Blogging Home Business, Motherhood, & Life From A Small Town...
Mom Blog
Who Am I?
Hi. I'm Amanda. AKA Petite Mommy. This is a personal blog accompanying my web endeavor ContestForMoms.com Mom to 2 gorgeous boys, Mini Cousteau & Future Brad Pitt. Blogger. Homeschooler. Entrepreneur. Hillbilly. Food Allergy/EE Mom. Lover of Coffee, Pop Culture, Photography, Social Media & My Family. Raising my kids in the middle of nowhere (AKA the hills of Eastern Kentucky)
I manage to make my way back to this blog every few weeks. I always say I want to get back to being consistent and writing a post every few days if only for the sake of documenting our lives. I want to share our story and express myself. We all deserve to be heard no matter how boring we think we are. I guess my once-a-month post is consistency in it's own way.
At the same time I don't want to over share. I struggle with privacy issues. Am I sharing too much or not enough wherein I don't even seem real? And then my head starts to hurt and this is the part where I usually just delete the blog post and close down my browser or post something superficial like this but today I'm going to continue on...
So..my life.. yes I guess that's where I should begin. The snow and no water is as good as start as any I suppose. We've had snow on the ground every day since the beginning of December so we are all ready for Spring and ready to get out of the house. We've experienced more water outages than anyone ever should this Winter and I'm hoping it's all over with. On the up side, I've managed to perfect the pots & pans bath technique. I also experienced getting water from an old well so I'm pretty much prepared for anything 2012ish.
On a more serious note, most of you know our 5 yr old son has EE and has thus far not had to have a feeding tube like many kids with his condition. He's had some bad weeks of constant vomiting. For about 10 days he ate nothing but rice, cereal, baby food, and gatorade. During his last appt. with his Pediatric GI, he had basically stopped growing and gaining weight. I pretty much already knew that because he's been wearing the same clothes for a while now. After a long arduous process we are finally getting into the CCED clinic in Cincinnati. They specialize in this disorder and can hopefully help him. With this comes the possibility of a feeding tube but hopefully he will come out with better results. In March we have to go to Cincinnati (5 hours away) and stay there for 5 days of testing. I'm both hopeful and stressed out at the same time.
Now on to birthdays...Did I mention I feel like I'm writing one of those yearly family letters? Anyway, our oldest will be 9 in 2 days. Wow. In 4 short years I'm going to have a teenager. You do not know how much that scares me. We had his birthday party last weekend in the midst of a water outage. He chose a camo/war theme and we asked everyone to wear something with camouflage. How appropriate. He had an awesome birthday party! Here's the cake:
A couple of days ago I ordered some backgrounds (because I'm crazy and want to start a photography biz) and I needed to do a few test photos so I thought we should just go ahead and do some 9 year portraits. I love how this one turned out of us together. Yes, I'm aware that he is almost as big as me thus the blog name, Petite Mommy ;)
I know this post seems like it will never end which reminds why I never write these types of posts - they take way too long to write and I never have the time... what with homeschooling, my day job, and being a Mom. Not to mention the other 1,000 roles I play.
I was getting tired of seeing Ian Somerhalder AKA Damon's face on the main page here so I figured it was high time I shared with you a younger, much prettier face. I have to admit, however, I am a *bit* biased. ;)
You can see more of him by clicking on this photo.
FYI: Got that hat at Old Navy for only $5! My son loves it!
Rather than share with you the drama that is my life, I'm going to share with you a distraction in the form of hot vampire-y guys. Hey, it's Halloween so I can do what I want.
P.S. You may have noticed the superficial here lately. I know it sucks but that's all I feel like I can share at this time in my life. Anonymity would be great right about now wouldn't it?
Monday (the 19th) was my 33rd birthday. Nothing extravagant was planned. No lavish "material" gifts were given to me. It was a day like any other made better by two little boys who mean the world to me. When I woke up they gave me lots of hugs and kisses, gave me homemade cards filled with love and such cuteness, and then we sang happy birthday over pumpkin pie. Nothing is better than this. Nothing ever will be.
This photo of us was taken last week at the Ripleys Aquarium while we were vacationing at the beach.
With work, laundry, homeschool projects, and dirty dishes piling up I have no time for writing at the moment. Hopefully these will suffice.
You can see more on my flickr page here. And, if you really want to keep up with me 24/7 I'm microblogging on Twitter ;) where I chat in 140 characters or less about homeschooling, being a mom, my favorite links, working from home, what I'm doing, what I'm eating, and other nonsense all day long.
Current total: 2 kids (yes I know the boys aren't animals but they sure do act like it sometimes), 2 dogs, 2 cats, and about 14 tropical fish plus 2-4 neighborhood dogs who like to hang out at our place every single day.
My next project: "How Not to Go Broke Feeding Your Pets". I hope I can pull this one off.
Here's Future Bam holding his baby brother (Picasso) back in 2004 when he was barely 3 years old. Oh my gosh I thought he was so grown up then. :(
And, now, NOW he really IS growing up. Here's Future Bam on his 8th birthday a few days ago. (I really think I need to give him a new more appropriate nickname like Einstein or maybe mini Cousteau.)
In the last few weeks I've realized that one person can't do everything. It all started when I seriously considered giving up my online business twice in the same month. Honestly, I feel like I can't keep up anymore. With several blogs to update, massive amounts of contests to post, reviews to be written, emails to respond to, new articles to be written, and administrative duties to be completed it's a wonder I'm still here. I want to be here. I want to do this I just won't put work before my 2 boys any longer. They come first and always will. I guess I should also mention that since we also homeschool, our kids are at home every day while we work at home everyday which kinda throws the whole productivity idea out the window.
So, for the new year I'm desperately seeking balance. Whatever that may be. I also need to work on being focused, saying no, and realizing when I'm taking on too much. Where do you draw the line when it comes to opportunities that are out there? It seems like so many WAHMs (myself included) take on so much in hopes that one of those opportunities will catapult us into something greater.
