The Not So Much Room Mother, Room Mother

My oldest daughter started kindergarten this year and one of the things I was so excited about was getting to be a room mother.  At the beginning of the school year her teacher said they would be sending home a volunteer/sign up sheet for room mothers and volunteers, so I have been patiently waiting for months.  Finally at the beginning of December I sent her teacher and email saying how I would love to help with the Christmas party only to find out that two other Mom's who get to drop-off/pick-up their kids everyday had already talked to her and were the "official" room mothers.  Kielyn's teacher let me know who they were and told me to get with them to see if they needed help.  So I immediately texted one of the mom's and asked what I could do to help.  A day later she texted back and asked me if I could be in charge of cups/plates/napkins.  

Cups/Plates/Napkins!?!?!?

How could I get stuck with cups/plates/napkins?  Didn't they know that I had a million ideas on fun things we could do at the Christmas party?  Of course I said yes I would love to bring the supplies and then I pouted.  How am I supposed to measure up to my Mom's amazing school parties she planned every year for us?  Parties so amazing that I have friends who call 20ish years later saying remember when we were in 2nd grade and your Mom made those really cool xxxx's(insert really cool things that Mom always came up with).

And then it hit me I would bring the best cups/plates/napkins that have been to a school party.  Remember the episode of Friends where Phoebe was assigned cups and ice for the party she and Monica were co-hosting?  My Mom told me I was Phoebe.....

I decided that I would make melted snowman cups and reindeer plates.  My dear friend crushed my idea of snowman cups because the kids would probably spill their drinks looking at the bottom of the cups, so I decided I would make regular snowman cups.  I found the cutest snowman cups at Blue Cricket Design and copied her idea.

I love them!  So stinking cute!!!

And my little reindeer plates, they are cuter in person, I promise.

 

The girl reindeer!

And the boy reindeer!

I also bought some super cute napkins and paper straws from Michael's.  I am super excited to go to her first school party!  I also know that next year I will jump the teacher like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew at back to school night to make sure I get to be an official room mom!

 

Merry Almost Christmas!

Our Weekend Trip!

This weekend we headed to Denver to see my Mom and watch my sister run a half marathon!  We started off with a little shopping and dinner on Saturday!  I bought the girls the cutest little Levi's ever!  I can't wait for them to wear them!

My mom was nice enough to give us her bedroom for the night.  We went to bed at 10 and I yelled at the girls until 11 to be quiet and go to sleep.  I slept well until I woke up wet.  My first thought was OMG, I am 30 years old and peed the bed.....but when I moved I felt Taylor behind me and thought thank God I didn't pee the bed, Taylor peed on me!  Wait a minute.....it's not my pee it's hers!  So gross!  And then I proceeded to change her and put her back on the floor with her sister, strip the bed all while wearing my pee pants!  I have an excuse, it was 5 am!

We got up bright and early....um ok it was 8 and then my Mom yelled at me and told me I only had 15 minutes to get ready before we had to leave and that she would get a kid ready.  When I said 15 min!!!!!!!!! and freaked, her reply was "I let you sleep in!"  Love you Mom!

So my sister Rossi and her friends, Sarah, Susan and Alli ran the Rock & Roll Half Marathon today!  So excited and proud of all of them!  What an amazing accomplishment!

Rossi and Kielyn after the race!  I wish I looked that could after 2.5 hours of physical activity!

Rossi and Taylor!

Tay and the finger!

Kielyn!

We were having fun!

My girls!  Love them with all of my heart!

Taylor, my Mom, me, Rossi and Kielyn!  A lot of blonde going on here!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

P.S.  I am finally on pinterest!  Thanks Shannon for the invite!

15 Things

Hi!  So we are about 9 months through the year long deployment.  Only 3ish months to go!!!  The past 9 months have been amazing, devastating, hard, fun, trying and a million other emotions!  I have learned so much about myself this year, some good and some bad.  So here are 15 I was originally going to do 30 things but after I got to 15 and it was kind of a long list I thought you might get bored reading, so I cut it down things that I have figured out or done this year!

