Happy New Year!

It is so amazing to me that another year is now over! the days and years used to just D R A G when I was a kid, but now they just fly by! We don't have any big plans for tonight, just hanging out, playing some Wii, and some board games while ringing in the New Year with Ryan Seacrest/Dick Clark. Nothing exciting, just some good family time!

Today the girls are cleaning out their room as am I. We have just too much stuff! John has a ton of clothes to clean out and I just can't stand the clutter anymore! The girls bascially just have to stragihten up, but knowing them it will take an act of Congress to get it done today without threats and tears....sigh!

I want to start the New Year with a clean slate so that is why we are cleaning. I would love to sit and redo the budget as well, with John taking a 10% pay cut (I know it SUCKS!!) so I will have to tighten up a bit here and there. With the price of gas down a bit (for now) that helps out a little. I'm hoping the groceries will start to drop a little at least, that would help a lot! I am heading to Sam's Club on Friday before we go to see Bedtime Stories and out to lunch, so I want to make sure I stock up on essentials. We also got a very generous gift of $100 gift card to Stater Brothers from some dear friends of ours, I want to try to hold onto that for a tight week, but from the budgeting I've been doing I think we can probably spend that without worrying about anything..yay!

Well, I hope the New Year brings everyone health, happiness and prosperity! Bring on 2009!!!

Let the countdown begin!

I am so much more at peace this Christmas with everything! It is amazing! This might sound crazy, but I really think it's becasue of the radio station I have on in the car. I found a Christian radio station right when we got back from my moms house after Thanksgiving and I am loving it! The Christmas songs on there are so great and the songs they must play in their regular rotaion are wonderful too! I don't feel that rush of having to have everything the girls have on their lists, I just feel so...peaceful! I love it!

Church was spectacular yesterday as well! They did a performance of Stomp to Christmas music..so cool! At one point they had Mary and Joseph with a baby Jesus and they were playing the song "Mary Did You Know?" and had a silent slide show of scenes from "Passion of The Christ", I cried so hard! It was beautiful!!! We will be going to the candlelight service on Wed night before we head on to my Grandmothers, I am so looking forward to it!

As for today, I slept in...much needed sleep after the crazy month we've had! I got up around 9:45..it felt so good! I got up and headed to the bank, went to Wal Mart to return a frame and then headed to the grocery store for pecans of all things!LOL! I stopped by Rite Aid as well and found a cute little ceramic bank for Jordan in the shape of a soccer ball..and it was only$4.99 (half off sale!)! I've dropped Sydney off at her friends house, Jordan and Brooklyn are playing a board game, I'm going to do some more baking and make dinner (prime rib was on sale...I never buy prime rib, but at that price I couldn't pass it up...) and continue with laundry. It's raining and chilly outside so I am having a great day! Now...if I weren't PMSing it just might be a perfect kind of a day!LOL!

Too much to do!!!

I have a ton of things I should be doing, but here I sit in front of the computer!LOL! Typical!

I have laundry going, so that's one thing I can mark off the list...now folding it and putting it away that's another story!HA! I think I am going to make chicken parmesean for dinner since Jordan likes it so much and I haven't made it in a while. I will start that when I get home from work. I have presents to be wrapped, baking to do , a living room to clean (all the decoration boxes are sitting in the middle of the room...so festive!) and my dining room table has been taken over by who knows what!!!

It has finally cooled off and rained all of yesterday and it is supposed to rain again later today and tomorrow! I LOVE it! I have the windows open letting in all the crisp air..it's finally putting me in the Christmas mood! The one thing I could do without is when John sleeps with the bedroom window wide open...BRRRRRR!! I end up wrapped up in a big blanket or two...not so good for the love life...if you know what I mean!!LOL!!!

Well, I better get going on my to do list! :)

almost ready

Well, kind of anyway! I have just a few more gifts to buy and have lots of wrapping to do, the house is a mess (naturally) and the girls are fighting (of course!)..must be close to Christmas!LOL!

We finally got the tree today, it's much smaller than the trees we've had in years past, but all my ornaments are on there, now if Casper (the cat) will let them stay there is yet to be seen! I wanted to get pictures of the girls picking out the tree, a picture of them in front of it, but Brooklyn was being an evil little bugger today! I swear I WILL break her of this awful attitude of hers! It may cost me some grey hairs in the process, but that's ok! GRRRR! John has finally seen how evil she can be and is now on board of whipping her into shape!

Sydney and Jordan were supposed to go to Knott's Berry Farm with their Girl Scout troop today, but Jordan was so sick yesterday, I mean, in bed with fever and chills sick, and I didn't want to get any of the other girls sick so I decided last night that she would stay home, so at that point Sydney decided that it wouldn't be fair for her to go if her sister was sick (yep, pretty much almost crashed the van when she said that!LOL) So we were going to go to church this morning, but we ended up sleeping in, I think Jordan still needed that sleep, I know I did! I didn't even open my eyes until 9:30! That hardly ever happens anymore! It felt wonderful!!

We went to get the tree around 2:30 and then I had to go grocery shopping, where I was plensantly surprised that the prices seem to be dropping a bit! YAY!!! I spend $99, where for the same amount of food 3 weeks ago would have cost me $120 at least! That was a nice surprise! Once I got home from the store I started dinner (a Mexican beef soup, so good!) and the girls and I decorated the tree after John and Jordan put the lights on it. It's a bit crooked, but I like it!

