Mistakes.

I have had some pretty stupid screw-ups lately.

• It is almost time for mid-nine weeks reports for the kids - I just sent report cards back this week.
• I realized on the 29th of March that I did not pay the water/gas/sewer bill for the month. It not only cost me $30 in late fees, I had to go into City Hall and pay the bill. Do you know how embarrassing it is to pay a bill with a cut-off notice when a picture of your husband is hanging right beside the check out counter at City Hall, staring at you as you fix a screw up?
• Spring Pictures were a couple of weeks ago. Thinking that I was on the ball, I put Emma's check in the envelope and sealed it, and put it in her backpack ONE DAY EARLY! Woo-Hoo! Fast forward a week later, I got a strange phone call on my cell phone. It was from the picture taking people. Seems that I did, in fact, put the check in, but I did not fill it out or sign it. They graciously sent it back and let me finish it, so Emma will still get her Kindergarten class picture.
• I registered for Summer/Fall session. I filled out the financial aid papers like the day they were posted online. I never received a response. I thought, "Boy, they are cutting it down to the last minute." So, I walked across campus yesterday and just stopped by and checked it out. They were never received. First,the lady at the desk told me my hair was cute. That was an added bonus :) Second, she told me to go resubmit right then. So I did. She said it looks good, I should have plenty of money to fund my 17 summer hours and my 17 fall hours.

Now, I have to build up my courage to talk to my bosses at work and ask for three weeks off in May. Someone, give me an opinion.

IF YOU CAN KNOCK OUT AN ENTIRE SEMESTER IN THREE WEEKS, WOULD YOU QUIT YOUR JOB OVER IT?

Please reply.

What to do?

THIS IS A CRANKY POST... MORE FOR ME JUST TO WRITE.
I AM IN "A MOOD"

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, like there is so much to do, that you don't know where to start?

I do.

I feel like I have so many responsabilities. One day a couple of weeks ago, I got upset in class because I knew my kids were at home with long, nasty fingernails. I usually clip them on Sunday - anal, I know *but when you are a stay at home mom what else is there to think about* - anyways, I knew I was behind.

And it drives me nuts.

Add that to the pile of bathtimes, laundry, a dirty kitchen, a ton on snow, bills that need to be paid, well.... See, I feel overwhelmed.

More, you say? Well, I have more.

• Science fair projects for the kids,
• I HAVE A MIDTERM ON WEDNESDAY!
• I work full time
• A cranky teenager with a dramatic girlfriend
• Did I mention that I work full time where I go to church? Well, that means when I go to church, I am kinda at work again.
• Dirty sheets that need washing, no milk in the fridge - should we go organic? -
• What is for dinner tonight, tomorrow, all next week?
• Emma is having tummy trouble and has a stomach ache all the time - so now, add in doctors visits,
• Tripps sippy is broken
• Emma and Tripp's rooms are a disaster
• I don't even look at Eli's room.
• The couch in the living room broke
• Edward won't give in to Bella and JUST BITE HER
• I don't have time to exercise
• I have consumed my own weight in cupcakes this week (that is alot of cupcakes!)
• A bag of dirty dishtowels that were left at church that I have to take home and wash and make sure they get back to the right spot
• Communionware wasn't washed from Sunday night - "why didn't you get it, Mel?"

Well, I think I have made myself feel worse. But now I have a checklist.

Sorry if you made it this far. If you wanna come clip fingernails, let me know.

Non-Crunchy Mommy?

A couple of days ago, I ventured out to the big city by myself for a couple of hours. I had to go pick up a few things and do a couple of Christmas returns. Emma is growing so fast, she needed some long sleeved tops for school... anyways, it was a mad dash, but I got most everything done.

My Story -

So, I am standing in line at Wal Mart and there is a lady in front of me. She had two children with her - a baby in the shopping cart and a little girl who was about four.

As she completed her order, I noted that she was digging out her coupons for all items. Loads of coupons. And I looked at her remaining items on the belt - organic eggs, organic milk, Mom's choice whole wheat, whole grain cereal (one box only!), whole wheat shoes, organic tube socks... well, you get the picture, right?

I looked at the lady, her kids and her stuff. How does she do it?

One of my favorite bloggers talked about not using or liking processed foods and not feeding her family processed foods, yet, I feel great if I can open two cans of vegetables for dinner per night or get them outta the frozen food section at Food Lion. If you don't make mac n' cheese and chicken nuggets from a bag, then what do you eat?

And really, how does this lady only buy one box of cereal? Not only am I in awe of that, how does she get her kids to eat cereal that doesn't sport a cartoon character on the front? I am thrilled when my children choose Mini Wheats in the morning...

So I guess what I am saying is that there are some moms who can get it all done... well, I am thrilled when my children are clean, with brushed teeth, matching socks (not the pink ones for Tripp anymore!) and they have drank some milk, ate some yogurt, and maybe some fruits and veggies. I guess I should be more concerned to see where the milk came from (maybe the cow should be organic) and I should care if my eggs came from organic chickens.

