:: credit card debt = $0 ::

I am so excited!! Larry just paid off the last credit card debt that I have or we have!  He still has a credit card he uses to buy airline tickets but our bad past debt is gone!  My bank account says $0 for my credit card with them and I have no other credit cards. I haven't used a credit card in over 4 years! Now the car and jeep are paid off!  Happy Dance!  We do have the new van's loan, student loans, and house that we have to pay off but I am only talking about credit card debt!  I believe our credit card debt was around $25,000!  It is all gone now!  Whoo Hoo! 

:: randomness ::

 Last weekend was a lazy weekend.  My whomps and I didn't go anywhere and stayed home the whole weekend.  We didn't get in our van until we had to go on Monday morning.  It was so nice and so relaxing!  I actually napped while my kids had their rest time and they were awake doing their thing.  That has never happened before but it was a nice rest for us all.  Here are some pictures from last weekend. 

 

Misha in the catio.  So not cool.  She wanted in it all day and I had to put a gate up by the entrance inside so she wouldn't go out in it at night.  I even slept on the couch cause I didn't want her to get out and lost.  Long night let me tell you!  That is probably why I had to take a nap.  She was just acting weird all day so I was hoping she wasn't getting sick or crazy on me.  She was better the next day.  She hasn't been in the catio since, thank goodness.  I would be fine with her being in it but the first day she was in there I wasn't home and she tried to get out and got her collar stuck under the chicken wire and the neighbors cut the wire to get her head out but she stayed in the catio until I got home.  Not sure how many hours she was in it but she must have liked it cause she wants to go in it!

 



 

On Sunday we ventured outside and went to the field and played before it got to dark and cold.  Yes, my kids are walking up the rock hill.  Never have they done this and I am so don't want them to get hurt but I have to remind myself all the time I have a boy and he needs to be adventuress and I let him go to where he is but not any further and of course Grace had to follow. 
 

 

This is my Buddy at his last hockey practice this week. :)

 

 

And this was last night.  My Lucy laying by me on the couch where she isn't supposed to be.  And on the wall Hunter's first colored picture where he colored everything!  Grace had to tape it to the wall with about 10 pieces of tape.  Tape is her favorite thing in the whole wide world.  I got her some for her stocking at Christmas and she used it all up in a couple of days. 
 

 

Well I am off to cleaning and getting things done today.  This weekend isn't as lazy as last weekends so I better chop, chop.  :)

:: my friday nights ::

Well, they are kinda boring when it is just the whomps and I.  Right now I should clean my house but I don't have the energy. I worked all week literally all week I didn't have my usual Thursday off and we have a student doctor hanging out with me and DeOna and Dr. D has been out the last 2 days so I have worked late most of each of these nights.  Between swimming lessons and Grace coughing I haven't got much done in regards to the house.  So I am glad the weekend is finally here!  My kids did their last swimming class tonight!  They both did not pass their levels; which is fine with me cause they both need to keep practice their swimming and one I am not ready for Grace to go in the deep end without the table under her and I am not ready for my Buddy to go further then the deep end that he is in that he can stand at.  But tonight my Grace finally put her whole face (eyes, nose, mouth and head) under water!!!  This is so big and so exciting I am super proud of her!  I saw it all and when she was done she looked at the bleachers to see me I smiled super big and gave her a big thumbs up and she gave me a super smile!  Of course I had to text her Papa and family but I guess I missed 3 more of her doing it since she said did it 4 times!  At least I saw the first!  My buddy is doing so good in swimming he has come so far I am so proud of them both!  I was able to get him in swimming next month but not Grace will see if she can get in to her class again she is on a waiting list.  She is super bummed.  I am still learning when to schedule and when not to.  But let me tell you going 3 times a week is alot of work!  I haven't got used to it yet but getting better :) 

Have I posted this song before? 


It is one of my fav's of TS's songs.  Not sure why I just really love the music!  Enjoy!