This is our last week of school, so I will be baking gifts for the girls teachers and then I'll be doen with work until Jan 5..yahoo!!! The girls and their cousin got their pictures taken together yesterday as well for my MIL, I will pick those up this Friday and then get a frame and I'm about done! I feel out of control in some ways, but not frantic trying to get everything done this year either! I have noticed that people in the stores are kind of rude this year, lots of cutting off and pushiness...not happy about that, but I guess I could just say "Merry Christmas" and be on my way, couldn't I?LOL!

Well, I guess I should go break up the girls latest argument! I swear! You would think they would be on their BEST behavior with it only being 10 days til Christmas...I suppose I could always let them open that Wii and then tell them until their behavior improves only Daddy and I will be playing it! MUHAHAHA!!!

Fun weekend

Whew! What a whirlwind of a weekend! Saturday started out like any other Saturday, I dropped Sydney off at dance..no biggie! However, after that the craziness started!

I came home to try to get some laundry started, but quickly ran out of time, I had to take Brooklyn to dance at 11. Jordan was already dressed for the Nutcracker, so that was good, however, I had to run and get myself some black pants to wear for the Ballet, so off I went! I was quick though and got back to the studio within half an hour, Sydney was getting dressed and Brooklyn was ready for me to dress her (I had to buy her a dress while I was out too!) She looked so cute...until you got to her feet! She swore up and down that her black dres shoes were at the studio, but were they? Heck no!!! So she ended up wearing some brown summer sandles..she looked crazy! oh well...so we grab some food and are off to the Ballet. We had so much fun! The dancers were amazing and the costumes were gorgeous! The girls got to meet some of the cast afterwards and got some autograghs too. We ran home with just enough time to grab something to eat and then we were off to the Christmas Parade in Redlands with our Girl Scout Council...fun, but honestly, a parade is just a parade!LOL! We took my little Girl Scout back home and then crawled home...we were tired! Dh had ordered pizza for us all and then we watched the De La Hoya fight...yay Manny!!! I limped to bed around 11, I was just exhausted and fell right asleep.

This morning John had to go to a Union meeting regarding the pay cut they are going to be taking due to the economy..ugh...but at least he still has a job and they aren't touching his benefits! I took the girls to church, then home to have lunch, took Sydney to her extra rehersal for dance at 12, went grocery shopping, came home to put everything away and then back to the studio for Jordans extra rehersal! WHEW!!! Sydney went with 2 of her friends for one of thier birthdays to go see High School Musical 3 and go to a late lunch, she just got home about an hour ago and had a ball. Jordan and I made dinner and now the girls and John, I think, are getting ready to go to bed. I shouldn't be too far behind them!

This was one busy weekend! And the next 2 promise to be just as busy!! December is just crazy this year!!!

Random thoughts

I need a vacation already!LOL! We got back from vacation and jumped right back into things! The next few weeks are going to be so flippin busy, I don't know how I'm going to get anything done! I guess it will somehow get done, like it always does. I need to write down each and every thing I need to do in the next few weeks, I feel kind of out of control right now, knowing that I have so much to do, yet feeling like there is too much to do to actually get anything done..make sense?

We are going to see the Nutcracker Ballet this Saturday with my Girl Scout troop, that should be fun, then that same evening we are marching in the Redlands Christmas Parade. We have done this the past few years and the girls always have fun, it's just a lot for one day! Next weekend Sydney and Jordans troop is going to Knotts Berry Farm, I think I'm going and I'll be brining Brooklyn as well. Only Jordan has been before so it should be a fun day....long but fun. The following weekend is the girls Christmas recital, nothing fancy, but an activity just the same! Add these activites onto the list of things we have going on during the week and I'm going to be exhausted! Yeah, I need to write it all down, just to keep my sanity!

I still haven't done a lot of shopping, hoping to get some done this weekend and next, and then I'm sure I'll be running around like a crazy woman Christmas Eve...like normal, trying to get the last minute stuff along with all the other crazy people! Oh well..it has to get done, right?

On a positive note...I got almost all of my Christmas cards in the mail today! YAY for me!!! It's usually much later in the month before I send those out, I'm pretty proud of my self for that!:)

I guess that's it, for now..the laundry is waiting for me and I don't think it's going to find it's own way to the washing machine!

and it's begun...

How on earth is is already December 1?! Unbelievable!!! Where did this year go? *sigh* They just fly by the older I get!

We got back into town on Saturday night after a great week of visiting with my mom and brother. I think I touched a computer one time...that's it! WOW! John and I took the kids to the Mendocino coast and as luck would have it, it was low tide! So the kids got to see all the sea life that is usually covered up in the water...it was very cool! The weather on the coast was gorgeous! We didn't even need a sweatshirt! the weather at my moms was nice too, just one day of a bit of drizzle, but we loved that anyway! The nights were cool, but not freezing like it was last year. I got to see a few friends I haven't seen in years as well. My brother and SIL took the girls on a hike in the woods and they had a ball! Thursday was spent just hanging out, eating and playing board games (connect four will be on all of our Santa wish lists this year!). When we left on Saturday we stopped in San Francisco and John took the girls out onto the Golden Gate Bridge...the view was awesome! We got to see Alcatraz and we drove through the city, and down Lombard Street, that was very cool! We made pretty good time and the cat was so happy to see us!!! He freaked out when he thought we were going to walk out the door, but seems to be ok now..poor guy!

This is our last day of vacation before going back to school..but only for 3 weeks! YAY! I haven't gotten a bit of shopping done...plan on starting this weekend. Although we won't be going all out like we have in years past we will be focusing more on spending time together as a family. John has from Christmas Eve to January 5 (I think) off, so we will plan on doing some stuff as a family.

