Wow... Where did the time go?

I cannot believe the kids are back in school. Well obviously they are because it has been forever since I have had a minute to write. To top it off, Autumn begins in a few short days.  The days sure pass us by.


As I look around my home that I try so very hard to keep organized, I see all the things that need accomplished... STILL.  Now, my focus is elsewhere.  School, school and school.  With three children, that is where the focus is.  Then add in the extracurricular activities and you get a very busy family.  


But this is what being a family is all about. Watching your family grow and succeed.  Making sure that your children have what they need.  Loving them unconditionally.  Reorganizing your life for theirs.


The laundry, it can wait till tomorrow.  The hugs, the kisses and the conversations... those are a daily necessity through my eyes.  




Below is a page I reference often.  And below it is a quote that I find appropriate.  Enjoy!


http://www.quotesdaddy.com


 “Life, love, and laughter - what priceless gifts to give our children”
                                ~Phylis Campbell Dryden

Summer Rewind

It has been some time since I have last written.  It is amazing how consuming the summer can be. Working Full Time outside the home 5 days a week is consuming in its own way, but then trying to pack so much into each evening and weekend with my children can be overwhelming.

I do a rewind of the summer and I am pleased.  I wish we would have gone on a large vacation; Somewhere far away.  Maybe in a year or two when finances are a little easier.  But we managed to make some wonderful memories this summer.  However, I can't believe it is over!  One week and the kids are back in school. Where does the time go?  

I hear rumors about children going to school all summer long with longer breaks throughout the year.  I am not in agreement with this.  Summer breaks, in my opinion, are needed.  Children need to recoup. They need time to absorb what they have learned and prepare for another year.  Moving right from one year to the next would seem like too much pressure.  Children need to be children.  I see too many growing up too fast now a days.

So as the days get shorter, the sun goes down earlier and the days begin to get the colder chill to them, my family will have all the random summer memories that we have created. As the children head back to school, we look forward to another summer vacation that will be here before we know it! 

Sunset Picts

Took some pictures of the sunset with my phone. There is nothing like a summer sunset.  I thought I would share.  Enjoy the beautiful day!

Busy Summer

Living in a location where I experience all four seasons, we are very excited when the summer months are actually upon us.  Being able to get outside to do family activities frequently is the goal that we try to achieve.  It sounds simple enough, but it can be exhausting and sometimes hard to attain.


I look in my personal calendar and see that on each weekend, there is an event scheduled.  This even occurs on weekdays.  The majority of these events are ones that we did not schedule.  From birthday parties, graduation parties, festivals, meetings, etc. the lists and plans seem endless.  We never seem to have free weekends to just randomly make a decision on what we want to do for that day.  The days are already laid out for us.


It is wonderful that we have activities going on during the summer months, but it becomes exhausting as well.  In addition, I feel that the household chores suffer because we are always on the run.  There is no time to re-cooperate from the weekend or events that we have attended.  Plus the heat alone exhausts the family. 


It seems that we try so hard to fit everything into the small time frame that we label "Summer."  I am curious how much of the summer we are actually enjoying.  I think it is the small things that matter the most.  The campfire... the summer drive... the ice cream truck treat... the swim...the beach... all the random unplanned things that we do that we tend to remember the most. 

Can I Get My Foot In the Door?

I remember years ago watching a Chris Rock Comedy Special. One of my favorite lines he referenced was, "Let me get my other foot in the ... door." Now he was not referencing children, he was talking about relationships when he made the comment, however I think back to his comment each day!


I get home, walk in the door and before I can even turn around to close the door I hear," Mom, can I..." Here I am, purse, lunch box, bags,etc. in hand. The dog is jumping on me as the air conditioning is escaping the home. I am expected at that exact moment to what Get a drink, a snack, put on a show, goback out side for them to ride their bikes, etc. Can I please breathe? Can I have a moment to slow my mind from the day I have just had and process the fact that I am now home? Can I sit for just one moment? Or better yet, can I set my stuff down?


I am amazed by the amount of energy that my children have. I drink coffee to try to grasp a small amount of it. And I am thankful that they are able to have that energy. I just wish the energy could be put on pause for 5 minutes after work for me to be able to gather my thoughts.

Ghost Application... Does it Work?

So a few days ago, my husband comes to me and tells me he had this application running on his cell phone while playing Pictionary with the kids.  It is called Ghost Radar Classic.  He tells me that while he was drawing pictures for the children, the phone, or application, spoke the words that he was drawing.


