Impromptu Shopping

This weekend at our singing, a very kind elderly gentleman came up, hugged me, and slipped me a $100 bill. I thought my singing sucked, but obviously it was worth $100 to him. That or he felt sorry for me..LOL. He told me to spend it on myself, so I did, guiltlessly. Almost. I kept thinking about how Evan needs a new carseat and how that would go good on a Pack N Play, but then I remembered my closet and the guilt almost vanished.

Impromptu Shopping is defined as shopping with one baby strapped to your chest via carrier and another toddler in the buggy. It is grabbing things off of the rack at ONE store, briefly looking at the price and the size, and throwing it in the buggy. It also involves trying items on when one gets home and finding out that nothing fits right. At all. I was looking for casual skirts and shirts since my last guilty purchase was a dressy outfit, but I couldn't find anything but black. I have tons of black skirts...at least 4.. that's tons for a skirt. I found two dresses that I can breastfeed in, relatively cute, if you like the new crisscross top, knit dress era, show-every-inch-of-flab type dress. I even got the cutest pumps to go with the dresses. Even a headband. The dresses are 3 sizes bigger than what I wore when I got married. The verdict. Still too snug.

The shoes wouldn't even go on my feet.

Incentive for a new diet: go shopping!

Feel a little blog coming on...

Mostly this will be about random things...

*Went to Walmart last night and spent the most I have ever spent at Wally World: $215.00! *Gulp*. But, I got me a new baby carrier and it's by Jeep! I want and crave an Ergo Baby Carrier, but one from WalMart will do for now. I put Evan in it and he was perfect while we shopped! I also buy about 98% all organic foods which are pricier, but I don't care, it's the best for my family! I even bought some organic caramel apple dip last night! Yum! I love how they are getting more and more organics at Walmart. This morning I took a bath and bathed with my Burt's Bees Organic Peppermint Soap, used my Burt's Bees Organic Peppermint and Honey Lotion, ate my Roasted Pumpkin and raisin organic cereal with Organic Milk, and I'm feeling pretty healthy!! :) I get the beauty products from GNC, not Wal-Mart. I love pure and wholesome foods and products on and in my body. There is no doubt that cancer is caused by foreign substances being put on and in our bodies. Also, I'm not sure about vaccines. I do not feel comfortable injecting foreign substances in the body of my pure baby to ensure he doesn't get a disease that is not even in existence right now. For, "just in case". Nope. Evan hasn't had any vaccines and never will unless his daddy and I feel that it is pertinent (in the event of natural disaster, etc.) Erin hasn't gotten any past 6 months old either. For those reading my blog, there is plenty of research out there on the web against vaccines. Anyway, I don't trust doctors at ALL. That is a part of my being crunchy, I guess. I know that we aren't exempt from things, or immortal for that matter, I just love being as healthy as possible for me and my family. And for us that means, breastfeeding, eating organics as much as possible, using herbs, and no vaccinations. Enuf said? :)

*The weather is beautiful today; brisk and a bit cool. I look forward to getting my house straightened and heading outside. I need to pick up pecans and whatever else. There is plenty to do always! I also think I will wash clothes and hang them out instead of drying them. This evening we have 2 cookouts/ fall festivities to go to and I'm excited about those. Have a new recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies that I'm going to try. I'll share the recipe if they turn out.

Have a gorgeous fall! I'm leaving you with 2 pictures: one of my fall centerpiece, and the other of my fall produce from my garden: collards!! :)

Now it's MY turn..

...to be sick! I feel awful tonight..throat getting sore, pressure in my head and ears, and a general aching feeling. I'm sure it would help if I would go to bed and get some rest, but, no, I'm here on this blessed internet!

Wanted to post a couple of funnies about my kids. This morning before getting ready for church, Emory got 2 stuffed bears and got behind the recliner. He made us sit on the couch. He put on a puppet show for us, "The Three little Bears". It wa hilarious. When he finished he said, "Now, let's see what our Bible verse is today." Then, he said he would sing a song to end the puppet show and sang "This Little Light of Mine". I was rolling!

Then, today in Booster Band at church, we were singing the song that goes, "If the Devils in the Way, we will run right over him" and when we finished, I made a comment like, "No, we don't want to pick the devil up, we want to just run right over him." And Erin pipes up and says, "No, he's too heavy (to pick up). " It was hilarious! Kids, kids!!

This week, I aim to go to bed a little earlier, read and pray on my knees every day and get to work earlier. I also would like to stop and 'smell the roses' a little with my kids. Play outside together. Something like that. Life is so short!

Ouch. my. throat. hurts.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Evan is teething and that has obviously made him uncomfortable. I know that he is teething, but I do not know if that is totally contributing to his uncomfortableness. He has a runny nose and didn't want to nurse this morning. I think his throat could be sore. The others have sinus problems going on, too. We did a LOT of holding today. I have mastered the art of doing most anything while holding the young one: wiping another after pottying, bathing a child, going to the bathroom myself, filling out bills, shopping (more on that later), etc. while holding my heavy 2 monther. My back is telling the news. I'm planning a trip to the chiropractor within the next week. Between bending over to pump and to breastfeed, coupled with slumping over while holding him, my back is shot.

