Blogger M.I.A.

Forgive me bloggers for I have sinned.  It has been almost a week since my last ... confession? Post?  Eh.  Pretty much the same thing.  (Can you tell I'm not Catholic?) 

Murphy Can Suck It!

Yesterday, my SO lost his job.  Well, more specifically, his contract was cut short due to financial short comings.   In other words, Cut Backs.  Down Sizing.  The recession strikes again!  Grrrrrr.  This, on the heals of us already struggling and falling slightly behind in order to celebrate June. 

Why?   Why did this have to happen now of all months?  Believe it or not, I have an answer for that.   Murphy's Law.  The law that states that anything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong at the most inopportune moment.  The unwritten portion of that law states, if you are a member of the Murphy Clan (which I am), you might as well count on said crappy timing of bad tidings and use it to your advantage, because your inopportune moments will be plentiful.   Yippee.   Don't get me wrong, I love my Irish heritage and my Murphy side of the family but, I sooo could do with out the Curse! Law thing.

To add to the sting, today (June 23rd) marks the 11th year the love of my life and I have been together.  11 freakin' years ya'll!!!  That's HUGE in both our books!!  It's Monumental!!   *takes a minute to breath in the unbelievable victory sweet success of surviving achieving 11 years with out killing each other of coupled bliss*  Ah!!!  Smells good!  Well... except for that lingering Murphy stench!

Ya know what?  Murphy can SUCK IT!   Not even this bad news is going to bring us down!  We worked hard for this!  We deserve to be happy no matter what!   We have gone through this before and here we are, stronger as a couple and family despite it.  Probably because of it.  My kids have learned valuable lessons from all our trials.   They know money is not ever flowing.  They know you have to work hard and sacrifice for even the basics sometimes.   They will do well and value things more as a result.   So, today?  I rejoice!  I celebrate not only 11 years as a couple, but 11 years as a strong resilient front!  

BRING IT ON, MURPHY!!!!

Busy? Remember... Stress Kills! Take a Minute.

That's right, Stress Kills!  Worse than drugs.  Can lead to drugs. Don't do drugs!  And you feel so frazzled that you start to consider them as an option (or offin' a kid or two), STOP!  Take a breath.  Drink a really cold glass of water.  Count to 10.  Sing a song.  Do a crossword, take a walk, jog in place, do a task you  actually like, or take a ice try full of cubes in to the back yard and chuck them suckers at the back fence as hard as you possible can while picturing Barney/Bieber/Who ever it is that bugs the heck out of you!!!!  *deep breath while clutching ice*  Then chant "It will be over soon.  It will get better.  I will be ok."  If that doesn't work, throw yourself to the ground (perferably in front of the kids so you can scare them with the threat of potential genetic insanity) and throw the biggest, loudest hissy fit you possibly can!!!!  Then when they question why you lost your mind, say it was all for them and to protect them from half-orphanism, to which there is no cure.

Consider this your PSA for the day.    I have done my job.  You are welcome.

*end PSA*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*begin rant*

I hhhhHHHHATE busy days!  Why do things have to clog up your calendar in clumps?  Why can't things spread themselves out?  Too many things going on causes a regularly slightly insane person go completely off the wall BATTY! 

Why do I bring this all up?  June.   That's right June.   Some how, some where, karma... God... the stars alignments... Murphy's Law (and the fact that I am from the Murphy Clan).... or some greater plan than what I can't begin to  fathom because I am not worthy, clumped 3 important dates in my life together by no real choice of my own:  My anniversary, my soon to be 9 year old's birthday, and my soon to be 1 year olds birthday.  AND because it is June, graduations.  Our anniversary is based on the day we met and both girls were mistakes in my rhythm method calculations wonderful surprises!   My son was the only one planned and that's why his birthday is no where near June!!  But his graduation is.  It's also the month we usually get to see our eldest two who live out of state.  And did I mention Father's day?  Can't forget Father's day!

This month sucks.

This week sucks.

Thursday: Libby's 1st birthday!!!   AND   Liam's graduation and the school's end of the year awards ceremony. Seriously.
Friday: Last day of school.  A shortened day.  Of course.
Saturday: Birthday party for the girls.  Last day we will have the eldest 2. :'0(
Sunday: Father's day.  Also, Cait's 9th birthday!!  (the 2nd time she has shared her day with Dad)

Needless to say, Wednesday and prior to Wednesday have and will be prep days for everything.  I'm tired and the "festivities" haven't even begun yet!  *yawn*

I need more coffee.
And time for me. 
Stress kills. 
Don't wanna show up to any of the joyful and memorable times in my children's little lives, dead.  That would suck.  No one wants a zombie on "their day."     Ok... Most people.