Starting tomorrow evening I'm taking off a week or two. I'm doing nothing but spending time with family, doing some last minute shopping, watching my favorite Christmas movies, eating lots of bad but delicious foods, making cookies, and generally just lounging around until the Christmas eve festivities begin.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year. See you in '09.
I hate grocery shopping. To me, grocery shopping is pure torture. Not only are the prices out-freakin'-rageous these days but I also have to painstakingly read every ingredient on each item to see whether or not Big Boy Picasso (the 4 yr. old) is allergic to it. Did I mention that 99% of the time I have to put back the item that I pick up? Dealing with food allergies on a daily basis is not easy. Sure, there are worse things. Things could be way worse. I know that. However, if you walked one day in my shoes then you'd get it. You'd understand the frustration. Just try to buy cheese that doesn't actually have cheese or soy or corn in it then come back here and tell me how well that went. You'd quickly start to hate grocery shopping just as much as I do now.
What's weird though is that I have begun to really like cooking. I've been baking bread, making allergy-free cakes, and coming up with new recipes. If only I had more free time in my day then maybe those recipes would be tastier.
Nothing soothes me more than being able to get outside and take pictures. I wish photography were my job but, hey, it isn't and I'm no professional. So, I guess I'll just sit here and blog my life away instead. It works. It pays the bills.
However, professional or not, I'm still sharing these photos from yesterday. It was warm here so the boys and I played in the hills behind our house.
Now, my request for you. What is one thing that relaxes you when life gets tough/stressful? Post it on your blog and I'll share your link with everyone here, or post it in the comments for everyone to read. Maybe we can help each other. ;)
BTW, I'm looking for moms or dads that review products who'd like to be featured over at A Mom's Review in the coming months.
Please bring me a "pause button" so I can use it on days like today.
Sincerely,
A very busy mommy blogger/entrepreneur who just wants to sit down for one freakin' minute (sorry Santa) without thinking about the eleventy-hundred things she has to do next.
Imaginary care-free play - it's such a beautiful thing. Through our eyes, time goes by so fast. Through theirs, time stands still. Make every moment count, and don't forget to capture some of the more breathtaking moments on camera. Yeah - that's my tip for the day, or shall I say month since I'm not blogging much here these days.
click for larger image
click for larger image click for larger image ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * We're giving away the very NEW Spongebob WhoBobWhatPants DVD over at A Mom's Review. Win it! I hope you'll also join us every day at A Mom's Review throughout the holiday season for some great product reviews, gift ideas, and giveaways! *
Here's something funny our 4 year old said last night so I feel inclined to share...
As I was watching the ending of Fringe (BTW, my review of it is over here) last night, our 4 year old walked in just in time to hear Joshua Jackson singing "life is but a dream..." from Row Row Row Your Boat.
The 4 year old looked at me and said matter-of-factly, "Your butt doesn't dream, it poops!"
Hilarious! I just love my boys so much. All they ever think about are farts and poop! Hot Daddy even had to inform the boys during a homeschooling lesson yesterday that there was much more to life than farts and poop. I had to laugh at that one. :)
*By the way, we are giving away some Weight Watchers products over at A Mom's Review and the deadline is tonight so go enter NOW! We've also shared some great stuff for moms lately. I hope you'll go over and see what we recommend.
I could come here and talk about how perfect my life is today but the truth is - this week my kids are driving me crazy*. Imagine that. I feel so much better and yet so much worse at the same time for writing that out. It's that whole mommy guilt thing.
I think the rain coupled with the changes in routine since we are back to homeschooling our 7 year old son has taken it's toll on our attention-commanding 4 year old son. Which basically translates to pure chaos & madness!
I feel really stressed ( extra special thanks to Hot Daddy for noticing as if I needed help recognizing it) and we are only 1 1/2 weeks into homeschooling this year. I really feel like I'm just going non stop with no end in sight and we've only just begun. OMFG!
I guess boundaries and finding balance is in order. Good advice is welcome.
* An extra special note to my kids should they come across this as adults
"Boys, I still really love you even though I say you drive me crazy. You drive me crazy in so many ways most of which are painfully sweet and fill me with awe but today the both of you are just driving me crazy in a rotten way." Love, Mommy.
Yesterday was our 7 year old's first day of back to school at home. He's now in 1st grade. I have to admit that I think I'm enjoying homeschooling more than he is right now. He's certainly enjoying it too but I'm having just as much fun painting alongside him, doing crafts with him (glue messes and all), and teaching him everything he needs and wants to know.
For his first day we took pictures, worked on spelling & math, studied plants, did some crafts, and read a plethora of back to school themed books. Later I let him leave with his Mamaw to go shopping for some new clothes and shoes even though he didn't really need anything new except flip-flops.
Before he went out the door, he turned to me and said something I'll keep close to me forever. He looked at me with such sweetness and said, "Your the best Mommy a fella could ever hope to have". Then he gave me a big hug and off he went.
I couldn't have asked for a better first day.
*I also wanted to do some shameless promoting over here and tell all of you about a cool contest going on over at A Mom's Review. We are giving away 10 complete cake kits from Cakes By Me. Go HERE to read our review and enter the contest.
We start our homeschooling routine back up next Monday so we are getting the most fun out of our last few days of no school. Yesterday we went and looked for rocks. Yes, my boys are currently fascinated by all different types of rocks so a rock hunt was due. After rock hunting for what seemed like miles we picked vegetables (even some non ripe tomatoes for fried green tomatoes -yum!) from Me-Maw's (their great grandmother) garden to bring home. I wish I would have brought along my camera. Maybe next time.
On our way back home we stopped at a local diner to eat. And, let me be the first to tell you it would NEVER make Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives Show. This place is lucky it hasn't been shut down by the health department. OHMYGOSH! We will never go back! The ONLY reason we stayed after we walked in to this establishment was because the boys acted as if they simply could not live another moment without food. We all know how that goes with kids,right? Besides kids don't seem to notice stuff like adults do- flies, cigarette smoke, and dirty tables. The cigarette smoking near the cooking was atrocious! I assumed smoking in restaurants was banned everywhere. Apparently not. In fact, my MIL and I just knew we were going to come down with food poisoning. However, it's a day later and we are thankfully not sick.