The middle of the month paycheck is always for our car payment, so what is left is divided between about 3 other smaller bills. There's not much left for anything else. I needed just a few things to tie me over to the next paycheck day (mine), so I set out for Wal-Mart with Erin and Evan in tow. Emory was doing the man thing with his daddy. Evan did wonderfully going out there, falling asleep in the carseat; but I knew he wouldn't stay in it in the store. So, I held him while I shopped. It wasn't too bad. He wasn't perfect, but he was as good as could be expected (teething and all). I did the shopping thing, got up to pay and guess what? I didn't have my wallet. It was a moment to remember. So, I called husband and he called my MIL and she was coming to Walmart anyway, so she brought it to me. I had to nurse Evan during that time anyway, so it worked out. I was so tired and we were starving by the time we got home (bypassed the fast food joints bc I was beyond ready to get home). Oh, another thing that happened was while we were in the van, Erin had to go to the potty. I had just started nursing Evan, so I knew I could not hold him off for us to go back into Walmart. So, I grabbed up an article of clothing to absorb the peepee while she 'went'. It didn't do too good of a job! Oh my, we have fun. I was almost in tears when I talked to my husband on the way home. It was just one of those days! Needless to say, I will be checking my purse for my wallet from now on! Also, I don't think I'll be going back without assistance from my better half!

The day ended up better. I picked up some pecans, 500 to be exact (I count everything..it's a weird thing about me..just ONE of the many weird things), brought in some collards from the garden (that I have to 'look' over before bed...they are stinking up the house...I got in trouble for blaming the smell on husband's feet..lol), got the kids in bed BEFORE 8pm (no nap for either) and I'm about to go see about making a lemon pound cake. My kitchen needs a bit of cleaning and I can't stand to cook in a dirty kitchen.

Amy, you will appreciate the day I had today. I'm sure you've had one like it before, right?

General "Goings On" Blog

What has been going on with us...

Me: This week was report card week so I was pretty busy getting my papers graded, keyed in, and just a general making sure that everything was set for report cards. It was a hectic time, but when it is over, the relief equals the relief that you get from finishing a term paper and handing it in (I SO remember those feelings). I still love my job. I absolutely love teaching and am really protective when it comes to my classroom and my students. My students and I have a special bond (well, we are working on it with my high school class). They love me and I love them. If they don't love me, they are puttin' up a good front! I mean, they are kids, sure, and they act like kids, but I love that! We started something new today in reading, "Story Squad" and they are all excited, which I love to see! Anyway....what else? I'm still working on the clutter in our home. My goal is 500 items either thrown away, put in yard sale, or Salvation Army. I know now why it's called, Salvation Army, because it SAVES my sanity! :) I'm working on the kid's rooms this week. My goal is 75 items this week. From junk toys (broken pieces or broken toys) to clothes that I just won't ever put on them (like, non-functional clothes..ex. leggings for Erin, I mean, really...), it's looking (and feeling) good. Let's see...what else? This week I lost a couple of pounds by not eating in between meals and just not stuffing myself. My clothes are fitting better this week! I ate TWO Patty Melt Sandwiches today for lunch, so I'm not so sure the scales will say what it did this morning. What else??? Still breastfeeding and I'm glued to a pump at school (3 times a day). Dedication, baby, dedication. I wouldn't have it any other way for my baby. It's hard work, that's for sure. Boring, too. Pumping milk from your body for 15 minutes or more, 3 times a day. Enough about me!

Husband: Job is going well...getting raises every so often. He makes twice what I make, so that's pretty depressing for me, now! haha He is out of town for a couple of nights a month, so that's not fun, but I DO get to rest well all night. Now I know it's not the baby keeping me up at night, it's my husband's tossing and turning! I do miss him while he is gone. He is a big help with the kids, too. He's the bestest and loves me so much. I don't ever know why!! We had a good time outside today, hanging out, shooting the BB gun, walking up to the cemetary. Yeah...get this mental picture...husband, wife, 3 kids, and husband carrying a gun, walking to the cemetary. LOL Got the picture? We must've been a sight. It's a wonder that the cops didn't come. Oh, and on the way back, I carried the baby AND the dog (to prevent her death from chasing cars). We have a lotta fun!

Emory: He is getting to be such a nice boy, a great helper, and just a sweetheart. He has good manners and I'm so proud of him. He is my artist! His pictures are better than mine! He is showing an interest in reading and I can't wait to teach him more. He is recognizing his sounds/letter patterns. He's maintaining his weight now, which is good. Getting taller is helping also! Still LOVES to eat, though! :)

Erin: My beautiful daughter is the smartest thing I know! She talks as well as a grown up! She is showing a huge interests in puzzles this week. As I type, there are about 5 puzzles on my living room floor that she has tried to put together, being successful at a couple. I'm amazed! She loves animals (esp dogs and elephants), chips, and scratching my neck. She also loves to suck in her lip WHILE scratching my neck. She's a big girl.