I guess I should sign off now, my MIL is coming over in 20 minutes to pick up the girls for an afternoon out and I haven't picked anything up in the living room...oh well! Have a great evening!

I'm still up

It is now almost 11:30 the night before we are leaving and I'm still up trying to get things done...par for the course around here!

I did manage to get done what I wanted to do today though. I took the girls for lunch at Miguel Jrs (yum!!) then we headed over to get the girls hair trimmed.

Sydney and Jordan just got a trim, enough to get rid of those dead ends. Brooklyn on the other hand, got a full on haircut! For years she has been begging me to let her cut her hair shorter, I always refused...I didn't want my baby to not have hair for me to put up in pretty bows and things. Well, today she convinced me to let her do it! She got a really cute little bob, no bangs though. I can straighten it and flip the ends up or curl them under, or I can just throw some mousse in it and srunch it up for a curlier look. She loved it..at first. Then, as her exhaustion set in (from staying at Kylies house for 2 nights in a row and hanging our all day every day since Wed with her) all of a sudden she started to cry and say how the lady cut her hair too short and she hated it! well...if that's not a girl for ya!LOL! I can remember sitting in front of my mirror when I was about 19 and sobbing because my friend (who was a hairdresser) chopped my long curly hair off into a bob that I just hated (I did end up loving it after a while though!). So, she is my daughter afterall! I think once I start playing with it with her and show her we can make it look really cute she will be ok, and once she gets some sleep and she gets used to it she will be just fine, if not lets hope her hair decides to grow fast!

After the haircuts we headed to the Mall for Sydney to use her gift card. First we went into Charollotte Rouse and foudn her some stupid skinny jeans...I jsut don't get that look! I am much more of a boot cut kind of girl...but then again I'm not an almost 12 year old girl with legs that go forever either!LOL! We then headed over to Hollister and she spent her gc on 2 shirts and I ended up getting Jordan a shirt too..yes I am a sucker!

I looked at Lane Bryant, but with 4 girls, 2 of whom were on the verge of a breakdown we didn't stay too long. I didn't really see too much anyway. We went to the bank and then headed home before it was time to jet off again to drop everyone off where they needed to be. I ran to Catherines and found 2 pair of jeans (I am loving the new color coded sizing system!) I had a coupon so I got $10 off my purchase and walked out of there only $46 out fo pocket...not bad!:)

After I dropped Sydney and her friend off at dance I headed over to get my brows waxed and my feet done...a little bit of silence and heaven you would think, right? Of course not! Jordan kept calling me wanting to know where I was! UGGH! I ran to Wal Mart and picked up a few things for the trip and then picked up the girls and grabbed dinner. On my way home, with a million things running through my head I all of a sudden remebered I needed to drop the key off with Tracie so she could feed the cat! So after chatting with her for half an hour I finally got home at 8:15 tonight! *sigh* I'm almost done packing everyone up, the girls have collapsed into bed, John is asleep and I will hopefully be headed to dreamland soon (after I finish cleaning up the kitchen and putting the last load into the dryer and running the dishwasher) I think I will so be sleeping on Interstate 5 tomorrow!

I will try to check in here while I am gone, but if I don't I will be thinking of my friends and family (the ones we won't be with this coming week) and hoping that everyone has a blessed holiday and that you all cherish the time you get to spend with your family and friends! Love to all!

Packing it up....

Why do I always wait until the last second to pack anything?!?!? We are leaving for Northern California tomorrow morning and do I have anything packed? NOPE!!! I have known about this trip since...oh, August...and I am sooo not ready! I have to take Sydney to Hollister so she can use her gift card, I need to go to Ross so I can get some jeans for my big behind, I would like to get to Catherines...I just found a coupon, so maybe I will make a trip over that way. I need to get the girls a haircut..and maybe myself a trim too, if there is time. I promised the girls I would take them to lunch too..quick burritos probably. And I still have to pack our clothes...

Oh, and I have to drop Sydney off at her Girl Scout leaders house at 3:30, Jordan and Brooklyn have dance and I would love to get my eyebrows done and a pedicure...I really want to be able to squeeze that in!

John took today off..I wasn't expecting that! He has to get a haircut as well and has to pack for himself. But, as of now he is still sitting on th ecouch eatching tv...well I guess I'm no better since I'm here on the computer!LOL!!

I wanted to get the house clean before we left (big dreams I know) especially since Tracie is coming over twice a day to feed the cat and clean the litter box...thank you so much! My poor Casper is going to be lonely!

I have Kylie today as well...she and Brooklyn have been together since Wed and they are both exhausted. They are usually running around like crazy people but today they are laying on my bed zoned out in from of the TV. Best friends you know...they just go with the flow together..gotta love them!LOL!

So, I guess I should go start my day..now that it is already 10 am!HA!

