It Was a Tony Stark Kind of Day. . . At First

MomVader's log: Star Date 1.25.13.20.41
It has been 13 days since my last entry. Things are bleak. The temperature has plummeted and some cold white substance covers the ground. I am afraid to touch it because it may be dangerous. Some of our crew members have been struck by some sickness, possibly a strain of influenza. Supplies are running low but transport is too dangerous.

So, basically I haven't written in a while. It's freezing and snowy. Belle has the flu. I need to go shopping but I hate driving on the slick roads with the crazy people.

On the bright side, today was payday.

Now, we're broke. After I paid all of the bills and bought the stuff we need I suddenly remembered that Riley had a $70 spirit wear oder due. Blah. I love that she is a cheerleader but her stuff is SO expensive.

Baby Got Back

Ah, Rose is finally better. Payday has happened. 59 degrees here right now. . . in Northern Pennsylvania. . . in January. T-shirt weather for us. I have this lovely warm weekend off work. Thank goodness!

So I lost a bit of weight the past few months. I'm pear-shaped so we all know what that means. The boobies go away first. Bummer. I went to buy a couple new bras this morning. Yeah, no. I just couldn't stomach the thought of buying the same size I wore in high school. Why can't the body burn fat in selective places? Face it. No matter how much weight I lose I am going to still have no chest and a big butt.

He's cool with it.

On the plus side, I bought a teal green wool coat for $19!

I have a lot to do today but it doesn't seem so bad because of the awesome heat wave we're having.

Going to watch Riley cheer in a little bit then more shopping later. Making chicken enchiladas for dinner then yoga (sorry for the non-yoga week YogaMan. It's been crazy). After all of that, maybe movie night with my family. All is right in my little world today.

Two Big Days (Puke Story and a Super Boring Day)

Yesterday started out with a bang. Grocery shopping. Bane of my existence. There isn't much I hate more than a trip to the grocery store. So, Kaellyn and I made a menu for the week, right down to snacks and desserts. We thought we did great. Looked at it and thought it might be around $150. Um, no. I got out of there with $300 worth of groceries. Yeah, I don't have $1,200 per month for food. Looks like I need to rethink this a bit. I just like lots of healthy food. Lots. . . of. . . food!

So the days goes on as usual. Pick up the kids from school, have a snack, do homework, make dinner, hang out, give the kids a bath. EVERYONE WAS FINE! Twenty minutes after her bath Rose looks at me and says, "I have to puke." How could she go from absolutely fine to sicker than a dog in 20 minutes?

DarthDad had to go to work so I put her in bed with me. She ended up throwing up on the carpet off the side of the bed. A lot of throwing up. I do not handle vomit like a champ and DarthDad was gone so I go into panic mode. Luckily, Kaellyn has a strong stomach and can handle the situation. In the ten minutes I was running around trying to figure out what to do, she had it cleaned up and the carpet shampooed. It got easier as the night went on though. I shared a bed with Rose and a big pan. I got next to no sleep.

This morning was exciting. I was trying to get ready for work and get Rhys and Belle ready for school while Rose was hogging the bathroom with her sick self. Needless to say, I didn't look very nice today. A braid and yesterday's makeup. Awesome. Rose was sad because she had to miss school. She loves school. As she kneeled there with her head in the toilet, she was asking to go to school. I felt so bad for her.

Working today after not sleeping last night was awful. We have inventory tomorrow so there was a million things to do. I got a ton of stuff done, which was surprising considering I was a zombie today.

It was in the 40s today (super warm for January in NWPA) but it was so damn windy that I still froze to death when I picked up the kids. Belle gets out at 2:25 and the others are supposed to get out at 2:30 but Rhys's teacher kept them in until 2:40. When will teachers realize that it doesn't punish the students? It punishes the family that is waiting for the student. It's annoying.

Now it's 7:00PM. I'm exhausted. I haven't had a bath. I haven't done yoga in two days thanks to all of the sickness going around (Sorry YogaMan). I'm going to bed! Naw, just kidding. I can't go to bed until the kids go to bed. In two hours. Two long, miserable hours.

One Posture Forward, Two Cents Back

So today will be a good test in my quest for better. I have a friend who I will call YogaMan. Even though he is so much more than yoga, for blog purposes he is now christened YogaMan. I'll tell you a little bit about him. He reminds me of me 10 years ago and if I were a guy except for if I were really cool and accomplished. This guy does so much with his life. He thinks he's blessed but I've watched (through Twitter and Facebook stalking) his hard work and dedication this past year.