But I don't.

I am thankful that they actually eat food.

In the mornings, it is a mad dash. We have frozen waffles wrapped in paper towels handed off to each child as we walk out the door. I put them in the toaster as the kids put their shoes on.

Should I be making fresh pannacakes with fresh fruit at 5:30 a.m?

I really don't know where I am going with this.

Bad Mother of The Year!

Lemme share this with you- I am running on little sleep. I need some outside opinions and reassurances, so here goes.



Yesterday, Dave and I went to a funeral. The kids were at home playing. Everyone was jolly.



When I came home, Dave went to work, the kids were still playing, so I thought, "Well, this would be a great time to get a few things done. I have about 1 1/2 hours." So I went.



No biggie.



Nothing unusual.



When I come home, it is 5:15, no one has napped.



No biggie.



They have been taking no naps, or 30 min - 6 p.m. naps.



Following?



Ok, so Tripper was laying in the floor, by the heater, under his blanket.

I figure, he is just sleepy, this is not an unusual occurance.



I get him up, get him dressed for 6 p.m. church, and he tells me, "My eyebrows hurt. I am walking in circles. I can't see good."



Since he watches ICarley, HM, and all those dramatic shows, and he has been playing on the computer, and singing with Rock Band, I did not really think that he may be sick.



Just sleepy.



So we go to church. When I get him outta the van, he is still groggy. I think, "Hmmm, he will sleep through church. I will get to listen."



So we go in.



And he says the same thing about his dizziness, his eyes, his eyebrows.



I show Dave, we put him down, make him walk, Dave holds up fingers. He knows how to do all the stuff. So we go in, set down, and do church services.



About 10 minutes in, he is asleep. About 20 minutes in, I notice he is hot. Really Hot. HOT.



Dave agrees with my conclusion. We only have about a 50 minute service. So we wait. He wakes up about 10 minutes before it is over. He just lays still.



He is really sick. He never gets down to run. or play. and then he throws up.

I did something that I usually do not do. I ask if we can go to the ER.

We went. He was negative for H1N1 and Strep. He was diagnosed as a "virus."

That is OK. We spent the entire night listening to him vomit, talk to Emma about green balls (Emma was at Grandma's) and talk about opening Christmas gifts.

I think that I was so busy that I just did not pay attention to the "signs" - I rationalized that he could not be sick because we had not been around anyone; he likes to lay under his blanket and pretend to be a rock; it is not unusual for him to nap at 6 p.m. for about 30 minutes.

Anyways, my point being is that I got a couple of comments from someone and one look - "how could you NOT KNOW he was sick?

Anyone else ever miss "it"? Not catch that a kid is sick? My mother guilt is eating me alive. And I have a strong dislike for judgemental mommies. Especially one with only one kid :)

Once Upon a Time....

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Melody. She was the third child out of four. She had a brother named Steve, who was seven years older than her. Then, she had a sister named Melissa who was 5 years older. And last, but certainly not least, she had a wee baby brother named Chris. When Chris was born, Melody was almost 5 years old.

Melody's mommy was a crazy lady. She was not a happy stay-at-home mommy. See, her mommy never took advantage of all of the luxuries of the world, such as learning to drive. So, her mommy was stuck day.after.day with 4 children in her home and no way out. Year after year, her mommy got more and more angry and more and more fed up with being a wife and a mother.

One summer, when Steve was about 13, Melissa was 11, Melody was 6 and Baby Chris was 1, the mommy started locking them outside. After breakfast, the three bigger kids were hurried outside to play. And the mommy locked the door. The children were only allowed back in around lunchtime. And, then again, after bologna and crackers and a swig of Kool-aid, the kids were placed outside again. This time, the excuse was naptime for Baby Chris. What the mommy didn't know was that there were windows in the house... the kids could see in. And do you know what they saw? Why, the mommy was eating her own lunch of Chicken Noodle Soup and crackers and watching Guiding Light! She just really wanted to be alone!

Later on, the kids snuck in the back door. They had taken tomatoes out of the garden and cut them open, pouring the guts out of them. Then, the oldest brother Steve took mayonnaise and filled the gutless tomato full - just for the mommy. Why, it was a peace offering! Surely, she would love this and welcome them back into her home!

No. It didn't work. The kids spent all day... everyday.. locked outside. It was a long hot summer.

Years later, Melody was a mommy herself. She loved her kids and loved being their mommy.
She took advantage of all the things life had to offer, she drove, she flew on planes and she did lots of neat adult things.

Yet one day, she was cleaning house. And her kids were whining. So she pushed them out the door while she mopped.

Look what she saw.

She was glad they didn't give her mayo filled tomatoes.

Edited to Add: During this process, their father was outside mowing. So was big brother Eli. And it only took about 10 minutes. They just kept running thru... tracking dirt in and out. I just wanted a clean floor. And, for what it's worth.. it didn't last. :)