Who gets the blame?

When the weather forecast doesn't actually come true, who gets the blame?

When the schools are canceled for a day on the "chance" of winter weather, and nothing happens, who gets the blame?

When the storm hits somewhere other than it was predicted, who gets the blame?

Always, the meteorologist gets blamed. It's not his fault. He can only give an educated guess...but really, it's not his fault. After all, he has NO control over the weather, at all. THAT would be God's venue...but no one wants to blame Him...except when trying to get money out of the insurance company.

So, I have decided that I would NEVER want to be a meteorologist, weather guy (or gal), or even play one on TV.

Which job would you avoid at all costs?

Drawing my week to a close

Yesterday, as I mentioned before, was supposed to be a busy day. MOST of the to-do list was accomplished in the time frame in which it was supposed to happen. Driving was a bit tricky with my stiff neck, but I got where I needed to be, and back. There was only one thing I didn't accomplish...and I did THAT today...at least my neck is feeling better. Thank you for your kind words about that!

On the brighter side, I GOT A RAISE!! It is only one more cent per line than I was making before, but that makes a pretty big difference in my $$$ per week!

Tonight is the pool party for the Marching Band...the mother who organized it has invited our whole family...still haven't decided if we're all going...I have a LOT of work to do before then.

Next week I have my first physical therapy appointment for my arm....hopefully we can get something accompished...I'm TIRED of how much my arms hurt all the time.

Next week is also the first week of band camp. I will have to leave the house to drive my eldest daughter across town every morning by 7:15 am. Do you know how long it's been since I did that?!?!? Forever, and ever....and this is going to be going on for TWO WHOLE WEEKS. I don't know what I'm going to do without my right arm for two weeks!

And now...some scenes from my week...

A tooth is lost (she got $0.50 for it)

Good mommy...got a picture of it (proof for the tooth fairy!!) before she really lost it....somewhere in the sofa, I suspect.

Lego creations

rather involved lego creations

a lazy cat

with a crazy eye

cute kid feet

I hope you had a good week, too!

Happy Monday

Today started off pretty well...and kept going that way. The kids all had a good day at school. This is testing week for the 5th grader....next week for the 4th grader. Tonight, we had one baseball game and one practice. The oldest heard from the mission board again, and got a call from a friend in Montana. I worked, hubby worked, and the cats aren't fighting as much. Oh, and I got some cleaning done. All in all, a good day.

Thanks for coming by!!

Job Adjustments

I was reminded by Dawn of Call Me Grandma Dawn that job changes are still times of adjustment, even when we are happy with the change and have looked forward to it...

I have done the transition from working full-time outside of the home to being at home full-time, working part-time (for money) and attempting to keep up with everything else that comes with being a mom and responsible adult. I have done this NUMEROUS times. The last time was right after we moved to Montana, and I was pregnant with our now-4-year-old. As a matter of fact, every time I (before this time) that I have been able to be home, I had an infant, or was pregnant. Every time it has been a huge adjustment for me.

This time is no different. We're in a different state, a new house, with new responsibilities and new stresses. No, I am NOT pregnant. I am attempting to learn a new profession while staying home with my 4-year-old and keeping up with appointments, extra-curricular activities, and housework.

I battle with myself and the little voices in my head all day long. I spend WAY too much time on the computer, even when I am NOT working. I really, exceedingly dislike housework. The laundry piles up and threatens to erupt (like that mountain in Chile this week...). The ants come marching into my kitchen...because the dishes are piled in the sink and counter and stove.... The vacuum cleaner quit working on me. The kids' toys are strewn all over the house. Yet, I avoid the necessary things of keeping up with my house....I blog. I browse. I read. Anything to NOT do what I really, really need to do.

So, where am I to obtain motivation? I know that this is part of the transition time from working outside of my home to being home. I KNOW this. It doesn't help. I feel like I am just slogging through this time until at some time in my murky future I actually start enjoying being here.

Don't get me wrong. I am HAPPY to be home. I LOVE that I get to spend this time with my children. I am VERY GRATEFUL that God provided this opportunity to me. I expected this...after all, this is not my first time to deal with the blahs that come with my recent job change.

So, anyone have any fresh motivation for me? Know where I can find some? Or, perhaps have a teenager you'd like to loan me to get my house back under control?

More Craziness

After the fiasco that has been the first week of baseball season here in baseball central, there will finally be games tomorrow. And, as is our tradition, we have attempted to stuff as much into one day as is humanly possible.

To that end, we have extra children spending the night tonight...*three* extra children. Two of those extra children are teenagers, and one is an eight year old. Yeah, we're crazy here. So, if you're keeping count, we have in the house at present:

one 4 year old
one 6 year old
TWO 8 year olds
one 10 year old
one (almost) 12 year old
TWO 13 year olds
one 14 year old
two adults**
and one cat.

Tomorrow night, just for fun, we're having another extra child come spend the night...just so the crazies can last a little longer....

Then there's baseball...three games tomorrow, two of them at the same time.
And I have my Brew Group meeting.
And my wonderful husband has to work.
And the usual Saturday fare...showers and house cleaning.

And, on top of that, I have work that needs to be finished. And blog entries to write, and blogs to visit....oh, yeah, the fun never ends.

So, if I survive the weekend again, I will be back with an update...and if I'm not back, you'll know I'm somewhere wearing one of those cozy jackets, bouncing off the padded walls of my new domecile....

**What? You thought I'd give away my age? Not on your life. At least my kids can't run up to you and blurt it out the minute they meet you....it is enough to tell you that I'm in my 30's!

I am EXHAUSTED

I never realized how tiring it is to sit at my desk all day long, doing nothing more than typing, editing and emailing, and taking breaks to take care of the four year old, do laundry, run the dishwasher, meet the school bus to get the 6 year old, feed the cat, pick up the house, fix lunch....