Anyway, today the boys are interested in spiders. I will not hunt spiders. That's something my sweet boys will have to do on their own. Dinner, complete with those fried green tomatoes we picked yesterday, is at the in-laws. Life is good.
So, how was your yesterday? Are you making the most out of your days before the back to school routine sets in?
Someone bought Baby Picasso (the 4 yr. old) a camo t-shirt some time ago and it had been hanging in the closet not worn for some time. I took it out and placed it in one of Baby Picasso’s dresser drawer’s so he could wear it if he wanted before it got too small. Yesterday evening after swimming he came in to change into dry clothes and guess what he picked out? Yes, that camo t-shirt.
He became instantly mesmerized by army men and talked continuously about his camo t-shirt while riding on his bike and playing. I kind of felt bad for keeping it from him for so long. It’s not that I didn’t want him to wear it. It’s just that I never picked it out when I dressed him simply because I thought it was an ugly choice for a shirt.
Anyway, for a few hours last night he just couldn't get army men off his mind and the conversation continued in the shower…
4 year old: "Mom, do army men cut their toe nails?"
Me: "Yes."
4 year old: "Mom, do army men take showers?"
Me: "Yes."
4 year old: "Mom, do army men shoot their guns in the shower?"
Me: “No.”
4 year old: “Why not?”
Me: “Because they need to get clean.”
Apparently he was satisfied with that answer because he washed his hair, got out of the shower then let me cut his toenails without a fight. Maybe that camo t-shirt isn’t so bad after all. I wonder what I can get him to do next. ;)
There is a song that reminds me of my childhood so much that when I listen to it I am completely overwhelmed by emotion. When you hear the song I think you will know what I mean. If you don't feel anything or aren't inspired by it then there's no hope for you. It's also possible you are an alien ;) [Geez, it's a joke].
This song came out when I was 11 years old. It wasn't wildly popular at the time but it is a classic love song. More than likely, for you to have listened to it as a child repeatedly you probably had a musician in your family. In my case, my Dad played guitar. We used to listen to this song over and over again. This song has stuck with me over the years, and has remained "that" song that I'll never forget and I wanted to share it with you.
And now for the song you've all been patiently waiting for or maybe not-so-patiently waiting for but more like shut up already and tell us the dang song.
For all of you reading today or any day...I hope this song inspires you as it does me.
P.S. I'd love to see one or both of my boys play this song one day. Can you tell I'm rooting for them to be musicians AND rocket scientists? Actually I just want them to be inspired, to dream, to never give up, and to believe that anything is possible.
Our two boys have wanted a kitten for a long time. However, up until now I knew we just didn't have time for a new pet plus we had been renting for the past few years, and we never let the boys have a cat while we were renters. Except for this one time, and that crazy cat ran away shortly thereafter.
Now that we are homeowners we can have and do whatever we want so with that in mind we took the boys to the local animal shelter this past Monday to pick out a cat. Picking out a cat is hard work. We were there for over an hour, and seriously you can't go in a shelter without wanting to take every animal home with you. Eventually we came out with 2 kittens. One boy and one girl. Now we have 2 cats in the house, 4 fish, and 1 dog outside.
I think the boys are plotting to create a farm slowly but surely.
Take a look at our newest occupants. They are the cutest little creatures.
click to view a larger photo of Ezzie (short for Esmerelda)
click to view a larger photo of Graby (short for Graby & biscuits as our 4 yr. old says)
How many pets do you have, and how long do you think it will be before there are cows & chickens in my yard?
Having a birthday party, going to a family reunion or being a part of any extended family get together can be somewhat overwhelming for me. It brings up a whole plethora of issues and feelings with which I have to deal. I guess the whole point is that I feel like I have to defend our lifestyle each and every time a get together/party comes around. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. But I can't imagine being the only person in the entire world who freaks out when families come together. This is a new-ish feeling for me. I haven't always been this way. I think (I'm pretty sure) it all started when I had kids.
I worry if there is going to be enough food. I worry about whether the kids will like the party favors. I worry if anyone will show up. But most of all I worry about what I'm going to say when I'm questioned by various family members on our choice to home school our kids. There's also lots of nagging about us not visiting often enough so of course I have to explain myself all to often when that comes up too. It's not like I purposely avoid family. Well, maybe, sometimes I do. But mostly we don't visit much because we are just as busy as the next family, and we do what we can when we can.
We are also treated differently because we work from home. Everyone has this notion that we are always free and that our business just isn't as important since it's online. But it is just as important. It's how we live, pay our bills, and feed our kids. Hello, I work from home, Hot Daddy works from home, goes to school, and we home school our children. We're running a freaking circus in our home. Surely,we must need time for this!
With this lifestyle comes lots of questions, and I understand that people are curious about our online jobs too but sometimes it just gets old. The business advice needs to stop. Yes, I know I have to pay taxes. No, we're not doing anything illegal. It's called a blog. Everybody has a blog these days. Of course I started mine nearly 5 years ago when no one knew what a blog was. Not that it matters. You'd think I'd be rich by now. ;) Even Anderson Cooper has a blog. Your kids have blogs. It's possible your cat has a blog. Get with the program, people!
Anyway, moving on...
I just want to enjoy whatever is going on without feeling like I have to defend the way we are. I guess I need to just stop worrying about our family not "getting" us because I don't always "get" them either. We are so content with our life. Our children are happy. The hubz and I are happy. People should see that and move on because happiness is all that really matters. Why, yes, it is all butterflies and rainbows around here...mostly.
Of course I could be bringing all of this stress on myself. It's possible people are just curious. It's also possible that I'm am officially a nutcase. Have your pick. ;)
Baby Picasso (yikes, he 's turning 4 in less than a month...maybe he needs a new nickname??) has been quite the adventurous child as of late. I'll guarantee one thing...there's never a dull moment around here.
