Life Feels Different in 2022

 "Back to Normal....when will we be able to go BACK TO NORMAL?" I have heard so many people ask that question in this pandemic world we live in. 

I honestly think the answer to that question is very simple........NEVER! 

We will never be back to "normal" there is a new normal, a more chaotic version of life as we knew it. We have lost so much and gained so much at the same time. 

Many of us took up new hobbies and jobs when we lost the ones we had when the pandemic started. So, we have learned new things about ourselves and our ability to survive a change in our whole way of life. 

A lot of people are gone, passed away during this time, and many without their loved ones by their side. It has broken many and changed families in ways some people will never understand. 

Friendships were tested and some survived even the hardest of the time, but others did not and were broken up and lost. In a way, it is a good thing because you should keep people who build you up and are a positive and empowering gift, not ones that think it is ok to hurt those we love. Life can really change just the way it feels by the change in who you keep company with and share your life with. 

For me, the mother to three kids all at different stages of life, surviving the pandemic time and navigating a relationship, household, and the education of my children has been a severe test of my patience, my organization, and my multitasking abilities. 

I am a creature of habit and when this all started, having that habitual day schedule I had maintained for a while disrupted, well it kind of fucked with my mind and caused me to go into a bit of a panic mode. 

Now the time I took advantage of to clean and such around the house had to be spent making sure the kids were attending online virtual learning with several different teachers and printing out worksheets and making sure homework was turned in. 

Along the way, in the time I had for myself, I decided to really take stock of who I am and what I need in my life to be truly happy. I don't mean in the physical sense like trinkets and doodads that beep and such, but the qualities in my life and the hobbies that make me feel within my element. I had plenty of days that knocked the wind right out of me during the time when people I loved were lost along the way and I learned that life can change so quickly that you never really know how much time is left. So why the fuck not just do what adds joy to your life and find a way to make it work for you. See I am one of the lucky few who has a great support system to cheer me on and pick up the slack on the days I just cannot seem to pull it all on my own. 

I truly learned a lot about myself and who I am deep inside. I have learned to express my fears and my feelings whenever I needed help. I found ways to be more active and to really enjoy life.  I found my passions and started finding ways to ignite and keep the fires of my joy burning by incorporating them, into my life more and more each day. I have been learning so many new things like languages, artists, small business owners, and people who are like me and are working on both their physical and their spiritual journey through life be that however they so desire. 

All of this has changed me, has changed my family, has changed the entire world, and there is no NORMAL to our lives except whatever it is we do now and moving forward. Stop looking back, look forward, and make changes that will make you happy! Stop worrying about what is normal and know that however you are living your life IS NORMAL! 

As always, thanks for being here and reading my ramblings! Feel free to comment on something that changed in your life over the last few years. 

Mid-Month Reboot

So it seems like the weather can really mess enough stuff up to throw someone like me off track for all the things I was into. Snow days with the kids home and canceled things that I was going to do because trying to do them in the yucky weather was NOT going to be easy.  I did use those days to catch up on the housework and to make a big dent in the things I wanted to get going on this year though.

One of the newest additions to my routine is TEA! I have found some awesome ones and I love them. If you are a lover of tea you have to try Yogi brand teas. Head on over to https://yogiproducts.com/ and check out their story and all the available flavors. Maybe even you will find the perfect one for what you need! A fun bonus is that each tea bag comes with a little touch of inspiration to get you through the day!

Since I am also trying to find things that my body and system can tolerate better I have also switched to Lactose-Free kinds of milk. I have been trying different ones to see which is my favorite, so far the one that is the best tasting is Fairlife Fat-Free Ultrafiltered Milk ( https://fairlife.com ) which has been wonderful at making sure those uncomfortable side effects I have from drinking milk are a thing of the past!

Another thing of the past, the fight between vegetables and the kids. I have found several new recipes and fun ways to get the kids to choose at least one vegetable they love and still try ones they may not be as happy about eating. I still have to give a little incentive to get them to try more than one bite/piece of whatever offensive vegetable is on their plates but I think "baby steps" are a good place to start!

Now as the month is looming closer to the end I am closer to being on track. This week I have been able to keep up with certain things like laundry, grocery shopping, taking my vitamins, and even slipping in some workouts here and there to keep on track with my weight loss goals!

I would have to say the first month of this year while being a little bit bumpy, is definitely off to a good start and I cannot wait to see how my next goals pan out!

Thanks for listening and reading! More to come soon!

Holiday Weekend Family Fun

Today is Monday and another wonderful week is ahead for the world. The festivities of the weekend still linger on the lawns of those who celebrated with their sparklers and personal fireworks and in my home the only remnants of the weekend are the memories and fun that we had as well as some fun pictures. 
While we did not participate in outside activities due to my recovery, the heat and Spencer being a cranky handful for part of the day we still had a pretty good 4th of July! 