Cussed out a soccer ref today

I am so mad! DD2 (who is 9 and one bad mamajama goalie) had her last game today, the game was tied 2-2 in the last qtr. A girl from the other team kicked the ball across the goal box and missed the net by about 3 1/2 feet, it went out and dd2 got it and kicked the goal kick, well this jerk of a ref runs back to the goal (the ball is already back in play BTW) and is looking at the net, looks up and says he is giving the goal to the other team because the net is out of place! NOW..even if the bet were out of place the way the ball was kicked there was no way the ball even came close to the dang goal post! DD2s coaches are out on the field, dh and I, along with most of the other parents are screaming and hollering, but he just gives them the goal anyway. Even the other teams coach (who was dd3s coach last year) said it wasn't a goal!The idiot ref is known for throwing yellow and red cards at anyone for anything...didn't even act like he was going to card anyone...he knew it was a bad call! I told him to freaking card me because I'm going to the board anyway. Then 3 minutes later..yes 3 minutes...he calls the game!!!!! DD2 is bawling in the middle of the field, which just made me more mad! So I of course told the ref exactly what I thought of him...the old me came out and told that jerk off! I already sent an email to the director of refs, so we will see what happens. I'm sooo glad that she is going to a club team next year! We were talking on the way home and she was still upset..poor baby! I asked her what she thought when daddy and I jumped up and she said she was glad, she knew he was wrong and he must not have been a very good player if all he's dong now is reffing (true true!). She said that when she plays in the Olympics she is going to hunt that ref down and tell him "now what?!" That's my girl! This is not the first crappy call he has done on us this year either...another game he ran from the oppostie end of the field and said "I think this girl pushed the other girl so I'm calling it on her" Such an IDIOT!!!! Karma is harder when it comes back around buddy!!!!

Hurt feelings

On a forum I frequent I got my feelings hurt pretty badly this week. On Tuesday night I posted a thread that simply said "Congratulations Mr. President Elect" And said that we had all been part of an historical event. That was it...then someone posted how scared she was for the country and proceeded to post outright lies about the new President. I replied that I didn't want the thread to become a debate and it was simply a congratulations and that was it. Well, it continues via PMs and in the end I was called a "baby killer" and I was a "typical liberal". Now, I am a liberal, and don't take offence to being called one, however the "tone" that she used was clearly trying to take a dig at me. To me, you can debate without being nasty and name calling. my feeling is if you can't debate just the issues then you shouldn't post outright lies and then try to defend what you know nothing about! I don't think the gov. should be allowed to tell you what you can do with your own body, but that is just my opinion and I know that others don't feel that way, which is fine. Seperation of church and state is becoming a hot topic and I think it will be in the news much more than it is now. I thought that living in America you lived in the land of the free, but I guess that as long as that doesn't apply to peoples taxes then everything else is fair game!

Gearing up

For the big day! Halloween that is! S has decided she is going to be a laundry basket full of dirty clothes!LOL! She asked me the other day if she could "borrow" one of the laundry baskets...I was a little wary, and asked her what for...I knew better than to think she was actually going to put any of the dirty clothes on her floor in the basket! She said she wanted to cut a hole in it and make it her Halloween costume...genius!! J is going as a "50's girl" and B is going to be London Tipton...cheap costume for her too, she is wearing one of S' old competition costumes and the rest I will just use make up fo...YAY for cheap costumes! LOL!

The dance studio is having a party tomorrow night so the girls are all excited, J is bringing a friend so she is doublely excited! I am in the middle of making as many mini cupcakes as I can for the party and then I need to make some regular size cupcakes for the girls classes on Friday..maybe not S' class....it's so not cool to have your mom make stuff to bring to school you know!LOL!!

So, in a nutshell, it is Halloween central around here! Up to our necks in frosting and sprinkles! But you know I secretly love it! And S' class just may end up with cupcakes anyway!!! Bwahhhhaaaahahahaha!!!

Pumpkin Patch

DD1 and dd2 went to the pumpkin farm with their Girl Scout troop today, I took dd3 and went with them as a driver too, it was so much fun! It's the same farm that we've been to for years, but we never did the tour, but today we did the tour of the farm. It was pretty cool! We went on a tractor ride around the farm, they have 700 acres, 25 dedicated to pumpkins and Christmas trees, learned how pumkins are planted and why they plant 3 seeds in each hole, we got to go in the petting zoo and play with the baby goats and sheep, then the girls got to pick their own pumkin to take home (just a little one, but hey were still excited about it!). We packed a lunch and ate there and then the girls all got to play on the hay tower, they were exhausted by the time we got home! It was a good day! It's funny to watch them in this environment though, when we grew up we had wildlife and such all over the place and now I have to drive 15 miles away to let my kids enjoy it! City kids!!!

I am so tired of this heat!!!!

Maybe I'm just not cut out to be living in Southern California!LOL! I HATE BEING HOT!!! It is October for goodness sakes! You have no idea how much I would love to decorate for Fall, but it's still 100*F today! UGH!!! I swear I want to move out of this dang state...with the weather being only one reason to get outta here! *sigh* I know there are so many people who would love to live here, where it doesn't get bitterely cold, no ice storms or snow storms, but I'm telling you, I would love it! As long as I didn't have to go anywhere! If I could have my little fire going and dinner going on the stove and everyone home and cozy..ahh..I can dream, can't I?! Maybe one day!

It's official!

I suck at housekeeping! I have all the right ideas, I just can't implement them! So frustrating too! I'm sure part of it is I just don't have enough room to put things. Or maybe I just am a terrible housekeeper!LOL! When we walk in the house we take our shoes off...so guess what is piled up by the front door? Yup...all kinds of shoes! UGH!!! I think I need to start a chore chart for myself...I feel like such a 6 year old! I know it's not fair to dh for him to work all teh hours he does and then to come home to complete chaos! But, I am going to do better..I AM!!! I just need something to make me accountable! Guess I could pretend my mother is coming, huh?

