Memoires of a FORMER SAHM

I have moved

2011-03-06T20:58:00.002-06:00

I appologize for abandoning this blog. I have recently started a new one I hope you enjoy. Please join me at
www.momandmanagement.blogspot.com

Back to School

2009-08-31T12:37:00.000-05:00

Here is the photo I promised. TWO wanted in on the action too!

The Clothing Battle

2009-08-30T12:19:00.002-05:00

I need to decide how to best approach this. My soon to be 16..I mean 6 year old has very strong oppinions on fashion. Now that she in in school I want her to look decent during the week. So every night we have our battle. She wants to wear pants and long sleeves (when it is 90 degrees) with flip flops. Mind you nothing matches. I want her to wear a nice capri outfit. She conceeds on the capris but insists on a shirt that doesn't fit anymore (or has a huge stain on it). So I suggest skorts and a similar shirt to the one that has a stain...

Rinse and repeat at least 3 more times, add tears and screaming with her finally stating, "FINE!! I WILL JUST WEAR THIS, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?" as she holds up the first outfit I suggested.

I don't have the strength to do this everynight. Should I just let her wear whatever and live with the consequences? That is just so hard, I don't want her walking out of the house in something completly inappropriate. We go through the flipside of this on the weekends. Then when we are just bumming around the house she comes out of her room wearing an outfit that is dressier (perfect for school) and refuses to put on gym shorts and a t-shirt.

What am I to do? How many more years of this do I have?

First Day of School

2009-08-20T20:06:00.002-05:00

We survived our first day of Kindergarten. ONE loved it. She can't remember her teacher's name or any of her classmates but she told me with enthusiasm that she gets to go back tomorrow. I need to post some pictures, but the computer I am on doesn't have a memory card reader so it won't get done right now. I promise to post them as soon as I can though.

I didn't cry at all. I may have wanted to a bit but I held off. I didn't want to ruin it for her or suffer the teasing I would have gotten from my husband. We didn't stay for the "boo hoo breakfast". It didn't sound like something I wanted to do. I mean I know my kid is the best but I don't want to hear others bemoaning the fact that they will miss theirs, that is what blogs are for.

My new life

2009-08-18T21:48:00.002-05:00

It is nice to see my life finally moving forward. For over a year I felt as if I was treading water and now I can continue my life. Now the decision is mine as to where it should take me.

The new job is great! I am enjoying what I do. I am still trying to figure it all out but that is what makes it fun. I do miss the girls. TWO especially. I can tell she misses me too. She still will not sleep at daycare. So even when she is at home with me in the evening she is crabby and her bedtime has moved up an hour. I am hoping that she gets over it and our schedules can return to normal but with school starting this week for ONE I am not sure if I can even define normal. I want to carve out time to blog more but I have a feeling it will remain on the back burner until my husband's busy time of year returns late this fall. So I appologize for anyone who is still reading this, I promise, come November I will show up more often with more valid content.

One week and counting

2009-08-13T20:54:00.003-05:00

We are down to one week...
One starts kindergarden next Thursday. It is hard to believe that the summer is over and we are starting school. She is getting so big. She is definately ready and she will do great.
I feel old...

July Top Droppers

2009-08-01T15:28:00.001-05:00

Thank you to all of my droppers. Here is July's list...

I Like It Frantic
Harmony In Motion
At Home In The Ozarks
A lil Enchanted
The Frugal Kennedys
Upgrade Your Life!
Stacie's Madness
my kids are my world
Harvesting Dollars
Simply Being Mommy

No Longer a SAHM

2009-07-24T17:21:00.003-05:00

Short post, but I have to share...
It is official, I am no longer a SAHM! I recently accepted a job offer and I am so excited. It is a job in HR (my field I thought I was going to have to abandon), and the pay covers more than childcare.
Now off to find childcare as I start in 1 week. I will have to figure out a new name for my blog. Any suggestions?

Gems of wisdom from a 5 year old

2009-07-08T17:05:00.002-05:00

This week ONE is attending basketball camp at a local college. It is important to note that she is extremely familiar with this college, its campus and many of the athletic staff (including the women's basketball players and coaches) as we are active supporters.She loves camp, but was a little apprehensive before her first day. This led to the first gem of the week. She was trying to get all of the facts and asking a million and one questions when she asked me if the camp was going to be in the gym or in the woods. I will admit, it took me a bit to figure out what she was asking but when I did I couldn't help but laugh.

