The Kids Are Making Me Feel Old!

The weather outside doesn't really know what it wants to do. It is a bit breezey it keeps getting overcast like it's going to rain and then goes completely clear. Needless to say, the kids played outside for a short time and we are now inside. I decided that I would introduce them to my old Nintendo system. (Yes, I still have one.) Anyway, they started out on the game called "Caveman Games". This was fun for them because they figured out how to club the other players and thought it was funny to see the stars over their heads. Following that ws Tetris. They thought it was fun to watch me play, but could not quite figure out how to do it themselves. Finally came the old standard: Mario Bros. This was their favorite.

While setting up the system and putting in each game, they had the most confused looks on their faces as to what in the world I was doing. The questions flooded the room. “Why do you have to blow on it?” “Why do you have to keep taking the game out and putting it back in?” “Why does it blink like that?” and my faorite: “why do we have to go all the way back to the beginning when we die?” My answer for most of these questions was the same: “this is how we had to do it when we were kids. The games get worn out and old and this is how you make them work.” The part on having to start all over was a bit hard to explain, because it involves the system’s memory and that back then, the systems didn’t have the capabilities that current systems do; but I managed.

I can’t tell you how old they are making me feel when they ask why you can’t save your game or change the settings mid-game. It is what it is, and it was high-tech back then. Not that I think I am old or anything, they are just good at making me feel this way. It amazes me how things change in such a short time. All these game systems there are now. Nintendo was basically the only choice I had growing up, and that was a luxery! I remember thinking how cool “Oregon Trail” was to play on the computer at school.

I am busy cleaning up and out, my kitchen. After cleaning out the fridge of old leftovers that didn’t get eaten, I took it apart and cleaned all the shelves and drawers. I plan on going through and reorganizing my cupboards next. I do this often because it helps me make my grocery lists. I am also trying to get creative with meal ideas since money is tight. (Any suggestions are more than welcome.) Normally, navy bean soup with ham hock in it is reserved for the winter months, but since we had everything for it, that is what we had for dinner last night. It was good.

I have been experimenting with the different canned goods that I received from my very gracious aunt Shelley. The kids are very much enjoying the plum jelly on their sandwiches and sliced pears they get for lunch. I am hoping to make some spaghetti sauce from the canned tomatoes next. I am anxious for this, they look so good in the jar. We are also savoring the wonderful chocolate that my thoughtful uncle Rick brought back for us from Germany. (If I haven’t thanked you, than I am now. I really appreciate that you thought of us on your trip.)

It really is amazing what you can create in the kitchen. It’s also amazing how much variety you can find in the deep dark corners of cupboards. I think we are going to have turkey enchiladas tomorrow. After I eat and get the kids bathed and into bed, I think I will be going outside and cleaning out my car. Chris has been using it for the last week because it gets better gas mileage than his huge truck. I am anxious to have my vehicle back this week. (I don’t like to use his unless it is an emergency because it’s so large.) I still haven’t heard from the doctor, but I am going to call them tomorrow to see if they have received my test results.

Have a good evening everyone!

A Little Weeding Goes a Long Way

Today, Chris and I went out to weed the garden; it was definitely in need of it. The kids ran around the yard with squirt guns and played on the swing set in the backyard while we worked. Whilst I was pulling up the little annoyances, I was thinking a lot about all the work I have been doing in the house. I haven't just weeded the garden, I have weeded out all the unnecessary things around me and I feel so much better about the appearance of my surroundings. I noticed how much better my vegetables looked when all the "clutter" was removed. The same has been true for my home. I feel so much more comfortable throughout my day when my house isn't filled with "weeds".

I highly recommend that everyone weed their gardens, their minds, and their homes! It is very refreshing and it clears your head at the same time. I haven't quite finished "weeding" everything, but I am getting very close to being done with it. I am much happier mentally, emotionally, and physically. If you haven't done this, or you haven't ever tried, I suggest it as a form of therapy. This has helped me and I am sure it would help you too!

