MOMMY VENTURES

No Comment

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:42:00 +0000

I don't blog for comments. I don't blog for people to read it every day. I don't blog for anyone but myself.

If you read my blog that's fine. If you want to leave a comment on my blog that's fine. If you just want to lurk that's fine.

I find it neat to see what cities and countries visit my blog. Often times I wonder, what brought you here for the first time.

Are you family?
Are you a friend?
Did I leave my blog address with you?
Or did you do a simple internet search and something on my blog spark curiosity?

No matter how you got here. I am glad that a few of you are here.

I make no income off this blog. I have done an occasional giveaway. So feel free to read it knowing I get nothing in return :)

Naptime Needed

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:24:00 +0000

This week has been crazy! I use that term loosely but crazy none the less.

Monday--I felt like poop. I slept badly. I felt badly. I went to the gym. I went to the grocery store.
Tuesday--I got the kids to do a few things and we went to a free concert.
Wednesday--I drove 300 miles for my friend.
Thursday--We mostly stayed home. I painted. (Yes, in a well ventilated area--outside). Then I had a dinner meeting fellowship.
Today--I woke up to kid 1 up 50 minutes early. Kid 2 was up 20 minutes early. Kid 1 and Kid 2 were fighting before breakfast was consumed.

I need a nap!

14 Years

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:55:00 +0000

I've been a graduate for 14 years.

I've now been out of school longer then I was in by a year! Oh my!

Sleep Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:17:00 +0000

I find a good way to sleep for 10 days then I go and tell someone what's working and then that night shazam I'm out of luck in the sleep department.

This has been my worst pregnancy ever. Likely the hardest one too. The aches and pains I remember from the first two aren't bad at all. The first time stretching has nothing on this. Now, I am a mommy to two active kids who want me to be who I was. And heartbreakingly so I am not. I do not have the energy. Many days I am tired or sick. Some days both sick and tired.

Last night I turned the tv off at say 10:45. I was awake again by 11:20. I felt puny--nauseous puny. I took an anti-nausea pill and slept until just past 2am. Then.....I woke to go to the bathroom. That was almost that. I sat up from 3am to 4am in the living room.

I woke up after 7:30am. I still felt blah! By 8:30 I am sending my sister in law a text message saying "I am iffy for the gym" because I was tired, cranky, and nauseous. (Not in those exact words).

At 9:05am I decided to suck it up and go to the gym.
At 9:08am I was talking to above mentioned sister in law. I was getting dressed.
At 9:37am I was signing my kids into kids club.

I spent 5 minutes 39 seconds on the treadmill. It was too much. I did machines the rest of the time. Other then we were packed like sardines in there and I was hotter then a banshee monkey. Then there was a line for the shower.

After that.....I still had to go to the grocery store. Did I buy all I needed no. Did I buy some. Yes.

I am hoping to sleep tonight.
I have a BIG day planned tomorrow and it might just take all ounces of energy I have.

Behind the scenes

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:22:00 +0000

This week....I've been nesting of sort.

Yes, I have 17 weeks until "week 40" but summer is quickly approaching and I've felt good for 3 days in a row. SO.....I must begin.

While none of the stuff I am doing is directly "Kid" related. It all relates to nesting in some way shape or form.

I cleaned out my bathroom "catch all closet" or really that's supposed to be linen closet. I reorganized it. Then I went and bought bulk items. Yes, I said bulk. Yes, I feel the need to have 3 things of deodorant on hand. I won't be traipsing out on a 115º day 7, 8 or 9 months pregnant buying it either.

I've been taking things to a donation drop off like it is going out of style. Stuff that I've either held on to, hoped to use someday, or well stuff that just needed to be gone in general.

I've ran errands. I've bought whatever I can imagine for my son's scout stuff. (My husbands too).

All in all. I've had a pretty good week.

Then I've been sitting for hours visiting with my neighbor. Her husband's been out of town. She doesn't drive. They have two kids. She's been as bored as a box of rocks. Our kids normally get along okay. There is an age gap my kids are about 2 and 3 1/2 years older then her oldest. Somehow it works though most of the time.

Tomorrow night though.....I get 3 glorious hours of "date night." Shazzzam!

