I am a Working Momma and.....

have been for the past four months!!! Whew that was something else, stepping out into the working world after being home for the past 6 1/2 years and two extra kiddos!

Sadly, it has gone by very fast and I feel like I've been neglecting my children a little bit. I work nights so all I want to do during my work week is cat nap. On my three days off three of the four girls are in school so I still feel like I'm missing out on what they are doing.

This week was spring break and I still didn't get to see them. Sean took the girls up to MO for the week so they could see family and he could bring home his 'original girl'!

Isn't she beautiful??

I have spent the week DEEP cleaning and I went and got my first tattoo!

Pretty sweet, right?

I cleaned out the playroom and ended up with three bags of trash and a whole car load went to Goodwill!! Yay me!! I was so proud of myself! I used to not be able to get rid of anything!!

Now I've been working on my craft room and that isn't going as quickly as I planned! I already have a Goodwill pile going and I've taken one bag of trash out already! Now I think I will crash for a couple of hours and get at it again before the family gets back this evening! 15 hours and they should be home! I miss them like crazy when they aren't here! But that's kind of why I got the tattoo I did. That way they are ALWAYS with me!

School Days.....School Days....

We just finished the First Week of School! I have been blessed with kids who LOVE to go to school!! Taylor (L) started 3rd grade, Dakoda (M) started Kindergarten and Madison (L) started 5th!

Believe me when I tell you I am still shocked that I am old enough to have a 5th grader!!!

Dakoda has been so excited with school starting that she cried the first couple of days because school was over and she had to come home!

Does/have anyone else's kids do/done that?
Or are we just a 'freaky' family?

Hayleigh (R) is going back to Mother's Day Out on Wednesday's and Friday's and I am completely 'kid-free' for 10 hours a week! I know I probably said that last year, but I ended up babysitting a little girl last school year and her MDO was on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

But this year is different, I am NOT babysitting!

Sean doesn't like this 'kid-free' thing so far, because I've been catching up on my shopping that I haven't done EVER!!

Favorite Photos so far this year!!

A New Month.......

and a New Attitude!!!
Thank you friends who gave me some words of encouragement!!!

I felt much better after my little rant!!
But isn't that why some of us start a blog?
To rant about what we think is bad in our lives at the moment....
or rave about what's so fantabulou s!!

I know that's why I started this!! and it helps me so much!!
I kept many journals when I was younger and I kept writing until I had my second child,
Then after the 4th I started this blog!!
Talk about a life saver!!! And ALL of the wonderful friends I have made!!!

So I've decided to grab this 'bull by the horns' or LIFE as we so often refer to is as.

Thinking back to some or more like most of my posts, I have been so negative and that is not who I want to be or people to think of me as. Since this month we celebrate THANKSGIVING! I want to be more Thankful and Positive!!

Can you believe it is already November 1st???
I still can't!! Where has this year gone? It seems like only yesterday when I posted the GREAT SCRAPBOOKING WEEKEND!!!
Which ended up turning out very well, Sean is not making the 7 hour drive home again, Thankfully! he has a fun weekend planned at home with the girls!! I am actually leaving this weekend for another one and I'm thinking about working on some new crafts for MY ETSY SHOP instead of actually scrapbooking.

So here are some of my positives!!

• We are loving are new church, as I have mentioned before!
• All four of the girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE school and are so good at it!!!
• My husband has a job!
• We have a place to call home!
• I just recently started a NEW blog for all of my 'Homemaking adventures' if you are interested it is http://www.littlemissoldfashioned.blogspot.com/ I will still be posting the ups and downs of my life here, hopefully more ups than downs though!!
• I'm trying to make more things for my Etsy shop and I really love making cupcakes now, I just wish I could sell those too!! and if there is anything you would like to see made, I'm open to suggestions, I haven't found my niche yet of what I just LOVE to make!!

Thank you my loyal readers and friends!! It's so nice having you around!!! :)

Capital D.....

pressed!!!

That's how I'm feeling!!

All I know is that I have had a really great past 2 weeks or so and TODAY?? not so much!!!
I guess it really started yesterday, but I ignored it because Sean was home and I did absolutely NO chores around the house! and I took a 2 1/2 hour nap, which hasn't happened in a really long time. I've had a sinus/alergy thingy rearing it's head for awhile now and I guess it wiped me out....cause I couldn't believe I had slept THAT. LONG!!!

So I'm sure that's what led into today. All the girls were home today! #1 and #2 didn't have school because it was 'Fair Day'. I don't know how everybody else does it, I'm guessing they have their fair during the summer? I don't know. But Dallas has theirs in the fall and our school district gets a Monday off for the kids to go to the Fair!