Lazy Sunday

After a jam packed Saturday it is nice to just hang out today. Our weekend started out busy..J had a soccer game Friday night (they lost 2-1) and then we ended up staying at the field til almost 9:30 talking to some friends. We had to be back at the soccer field by 7:30 for B's 8:00 game (they won 6-0 and she scored 2 goals!), the girls and I stayed at the field so we could watch our friends kids play, then I dropped B off at dance and took J and everyone else back up to the field for J's second game of the weekend (they won 3-1). Then John took B to sushi with some friends, while I took S home and J BACK up to the field so she could watch another soccer game (she ws "scouting" out her competiton for next weekend) can anyone say GYM RAT?!?! Like mother like daughter!LOL! After that last game J and I went to the grocery store and then finally got home to put it all away. J then fell asleep and John and B came home around 5, I was wiped out by then and made some oh so healthy pizza rolls for S, J and I for dinner. I was in bed by 9:30, J and John stayed up way too late I'm sure! It was a good Saturday, just a long one!

Today I didn't wake up til about 9..it felt so good! I only got up then so I could check my fantasy football teams!LOL!!! I started laundry and J and I played the game Life. I haven't played that game in so long and that little bugger is such a cheater!LOL! Since then I've continued with laundry, make choc. chip mini muffins, a few dozen oatmeal rasin choc chip cookies and checked my teams on line! S took a MUCH needed nap...puberty is taking a lot out of her!:) John just taught J how to play poker...grrreeaatt!!! and S and B are now playing Life. The girls want breakfast for dinner and John and I want chicken enchiladas, so I will be in the kitchen for a while tonight looks like!

All in all it's just the way I like to spend my Sunday...everyone home safe and healthy and jsut kicking back! I am pretty blessed!

My daughter is pretty cool!

I was pretty emotional this week, with the anniversary of 9/11 and all. I recorded the actual coverage from MSNBC for S and I to watch together. I think she is old enough to talk about what happened. She was 4 1/2 when it happened and remembers a little bit about that day but I wanted to have an in depth talk with her about it. I, of course cried most of the way through it. She was sad when she watched it too, but in a different way. More apalled at it I guess, as I was thinking of all the kids who now have one less parent (or maybe even 2). It opened up some great conversation between us for sure. She asked if Bin Laden really did that and I told her that we believed he masterminded it and that he has taken "credit" for it, she then asked where he was hiding and I told her we think he is in Afgahnistan. She looked at me and I could see her wheels turning and then she asked "Well, then why are our troops in Iraq?" Uh....well, how do I explain something I don't understand myself?! We went on to talk more about that day and how horrible it was and how beautiful the memorial at the Pentagon is. I explained to her how lucky she is to have 2 parents raising her and how sad some of the kids back East lost a parent that day and how it must have affected them. She is pretty cool to talk to, she isn't a baby anymore and she has lots of her own opinions, not all do I agree with, but those of you that know me well know that that is just fine by me...just means she and I can have some great debates as she grows up!

What a week!

I haven't been keeping up at all with this! After we found out last week about our friend Mike and his accident it's just been one thing after another! My mother in laws dog ended up having a canine stroke, he is 17 and starting to shut down, poor guy! One of Johns coworkers passed away from cancer last week as well. Plus me being out of work John feels like he has to work all this crazyovertime, plus keep up withdoing the football games, so he is just exhausted!

I'm trying to get back in the groove of staying home all day..you would think it would be easy, but I need a daily kick in the butt and get my sorry self on a schedule!!! The girls also went back to dance last week, so that pus us home really late (S is not done until ( pm on M & W!!!) so it's just all a matter of scheduling and budgeting. I'll get it though! I don't have any other choice!! I need to get my fingerprints done so I can start up at the school, so I have that on my to do list for the week as well.


On a good note, J won her soccer game...that girl is a super start goalie! She stops shots that are unbelievable!!! I swear she has robatic arms that just come out and scoop the ball up as its on the verge of going into the net...thats my baby!!! She says she is going to the Olympics in 2016...and I believe her!! She is so in her element on that field, and of coures likes the fact that she can tell "her" defense where they need to be! She is quite the conductor! I think if she could she woudl play soccer all day every day! We already have other parents and coaches coming up to compliment us on her skills...I tell them to tell her not me, she's the one out there doing all the work!

So, I guess thats it for now. The pile of laundry is screaming at me louder and louder so I guess I should get to it! LOL!

Trying to make ends meet....

I hate not having a job! Not that I don't mind being home, but I hate the feeling of not contributing, especially with all the activities that the girls are involved in! I hve to get my fingerprints done in order for my application to go through for the school district...$47 more! It's so irritating that I've been fingerprinted all over this state and yet no one can look those up...all about the money I suppose! Once those are done I should be aboe to work up at the girls school, even if it is just 2 hours a day...at least it's something! Hopefully the 79 year old aide will FINALLY retire this year and then I can have her 6 hour position! Keeeping my fingers crossed for that one! Until then I guess I will just have to tighten our belts even more! I went grocery shopping this morning and need to come up with some ways to make it last! I will sit down later tonight and make a list or an "inventory" of what we have and make a menu from that, using all that I can! *sigh* I hate this feeling! Of course if my ex boss hadn't tried to screw me out of my unemployment things wouldn't be as tight as they are right now either! Just have to breathe and trust that it will all work out..as it always does!

Just another day...

I got a late start to the day...no suprise really! I have been super tired lately and don't want to get out of bed, so I forced myself out of bed at 7:30..a good hour after I needed to be up! I really have to get on a better schedule!!! I dropped the girls off at school and am now home sitting on the computer! Typical! LOL!

Anyway, I've been praying since last night... we love you Mike! We know you will pull through this, and Joley you know that WHATEVER you need just ask!

