Pit Viper

Isn't it amazing how a day can turn on you like a pit viper?
One minute you're going along, thinking that everything is as it should be.
And then something happens.
Maybe it's something big.
Perhaps it's somthing small, like the way someone says something, that just knocks you down to your core.
Why is it that we can say things about our own families and children, that perhaps don't shed them in the kindest of lights, but as soon as someone else says anything.....we are like a mother Grizzly who feels threatened.
Sometimes I just feel like a burden. I don't want to be.
Sometimes peoples best intentions hurt.
Right now I just feel like crying, so I think I will just welcome the tears with open arms, and let the hurt and the upset flow out.
Better than keeping it in.
Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day!

Have a beautiful day.

What I accomplished today

So having been in 'Summer Mode' for a number of days now, and having my hopes and visions set very high at accomplishing many things, I have in the past two days had my hopes and visions completely stomped on.
I now have a new set of hopes and visions for the things that I want to accomplish this summer.
1. Shower (and on this I'm not even asking for every day.....every other day would be nice, though)
2. Make sure no one gets killed or majorly harmed.

Short list, huh?
Just trying to keep it simple to that I don't get too bummed out!

And so far for today, I have accomplished both! Although there are still a number of hours in the day......but atleast I'm clean!!!

Have a beautiful day!
Amanda

Back and Forth

I constantly go back an forth on this issue.

Having 4 boys, I know that things in my home will get broken. My life's motto should be, "I can't have nice things."

But I want to.

Do I get upset when the boys are throwing pillows and blankets and break something of mine? Or do I just let it go as something that is inevitable?

I'm beyond yelling anymore.

It's just so hard to feel like there is no safe place in my house from the boys.

I know they are just things, and that I can't take them with me.

That how I treat the kids and help them to learn from their mistakes is the most important.

But I would also like to have things in my house, making it a beautiful place to be, that aren't held together with superglue.

Have a beautiful day!

Amanda

STEALING

The kids were out pulling some weeds this morning. I pay them .50 a bucket to do this during the summer.
After pulling a bucket or two, Dylan asked to be paid. I reminded him that I pay everyone at the end of the week.
Then I asked him what he needed the money for so urgently since we are not planning on leaving the house today. He said that he wanted to go to Target to buy himself a Lego set.
I told him he didn't have enough money yet, knowing that he spent all the money he had at the school's book fair a number of weeks ago, and only had $5, that the Tooth Fairy left for him for loosing his very first tooth on the last day of school.
He told me he had $26, so I asked to see it, thinking he wanted to trick me with Monopoly money or something.
Lo and behold, he had a twenty dollar bill in there. I asked him where he got it, and he told me that he got it out of Sam's wallet.
Off to find Sam.
When I asked Sam, he said he found it on his bedroom floor. (Oh, how I wish I lived in a world where I found twenty dollar bills on my floor all the time!) I then gave him the "mom" look, and asked him again, and he said he took it out of my wallet. Come to think of it, the last time I checked I thought I was a bit short on cash......now I know where to look!!!
Stealing stolen cash.......we're off to a great start for the summer!
Have a beautiful day!
Amanda

Good Advice

A friend of mine gave me the cutest little flip calendar as a little Christmas goodie this past year. It's kind of a take on the "Keep Calm and Carry On" WW ll poster.

You know the one I'm talking about?

I actually have a huge one framed when you come down the stairs into my basement. I think I posted a picture of it once on my stamping blog. You can see it here.

Well, every month of this little calendar has a little spoof saying. I love them. They totally make me laugh. But when you really get down to it....they are REALLY GOOD ADVICE.

Like the things your grandmother would tell you because she has lived a long time and knows those things that matter and the things we spend way to much time concentrating on that really don't matter.

Things that you wish you would have acknowledged earlier in you life because it truly is so short.

I have the calendar sitting by my computer, so I look at it quite often. Well, I figured I should share it with all of you!

Hope you enjoyed this little trinket of funny good advice.

Have a beautiful day!

The Good, The Not So Good, and the Down Right UGLY!

Today has been a mish mash of a bunch of things, including emotions.

By 10AM I had two loads of laundry done, the dishwasher emptied, loaded again, and running, the main bathroom clean (thanks mom for your help), and was well on my way to having a batch of strawberry freezer jam finished.

By 5PM I had one child crying in his room in "time out" until further notice, another frightened to death of being kidnapped if he didn't come to the car immediately when it was time to leave the playground after playing there after school, one more upset about a possession that another brother had destroyed, and purple crayon colored all over the back of the inside of my car!