I.am. wiped.OUT.

Thankfully, it is raining outside, and has been rainging since Friday night. The baseball fields are big mud puddles. All of the Opening Day activities were cancelled on Saturday. Today's practices were cancelled. I know the games will be rescheduled, but for now, I'm grateful. I needed the relatively slow day!

It's almost midnight, and I still have a TON of work to do....headed back to work...miss you guys!!

***And in other, terribly important news, Kansas accomplished an upset in the final game of the NCAA Championship. The husband changed it from my movie so he could watch it, and promptly fell asleep again. The most unfair part? He WILL KNOW who won, and what the final score was...and he was SNORING! How does he do that?!?!***

Lame Post....

I have really worn myself out over the last two days. I'm more emotional than usual, and have been CRAZY busy with work, and the kids are home (Spring Break is almost over...YEAH!!) bugging the heck outa me. Yes, I used to homeschool...but, dangit, it's amazing how fast you adapt to NOT having them under foot every minute of the day!!

So, everyone is back safely from the Grandparents', and my sister is safely back home. My house is quickly becoming that old familiar wreck (too bad hubby's cleaning job lasted such a short time!!).

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL...the windows are all open, and we're enjoying the evening breezes, and the girls are playing out on the back patio during the day. Spring fever has really gotten me...I REALLY don't want to be sitting at my desk all day working!

We're getting back into the baseball practice schedule again...one practice tonight, one tomorrow, and back to normal on Monday.

Hubby's got drill this weekend...looks like I'm going to have to drive him over there. It seems that the state of Virginia (bless their little pea-pickin' hearts) can withhold any information they want...including the fact that they have fined you and suspended your license for failing to pay said fine. So, we wait for payday (Monday night) to find out HOW MUCH he has to pay so he can get his license reinstated. GRRR...did I ever mention how backwards they do things in this state?!? Jus' sayin'.....

Oldest daughter is attending an event this weekend...Aquire The Fire...gotta be over at the church offices EARLY to catch her ride....

Hubby's drill, daughter's event, son's baseball practice....somehow we'll get it all done...somehow...somehow....

Well, I know I'm not pregnant....

....but the doctor in the ER had to check that anyway. And now I know I don't have heart, kidney or liver problems, nor do I have diabetes. The fun thing is that now we don't know what is wrong. So, I got to spend an hour and a half in the ER resting while they ran blood work.

So, today I have to follow-up with the clinic...joy and happiness.

And, I have WORK to do! Yippee!! Work is a good thing....it means I get paid!!!

Hubby has submitted his officer's package now, so we are waiting to hear what happens next. And in the mean time, he exercises...he's got a little bit of the furniture disease to get rid of...he's running twice a day, and doing bunches of sit-ups...and starting to look REALLY good!!

And we're back into the crazy schedule that passes for our weeks....school, work, baseball practice, Brew Groups....must get busy....have a phone call to make....

The weather outside is beautiful....

I am loving this weather! I wish I could be outside in it all day long! Today is clear and sunny and it's 47 degrees....compared to the 36 degrees of Helena...I'm happy! I am ready for sunny and warm...and taking walks on the beach. I am NOT looking forward to the bugs. We haven't had to deal with bugs for the last 4 years, and now I am remembering all the nastiness that are known as "waterbugs" in the Southeast!

I started working from home in January, and I am still learning how to balance working and keeping up with the house, and NOT being "on the clock" after everyone gets home in the evenings. I had a bad couple of days, with some jobs that had to get finished, and I let my vitamins go, and was just sitting at my computer all day, and late into the night....last night I had a "moment"....well, okay, it was more like an hour....My body can only go so long without enough sleep, working long hours, and sitting in one position...and then I just lose it. Hopefully today, I can get back up, and get back at it...since this is all a learning process...

I just got a phone call from the school...my kindergartener is having hearing issues...the nurse said that the cold she has may be affecting her hearing, but what she saw was outside of the range of what it normally affected by colds. The nurse was also concerned about the 5th grader....it seems he showed up at her office with bruising on his arm, and said something about some other students hitting him in the lunch room. She encouragement to call about any "bullying" that happens...there is a person who handles it and can make sure that the students involved do not know who "told" on them.

I am overwhelmed. House upkeep. Kids that are sick. Dealing with learning issues, and bullying, and baseball practice, and my own work, and church...there is just too too much. I am just one person, and I can NOT do it all. Yeah, hubby's here...but he's learning a new job, and his schedule is erratic right now.

Okay, enough whining. Back to work....because it is still there waiting for me....

In the middle of the night....

I thought I got tired...exhausted, worn out, depleted...when I worked overnights at Walmart. I stayed tired. Then I quit for our move, and have since found work that I can do from home...not making much money yet, but at least I got my first paycheck!! (little yippee! because it was a little check!)

Now, as I scramble my way through the learning curve of this new line of work, I am finding that I am MENTALLY exhausted. My body follows suit before too long, and I am just WIPED OUT. I don't have anything left in me to pour out to friends, or in whitty conversation, and I find myself thinking, at wierd hours of the night, that I *ought to* call this person, or that person, and convey that I am thinking of them....but no, I don't have any mental energy left to do it.

So, if you are waiting a phone call from me, I appologize. I probably haven't forgotten you. Most likely, I'm thinking of you on a regular basis. I just can't work up enough energy to go find my phone...never mind string a couple of words together, and get them out of my mouth at the appropriate time.

So, if you see me out sleep walking around the streets of Virginia Beach, please, stop me, point me back in the direction of my house, and pray that I get enough sleep!

on that note....I'm going to bed!!