Kiddo Collages

Hello everyone! I have been working so hard on my house lately. I lifted a lot of boxes and moved some furniture yesterday and today I am sore all over. So, I have decided to take a day off. The weather is also very beautiful outside, so I think the kids and I will just go outside, and I'll let them get out all of their wiggles. While relaxing on the couch I was looking through the pictures of the kids I have on this computer and I thought I would make some collages. I think they came out really cute. I just can't believe how they grow! Enjoy the pictures, I had fun making them. I'm off to take the kids outside before the weather turns; it has been doing that a lot lately. Bye!

Update

It's been a few days since I've posted, but there is good reaason for it. I have been doing some SERIOUS spring cleaning around here. I have gathered up quite a bit of stuff for our yard sale. Hopefully this will give us a little extra money. Things have been a bit tight around here, but we are surviving. I still have plenty left to do, but the house is in much better condition than it has been. I am ready for it to be done, but I am doing it right and that takes a lot of time. It has really been taking a lot out of me, but i know it will be worth all the hard work.

The kids are doing well. Hannah is already ready to go back to school. Zennek is just as anxious to get started. We have his Kindergarden roundup at the end of August. As of yet, I haven't heard back from the doctor about my blood test results. I am hoping to hear tomorrow. I'll be sure to let everyone know if anything comes up. That is about all that is going on here. It is plenty for now. Goodnight everyone.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to everyone!

Today has been nice. I got up and made a yummy breakfast that the kids served to Chris in bed. They really enjoyed giving him the pictures they colored for him and thought it was fun to wake him up. I didn't get a whole lot accomplished today, but we had a pleasant day none the less. We spent time together as a family.

I hope everyone had a wonderful day. Goodnight everyone!

Slowly but Surely

I never imagined that this house cleaning out task would take me as long as it is taking. There is just so much stuff here and taking care of my family and regular chores and everyday stuff that it is going slow. At least it is going. I have also been busy with my family. Normally, the weekend is when I get a good chunk of work done around the house because I can focus on the tasks while Chris watches the kids for me. Over the past few weekends, I haven't been home. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining; I have been enjoying myself very much.

I do manage to accomplish quite a bit during the week, but the weekend sees more progress. I think that I am going to plan on nothing but housecleaning and sorting this coming weekend. I have had lots of fun, but now it's time for the work to be done. I'm not sure if I'll finish going through everything by the end of the month, but it won't take forever. That's the great thing about goals, you can always change them if they don't work out. All I have to do is keep my eye on the prize (in this case, it's being rid of junk and having more space in my house; a great reward if I do say so myself.)

As a side note: Thank you Aunt Shelley for all the yummy stuff you sent up. I have already started to enjoy some of the goodies. Also, thank you for the cards. I am hoping they can help me out. You always seem to have such good ideas.

Good night everyone. I am hoping to get some good rest this evening. I have an early morning tomorrow so I can cook a nice Father's Day Breakfast for my sweetheart for the kids to serve him in bed. I hope everyone else has a good rest tonight and a Happy Father's Day tomorrow.

Life is Constantly Changing

Life is constantly changing. That is especially true once children are in the picture. The last 2-3 years has come with so many changes that I couldn't possibly go into that list. Just in the past 6 months, we have moved across country. That, was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. I don't want to get into details, but I had to move without the kids. After a while, they came back to me.

Every little change in life takes a bit of time to get used to. Getting used to my children not being in the house was no easy task. It was kind of like getting used to a weekend on Sunday night, and then it's the work week again. I didn't ever fully "get used to" them not being here, but I got into a routine that involved cooking and cleaning for two. Then I had to change back. Needless to say, going from two to five overnight, takes a bit of time to adjust to. This change didn't take too long, but this time away from me has changed them more than I imagined it would.

The kids have been home with me for around two months now, during which time Hannah finished out her first year of school. Having them back home took no more than a week to feel normal again. I got used to coooking bigger meals, doing the laundry of five people, getting up early and getting Hannah ready and off to school everyday, and so on and so forth. Now, school is out for the summer and I am having to change my routine for that.

