ALMOST Wordless Wednesday....

I can't just not say something about the pictures I'm about to post, because, ya know, they are pretty damn funny. My son is now in Kindergarten and they're doing all kinds of work. He brings home paper after paper after paper every. single. day! So yesterday I open up his bag and take out the endless amounts of paper and start sorting through them. Then I come across "the feelings book". I open it up and I immediately let out a very unladylike laugh. Here's the first picture......

I don't even know where to start! That is supposed to be a "happy" person, but to me it looks like a troll wearing earrings. Or a spider. I don't even know. All I know is that it is creative and hilarious!!! And yeah, it does look very happy!!! Good job, Lex!!

This one is my favorite. The face is perfectly drawn to express the "sad" look. I asked Lex why he looked like he was upside down and he said "He's sad because he fell". Again.....well done, my boy!!

This is how I feel everyday. All day, everyday. I give this one a thumbs up!!

Now, I know what happened here. This is the last picture and, knowing my son like I do, he got tired of this project and just threw something down. When I asked him why this one wasn't drawn like the others, why there was no body, he replied "I was toooo tiiiired, Mom. It was boring me! Can I have the stapler now? I need to make something". There ya have it! 

He was at work with me yesterday for a few hours after school and, like always, he enjoys making his own projects. He worked on this one for about 20 minutes.......

You can't see it in the picture, but he had stamped the logo of the store all over the bag and papers so "just in case he gets lost people know where he belongs". Now, he spent a good 20 minutes on this and didn't complain once about "being too tired" or "being bored", he's an artist that likes to go at his own pace. :) 

Oh, by the way, since the Orkin Man never showed up and I haven't found a Navy Seal walking around my neighborhood yet, I've taken matters into my own hands......

Take THAT spiders!! YEAH!! On a side note, while I was searching for Navy Seal pictures THIS one came up. Ladies, you're welcome. I don't even know if he's a real Seal or not, who cares?!?!?!

Irrational Mommy Fears.....Part II

I've talked about irrational Mommy fears here before, but now I have a whole new set of irrational fears now that Lex is in full-time school. When I drop him off he has to walk all by himself to his line outside his classroom door. That's when I stand there and wait till he walks in and I know he's safe. Then it starts, the worrying. "What if he needs me and starts crying, then runs out of the class and down the street searching for me, all the while screaming MOMMY!!!!! over and over again?!?!" That's when I have to keep from crying my eyes out. The "What ifs" are never ending. I hate that I can't walk him to his line. I hate that I can't homeschool him. I hate that he doesn't really like going to school. I just hate it all!!! Another huge fear of mine is some kid losing his mind and taking a gun to school and shooting up Lex's kindergarten class. I know that's a bit much, but I think of it almost daily. I have to force myself to not think about horrible things that could happen to my kids. It's just an awful feeling and I know you know what I'm talking about. I actually try not to go too far from town, ya know, just in case. It's ridiculous. I am trying harder to have pleasant thoughts and to not worry so much, but gosh, it's hard. :(

Potty Training....Also Known As Hell In My House

Well, it's time. It's time for Miss. Lo to get with the program and kick the diaper habit. I am a firm believer to let your kids tell you when they're ready, but Lo is head strong and also not a fan of undies. She's a diaper fan. If asked if she wants to sit on the potty, she answers...."Um, no. Not today." then she saunters off to destroy something. We have had some luck this past week when she actually agreed to go diaperless and has actually peed on the potty. I'm consistent, every day when we get home from dropping Lex off at school I ask her to take her diaper off and then tell her to use the potty if she needs to. Here's the problem.....some days she flat out refuses to do it. She will take her diaper off, but then throw a fit to have it back on and she refuses to use the potty. I have no idea what to do about this. She is 3 and all my kids have been potty trained by 3 1/2, but I have a feeling she will be the problem child. And I tell you what, I am all set with diapers. DONE! I don't ever want to buy them again. So I'm a nervous wreck thinking about having her in diapers past 3 1/2. It just can't be that she refuses to use the potty. She knows exactly what it is and how to do it and when she has to go, but she hates it and has said "NO!" The other day she didn't even say no she just went and got a diaper and said "Here. Put this on me." WTH, kid?! I just....I don't know what to do. I don't pressure her, I don't insist she do it, I don't yell, I tried treats and stickers and rewards and well, she is just not having it. So I'm giving up. I will still pull the potty out and take her diaper off, but I won't fight her. I hope she decides to just do it on her like the other two. Because honestly, giving her a treat and saying "Good job, Lo! You're such a good girl!" just makes me feel like I'm treating her like one of my dogs and that's just no good. So feel free to leave your advice or dark humor or just tell me I'm not alone!!!!