Gem number two was a bit more serious. ONE has been very attentive to all of the coverage of Michael Jackson's death. We pass a cemetery on our way home from basketball camp. So today we played twenty questions on death. From how do people die, how do they get in the ground, why do we put people in the ground, it looks like a lot of work. But the comment that had me laughing was when she asked "Where to you buy such big shinny rocks to put on the dead people, I don't remember seeing anything like that at Walmart? I think I need to expand her shopping horizons:)

I am back--for a bit

2009-07-07T13:59:00.002-05:00

I know I have been remiss in my blogging. For my followers I apologize but honestly you didn't want my company.

I have been struggling with a low. No I am not mourning the loss of Michael Jackson or even Billy Mays, I am in desperate need of returning to the workforce. The stress has started to impact other facets of my life other than just me feeling sorry for myself. My attitude towards the kids, my relationship with my husband and even my faith have suffered. I have felt that my life has been on hold for the last year and I am trying to to be resentful of it or the circumstance around it.

So I am struggling to rebound. My normal blogging time has been reallocated to job searching. In addition, my husband has been home more. This cuts down on my computer time as he needs our one and only functioning computer to do his work from home. So when he is here I don't feel able to just putz on the 'puter.

So I apologize, I should be able to return to regular posting in August when he has to return to work on a normal schedule. So until then I will post when I am able and willing. Until then I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as or more than I am.

June's Top Droppers

2009-07-01T11:54:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all of my "droppers".
Here are the top droppers for June.

Inside My Head
Whatever Comes To My Mind
Luv a Bargain
FickleMinded-A Life That Is Less Ordinary
I Like It Frantic
At Home In The Ozarks
My Loonyverse
Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife
A lil Enchanted
The Coupon Coup

2009-06-18T08:06:00.003-05:00

What a week!

The kids got back from vacation with grandma and grandpa last Friday. I noticed that TWO had a little rash going on. Grandma didn't know anything about it, didn't bother TWO, I just thought it was an allergic reaction to something. Saturday the little rash went from little to pronounced and by Monday morning it was just gross.

I got her into the doctor after I was done running ONE to VBS across town. Turns out that she has roseola. GREAT! Well really it wasn't a big deal just gross to look at. One was loving VBS (she can't wait for school to start in the fall). I didn't give it a second thought since mostly kids under 3 get roseola but yesterday afternoon she started to complain that she was cold. It is freaking 85 degrees, how can she be cold? But low and behold she has a fever. I hope she didn't have the fever at VBS. Well I am keeping her home from it today and hopefully she wasn't a typhoid Mary, spreading the virus to all the kids. I actually hope it was just a fluke fever that has nothing to do with roseola (or that she is old enough not to get the rash). I feel bad keeping her out of the last day of VBS but there is nothing that can be done for it. I promised her a movie day so...

For anyone wondering...
Roseola is a virus that effects kids 4 and under. In most cases, it starts with a high fever that can last 1-4 days. After the fever a rash breaks out that looks like measles. The rash typically does not itch and generally just looks bad. It is contagious during the fever stage and it normally takes about a week to 10 days between infection and fever. There is no vaccination for it and it is generally no big deal, however the high fever has been known in some cases to cause seizures. Roseola is typically over before you know what you have.

Mentoring Mommy

2009-06-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have be come a Mommy Mentor. This is an incredibly scary thought on my part as I cannot fathom me, (the woman who is ok if her kid eats dirt (just a little), encourages her kids to fight (just a little) and can tune her kids out if necessary (a whole lot)) would be thought of by anyone as an appropriate mentor to anyone. The title is definitely an informal one but it is a role I have taken on none the less.

One of my friends who is only recently married and has recently moved over 1000 miles away from all friends and family other than me is pregnant with her first. Her and her husband are blissfully unaware of the riggers of parenting and are now looking at my husband and I for guidance. I am so excited for her, especially now that I get to go through everything all over again without the commitment of being the parent or pregnant one.