Of course, I was interested, as I have always had some sort of interest in the supernatural.  So, I would walk around the house with the application on, and sure enough, in certain parts of the home, I would find more activity than others.  Some of the messages made sense while others, not so much.


After reading up on the Ghost Radar Classic I am a skeptic.  Do I want to believe it is real?  Maybe.  Why am I not 100% sold?  If it were this easy to track spirits and communicate, then   why do true "Ghost Hunters" not use them... at least not that I have seen.


I guess this "application" will always be up for discussion as long as it is out there.  Till then, it is your own personal opinion on what you want to believe...

Sleepover In Mom's Room?

So, after a long weekend, I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing Sunday night sleep. No such luck.  I ended up with two children and a dog in my bed.  Must have been something in the air last night that said,"Sleepover in mom's room?" 


First, it was my younger son, who was scared to sleep in his room.  Occasionally, I let him fall asleep in my bed and then I move him when I go to sleep. I was so tired, I made the exception. Bad idea... 1:30 in the morning comes along and his older brother wakes up with a nightmare and needs to sleep in my room.  


So, I have a child on one side of me, one below him and a dog, laying on my legs.  I could not move for 5 hours.  My back hurts this morning. Needless to say, dad did not get to sleep in his bed last night. 


This cannot become a normal routine, because a busy mom needs her sleep!

Garbage Night...

Why is garbage night so difficult?  Garbage... collect... take out side... walk to curb.  However it seems the garbage that is already outside is always taken to the curb however the garbage that is indoors is always left behind.


Is this for the reason that I have not prepared it? I have not physically put it outside the house myself? We really only have a few garbage cans that need collected indoors, so is it really that difficult?  I'm not quite sure I understand it.


Could anyone help explain this to me?  Is there a way to get the garbage from indoors from being forgotten?  I really don't think it is necessary to have a full bag of garbage the night after garbage is collected.

  

Celebrate :)

Here is to wishing all a wonderful 4th of July Holiday with Family and Friends! Be safe and remember why we are celebrating! 

Panama Rocks, NY

Wanted to share some wonderful photos of some unique outdoor views.  Great place to take the family for a day of trail walking and exploring!  Enjoy!

Step-Mom as a Friend on Facebook?

So my step-son recently joined Facebook.  He is in High School. I friend requested him and he accepted and he added me as a friend.  But did he really want to? Or was it more obligation for the mere fact that I purchased the cell phone that gives him the Facebook access?


Allowing me to be his friend gives me incite to what he is doing, who is is friends with, etc.  That is not why I friend requested him, that is just a plus.  I did it to try to build our relationship.  However, he does not respond to my posts and ignores that I am there.


So, do I remove myself and make a point?  Or stay on and make a point?  Teenagers are difficult creatures that truly, I wish could hop into my shoes for a day.  Just to see that we, as parents, are here to help and guide rather than rule and destroy! LOL


So for today, I am his "friend."  As for tomorrow, we shall see.  

Procrastination...

Why procrastinate?  If something needs done, just do it!  I find that my husband and I disagree the most because in his words, "I nag."  But if he would not procrastinate things for days, weeks and months upon end, then my asking for things to be completed would not not feel like nagging.  


The truth is that in a family everyone needs to carry their fair share of the weight.  They have their responsibilities that they must uphold.  Why must it be a daily battle of who is going to do what?  And why, oh why, must people push things to the next day and get upset when the time has arrived and it is time to complete them? 


A woman, I believe, is the center of the home.  We are not the slaves.  We are not made to be the housekeepers, especially when we work just as hard outside the home as the man.  The household chores need to be easily divided or almost divided among the parents.  As children get older, they then get household responsibilities as well.  


I am feeling that most of the "home duties" are put on me, and this is just expected.  Not a fair outlook.  Procrastinating so that someone else will complete your "chore" is not acceptable nor shined upon.  Once we become adults, our eyes must open and see that we are the ones that make our household what it is.  

Hangover Without Drinking?

Sometimes I think that I try to do so much, as a wife and mother, that it is too much.  This morning, I feel it.  I am experiencing a hangover...but had nothing to drink last night. Could it be due to lack of sleep?  Stress?  Other factors?  Whatever the reason, I could use a couch, some pop and a dark room.


I am a person with migraines. I have experienced them since I was in grade school.  Could this be effecting me today?  Who knows?  All I can add is this is going to be a short day and a short blog, because the words on the screen are even making me ill. 


The life of a mother does not stop because I just don't "feel well."  I have to push through and make the most of it.  Today will be what it will be... probably in just a slower pace than the rest.