Doing It All Myself....Without The Help Of A Man

This will be short and sweet.....the ex came over, he was a bit agitated about the whole divorce and worrying about this and that. The subject of me staying in the house with the kids came up and he said, and I quote!, "I'm not going to be living here but yet I have to come over and do all the yard work and such because there won't be a man around to do it". Oh no he didn't. Oh YES he did. First off, let me start by saying he obviously lost his mind for a hot second and probably wasn't himself. But then it hit me....he has always thought this way. For example, I have said numerous times that I wanted to mow the lawn or do the weed whackin' and he always said "No, no. I'll do it." My ex is insane. Nuff said. So I did what any hot blooded female would do. I went out and did what he said couldn't be done because "there wasn't a man around to do it". I weed whacked the shit out of my lawn. Take THAT ex husband!

That second picture is a picture of my hill that was covered in weeds as tall as a small child. Looks great now. Today will be spent raking and picking up all the branches and acorns that have fallen from that damn tree out front. ;) Damn I love proving people wrong.

The Busy Life Of A Single Mom......Or Am I Just A Slacker?

I know, it's been forever since I've blogged, and I am sorry. Not really. ;) I've just been so damn busy with life, kids, work, dogs and of course trying to catch a shower here and there. Just so you know, I did shower today and I'm blogging in a towel. Didn't want you to think I was a dirty blogger.

ONWARDS!!!

School has started. YAY! We are only into the second week and Lex already doesn't like it. He says "It makes me too tired. Uhhhn!!" Great. The boy would rather sit at home naked doing experiments trying to "blow things up the safe way". Just like his Mom. He makes me so proud. Another great event happened while I was gone. Lex went from this.......

To this..........

Yes, my baby cut all his hair off. ((sigh)) And yes, we donated over a foot of hair to Locks Of Love. I can't lie, I miss his long hair, but he loves it short, he says he's not hot anymore and never wants to have long hair ever again. Yeah, we'll see about that. I'm sure I can guilt him into growing it long again. ;)

The teenager.......where do I even start??? Over the Summer I "forced" her to go to a camp, a special camp for kids with skin conditions. As some of you know she has Alopecia Areata. She has lost almost all of her hair on the back of her head. She's able to cover it, which is great, but it seems to be getting worse. So her Dermatologist and I thought the camp would be a great thing for her to go to this camp. And of course, we all know Mom knows best. Turns out I was right. She had a blast, met new people and came home with a new found confidence. She was all fired up when she got back, saying that people should just accept everyone and be kind to one another. Then she took a picture of her head and posted it on Facebook with the definition of her disorder and said "Let's see how many of my "friends" are really my friends NOW". Good Lord!!! Talk about balls!!! She got a ton of. comments and the amount of support was amazing. Seems that teenagers aren't all jerks like I thought they were. She went to school the next day with a high ponytail showing off her bald spot and everyone was great. She said it was the "best day ever". Honestly, it just looks like a punk rock hair style. Pretty awesome. She's also a Sophomore now and couldn't be happier to pass the "Fresh Meat Freshman" title on to the next unlucky kids walking through the High School doors. Apparently it was "torture". -insert eye rolling here- Always the drama queen. I'm hoping that this is the beginning of her actually growing up. -fingers  crossed-

Me? What about ME? I'm still single and fighting one spider at a time. Alone. I've also decided that I no longer want to date the Orkin Man,  I want a Navy Seal. I'm sorry, but a man in uniform carrying a gun is just hot. And he could shoot the spiders for me! Niiice. I'm gonna get on that plan right away. LOL! In the mean time I will be dodging the spiders and trying not to scream like a girl when one jumps out of no where and scares the shit out of me. Gotta go put some clothes on now and pretend to be busy. 

Being Productive......Or At Least Trying To Be!