The day started out like any other with the kids ready to greet the day a little sooner than I wish they would on a weekend. (They tend to get up with the sun.) Mckenzee proved just how mature she is getting and just how great it is that she pushes herself to accomplish things with her Scouting because she got up and made scrambled eggs and toast for her and her brothers! I was so surprised and impressed! She was very proud of herself too because as she said "I didn't get ANY shells in my eggs Mama!" A wonderful feat for my 7 year old love! 

Andy's little bit of color

Before

I decided that morning that I would also cut and color my hair. Now to anyone who ever cuts their own hair you know how difficult it can be to cut it straight and good on the back since you can't see it well but after several tries and a few too many inches off it was finally a good looking cut length and I was ready to color it. This is what it looked like before I colored it and finished getting it to an even length. (see picture on the left) Andrew decided he wanted color in his hair too but I didn't want to over do it and I wasn't 100% comfortable with the color I was using going in his hair but being a mom who wants to let the kids try new things I put a little in his hair after I put the majority of it in mine (since I WAS doing my WHOLE head in the color) This is how his turned out. (See ^) Mine ended up being more red than I had anticipated, but I figure I can get the color I really wanted NEXT time (another 6 months or so from now) I do like the way mine looks though so I have no real complaints. (See right -->) 

We wanted to go somewhere or do something with the kids, but with it being so warm and me still not feeling 100% we didn't want to overdo it. Plus we really didn't have much money to go to the places where everyone else seemed to be flocking to. Since we did have a little bit of money to use we decided to take the kids to Shari's for some pie shakes! (They take a piece of their fresh made pies and blend it into some ice cream to make and awesome shake!) They had so many flavors to choose from too, Andrew chose Chocolate Silk, Mckenzee and DJ had Peanut butter chocolate, Spencer had a kids ice cream sundae, and I had their Montana Cherry Pie shake. They were so yummy and a perfect cool down treat to have with the family out and about! 

We finished the night with out cookout of yummy chicken, hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, beans, DJ's special recipe Cole slaw, and chips! It was delicious and we were all very full! We watched Independence Day while the kids played and did their reading for the night. Then the kids then had some Popsicle while we watched the televised fireworks from around the states and they danced with each other to the music. After putting them to bed the neighbors seemed to think it was a good time (10pm) to start setting of some fireworks of their own so DJ took them outside to enjoy them since sleep was out of the question. They went on for quite a while (and the garbage was left out all over the parking lot which I was NOT happy about) but the kids were happy so I was happy! So like a said, all in all a pretty good day! Sunday we just spent hanging out, cleaning up the house while DJ did the grocery shopping, and then had an early turn in night. 

Today we just are recovering from the fun of the weekend and are all a little run down, so after doing the quick chores and some laundry it has mostly been a chill out day. Which I think we all needed as I haven't really had one since leaving the hospital. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and made some fun memories! From my family to yours! Have a wonderful week! 

1 year, 8 months, and 24 days.

That is how long we have lived here in Washington, that is how long ago we left the world we had known for a new life. It was scary, it was nerve-wracking, it was totally worth it!

In just 12 days my littlest love turns 2! I cannot believe he was only 3 months old when we got out here and now he is almost 2! He has grown so much and is such a happy, wonderful, giggly little boy.

Just like his big brother he has grown to really like Spiderman so we are going to make this birthday themed Spiderman! The funny thing is that Andy's 2nd birthday was the first time he had a Spiderman theme (he had two more after that before switching to Pirates of the Caribbean). We were trying to find some Duplo blocks with a Spiderman theme but we seem to be striking out. So we started looking for some other Spiderman toys that are good for his age. Turns out Mr. Potato Head has a Spiderman version and mini figures sets so we may get him one of those. He is at a fun age toy-wise because he likes blocks, matchbox cars, and action figures and he has an awesome imagination!

Now a little news about my girl! Mckenzee has grown so much in the last few years! She has gone from a cute little fairy princess...into a full princess with her own sense of style, her own attitude (that sometimes gets her little butt in trouble) and her own uniqueness that makes me love her so much!

Spencer clapping for his "Enzee"! 

Last week we got a letter from her school telling us that she was going to be receiving an award! We were so proud but the letter told us not to tell her and that she had no idea she was going to be getting it, just to be at the school this past Friday for a special assembly to see her receive her certificate! So we kept the secret from not only her but also our family (which was super tough) so that when she found out she would be so surprised and able to share the news herself with her family! We even kept up the secret all the way to drop her off at school on that morning. She thought we had left to run our errands only to find us sitting in the auditorium waiting for her to come in! It was a super special day for her as that night we also used a gift certificate we had to take her to Buffalo Wild Wings to have a special dinner and celebrate!