Cub Scouts

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:37:00 +0000

My son is a Tiger Cub this year. We've worked hard and he's had a lot of fun. We almost didn't look closer at scouts because we thought he had to be 7. Turns out it is 1st grade or 7 years old. He was in first grade. We almost missed out because we only had a "thought" and never took the time to look until later.

I looked online to find him a group/pack. I wanted something that his daddy could be involved with and not feel rushed. I wanted him to be a part of a church not a school pack. I wanted the foundation. I found exactly what I was looking for.

This pack has been good for him. He's made some good friends. I am hoping that he continues to grow.

This weekend my son will move up from Tiger Cub to Wolf Cub. He is so so so excited. Last night I sat down and looked at his list of accomplishments. It made a mama smile for sure.

My son has completed 30 of the 50 possible electives for his Tiger Cub track. He may have done more but I couldn't find his scout book right off hand to check for an additional few that he may have picked up at Tiger Day or Cuboree both held last fall.

My son also will receive the following belt loops:

Family Travel

Geography

Map & Compass

Geology

Fishing

Kickball

Astronomy

Swimming

Language and Culture

He already has these two belt loops from when they handed them out in February.

Hiking

Flag Football

This weekend.....I will watch my little boy grow up just a little more. Oh boy time flies.

MOPS

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:23:00 +0000

MOPS impacted me at a time in my life when I needed it. I had zero friends that weren't related to me by marriage here.

I sat at home so much that summer of 2007. I was pregnant. I was tired. I had a little boy who learned to walk at 13 months and it was mid May when that happened. I knew no one.

I had a gym membership. In-Law family. Church 30 miles away.

At the time I knew no one here with kids who was home during the day. Well, the neighbors next door had kids but the communication gap was big at the time. The neighbors across the street had kids but they were rarely home and if home rarely outside.

That big sign said MOPS IS HERE. The banner was pink. It was simple. I knew I needed MOPS. Then I almost didn't go because I didn't get the information. Then I knew no one. I went to 1 meeting in September, 2 meetings in October, 1 meeting in November, and 1 meeting in December. Then I had a baby in January.

The food started showing up at my door. MOPS was feeding me. One lady showed up with food and trash bags of outgrown clothes from her boys. It was all in perfect timing.

I didn't FULLY meet anyone until I stepped up on the steering team. Now called leadership team. I spent 5 full years with those ladies. This was my 6th year. I went to 2 meetings.

Today, I went to a meeting. Today, I held back tears. These are my "peeps." A few of them are leaving MOPS. A few of them are leaving the immediate area. All the same these ladies are my mom friends and we saw each other through it.

Mothers Day

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sun, 12 May 2013 05:53:00 +0000

Happy Mothers Day!

This time last year. I was dealing with my 2nd miscarriage just weeks before. The wound was still raw. I didn't feel any less motherly or less like a woman.

Last year I decided after looking at a catalog that I wanted a ring for mothers day. Normally I am not big into the "material things" for the day. This year I was.

I had two kids at home. My son was 6 and my daughter was 4. I took them into the jewelry store the day after mothers day (because I stayed away from the mall on that day) and I showed them things I was looking for. They ultimately picked out about 6 rings for me to try on. I tried them all on and my kids said "meh" to one or two. Then they had some they LIKED.

My kids picked out my ring last year. I've worn it every single day since. It is special to me. My kids picked it out 100% (except for I did tell them I wanted a ring and I took them to the store).

This year for Mothers Day. I have spent the weekend with my mother in law and sisters in law. We are all kid free (well technically my mother in law isn't because she has 3 of her 4 kids with her this weekend). I will see my husband and my kiddos who call me mom later today.

Happy Mothers day to all mommies out there who desire to be a mom. Who are a moms. Those who don't want to be a mom but had a mom.

Over and Out

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:21:00 +0000

I'll see you all on Sunday.

I'm gonna be busy this weekend.

The crazy life

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:48:00 +0000

You know you buy a house......you buy everything that goes along with it.

The days, weeks, months, YEARS of getting mail that isn't yours but has your address on it. Spending countless hours marking it with "no such person at residence, return to sender"

The years of having your home phone (yes we are prehistoric and still have a land line and NO I do not plan on getting rid of it anytime soon) number being linked to someone else. Then getting the phone calls and trying to be nice and say "I'm sorry that person doesn't live here" only to be met with "well do you know how to contact them?"