In the past week, he has went from a tricycle to pedaling, and riding a bike with training wheels. Here he is in all his bike riding glory...
(click to enlarge photo)
And,
Just yesterday he decided he would jump in the pool with his floaties on and attempt swimming on his own. Of course, it nearly scared me to death and I jumped in after him fully-clothed but it turns out he didn't need me. He swam fine on his own.
(click to enlarge photo)
Another first coming up...his 4th birthday party. Wow. They really do grow up so fast. For his party, he wants a carnival at our local park. He's not asking for much is he?
So, we've rented the park for the day and I'm now trying to figure out decorations and carnival games. His love of Disney Cars and NASCAR is prompting us to have a race car theme for the carnival party. I've looked at Oriental Trading for ideas and supplies. I've got prizes and decorations but I'm seriously lacking in the creativity department. I need inexpensive game ideas that will work well outdoors. My sanity thanks you, my dear readers, in advance for your help and ideas. ;)
In my last post here, I wrote about how, like most women, I feared the pains of labor. My attempt at humor must have not gone over very well because out of the very few comments I did receive, one of them was extremely negative, and I'd like to address that very craptastic comment from the "born-again crazy".
Even though my post was supposed to be funny (apparently I'm not good at humor) it's still a very accurate depiction of how I currently feel. During the birth of both of my boys, I openly asked for an epidural as soon as I could get one. I'm definitely not on the drug-free childbirth bandwagon. Sure, I'm happy for those women who want to do the natural thing but I'm not one of them. Instead, I chose the "no-pain" route.
With that being said, I'd really like to hear from each of my readers. Did you opt for an epidural or other drugs during the birth of your child? If so, do you feel less of a Mother for doing so? Because, honestly, feeling like we're not good Mothers because we chose to use an epidural is absurd. In fact, it's downright ridiculous! Choosing to use drugs or no drugs during the birth of your child has absolutely nothing to do with what kind of Mother you are going to be.
We're still at the in-laws. Sheesh, it's a good thing we get along except for those so-called hot issues like gun control, presidential candidates, religion, education, and so on. ;) I just try to keep my mouth shut considering the in-laws are feeding and housing us for the next few days. My iPod has been my one saving grace these past few weeks. That and TV. Speaking of TV, Did you watch Lost and Grey's Anatomy last night? It gets better yet more confusing every week.
Yes, I know I promised beautiful wildlife pictures on my next post. However, if you've been reading for a while you know that I'm not good at keeping promises.
But, hey, I've got lots of contests going on at ContestForMoms for Mother's Day where you can win free stuff like oh, a $300 Target gift card in our Jig-A-loo contest. Who couldn't use a $300 Target gift card or some free Jig-A-loo for that matter? I know I could use both right about now with all these home projects and stuff but one of you are going to win instead! You can also win an LTD Chix t-shirt on our NEW Baby Contest Buzz blog. Check IT out And, as if that isn't enough, if you think your baby is the cutest enter our free baby photo contest for your chance to win a prize package from Your Baby Can Read during the month of May.
I'm going to go renovate now. ;) Keep up with my latest complaints/projects/life on twitter. You are twittering, aren't you?
We are moving to a very small rural town in the next week or so. It's the place where my husband grew up and where his parents currently live. We are at a point in our lives where we want to be closer to family even if it means being a part of a backwards community that is stuck 30 years in the past. Seriously, we are lucky we have access to DSL but that's about it. The nearest Wal-mart, McDonalds and other necessary stores are around an hour away. I guess we'd better stock up now. ;) Hello, UPS man. I'm sure he will get tired of seeing me every day.
Our house is on the same property as Hot Daddy's parents so I've half-jokingly said to the in-laws in the past few weeks that our boys can just move in with them while Hot Daddy and I live the child-less life again. ;)
Realistically, though, moving back home will allow us to focus more on our online businesses/education because we do have access to family & friends helping out throughout the week. And, speaking of friends, we will actually be able to go out again which is something we haven't done much of in the past 2 years.
It's a good thing that our boys adore their grandparents. Who doesn't love people that are at your every "beck and call"? They have their very own concierge. LOL.
Here is a photo to show you just how rural we are. We are literally in between two hills. It's beautiful where we are moving to but Hot Daddy and I always said we'd never move back home. That is, until we had kids and saw how much they love it here. They don't even care that we are in the middle of nowhere. All they see is the beauty of the trees, mountains, and dirt!
You wanna know the hard part in all of this?
Explaining to the community and our family what we do for a living. They don't quite get making a living from websites/blogging. Sometimes I think they think I'm into some crazy stuff when I tell them I work from home and make money online.
Maybe I should start talking to them about Twitter? I'm thinking the people that follow me on Twitter outnumber the people that live in our tiny town. I'm also thinking that no one where we are moving to has even heard of Twitter. Sad or Safe?
I've also been thinking a lot about how living in an even smaller town where people know me will make blogging awkward. Will I change how and what I write about? If you are small town blogger I'd love to hear about how you deal with it.
Tomorrow we will be celebrating our oldest son's 7th birthday. Future Bam actually turned 7 on the 20th but we usually celebrate on Saturdays so that all of our family can join us. It's hard to believe that my little baby boy is 7. I know, we all say " I can't believe such and such". We can't believe it but yet it's true. The moment is right there in front of us and passes so quickly. Doesn't 7 seems so much older than 5 or 6?
I really don't know what I'm trying to say here. Is it about me, the passing of time, or my son getting older? Or a combination of all 3? Right now my life feels like it is going by exponentially fast. So much faster than when I was a child. I wish I could have the childhood perception of time when one week seemed like a year and one day of waiting "took forever". Maybe then I'd feel like I was able to fully experience all that my children say and do. Maybe I wouldn't feel like I have missed some of these precious 7 years.