We could not have been prouder to see her up there with the other kids getting her certificate for showing how "Responsible" a student she is! (Now if we can get her to do that a little more often at home) This week coming up we have a conference with her teacher and will be receiving her report card for this term which I am pretty sure will be fantastic since I know she is reading well (above grade level). I know that though there are times it is tough she has been doing really well with her math, and her behavior in class has been very good since she fills up her good girl charts every week with little Xs! She loves school and I hope she continues to love it for many years to come!

So in a nutshell, I think moving out here has really had a positive effect on this family and we are all thriving in some way! The only one missing is our Andrew but we know that that is just a matter of time before he visits again and we have an awesome summer together. Who knows maybe someday he will be out here even more and he will get to spend more time with us!

Thank you all for reading! Stay happy, stay healthy, stay creative!

#MamaMoments
#KidAccomplishments

New things and some great Kids!

I just realized yesterday that it has been almost a month since I wrote my last entry! 

So to catch you all up on my to do's and such I am going to write about what has happened in the last month. 

First up my Andrew has accomplished a few things! He made his own homemade wheat bread all by himself! I have to say that as a cook/baker myself I am super proud of this! He was so proud of himself that he couldn't wait to call me and tell me and send me a picture. He also made sure he shared some with his Memere because he wanted to make sure everyone got to try it! This on top of his violin playing and recently finding out that he went to his first dance make me proud and sad all at the same time. He tried to call me before the dance but I was out running errands and missed the call, his father said he was all kinds of nervous and dead set against his father chaperoning the dance. (His father was teasing him saying he was going to go to the dance with him to keep and eye on him) I probably would have done the same thing, especially since it turns out there was a girl there that he wanted to see. (Protective Mama mode activated) They just grow too dang fast for my liking! 

Since last month Mckenzee has started her first time of selling Girl Scout Cookies for her troop! She has done pretty well for being a really shy girl in a state where all her family lives 3000 miles away. She was able to sell 97 boxes so far between online orders (from family back home) and regular orders here in WA. I am very proud of her! She has also been earning some badges and having a lot of fun with her new favorite friend Gracie who is another girl in her troop. I have also signed her up for camp where she should be paired up with her friend during what will be her first time at a camp away from home and without a family member with her. I am so nervous but proud at the same time that thinking about it I smile AND cry. 

Even Spencer is accomplishing things just like his big brother and sister! He has been talking more and more and starting to form short phrases among his words. Now mind you sometimes these phrases are him repeating something that he has heard before, ie: "Sit your butt down now!" and "Get down!" (you can probably guess who those were said to). Other times his phrases are "Mama help me?" (if he needs something fixed) or "I play?" (when he grabs one of the game controllers) or my favorite "Wanna bite?" (when he holds up his foot and wiggles his toes in my face after playing "This Little Piggy"). He has also gotten out of the "Let's Eat The Crayons" phase and has moved on to the "Let's DRAW/COLOR on EVERYTHING" phase. This includes walls, paper, HIMSELF! He has done some cute art with the toddler stampers I got him though and I had to share the one he gave me. 

Now as far as the things I have done this last month or so, I have to say I am a little behind where I wish I was. I am trying to get the house in order well enough that I can stop stressing about it but with a toddler it is like trying to shovel out the East Coast lately. No matter what I get done, five minutes later I have to do it again because "Tornado Toddler" has come through and remade the mess. I love him but oh boy does he keep me busy. (Insert big sigh) 

I am doing my best to get to the point of having the time to start my seeds for spring (I have seven new little plants to start), some crafting I want to start for gifts this year, plus some more work I would love to get done with Mckenzee for her to earn more badges, she is super excited to work on her Family badge and Bug Badge (she cannot wait to go back to the bug museum!) We will probably even get her a new butterfly or two with a habitat so her and her baby brother can watch them grow again!

Well that is all the news for now and I am sure I will think of something that I forgot to put in but until then....keep reading, keep enjoying and thank you for being here!
#MamaZone 

Inspection Day and the Fantastic Birthday

Wednesday was "Inspection Day" in our complex so we had to make sure we had the house in order for when they came in to check things out. I have never lived in a place that required inspections so I went on a cleaning spree staying up until 12:30 am to make sure as much of the house was clean as could possibly be. That left just some vacuuming and touch up work for the day of the inspection and I was able to have the place completely awesome for when they came in to check it out! I was even able to keep "Hurricane Spencer" under order so that I didn't have to worry about him pulling out every toy he owns! The plus of the whole day was that when they came it was still early and I was able to get Spencer down for his nap after they left! As they were on their way out the door at the end of inspection we were complimented on how well we kept the place and they thanked us for being so clean! Yay, honestly even today it not too bad in our house, the floor could use a vacuum and the dishes weren't done because we took the day off and had a lazy Sunday for once, but tomorrow is Monday and I will have it all "spic and span" by the time lunch rolls around. 


