No roots

Josie found a leaf outside the other day. It looked like a leaf from an ivy plant. She decided she wanted to grow it.
She proceeded to put the plant in an empty yogurt container, with some water. Then she decided to put it in a cooler. With soap. Then back to the yogurt container. And then changing the water every. two. minutes!
This meant coming in and out, in and out, thru the house, dripping water everywhere.
Being the patient mother I am (ha!) I just politely asked that she not come back in with her leaf.
She asked if she could put the container up on the kitchen counter, out of reach from her little brothers.

Now, you and I both know that leaf isn't planting roots any more than if I put a rock in there.
But, she was really IN to that leaf. And, kids do these kind of things.

That yogurt container sat on our kitchen counter for days. I worked around it. I left it right where she put it. That little leaf was just floating in there, happy as a little leaf could be.

Finally, I wanted to move it and picked it up, and looked at the little leaf and found out it was FAKE!! It was a leaf off my plastic plant I have out on the front porch!!

Poor Josie. I had to tell her it was fake and it was never going to grow. I expected tears and frankly for her to argue that it WAS real and it WOULD grow.
That's what Josie does. She will argue the sky is purple until you finally agree the sky is a lovely shade of purple.

She laughed and got a good kick out of her silliness. Actually, we both did.

Real helpful

Our local news programs have "budget tips" for grocery shopping. Here is a few examples:

Buy store brand instead of name brands.
Buy large packages of things then seperate into portion sizes.
Use coupons.
Plan ahead before you go to the store.

Well no duh, dumbo!!
Those are things any college student can suggest.

I would like some real help with "budget tips". Can someone please plan out a weeks worth of meals with the following criteria:
1: cheap
2: healthy, somewhat
3: easy to fix
4: oh, by the way my family doesn't like: chicken, rice, pasta or casseroles of any kind. My husband DOES like meat (as in beef) and fried stuff.
5: did I mention cheap?

I am just finding it harder and harder to stretch our budget any further and feed everyone. We have been eating many hotdogs/hamburgers from the bbq. And grilled meat with veggies. And lots of taco salads.

I am also finding it more difficult to eat healthy while on our tight financial constraints. Healthy food is more expensive. Why? I bet more people would eat it if it was the same price as the other things. Like fat free hotdogs. They cost about 2x the price as regular ones. And bread. Whole wheat is more expensive than the white, cheap stuff.

I know money is tight for everyone right now and prices have gone up so much on EVERYTHING. I used to be so proud of what I spent on food for my family: less than $75 a week! For a family of 6! That's pretty impressive, no? Now, I haven't walked out of the store spending less than $85 in a very long time. It's only a $15 difference but that's weekly.

I went shopping tonight and just was very frustrated with the whole process. Making a menu, making a list, going to the store, fighting the crowds, paying for the groceries, loading into the van, unloading into the house, putting everything away.

Only to have someone, certainly, say: "Are we having this? Again?"

I think there will be a special place in Heaven for grocery shopping mamas.

Only my children...

..would accidentally dial 911. While I am in. The. Bathroom.

Yes, I am serious.

I let my little kids play with my cell phone sometimes, it keeps them happy in the grocery store or busy for a minute while I get something done. Like going to the bathroom. But, I ALWAYS make sure it is key locked.
Yesterday, I was in the bathroom (have a mentioned I was in the bathroom?) and I could hear a little rough housing going on out in the living room but, heck, that's usual. Especially if (everyone now:) I'm in the bathroom. Well, Josie soon comes in and she's crying and has the cell phone up to her ear. She says "The lady wants to talk to you"
I say: Hello?
Lady: This is the 911 operator. It seems like your baby has called 911 and I need to make sure there is no emergency.
Me: Um. Who is this??
Lady: see previous statement made by Lady.
Me: I am so sorry! I don't know how that happened, it is key locked.
Lady: Ok. Maybe don't let the baby play with the phone.

I get off with her and I double check to make sure my phone was key locked and it WAS!!
I went online and found that even if a cell phone (at least mine) is key locked, all you have to do is hold down the dial button for at least 3 seconds and viola! You're talking to the 911 operator. While you're in the bathroom!

Motherless

Disclaimer: this is not a griping post but rather ponderings of mine. In case it starts to sound like griping and moaning and groaning, please remember that I love my husband. He is a great dad and provider for us all.


I was out of the house today for about 4 hours. I went shopping for the kids' school clothes and also my weekly grocery shopping. I went with my sister in law and my niece. We even took a break and stopped and had some food and drinks (but I will deny that part if asked). I accomplished quite a bit in only 4 hours, especially if you compare what I would normally get done,if I had taken my kids with me.