I wonder if this is something we all go through? This feeling of time flying by and never having enough time to just breathe, be in the moment, and really truly experience everything to the fullest.
Sometimes I forget how wonderful my life is amongst the day to day chaos. I need to remind myself more often of how easy and enjoyable my life really is RIGHT NOW. Yes, there I said it, my life is indeed easy. At least easy to me. Being away for a few days made me appreciate this very fact.
I get to be the Mom to 2 extraordinary young boys. The are delightful, fun, spirited, and always full of life!
I'm so glad to be home and with my boys again. Our trip was fun but I can honestly say I would have enjoyed it more had our boys been with us.
On Wednesday Hot Daddy and I are leaving on a trip to Atlanta without the kids. It may not seem like such a big deal to many of you but it is to us simply because we've never went on a trip without our kids.
Our two boys have always traveled with us but this time Hot Daddy has a professional conference to attend, and bringing the kids along is just not a good idea. In other words, having two kids holed up in a hotel with nothing to do for 5 days would be a disaster for us and for them. Besides the MIL has gladly accepted the challenge of taking care of them both while we go on our trip. She's practically pushing us out the door.
We are almost packed with more bags of toys than clothes and the hard part has yet to come. Leaving is the hard part. I'm not really worried about our oldest who is 6 because he's spent many nights with his grandparents. It's our youngest that I am worried about. This will only be his second time away from us. It was hard then and we were only away for 24 hours. I guess I'm more concerned about our 3 yr. old because of his food allergies. It doesn't help that in the past few weeks he has thrown up and had more choking episodes than usual.
I know some parents jump at the chance to get away from their kids but we just don't. We are a close knit family who does everything together. I guess you could say we are a bit dysfunctional but in a good way. It's our way. It's how we choose to live.
I just want to go and have a good time with my husband without feeling guilty or without feeling worried the whole time. I don't actually think it's possible to not feel guilty and be a Mom at the same time. Anyway, most of my time will be spent in the hotel as Hot Daddy attends workshops during the day so my laptop will be my best friend. Yes, I'll be blogging and taking photos. I may even do my taxes.
I know that as we leave on Wednesday morning I'll be an emotional mess but after an hour or so on the road (yes, we're driving) I'll be fine. If we get to the hotel and I see children with their parents at the conference I'll feel guilty and sad so if your gonna be in a conference in Atlanta this week for my sanity's sake DO NOT bring your children. :)
All in all, how do you feel when going on trips without your kids?
1.) Homeschooling is time consuming. WOW. I'm super busy these days. Basically, I'm non-existent. Maybe you've noticed?? ;)
2.) Hardees will kill you LITERALLY. I'm never eating a Hardees Bacon Cheeseburger Melt ever again. Do you know how much fat and calories are in one of those? DON'T ASK!!! Your better off not knowing.
3.) Youtube.com is the new automatic homeschooler!
4.) Nothing ever goes as planned BUT everything will eventually be OK.
5.) That it's possible to find exercise equipment that you can enjoy! We bought a bike and I've biked anywhere from 3-5 miles per day for over a week! Let me tell you it becomes addictive plus I'm competitive, and I have to beat Hot Daddy NO MATTER WHAT.
6.) That 6 boxes of cereal is NOT ENOUGH for 1 week. Maybe we eat too much cereal.
So I know I've been a little weird (maybe that isn't the right word) here lately and wrote that I was going to use another format, spend less time here, be less personal, yada, yada, etcetera, etc...
The thing is I can't commit to anything right now. Initially I thought I could but it's just not going to happen since we are in the midst of some big changes.
In addition to working full time from home, we are now officially homeschoolers!!
We withdrew our our son from public school this week after much consideration & discussion. Homeschooling is something we should have done since the beginning but I wanted to give our son the chance to try out public school. We did it. It wasn't for him. End of story.
We started "classes" today and I'm excited to report that it's going great so far amongst the chaos. Want a peek into our chaos? For starters, the 3 yr. old decided he'd get into his brother's supplies and pour an entire bottle of glue on to the carpet and draw all over his face with the "good" markers among other things. Let's just say he was quite interested in all of his brother's new things lying around.
The wonderful thing in all of this chaos was that our 3 yr old drew all 8 planets (What? You didn't know Pluto wasn't a planet anymore?) right along with his 6 1/2 year old brother. And, Future Bam's zest for learning is back. He is overjoyed to say the least.
Anyway, seriously, we completed more than a full day's worth of work in less than half the time it takes in regular school. How is that you ask? Homeschool and you will find out.
We are going to be doing a mix of worksheets and child led learning for now. I'm not sure I could classify our style at this point but we're leaning towards a mix of these 3: child-led, parts of the Moore Formula ( thanks to Quiet Mom & Fussy via Twitter. See Twitter can be good), and text book methods. I'm sure we will change as we go along to see what works best for everyone.
So now that this big change is taking place I want to be able to have the chance to talk about it here (or another new blog) as we go along on this homeschooling journey.
Finally, I want to say that I will still be blogging here but not on a schedule and it will be when I really have something to say or share. It won't be just to blog and get something up. I also want to try and do the Friday Linky Love post I talked about earlier but I may not always get to it on time so don't hold me to any standards. If you've learned anything on this blog it's that I change my mind a lot.
Soooo... bring on the organization/scheduling/recordkeeping tips homeschooling mommies & daddys!!!!
Random banter overheard in the mom blog household yesterday...
Ah, the sweet smell of Mexico!
Your face looks like shit. Your body parts too.
If we live in a cabin the serial killers will surely get us!
Only hillbillies homeschool. Who knew?
(Yes, I'm throwing in a new photo I took of Baby Picasso w/ the Nikon D40. We're havin' fun!)
If you are fan of the Veggie Tales enter the New Veggie Tales Movie Contest for your chance to win Movie Swag here. If you don't like the Veggie Tales (I understand, really I do) then don't click on the link. Easy enough, right?
It's a new year and with each new year, for me, comes resolutions or at least some sort of plan to do things better than the previous year. So let's get straight to it, shall we?
