What will the New Year bring?

Well here we are again about to roll into yet another year. Am I excited, a little bit this year will bring another child to our family and my husband will begin his new job in January. It seems like this year is starting off a lot better then last. We are actually looking forward to all of the new things the new year will bring and we hope that it will be better then the last. Our holiday was much better this year, we were able to afford to get the kids most of what they wanted, my older kids were very understanding and asked for shorter if not just as expensive items. It was a thrill to see how excited everyone was and has been since Christmas and I am happy to say that we are all looking forward to our New Years Eve celebration, just a small family gathering with loads of food and music. My husband and did not purchase gifts for one another this year so we have decided to use a small amount from our tax return to both get something that we really want. With the new year come new hope that things will be calmer, and less complicated in our lives but who knows if that will really happen. There has been so many thing that we have dealt with in the last 12 months and I am happy to say that we came out stronger in the end. This next year will also bring the graduation of my son from high school, its both exciting and sad. I am very proud of all of my kids and especially my teens, they are very supportive and helpful when they want to be.
Its the year of the Tiger and we are very excited to see what it holds in store for our family. From our family to yours Happy New Year

Stress, Stress and did I mention Stress?!

Well this has been one serious strange couple of weeks. It turns out that I was ill most of the week before Thanksgiving and that put be so far behind and then Thanksgiving knocked me right back. I feel like I am about 5 weeks behind, I had to turn in my paper late and in both classes I have not posted to the discussion board. I found out about a week and a half ago that I am pregnant and It explained the mystery illness and why I am nausea 24/7 which makes it impossible to sit and read or even sit to write. I cant keep anything in my body and I feel like I am going insane because I have not been able to even get a good nights sleep. I have decided that I will give myself the OK to start new on Wednesday and go from there in each class, this weekend I will be writing papers for both classes. I had to break down and order a cord an battery for my laptop because I have the feeling that I will be working from bed for the next 5 weeks. I can not wait to be past this stage in my pregnancy and I also cant wait to have a small break after the classes are over. I am just wiped and burnt out right now and I am really thinking about taking a little time off to get myself together. I hope the next few weeks go a lot better then the last two did if they don't I am going to go CRAZY.

Class, class, and more class

I am currently enrolled in online classes with Kaplan University and right now I am in two classes which will require me to write and turn in papers in about 3 weeks. It has been playing on my mind the last few days that I have not been putting my best foot forward in my classes. I am right now in the mind set that as long as I get a C its all good. I have decided that this is my week to get my but in gear and stop procrastinating so much. I will be siting at the computer doing anything but my homework on most days and I tend to wait to do my reading. There is nothing like trying to read while watching my football games on Sunday.
My husband suggested to me that I start my work earlier each week like on Wednesday which is the first day of class instead of Saturday. I have decided to take his advice, which will require me to record those shows that I just cant miss and give myself the extra 1/2 hour each morning and each night to do my reading during the week and not cramming it all in. So to all my fellow student don't fall into the trap that I am currently in know that your GPA is important and the more you put in the more you will get back. Good luck ladies and gentlemen and don't forget to start your final project if you already haven't, because week 9 will be here before you know it.

Kiss the sky

This past weekend I tested for a position with the CHP and I have to tell you that it was exciting and nervous all rolled into one. I originally applied for this job last year and I just now got the invite to test, I had actually forgotten. I know that over 75 people tested on the day I took the test and I have a slim chance of getting the job, but I feel like I took the first step.
I test for the IRS next week and although its lower pay and the only seasonal its a stepping stone. I would gladly take either one. I feel like maybe things are turning around for us and I hope that the new year will bring us some much needed luck.

Working on one thing at a time is my new motto..

