Housewifely Duties

One of the most important parts of my Housewifely Duties is managing my home. Up until about 2 years ago, I never really took this job seriously. Well, let me rephrase that.



I left my awesome job in the cell phone sales industry and decided to become a stay at home mom. Having been fresh from the work scene, I treated it just like I would a job. Dressed every morning, and worked all day--as well as play with the 2 young kidlets. About 3 months later, I become pregnant with our 3 child. Mid way into my pregnancy I was exhausted all the time--all I wanted to do was sleep. Nothing got done around the house, and I still have no idea how my big kids survived. Okay, well it wasn't that bad--but I really wasn't a homemaker during this time.



After having our third, I was very meticulous about our home, but that was it. I was not managing anything. Then it got to where I didn't clean like I used to, and I began to really not like the whole "stay at home mom thing". Looking back, it was because I wasn't doing anything.



Fast forward to 2007.



I realized that I wasn't a homemaker or a housewife. I was a mom without a job.



Today, I love that I have housewifely duties and the job of a homemaker and manager of my home. While somedays I sit and think that it was easier for me to manage a cell phone store, I would still rather be here. This job is far more rewarding! It can be hard, and it is a balancing act that I am still trying to figure out.



I'm still trying to come up with the Homemaking Schedule that works for me, but I am confident that it will come soon enough.



Today, I'm trying to play catch up from the weekend. I didn't do my regulars so now I am behind. Let's see if I can get it to sing! :)



On the To-Do for Today:

• Atleast 3 loads of laundry. (1)(2)(3)
• Clean up sink (I didn't do any dishes yesterday--it is disasterous!)
• Pick up weekend clutter.
• MUST DO TAXES!!!!!!
• Buy fruit trees?! We really need to do this, I just don't know that it will happen today.
• Clean up desk area.

This post is linked to Make your Home Sing Monday.

Welcoming Dad Home

With my husband's job, there are certain instances when he has to be away for extended amounts of time. It has been awhile since this has happened, so I knew the time would come soon. This week he had to go to a school to go to a few hours away, which meant that he was gone from Tuesday morning until Thursday around 4pm. This wasn't as long as it usually is, but he was gone, nonetheless.



These schools, oftentimes are incredibly tiring, and I knew he had a long drive home making him even more tired. I didn't want him to feel overwhelmed when he finally did make it home.

I knew he was coming home yesterday, so I made sure to have all (or most) of the unnecessary clutter picked up and everything put back in it's place. II wanted our home to be a refreshing spot for him, instead of being bombarded with the norm. I also made sure that I had all the prep work done for our dinner and I had no duties that were calling my name so that I had a little bit of free time.



Willie and I don't get a lot of time to ourselves anymore, since we live far away from family and friends. So, we try to make the most of it when we can "get away". When he made it home, we took a walk down to the garden, hand in hand, and talked until we were interrupted by the gardener.



Although it didn't last but maybe 10 minutes--it felt so much longer than that. It was rejuvenating and a definite finer thing.

Weight Loss and Diet Accountability

Alright--no more him hawing around. I must, must do this!



I'm bound and determined to make 2009 the best year I've had in means of accomplishing things. I already have a pretty extensive goal list, and it has really helped me to keep on track this year. One of my many goals is to lose weight, and get healthy. Quite honestly, that has been a goal for about 7 years now--ever since I've had my daughter.



I won't go too much into specifics, but I was on birth control after having her, and little did we know that due to a blood clotting disorder, that was not a good plan. I gained a lot of weight, which I fully blame on the birth control, and maybe another health issue that I keep putting off getting checked (hey, it's on the list!). Anyway, I've literally been on a yo-yo for the last 7 years.



I could stand to lose about 50 lbs. I know that that won't all happen this year, but I would love it if I could lose atleast 20--hopefully 10 by summer.