I am getting ready to start the laundry and make some peanut butter cookies before I have to pick the kids up from school, sometimes I hate minimum days! There isn't enough time for me to get anything done on Wednesdays!

S is so happy this week though, dance is back on! She ended up getting 6 comp. classes, so she is thrilled! J says this may be her last year of dance comp, she wants to put more of her energy into soccer. I love that she is coming to this decision on her own, she rocks at soccer, not that she isn't good at dance too, but right now soccer seems to be her "thing". B is still young enough to pretty much do it all!

I filled out my pre employment paperwork for the school district yesterday, just have to do my fingerprints and I'm good to go! I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to be done with the other job! My old boss has some MAJOR issues and I don't have time to deal with any of it, so yay for me that I got out of a bad situation!

So, I'm off to start my day..at 10 am!!LOL! Gotta love it!

end of summer?

Wouldn't that be nice? I hate hate hate being hot! So Summer is not one of my favorites by any means! And living here in Southern california, we are never too far away from Summertime! I dread it! John and I can't wait for the day when we can live somewhere with definite seasons, but that won't be for a while since the girls will want to finish school here and all, so one day we will retire where it is actually cold in the Winter and cool and crisp in the Fall...preferably OUT of California as well! Anyway...done with my rant...today is the unofficial last weekend of summer (I wish Mother Nature knew that for us here!) and we are doing a whole lot of NOTHING today!! Yahoooo!!! We are sitting around watching some tv together with no expectation of going anywhere! Sounds like a good day to me!

a day in the life...

Phew! I am tired!!! John left yesterday, and I never sleep well when he is gone, so I didn't end up falling asleep til after 2 am, and had to get up around 7..so I am pooped out! S was sick this morning..but refused to stay home. None of the girls have ever missed a day of school, so she says she is not about to ruin that streak now! I did get a call from her around 3 saying she had just thrown up and could I come pick her up a bit early, I was on my way to the school when I got the message so it worked out. J is at her friends house til about 7 tonight when I go pick her up and B is in my room soaking her feet in the foot massager thing!LOL! I got them all a few shirts and things for school, they didn't really need them, but I got a good deal, so why not? S is hitting that age now when clothes mean much more than they used to even a year ago! Too much!:) I did splurge and got myself a pedicure today..felt lovely!!! Still need to get this house in order this weekend though! Laundry never ends and we are just plain running out of room in this tiny space!!! Oh well, we will make the best of it til we can move I suppose! I'm counting down til we can go pick up J...I want to crawl in the bed and go to sleep!! Hope everyone had a good Friday!

It's hump day!

Here we are middle of the week already! John is leaving for the Bay tomorrow morning to work the football games, he is pretty excited about that! He will be gone til Sunday morning..kind of a long trip this time. It works out though, since there is no dance this week and no soccer games this weekend (thank you Labor Day!!) so he won't be missing anything major.

Speaking of soccer, J is sooo frustrated with her coach this year. He is a first time coach and boy can you tell! She has been telling him what games and such to play and when they run out of ideas they call the practice! Yesterday while we were at B's practice her (B's) coach from last year walked by and asked where J was and said that she could come down and practice with them if she wanted...she jumped on that chance! B's last year coach moved up into the U10's, where J is and they were supposed to get J, but they were out of town and noone would trade, so we got stuck with the guy we are with. But, I swear last night J got more coaching form Anthony in 30 minutes than she has from Art in the past 3 weeks! So now J wants to go to B's practices each time and go hang out with Anthonys team! I think its great that he is willing to work with her even though she is on a team that plays against him..shows a lot about the kind of guy he is, there for the kids regardless! Anyway, I really think that she got her excitment back for the season! YAY!

I went into S's class yesterday to just kind of see what she was up to. I talked to the teacher and she said she is doing really well, apparently she is one of the few to be doing the reading log the correct way...yay for her! She did have a bit of trouble with one of her math questions last night and when she asks John he gets frustrated with her, so I told her I would take her to school early so she coudl ask her teacher..funny she knew better than to ask me for help in math...hmmm...funny!!LOL!

And now we are to B...little stinker that she is! She somehow keeps "forgetting" certain pages in her homework packet...then when I check it she exclaims "Oh! I thought I did that page!" Yeah sure kid! She did a flip off my bed last night and landed on her booty...big ol bruise on her butt! Ding dong..maybe now she knows why I keep telling her to not jump on my bed and do flips! She didn't complain about it this morning, but I know this afternoon when I ask her to do a chore her booty will all of a sudden hurt! She is something I tell ya!

So all in all, we are doing well on this hump day! Hope you all are too!

I'm feeling lazy

*sigh* so much for my plans of cleaning today! I dropped the girls off at school with cleaning the house on my mind, then I got home and just curled up on the couch with the remote! Oh sure, there was an occassional load of laundry thrown in, but then right back to the couch for me! I haven't even started dinner yet...I sure hope this funkiness passes soon! I have too much to do!!!:)

My pride is soooo big...