In 2008, I want to be more focused and committed in my online business. I've been doing this for over 4 years and I'm convinced that this is my year. Hey, it's good to be optimistic right? My goal is to grow my businesses enough to where I can hire someone part time to help me. I can only do so much as one person. In fact, I really need a team in place if I plan to get anywhere. Keeping up with around 10 sites (give or take a few) is just not realistic for one person. We shall see how that goes. Baby steps...baby steps... that's how I have to think. Selling some of my business in 2008 is not out of the question either. It is an idea that I have been throwing around but nothing is official. Not even close.
Now on to the personal/family goals...
I've often wrote on this blog how much I want to homeschool but that didn't work out as planned in 2007. Instead I sent my 6 yr. old on to public school in August against my own wishes (due to family pressure- basically I let them talk me out of it) which has been a source of stress and general uneasiness for me since that time. I just feel like something is not "right" when I send FB off to public school. We are sending him to a place that totally does not go with our lifestyle and beliefs. The truth is homeschooling fits us and I feel like a hypocrite every morning for sending him off to some place I myself do not like for the sake of satisfying the need of pleasing our extended family. If you think about it, it's completely ridiculous! The reason our son is not being homeschooled is because I am letting my family and my husband's family influence our decisions.
But all of that ends starting now...
I am currently revisiting our choice to homeschool. Right now I am working on going through the proper channels to see what I need to do if I decide to withdraw our son from school and start homeschooling in the next month. It is not a decision I have committed 100% to just yet because I have other things on my mind. But I will be making a life changing decision very soon. And this is where you my dear homeschooling ( or not ) readers come in. I understand that homeschooling is a very personal decision and we all do it for varying reasons. But I'd love to hear why you ultimately chose to homeschool. What made you take that final step? That is something I need to hear today.
I have other personal goals but since I spent so much time on this post talking about homeschooling (wow, maybe a bit much) I'll revisit this subject later.
With temperatures in the low 60's today, the boys and I headed outside to enjoy the warmth while it lasted. This was the first day we have been outside to really play in what seems like forever. And of course I had to test out the new D40 because what would a day be without pictures? I'm hoping to regain some sort of a schedule tomorrow and get back on track...
So apparently my home isn't a disaster like I thought it was according to the commenters in my last post. I'm actually quite relieved that we are all in this together (or some of us anyway because I have seen houses with small kids that are completely clean and you wouldn't think anyone lives there).
I do have to confess that I kind of cheated and took the picture in the last post when things didn't look too bad. So don't go thinking that our old house is all organized and clean, or that I am a horrible Mother who doesn't let her children play with their toys. LOL.
In case you all are wondering I do let my kids play with their toys all through the house ALL DAY LONG. That is, when I don't have them locked up in a cage*. But see, there's toys in there!!!! Yippee!!!
*I don't really lock my kids up in cages but you knew that already. This disclaimer is for the crazies and trolls that come around.
Here are the ingredients you need to have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day:
1.) Have 3 yr. old wake up up with a 105 F temperature 2.) Give tylenol 3.) Have 3 yr. old wake 2 hours later with a temp back up to 105.4 F 4.) Call pediatrician after dropping 6 yr. old off at school. 5.) Pediatrician is out for the week 6.) We are told to go to the ER 7.) Go to ER 8.) Get to ER crowded with people wanting pain medicine. Is your wrist hurting really an emergency? I don't think so. Grrrrr..... 9.) 3 yr. old gets put into a room near several patients infested with lice. OMG. Freakin out. 10.) People wanting drugs on the other side. Total nightmare. 11.) 3 yr. old has ear infection. Yes, we already suspected that. We just need antibiotics. 12.) Get home, give medicine. 13.) 3 yr. old pukes medicine. He is allergic to it. 14.) Call ER for new medicine. They don't seem to comprehend our son's allergies & condition. This does not surprise me! 15.) Call pharmacy. No new medicine to pick up. 16.) Pharmacy ready to close, call ER again about new medicine. 17.) Finally get new medicine a few minutes before pharmacy closes. 18.)Takes meds, all is well until temp spikes back up! 19.)Temp down, goes to sleep 20. The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day is OVER.
Thankfully the antibiotics have kicked in and our son is doing better today.
My blogging here has become sporadic. I've noticed (you've noticed too) that I have been posting at best two times a week. I remember once upon a time when I used to love to come here and share my thoughts with whoever happened to stay long enough to read. I could come here today and say that I have nothing to blog about but actually I have lots to blog about...
I could talk about my 6 year old son's pneumonia and the fact that he has been home from school for a week and that I really don't want to send him back next week just to get sick all over again.
I could tell you that my husband has an acute (and I don't mean a "cute") obsession with Justin Timberlake. I've lost count on how many time we've listened to this and watched this. Go ahead. Click it. It's HOT!! He's going to kill me for telling the world about this because if I remember correctly he asked me not to tell anyone. Sorry hubz.
I could talk about the fact that I'm so busy with work, life, sick kids, and the holidays that I'm possibly on the verge of a nervous breakdown as my husband so honestly stated to me today while I nearly cried over spilled milk during dinner. Yes, it's clear I'm going crazy...
I don't know what it is really...this thing that is holding me back here lately. Maybe it's in part due to me being literary challenged and partly due to my need to keep up with my other billion blogs and sites. And, more importantly, the other ones don't require a good story teller - just relevant content. Hey, and did I mention that we have giveaways going on over here with more in the upcoming weeks, new contests listed here, Christmas Themed Toys here (because we all need toys before Xmas, right?, and A Way To Make Some Extra Money For Christmas over here. Yeah, I'm THAT busy.
Thanks to my Senseo and supportive husband. They make all this possible. Well,and our 2 boys. This really wouldn't be possible without them. Because you don't have a mommy blog if your not a Mommy. Um, scratch that.I think I've come across mommy blogs not written my moms but that's another topic for another time...