Problem here is, I don't own a scale. I would be on it all the time, and I know that that isn't how it is supposed to work. But, I do hope that in the next month or so, I will be more comfortable with having one, and be able to us it "properly".

Thankfully, my husband is fully on board with me on this. He, due to bad cholesterol levels, is on a forced diet, and we're doing it as a family. I look forward to this adventure and to what we can accomplish and learn together!



Thanks so much to Janet for posting her journey, and getting me even more amped to start mine!



I know that it won't be all too interesting, but I'm going to start posting my food intake, and exercise so that I am accountable for my actions. The blogosphere is good for that!

Do you have healthy recipes or exercise routines to share?

Catching Up

I didn't realize that it had been January since I made my last post over here. There is a lot of catching up to do.



First off: Nicholas is doing AMAZING! Apparently it really does make a difference to have a good nights sleep. We never mentioned to anyone at the school or church that we had made any changes, and we got the same response from both ends. "Whatever you are doing, keep doing it!" That is music to my ears!



We had another evaluation at the school, which happened right after we started the new medication. So far we aren't going to change a thing. Between their evaluations and the evaluations from the OT, we are fully convinced that it isn't Autism, but Sensory Perception Disorder instead. Completely makes sense now that I know what the issue is. It only took us about 4 years or so to get here.



Basketball has come and gone. The kids had a blast, although I thought it was a joke. Very poorly organized, and nothing like it was "suppossed" to be. But, the kids really did enjoy it, and really that is all that matters.



The garden is coming along quite nicely. I've been doing regular posts on my other blog charting it's progress. This has been really good for me, as it is forcing me to get outside instead of continually making excuses. It will also come in very handy with our diet plans. We are focused on becoming healthier and getting fit after getting Willie'c cholesterol results last week.



Lots of happenings going on--just nothing all too exciting! I really wanted to post some pics from our St. Patricks Day meal, but my computer won't recognize the USB cord from the camera anymore. Really not sure why--anyone know?

What's been happening around your house?

Things are getting crazy!

As soon as school was back in session from Christmas Break, I had a meeting with the school to discuss Nicholas's behavior and see what we could do. Basically we are doing more evaluations and talking with doctors to see exactly where we are.



Last week we went into his regular doctor to have a talk with him. Nicholas's behavior has been so variant, that at times it is hard to know if we are on the right track and if it is really worth it to have him medicated. I struggle so much with knowing that my 8 1/2 year old relies on medication every single day, but yet I refuse to take meds that the doctor tells me to take.



Nicholas has stated numerous times that he doesn't sleep one iota at night and his dreams keep him awake. We voiced this concern and learned that it isn't uncommon for ADHD kids to need a sleep aid to calm them down and get to sleep. I know right? Another med.



Unfortuntely yes. For now, he will be on a small dose before bedtime. He started Friday night, and it is amazing how refreshed he is in the morning and how fast he falls asleep. He used to stay up all hours of the night. I asked him the other morning how he slept and he said that that was the best that he has ever slept.



Oh what a great feeling to know that he is finally sleeping. But it pains me to think that yet again, he is reliant on a med to make it happen. Since the sleep aid is helping, there is a possibility that we pull him off of his ADHD medication. Maybe a good nights sleep is all he needed afterall.



We will also be starting Occupational Therapy before too long. This should help us a big deal, if with nothing more than just an understanding. It's been a long road, but atleast it is finally going somewhere!



We are also starting basketball. The big kids are just thrilled! In the past we have kind of strayed from sports because Nicholas has a hard time with competition and just his behavior in social settings period. However, I know that I cannot shelter him forever, and I hope that maybe this will help some. I guess we'll see.



Kait actually asked to play as well. I was floored. She never really has shown an intrest in basketball, just volleyball and cheerleading.



The only downfall with this, is that they have practice on Wednesday nights from 4-5. The kids don't even get off the bus until 4, so I will have to pick them up at school and waste an hour in town everyday before practice starts. I have a feeling we will become quite familiar with the local library.