Today, is Hannah's second full day of summer vacation and she is already asking me to go back to school. I'm so happy that she enjoys it as much as she does. This summer will be filled with lots and lots of "practice work" for her to keep busy. I am also, working very diligently, to completely clean out the junk and unneeded items in my home. (It is amazing how much a family can aquire.) All these things, are not in my normal routine and therefore, take manipulating to fit. I am taking one day at a time, trying to put all the necessary parts into my life. I will say that I don't get everything done; I don't come close to that, but I do make a list each day of the things that I hope to get accomplished and most of the time finish that.

I live by a few mottos. One is, everything happens for a reason. Another is, only do what you can. I used to go crazy when I didn't finish my daily list, and then I realized that was not solving my problem by letting this bother me. I have come to terms with the fact that I can't change the little things that come up everyday, but I can learn to work around them. They say that the best laid plans always change. I most definatly believe that.

I have to remind myself every once in a while not to fret over things. Like everyone else, I am far from perfect. Remember, every day is a new day. Some days, the best thing to do is relax with your family and friends and let the housework wait. My favorite motto to live by is: family and friends won't always be around, but housework will. Housecleaning and other chores of course have to be done, but the best looking house is one with loved ones in it having a good time. Don't stress about the little things. Take a break when you need it. Without fail, laugh everyday. Life may change like a river, but go with the flow.

I hope everyone can find just one thing to smile about. Smiling is the best medicine for any ailment in life. :)

Just a few pictures

Here are a few picturese I came across today. The first one I actually took this afternoon. The others are about 1 1/2- 2 years old. I just had to share them they were to cute to keep to myself.

Office Space

I have made a dent; a small one, but a dent none the less. I am positivly going crazy with the mess in my house. I love my husband so very much, but there are things about him that can bug me. The biggest one is how unorganized he is; he tries very hard, but just isn't. My office floor was literally non-exisitant about an hour ago. Chris tried, not too long ago, to clean the office. In going through all the paperwork and other various office things, he made tons of piles. After making the piles, he went on to another task and forgot all about the office.

Today, the office was the next room on my list. I was really excited to get in there because I was beyond ready to see the floor again. So far, I have managed to get all the CDs put away (there are quite a few), and gotten all the papers into just a few piles. There are still lots of cords and other random stuff I need to sort through, but I stopped to make lunch.

I have plenty of work to do, but I at least feel like I am getting somewhere. I do understand how Chris "works" when it comes to cleaning things, (in fact, I used to do it that way too) but I have learned over the last few years, that the best way to cleaning is to work with one thing at a time, and put it away before you move on to the next thing.

I can't say that I know the best way to do all this life stuff, but I know that I keep learning and improving everyday. It is so nice to actually have an office in my house. I will be even more greatful once I can use it on a daily basis. Right now, I avoid it like the plague. I just don't want to be surrounded by clutter. Luckily, I am resolving the problem.

Now that the kids are done eating lunch and Jade is down for her nap, I am off to rid my life of the things that I don't need (sounds kind of like a superhero, feels like it too.)I am also looking forward to the yard sale we will be having when all the work is done; I'm sure that the people coming here for it will be happy too. There will be plenty of open space and I am going to love it.

I hope everyone can have a happy and productive day like me, even if that productivity is sitting down doing nothing but calming your mind and improving your mood.

School's Out For Summer...

Here we are. Hannah has finished her first year of school. She is officially out for the summer as of a couple of hours ago. Her and Zennek both go to school in the fall. How do these things happen? By that I mean, them growing so fast?! I told them they weren't allowed to grow while they were at their dad's house, but they did it anyway. Summer break is from today until September 8th. I am hoping to do a lot of fun stuff with them this summer.

Zennek will be turning 5 in a few weeks. We are going to try to either go to the zoo or the Children's Museum. We have a slip and slide, there's the beach, camping, the park, lots of family close by and all kinds of fun things to do right here at home. I am very excited to spend all this time with them. Anyone that wants to come have an adventure with us is more than welcome to join; starting today.