So YogaMan, being the kind person he is, sent me some yoga postures to try. He wants me to do them and let him know Friday how I did. Today is Day 1 of my new yoga journey. I think it will be difficult since I'm extremely clumsy. I'll probably fall down and break a hip during Mountain pose but I'm willing to give it a shot. Namaste and all that.

Today will also be a failure day in my quest for better. I am going to be completely irresponsible and overdraw my checking account. I really have no choice. Payday isn't until Friday and there are some neccessities that need acquired. Oh well. At least I'm not overextending for random stuff we don't need. Did you see how I justified that there? I'm pretty good at that.

So, I am reccomending a couple blogs for you all. The first is http://thefrugaljungle.blogspot.com/. This girl has been my best friend since we were 11 years old. We lost touch for a number of years but in some strange twist of fate, our lives has freakishly been a lot alike. We both have five kids, four girls and a boy, and we have both stayed awesome. Her blog is brand spankin' new but will be completely cool to read.

The next is http://lorilynnscottage.blogspot.com/. It's my mom's blog. She hasn't really written a lot in the past year, but her old posts are aewsome and maybe if everyone in the world reads it, she'll write more.

No-Reason-New-Phone and Why I Think I'll Lose My Job Tomorrow

Hey, remember my broken phone? I'm looking at it right now. And it's working just fine. Hey, remember how I said I'd get a new one next payday? Yeah, no. I got a new one yesterday. Heck, the down payment was only $0.19 and the payments are only $15/month. Who could resist? Well, that was a little premature. What a waste of money. So now I have a no-reason-new-phone. Oh well. I guess Kaellyn has a new phone. I gave her my old one since hers had a broken screen.

Look! Kitties playing with ribbons!!

I've been having issues with my store mananger regarding my availability lately. She's insinuating that if I do not open up my availability, I might not have a job. Now, I do not know how true that is. HR approved my availability and I've been working these hours for months without any issues. I'm not so sure they can fire me.
A huge issue right now is that I have been scheduled 6PM-10PM for inventory. I can't work it. Absolutely 100% positively can't work it. I told my supervisor. She said to tell HR. I told HR. She said to tell the store manager. So now I have to go in tomorrow (on my day off) to talk to the manager about that and my availability. I just cannot wait for the fun times that will be.
She just doesn't get it. DarthDad works 3rd shift but has mandated OT frequently. Many nights he goes in at 6PM. He gets called in for half shifts on his days off frequently as well. So, she'll tell he to have Riley watch the kids so I can work. Sorry. Riley has two practices and a game or two (or three) every week. Sorry store mananger, evenings are simply out of the question. Always have been. Always will be. Go ahead and fire me.
Actually, since she probably can't fire me, she'll probably go with the hostile route to try to get me to quit. I just know she'll be up my ass, watching every move I make, waiting for me to screw up., bullying me and picking on me. At this point, I'd do better working in a fast food restaurant. I know I'd make more per hour and I'd be able to work the hours I'm available.
So, um, would you like fries with that?

I Broke My Phone

Last night I set my phone on the Keurig. It slid off right into a cup of beef broth. I stared at it in disbelief for a good 10 seconds before I reacted. I had recently put a new case on it since I drop it too much. I couldn't get the stupid case off! It took us at least 2 or 3 minutes to get it all apart and get the battery out but it was too late. The screen had flickered like mad then went black. RIP Nokia. After work I am going to go see about getting a new one. Of course, we don't get paid for another week so I'm going to be phone-less for a while. Sigh.

Bad Mood and My Birthday

I'm in a bad mood today so I think everyone is a bunch of idiots. The best thing to do while in a bad mood is go on Pinterest and just let the snark flow. Man, there is some really stupid stuff on there. If I see another 50 Shades of Grey fan post, I am going to puke. Or how about photography? Holding up an empty frame in front of your face is just stupid. So is blurry faces with something "meaningful" as the focus. Really?? A candy cane heart is meaningful????? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Calling all the food "crack." Shut up. And, no, not everything you see is "GENIUS!" No. Just no.

I turn 40 in less than 3 months. I was planning an epic 70s roller skating extravaganza where people had to dress 70s or they had to give me $5. I would have made a fortune because all my friends are losers that wouldn't get near polyester. Now, I'm not doing the skating party for two reasons. Reason one is that as I was planning, I kept thinking, "Mom would love this part." or "Mom could help me figure out my outfit." Well, my mom isn't here and won't be here for my birthday so it kind of made me sad everytime I'd try to plan something. Reason two is that the party would cost me quite a bit of money and for what? Two whole hours of fun.