My friday nights are fun.  I either watch alot of TLC or read a book or stay up way too late watching a movie I have ordered from Netflix. Not sure what I am going to do tonight.  I should clean but I just don't have it in me.  So I thought I would blog to you all :)

:: buddy's valentine's day party ::

 

My Buddy's Valentine's day was a hoot.  This picture my mom took says it all.  I was able to stay an hour during his class and when he knew I was there he was so excited and kept saying this is the second time you have been in my class, mom.  And I kept telling him, yep it is!  I got to help him and his classmates make their Vday hats and Vday necklaces and it was so fun!

 

 

This is a picture of me and a boy in his class (I can't remember his name) but he was the last one to finish his necklace and I helped him make it all.  He wasn't in a hurry so I just helped him do it and get it done and he was pretty happy with his necklace in the end. 

 

So far I have been at Buddy's Christmas party and saw what he does for the last hour but this time it was so different!  I got to see what he does for the first hour of his school!  Let me tell you that I was so amazed and in awe of all he gets to do and learn and he doesn't even tell me he is doing all this fun stuff!  His teacher is the coolest teacher in the world.  She does so much with them I am in awe and amazed at how they all love and listen to her and get excited about their day to day routine and what they learn and how they learn.  It is just amazing.  I wish I could be a stay at home mom so I can just volunteer everyday just to see what he does and be a part of it but I am so glad he gets to do this all on his own and I know he is in good hands with his teacher.  :)

 

The rest of the pictures I wasn't at Buddy's party and my mom was.  Looks like he had a great time and enjoyed his first Kindergarten Valentine's!

My Buddy makes me laugh.  He is so happy and loves so much and is crazy and wild at the same time.  I am so glad I got to be a part of this day with him and glad my mom was too.  She took great pictures of his day, too!  There you go my whomps Valentine's days!  :)

:: ::valentine's day with my "girls" ::

 I thought I would post about one whomp at a time about their Valentine's day experience.  Grace is first and I will post about Hunter's tomorrow!  My lovely, big girl Grace what can I say about her first official big girl Preschool Valentine's day?  One word....excited.  Make that two words...super excited!!  This girl did all 16 of her Valentine's cards in one afternoon!  She even got suckers in each bag and wrote out each kiddos name and her name she was all business and put them in her new Perry bag she got at Subway and was set for this day to come.  She was all done last Saturday.  This girl was on a mission and completed it.  Sounds so like me this girl and a girl after my own heart.  Sigh.  Sorry, lost myself there for a memento.  She knew she had 2 more sleeps until today and she was a chatty Cathy each night and I am so horrible I kept threatening her V-day gift from me and her papa to go to someone else that she was so quiet after that.  My bad I know but I knew it would work and it did the only draw back was last night she woke up at 4:30am and 6:00am wondering if it was time to wake up cause she was so excited to see what she got from us for Valentine's day!  I learned my lesson don't threaten to give something to someone when they go to bed once they wake up they are ready for it.  Word to the wise.  Both kids woke up before my sleep in alarm because I have the day off and we can sleep in a good hour so I made sure Hunter was dressed (since he sleeps in his underoos) and I put their V-day gifts in front of them on the table.  They didn't even notice that they were in TJ bags all they cared about is what they got and they were smiles about all they got!  Whoo Hoo score!  Hunter read his new book before he went to school and both kids ate their new cereals. 

 

I have been taking Misha EVERYWHERE with us since she has figured out the catio ( I haven't even posted about that) and I think she is liking it too much but I don't want her to get hurt with the catio so she is a tag a long and goes to my mom's when I am at work until Larry gets home to fix the catio.  This morning I was lazy and didn't harness her up in her car seat in the bag of the van.  I will post about Hunter's morning but I went to his first after dropping of the kids at school and then went to Grace's Valentine's party at the end of her school day.  It was so fun!  When I dropped her off I got to help her put all her Valentine's bag's in each of her classmate's bags.  I didn't do this last year for Hunter and I don't know why maybe I was just out of it and didn't realize I was supposed to?  But it was so fun with Grace cause she wouldn't let me help her at all!  It was all her!  I think it took us a great 10 minutes to get her Perry bag empty of her cards and put in the right bags at school.  I wasn't allowed to touch any of her cards or put them in her classmates bags.  Good to know, right!  She was so in her element!  She loves to be organized and in charge like me I just let her do her thing and if she needed my help I was so there.  Once her Perry bag was empty I gave her a hug and sent her off to class and went to Hunter's and came back an hour later and she was all smiles that I was there.  We got to have water and cupcakes together and go check out what she got in her bag from all her classmates.  Super fun to sit on the floor and see the joy on her face of who gave her what.  She still isn't a fan of the boys in her class but she sure likes the girls :).   I also got to see her share her "R" share which was a stuffed Rabbit.  Super cute!  And her teacher had them do an ants in their pants song and dance for all of us.  Super, uber cute!