Off to go start our fun...!

Doing "Guy Stuff"

Zennek had a great time today. He and Chris started to build a dog house today. Regardless of being unable to complete the job, my men had a lot of fun doing "guy stuff". They will finish after we are able get some more wood. And of course the job couldn't get done without a "beer" break. Zennek and Chris both enjoyed a nice brew, of the root variety. It was adorable to watch them. Here are a few photos. I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures as much as I did watching them work. Have a good evening! -Bridget

A Day at the Beach

We went to the beach today and had a lot of fun with the kids. The kids have been so anxious to fly their new kites and since this was the best place to do it, we decided to finally take them. Chris's dad and step-mother went with us. The weather was a bit cool, but we managed to have a great time.

When we first arrived, we all went hunting for shells and sand dollars. Then the kids ran around and found a mini "river" and got to enjoy the water. They enjoyed the water so much, in fact, that we had to change their clothes because they were soaked from the waist down. (This was the second change of clothes for Jade because she got car sick on the way to the beach. We stopped and picked up some dramamine and did fine after that.) I'm sure this is one of many trips to the beach this summer. Here are a few pictures from our day.

Zennek was in better spirits today. He is still quite upset about his first love getting married but we were at least able to distract him for a few hours.
Jade hunted for shells with Chris and found a few sand dollars too.
Hannah was singing and dancing.
I think Zennek's favorite part of the day was running around in the water.
Jade's favorite , was playing in the mud.
Hannah's favorite part was flying her kite with her grandpa.
Jade, again playing in the dirt.
Here are the girls with Grandpa Mike and his dog Max.

At the end of the day, I think they were all a bit tired.

Exhausted from a great day.

Like I said, we had a great deal of fun today. All my family and friends are more than welcome to come along with us on our next trip to the beach. This evening we are watching a couple of movies and camping out in the living room. (Luckily, I sleep fairly well on hard surfaces.)

Tomorrow we have some house cleaning to do and more stuff to go through. Zennek is going to help Chris build a dog house for the dog's kennel. The girls are going to help me out in the house. Sometime in the afternoon we hope to take a break and walk over to the park for a little while. Tomorrow evening will probably be an early one. Hannah has school for one and a half more days, meaning we still have an absolute schedule to keep in the mornings.

I am so happy to have the kids back home. I was able to reflect and see how special they really are while they were gone. I am doing my best to spend a lot more one on one time with each of them and have more family time too. I didn't really think of how important my time with them was until I didn't have it. I'm glad I know now and relish each and every minute of it. I recommend the same thing for everyone. Goodnight.

Kindergarden Graduation

My little girl graduated Kindergarden today. I just can't believe the school year is already over. The ceremony was cute. They called it a Kinder Celebration. There are three K classes and each one had their own song to sing. Hannah's class sang a song called "The Days of the Week", which involved them spelling the days. When the ceremony was over, we went back to her classroom and picked up her remaining work and have cookies. (The first pic is in her classroom.)

After everything, we came home and framed her certificate. She is now an official 1st grader! She has to go to school on Monday for a fun day and Tuesday (for a couple of hours) for an assembly explaining what the kids are to expect next year. I am so proud of my angel.
On Wednesday, Hannah lost a tooth and is close to loosing another. Zennek is still overwhelmed with the idea that is first love married someone besides him. He has been so sad all day. I am hoping he will be a bit better in the morning. Jade is excited because we are going to the beach tomorrow with Chris' parents. They are all excited that they get to use their new kites. I'll be posting pictures of that hopefully tomorrow night(if not, then soon after.)

I hope everyone has had a nice day. I know that I have(except for trying to heal a broken heart.) It's things like kindergarden graduation that make a person reflect on how fast life goes by. Enjoy each moment because they will have past before you know it. Cherish those in your life and stop and smell the flowers with them. It's more fun when you have loved ones to share with. Goodnight everyone.