Mondays...

Mondays are the most difficult day of the week.  Getting up, ready for work, preparing the children to go for the day.  It is as if the exhaustion from the weekend hits you like a hundred pound rock.

I try to accomplish so much on the weekend, seeing how those two days are my only days off.  In addition, I try to spend quality time with my children.  In the end, it is exhausting.  I need another weekend after the weekend to recoup. 

Mondays are by far my least favorite day of the week.  The weeks tend to go in a circle and Monday begins it all.  I look around the house at all I accomplished and see that it all disappeared.  The clothes I folded, replaced by dirty ones. The clean rooms, now dirty again.   The list goes on and on.

So, here I start another week.  Planning out what I am going to accomplish, what activities I would like to do with my children, and when I get "mommy time."  Notice that was at the end of the list.  For now, it is a full day of work ahead and a busy night to follow.  Such is the life of a working mother.

And to follow up from the previous post, I did not call a landscaper and yet no hole is made.  I might have to call tonight to see if he still has time.  Again, the hustle and bustle of the weekend overcame my day.  Before I knew it, I was asleep on the couch when I finally got my mommy time.

Happy Monday.  Set your week's goals high!  

Getting Old?

So, two of my closest girls and I decided to head out last night.  Something I used to do quite often.  Lately, it has been very infrequent. This morning, I remember why... I'm just not as young as I used to be!


Turning 30 this year really hit me hard.  More emotionally, I would say.  Being a mother, I am used to going to bed at a reasonable hour... getting home after 2:00am and being woken up by the dog bright and early was a total overload! 


BUT, my husband did get up this morning.  Calendar, where are you!  And go figure, the dog slept till 6:30, followed by the children.  Still, my sleeping was interrupted from that point on.  Part of that mother instinct, I guess... or a dog jumping on your pillow!  It is going to be a long day.


Going out... being with my girls... dancing... A BLAST!  Getting up in the morning, AWFUL!  Sometimes I wish I was younger again.  Who am I kidding, I think about it daily. Some say 30 is young.  It is.  But, we all have those ages that we just cannot adjust to. This is mine.


So, I have a feeling today will be a long day! We shall see.  For now it is time to jump back into the role of mom! I sure will feel the exhaustion today more than normal.


Still no decision on the landscaper.  However, I don't think that my husband was not impressed with hiring one, nor a deadline given for him.  Only time will tell.  


Enjoy your Sunday!  Spend it with those you love! 

To Hire a Landscaper?

So, my goal was to blog once a day... but I'm finding myself in a tough spot.  I have a smaller pool that I want to have put up for my kids, however the land will need leveled (a little).  I REALLY wanted it completed by the 4th of July. My husband is against the pool.  Extra work.


So, he finally agreed to help level the land. As of today, the pool progress is nowhere.  I will say he has been helping his father put up a fence EVERY weekend, so has not been home to do it, but we are now down to the wire.


I called a landscaper and they will be able to do it... for probably $120.00.  Not that I want to hand $120.00 that I was not planning to spend over, but I'm afraid the pool will never get up!


What to do... wait it out or bring in the pros and pay the cost. Keep bugging the hubby and have him get mad or let him get mad that I paid the money but at least it is done? 


Really all I want is to see my kids swimming in the pool. My son even bought a blow up shark with his own money (can we say excited!).   I have to let the landscaper know by tomorrow so I guess for today it is contemplating on a decision.

Up Before The Kids

You would think that with having children, they would be the ones to wake you up bright and early each morning.  In my household, I am woken up each and every morning by our puppy.  Can you call her a puppy anymore?  She is almost a year...  


We got her in September and since then my wake up call has been prior to 6:30 most mornings.  Today it was 5:48am.  Seeing how there are two adults in the house, you would think that we would take turns getting up?  Nope!  I am the one that is given the wonderful opportunity of waking with her each morning. 


Frustrating?  YES!  I am exhausted!  Time for a nap? NEVER!  Having a household of 5 (myself included) and a dog makes for a busy life.  Working full time on top of that makes it even busier.  


So why am I starting a blog?  I need a vacation! Vacations require time off, cooperation of all involved, money (and lots with a family of 5) and a dog sitter.  So, this is my vacation, my Island away from home.  The place that I can come to tell about the things that I love or hate.  The place that I am hoping other moms can relate to.  This is my Island. I hope that you enjoy or can in someway get a laugh or two out of my hectic life, because sometimes, I need to.


Welcome to my Island, your island, Mom's Island.