So today I've got nothing better than to tell you about how I bit my tongue yesterday while eating a sandwich. I bit it so hard that I started crying in front of my 3 year old. What kind of adult bites their tongue and cries over it? Furthermore, what kind of person bites their tongue, cries over it then blogs about it to the world? Me, apparently.
So as to not scare Baby Picasso, I quit crying and shook uncontrollably instead. That didn't go over so well either.
And if you must know, it' still hurts like a $%*&^# today! Go ahead and laugh!
So have you ever cried in front of your child? How did they react?
Here are a few pictures of our trip. With each vacation that we embark upon and each set of pictures that accompany them, I am reminded of how fast time goes by and of how much our boys have grown. I am so lucky to be able to have this time with the three men (hubs& our 2 boys) in my life that I love the most. Last week at this time we were sitting on our little sandy island on the beach collecting crabs and shells. This week we are thrown back into our everyday routine where we quickly go through the motions and our time is not as focused on each other as it is on vacations. Spending time with those you love the most on vacations have the wonderful effect of clearing your mind and of helping you push forward with goals and dreams. They are my inspiration!
Who or what is yours?
The boys enjoying the sun rise! The FAM ( all of us together in 1 photo-it's a miracle!) The babe (er, 3 yr. old) & Me! Feeding The Seagulls
Thanks to everyone who has entered our 2 contests going on right now. We have over 97 entries on one contest alone! You still have time to enter both of them, Amy Grant's book Mosaic & the Comfy Toddler PC. We have many new contests coming your way over the next few weeks and months so don't forget to stop by.
This morning as Future Bam was putting on his clothes and getting ready for school he told me that kids in his class thought I was his sister. He then asked me a question I knew he would eventually ask since being around other people forced him to notice that, yes, I am different than most of the other moms. . If you, dear readers, are wondering just exactly how different I am then his next question will answer that. He asked me why I was so much smaller than the other moms. He said a few things that I thought were funny too. He said, "Didn't you eat much when you were growing up?" "Is that why you couldn't grow taller?". He also said something that many people may not think of as nice but coming out of the mouth of a 6 year old it's all he knows and all he has to compare me to. He asked why all the mommies looked like grandmas.
Before school he would have never realized this or even thought of me as different and now he sees me as so different than all the other moms and he wonders why I'm not like them. This is something I have had to deal with my entire life so it's easy for me to shrug it off even though I still deal with it almost everyday. I've also talked about it at length here on this blog. It's also why I named the blog Petite Mommy.
I talked to FB about how everybody is different and we all come in different shapes in sizes. And that although there may not be other mommies that he knows who is as small as me at his school there are mommies like me out there. Have any of you out there experienced anything similar? Did your children think you were different than the other mamas?
Nowadays he's pretty content with drawing on his Lightning McQueen Magna Doodle or in coloring books. And, I've got to say that he has turned into quite the budding artist.
Behold, baby Picasso's latest masterpieces...
Patrick Star from Sponge Bob Squarepants
Bub the Cat from his Nanny & Papaw's House
So, what do ya think? Will we be seeing his drawings in museums or what? ;)
Apparently Future Bam wasn't tormented by enough germs and illnesses when he was younger so he's paying for it all now in kindergarten. I guess this is what happens when your child has never attended daycare or preschool. Today makes the 3rd day that FB has missed school this month due to some kind of sickness. We've went from upper respiratory infection to a rash(the verdict is out on whether it was truly poison ivy or excema but it was BAD) to a fever & swollen tonsils in a 3 week period. Maybe FB needs a bubble???
I'm off to invest in some vitamin C and echinacea before the flu season starts otherwise we really might run into some trouble.
If you have a child in kindergarten have they gotten sick yet? Is echinacea a wonder herb? Help, I don't want another sick Monday.
Our 3 year old has recently taken up saying three phrases quite often. First of all he has some sort of obsession with curse (bad) words so he goes around saying all day, "Is that a bad word?" while saying words that are very similar to bad words but not actually saying the "bad" words. I get to hear this about a bajillion times in one day. Aren't I so lucky?
Up next is , "NO never!" except that instead of saying never he says "nevah". And, he likes to point at you or whoever is the one being told no! It's quite funny actually. Well, it's funny to Hot Daddy and I. I realize it's not that funny to everyone else.
And his latest thing is saying, "It's lookin' saucy". WTF? I actually have no idea where that came from but who cares it's funny right?
My life is a constant comedy, I know. Umm, OK, I lied...
Today is Friday and I've got a sick little boy with the croop! BTW, the lyrics in the title belong to my 3 year old's current favorite song. We are listening to the song as I type. Can anyone guess what the song is? Anyone????
So, while we are on the subject, if hypothetically you could do anything you wanted today what would it be? Me, I'd want to be sitting on a warm beach with my toes in the sand making sand castles with my boys! And, I'd make sure someone was there to cater to our every want and need. Yeah, I'm gettin' a little selfish but a girl can dream right?
Every Soccer season we go through the same routine of meeting new coaches, new kids and new parents...And, every year after we go through all of this Hot Daddy and I contemplate moving out of town. Here's a post from last year around Soccer time. I don't know if we are crazy or what. Is it the town or is it the people? Maybe I should say normal parents. Wait, do normal and parent even belong in the same freakin' sentence? Is there such a place where there are so-called normal people? I think not. Heck, I'm not even really sure I know what normal is anymore?
I'm just tired of all the if-you-don't-agree-with-everything-that-I-do-then-I-don't-like-you shit?
Geez, we're grown ups! We are not supposed to be acting like this. Why not try being "good" for a change?
Nell over at Casual Friday Everyday video'd her day as a work at home mom so I thought it would be fun to do this too and show all of you how my day goes as a work at home mom. I did the video this morning without showering or putting on makeup. Hey, it's supposed to be realistic right? :) The video is not of great quality. I don't know what happened after I uploaded it to youtube. I guess I need something better than a Kodak P850.