 

Here is a picture of her eating one of her candies from a classmate and Misha in Hunter's car seat.  Surely not where she is supposed to be but you just gotta laugh and realize it is V-day and make everyone happy.  :)

 

 

I had an amazing day with my whomps at their school and I am so blessed to have had my day off to hang out with them both at their schools to see them and have fun with them!

 

We got to veg at home for a couple of hours before hockey practice and I was doing laundry and I know my Lucy loves my whomps room.  I didn't see her in her usual spot on either Hunter's bed or at the end of Grace's so I thought well she must be in the catio.  After another load of laundry I came back in to the whomps room since it is on the way to the laundry room and I saw Lucy...

 

 

She was in Grace's bed on her pillow cozy with a bunch of stuffies and blankets nice and snug as a bug in a rug.  She loves my whomps cause she loves their stuff and the scent of them.

 

Hunter did amazing in hockey lessons today!  The parents of his buddies even told me he did so good.  He had energy and he was having fun.  I told him he did 150 % today and he was happy with that.  The only downside is his sister who always gets to him before me got hit in her eye with the back of his stick and I didn't see it but we almost went to the urgent care but all is well and she is fine.  I swear I should put Grace in hockey with the amount of close calls she has had and she is the only one that has had stitches yet! 

 

Happy almost done with Valentine's day everyone!  Mine was fun with just being a mom and being able to hang out with my whomps at both of their schools.  Truly amazing and so much fun!



:: hair and valentine's ::

 

 Grace had her first big girl haircut at a salon on Tuesday!  She did really great and the lady didn't take off as much as I wanted but at least her hair isn't as long and untamed anymore.
 

 

Here are my Valentine's day gift from Larry...Ugg moccasin's!  My first pair of Uggs!  I have wanted their boots forever but couldn't do it and I have Bear Claws instead.  But I really wanted some slippers that I can throw on to take Misha outside or run errands in and the main thing is to fold laundry with them on since my laundry room floor is so cold!  I love them I have had them since Sunday.  There are not the color I wanted but this color works too!  My phone needs to be updated so I can't take any normal pictures with it so I have to use my Instagram app to take pictures so in this picture my shoes look really brown but they are light tan.  They are so COMFY and so nice a warm.  I love them and they are an awesome Valentine's gift!  Thanks babe!  Love you bunches and bunches!

 

Thought I would show you what I made for my whomps teacher's for Valentine's Day.  I got this idea from a blog called Mud Pie Studio. 
 

 

Pretty cute, huh?!  Will see if the teacher's like them :)  My kids are all set for Valentine's day and I am super excited for them.  This holiday is the holiday I remember the most from grade school.  And it turns out I can go to both of their school's tomorrow for an hour and hang out with them in their classes.  Super excited.  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

:: figuring out our new schedule ::

Swimming!  Swimming has definitely changed our weekly schedule!  Last week was the first week of swimming MWF and my house was a disaster by the weekend and my whomps were tired and I felt like nothing got done and I went to bed with a messy house ie. dishes still in the sink and the whomps were in bed late and grumpy.  This week I am changing it up on my whomps and trying to get homework and dinner done before we walk over to the pool.  When we get home from swimming after showers they only one cartoon they used to both get a turn with what they wanted to watch before bed now one gets to pick the cartoon and the other gets to pick the book to read after.  We are on day 2 of this and it was meltdowns the first day and I didn't get the dishes done and last night was much better and they were in their beds nice and early but still took forever to fall asleep but they were being good.  I was able to do the dishes while they were in their beds and clean up the house and go to bed without a mess.  Such a nice feeling.  Non swimming days are going to be nice we get to be at home a little longer without the rush of trying to get stuff done before lessons.  They are having a really great time with swimming lessons.  They talk more to kids and grownups and listen so much better and have smiles on their little wet faces!  So I think this new schedule will work out with what we do before we go to bed after swimming.  :)  2 more days until Valentine's Day!!

