upfront and honest! Now we are approved and waiting on (you guessed it) more paperwork!! Oh well, at least it's more or less signing on agreements and stuff like that.

     I certainly hope that no one ever has to face this kind of issue, but please understand that there IS help out there! Even if you are like me and get turned down for government assistance, talk to your bank/mortgage company. It is more expensive for them to foreclose a house than it is to help you save yours, especially if you are more than willing to work with them. Just be ready for a long haul and lots of paperwork.

See what happens when I have time to sit and think....It's scary!!

     Monday Funday! NOT! Once upon a time, I looked forward to Mondays, because at that time, I was in restaurant management, and my days off were Tuesday and Wednesday...So Monday was "My Friday"..Well, not anymore! Mondays are Mondays! UGH! But the bright side is next week is Memorial Day, so I have a 3-day weekend coming up...Woo hoo!!
    
     This past weekend was mostly uneventful. Almost TOO uneventful. I am not one that is used to not having something going on every single day, so Saturday I about drove myself crazy. Both the kids had things going on, Corey was working and all I had to keep me occupied was cleaning (which I absolutely HATE doing). I mean, I do clean, but I can't stand spending every weekend doing it, so I wanted to do something fun. Well, that can be tricky when you don't have a dime to your name and less than 1/2 tank of gas to last you a week. I don't care to watch a lot of TV, and I enjoy video games, but even they can get boring when you have no other option. So Saturday, I was in a bit of a pissy mood because I had nothing fun to do. It's really depressing to think about. Just a few short years ago (five to be exact), we had plenty of money. We weren't wealthy by any means, but we were able to pay all of our bills on time, and still have plenty left over to get groceries, gas and do something with the kids. Now it is a struggle just to try to pay bills when they are due! We are even in the process of  trying to get a loan modification (to prevent our home from foreclosure). I will give you a head's up, if you ever get into financial trouble, this is a VERY long and tedious process! We have been going through it since September, when we were denied assistance from the state. That's another thing, if you try to get assistance from them and get denied like we do, they don't do anything else to help you. It is really a bunch of BS how they treat you afterwards, but oh well. What can you do? I am just hoping that all this paperwork and phone calls we have been put through will be worth it in the end. I really don't know how it will end up.

     Corey and I have thought about it and talked it through quite a bit. There is the chance we will lose our house. While it will be terrible if we did, it could actually be a good thing if we can play our cards right. Something him and I have often regretted was staying in our area. We did it so our kids could stay in the same school district and stay close to family. We don't think this was the best thing for us to do, but we didn't know better then. We had no idea that we would deal with Corey being laid off twice since we've lived here, the first time in 2009, and that lasted 14 months. (This is when our financial troubles originally started.) The other was just recently in August 2012, but he found work 2 months later in a different field. The advantage to the job he does now, which is satellite installation is that he can pretty much go anywhere and do his job. In fact, the contracting company he works for often places the techs in different states if they are willing to relocate. While I may not have as easy of a time finding work doing what I do now (administrative/clerical) I do have 15+ years experience working in a variety of restaurants, and most of those years in management. I swore I would never go back to it, but in a case like this, I would certainly reconsider...especially if I get made an offer I couldn't refuse!

     As far as the school district is concerned, well, we know from a few posts ago how I feel about our schools now. We are getting ready to be state-ran which means my kids won't have half the programs available to them that we had. I want them to have opportunities and chances to get into a good college someday, but that won't happen in our district. Sadly, many Ohio schools are getting that bad. There just isn't opportunity left here! We wanted to stay close to family, but I don't know what that really did for any of us. I know every family has it's own drama, but ours is a little different because we have family married to family (as in Corey's brother being married to my sister). This makes bad situations 100 times worse for us because no matter what we get caught in it, even after we both express NOT to involve us. There is also other issues involving family but I don't care to get into great detail about them, but they involve my kids. What grinds me about them is that my oldest, Autumn is very intelligent and quite observant (even though she doesn't always let you know that) and sees what is going on around her. I get asked a lot of questions I don't have answers to, and don't feel it is right. But, what do I know? I think if we moved away it would relieve us from drama we don't want or need in our own lives.

     So, if we did end up moving, we are thinking the Colorado area. To be perfectly honest, I am not a fan of cold weather, so it took a lot of thinking on my part to agree to that. But, realistically, Colorado would be the best option for our family. It has all 4 seasons (including the cold crap that I am not a big fan of), lots of gorgeous scenery-which I assume means lots of hiking trails...This I have to research a bit more. We'd be close enough to visit family (for short periods of time, of course) but far enough away so that we don't have to deal with their drama that we so want to avoid. Being a military brat, I've lived all over the world, but I have never lived (let alone been in) Colorado, and it's surrounded by lots of states I have yet to see. Like I said earlier, we could both find work out there, that would not be an issue. Not sure about the cost of living or how hard it would be for us to find a place that we could keep our 2 cats and Husky (we'd obviously have to rent for at least a year, if not more). So we still have some homework to do if it comes down to it. Then again, it may not even be an issue if we save the house. We'll just wait and see...