Good times!

I did however, manage to get out of the house today....which was good. We dropped my mom off at the Yacht Club to have lunch with my step father, and his sister, and on our way back home, Sam and I stopped at University Village and found a super great gift for Kerry for fathers day! Won't he be surprised!!! (I don't think he reads this blog, but I guess we'll find that out now!)

For those of you who know us, you know that we are not big into what I call "Hallmark" holidays. We usually don't do gifts and the like, but when Sam and I found this shirt, we knew dad had to have it, and lucky for us, fathers day is just around the corner, so it wasn't like we were spending money for no reason. (I suppose I'll get to my issues about spending money some other time.)

As of now, the storm has passed....all the boys in my life are happily upstairs watchin' Major League Soccer, and for the most part seem to be content. It's amazing how resilient children are. Or should I say forgetful. I tried to cover all the issues of the day at the dinner table tonight, just to hopefully keep the "hot topics" of our day today fresh in their minds. But we will most likely wake up tomorrow and deal with the same things. Or similar things. Or things we've been over some other day like 1,000 times It's baby steps, right?

All in a day's adventure!

Have a beautiful day!

Amanda

On the Corner of Chaos and Insanity

Yesterday afternoon Cody and Dylan had a baseball game. One of my best friends (a childhood friend/neighbor who I have known forever) whom I have not seen in almost a year, was able to attend the game.

It was so wonderful to see her.

Do any of you have a friend that no matter how much time passes between seeing each other or talking to one another....it is like you were just with them yesterday? Taraji is one of those for me. I love her!

It was a very beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest! Deep blue skies, with a few high clouds passing overhead. Sunny and warm! I even managed to get some flip flop tan lines on my feet.

As we were sitting in the beautiful warmth of the sun, catching up on so many things that have happened over the past year, she was telling be about the new place she was living, and said that she lived just a block from the gym and a block from the library. (She's in the city, if ya can't tell!)

I relayed to her that I lived a block from chaos and a block from insanity. Sometimes that feels so true.

And while I often feel on the cusp of craziness, there is so much of the time this overwhelming feeling of peace that I have.....that everything is as it should be and that life is good. Because it is.

It's the simple things like being able to sit in the sun at my boys' baseball game with a good friend. It's those few quiet moments on a warm night, after the kids are asleep, standing out on the deck in the twilight of the evening, just taking in the last few minutes of light. It's seeing the face of God in the beauty of this world. Smiles on my children's faces. It's those moments that keep me going....that keep me moving on......that allow me to continue to walk on past the corner of Chaos and Insanity!

Have a beautiful Day!

Laundry, Doughnuts, and a Crying Baby

You know those Chocolate Frosted Hostess Mini Doughnuts? Love em..... They are my one chemically filled, preservative packed indulgence.There was a package of them on the food storage shelf in the laundry room (they were totally on sale this week). I had to have some while dealing with the massive amounts of laundry I have going on today. I think I've eaten at least 12 of them and my stomach is beginning to feel a bit sick.

And I wonder why I'm not losing any of this baby weight.

I think today is going to be filled with loads of laundry that won't all get folded, putting children in time outs over and over again for things that they know better of, and wishing I could get to the things that I really want to do.

I was on one of my blogging friends' blog today....and she has been cleaning out, organizing, and getting so much done in her home....I really try hard in life not to be jealous (it's so not good for the soul) but found myself being a bit envious of her time and everything that she has accomplished. Don't get me wrong....I am so happy for her. It's so great that she has been able to all of this, and has total motivation to do more. I am thankful to her, because she has inspired me.

I want to stamp so much. I have my stamping cupboards that so desperately are in need of getting cleaned out and organized.

I want to go through all the close in my closet and dresser, and CLEAN HOUSE. I have been feeling so weighted down lately with all of the stuff that is taking up space in my life and my house. I want to go through it all and get everything super organized.

But in the place that I am in right now in life with a 5 week old baby, it doesn't appear that it will happen any time soon. Or it will just have to happen in little bits here and there. Cuz I can't get anything done with a crying screaming baby. Not good for him or me.

That brings me to one of my struggles in life......accepting that there is a time and a place for everything......right now, perhaps, is not my time for massive cleaning and organizing. It's my time to sit and love on my new baby.....because he is already growing and changing so fast, and this time is not going to last forever.

What are some of your indulgences......

What are you dying to get accomplished in your life?

I'll keep you updated on the chance that I get to any of the things I previously mentioned.

Have a beautiful Day.

Amanda