Let me see here. I've had this number for X years and you are getting this number for prescription refills? I have never met this person. (So logically no, I do not know how to contact them). Don't worry I am full of tact for the first few comments but if they persist.....that's a grey area.

Now, a number bigger then 5 years later but smaller then 10 years later I am getting phone calls for people who used to live at this address. They want them for bills, etc. I don't really know. Quacks! Yes, those people apparently lived here BUT I doubt they had the same phone number as me.

So today when my sister in law calls me and tells me that way down the grapevine she's getting calls for someone related to me. She is of no relation to this person only through me and yet, I am not blood related only by marriage. Makes me think.....bill collectors are going crazy.

Thing is......apparently those automated systems are messed up. Because when you press a number it just hangs up on you. The wacky part of it the automated message only gives you an option to press a number.

I am a firm believer in.....you have bills. You pay bills. If you can't pay your bills you have options 1) don't buy what you don't need 2) don't use credit if you can't pay or have no plans to pay 3) find yourself in a situation that you can't pay all in full then but can make payments. MAKE THE PAYMENT! Own up. You did it. You fix it.

The insurance scam

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:40:00 +0000

We live in a world of....you better have insurance.

However, insurance is such a ripoff. Yep, I said it....Rip Off!

I don't think what the "government" is trying to force on us is good for anyone at all. That's my opinion you can have yours. Either way it is a free country and we have the right to have our opinions.

Anyway let me say this. Anytime you go to a doctors office and the clerk says "doctor you didn't put a price in" and he responds "do they have insurance?" Might make you think twice or maybe not.

Follow me here.

I had insurance through my job when my son was born. I had to pay my 20% to the doctor and hospital + anesthesiology as well as my copay AND my deductible. Then there was the pediatrician at the hospital, the home health care for the jaundice, blood draws, and regular pediatrician. All said and done we ended up paying about $7000 for my son.

My daughter I had insurance but not through a job of my own or through my husbands employer (because that price they want to charge is CRAZY insane). I trusted my doctor when she told me repeatedly that I should not register with the hospital before having my baby BECAUSE the ER by law has to take me. Well, come to find out about 10 days before I ended up having my baby girl I found out that if I pre-registered then I had a set price. No more no less (as long as I had a specific kind of birth and was in and out in a set amount of time). I went in paid my fee and I never saw a bill. In fact, I got money back....2 (or so) years later! My out of pocket expenses (doctor, peditrician in hospital, hospital, anesthesiologist, ultrasounds, and labs) were under $6000

Yep, the kids were born in different states, different hospitals and with different doctors!

I had a miscarriage that sent me to the ER. I thought because my ER visit was due to a complication of pregnancy that my insurance would cover it. My insurance refused at first and when I got the EOB from my insurance (the number was about $6000). Yes, that much for 8 hours of little to no care in the ER (yes, I say that too because I was there and they put the IV needle in but never hooked up a bag. No one really ever checked on me. Then they released me and ran my BP one more time only to say I was dehydrated. Yes, I was dehydrated you gave me 1 bag of fluid in 8 hours. Five or six months later I finally got a bill from the hospital. A price I could agree with. It was my deductible, my ER deductible, and likely 20% after all the "write offs."

Now here I am pregnant again. I haven't pre-registered with the hospital yet. So I can't give you figures for that just yet.

BUT......my husband had heart surgery. Spent 1 night in outpatient care.

Cost $86,000 for surgery/hospital
$$$??? for anesthesiologist
$$$??? for doctor preforming the surgery

The insurance write offs were crazy insane (no we still haven't recieved the official bills) this is just the EOB off the website from the insurance carrier. Right now we owe just a bit more then our deductible. Crazy. They wrote off like $80,000 of the surgery/hospital. SERIOUSLY!

Stop the inflation.
Set a price.
Insurance or no insurance.
INSANE!

The week turns into weekend

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 04 May 2013 21:18:00 +0000

I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week feeling crummy.
I spent Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday so far up before I'd like to get up. All for good causes no less but seriously.

Wednesday--I picked up my niece and drove downtown and was 30 minutes early twice. Guess I was lucky traffic wise because I sure planned for it and it wasn't there. For once!