1.  I am almost an official Young Life Leader!  I am so excited!!!!  I love Jesus!!

 

2.  I am strong!!  Never thought I was until this past year.  :)

3.  I create my own happiness, no one else.  If I'm not happy in my heart no one or nothing can make me happy!

"It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves and it is impossible to find it elsewhere." -Agnes Repplier

***so true, it's not a lie!!!***

4.  I control my own emotions.  They are my responsibility.  No more blaming others for feeling sad/mad/bad.  I choose how I react to someone's behavior and will no longer blame them/their emotions for my bad mood.  I can choose to not let it bother me!

5.  It's ok to say NO!!!  I don't have to say yes to everything, I can pick and choose.  And if I can't do something with a happy heart I shouldn't be doing it!

***Thanks Mom!  I finally listened!!!**

6.  I love girls nights to go dancing!  And it's ok if I go!!!!

7.  I am just as important as everyone around me.  My wants and needs are important.  It took me 30 years to figure this out but I finally did!

8.  I'm not scared to be on my own/alone anymore!  If I can work 40+ hours a week, take care of 2 kids and 1 dog, get all of the house work and laundry done, keep up with the yard I can do anything!

**Special thank you to Gram for feeding us not that she feeds us every night, but A Lot!  And I don't ask her to, she invites us!**

9.  I love God!!!  Not that I haven't always loved him, but I finally let him get in the drivers seat and I can tell you that it makes my life so much easier!

10.  It's ok to have "me" time.  Until this year I always felt guilty leaving my girls to have "me" time.  After working all week, I wanted to spend every extra minute with them.  After doing it on my own, I realized that I need some time to myself, it's healthy for everyone otherwise someone might seriously get hurt!

11.  Laughing is more fun than crying.  I have laughed a lot this year and about 40% of the time it's to keep from crying!

12.  If nothing changes, nothing changes.  I can't change people, they have to change on their own.  And if they do, great!  And if not, ok.

13.  I'm codependent, but I'm working on it.....it's a really hard thing to change, but I realize when I am doing it, so yay for me!!!  And soon I will be "Codependent No More"

14.  Faith is amazing!  One of the hardest beliefs to have but so worth it!

15.  I finally feel like a grown up!  I always remember my Mom telling me that you aren't a grown up until you turn 30 and I really think she was right!  Damn it!  Just kidding, kind of.....hate when she is always right!

A Little Update...........

I can't believe that July is almost over!!!!  Where has the summer gone?  Where have the last 6 months gone?

I know, single mom, chasing 2 kids and working while my husband is gone.  The good news is that we are 6 months through the deployment and we only have another 6ish months to go.

We have been busy with swimming lessons, volleyball, the girls' first fishing trip, a long weekend in California for Mommy and a quick 2 week mid-tour deployment break with my husband.  And you know that I turned 30 in April and had a little third-life crisis.....so I pierced my nose!

Me and Tay!!

Mid-tour Deployment R & R

Kielyn, she is growing up way too fast!!!

Look, I'm still smiling, crazy but smiling!

 

I hope everyone is having an amazing summer!

Never Forgotten

12 years ago today I was a senior in high school.  I can still remember the day, Tuesday April 20, 1999.  It was cold and gloomy that day.  I remember freezing at track practice and I was so excited for it to be over so I could go to the tanning bed to warm up and then get my nails done.

I remember sitting there having my nails done and hearing on the radio about the Columbine shooting.  I spent the next 3 days glued to the TV because my neighbors Grandson, Matthew Kechter was killed that day.

So today my thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and the families of the Columbine shooting, especially the Kechter family.  RIP Matthew Kechter, taken too soon, but will never be forgotten.

Never forgotten........

Dear Tuesday.......

Dear Tuesday....OK, I really couldn't think of anything more clever than that at the moment!  So life is crazy like normal lately!  Between kids and work and house work and the dog and yard work I don't do a whole lot!  Actually I take that back, I have started reading after the girls go to bed, it's my "quiet" time where I can disappear for an hour or two and I don't have to think about all the things I need to do or should be doing.

There are a few new things going on, I turned 30 2 weeks ago.  I didn't talk about it on here, but I had major anxiety about this birthday, I don't know why, but something about not being able to say I'm twenty-something bothered me, but I'm over it, the pity party is over and I survived!  My sister told me that 30 was the new 20 so I will listen to her!