Wow.  I'm tired.  That made no real sense.   I don't think.   My mind is starting to rot.   That is exactly why I say "Take time for YOU!"     Potentially dead with mush brain is not good memorable.

I can't wait for my anniversary on the 23rd.   I get to get away for a couple hours!!  MOSTLY kid free. ;0)

I'm gonna need it.

Remember to breath.   (oh crap! *gasp* S'ok!  I'm good!)

"I have two pants on!"

The other night, my eldest daughter came in to us because she had a nightmare.  As usual, she couldn't remember what it was about, but she was visually shaken.  And shirtless.   When I asked her why she didn't have a shirt on, she couldn't really answer. She had no idea.  It wasn't a particularly warm night, but she has been known to tunnel under all her blankets and overheat.  So, we did a quick search for her top in and around her bed with no luck.  Desperate to get back to sleep (both girls had night issues and I was beyond tired!), I gave up and got her another shirt and helped her back in bed.

The next morning, we were in the kitchen making breakfast when she looked down and exclaimed "I have two pants on!"  When I asked her why, she responded "I don't know."  Immediately, I knew what had happened and headed for her closet.   Sure enough, in her hamper, was her shirt.  On the floor was 2 more jammie shirts.  When I called her in there and pointed it out, she seemed a bit confused.  "I didn't do that." 

"Ya, I believe you did hun.  I think you were sleep walking."
"I didn't do that!"
"Well, I didn't put 2 pairs of pants on you in the middle of the night."
"Oh, ya.   But I didn't put my shirt in there."
"Ya, I think you did."

This was the first time in my daughters life she was utterly speachess.  I wish I hadn't been worried and trying to hide so I could have enjoyed the moment.  I explained what sleep walking was and how her older brother in Nevada does it form time to time.  That seemed to help, but she still seemed a bit freaked out about it.  (I was too, to be honest.)  While she was at school, she worked through it in her own way.  She talked to her classmates.   When I picked her up, she came running to me yelling "Maurice does it too!"

"Does what?"
"Sleep walks!"
"He does?  You told Maurice?"
"Ya!  I told him how I woke up in two pants and how took my shirt off with out knowing it because I slept walked.  He said he sleep walks all the time too.  He's slept walked to the bathroom before!"
"He did?  Wow.  So you feel better about it now?"
"Yup."
"Cool."
"I just hope I don't walk up with two pants on again."

Me too.  


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To the few regular readers I have and the many lurkers:

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lethargy or Just Lazy

I have been overwhelmingly tired here as of late. (I know I'm not pregnant again, so don't ask.) It seems I am constantly yawning, yearing for coffee and struggling to stay vertical. It could be many things. I have mild/borderline moderate Anemia. My baby is 6 months old, growing and constantly wanting to nurse. She doesn't sleep through the night yet. My son has been up coughing and choking on mucus in the middle of the night quite a bit here as of late. I also have a mild form of SAD and this weather is NOT helping. Then, as a cherry on top of my hot mess of a sundae, I am under a shit load of stress. Multiple causes. I'm trying to let most of them slide ad not worry about them. However, when some are all up in your face, it's hard to ignore them! Like my Father and brothers here for the holidays. I swear, they leave and my shoulders finally relax 2 days later. Then I find myself sleeping their visit off over the course of several days. So, ya... the causes of my lethargy are a plenty.

But some days, lazy takes over. I get a rush of energy and I clean... the kids room. Who gives a flip about the kids room when the front of the house looks like a bomb hit! ME apparently! I'll spend hours .... HOURS!!... putting all their freakin' toys in the right place. Then I walk into the front and find myself waving my hands in disgust, *pshaw*-ing, and walking back into my bedroom to hide... only after stopping to view and taking comfort in how clean the kids room. A sense of accomplishmet maybe? A cleaning "Patch" per se? I don't know.

On a not so tired moment.
Notice the newly cleaned and stacked diapers... and the Starbucks?
Ya, that was a productive day. ;0)

I've been napping and drinking coffee. Nothing helps. Hell, the coffee probably makes the Anemia worse! Atleast that's what the website I linked to above says. Great. No wonder I feel more tired after a cup of Joe. So much for helping me with a boost of caffiene! Blech. Probably undoes the iron pills I've been slammin' every day.