Juggling Act

Do you remember when you were a child and you were amazed at the juggling acts that were preformed. Did you every try to keep more than 3 balls in the air at one time, I know I did and I failed. It has been years since a juggling act has impressed me, until now. I realized that my life is a lot like a juggling act. I always have a few balls in the air and I have been known to drop them once or twice and have to start the process all over again. I am like most parent short on time and long on responsibilities.
There are those rare times when I am on top of my game and all my balls are in the air and I am confident and able to handle it all. Those days are all to few and far between, but they do happen never the less. I can sometimes hear the circus music in the back ground and I try to keep it all going and I think to myself, why can't I be the trapeze act. I would love to be flying thought the air with just myself and a partner and of course with the safety net just below to give me the comfort that if I fall everything will be alright and I can always just try again.

Life is a balancing act and its best to keep your focus and be on the ball, no pun intended.

Only in my World

Well this was the second week of classes for me and I have to say that I was on the money the first week except that I missed my first seminar for my Disease class. I am unfortunately not on the ball this second week. I have not been able to read and I still have a quiz and workbook page that I have to do. There has been a huge lack of time and sleep in the last few days and I am now a walking zombie. I have one more day to get my act together so tonight the children will sleep or I will have to commit some kind of crime. Tuesday is another day, let us pray that I will be able to get all of my house work and home work done in a 24 hour period...lol

Lay it all away

This week I was informed by a friend that there is layaway online for Kmart and Sears. I have to say that I was very excited about the entire idea. I went on Kmart immediately and went shopping, in my hast I did not read the information on layaway very carefully and ended up with most of the items that I wanted not being eligible. I decided to head over to Sears and found a large amount of items that I wanted and needed on layaway. I have to say if you want more bang for your buck, go to Sears it has a larger quantity of things that will be able to be placed in layaway. I say go as early as you can and put a large deposit down if you can. I found a Kitchen Aid mixer that I have been in love with for years on the list and I have vowed to place it on Layaway if I get this job I am interviewing for in the next month. Its a great option that they have provided for us and I hope that other use it to encourage the stores to keep it. I also want to let you know to please read the information on the website and note that this layaway is for 8 weeks and will need to be picked up. Good luck to all and happy shopping for the Holidays.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Shop+Your+Way?adCell=EGshopyourway&adCell=W3

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/dap_10151_10101_DAP_Kmart+Layaway?adCell=WH

Three little pigs

I have three little girls and you would think by the amount of food that they eat that I have six little pigs. Its amazing how much these little piglets eat. We have breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, sub lunch, and of course dinner, dinner part 2 and dessert. I have purchased so many bananas in the last few weeks the people at the store think I have a Gorilla at the house. Its not just food, we had to put them on a schedule for juice, milk and water to make sure they are not getting too much to drink. I don't remember my other kids eating this much when they were little and I don't remember them being so picky either.
My mother in law said that they are just like their dad with hollow feet and legs and they just don't ever get full. I hope the day will come when they will finally get full, but I don't hold much hope since their father is not often full either.
Well during the writing of this post all three kids begged for food several times, not to my surprise. Off to fix pre-dinner for the girls, maybe I will order them a extra large pizza, buffalo wings, and some bread sticks and hopefully that will hold them for an hour until dinner is done.

oink, oink, oink

Did you get your WIC?

I think one of the best programs for families is the WIC program. It’s a program that was very helpful to me in my life and I always recommend it to people. It is not just a program for low income families but its here to make sure that people get the proper diets. I am especially pleases with the changes that have recently been made to the programs and vouchers.
They are now offering vouchers that will help to pay for fruits and vegetable which is one of the main things that lack in the diets of children. It is also offering whole grains, such as wheat breads, brown rice. They have also decided to add tofu and soy milk to allow those with dietary issues or cultural difference to use the program. WIC is also a very big supporter of breastfeeding mothers and they offer support and counseling for those who choose to do so. I hope that all who think that they might be eligible apply this is a wonderful program that can benefit not just you but also your children. Check out the website and see if it’s something that can benefit you and your family.