Poor Zennek

Oh my poor baby boy. I feel so sorry for my son. Zennek loves the Black Eyed Peas music group. There is one female member and she goes by the name Fergie. For the last four years, he has said that Fergie was his girlfriend without wavering once. He is a very dedicated young man! So dedicated, he saw a commercial that said the group would be preforming on The View this morning and insisted that we watch them. So, we watched. During the interview portion of the show, Fergie mentioned that she had gotten married in January. The boy's heart nearly stopped from the news. There were enough tears to flood the living room.

It took me a very long time to calm him down. After the crying was over, he said to me, "now she's never going to come see me!" The crying began again for a little while longer. I managed to calm him again. But the poor child is just beside himself. We have tried to express to him that she couldn't be his girlfriend because she didn't know him, but that just made him more determind that she was.

Since his birthday is on the 19th of next month, I am trying everything I can to attempt to get an autographed photo for him. If there is anyone with an idea how I can acheive this, please let me know. I would really appreciate it. I have sent an email to both their band website and to their page on Myspace so far. Any further ideas would be great. In the mean time, I am busy consoling him. He just wants to cuddle for right now. I never thought I would have to deal with his first heartbreak at this age, but life happens whenever it feels like it. Cross your fingers for me.

A Little Progress

Today has been a pretty simple day. I've done a load of laundry and picked up around the house a little bit, but that is about all. I just played with the kids and relaxed. Dinner was easy because I just needed to warm it up and make a quick side dish. My big acomplishment of the day is that I weeded through the toys with the kid's help and was able to gather quite a bit for a future yard sale.

Hannah is quite excited. She has her "graduation" from Kindergarden tomorrow. They are going to sing songs and have a little ceremony for it. I am excited too. I plan on recording it. She still has school until Tuesday. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. Is it really just about the middle of June?!

I have been stressed out lately about the condition of my surroundings, so I made a goal for myself. By the end of this month, I hope to go through all the "stuff" there is in my house and have a LOT to get rid of in a yard sale in the early part of July. I'm fairly sure that I can accomplish this and with any luck I'll be able to get rid of more than anticipated.

Well, time to go put the dishes in the dishwashers and dinner in the fridge. Then time to read the kids their bedtime stories and put them to bed. It's going to be an early night; tomorrow more progress on this storage facility I call home. Goodnight all!

Don't Use an Ax With Rings On...

Murphy's Law: I would really like to know who voted for this thing?! I know I sure didn't, yet it affects me on a daily basis.

Today, I decided to plant the apple tree and the cherry tree that are sitting in pots in my driveway. They just won't plant themselves so I figured I would go outside and spend some time with the kids doing a little gardening work. But old Murphy stepped in and said I wasn't allowed to. I got out the shovel and started to dig. First, I came across the fact that we have REALLY rocky soil. There are more rocks than dirt. Then, I guess I planted too close to the old tree that Chris recently cut down (so it wouldn't fall on the house). There are so far 5, 2" roots in the hole(hence, the Murphy's Law). I managed to cut through 2 of them. I have dug out a lot of the surrounding dirt from the others, but I have a few blisters (I was so smart and forgot to take off my rings before using the ax) as well as a cut on the center of my other palm from my hand slipping into a raw edge of one of these roots.

I have arms that seem to be made of jelly from using the ax. I have always been told how exhausting this task was, but now I know from first hand experience. I still don't have either one of the trees planted, but I have about half a hole dug so far. I will go back out later and work on it some more. I also have a lot of weeding to do in the garden. I'm so glad the weather is nice and I can do these jobs. I'll probably take the kids out and let them play with the water guns while I weed. I woud have them help, but so far, they can't tell a plant from a weed and I really want some tomatoes. (BTW, thank you Aunt Shelley and Uncle Eric for the plants you gave me to put in my garden. I wish I could tell you what the mystery plant was, but it didn't make it. The rest seem to be doing well.)