    Now, for the record, nothing is set in stone! So if you are a reader and you either know me personally or know someone that knows me personally, PLEASE do not blow up my phone, blog, Google +, Facebook, Twitter, email, or any other form of communication asking me what all this is about. Like my title says, "See what happens when I have time to sit and think? It's scary!" it's just thoughts that cross my mind because I have ALWAYS got a Plan B stashed in my pocket in case Plan A doesn't pan out. In this same weekend I also thought about running for my local government (if I stay here) and moving up to the White House...I also thought about if I do save my home, the thousands of $$ I need to spend fixing this, updating that, etc. etc. I also thought about what color/theme I wanted for my bedroom and what kind of bed I wanted when funds allow me to. I also had other random thoughts, but you see where I am getting at here...

    Okay I think that will be all for today. I am curious though, if you have lived or visited in Colorado, please comment with your opinions/suggestions...I may need to think about those on a boring weekend. :)
    

Baby, It's Beautiful Outside!

     If you didn't see, I am in process of learning this whole blogging thing. Just when I think I have something figured out, I get proven otherwise...Story of my life! So please bear with me...

    Anyways, on to the topic of the day. It is absolutely gorgeous outside today! While I love the job I work today, it's days like this that make me miss working outside. But it's okay, I go on walks everyday on my lunch break, at least when the weather is cooperating with me. I enjoy those walks quite a bit. Not only is it great exercise and gets me off my butt for a little bit, but I do a lot of thinking to. I like to think that some of my best thinking is done while taking these walks. When I am having a bad day, my walks provide stress relief. Sometimes I cry on my walks, not a full on sob fest, but we all need to let go sometimes. Regardless of what is going on during the day, I always feel much better after my walks. I enjoy seeing the different wildlife, such as this turtle that was walking from the pond one day.

That particular day was a horrible day for me, but seeing him (or her) made it better. You can't really tell by the picture, but he/she was pretty darn big! The biggest one I've ever seen out in it's natural habitat, and I was able to get pretty close without scaring him/her off. It made my day that particular day. I hope one day I see the turtle again.

     Another thing I enjoy doing outside on days like this, especially this time of year is gardening. I started gardening about 7 years ago, and I am still trying to get better at it (kind of like this blog, lol). Some years I get a good harvest, others well maybe not so much. In the past, I have worked very chaotic schedules, which was a big part of whether or not my garden did well. Last year I didn't do one, because I couldn't get my husband Corey to get the "new" garden plot tilled. I couldn't plant on my old spot because I had just buried my fur baby (cat) there. Normally I start planting on mother's day, but because my plot still wasn't tilled and the fact that it was only 50 degrees (with a frost advisory for the next two nights) I decided against it. However, this weekend I will be getting the first batch of plants into the ground. Autumn and Tehya both made me planter pots with beautiful flowers for Mother's Day, like they do every year and one of my coworkers gave me a few seedlings to plant in the vegetable garden. So I have something to start with anyways. I also need to get busy weeding the flower beds, butterfly garden, and Dixie-Kitty's grave. That part I am not looking forward to. I can't wait to have fresh tomatoes from the garden though, my mouth is watering just thinking about the delicious BLT sandwiches that I will be able to have in a couple of months!

    We used to enjoy camping during the summer, but unfortunately because of Corey's job I don't think we will be doing much of that. He has to work weekends and there is no way he can get out of it. That's kind of a drag, but at least my parents-in-law will be taking the girls camping at Indian Lake in about a month. They all enjoy that quite a bit, and it's good for them to spend time with their grandparents, especially as busy as we get in the summer with cheerleading. I have to admit, part of me is jealous that they get to go while I have to work (no more vacation time until August...the end of summer of course!). It does give me a mini-vacation to have evenings alone or with just Corey and I. Not that we go out and do anything, but it's nice not having to cook and clean after everyone for a week. I think that may be even better than a vacation!

    Even though we can't go camping this summer, we will still have opportunities to go hiking this summer, which is another thing we really enjoy doing together during the nice weather. Tehya tends to play tour guide, which is cute, but gets on Autumn's nerves. Sometimes it also makes it difficult to see the wildlife that is around because she doesn't always know how to keep quiet. If it's not too hot and dogs are permitted, we take our husky Sasha. She likes the hikes to, but she gets thirsty really easy so we don't take her if it's too hot out. One thing we all have to watch out for this year is ticks. I hear they are already bad, and the warm weather is just starting! Those things creep me out! Remember to always check each other before going home/getting in your car!

   I can go on and on forever about how I love to be outside during beautiful weather like today, but then I would be on a computer all day instead of spending outside where we should all be...