They get 'FREE student' tickets, but we are so damn broke right now, that doesn't even help!!

We are making two trips home this month, 1st for Sean's parent's Retirement Party and 2nd is for my cousin's wedding! and ALL 5 of us girls are in it!

You know? I was super excited about both of these trips back in June when we had the money for them! But now? It's kind of put a damper on things. Don't get me wrong, I have money saved up for the trips, but I just keep thinking of all the other things I could be putting that money towards! (new eyeglasses for me and #1, extra groceries, or just keep it in SAVINGS!!!)

My headache just keeps pounding away as I think about all of this!

I'm sorry... I'm glad that Sean has a job and we can afford the things that we have! But that's even in limbo now! He came home today and said his job is question because of some stuff that's been going on! What ticks me off is that he's been doing more than necessary and he's getting his A$$ chewed for other things! GRRR!!!

I finally finished some things for THE NEW etsy shop I'm going to open, but I'm afraid that's not even going to be enough money coming in and I'm struggling with other ideas of what to make.
I wish I was disciplined enough or smart enough to make money off my blog.

I know this is a complete 180 from my last post and I'm thinking ALOT of it has to do with Aunt Flo arriving in a week!
I think I'm in denial that I have some serious hormonal issues! I have not been to the ob/gyn since my 4 week checkup after #4 was born and she's 2 and 1/2!!! Very bad, I know!!
I just keep making excuses not to go!!

I really need to get off here and fix a meal before I head off to Girl Scouts!!

I know it's bad, and I know I keep saying that, and I know...blah, blah, blah.....

This WHOLE day all I have been thinking about, that makes me happy, is watching HOARDERS tonight!!!

Isn't that horrible?

One day a month......I don't like ANYBODY!!! Not even myself!!!
One week a month....I am the UGLIEST BITCH!! my family has EVER encountered!!! I'm still surprised my husband is married to me!
3 weeks a month......I LOVE EVERYONE!!! I LOVE MY HUSBAND, CHILDREN AND THEY LOVE ME BACK!!! I WANT TO DO THINGS FOR PEOPLE AND I DON'T CARE IF THEY APPRECIATE IT OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE IT!!

that doesn't look too bad!
only 1 more week and everything will be good again!
I just hope we all make it!!

Things HAVE Changed!!!

I am no longer such a 'home body'.

I have LOVED being a homebody and did not envy the other mother's who were racing their children everywhere!

Our evening outings last school year consisted of: one night-Girl Scouts (#1 and #2 where in the same troop) and 3 nights later, gymnastics (#1, #2 and #3 had class at the same time!)

Pure AWESOMENESS!!!!
Some may think I was very, very LAZY for doing this! and maybe I was, but my reasoning was, the least amount of time I spent driving in the ol' van, the less money I spent on gas and eating out, because I was always able to make our meals.
AND....... I had a one year old who is hard to drag around everywhere and I just didn't want to be a distraction to anyone.

Now, let's comeback to what's going on this year!!
I. HAVE. COME. OUT. OF. HIDING!!!!

Our week at a Glance!!

Sunday: Church

Monday: #1 and #2 have Girl Scouts
(which I have to be at now because I am filling in as co-leader and I am now in charge of the Juniors, plus this will be my 3rd year as this troops Cookie Mom!)

Tuesday: I have Girl Scouts
(Yes! You read that correctly! I helped out with a GS Recruitment Day and realized I wanted to help out more! That's how I agreed to be more involved in my older two's troop AND signed on to be a leader of a new DAISY troop that was forming!)
So while I lead my Daisy Troop, my 4 daughters will be at AWANA!!
That couldn't have worked out any better if I had planned it!

Wednesday: NOTHING
( Our free night!)

Thursday: Gymnastics
(Only #1 and #2 because #3 decided she wanted to take dance)

Friday: NOTHING again!!


As far as #3's dance class goes?
The Mother's Day Out Program that she goes to offers a class during her pre-k program on Friday's.

I feel bad that I don't get to see her in class but they will be having a recital in January.

I am just very excited about this!!!
Sean thinks I'm crazy, but what else is new?
I don't feel so worthless anymore!

Rainy Saturday

This morning I woke up to a blink of lightening and rumble of thunder! I snuggled under the covers and I thought I was going to be in for a little 'stormy treat'!
But of course that wouldn't just happen here! It was already 7:30 and all the munchkins started waking up!
I ended up just sitting up in bed and watching the rest of 'Medium' that I had to turn off so that Sean and I could watch 'Supernatural' together.
I'm such a Scify junky! ha!
Sean was so nice this morning. He brought me a big cup of coffee!! and entertained the kids while I watched tv!!
I LOVE lazy Saturday mornings when we have nothing that HAS to be done and we don't have to worry about S getting called to work!