I can't win. I want the sun back. And my nightly sleep. But that means my infant not being an infant anymore. Well, that sucks!

Again, I can't win.

I just can't win.

Out with the turkey... In with the tree.

I know I don't have many followers, however for the one or two I do have, I want to apologize for my absence. It has been hectic. But then are the holidays ever free of chaos? If this time of year is calm for you, I envy you immensely.

I don't know why, but week after Thanksgiving always seems to be the worst. I mean, there's still 3 weeks or so before Christmas, yet it seems more like 3 days. Black Friday gets everyone worked up into a panicked frenzy in which they never really seem to come down from until New Years! You get that feeling that you should have more done, when in essence, the Christmas portion of the "holidays" has just started! Even if you try to slow down and attempt to just take some of it in, you really can't because you have this checklist continuously playing over and over and over again in the back of your head. Normally, it's relatively quiet and keeps to the back of your brain. That is, until you see or hear a trigger word from the list.

Example: I'm at my kids school trying to enjoy the Winter Concert last year. I think I've left the hustle and bustle at the door. Then, from a row back, I hear a child say she wants more of her apple juice. And immediately, that check list pops up with a voice of authority and says "APPLES! Liam's allergic. Need to pick a pie he's ok with." Then from the right, you hear a mother comment how beautiful the schools tree is. "TREE! Gotta remember to water the tree. Don't want it to go brown and lose all its needles like last year." The class on the stage sings "We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year." "NEW YEAR! What ARE we doing for New Year?" Principal says "Please be sure to stay for punch and cookies." "COOKIES! Have to make sure we have all the ingredients for sugar cookies so we can bake them for Santa." Father to son "pull up your sock." SOCKS! Do we have an equal amount of stocking stuffers for each kid? Don't want to play favorites." And on... and on... and on.... the mind never really seems capable of taking a break!

I don't want it to be that way this year. I want to be able to stop and smell the tree, taste the cookies and drink in how blessed I am with out it being tainted by what I should be doing. And I hope the same for you.

Have a happy and quiet month. Even if the quiet is only from with in. ;0)

Our Goofy Christmas eCard From Last Year.

Creative organized holiday greetings amidst utter chaos? Totally Doable.

As the days counting down to Christmas dwindle away, many of us find ourselves wondering what in the world we are going to do and how the heck we are going to pull it off. With the current economy still wreaking havoc on many of our pocket books, this can be even more stressful and anxiety laden. I know. I wake up nights wracked with concern, sweat pouring down my face, many times screaming "SANTA! STOP!" Ya, probably something I need to bring up in therapy...

Anyway, my point is, I GET IT! And I'm here to tell you (and myself) that it doesn't have to be this way! We live in the age of technology and it's a wonderful thing! It can save us not only money, but time and most importantly save us from ourselves!

Case in point. How many times have you said "I would LOVE to get a family portrait done of my beautiful wonderful children and send it out as a Christmas card, maybe with our year updates for the family members we hardly ever see." And then your oldest starts "cooking" for your middle child who wants to help and sets off the smoke alarm, waking up the baby, who starts SCREAMING because her diaper is full and her stomach is empty, while your darling hubby (with out missing a beat or looking up from his game)asks "Honey, will get the baby? I'm on level 40 and this guy has me locked in battle." Then you realize, there is NO WAY I'm going to be able to get these kids to sit still and look cute all at the same time, let alone the big one virtually taking his aggressions out on a dwarf!

*deep breath* OK, probably not that often... but you get my point. Right?

Well, this year I know exactly how I'm going to handle it! I have several great pics of the all the family, just not of all of them together. And with the awesome holiday photo cards they have available at Shutterfly.com, I can just pick the best of each of them and BAM! Precious holiday photo-card greeting done! I can even get them in a folded card so I can add updates about our family, like Libby's birth, Liam starting school and all about Cait's awards. Come to think of it, they also have gifts you can personalized. I know Nana and Papa would LOVE a calendar loaded with pics of the kids. And my Dad would totally get a kick out of a mug with their precious faces on the side so he could brag all day at work. :0)

Well there ya go! Christmas solved! Stress relieved! Scary Santa nightmares... I'll work on that one. Until then, stress less and have a great holiday season everyone!
;0)