:: OMG ::

OMG, I am so amazed at how much I got done today and they day isn't done yet!  Here is what got done!

** Both kids slep in like they have never before!  Grace at 7:30am and Hunter 8:00am and me I woke up at 6:00am but fell back to sleep off and on.  I hope this is a nice weekend pattern kids sleeping in!

** Grace finished her V'day cards for her class

** Hunter is 1/2 way done with his V'day cards

** Totally booked Buddy's bday party and invites are done and party favors came in the mail!

** Laundry room cleaned and I am getting laundry folded and put away with each chapter of my chick flick book I am reading.

** Did I mention I am reading my book and trying to finish a girly book before I start the last of the GOT?

** The house is 1/2 way cleaned!  Got more to do but it is so much better then it was when I woke up.

** I schedule a hair appointment for tomorrow!

** Kids and I have been vegging inside we really should go outside for some air but they are just happy little clams all day just being home.  I mention going to the bank and Hunter thinks the world has ended so I will go tomorrow.

** Dinner is in the crockpot!

I love getting things done and off my checklist I hope the rest of the night goes as well and I get done with all the laundry and my book cause I have chick flick movie to watch tonight cause both whomps are going to bed early tonight!

:: it's the little things ::

Larry will be gone again during Valentine's day and you know what I am finally OK with it and have been the last couple of years.  I would love him to be here but we are just not that type of family and not in that type of way right now.  So, I am such a sucker for Valentine's day I love getting roses or something at work I love getting things I am a sap but Larry isn't into it as much and I totally get it why spend money on a day when you can show the person you love them any day and get them flowers.  I get it but I am just crazy that way and love get flowers on Valentine's day.  But with that said I realize that having them delivered to my work cost a lot of money and I told Larry this year please don't I am good without them and I would rather get something I really, really want and I emailed him a link to the item I wanted and this morning I got a text from him saying go get them and a check is in the mail!  I was super excited cause I didn't know if he would or not cause this last month has been a rough road and we are working on stuff, but he did and when I got home the check was in the mail for the exact amount that what I wanted and I sent this email to him a few days after he left.  Happy dance!  I realized that my Valentine's day gift doesn't have to come on Valentine's day it is just knowing that he wants to make me happy and give me something I would like and came through and knows I will be jumping for joy is all that matters.  Communication and expression feelings is all I need this Valentine's day and I can't wait to get what he gave me money to get!  Did I mention happy dance!!!  I will post pictures when I do cause they are pretty much the same price as a dozen roses on Valentine's day and I have a $20 gift card to the place I am getting my gift at!  Now I just hope I can make him feel as special as he has made me feel.  It is the little things, right?  :)  Happy weekend to you all.  We have nothing really going on except making Valentine Day cards for schoolmates :)  I am super excited Valentine's day lands on a Thursday!  So I get to go to Grace's Preschool and my mom will go to Hunter's school.  I went to Buddy's school for his Christmas party and this will be the first time I go to Grace's school and they are doing cupcakes for the mama's I can't pass that up!

:: hockey and ballet shoes ::

Today was Hunter's hockey class and it was fun and nerve raking.  We made it there way early after having a great time with Nate and Aunt Lindsey's where Grace and I got our nails painted.  I so needed to get some pampering time since I have a lot of stress (that I am not posting on my blog) and needed to feel good about myself and getting my nails done with gel by Lindsey I knew was the trick!  Buddy did good but he got tired after the first 1/2 hour and it is an hour class and I thought for sure they would pull him out and I would get another phone call but the coaches I talked to said no and the one that past him I guess is the head coach right now so he said nope he is good.  Crossing my fingers.  Buddy just has to learn not to complain and realize this is a lot of hard work.  I asked him if he wanted to quit and stop but he said no so we will power on and have some Gatorade on board next practice.  I just can believe how well he is doing and he is still 5!  I took alot of video but for some reason I can't post them!  I have to get an updated google account.  Just know he did great and used his stick and played with pucks the first 1/2 hour of practice and he was in his element and giving his all he just is so little and not used to it he was drained by the time they wanted him to keep going for another 1/2 hour and he is only used to practice being 1/2 hour and done. 