Evan: My this boy is growing. I haven't weighed him in forever. He is wearing some 6 mos clothes now! He is the cutest thing I've seen and is keeping his dark hair and features. He is 'talking', laughing, and loves to gnaw on his hands. I think he might be teething! He still loves mama and I'm so blessed to have him.

I can't imagine being done with having kids even though some look at me crazy when I say I want more. I look at them crazy for only wanting one or two, so we have a mutual respect for one another! LOL We have the best time as a family and babies are just too fun!! I already think about having another baby and what he or she will be like. Of course, I'd rather wait a little bit longer! :)

Enough rambling! What is going on with you?

On the road, Overwhelmed, and Out with the clutter!

This week, I did something very brave. Very.Brave. I packed up my 3 kids, a small suitcase of things, took $100 and went to my sister's 6 hours away. My mom and dad went to my brother's in MO, so I had the kids for 3 days. My hubby had work-related stuff that caused him to be out of town for 2 nights, so I decided, literally, on the spur of the moment, to head out to GA. Like, I got the idea to go around 9ish Tues morning and I was out the door a little after 11am. Now that I look back, I think, what was I smokin'? But, everything went smoothly (as smoothly as it can with small kids). The trip turned into an 8 hour trip both times, but that's okay. If you get in a hurry with small ones, you will be stressed out and things will get hairy fast (like they do when we get ready for church). We had to stop for lotsa potty breaks (Erin), feeding times, and McDonald's/play times, but it was nice. My kids *gulp* had only been to McDonald's once or twice before. They thought they were in heaven (esp Em)! On the way back, we had 2 traffic jams, where I had to take Evan out of his carseat and Erin had to peepee in her Pull-up (that was hard to make her do), but everything was cool. The Lord gives me patience and wisdom, I can feel it. Because when one looks back on a could-be-stressful situation that went smoothly, he or she knows that the Lord is with him/her. It is awesome that the Lord cares about everything we go thru. My sister and I had a great time. She is so creative and has such a nice home. I may have the musical talent of the family, but she certainly has the organizational ability and the creativity! The kids had a blast playing together! We just chilled and the weather was so nice! It was great to visit my sister and her family. Oh, and I survived Atlanta traffic with a screaming infant..lol.

Overwhelmed. Hmmm....don't get me wrong, I have my priorities in perspective, but it still SO bothers me that my house and life is quite chaotic. My kids and I have a blast, I meet their's and my husband's needs, they don't stress me, I don't holler, etc., but I am overwhelmed. I can't remember/don't have time to call ppl I love on their birthdays, send thank you cards, keep promises to my students (oh boy, overwhelmed at school, too...you should see how many ungraded papers I have collected that MUST be graded by Wed) organize, clean, straighten, etc. This is interesting. I was telling my husband just today that I used to think women whose homes were cluttered/unkempt (is that a word?) and who were scatterbrained were bad moms. Now I know that very few women can be a good mom AND be uncluttered, organized, etc. Anybody feeling me? It's just near impossibility to meet the needs of your family and have a neat as a pin home and remember all the remberings without losing your mind. Maybe it's just because I have a newborn. I don't know, but I am so overwhelmed. Example. I have clothes awaiting foldment on the table, the freezer, the dryer. I have clothes awaiting washment on the floor in the laundry room, the bathroom, the bedrooms, the van, and probably other places. I have clothes in bags from various places (grandmother's, clothes given to us, etc) on the chairs in the living room, the dining room table, in the van, and probably in the kids' room. Wish leads me to the next subject. Clutter.

I vow to, this week, if the pets don't get fed, if the plants die, if the beds remain unmade, if diapers stay dirty (j/k), that I will eliminate some of the clutter in my home. I absolutely loathe clutter. Clutter spells stress to me. My kids have clothes, shoes, undergarments, toys, etc. that they have outgrown that are just contributing to clutter. My room is a clutter zone like you've never seen. It stresses me to the max. I have contributed 1% of clutter to my home. Every now and then various ppl send/give/buy us toys, clothes, etc., that we don't need, albeit appreciate, but again, more clutter. I love things simple. If it were up to me, my kids would have a few wooden toys ( I LOVE wooden toys), books (tons), a few simple dolls, blocks, and what else does a child need? Just this week, I had 2 huge bags of stuff for my kids donated by someone in all generosity. Erin got a couple of pairs of Crocs, which I can 't afford, out of the deal, so I was so thankful, but then again, more clutter. So, anybody want to take the clutter challenge? I'm thinking I'm going to get a big paper towel box, set it in my LR and put about 15 items per day in the clutter bin. Then, I 'll sort the box into sections, ship it all the Salvation Army and relax in my clutter free home. Anyone up for the challenge? Christmas is coming and that means, sigh, more clutter. Appreciated clutter, but still I need to go out with the old and in with the new! :)

Long time, no blog. Hope everyone had a great weekend. We had a good singing today--seven people came to the altar and prayed. It was very nice. I'm anticipating revivial at our home church. I can feel it. God is waiting to move and I can't wait. I want to be smack dab in the middle of what He pours out.