Since "D Day" (Divorce Day) started I have barely had time to really clean or organize my house. Things have fallen behind. For example......the fish tank. Those poor fish were swimming in filth. I felt bad, but I literally had no time to clean the tank. It just had to wait. I finally decided on Saturday that I would take the lazy way out and buy a new tank. The old one made too much noise and was leaking, so I got a 10 gallon tank at Walmart  for $30! Got home, cleaned the new one and all the new rocks, then filled it with water, treated it and started the filter. I had planned on letting it run for at least 2 days before adding the fish, but when I woke up on Sunday the old fish tank had just died! Talk about good timing!! So the fish were introduced to their new home. :) Lex was ecstatic and I was glad I had finally gotten ONE thing on my list accomplished. YAY ME!! I then went into the kitchen to hear our cursed microwave beeping away and the number 2 flashing over and over again, so I unplugged that damn thing, put a free sign on it and put it on the curb. You have no idea how happy that made me. My mother gave me that microwave a few years ago and it's been cursed from the get go. I wanted to take a hammer to it just to make myself feel better, but then I knew no one would take it. Someone took it less than an hour after I put it on the curb. People will take anything. Another thing on my list completed.......I passed the curse along. YAY ME!! I hope they enjoy the endless beeping. HAH!

Next on my list is the giant pile of clean laundry sitting in front of my closet. What's wrong with me? I could be doing that right now, but then I wouldn't be blogging and then I would feel like I was letting someone out there down and I just can't do that. ;) So there it sits, mocking me and my lazy ass. Then there's the bathrooms.....I am ashamed to say that I haven't scrubbed the floors in weeks. I've done the 'ol "lick and a promise" (quick floor cleaning with a Clorox wipe and a promise to do better the next day. My Grandmother taught me that. Thanks, Nanny!) but I haven't actually washed them. That's pretty gross considering my son likes to spray when he pees. I've actually had to say "You shake AFTER you're done peeing, not WHILE you're peeing!" So I'm pretty sure it's gross down there. I think the best course of action is to play the lottery, win and hire someone to do it for me, because  I seriously do not see any free time in the near future to be able to get it all done. Sorry, house! You're on your own for a while. I'm going to lay down now and cry. Or not. ;)

Feeling It Now.......Fear

I hate that word.....fear. I've never been one to "fear" anything (other than spiders), but with the divorce finally starting to become real, we're getting ready to file papers as soon as we can figure out what the Hell most of it means, I'm realizing that I am going to be on my own! All alone!! Not only the money situation scares me, it's the not having that extra pair of hands or the extra set of eyes to help keep my kids safe. Lo is at that age where she is starting to just bolt and OMG is it scary!! I was that crazy lady in the pet store parking lot screaming "LOLITA ANN JOLIE!!!! FREEZE! FREEZE!! FREEEEEEEZE!!!" and chasing her around the car. It was not one of my prouder moments. It's moments like those that make me grateful that I didn't let Kevin talk me into "just one more".

I know that somehow, probably with me working my ass off, everything will be ok. And when I say I work my ass off, I mean it. All day, every day. So glad that we are now back on school time, that means the kids are asleep at 8 pm! WOOT WOOT!!! You have no idea how much easier that makes things for me. I was letting Lex have "movie nights" and let him stay up later than usual, like 10pm and then Lo would be up all damn night with night terrors and then I'd be up early and well, you know how it goes. So when I think of being alone, it scares me. When I think of supporting three kids on my own, it scares me. When I think of how many spiders I'm going to have to kill myself, it scares the shit outta me. BUT, that is just how sure I am that I do not want to be married anymore. I'm willing to do this alone. Kinda sad actually, if you think about it. Poor Kevin. He's really not that bad, it's just, well......ok, maybe he is. LOL!! I kid, I kid!! ;) Let's just say that his humor has saved him many times.

I look forward to the end of this chapter and the beginning of the new one, because frankly, I'm kinda sick of talking about "the divorce", being a "single mom AGAIN" and so on. I want to get back to life, blogging more and finally setting up my damn clothes line that's been sitting in my mudroom for weeks! Maybe tomorrow I'll post pictures, something fun. ;)

The End Of Summer.......Which Means.....

IT'S ALMOST BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!!!!!! ((sigh)) It's obvious that I'm a huge fan of school, I mean, who isn't?! The kids are out of the house for 6+ hours a day! It's glorious. I will say though, I had contemplated homeschooling for a hot second, but now that it's just me here and I have to definitely go back to work full-time, there is no way I can do that. So I lay my children's education and future in the hands of the public school system. Let's hope they do a good job. So far so good. The teenager has a 3.8 GPA. YAY! My least favorite part of this time of the year? School shopping. There is nothing I despise more than shopping and I have to do it twice this year. It's torture. Especially with the teenager. Nothing against her personally, but her taste in fashion makes my eyes bleed. Not to mention my wallet. Luckily Lex is easier. I just go and do it. He doesn't get a say in anything other than shoes. Sorry, kid.

So I have two more weeks of a house full of screaming kids and hormonal teenagers. Just two more weeks!! I think I can do this. ;)

I Just Had An Epiphany!