J and Bs soccer games started today. B was up first...we had to be there at 7:30 AM!! those of you who know me know I am not a mornign person, and either is B!!!LOL! We got there and se up our chairs and the game began, B was a forward, the poor girls they played against didn't know what hit them I don't think! B ended up getting 2 goals (and $4 from daddy..she will be rich by the end of the season at $2 a goal!)and her team ended up winning 12-0! The ref told her coach at halftime to tell the girls to try not to score anymore!!! Next was J's game...now, we sent the girl to camp and she learned so so much and she was so excited to play this year, only to get a first year coach who treats them like "little girls", I absolutely hate when people tell my girls they are "just girls" or "only little girls" it is just a huge pet peeve of mine. So, her coach doesn't run them, doesn't push them or anything, she came home in tears on Thursday night because seh was so discouraged. So we didn't have high hopes for todays game...plus they were playing a team whose coach tried to stack his team, and we had big problems with last year. Since J is a goalie I never sit down, I get too nervous so I pace back and forth, everybody makes fun of me for this, but I literally cannot sit down! She was determined not to let them score on her..and she did an amazing job! Her team scored first, which was such a blow to the other coach (Karma is what you get when you try to stack your team!), one of the better girls on J's team wasn't there today, so we didn't have any subs and they started to get tired and got worn out and her defense broke down and the did end up scoring 1 goal on her, so they ended up in a tie 1-1...but they didn't lose and J did so good, other parents were complimenting her! I am hoping that the coaches now see what they need to work on and will start working on it during practice. John and I talked about it and decided that we would build up J's endurance on our own too, while I am walking at B's practices, J can do some running...it can only help her! She loves soccer so much and she knows that if she does her best and stands out then at the end of the season when it comes down to picking for All Stars the other coaches will hopefully notice her and pick her. John and I were talking and saying when we watch her on the soccer field we feel so much pride that it feels like we are going to burst!!! Watching her on the soccer field is the same as watching s dancing on stage..it's where they are meant to be! I am seeing a lot of soccer weekend in our future!!!

You don't work?

I get so tired of that question! Even though I did work p/t for the past year I still get that question. Do people who work outside the home, or don't have kids honestly think that we who do stay home, for whatever reason, don't do a thing?! Who gets the kids ready and off to school in the morning and off to afterschool activities in the afternoon, who keeps up on everyones laundry, cooks the meals, shops for the family, keeps up on the budget (or tries to anyway..these days are just crazy!LOL) keeps the house in order (again at least tries to!) on top of running everyones errands while they are at school or at work? Then there is the question of when do we stop? My husband works upward of 60 hours a week driving truck, a demanding job no doubt, and I appreciate every single hour he is on the road to provide for us, but when he comes home I don't expect him to do a thing...he has put in a long day and deserves to be able to sit back and relax when he gets home. Saying that, after I put in 60 hours a week I don't get to stop and relax, nope there is always something else for me to do. Not that I don't mind it and love the opportunity to stay home and raise my family, but there are those days when I just want to veg out on the couch and let the laundry pile up or not do the dishes, like I did when I was working. I guess I felt like my working was an excuse for not doing things around the house. But when someone says "Oh you don't work" I just want strangle them!!LOL! I wish they could step into a day in my life and then ask me that question!!!

lazy day

The girls (well dd2, dd3) and I got up and went to church this morning, it felt good to go back since we have not been going for about a month for different reasons. John didn't go, not sure why, but thats ok. As I was picking the girls up from Sunday School I get a phone call from dd1 wanting to know if she and her friend could come swimming here, I told her I would call her back, I just was not in the mood to have company, but still wanted dd1 to have fun with her friend. We get home and tell dh about it and he suggests that we go back to the creek we went to yesterday...great idea! But, I really don't want to go! I'm tired, and just wanted to hang out at home, so I tell him to just take the girls and I will stay here and do some laundry and make dinner. He goes to pick up dd1 and her friend and the freinds mom, brother aunt and cousin all end up going too (we know them all from dance and are good friends with all of them). I on the otherhand got to stay home and did several loads of laundry and made lasagne for dinner. They were gone for about 4.5 hours and it was pure bliss! No arguing or anything! Sometimes you just need that down day as much as you love everyone..ya know?!

a day in the life of THIS soccer mom!

And we are off!!! Soccer season has officially begun, at least that is what the MC told us this morning at the girls ridiculous opening ceremonies! They make us drag these kids out to the field at the crack of dawn (ok, 8 in the morning, but that is the crack of dawn to me!) all decked out in their nice clean uniforms to be introduced the the public of our community and they then get their pictures taken as well. Oh, did I mention that dd3 who is all of 7 years old has a crisp WHITE uniform...yes I said WHITE!!! Why do they do this to the ones who are responsible for washing those uniforms? Oh it gets better too...I needed to leave after dd3s pictures to take dd1 to dance (where else would she go, right?), I will only be gone a total of maybe 10-15 minutes, so I rush to take her down and when I get back Daddy has so nicley bought the girls some nice snow cones to cool off...as I look at dd3 I notice that on that nice crisp WHITE jersey is a huge red splocth!!! At this point dd2 has not taken her pictures yet, and as I am on the verge of freaking out about dd3s jersey dh tells me to go look at dd2s jersey...yup huge splotch on her light blue jersey! I sure hope those snow cones tasted good girls because they were certainly your last ones for a while!!! We finally get pics done and head to the car dripping with sweat because it has been unusually humid here for the last few days, dh says he wants to go check out the EZ Ups, so off we go...just to end up purchasing one, but it was a good deal, we got a 10x10 for $59.99 instead of $109.99...not bad! So now we can have some shade during all of those soccer games..yahoo!!