Thursday--I met a friend I haven't got to see in months at the mall. She has two older kids and a toddler. We needed a toddler friendly place for them to play. I did a little shopping some successful other not successful.

Friday--I had a doctors appointment. I had to drop my kids off and go to the appointment and then pick my kids back up. Then I decided to go and do some shopping elsewhere. It was a success too.

Saturday--my younger brother drove 9 hours to spend the night at my house so he could attend a conference held locally. He got here around midnight and was leaving out for the day around 7am. So I got up to see him. Since I was up the kids and I went and did some more shopping. Some success. Other no success

Coincidentally the no success each time....I'm looking for the same item!

I think......I used my Monday and Tuesday as a 4 day weekend last weekend and now I will pay with a 9 day run without a real weekend. It is a trade off though because next weekend I have "off!"

Giving up/Giving In

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:40:00 +0000

This pregnancy has been so different from my others. I know they say every pregnancy is different and that was the case with my sons pregnancy and my daughters too. However this one is way different.

With my son and daughter I took no more then a prenatal vitamin and some acetaminophen. Maybe some sodium bicarbonate for an upset stomach. Beyond that....I didn't take much else, if anything.

This pregnancy has been different because:

I couldn't hold stuff down so I tried the Vitamin B-6 that was recommended

So I got a prescription for an anti-nausea pill

I had some sickness that wasn't morning sickness it was ICK so I tried the over the counter stuff recommended to me

I had to ask for something stronger

I can't sleep

I needed something because my body is trying to sleep for no more then a few hours at night (and it's broken sleep). I get 2 hours then I am awake for 3-ish hours and then I get another hour

I can't take any prenatal vitamin

I've tried in the morning
I've tried at night
I've tried after a meal
I've tried before a meal
I've tried after taking anti-nausea medicine (this is the only time I have had success but I don't take the nausea medicine unless I really need it).

While I was out of town recently. I had a very nice sister in law come over and surprise me by cleaning up some of my house. I was very happy to come home to a clean house. However, I was a bit sad as I had used up my cleaning supplies the week before I left and I didn't purchase any more because I was going to be gone. There was very little here for her to use. Then I noticed she got an area of my tub grout clean that I haven't been able to turn white. Yep, I even resorted to bleach. She got it clean. It made me very very happy.

Now, I look at my whole house. I am not satisfied with ANY room in my home. My husband took some shelving down and painted behind it and now we need to buy paint for the shelves. So I have all of that stuff from the shelves ALL over my living room.

My master bedroom. I look in there and I just want to cry. I didn't have all this stuff when we bought the house and I didn't have it when we brought my daughter home from the hospital. I need that space! Reality is....yes we did have some of that stuff when we moved and such BUT now it has been moved around. I think if I feel better anytime soon I am going to ditch even more stuff. I thought I was doing a good job getting rid of stuff but I see I'm not. No matter how many bags I take out.

All Squashing In....

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:23:00 +0000

There are days I literally feel the world squashing me.

The days that I read that my best friend sold her house that wasn't on the market on a whim of saying "my house could be for sale."

I wonder who will help me now? She sees that I need a break and she without much thought offers to take my kids so I can have a break. It happens once or twice a year.
She has helped me oh so many days when I had my miscarriages she watched my kids so I didn't have to take them. They were much too young to understand that mommy had lost a baby.
She has watched my kids for most of my doctors appointments with this pregnancy.
She takes care of my kids like they are her very own. Even though her very own are in school.

The days that I drive 500 miles and I feel like the energy and life has been ZAPPED out of me.

It always takes my energy and zaps me BUT this time it did more
I took my anti-nausea pill probably 6 of the 9 days I was gone.
I think that's why I am suffering like I am today because the pill for the nausea causes constipation.

The days I wake up needing to throw up just before 5am. I felt better after doing so but I wish I had thrown up at 3am instead of 5am. I needed the sleep.

The tummy starts out just bloated and gassy (thus the above comment maybe it's caused by some mild constipation) but why 2/3 in the morning.

The FEAR associated with knowing that I am only 1/2 way with this pregnancy. If I feel bad like this now how will I feel when the baby comes?

Is God trying to tell me something (this is where my brain goes when I can't sleep and my tummy keeps me up)

Homeschooling. I am trying. The kids seem to be doing well. Though it's been a forward backward thing for me this year. I hope and pray the next year is better even with an infant.
The wonder: Will I drive back to see my family again before the baby is born?