http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/aboutwic/

Crunch Time

Once again it’s a little after 5 in the afternoon and I am scrambling do get dinner cooked and on the table. It’s the same thing almost every day, I have no idea what to cook and then it’s a mad dash to get something on the table by 6:30. I am one of the many women who want to be organized and on the ball when it comes to cooking for her family. I am instead one of the many who has no idea whets for dinner until she is done cooking. I make a plan each week of the meals that I am going to cook; I shop for said ingredients and even put a calendar on the fridge. It all seems so wonderful on Sunday, but by Tuesday my plans have gone out the window. In my defense it’s my job to cook everyday and to discover or make up as my kids call it some sort of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it tends to burn a person out. I wish that my husband would have to deal with this kind of pressure on a daily basis, but his job is to wonder around and ask questions like; what’s for dinner, and didn't we have chicken yesterday? It’s all more than any sane women can or should have to handle. As I type this post, my ground beef is in the oven cooking and my baked ziti dish will only take a few moments to toss together and then it will spend a lovely 15 minutes in the oven becoming the amazing dinner that all will love. Every day the same exact thing and by now you would think that I would learn to be a more plan a head kind of women, oh well maybe in my next life.

Christmas blues

Its weeks away, but we have started our christmas shopping for the kids. This year is going to be a slim christmas for us because of the economy and we have decided to do what we can to make it special for each child. The little children will not notice the change, but the teens will. my husband and I utilized elayaway this year it was a real life saver that I heard about over a year ago. It has allowed us to get my daughters her big gife and also my sons without breaking the bank. It gave us the ability to pay montly on the item and they will be sent to the house in the next few weeks. We also decided to take advantage of lawaway at kmart as well as their christmas club card. We will not be able to put a lot on this year but we will have a huge amount my next christmas. They also have one for sears that we are considering so that we have more options. It might be a smaller christmas, but thanks to a few different programs we are able to get the items they want and also be able to make them a price that we could afford.

Rain, Rain...Go away

Today was the first day of serious rain for us here in the central valley. It was a blustery, windy, cool, and damp day. It was mommy & me day for myself and L2 and for the first time we couldn't walk to school. It was in a lot of ways sad for me because I really enjoy my little walk with my 3 year old. We talk about all sorts of things and play games and sing songs, its just our special time. Its the little time that I have with each kid that makes each day special, so I made time for her in another way. We sat down in the evening and watched two shows together and song all the songs with the shows. It was fun and I really think she still got her special time. Having 5 kids makes it difficult to have one on one time with each, but I remember when I had two it was still not always easy. In making a little special time each day for each child it keeps me close to them.

Mommy & Me

My 3 year old and I attend Mommy and Me classes twice a week. Its a special time when it just us two and I have to say that I really enjoy that time. Its only been a few classes so far but I do notice some things about her that I didn't before.

All of the kids in class tend to primarily play by themselves, they do not need or want friends right now. My dd is a loner even at home, but its normal for her age, she likes to do things in her own way and on her own time.

She is actually very independent when given the chance to be. She is the middle child of the younger girls and I tend to lump her with her big sister a lot because they are so close in age and this is not who she is. She did an art project all by herself yesterday and I have to say that I was very impressed.

She is not as strange as we think she is, she is actually a normal 3 year old. We have noticed that she has a very short attention span, but so do all the kids in our class. She tends to like to play a lot and doesn't always focus on things, but it really depends on the situation. I have noticed that at home there are task that she is wonderful at if left to preform them on her own.

Mommy and Me is about getting you child ready for school, but its also about giving you a better look at your child. Its a wonderful program for her and I cant wait to see how she blossoms as we continue. If you have a chance to join a program similar to this I suggest that you do it will let you see your child in an entirely new light.