 

I had told my Grace that we would see if we could get her ballet shoes after Hunter's practice since she has to wait and be cold for 1 hour and she also complained after a half an hour if Hunter was done yet.  They both just gotta learn the new schedule is an hour now.  But I was told that Payless has ballet sleepers and we were going to check after practice.  And they did!  Grace is so excited she got fitted and has her first pair of pink ballet sleepers and pink tights!  Now I just got to get her in a class and see if she really wants to do this!  I was thinking of doing it in April after Hunter's birthday and party but I might try for March if the place has an opening.  When she got home she put them on and played PS3 with them on.  Happy girl and she says she so wants to do this so will see if she likes it!  I am only doing swimming for both and hockey for Hunter and Ballet for Grace and nothing more that is enough to keep this Mama hopping!  If this is how our schedule is we will only have Tuesday and Sundays where we veg at home after work and such.  But when Hunter gets better at hockey he will do a morning game with his class on Sunday's!  I am just trying to socialize my kids to other kids and make them listen to other adults because it is so important and good for them and when they accomplish something they are so proud of themselves and want to tell me and all their family!

 

Here is my baby in her first "pink" ballet shoes :)

It was such a busy Thursday but it was a good one!  Whomps enjoyed school and when I picked up Hunter at school his teacher said really really loud that Hunter was very very respectful and helpful today.  Music to my ears!  Both her and I are trying to show him when he is good and not silly he makes everyone happy!  I am pretty sure what she said was true cause Buddy said it wasn't a good day because so many kids were not respectful.  He said it was actually not a good day cause kids were not being good, but he was.  I told him sorry Buddy but if Mrs. Rodgers was happy with him, which made me happy, we just have to keep being respectful and knowing we need to be good and getting a shout out from Mrs. Rodger's in front of his whole class is awesome, which made him grin.  :)  Being pampered today and hanging with Nate and Lindsey was fun and my whomps were pretty good and I was proud of them for listening and obeying and we had a fun time with them!  I love me some Thursday's! :)

:: cheesy way to do valentine's gifts ::

 

The fun part about having kids in school is helping them get ready for all the fun things I remember doing in school myself.  Valentine's Day for me is one of the most fun memories of school.  The kids have Valentine's day cards to give to their classmates and I can't wait to sit down with them and do them for the next few days!  I have a fun thing for them to do (hopefully it works) and it was fun doing cards with Hunter last year because he did them all himself and it took awhile cause he had to think which card he wanted to give to who but it was super cute!  When I went to get dude's cards for this year and get the candy and bags to go with them I realized I had totally forgot to get them something for Valentine's day!  Then I thought I didn't do anything last year for them also but I must have I just can't remember what it was.  So I went and had some fun with this yesterday during my lunch break.  I wanted to get them something fun that they both liked and I came up with jelly beans, a new book, and a fun magazine.  Today while both whomps are at school I went to town with their gifts!  I realized I didn't get a bag to put them in cause I looked at Fred Meyers and they were too much to get a big one and I didn't have time to go to the Dollar store so I remembered that I used all my eco friendly bags at Trader Joe's and had to get all the rest of my food in paper bags.  I had used one of them to put Grace's share in for this morning and I thought why not it is big enough and it was red.  I used Grace's stickers (hope she doesn't mind) and I know she will totally realize they are hers!  I had bought a new cereal to try out with Grace and it was in the pantry and I added that to her gift and I have a special valentine's idea for their teachers that I bought a 2 pack of Lucky charms for that project and I had one left over so Buddy gets that one and not sure if he will eat it but why not see and give him a treat.  Add a sucker that they will be giving to their classmates since my whomps love suckers.  So there you go!  My cheesy Valentine's day gift to my whomps and using what I had at home and what I bought at the store.  I think it will make them laugh when they see the bags and it is from their favorite store!  Don't tell them what they are getting it is a secret just had to share cause I am so excited! :)

:: mess ::

1.  My house has been a mess for 2 going on 3 days now.  I just can't keep up with it.  I have dishes in my sink and I don't want to do them.  I just did them last night.