Normally I make 3-5 trips a year to go see my family. They usually come here 1x per year but they couldn't make that happen in 2012 due to medical reasons. So last year in 12 months we made 5 trips.
I went in April. I'm due in September. In between is summer.

If I go it will be early June and I just went.

I can't go later June because we have Cub Scout day camp.
I can't go in July because we have VBS
I don't want to go after 32 weeks. And my appointments will be closer together
Can't afford to fly--it will be summer!

The crib, the clothes, the placement of children in our 3 bedroom home.

My parents did it on 1/2 the space (3 kids and about 850 square feet)
My husbands parents did it 3 girls in one bedroom and one son in another bedroom
I can not wrap my head around how I want the kids rooms to be

Baby's own room? Older kids in same room?
Either way someone will have to share?
If we do Baby's own room will I still store older kids stuff in that room.
If we do big sister shares room with baby how do I place that

Really just stuff I have to process

Housework

I do good to get the dishes washed.
I wash the laundry but by the time I actually get it worked on it's either wrinkly OR it is bedtime and I pile it next to my bedroom window and go to bed.

Sleeping trumps laundry any day

If I could sleep!

Gardening

I am trying to grow a garden. Right now I have tomato plants and pepper plants that are producing. I have many green tomatoes. Just waiting to see who turns red first.
The onions and okra are sprouting.
And the compost pile.......is where I'm totally squashing in. We decided to let a plant grow that came up on it's own in the garden compost. About a month ago it was small and likely transplantable and today it has fully engulfed our compost pile.

I thought

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:13:00 +0000

I was having a girl. My body said girl. My intuition said girl.

The ultrasound tech said boy.

What I am happy about: The tiny little heart was beating at 163 beats per minute, the baby looked just like daddy *ha*, that things on the screen to my untrained eye looked healthy.

Almost 20 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 22:28:00 +0000

That means that today is ultrasound day!

That means I know what I am having. Yep, I know. I know. I know.

I'm having a baby! How cool is that? In about 20 more weeks I will have 3 kids!

Oh, you thought I was going to reveal gender? Nah, not on this post!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:41:00 +0000

The good: my husband recovered from his surgery great.
The good: I made it to visit my parents and younger brother for 9 days. I was able to feel well enough to drive for 10 hours each way.

The bad: The weather while I was gone mostly stunk. We had everything from Sunshine-Tornadoes-Cold-Rainy-Sunshine-Muddy Muddy-Cold-Snow
The bad: My son took a 2 hour nap yesterday on the way home and he didn't go to sleep until after midnight

The ugly: I found out my friend whose house wasn't for sale. Sold. It was a God thing really. She's my friend whose helped me out so much recently.
The ugly: I am almost 20 weeks pregnant and I am still fighting nausea. I threw up today for the first time in a month (or so)!

Recently

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:39:00 +0000

Last weekend I was a part of something that I love.
Last weekend I was a part of something that I believe in.
Last weekend I was not necessarily discouraged but I was far from encouraged.

You see I was a part of a training event.
I was a part of training leaders for today.

The discouraging thing was I put so much effort in. No effort was given back. Out of 74 groups of people invited (let's just say they have an average of 10 people) that's 740 people invited.

22 people showed up. It wasn't like people didn't know. It wasn't like they didn't get invited.

It was more like. Life happens. Ball games trump this. Single parenting trumps this. "We don't need to" trumps this. I know life happens.

Now I will put forth more effort. More work. In hopes that I can make a difference, someday.

All At Once

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

I think we're getting it all done at once.

The whirlwind weekend before the surgery is over. The surgery is over. The week following the surgery is over. The exhausting weekend after the surgery is over.

Today is a day to come up for air. Or catch up on laundry. Or change the sheets and wash the towels type day. Or clean out the fridge. Feed the compost pile. Make sure the recycling gets put in the bin before the truck comes day.

Then it's time to get geared up for some family drive time.

I'm already tired.

999

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:11:00 +0000

What you are reading here is my 999th blog post on Mommy Ventures. Who knew I would have 999 ideas to talk about. Who knew I would sit down and write 999 times. Truth be told this is my 1,000 post but I have one I never published. Reality is I likely will never publish it and it will sit there in my un-published posts.