Now that Kevin is no longer living at the house I can do whatever I want!!! Like.....put out a clothes line. I love hanging my clothes outside to dry, Kevin did not. He hated it. He wouldn't even listen to me when I told him how much energy and money we'd save. Nope. He wanted none of it. Well now I'm going to hang my clothes out. And if he sneaks in some of his dirty clothes (which pisses me off since his girlfriend should be doing it. WTF am I? A maid?) I will hang them outside, like it or not. HAH! Another thing I plan on doing all the time..............wearing sweatpants.....everyday.....the same pair. Who cares?! My kids just want me to wear pants, they don't care what kind of pants. I like to wear my hair in a bun on top of my head. Kevin always said I looked like the Alien Queen from Aliens. Jerk. Now do you see why we're getting a divorce? By the way, I told him about this post and he laughed and said "While you're hanging your laundry out back will you be playing the banjo and wearing a wifebeater?" (-_-) He thinks it's funny, but once I clear out that junk drawer of his and put all my tampons in there he won't me laughing. ;)

Falling Behind......On Everything!!

There was a sickness making it's way through our house and I'm the last one to get it. But hey! I topped them all by adding pneumonia to it! HELL YEAH! That's how I roll. -_- But seriously though, it's been Hell around here trying to take care of the kids, the dogs, the house and still working. It's almost over. I've been on an antibiotic since Thursday morning and I'm starting to feel a tad bit better. I think I've got it worse than the rest did because I have asthma. YAY, asthma!! -_-  The coughing is so bad. I may or may not have peed my pants once due to coughing so hard. Let's not talk about that though. Let's talk about my idea for a business. SAHM/D and Single Moms and yes, Single Dads too, don't get sick days. Parents who work can call in sick and stay home in bed getting better. I know my ex used to crawl upstairs "dying" and slept all day just to get over a stomach bug or a chest cold. Big baby. :) Anyway! My idea is to start a service where we send YOU someone to take over household duties for a few hours while you sleep or go to the doctors without having to worry about your kids or the cleaning! Perfect, right?! I'm a genius!! Or not. It is a good concept though. I can't tell you how many times I've found myself wishing somebody would come rescue me when I was sick and had to care for 2 small children. I'm sure everybody who stays home with kids has wished the same thing.

So now that I'm on the mend I can get back to cleaning my house (which is a disaster!!), laundry and the really important things like Tweeting and blogging. Yup. I'm all about priorities. ;)

The Laws Of Teenagers And How They Can Effect You

Raven is 15 years old going on 5. Granted, this whole divorce thing has turned her world upside down and flipped around, but still......the girl is the biggest drama queen. I had actually thought of just not telling her and letting her think her Dad was abducted by aliens and is allowed to come home 2 days a week, because that is just how much I did not want to tell her. I kid, I kid. When I told her there were tears and lots of them. I talked to her and explained that it was for the best. She cried some more. I called her therapist and asked if we could go back to every week instead of every two weeks just to help her through this. So far so good. Now, since this happened she has said that she doesn't want to be home with us, she doesn't want to talk to us and just wants to be left alone. Now, I let this slide for a few weeks because I didn't want to stress her out and have her lose more hair. But after her not being home for almost 2 weeks and only coming and going for money, food and clothes, I had had enough. I talked to her and said that this is our life now and she has got to learn to deal with it. Boy did she hate me. She was pissed!! But, I held strong and didn't back down. What came next surprised even me! She had a list of things I am not allowed to do. Here it is.....

• I'm not allowed to date. Ever. Forget ever getting married again because that would ruin her life all over again.
• I'm not allowed to go out. Ever again. God forbid if a man sees me all dressed up and looking good.
• I'm not allowed to look good. I need to cover up and stop wearing makeup.
• I can't have a night job. (I'm pretty sure she has an idea that I used to dance and is horrified that I may go back)
• I can't turn into one of "those crazy pet hoarders because I'm lonely". (Seriously, kid? WTF?)

That last one is my favorite. HAH! Because I would totally hoard myself some chihuahuas. Look, I get it. She's a teenage girl going through a lot of shit. I get it! Doesn't make it any easier to deal with. I love that she's fine and happy until I tell her she can't dye her hair pink, or I won't let her pierce her face again or she has to spend time with the family at the beach. Funny thing about making her spend time with us is, she always has a good time. Always!! I think it's important to force your teenager to do something horrifying like spend time with their family or have family movie night. It's good for them!! She's lucky I don't make her play Twister with us.