I started going to Zumba 1 night a week and it's so much fun!  I think that my 10 years of dance lessons is finally paying off because I don't look like a complete idiot!

My amazing sisters and cousin bought me plane tickets to California for a weekend for a Sister/Cousin weekend, I can't wait!  We are going to have so much fun and I can really use a break from my sweet they are trying to kill me angels!

I went on a Hobby Lobby shopping spree!!!  I had $100 in gift certificates and today was 50% off of all metal and poly so I stocked up!  I will post pictures of my finds when I locate my camera that my children hid from me.

I have not crafted in months and I no longer feel guilty about it, the bug will bit me again soon enough.

Without my family and friends I would be lost right now, so a huge thank you to them for listening to me babble, listening to me vent and watching the girls for me every once in a while so I can breathe again!

My brother's girlfriend Ashley and I on her 21st birthday!  Isn't she gorgeous?!?!

My rules/reminders for the week.............

1.  Faith

2.  Patience

3.  Strength

4.  Laugh...it can always be worse

 

A Little Birthday Fun!

I have a 4 year old!  She was so cute on Saturday when we had her birthday party, she woke up and said "Mommy, am I 4 today?"  And I said "no, not until tomorrow."  Her response "But it's my party day!!!"

I then had to explain that yes it was her party day but she didn't really turn 4 until Sunday.  So on Sunday when she woke up she said "Mommy....am I 4 today?"  And she was so excited that she was finally 4!!!

 

I am really hoping that someone else had a camera because I hardly took any pictures :(

Here are a few of the girls enjoying their new sidewalk paint.

 

I don't think they got the idea of "sidewalk" paint.

March is almost Over ?!?!

It's March 21!  I can't believe it.....in 6 days I am going to have a 4 year old!  Yikes, I can't believe it!  It's not that I am opposed to having a 4 year old but the fact of the matter is that I am in no way shape or form ready for her birthday party.  You won't believe what I did.

I invited everyone via Facebook!  Gasp!!  Horror!  :(

I am one unmotivated Mommy.  Normally I start planning/crafting birthdays a month or two in advance.  I don't have a theme, I don't have presents, I don't have anything.  I actually thought about buying store-made cupcakes.

Don't worry I don't think I'm sick, just overwhelmed with everything else right now.  And I know that no one would probably even notice that I didn't plan for months or stay up late every night for a month making decorations.  And I definitely know that my little Kie-bug could care less if I made anything or if I bought it at the store, she will love whatever I do.

I will be doing a mad shopping run/birthday planning/present buying trip on Thursday and whatever I get will be good enough!  And by the way I blame this obsessive compulsive disorder on my Mom, I learned it from her.  She always tells me "Don't worry, no one will even know."  So Mom I am completely blaming my OCD on you!

Have a great night!

Survival at it's Finest

Hi everyone!  I have missed all of you and I have missed reading everyone's blogs but with my crazy life something had to give and it was crafting and blogging.  But I miss you friends!

So I am 7 weeks into this deployment and we are surviving just fine!  Don't get me wrong we all have our moments.....did you know it only took my kids 45 seconds to find me when I tried hiding in the closet and a minute and half to find me when I tried hiding in the garage?  I think I need to find better hiding places!

I am trying to pack our days full of activities or friends to hang out with, it seems like the busier we are the easier it is on the girls.  My family has been amazing as well....especially my brother, he is a Godsend!  It doesn't matter what I ask him to do he is always willing to help.  Most of the time I just bug him to come hang out with me!

I hope you are all doing well!  I miss all of you and hopefully I can at least try to start blogging at least once a week.....we shall see how it goes!

Happy V-Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I hope your day was full of love and happiness!  The girls and I sent Ben his Valentine's Day package last week and it arrived today, I couldn't have timed it any better actually if I had procrasinated any longer about sending it it would have been late.  Like everything lately I am not really motivated to do a whole lot of anything......I woke up at 1:30 am this morning trying to figure out what I was going to send to daycare with the girls, yeah I forgot about their Valentine's Day party at daycare.  But because I am sometimes ahead of the game I found some Valentine's treat bags bought on clearance last year, filled them with candy and we were golden!