I am offf to have a little lunch and put Jade down for her nap. When she falls asleep, I am going to work with Zennek on the sounds letters make. He is doing really well, but needs help. Kindergarten is just a few months away and he is very excited to learn.

Have a great day and smile at someone! Your smile could be the difference between a bad day and a fantastic one for whoever is around!

Happy Anni-Birthary!

Today is my mom's birthday, my Grandparent's Anniversary and my in-laws Anniversary too. What a busy day today is. Happy Birthday Mom, Happy Anniversary Grama and Grandpa, and Happy Anniversary Momma Debi and Leon.

Aside from all the special occassions going on today, I think I may go on strike for the day. I am tired. I feel unappreciated and wish I had a little bit of help. I clean the dishes, feed my family, and do the laundry all on a daily basis. I rarely get a notice, that is of course unless I DON'T do those things. I ask very little; have the kids clean their rooms without whining when I ask them to do it, hubby to take out the trash when full and fill up the dishwasher at the end of the night. I even clean off the dishes prior and put away the clean ones. Is it really so much to ask for a hand?

I know that I have chosen to be a housewife and take care of my family, but does that mean I don't deserve a bit of help once in a while, a thank you, a "let me do something for you"? I hate to complain, but if I don't take care of the house, it would crumble to the ground! I have to make everyone happy and don't ever get a chance to do things for myself. I'm gonna go and make some cookies and then play a video game. I love my family, but I think that my hubby is on his own when it comes to feeding everyone today. I just don't want to do it! I love you sweetie, good luck.

My Honey Got to Spend the Day With The Seahawks

My sweetheart got to spend yesterday "training" the Seahawks on an Army obstacle course. That's him holding the rope in the picture below.

Here are some links to the news articles that were written on the afternoon. There are also some pictures. The most pictures are on the News Tribune link. (first link)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/static/photo/#id=album-50925&num=1021745

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/seahawks/story/767976.html

http://www.seattlepi.com/football/popupV2.asp?SubID=4874&page=1&gtitle=Seahawks%20training%20at%20Fort%20Lewis&pubdate=6/4/2009

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reader_feedback/public/display.php?source_name=mbase&source_id=2009302376

http://www.komonews.com/sports/46997597.html

http://www.king5.com/sports/seahawks/stories/NW_060409SHB-AP-seahawks-as-soldiers-JG.4ca77e90.html

Feeling Better

Ahhhhhhh! I can almost breathe! I went to the doctor yesterday to have my checkup on the blood clot that I had. Everything from that is 99% cleared up and better. Anyway, while I was there the doctor noticed my voice still hadn't come back completely and asked how I was feeling in regards to that, and ended up prescribing me some antibiotics for it. I am feeling a little bit better. I am not as exhausted as I have been so I actually had some energy to do my regular housework instead of the bare minimum. My entire kitchen is back in order now. Next is the living room and cleaning the carpet. I'm just happy I can keep up with the kids again.

I go back to the hospital on the 15th ffor lab work. This should tell me if there is any biological reason for the miscarriages. I have been cleared for the appointment on the 12th because everything looked good when I went in yesterday. So things are getting better.

My phone is still off. Actually it isn't off, it is just taken apart trying to dry out. It has been really quiet around here without it on. I don't so much mind the quiet, it's the not having a phone in case of emergencies. I don't currently have a house phone; Chris and I just have the cell phones. It just makes me uneasy not having it. I hope it will work soon.

Aside from that, I am a bit frustrated. I can't work right now because I can't afford daycare. Also, I can't go to school for the same reason. I don't qualify for assistance. I was also told that this state has weird rules when it comes to helping people out with daycare. I was told that even if I was to qualify for assistance and went to school, I would have to have a job for a minimum of 20 hours a week and pay half of the daycare bill. As it is I don't qualify, so I can't go to school. If I was to work, then I would just be paying for daycare. So I am content with staying @ home with the kids. I love being with them. I just don't have any extra money. I am trying to find a job from home. I'd love any suggestions.

That's about all going on. Have a good evening everyone. -Bridget