Sweaters and Flip Flops.....

Yes, that is me........I wear sweaters and flip flops......at the same time! My body is so confused. It wants to be cold, but the sweater is saying..."No, no you're not cold. You're warm and cozy and don't need the heat on, silly!". I love this weather. I like being warm and cold at the same time. I like the comfort of having my feet free and my arms warm. So yes, I love the Fall!! It's time to start baking bread again, something I refuse to do in the Summer. I want to bake cookies, lasagna and sip on tea in the evenings and not sweat while I do it. I think it's amazing how my mind can switch so easily. Just a few weeks ago I was fighting the end of Summer, and now I'm rushing head first into Fall. I think I'm going to fill my closet with cozy sweater and more flip flops for as long as I can.

Me~

Happy Fall, Y'all!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I am just a bit excited about Fall. I love the cold mornings, colorful trees, warm sunshine, apple picking and of course all the pumpkin flavored everything! McDonald's now has a pumpkin latte that is SOOOOO good!!!! You have to try it. Anyway! The kids have been doing crafts so I can decorate the house. I go to the dollar store and buy cheap things so it's easy and affordable. The kids love the Fall. Lex likes that he can wear his Creeper hoodie and not be hot. Lo loves her footsie pajamas and cuddling. One of the downfalls is that my poor old dogs have a hard time walking when it's cold. Chewy has degenerative disc disease  and both dogs arthritis. So the cold is tough on them. I have upped their glucosamine to daily instead of weekly. Gotta get a jump start on that before my poor dogs can't walk. :( Other than that we are ready for Fall and looking forward to all the fun activities, without the sweat. ;)

Me~

School Drop Off.....

I like to take advantage of the nice weather and walk my kids to school. And by walk I mean drive to the school, park down the street and walk them the rest of the way, which is totally not allowed because they are tearing down half of the school to build a new one and there is no parking, which means no parking on the street either. Whatever. Try and stop me! Anyway, so we have our morning routine, I drive, we get out and walk, we chat, hold hands, talk about how good they are going to be (Lo!!), and every morning my son insists on me standing at his classroom window and dance for him. Yes, yes he does. And yes, yes I do. Every. Morning. He thinks it's hilarious, I think I'm going to get arrested one day. I do these silly things for them because one day they won't want me doing things like this, they will think I'm "embarrassing" or "stupid", so am taking full advantage of it now before I lose them when they're "too cool" to be seen with Mom. :D

Me~

My Lo......The Drama Queen

When my teenager was little I thought "There is no way anyone can be as dramatic as this child". Universe, that was not a challenge. My Lo is 5 now and she isn't annoying dramatic, she's just very dramatic. Everything is all about love, cuddles, how much she misses me, how she can't live without me.....it's cute, to an extent. I don't mind the over play of love and emotions when we're at home, but when we are in the middle of morning routine and she starts, it can drag on. For example.....every morning I ask the kids if they want home lunch or school lunch, and every morning I get the same response....Lex: "School lunch!!!", and Lo: "Home lunch, because I like to eat the food you make for me with love because I miss you so much when I'm at school and I love you, Mom!!" A simple "Home lunch!" would have been just fine.. If I don't stop her in her tracks then she goes on and on and on and on and then drop off is Hell. Don't get me wrong, I love her to death! But I cannot feed into her dramatics every morning, we have a routine and if I don't keep it, she will no do well. Last week she was refusing to go into the school, the teachers had to pry her off of me and take her to class. That's a terrible thing for a mother, and child, to have to go through. So Lex had the brilliant idea that he would walk her to her class every morning. :) My little hero. And so far, it's working out great. This week has gone by so smoothly. Next, we are going to transition into car drop off. There will be a few rainy days that will be perfect for that. I want her to go to school happy, not sad and distressed because she misses me. I also don't want her to think I'm dropping her off and running away. :( And seriously, how could I run away from a face like this..........

Me~

Clean Eating.......

I am on a mission to change the way we eat around here, and if you know my kids, you know how hard that is. I'm easy, I like change! I also like that this means I may lose a few pounds. ;) I've decided to try clean eating. I actually started last year, but when money got really tight I had to cheat, now that the kids are in school full time I can work more and I am able to spend more money on food. Clean eating is basically eating fresh food. If I buy snacks I make sure they ingredient list is short, or the snacks be organic. I'm all for organic, but GOD, why the Hell is it so damn expensive? Yeah, you pay for what you get, I know!! Anyway, I like to make sure my fruit, milk, bread, eggs and veggies are organic. Those are things my kids eat every day. Their snacks, well, let's just say that I am still trying to get them into healthy alternatives to Oreos and fruit rollups. :/ I tried buying some organic gummy treats, and OH MY GOD were they GROSS! Lex and I almost threw up! Here's a little hint to all the organic all natural companies out there......you want kids to eat your stuff, make it taste good!!

Dinners.......I make every from scratch, if possible. Mac-n-cheese is a huge hit around here, so I always buy Annie's, and I always use whole grain wheat pasta, or veggie pasta. The kids love the color and I love that there are veggies in them. Don't tell them that though. ;) I try and make sure I offer the kids a lot of foods. If I put a lot of food on the table they think it's a "feast" and they eat, a lot! That makes me happy. Now, if I can only get their father to cook for them when he has them. -_-

Me~

And The Panic Begins........

I hate sending my kids to school. I hate it. I can't tell them that though. I try to put a smile on my face, send them off to school with a big hug and a kiss and lots of "I love you!!"s. The truth is, I'm a wreck being away from them. I worry constantly, I have mini panic attacks and I cry. Yes, I cry. It's sad, really, and totally not normal. I talked to my boyfriend about this and we both agree that I can't go on like this. This is only the first week of school!! And no, I don't think it will get better. Every day they are in school I drive by there at least three times. The reality is that they have to go to school. I have to work. But I hate it. I'm sitting here breaking out in hives just thinking about it. I'm going to have to go back on anti-anxiety meds. I thought I was past that, but no, I am no. :( I have thought that maybe a diet change would help, but how they Hell do I stop using sugar or wheat?? My friend Carly over at Twinkling Along has done just that and says her moods are better, she's slimmer and happier. For now, I'll take the drugs and slowly work on my diet. ((sigh)) Wish me luck. I'm off to run some errands and drive by my kids' school a few times. :(

Me~

The End Of Summer...........

Summer is coming to an end, even though it's still hot as Hell outside, and today I am taking the kids to the Woodstock Fair to celebrate the end of Summer. I'm hoping the weather cooperates. I'm going to miss Summer. We've had a really good time this year.....beaches, lakes, parties and family time. I won't miss the heat and humidity though! I am a Fall girl through and through. I'm looking forward to wearing bulky sweaters, boots and hearing the leaves crunch beneath my feet, apple picking, pumpkin picking, hay rides, cool morning, warm sun, apple pies and our first night starting a fire in our fire place. I am soooo looking forward to that! Oh, and footsie pajamas. Those are my favorite. There is something so cute about seeing my littles all cozy and warm. :) Oh, and cuddles, lots of lots of cuddles.

Me~