When I started this blog 998 posts ago I did not know where I would go with it. Would I become a mom blogger. I doubted it. And at 999 posts I still just post for mostly me. Yes some people read this blog and for that I am glad.

As time progresses I hope to blog more. Have more inspirational things to write about. However, as this blog stands. It is still the semi-daily life of a stay at home mom.

The other end

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:11:00 +0000

For two weeks I knew the date. I knew it was coming. I didn't worry about it though. I talked about it like I knew what I was talking about. Worry. No I didn't. That is until about 24 hours before his surgery was scheduled. I didn't worry constantly (which is a big huge change for me because I've been known to cry for a week (random days not the whole week) leading up to my husband going out of town for work).

I admit I cried 5 times in 24 hours.

I cried when we went and asked for prayer at church
I cried when the family prayed over him on Sunday
I cried on the way to the hospital just miles from our home
I cried when (the anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted to kiss him goodbye) I left him being wheeled to the operating room
I cried when I got to see him wake up post-op knowing he was okay.

What happens when you're on the other end of a surgery schedule.

You sit in a waiting room butt puckered to the chair
Drink about 8 glasses of water
You fidget from chair to chair
You go to the bathroom no less then 5 times in 3 hours
hear "code blue" called two different times and try to not worry
Walk up to the vending machine and stare at the pictures
Run your cell phone battery to less then 40%
Buy a package of cookies (and eat them in no time flat) from the vending machine
Hear that your husband is out of surgery and wait chomping at the bit for the surgeon to come out and talk to you
The surgeon comes out and tells you "everything is fine, went wonderful, and that everything is fixed with a slim slim chance of it coming back"
Knowing you have a good 30 minutes before you get to go back....you ask the nice lady in the waiting room for a pager (think of those blinky vibrating ones from restaurants).
Step out for the first time to make a phone call or two. Text message or two or 20.
Eat 1/2 of lunch while sitting on a bench across the skywalk people watching the ones walking in front of you and those down on the street
Rush back to the waiting room with the other 1/2 of your sandwich and buy a drink from the vending machine.
Swallow the other 1/2 of the sandwich. Drink about 1/3 of the bottle of orange pop.
See the nurse emerge to take you to the room where the one you love is waking up.
Make terrible jokes.
Watch someone sleep
Get a crick in your neck from trying to watch tv at a weird angle
Answer messages
Order lunch for them to eat
Sit in the hardest padded chairs of your life
Find out that the recliner chair was strategically placed against the wall in the room for a reason.
Sit down for the next several hours. Talking some. Watching tv some. Answering the same questions over and over and over (and over).

What happens when your husband convinces you to leave for the night:

Note the other option was to lay in the way of the bathroom on a stretcher for me
Get lost trying to find your car in the valet. Because the valet nearby closed at 6. You must go to another valet which is not clearly marked. The signage on the maps inside say "X Valet" and the signs on the actual wording say "Y Valet" which is really the same silly valet.
Get lost trying to go to dinner with your father in law because the address intersection given was incorrect. I got to drive lots.
Laying down and sleeping like a rock

What happens when you drive rush hour traffic the next morning

Know that the traffic could be worse
Stop and buy yourself breakfast and buy the husband a large un-sweet tea because he's been drinking water since he had his watered down beverage at 6:45pm
Realize it is more of a challenge to eat a biscuit and drive in rush hour (ha!)
Find your way around once again
Settle in and be thankful that the whirlwind is almost over

What happens when you find out one of your kids has a fever that morning

As soon as discharge happens
Car is picked up from valet
You head towards your kid
Who by then is a wild child (not 100% but no fever).
Go home after lunch and take a nap

I think I have mostly recovered from my early Sunday-late Sunday and my wee early Monday-late Monday the same goes for Tuesday my before sunrise rising and long day. Yesterday wasn't long but I sure needed to catch up.

Whirlwind

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:41:00 +0000

SATURDAY
Saturday last week I met a few people at the gym. I took my daughter with me. I sent my son and husband off to breakfast and to birthday shop for the kids party we were attending. I came home.

Then it was off to the party. Where we there for a few hours. We ate lunch, kids played games, and then we stayed after to fellowship.