As soon as practice is done we will have to rush home, eat dinner, and rush back out the door to church. I'm hoping that Wednesdays don't become a quick excuse to eat out. That would be a budget buster, indeed! I hope to rely heavily on crockpot meals or homemade frozen entrees.


I've been trying to spring clean before spring so that I can focus more on the garden. Our garden plans keep growing! Freecycle has become a good friend of mine! I'm tired of looking at all this "stuff" and although I was hoping to sell it and get some snowflakes for my snowball, I'm over it and ready to see it go. I've listed a few things so far, and they were claimed just as soon as I put them up. Oh the relief!



This has turned into quite the ramble..


Until next time.

Holiday Highlights Pt.2

I never did get around to sending out my Christmas cards this year. It pains me, but I just couldn't get it together. I've just decided that I will mail a "New Year" letter instead. I managed to get a picture of the kids, after the millionth time. I think it turned out decent. There have been better pictures, for sure. But it'll do it's job.

You can hardly tell, but Kait actually has a tear falling from her eye. She just finished a bawl fest.

These are the cookies that we made for Santa this year. Oh my word. They were great! And easy.

We make a gingerbread every year. For the last couple of years, I've made it from scratch. Now, that doesn't always mean that it stands and looks like a gingerbread house. But, it is more fun..and cheaper. A win, win. We're generally not huge fans of gingerbread though, so we would never even touch the house after it was made. My cheapness didn't really like this. This year, I went with a chocolate version of a gingerbread house. I think it was actually called Chocolate Dream or something like that. We're never goin' back!

We had some issues with the house, so I'll spare you all the lovely-ness. But, I did have to show you what would happen if you left the finished gingerbread house unattended in house full of kids with nerf guns. This:

Completly obliterated. Honestly, though, I have no idea if the nerf gun was to blame, but the bullet sure does look guilty.

And, I will leave you with the runner-up picture for the "New Year" letter.

I told them to loosen up, and this is what I get! Although, it may just make it in the "New Year" afterall!

It's how they are! :)

Holiday Highlights

I've kind of neglected this blog! Oops. Although things were rather quiet around here for Christmas and New Years Eve..it is almost all a blur.

We celebrated Christmas with Willie's family the weekend before Christmas. This was a nice change from years past. We did it at Willie's parent's cabin, and we went and cut down the Christmas tree on their land and made all the decorations for it. The children also made sugar cookies and we drank more than enough hot chocolate.

Noah and Kaitlyn cutting out sugar cookies.

It has been years since I have cut down a Christmas tree. This was so much fun, and a great reminder as to why I loved it so much as a kid! The kids (my 3 and my 3 nephews and a neice) were responsible for cutting the tree down, with a hatchet. For the most part, they did it all. Willie and Papa did a little (okay, a lot), but it still took forever.

In the meantime, my crazy child entertained himself "riding" the Christmas trees. Um yeah. Climbed to the top of another cedar, while someone else rocked him back and forth so he could ride it. My oldest nephew proceeded to say "We don't need Silver Dollar City, we've got Redneck City!" Welcome to the sticks, ya'll. This is how we roll.

And yes, that is Nicholas, and another unknown child.

They were quite proud of their efforts!

I didn't notice it until just now, but the mysterious hatchet is rather eerie. And as far as the getup on Nicholas's head. Not quite sure what that is..but that is what happens when you lose your hat, you get a funky spumonkey one!

And, if that isn't enough excitement for you...my husband rode the tree back to the cabin. Okay, not all the way, but far enough for me to snap this halfway blurry pic!








When we returned back, we huddled up and consumed some hot cocoa. To our surprise, Santa was canoeing down the river in our direction!! I, unfortunately do not have pictures, just a video. He came bearing gifts, and the kids thought that was the coolest thing in the world! It was!



Although we were busy for the most part, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable time.



Fun was had by all, as I'm sure you could tell!