I received 2 dozen 21 red roses from my husband, they are absolutely gorgeous and smell amazing!  Thank you!!!

And now the girls are in bed and I am enjoying this.........

Cheese, Crackers and Wine!

 Not having a pity party, just enjoying my quiet time!

Not the best but I can't find my little camera and it's really hard to take a self portrait with the big camera!

 Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

 xoxo

Sorry I'm Not Sorry

Months ago my Sister blogged a post titled "Sorry I'm Not Sorry."  I have been meaning to copy her for a long time and I have finally gotten around to it.

I know I have been MIA for the past couple of months.  My life has been a roller coaster and I have been kind of a disaster.  I have been angry, sad, happy, distant, loving and cold.  There have been many comments made most of which hurt my feelings, but today I'm Sorry I'm Not Sorry.

• I want to be by myself, I don't want company.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• My kids are the most important things in my life, no one else.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I enjoy time to myself, like all by myself, no phone, no email, no texting, no talking to anyone.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I can't relax if my kitchen counters are dirty.  Learn to deal with it.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I cry.  A lot.  And sometimes it is for no reason.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I finally like love makeup, cute clothes and jewelry.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I put on makeup, fix my hair, and dress cute for myself, no one else.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I love my family and I love spending time with them.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I would rather have tea parties than go to the movies.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• I curse like a sailor, I can drink with the boys and on occasion I will take some of your Copenhagen.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
• Love me or hate me, I don't care.  Sorry I'm not sorry.

This next year is going to be a huge challenge.  I know this, there is no denying it.  But I plan to "own" who I am this year.  Love it or hate it, I am me, I won't let anyone make me feel guilty for feeling the way I do.  So you know what?  I'm sorry I'm not sorry.

Update!!!

Hi everyone!  I have been MIA for a while, life has been crazy!  So I thought I would let you all know what has been going on.

My husband left 2 weeks ago to begin his deployment.  So I have been adjusting to life as a single mom again and the girls are trying to adjust to not having their dad home, which isn't going very well :(  The day before he left Taylor got sick, luckily it was only a 24 hour bug and I only had to take 1 day off of work.  But unfortunately both of the girls are sick again with fevers.

Last weekend was so nice, it was 70 degrees so we got to play outside, unfortunately this past week has been horribly cold and we have been stuck inside.  We have cabin fever something awful!

I am going to try to be better about blogging again, I think it will be a good outlet for me.  I haven't done anything crafty in so long because I haven't felt like it, I guess you could say I have been preoccupied and anxious about the deployment.  So my goals for the next month is to make a new wreath for my front door and get started planning Kielyn's birthday.

So for now we are taking it one day at a time!

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
—Philippians 4:13

Family Pictures!

The weekend after Thanksgiving we braved the cold....seriously it was 32 degrees.....to have family pictures taken.  Luckily for me my little sister's sorority sister has taken up photography.  Her name is Caitlyn and she lives in Oklahoma City.  She has an amazing website and blog!  If you live in or near Oklahoma City please consider her for your photos, she is amazing!

 She posted a few more pics on her blog, I can't wait to get my hands on the DVD!!!!

She also has a slide show with more of our pics on her blog, click hereif you want to see more!

Caitlyn....thank you so much for being you and taking amazing pictures of my family!  You are amazing!

BCG's

Happy Tuesday!!

I thought everyone could maybe use a laugh today, so here goes....

Love my new glasses?!?!

Ha ha ha!

These are Ben's military issued glasses, aka BCG's.  What does BCG stand for?

Birth Control Glasses

Lucky for him he does not have to wear these.  Only if he chooses to.  I am hoping that he will leave them home, I can take the lenses out and use them to look smart at work!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far!

A Little Sneak Peek!

HI!!!!!

Last weekend we had family pictures taken by one of my little sister's best friend!  She was visiting her family for Thanksgiving and offered to do a session with us!

She shared a pic of Taylor on her blog and I thought you might be interested in seeing it!  Click here to check out my gorgeous little girl!!!