For the past few month I have been fielding pregnancy questions from her. You know, the basic "is this normal?" type of stuff. This past Thursday I got to have all sorts of fun helping her register. She asked me to come along because she didn't know what she needed or how to sort through all of the choices, "why are there so many different types of bottles?" "do I really need a diaper pail, can't I just use the regular garbage?"

Registering was great. I got to see all of the new stuff that was out. I know that my husband was hoping that it would give me the baby bug but I survived without catching that affliction. The other great thing about helping out this friend (other than the satisfaction of helping out someone who feels like she so needs it) is that it is causing me to remember things that I forgot long ago about my pregnancy and early days of parenting.

I am being cautious however. I want to make sure I don't over step my bounds and insert myself too much into the process. I try not to offer advice unless asked (or I see a desperate need for it). I would hate to have this ruin our friendship (it is a rather new one). I just see this as being great and for the moment she does too. I think all new mom's should be partnered with someone. Is there an organization that does that? I would join in a heart beat. I know in the past the pregnant woman's mom would do it but I see a need for it in today's society. Plus somethings are better heard from a friend than your mom.

What do you think, do we need a new mom's mentoring group? Is that what we are doing here on our blogs?

The Kids Return

2009-06-12T13:07:00.003-05:00

I know that I have been absent for the last week. Well there is a reason, although it doesn't really make sense. My kids have been gone for the last week. That is right, Grandma and Grandpa came and took both of them away for a week of vacation.

So with such a big opportunity, what have I been doing this week? Well a whole lot of nothing--at least quantifiable. I have been sleeping in, scouring the city for jobs (in my field and out/full-time and temp), spending loads of time with the hubby and some basic household organization.
It has been great. The hubs has had a rather slow week at work so he has been home everyday by 3pm and didn't even go in on Wednesday. We have had dinner together, went on walks and talked. It has been great. I remember the relationship that we had before we were married before kids...I fully believe that every couple needs something like this.

Ok, so it has been great. I missed the kids. I talked to them every night on the phone. They are coming home tonight. I can't wait to see them but hate to see this week go. Back to the normal schedule. Oh well.

Mommy Blogger Muscle

2009-06-11T08:36:00.003-05:00

We all know that we as mom's are important, but it is great when the rest of the world knows it too. I came across this article on the front page of MSN this morning and wanted to link to it here in case anyone had missed it. We all know our give aways are great and that someone in PR is looking at us at least as a way to advertise to a segment of the population but to see the power we can and do have is great!
Happy reading all.

Advice Update

2009-06-05T11:34:00.003-05:00

I wanted to update all of you on my friend I wrote about earlier this week.

I did send her an email (per your advice). She is doing OK now but had a rough patch. I knew that email was the way to go but it was nice to hear it from all of you. Anyways... She is fine, we are talking/emailing again.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to get in contact with her.

Tag--I'm it:)

2009-06-04T01:00:00.002-05:00

Just when I think I have the hang of the blogging world, another new thing comes my way. I have been tagged for the first time. My friend over at Dirty Diaper Laundry (who's blog is great, informative and humorous) tagged me. She thinks it is like one of the MySpace/Facebook Games we all ignore, for some reason it reminds me of some crazy email chain or old fashion chain letter. But I respect her so with some delay I am going to play along.

Here is the deal. I have to list six unimportant things that make me happy. That should be easy. I have to tag six other bloggers. That could take some work, but it is do-able. I have to link who tagged me. Done. And I have to comment on the blogs I have tagged. Will do.

1. Pedicures

2. Babby Giggles

3. Dinner made by the Hubby

4. A trashy Romance Novel (huge weakness of mine)

5. Nap-time (mine and the kids)

6. Oreo's

Now the Bloggers for me to tag.

1. Mom-Mom's Harmony

2. Native American Momma

3. Parenting by Google

4. Stay at Home Mom

5. Three Boys and a Dog

6. Random Thoughts while Parenting

Hope you all had fun. I know I did.

Wordless Wednesdays--Tuesday Stitches

2009-06-03T09:37:00.005-05:00

Instead of going strawberry picking on Tuesday, ONE sent us to the ER when she crashed into the end table with her head. She is fine but her vacation plans have to be altered as swimming is out for the next several days.

For more Wordless Wednesdays go here.