I don't get to go out by myself often. I run to the store to get milk sometimes. Or even if I do go for an extended amount of time, I take at least 1 kid with me. It gives me time with 1 child exclusively for some time.

My husband is a wonderful dad but a terrible mother. He doesn't know where anything is or at least he pretends he doesn't. Things that come naturally to me, they never occur to him. Like feeding the children. And changing diapers even if they aren't leaking or stinky. But the kids always survive.

But. Whenever I do manage to go anywhere by myself, I am always greeted with a messy house and lots of whining and sippy cups thrust in my face with "plweeze mommy. I want some." Or "Can I.." Or "Dad wouldn't....". To be fair I do also get greeted with lots of "MOMMY!!!" and hugs and kisses. And that's always fun.

But it makes my wonder. If something (God forbid) was to ever happen to me, how would my husband cope? Besides being beside himself with grief I mean. Would it ever occur to him to go and buy more diapers? Or more milk before breakfast the next morning? Would he know where the fabric softener was? Would he even know how to use it? Would he know that Jarrett doesn't like Jeven using the blue sippy cup? Would he know that the yellow skirt in Josie's drawer is too short for her and she can only wear it to bed? How long would he let the filth and grime pile up before he cleaned?

I tried really hard today to not complain about the shape of the house or the fact that I have a sneaking hunch that hubby spent most of the time in his chair while kids did whatever, thirsty and hungry.

From him, I got the greeting of the silent treatment. And I thought that unfair as I had brought home treats. When I asked him if he was mad, he said he didn't know that I was going to be gone so long. Well, duh!! If I had told him how long I was going to be gone, I would have never gotten away!

But how long until it's not such a big ordeal to get away for awhile, by myself? Whenever I do, it's like I have left motherless children behind. And I have to apologize for being gone at all.

Un-disappointed

The last few weeks, Jayce has been going to summer school. Actually, I wouldn't call it summer school--most people don't shell out $175 (with 50% discount) for their kid to go to summer school. It was a day camp type thing for kids that need a little more "challenge" in their school work. Jayce had to have written verification from his teacher that he was a TAG student and could handle the work.

His classes were his pick. He took 2 classes--a science class and a "Physics with K'NEX class". The second being his favorite. He learned how to build bridges, towers, cars and how changing even one tiny piece can affect the performance of your project. At least that's what he was supposed to learn.

Today was his last day and they had a "Parent Day" where we could go and collect his work and see all that he built. We had told Jayce at the beginning of the sessions that he would NOT be the smartest one in the class, unlike normal school. And we were right. You should have seen these projects these 3rd, 4th graders built! Amazing! You could see all the work that went into them and as we walked over to Jayce's stuff, we could hear the kids explaining to their parents why they built them the way they did and what they learned. Then we saw Jayce's stuff.

Now, we have never purposefully compared our kids to any other kids, in a negative way. But it was hard not to today. His things were sadly, lacking. When we asked if he followed along in class and did the assignments, he said he had but it was more fun to try and build a car, which was not part of the class and therefore we didn't get to see that.
I walked out of there disappointed in him, not that what he did was "bad" but that he didn't try to follow the teacher's suggestions. I KNOW he could have done what the other kids did, I KNOW he could have built an elaborate tower with swings and flashing lights. But was I disappointed because he missed out on a great opportunity to learn something or was I disappointed because from the outside, he looked different?

Our pastor said once to not tell your kids "I am disappointed in you" but tell them "You broke a rule" or "That's not allowed" etc. His reasoning is our children can't help how WE FEEL about them, they can only control what THEY DO. And that makes sense.

I came so close today to telling Jayce I was disappointed but I held my tongue.

Tonight, as I was talking to him at bed time, he said that maybe next year, he'll take that class again and maybe then he'll be smart enough to build like the other kids.
So, here I was disappointed that he didn't live up to MY expectations and he was beating himself up these last 3 wks, and convinced himself he couldn't do what those other kids were doing.
I was so glad I didn't go with my first reaction, seeing his projects in that classroom. I don't want to be the one to crush him and make him feel bad about himself. What kind of mom would I be.

He did say he had a ton of fun in this summer program and he wants to do it again next year. Which, at 9 yrs. old, isn't that the point?

Plus, now that I think about it--what if he had asked me to help him build one of those elaborate thingys? I would have been in deep trouble!! I don't think they make towers one big, long piece (like Jarrett and Jeven's towers, where they just stack blocks and then Godzilla them). Nope, don't think that would have impressed anyone.

Potpourri

I have been putting off posting, not because I haven't anything to write about but because I have too much. And these last few days, I have been extremely grumpy, for the only reason that I am female. It is highly unfair that once a month, we (at least I) turn into monsters. I turn into a mother that is too bothered by her children and a wife that takes all of life's sorrows out on her husband. I can't control it, I can only wait, along with my innocent victims, until the storm passes. So, I have avoided posting because I was afraid it would turn into griping and whining.