Around 10:30 I was tired of doing NOTHING so I decided to tackle the PLAYROOM!!!
After I got started, I wasn't sure if that was such.......

*hold on, I have to help Sean look for the remote!

Well, I'm back, and after 20 minutes of searching......no Luck!!! 1 culprit is asleep and the other 2 swear they have 'no idea' where it is! (I didn't forget anyone, she's at a sleepover!)

okay, let me reread so I can figure out where I was!

Oh Yeah! Starting the Playroom!
Yikes! Back in July, my mom was here for a visit and she helped me switch the playroom with my craftroom. That switch really didn't go as planned.
My craftroom is in tip top shape, but everything just 'got thrown' into the playroom!
The only playing that's been done in there for the past couple of months has been the girls playing games on the computer!! I'm afraid somebody will get hurt or even worse GET LOST!!!
IT. WAS. BAD!!!! I didn't even take a BEFORE picture of it because it was soooo BAD!!! I DID NOT want that picture haunting me!!

A quick run down of how that went!

I sorted, threw away, put away, picked up, shooed kids out, ate a snack, checked Facebook a couple of times, sorted, threw away, put away, filled GOODWILL boxes, ate a late lunch, picked up, shooed away, picked up again, vacuumed, put boxes in my van, put more toys away. VACUUMED again!!

Around 6:30 I WAS DONE!!!!!
I now have 7 boxes to take to Goodwill tomorrow because I was too lazy to take them tonight!
Plus, I hadn't showered yet and I knew once I did, I was going to be done for!! No driving across town for this chica!!

I didn't even eat dinner, I felt so cruddy and tired!

However, S and the girls ate and then he told everyone to get in the truck because we were going to Dairy Queen for BLIZZARDS!!!
You bet your buns I was ALL OVER THAT!!!!

We got the girls the Minis and we got smalls because we are cool like that!!
Or maybe I was hungry because I didn't eat dinner? Hummm..... Nope! We're Cool!!

I've only been in the Playroom ten thousand times this evening to look at it!!!
Too bad that won't last any longer! The girls don't have school on Monday!!!
So that should be fun!
It will!

Off to bed....
and it just so happens I have to walk past the playroom again to see my accomplishment for the month!!





I have a really cute couple of aprons I was busy on last week! Hopefully sometime in the near future I can get those pics up!! I'm really trying to stay on track here!!

What A Glorious Sunday!

I thought I would right something really quick before I get ready for Church.
YES! I said church! I am so EXCITED to be going! We have not been going regularly for the past 6 months! Now that I've actually counted that out I am not happy with myself. No wonder I've been in such a slump!
I kind of had a falling out with the last Church we had been going to for almost 2 years. I just wasn't feeling fulfilled anymore. It just felt like there was too much drama going on! And we all know how well I deal with Drama!! I'm just not good at it!

We tried another church 2 times and I thought I would enjoy it but we just didn't have the drive to go back!

A little background to my religion:
I was born/baptized/raised/confirmed LCMS Lutheran. I never questioned anything! I still don't question it.
However, were I am living, there are LCMS Lutheran churches, but you have to drive into the next town over or 2 towns up and I am so spoiled with going to a church that's pretty close to us.

I never really felt a part of the church we were going to this last time because EVERYBODY was from that town EXCEPT US!! We couldn't have 'Gatherings' at our house because, 'Nobody wanted to drive that far'! True quote!

So what have we done?
We are going to a church that is pretty much literally in our backyard! You stand in our driveway and look East and there you have it!!
I HAVE NOT told my mother this. I'm afraid she would be very upset and I want to make sure we like it and will be attending regularly before I tell her.

I know this is the same as if I was lying to her, but I just don't have the drive to tell her yet!

And the kids love it! They are going to the AWANA program and just LOVE it!! #1 and #2 were super bummed that they have to miss 2 weeks a month because it falls on the same night a Girl Scouts. Yesterday I received a text from their GS Leader and she asked if another night would work better for us!!! OF COURSE IT WOULD!! So now the girls can go every week! I have to wonder, would God really open that door for us, if this is not were we are supposed to be?

And Sean enjoys it too. He says he doesn't mind were we go since he wasn't raised to go to any particular church. A plus that it is so close is that if he gets a 'trouble call' for work he can just walk home instead of us ALL having to leave!

Now that I've shared this I need to hurry and get ready or we will still be late!!