P.S.  I haven't put up my Christmas tree yet, Taylor has peed in the potty 4 times (2 times she told me she had to go on her own), I cleaned my entire house today(except my bedroom), we went to the Christmas parade tonight(it was miserably cold), and my girls are the most precious, special, amazing, gorgeous people I have ever met!


P.P.S  I love my SAVIOR!!!!  Without him I would be lost!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope that everyone has an amazing day filled with family, friends and lots of laughs!

I am thankful for so much this year.....It has been a little rough the past couple of months but I am thankful for that too, I am guessing it is making me a stronger and more patient person, not to mention it has made me skinny again!

I am thankful for my amazing family, without them I would be lost.  I would be crazy if it weren't for my friends, you guys are my voice of reason.  I am thankful that we are all healthy, I am thankful for the men and women fighting to keep our country safe and the families that are left behind.

I am have so much to be thankful for this year, I could go on for hours.  I hope everyone has an amazing day!  I miss all of you and hopefully will get back to blogging soon!

Man-tastic Monday Part 4

Welcome to another Man-tastic Monday!

Today I will be complaining talking about diaper changing.  It seems like (well at least in my house) diaper changing is 95% my job.  I don't know if it's because I notice or check diapers often.  But I find myself changing most of Tay's diapers.

I have heard conversations from the other room that go a little like this....

Tay:  "Daddy, I peed."

Daddy:  "Go tell your Mom."

And I end up changing the diaper.  Now Kielyn was a piece of cake to potty train, she started by herself at 17 months and was out of diapers by 2.  Taylor on the other hand is a different story.  I have bribed her with stickers, candy, big girl undies and we have only had one successful potty in the big girl potty.  Most of the time she sits on the toilet for 30 seconds, says she is done and then runs into the hallway where there is carpet and pees.

But I think we might be getting a little closer.  Yesterday she stops and says "Mommy, I'm pooping.  Better change me."  After I laughed for 30 minutes I explained to her that we need to start going poo in the potty.  Hopefully we are on our way out of diapers!

I am the only one who finds themselves changing the majority of the diapers?

Kind Of

Hi everyone!  No...I haven't keeled over.  I have just been in a funk and can't get motivated to do much besides everyday mundane activities.  We have still been busy with Halloween parties, play dates and that kind of thing but I can't even motivate myself to get the memory card out of my camera and post pictures.  :(  

The other day I really, really, really didn't want to do laundry and the girls were out of socks that I was tempted to go to Wal Mart and buy them new socks just so I didn't have to do laundry.  But then the thought of getting them both dressed, finding their shoes, getting them in the car, trekking through Wal Mart to buy socks sounded so much worse.  I finally did laundry!

I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!  Hopefully I can get my hiney in gear and get motivated to blog again!

Not Yet

Just an FYI...

I am still having a pity party.  And NO I have not put on my big girl panties. 

Last night I dropped the girls off at my gramma's so I could go to WalMart for an hour by myself because I was about to lose it.  No really, I tried to hide from my kids....they found me in the closet and I had only been in there for 30 seconds!

1 week left before Ben gets home.  I will survive!  And maybe I will put on my big girl panties tomorrow, maybe, don't hold your breath, we will see.

 

I'm So Ronery

I'm So Lonely Ronery
So lonely ronery
So lonely ronery and sadly sadry alone arone.....

Lyrics from Team America...hilarious movie (just make sure the kids aren't up when you watch it) and in case you don't find the humor from the text and think I am crazy google it and watch the youtube video, just beware there is excessive amounts of foul language in the movie!

Anyway, I am having a rotten day.  Nothing major going on, just kind of down.  The biggest thing is that I miss my husband.  He has been gone for 3 out of the past 4 months.  And this is just the beginning of it.  Soon enough he will be gone for an entire year.  Yikes!  I know we will survive, but I miss talking to him every night, I miss seeing him everyday and it breaks my heart when the girls cry for him and there is nothing I can do to make them feel better  :(

I know I have a long journey ahead of me and it won't always be easy and I know that there will be days when I just feel like giving up, laying down, and basically keeling over.

But you know what?

 

 In the end Success will be mine!  Just not tonight, I am going to have a pity party by myself and be a brand new person in the morning!