I saw this lady on Pinterest that did acts of kindness on her birthday and decided I want to do the same thing. So on my birthday I am going to arm myself with $100 and go out performing 40 acts of kindness for people. I'm pretty sure it will make me feel better than a skating party.

Cold Day and Window Shopping

This is day one of two days off. IN A ROW! YESSSS!!!!!! Unfortunately, I have a rip-roarin' headache and cramps. Ugh.

It's very cold here today. Only 20 degrees but at least there is no wind to make it painful. We're out of toothpaste so I have to go out and get some. Luckily there is a dollar store basically around the corner.

Awww. A kitten playing with icicles.

Something about all this cold and snow and ice. I watched the kids slip-sliding on the icy walkways at school and my first reaction was typical mom-stuff, "Oh, they're going to fall and break a leg. BE CAREFUL!! GET OFF THE ICE!!!!!" Then I looked at their faces. They were having so much fun! I remember how fun it was when I was a kid. Broken leg be damned. I forgot how even the coldest day is fun when you're a child. I need to let them do more kid stuff like that.

Speaking of cold days. . . I'm making chili and cornbread tonight. Last night we did FFY, which means Fend For Yourself (but really means Mommy is on the Internet. Find your own damn food).

I've been online window shopping this morning. At 6:30 AM. That's how I roll. I found a great clearance sale on uniform pants at Carters for Belle. Best part is I know they'll fit because she already has one pair of these exact pants. I'm hoping, hoping, hoping they still have them next Friday when I get paid and am no longer poor. Then I checked out Old Navy for Rose (Princess Long Legs) since I heard their pants are extra, super long and she is showing 4 inches of ankle right now. The sale is not as good but it's a small price to pay to keep her from looking like a flood victim.

Since this blog is actually supposed to be about how I am making life better, I will now talk about that for a bit. I ALWAYS make a to-do list and rarely complete more than 50% of the things on it. However, my to-do lists for the past two days have been at least 70% complete. The important stuff got done and that is what matters the most. I'm not sure if I'm just getting better at completing my tasks or better at not adding too much stuff to the lists, but I'll take it!

On a side note, the background of this blog looks exactly like my living room curtains.

The Worst Day of the School Year

is usally today. The first day back after winter break. Today was surprising though. Everybody was up on time and ready to go with smiles on their little faces. It was awesome!

I surprised myself yesterday. Not only did I finish everything on my to do list, I also made an awesome dinner.

I went to work and found out that they scheduled me WAY outside my availability for inventory next week. I absolutely 100% cannot work that shift so we'll see what happens. I don't think they can fire me if I can't work it since my availability was approved by HR. I guess we'll know next week if I still have a job.

I've never been an evening person. There is something about the end of the day that depresses me. I get so sick of the nighttime rituals. I don't like getting the clothes ready for school. My girlies need new pants so they basically wear the same ones every day. Belle has her little chubby belly and butt so the pants are too tight and Rose has the longest legs ever so most of hers are 4 inches too short. I really need to go shopping for pants on payday. What a pain. I also wear the same clothes every day at work since I have to wear head-to-toe black but really, no one notices or cares. Lucky me.

Happy New Year

Lots of new posts today but I guess that's what happens when you start a new blog. It's 10:11 AM and I've accomplished nothing today except for a trillion blog posts. I have a ton of stuff to do, too. Here is my list: I have to tear down the Christmas decorations. Such a sad sight. The house looks naked once I'm done. I think I'll save some money next payday to grab some clearance decorations for next year. We only decorate the living room, then the rest of the house looks boring. I need to get some stuff for my kitchen and bathroom. I really, really need to clean my house. I'm delegating that to the kids, though. I haven't put any clean laundry away in at least two weeks. I need to go through the piles and put stuff away. School is back in session tomorrow and I need to make sure the kiddos have school clothes. I absolutely need to go grocery shopping. I have $64 to spend for a week's worth of groceries so I have to go to WalMart Supercenter. I hate going there, especially for groceries. I really should go through all my craft stuff and possibly work on some of the unfinished things. Yeah, that is not going to get done today. Maybe I'll designate one day a week as craft day. I sure know I am not buying any new craft stuff untill I finish some of the crap I have now. Riley needs to do some school work so I'll be helping her with her algebra and an essay for English. I'm pretty lazy so I'm sure I'll hit half the stuff on this list. That is one of the things I want to better this year. I make amazingly detailed lists but rarely finish what is on them. Baby steps. Baby steps.