Friday was little McKenzee's 7th Birthday party which of course meant I had to make sure the house was clean, the cake was made and all the presents were ready BEFORE she got home from school!  

I was able to get the "Pin the Carrot on Olaf" game drawn up and cut out, the cake baked and kitchen picked up, the floors vacuumed and presents all set before I had to get McKenzee from school.

Once we were home I had her pick up her room and then her friends were knocking on the door asking if she could go out and play and since it was her birthday I wasn't going to say no so she went out with an adamant "You BETTER be home by 5:30 for dinner!" While she was gone I was able to finish decorating her cake, (which had a huge break in it from sticking to the pan) and I made Olaf cupcakes too! 

 



Needless to say she was actually a few minutes early for fear of getting in trouble for being late. After quickly scarfing down some hot dogs and macaroni and cheese (since I was looking for a fast dinner), we were able to pick up real quick and I was able to finish up the Olaf noses JUST before her friends were knocking on the door for the party!

 Before I knew it my house was overrun with little girls wanting to put on McKenzee's princess dresses and singing along to Frozen on the TV. Luckily is wasn't too long before DJ was coming through the door to help me wrangle in the giggles and the hopping around of them as they had some fun playing and singing! 

Some family showed up and McKenzee's friends from before we moved here, and we sat down to open some presents before a few of the kids had to leave. Then some cake and ice cream to hop them all up before playing the "Pin the Carrot on Olaf" game. By the time that was done the kids wanted a little more ice cream and then we were left with about 3 little girls since the others had to get home. DJ took the ones that were left outside on the deck with Spencer and played a round of "Frozen Trivia" before it was time to call it a night. As we said goodbye to the last little girl, whose Mama stayed and chatted with us a bit before heading across the hall to her apartment. I am really starting to like our neighbor across the hall, she is funny, polite, and has a hand mixer! (That is funny because every time I go to make a cake I forget that I do NOT have a hand mixer or any kind of mixer for that matter) 

 All in all it was a great night for McKenzee and her friends and a long and exhaustive day for me in which I had to see my little girl get bigger again...oh sad Mama sigh. I love her so much but I wish that my kids would just stay little longer! 

I hope you all are following along and enjoying my funny days! More to come later this week! Including some new recipes that were tried and LOVED by my family! 

#Inspection #Birthday #SuperMama 

A Little Me Time

A deep breath, slowly release, repeat...

The children are in bed, the house is at the least 85% clean, and I am sitting here listening to "The Big Bang Theory" play in the background as I sip a Mountain Dew. I have pretty much unpacked every box that can be unpacked or that needs to be unpacked with the exception of a couple in the kids room and I am feeling like we are finally settled in now. 

It has taken us about three weeks to fully get to where we are now and I am happy that we have finally gotten this far. Sure I am still a little bummed about the week coming up and the saddening event that happens on Tuesday but it is awesome knowing that this is just all ours! 

Once we finish decorating and getting our vacuum and organizing stuff and the things that we can use to hang the pictures and other things in our house I am going to take some pictures so you can see just how cute our apartment is! 

Honestly at this moment the fact that I only have 3 hours sleep in me, it took me about 15 minutes to get my paycheck this morning after working a longer shift than I was scheduled, getting stuck in parade/construction/lost oil rig guy traffic and then picking up a small gift for my Andy at Walmart before FINALLY heading home and NOT having time to nap....I am feeling relatively good, tired but good! 

I have a full list of things I am hoping to get done tomorrow as well as making a yummy dinner of fried chicken, corn-cakes, loaded scalloped potatoes and a veggie  of some kind! We have to get this place in order and looking good because we are having company on Monday after we take Andy to Gameworks to celebrate his birthday! We invited over some of his friends and DJs uncle (and his friends) to have some cake and ice cream with us as our first guests in the new apartment. We are looking forward to it and I am going to have to find some time tomorrow to bake up Andy's cake so it is all done before I go to work on Monday morning since we leave for Gameworks shortly after I get home from work. 

...and on that note I think it is time for me to log off, get into my jammies, grab my bottled water, find something fun to watch on TV and get comfy! So good night and sleep tight, or good morning depending on where you are when reading this! 

As always THANK YOU for being my faithful readers! 

#MeTime #NewKindOfHappy