*Oh and if your not real sure you want to spend any extra time clicking on and watching the video, might I suggest a bonus to make you want to watch is my Southern hillbilly(Appalachian) accent. ;) There are also 2 posts up here today. The latest one explaining my last post.
I am guilty of buying my two boys too much stuff. There, I said it. OtherMoms are talking about it too. Our home is overflowing with junk. However, I haven’t always been this way. There have been plenty of times when Hot Daddy and I were new parents and we barely had enough money to buy food & diapers.
But now I buy a little something for the boys almost every time we go somewhere even if it’s just a quick trip to the grocery store. I don’t buy extravagant gifts or anything like that but I do catch myself and HOT Daddy (he’s really bad for it) buying the boys something like a book, a hot wheels car, or sometimes a movie when we go into a store. For example, a couple days ago I went to get school snacks for Future Bam and ended up buying him one of the very few Sponge bob DVD’s that he didn’t already have and his little brother got a Disney Cars toy.
Obviously I know this is a very bad habit and I don’t want the boys growing up thinking that they can have any material object any time they want it. I was not raised that way and I don’t want my boys to be raised that way but it’s hard to not give in to a tiny little toy that puts a smile on their face when we go shopping. For the most part we buy things that cost a $1 or $2 but those costs do add up and could be put to better use. I’m not sure what “better use” yet. Maybe some of you could give me some ideas on how to spend the money better if I do in fact stop spending it on junk. I know I could be paying more towards our debt but really is that $2 going to make a difference?
So, let’s hear it. I’m really interested in hearing how many of you buy your kids too much stuff? Do you buy your kids something every time you go somewhere? And if you do buy too much is it because you feel guilty? I know that is part of my reasoning. Honestly, when Hot Daddy and I have been really busy for a week or two and haven’t really gotten to spend a lot of real quality time with the boys I try to make up for it and I guess that’s where the buying stuff comes in. At least I am being honest and acknowledging this problem but in the grand scheme of things it probably doesn’t even matter. What do you think?
Here are a few quotes as said by our new kindergarten boy.
I asked my son about the most important thing he has learned so far in Kindergarten. His response, "To sit down and zip your mouth". Nice! He's turning into a robot already.
While picking up FB from school his teacher said he had gotten into trouble that day so I asked my son what he got into trouble for. His response, "Laughing". Another Nice! We teach our kids from birth that laughter is a natural, wonderful emotion and that laughter really is the "best medicine" and when the kids go to school they are taught to suppress these emotions because it's too noisy. I wonder if this is why so many kids are depressed/anxious these days????
Maybe we should have homeschooled. I know, it's not too late but other than the "frikkin' rules" everything is going great and our son is so excited about school.
Sooo.... Future Bam's first day of kindergarten went very well. He loved it and said all he did was "play" and "have fun". Hearing this has sort of restored my faith in what kindergarten is really supposed to be. More on this as the year goes along. This morning I took FB into his classroom and when I reached down to give him a kiss he sort of snubbed me. Wow, all grown up after one day. So I guess it's OK to starting crying now, huh?
Here are some back to school kindergarten resources that I hope you will check out if you need help in getting prepared for back to school or want to know how to prepare your child for their first ever day of school-these worked for me.
P.S. *Edited to Add: If you are a mom looking for a paid blogging/writing job them please check our newest list of real work at home blog jobs over at http://www.HomeJobsForMoms.biz ;)
I've got some changes coming for the mom blog. I've added some new stuff this past weekend and a photo of myself at the top. Of course showing a photo of myself is not new it's just that I took it down some time ago with the newer look and now I've decided to put it back up again.
I've also added a cool button where you can add me to your technorati favorites. It's the cute green button under my photo. I hope you'll help me out and add me to your favorites. I've also added sk*rt and digg. Sk*rt and digg are sites where you can submit your blog entries too and spread the traffic & information LOVE. I'd be happy to see some of my posts added to those sites by my fellow bloggers & moms. Overall, it's to help the site and this blog become a better resource for moms everywhere! Are you with me?
I'm also going to *try* and do a photo everyday starting monday to help document our lives via photos so you may get two posts in one day or you may just get a photo. You'll have to stop by the blog to see. I don't have a DSLR (only a Kodak P850 right now) but I'm hoping this will be motivation to save more money to get the DSLR that I want.
Additionally, as I've stated numerous times on here, I am NOT a professional writer and do not strive to be one or to be an author of a book. I'm just a website owner/blogger/internet marketing person. I'm a true mommy blogger without the good writing skills ;)
You'll also see a new header graphic coming soon courtesy of the hubs and he will be offering up his design/installation/hosting services as well in the near future. I'll post that as it comes available.
Lastly, go the main page ContestForMoms.com to see our large list of contests & sweepstakes for moms and go here to submit yours to us anytime. We add contests & sweepstakes every few days and we are always looking for new ones SPECIFICALLY for moms. Besides, this is a great way for your blog or site to get lots of FREE traffic.
So we found out our son's Kindergarten teacher yesterday. The phone call made the impending arrival of the "First Day of School" more real. I'm a mess about it but, hey, what's new?
Supposedly, we have the worst Kindergarten teacher out of the three available in his school. Does someone hate us? Seriously. Are we permanently screwed? It seems like we always get the raw end of the deal. Anyway, I'm anxious to see how the whole "school" thing works out for us and our son. It will all go down in about 12 days. OMG!
We have to arrange an in-home meeting with our son's teacher before school starts. Until now, I've never heard of this. However, I think it will be good for our son. How many of you have done this?
Ok. It's Friday and I will attempt to NOT work on anything this weekend. Does checking email count? Or reading about blogher 07? I could have totally gone but never planned for it plus I'd rather save up a bit more money for a Canon or Nikon DSLR. The hubs and I are going to a conference for his PHD program in Washington DC in December so we're sort of saving for that too! Well, maybe I'll go to Blogher next year. How about you? Who else is not AT blogher right now?
Permalink posted by PetiteMommy at 9:55 AM
1 comments
links to this post