Then a little shopping. Then home. I had to make a shopping list. We were celebrating my son's birthday on Sunday with the extended family.

SUNDAY
We went to church. Then to my in-laws house to cook the birthday celebration lunch. We stayed there until it was the kids bedtime.

We left the kids with the grandparents and my husband and I went home to pack an overnight bag for 1.

I collapsed into bed only to wake up at 4:10am. It was time to get up.

MONDAY
We left the house shortly before 5am. We got to our destination at 5:30am. We got checked in. Then I proceeded to sit on my butt until 11pm when I finally crawled into bed.

During the lengthy time I chatted with my husband, sat in a waiting room, called people, played games on my phone, "worked," and ate snacks/lunch. Afternoon, I watched tv, waited on my husband hand and foot, got lost in a big big building (more then once).

Then when I left for the night I entered the intersection on my gps and well that was wrong. So I drove and drove and drove. I went to bed and didn't move until almost 6am.

TUESDAY
I left the house at 7am. I picked up breakfast for myself. I picked up an extra unsweet iced tea for my husband.

I drove in some traffic. I parked the van with the valet.

Sat in a hard chair for a couple hours. Then left again. My son had a fever so we headed straight to get him.

Ate lunch. Came home. Took a nap. Picked up dinner. Talked to the neighbor. Watered the garden. Checked the plants for bugs.

WEDNESDAY
Slept in. Did some walking around. Ate lunch. Came home. The end.

Up next.........who knows on Thursday
Friday I will go to the gym
Saturday I have a conference I am helping with so I have to be gone from 8am to 3pm
Sunday I have a race where we will have to leave here by 7am!

I think I need another nap.
Oh wait it's close to bedtime.

The Good News

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:57:00 +0000

I am almost 17 weeks pregnant
The baby's heartbeat was 159/160 today
The doctor, a friend, and myself all believe that this baby is a girl
I have scheduled my "20 week" ultrasound

I will likely find out there what the gender is
Maybe we will share it with you. Maybe we won't ;)

I have felt the baby move. I forgot to tell my husband but I did blog about it. Oops!
I have an appointment with the doctor again in 4 weeks.
My energy level is less like a rock but sure isn't a rubber bouncy ball either
I have some really great "best" friends

Who love my kids like they are their own
Feed them lunch when my appointment runs later then usual

My nausea is slowing down some

Lightening please don't strike
No one knock on wood, please

I have a pretty great family

The end!

Getting Behind, Getting Caught Up and the Midst of it all

noreply@blogger.com (starlightmommy) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:42:00 +0000

I have laundry to do.
House to clean.
Dishes to wash.
Kids to teach. Have fun with. Take places. Enjoy.

It is all about priorities. Yesterday, was my son's birthday. You only turn 7 once. I tried to make the day as special for him as I could considering. Considering it had stormed the night before and the ground was really wet, considering that it was a gloomy day with the forecast of more storms, considering that we homeschool and many of his friends were in school, and considering that it was in the middle of the week and Easter weekend was one of the anchor weekends.

Yesterday, I took my kids to breakfast at their favorite breakfast place. We ate our food, he got a small balloon bouquet, and not only did he get to make his own ice cream but he ate ice cream at 9:30 in the morning. Then we went to play with two cousins, opened a present, and then went to lunch. Lunch was likely the biggest bust of the day.

Yesterday, afternoon we came home and my son and daughter got to play with my son's birthday present. They had a great time. A great time. I called Grammy and Grandpa and I talked to them and the kids talked to them. They got to wish their grandson a happy birthday.

Yesterday, after daddy got home. We opened presents. My son declared it the "best birthday ever" and really birthday's do not have to be expensive. You just need to listen to your kids. Sure he had a lot on his list that daddy and I thought were "eh, I don't think he needs ______." But he had a list.

Yesterday, we followed birthday tradition and we let the birthday person choose the place to eat. My son chose a place we don't eat at often. I like to refer to it as a "salad palace" and the only reason he wanted to eat there is you could get cotton candy. Ok son. If that's what you want.

Yesterday, we came home after dinner and found out one of his birthday presents did not work at all. Boo! Now, I have to do the whole store return thing. No fun.

7

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:13:00 +0000

Hard to believe.
So hard to believe.

I'm the mom of a 7 year old.
Suddenly I feel just a little bit older myself.