after the EZ Up purchanse we head off to Wal Mart to buy a birthday gift for dd2s new friend, we got out of there for just about $25...that is really not bad!! We then go pick up dd1 from teh studio just to be asked if she can spend the night at her friends house..she says she asked on Wed. of she could, and honestly she probably did ask, I am just getting old and can't remember!LOL! We all come home, grab a quick bite before I take dd1 back to the studio with overnight bag, dh went to get a haircut and I drop dd2 at her birthday party...whew! You would think at this point I would get to come home and relax a bit, right? Oh no! Dh comes home and says he wants to go for a ride..ok I'm thinking thats fine..we drive about 1/2 an hour away into the mountains to a little community where he met some guy while he was working the other day. We take a little tour of the community and see several houses for sale, nice houses, but I don't know if I want to make the kind of commute it would intail every day, we would never be home if we moved up there, so we will see about that! on our way out we stopped on the side of the road and took dd3 into the creek that was there and played in the icy cold water for a while..so much fun!!! We went to pick up dd2 from the party, and ended up staying for alomost an hour ourselves! Once we got home I quickly got cozy on the couch and I was out! I slept for a good hour and a half and boy did it feel good!

Now, did I get anything on my list done today? NOPE! Do I care? NOPE!! My kids all had fun in different ways and in one way or another we all got to spend some time together today..what could be better? And I got to take a nap...BOOOYAAAHHHH!!!!!

It looks like it threw up on itself!

my house that is!!! Since I found out yesterday that I don't have a job anymore I got a wild hair and decided to start cleaning out the hall closets...all good until it was time to pick up the girls, so I leave the mess in the middle of the hallway and go pick them up. We come home and they grab a snack (or a mini meal in their case...geez!)and start their homework, I, in the meantime realize I need to start dinner, so that gets underway and then all of a sudden it's almost 5:45 and dd3 has to be at soccer practice at 6:00!! So away we go to soccer practice...afterwards we stop at the store for more noodles and head home, only to find out that John is home already...along with the huge mess I left in the hallway! We all walk in and he says to me "Um, babe..whats up with the hallway?" I quickly explain why it looks like the closet threw everything out on the floor and tell him that I will get to it today..yeah right!!! Got the girls to school, came home to start a load of laundry just to find out that I am on my last dryer sheet and leave again to grab everyone lunch so I can go back to the school and eat with them (the school has a family lunch Friday once a month..pretty cool really). THEN, at 1:30 I go to Moreno Valley so I can go to WinCo for some cheaper groceries (I try to stock up there on everything but meat and most produce, I am spoiled by Stater Bros in that dept!), I look at my phone and see that it is 2:50, and I am just getting into line, the girls get out of school at 3:20!!! I'm rushing to get everything bagged up and loaded in the van and then speed through the canyon, only to get stuck behind a very slow car, naturally!LOL! I get to the school at 3:45 and the girls emerge from the office shaking their heads and tapping their wrists like I am so late or something! I take dd1 and her friend to the dance studio and drop them off then come home to have the other 2 workeer bees, I mean dds unload the groceries into the house. So now not only am I looking at bags of groceries that need to be organized and put away I still have the mess in the hallway and tons of laundry to do! UGH!!! So noone spring a surprise visit on me this weekend please!!!! I'm off to organize groceries...what a fun way to spend a Friday night, whatever happend to clubbing and all that carefree stuff I used to do? Hopefully by tomorrow my house will not look ill anymore though!!!

Opening an old new door

Well, I've officially been laid off..but not to worry, it's a good thing! I've been having lots of problems with my boss, she is a control freakwho has no clue how to teach young children, so it's actually a blessing for me to not be there, although I will miss the kids! Her official story is that the county has not ben paying her for the families who are on assistance and therefore she can't pay the teachers. WHATEVER!!! I call it Karma!!! When you treat people badly you end up getting yours in the end, right?! So, anyway, this morning when I dropped the girls off at school I went to the office to let them know I could sub on the yard or wherever they needed me now, and the principal tells me that the district is allowing her to add 2 more noon duties and did I want one of the postitions? UH....YES!!!! So the job is mine, just have to go through all the formalities of it all, but I am supposed to start the first week of September. Now, it will be about 1/3 of what I was bringing home from the preschool, but I won't have the stress, and I will have the same off days as the girls, including when they are off track! I may even be able to squeeze a class or 2 in there in the mornings as well, we'll see how that goes! And as soon as the lady who is considered the "aide" retires (the woman is 79 years old for goodness sakes!) I will get her 6 hour position and that comes with retirement and benefits!!! God is so good I tell you!!! The girls don't know yet, but I know they will be thrilled with it! As far as $$ goes for the next few weeks, I applied for unemployment today, so we will hopefully hear back from them in th enext week or so. such a relief I cannot even begin got tell you!!!

soccer has started

We hardly had a break from the end of the year dance recital to the soccer season starting a couple of days later! DD1 is not playing this year..no big surprise, she says she likes dance sweat better than soccer sweat (such a girl!!). DD2 is totally excited! She basically told her coach on the first day that she would be the goalie, and to pretty much stop looking for another one!LOL! He came up to after practice to see if she really loved goalie as much as she claimed...yup she does! So he was excited, since goalie is usually a postion you have to make a kid play...not a lot of glory in the position, unless it comes down to a PK at the end of a game! DD3 is having fun with it, she is one of teh older ones on her team this year, and doesn't really like that too much, but she'll be ok! They have opening ceremonies and pictures this Saturday and then games start the following Saturday...here we go again!!! WHOO HOO!!

Jumping in...

feet first! I've never blogged before, so here we go! I hopw this will keep you all updated on what is going on with our family. Things seem to get so busy so quickly for us so I thought this would be a good way to keep friends and family informed! Hope you enjoy it!!!

Shawn