2012: A Review and 2013: Looking Forward

Well, we didn't all die. That's good news.
The year started out not-so-great. I was unemployed and DarthDad was working in the mailroom at the university. Financially, things were extremely tough but we made it. Mostly thanks to our awesome landlord who was very generous with our rent due dates. He even let me clean his properties and took my wages out of the rent. I think he is the reason we survived. I finally got a job in June. It is SO hard to find a job in retail that allows you to have the schedule you need. Of course, the big boss wants me to open up my availability now. . . or else. Looks like I might be unemployed again soon which sucks because I actually like my job.
Kaellyn and Deshawn moved out in May and were back by December. I am being the tough mom and will not let her have her old room back. She is stuck with the daybed in the upstairs sitting room. I just want her to get a job and get her own place. Tons of single moms can do it. I did it.
Riley had a tough year. She had a hard time acclimating to high school so we enrolled her in cyber school. She still cheers for the local high school so she gets "some" socialization. She has great grades now at her new school but is still behind and whines a lot about having no friends. We told her this would happen but we're letting her learn from her own choices.

Rhys, as always, does great in school. He is very well-behaved and makes the honor roll every semester. He auditioned for a solo in the winter concert and got it! He. . . was. . . AWESOME!!!!!!

Rose started out this year with some minor emotional/social problems so she was going to behavior therapy. Once school started, she hated therapy since it cut into her school time, but she really needed the therapy. On the first day of school, she disappeared for 20 minutes. I was frantic and wanted a lockdown or the police called. It was terrifying! The vice-principal suggested we pull her out of school and enroll her next year. Idiot. She is now out of therapy and only working with the specialists at school. She has come a long way. I think the peer-pressure in school has worked wonders for her. She looks to the other students for cues on how to behave. We haven't had an issue with her in months. She has awesome grades as well.

Belle started her first year of school. She was fine from day one. Sometimes she has "mommy" days where she cries and refuses to go to school but I think it's just her age. She is very advanced academically as well.

Looking forward:
This year, I am looking for better. The past year was a blur and I don't feel we accomplished anything. I know it's it's not really true. Look at DarthDad's new job with the county and Rose's behavior accomplishments. I lost a bunch of weight and started taking care of my skin. Riley finally found something just for her that she loves (cheerleading). Life is good. Life is better than good. Life is great. I just want ti to be better. The best it can be for everyone here.

My Family

I'm going to introduce my amazing family here.
Let's start with Belle. She's 5 and in Kindergarten. She's one of my more well-adjusted kiddos, even though she is extremely emotional. She can be hilarious and is very cuddly and lovey.
Rose is 7 and in first grade. Last year we chose to pursue cyber school since she seemed to have some mental/behavioral problems but this year she is in a public school.
Rhys is 10 and in 4th grade. He is a video game nerd and a great singer.
Riley is 14 and in 9th grade. She had trouble adjusting to high school and begged to enroll in cyber school. She is a Varsity cheerleader (and a very good one).
Kaellyn, oh Kaellyn. . . 19 and a single mom of Deshawn. She spent most of this year living in a group home for teen moms. She was fired from 2 jobs and quit one. She is now back home with us and unemployed. Ugh.
Deshawn is 19 months old and quite a character. His mom does not like to take the trouble to discipline him so he is into everything over here. He is very sweet and has a wacky sense of humor already.
DarthDad is a 911 dispatcher and works 3rd shift. Huge video game nerd!
I work part-time at a department store. I have a million craft projects that I have started and never finished. I am an excellent cook but hate cooking. And I. . . am. . .  addicted. . .  to. . .  Pinterest.
We have no family here in NWPA. My family is all on the west coast. I miss my mom.

Boring Ol' Me

I used to have a blog but I got bored with it sometime in 2010. I have to admit I was hilarious and witty. . . and boring. I had to just face it. My life is kind of boring. I'm just not a master of the crockpot, or a couponing-frugal shopping goddess. I'm not a brilliant crafter. I can't take looks-like-a-studio-shot photo of a bowl of chili. I don't know how to get rick quick or create a budget that will allow me to retire at 40. Heck, I have $12 in my savings account and turn 40 in less than three months. So I've been asking myself, "What do I have to offer the online world?" Really nothing but a glimpse into what is a very ordinary life.

This is my street.