2.  My bedroom is a mess it has lego's on the floor for 3 + weeks now and I need to get them picked up just seems like alot of work me and Hunter to have to organize them in the bins.

3.  My pantry is a mess.  I used up food but when Larry was home at Christmas the shed was a mess so I took on some containers to clean out and they are in the pantry and now I can't get to my pantry food so I just am stacking stuff on the containers.

4.  My projects are a mess I can't get them done.  Hence, going through the containers in the pantry I have done one since Christmas and I have 2 more and hand me down clothes to go through.  I have a ton of organizing projects to do just haven't started them.  I have Hunter's birthday party to plan and I have to figure out Larry's schedule and that is another mess.  But it will get planned and invites will get out!

5.  My schedule after work is a mess.  We started swimming lessons at a new time and new lessons and we are doing them 3 days a week now instead of 2 since we never made the Wednesday.  Tomorrow we start new hockey lessons.  I just got to get into the routine and figure out how to cook fast after I get home to get us to swimming and hockey!  That in itself makes my house a mess cause making dinner, doing homework, and eating dinner and racing out the door there is a mess to come home to since we raced out the door.  I gotta get better or this schedule will be a mess.

6.  Life seems crazy right now with Larry and his new posititon and job in Canada and figuring out for school next year for both kids and I like being organized and not this disorganized I feel like my life is a mess right now and I gotta figure out how to make it unmessy.  Ugh.

So hoping for clarity soon!
Hugs.
me

:: sometimes ::

...you gotta smile or laugh each day to make your day better.
...you gotta have flowers.
...you gotta watch 'P.S. I Love You' and smile, laugh, and cry through the whole movie.

Sometimes, you gotta be a girl :)

:: weekends ::

Alot happened this week...

**a friend of mine I worked with at my last job passed away last weekend and her funeral was yesterday and I wasn't able to go.  I should have went but knew in the end making everyone happy at work was better and not being short staffed would make everyone happy.  But I really wanted to go to her funeral.  She was an amazing woman who tried to fight her cancer for I am taking a guess here..+6 years and I know she stayed alive for her 4 kids and her grandkids and didn't want them to suffer another parent passing away from cancer.

**we got to have Larry home for 3 days!  It was a roller coaster of a 3 days Larry ended up in the ER one of the mornings for chest pain but is good but has a stress test (again) the next time he is home.  Alot was said and pondered between us and I am pretty sure I didn't help and caused some chest pain.  Just communicating.  We all went out to dinner alot and we got to have a family day at the Portland Aquarium.

** my whomps passed swimming and start new (seperate) classes on Monday!

More happened this week but the jest of this post is about loneliness, I guess.  I am not a fan of weekends anymore when it is just me large and in charge.  I try so hard to be positive and do fun things with the kids but when I do it always bites me in the butt cause the whomps find some way either both of them or just one of them isn't happy in the end.  I wanted to go to TJ's today to stock us up and in the end the kids were not good at all at the store and threw fits and both had melt downs but I was able to get flowers and get us stocked up but once again I realize it is a pain in the butt to take a 4 and 5 year old anywhere when they don't get what they want at the place and I have to lay down the law.  But we all survived and I hope TJ's will let us come back again.  I know in the future I am going by myself I already told them both this and they were so upset but this always happens when I take them.  The little kid carts are cute and my kids love them, but they are my downfall.  But I got some Daffodils and a potted tulip set so this should make me a happy mama!

Like I said loneliness sucks and it happens to me all the time but the weekends the most.  I just need to tell myself that it could be worse and be thankful for what I have and I am it is just I am so envious of families that have their husbands with them all the time and go to bed at night with everyone home.

Speaking of everyone home!!! My girlfriend, Noelle, her man is coming home tonight at 7:30pm from Afganistan!  He has been away for I believe over a year but came home for a week or so when she gave birth to her cute little guy, Remington, late last year and he went back to Afganistan and now he is done with his tour!  Happy dance for her and her husband!  She has been taking care of (now) her 2 kids while he is gone.  I think she rocks because she did this all alone for months and here I am complaining of doing it for weeks out of a month. 

Happy weekend to you all only one more day until Monday!