I wanted to post about our trip to the zoo. It was extremely fun but so much work! We went with my parents so technically, we were at a 1:1 ratio, but still. But the kids enjoyed all the animals, the best parts were when they got to witness nature at it's best--animals peeing. They all thought it was hilarious. And I suspect their dad did too! Must be a man thing....

I wanted to post about almost losing my son in the pond. THAT was extremely not fun. We had been bribing Jarrett that if he went poop in the potty, we would take him fishing and it finally happened. We left Jeven with my mom and took the other 3 kids to a pond down off the freeway. It was brushy and buggy and muddy. Judd and I would separate, go into little "cut outs" and Josie and Jayce would go back and forth between us while Jarrett would stay with his dad. We both were just trying to get a fish on so Jarrett could reel it in. We made it about 1/2 way around the pond, when all of the sudden Jarrett was gone. I mean GONE. Judd took off back down the trail where we had come from, I went ahead to make sure he didn't go past us. I finally decide there was no way he went past so I went after Judd. I am running up this trail and I meet about 10 people, coming my way. I am crying and yelling out his name and these people say: "He's back there". I ask: "Does his Dad have him?" and they say "no, but he'll find him". These people had seen my 3yr. old baby boy, wandering around a pond, crying and didn't stop him. I couldn't believe it!! Needless to say, Judd got him back and all was well. But during that lifetime that Jarrett was lost, time stood still and my world fell down around me. Hard to believe that can happen in a blink of an eye, and it only takes approx. 2 minutes. We ended up not catching any fish and just going home.

I wanted to post about deciding to take better care of myself. Seems all of the sudden, now that I am not pregnant or breastfeeding, my body finally belongs to me again and I don't want it!! It's too big and too old. If I knew then what I know now...I would have worn more sunscreen (wrinkles) and drank more water (too much soda nowadays). I have set out to eat healthier, not necessarily diet, and move around more and seek out more "me" time. It is a hard thing to do! My kids and husband have always came first, then when I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I will go and take care of me. But I am finding when I am happier, my family is happier.

I wanted to post about how tight financially things are right now. More so than normal. I go grocery shopping weekly and prices will go up in just that short amount of time. And always on the things we need. Weird. I think most people would be surprised what I spend on groceries, for a family of our size. I have been told by financial counselors, it is about 1/2 of what is considered normal. It's hard to tighten that belt any tighter! And , while I am thinking about it, why does it cost more to eat healthier?

Like I said, I had alot to talk about. Our summer is going by fast already. The kids come inside every night, covered from head to toe with dirt and stickiness from ice cream and tired from playing with all their friends. Just like kids should be every summer! Life for them is going so slow but as their mommy, it could slow down, just a tad.

Cuteness overload

Warning: it's gonna get a little sappy so prepare yourselves!

My kids are cute. Really, I am not just saying that. And they are funny! Like really funny--they understand a good joke. And they say the funniest things. Even Jayce who is old and wise in all his 9 yrs. ( according to Jayce himself).

I thought I would note some of the things I can recall from just the last few days. You may think they aren't that great and maybe perhaps they are "you had to be there" moments, but I want to remember them.

Jayce: He and his dad use "manly shampoo" while me and the little kids use different stuff. Jayce informed me the day after I had spent 2 hours and millions of dollars at the store, that we were out of manly shampoo. I told him to use mine, "it's the stuff in the orange bottle". That was several days ago. This morning he gets out of the shower and says " That CARCASS shampoo doesn't work very good." I said "WHAT?" Again he says something about the CARCASS shampoo. We go back and forth, me trying to determine that he indeed is using the stuff in the orange bottle and him being very determined that he was using CARCASS shampoo. We go into the bathroom and he points and says "that stuff". It was my CARESS body scrub!! First we had a good laugh that it was not carcass and then we realized that all week he'd been washing his hair with body scrub!

Josie: She and Jayce were playing outside and they were getting a little rough. She was kicking him and hitting him and he was pretending to be mortally wounded. She got a little too close to his groin area and he told her to not hit or kick boys "there". She said "I didn't kick your ankles!".

Jarrett: Comes in from outside, where the grass was getting a little wild, and asked for the scissors. I tell him no, of course, then it occurs to me to ask "why do you want the scissors?"
"To cut the grass!" Jarrett says.

Jeven was walking around being a chicken the other day and I had to change his poopy pants, Jarrett walks by and says "EWWW!! Chicken poop!!".

Jeven: Jeven doesn't really tell jokes or get sayings mixed up. He just does this:

and this:



which is to say he just goes thru each and every day looking extremely cute and loveable!
Which is fun in itself.