Nobody puts baby in a corner

Well guess what her little behind is in a corner right now. I have opted for the classic punishment of the corner versus my usually of threats to end their life. I am working on patience with my children, even the teenage ones. I am actually considering putting my teenagers in a corner if they start to act up, which means my son will have to live in the corner. What form of punishment do you use, are you a spanker, a person who grounds, a time out person what is your style? I am from the south so you know that I received a spanking on a regular basis and it worked because I did not make the same mistake twice. I did however make a lot of mistakes, I do not fear my mother I have healthy respect for her and I am glad that she punished the way she did. Well its been a few minutes are up, don't worry she is not actually a baby she is actually a 3 year old and she has recovered and will be OK.

The run around

Does it ever seem like you need a clone in order to cover all the things you have to do in a day? It seems like mothers are always on the go and running around like crazy people. I myself have been in a hurry to get everywhere and then once I get there I am in a hurry to get somewhere else. I have been running and running all day and I am exhausted. Todays' schedules are crazy, I have my schedule, the kids schedule, my husbands schedule, and even my in-laws schedule to deal with. I find myself always with a calendar in hand or on the fridge but always forgetting to do something. I have found my salvation in to online calendar that have kept me on the ball for the past month which is saying a lot. Cozi is the first one its a free service that allows me to put my schedule along with everyone else and color code it, it also allows me to send reminders to cell phones. I love the fact that I can also do a grocery list or shopping list, send it to my phone or even call in and get it from the service. I also have it as an iPhone app so I am really covered. The other is the Google icalendar that allows you to email to yourself and its a basic calendar that I keep my school schedule on so that it sends me reminders for what homework is due the day before. I love both of these applications for there simplicity and for the reminder features on both. I myself still feel a little rushed and hurried and I know that its not always the best to have multiple calendars, but I usually update each on Sunday and if I have to add to them its just a few clicks on the computer. I have a great idea for my little kids, they each picked a color and we have a dry erase, magnetic board that we use pictures only for so they know when they are going to doctor, my 4 year old is pink and all her pictures are pink. I got the graphics off of the Internet and printed them on colored paper and used some magnet strips from Walmart. I really like the way this has help them also keep up with there school schedule so they know when picture day or a field trip is. Anyhow for those of you with the run around life I just thought I would give you a few suggestions and I hope they help. If you have any suggestions please feel free to drop me a line at queen73kai@gmail.com.

Cozi https://secure.cozi.com/Signup.htm
Goggle icalendar

QueenKai

Welfare who it really helps

In the last year there has been a large shift in the economy and for that reason unemployment is up and so are applications to state welfare agencies. I have noticed a large amount of post from mothers on various boards looking for assistance and acceptance with the choice they have made to utilize welfare program. I know that in our community a lot more people then usual are using a EBT card to pay for groceries at local stores. Welfare is one of those programs that has often been abused by those who did not need it or those who decided to milk it for all it was worth. There are people who use they system when they actually need it and those people are often lumped with those use take advantage of the system. Truth be told there are people who abuse many system in the country and who are always out to find the shortest way to do everything in their lives. Now there are people who were once living the American dream but who are now just scraping by and welfare is something that is helping them survive. I think before you judge the person in front of you using the food stamp card you should realize that this could be a person who's home was foreclosed on, a person who has a serious medical condition, or a person who is living in hard times like most of us are. It is not reasonable to think that all single mothers are going to be able to work more than one job, since its almost impossible for some to find one. There are young men and women who are raising their children, trying to go to school, and working who the system is helping. Its not always the person who is the abuser who is in front of you. Times are hard and people need to accept that its not going to get any better over night, so don't turn your nose up so quickly because you never know if it might be you or someone you love who has to take that assistant.
As always, my opinion is just that and I write what I observe. This was from an observation at a grocery store.

waking up in the stick

Have you every wondered what its like to wake up one day and have no idea how you got here. It happens to me all most everyday, I am living in the sticks. Two sticks to be exact and it the a place I never thought I would be. Its me my kids, my husband and various cast extras traped in a very small town and I am so not a small town girls. Dont get me wrong its a nice place if you dont mind living 15 to 30 minutes from anything fun like a movie theather or even a McDonalds. It has been a reall adventure to be trapped (maybe not exactly trapped) here