Top Droppers for May

2009-06-01T09:08:00.002-05:00

This is my first month posting this but I wanted to thank all of you who "drop" regularily.

At Home In The Ozarks
Small Town Mommy
Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife
The Coupon Coup
Wii Mommies
Cool Dad Central
Momspective
Luv a Bargain
J. Leigh Designz
Mother by Design

I need advice

2009-05-30T13:05:00.004-05:00

I need some advice.

I was cruising around Facebook this morning and saw a comment by a former acquaintance from college. Her comment was (names changed to protect the innocent) " So glad that Jill and Tom's baby is going to be ok". Well Jill was a really close friend of mine in college. We lost touch after graduation when I got married and moved to a different state. We reconnected a few years later for her wedding but then lost touch again. I didn't even know she was pregnant/had a baby...

I want to reconnect, make sure everything is ok and catch up. I am not sure how to do it or if I even should. She is apparently going through some stress right now and I don't want to add to it or come across as a bottom feeder.

Any suggestions? She isn't on Facebook so I would have to try the cell number I have for her or email.

I am back and I am RANDOM

2009-05-29T14:17:00.004-05:00

So, this week has gone by in a blur... So much for Random Tuesday, this is Random Friday....

It is officially summer, ONE has practically moved into our backdoor neighbor's house. I am not complaining but I don't want to be thought of as a sponge or bad mother in the new neighborhood.

The local pool is ridiculously expensive--there go my summer plans with the girls. Worse yet, because our neighborhood is still under construction we haven't been annexed in to the town, so we would have to pay the "non-resident " rate.

By the way, I hate the construction. They are working on 6 houses across the street from me. All I hear all day is the sound of trucks backing up and hammers. I wish they would just finish them up all ready.

TWO, my fearless and independent child, has developed this weird fear of the water. She likes to play next to the wading pool in the back yard. She even dumps water on herself but screams like a yetti if you put her in. What is that about?

The job hunt continues. I am waiting to hear if I get an interview at my dream job. Great if I do, but then I have to worry about childcare as my babysitter found a summer job. How thoughtless is that :).

Randomness done for now I guess. I am happy to have my computer back. It is nice to have the use of the "s" key again. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Appologies in Advance

2009-05-27T15:04:00.002-05:00

My hubby has gone out of town for work. He took with him our laptop that I normally use to blog. This leaves me with the 5 year old laptop that has several issues. This being the case my postings for the next week will most likely be weak if at all.

Sorry, see you later when my baby (I mean computer) returns.

My Very First Blogging Award

2009-05-26T13:08:00.012-05:00

I have been a bit slow to pass this one on, but it doesn't devalue how much I am honored. On May 22nd, The Knutson Update gave me my very first blogging award. I have spent the better part of the holiday weekend mulling over who I should pass this award on to. The idea of this award is to pass it on to 8 people and include the following:

"These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

So after much deliberation, I am passing it on to these eight blogs that I have grown to love - who's writings and insight help keep me sane and smiling.

Confessions of a Semi-Slacker Mom

Soccer Mom Says...

Boogers, Screams, Headaches and Dreams

At the Ball Park

2009-05-24T10:12:00.003-05:00

One of the things my family enjoys doing is going to minor league baseball games. For less than it costs to go to a movie we go to a game, sit in the grass and have a lot of fun. Friday night we went to see the Salt Dogs in Lincoln, Nebraska. I don't know how much watching of the game we did (they gave up 11 runs) but we all had fun and got to see our first fireworks display of the year.

Holiday Weekend Blues

2009-05-24T09:01:00.002-05:00

I had such high aspirations for this weekend. Oh well, I should know better.

First I wanted/planned to go strawberry picking. That would give me a long weekend to process everything, make some freezer jam and maybe a strawberry pie. Called a few strawberry farms in the area and I found out that strawberries won't be ready until next weekend. Grrr!

Then we planned to check out a few farmer's markets on Saturday morning. TWO woke up with a fever. There goes Saturday... I think she is teething but she is consistently warm and only has energy for a few hours at a time so at home I stay.

I didn't make any additional plans for today. Good thing. TWO is still warm (although happy to play) and DH is feeling tired. So we will take it easy again.

Here is to the holiday weekend. Hope you are having fun!