As far as her list of "Things My Mother Is Not Allowed To Do", I just said "Yes, dear. Don't worry. Mommy will have no life at all" and I really don't plan on dating or getting married anytime soon either. Unless of course Michael Fassbender comes along and wants me, then I'm all over that!! ;)

Slowly Getting Used To Being A Single Mom........Again!

Don't know if some of you already know this or not, but I was a single Mom to my teenager for 5 years before I got married to Kevin. It was tough, I'm not going to lie, but we managed. I did what I had to do for years to get by. I was a stripper. The hours were exactly what I needed, I came and went as I pleased, if I had to call out no one gave me a hard time and most of all...I could make a lot of money in just one night. I started when she was a year old and kept dancing till I got married. Actually, I danced for about a year after I got married, so almost 7 years. In between I had "real jobs" every now and then, mostly during the Summer time when the business was slow. I never let the business get to me like it did some of my friends. I just worked and that was that. Then after I got married things were a little different, I didn't want to be there anymore and Kevin wanted me to stay home. So I did. I became a Stay-At-Home-Mom. And I loved it! Now that things have changed and Kevin isn't here anymore I'm having to relearn how to be a Single Mom. Damn it's hard. And now I have three kids to care for! THREE!! AHHHH!! So far so good though. I haven't lost one yet, they're all clean and well fed. I'm the one who hasn't showered yet and I'm mostly eating their leftovers. LOL!! But we are managing. I'm having to change a lot of things, like bedtime. Kevin used to put Lex to bed and I would put Lo to bed. Now I'm having to figure out how to do that. Thankfully it's Summer vacation and we haven't had to plow right into the school time routine and I can kinda get used to things now and be all set in the Fall. Since I can't leave either of them alone I now make a bed on the living room floor and put Lo on the left and Lex on the right. I sit in the middle and read them a bedtime story and they then fall sleep. :D I actually like it. I realize that we can't always do that, so I plan on moving Lo upstairs with us, moving the computer and bookshelf downstairs to her room and that will be the office. I think that will work. When I told Lex he was very excited about it. Right now he's only 5 and isn't wanting his own room, but when he does I'll move him into Lo's room and Lo into his room and move the computer back up here. Voilà!! I got it all figure out. ;)

There is one thing about this whole Single Mom thing that I am still not liking.......laundry. It's not so much the laundry, because I love doing it, it's the fact that it's in the basement with all the spiders!!!!!! I may have to date the Orkin Man. Every time I go down there one attacks me!! One ran across my foot yesterday. I died a little inside. So now when I go down there I get fully dressed and wear a hat. Pathetic. But hey! I get it done. ;)

I'm sure things will get a lot tougher once I'm working more and have to come home to a messy house and a bunch of dirty kids, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now I'm enjoying spending time with my kids and learning how to do this all over again without screaming at the top of my lungs every 5 minutes when the kids are fighting or messing things up or just plain getting on my nerves. Like just now......I yelled. Hey, no ones perfect, but I try. :D

A New Beginning.......With An Old Story

It's been a while since I've posted anything, and for good reason. Things in my life have been turned upside down and have taken a turn for the better. Over a month ago my husband and I have decided to get a divorce. I blame The Rapture. While I am not a religious person and in no way believed a thing that loony was saying about the end of the world and all, it did open my eyes to one thing.....one day I am going to die and I wanted to die happy. And I was not happy. I was content, but far from happy. That's when it clicked.....I was not in love with my husband and I was fairly certain he wasn't in love with me either, so I had a talk with him and voilà! Here we are. He has practically moved out and is already moving on with his life because well, he needs that. I have my kids, the house and the dogs to keep me company. My littles have no idea what's going on, my teenager, on the other hand, is having a very hard time with it. Therapy is helping, very slowly, but it is helping. She has a great therapist who she's been seeing for years mainly because of her alopecia.  I'm hoping she comes to term with it soon and is able to move on. I'll keep you updated on that one.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm doing great. I felt trapped for so long and now that we are practically divorced I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am a bit worried about my future. How am I going to support myself and my kids? I've spent the past 10 years being a wife and Mom.....now what? I never had a desire to do or be anything else. I went to school in Germany to be a dental assistant, but I'd have to start from scratch here. Not that I really want to do that, but I would just to get on my feet. My friend, who is also my lawyer, keeps telling me she needs an office slave. LOL! The biggest problem is this.....Lo is still home all day. I guess I could put her in preschool a year early, but I'm not comfortable with that. Kevin and I have always agreed that the kids should stay home with me until they're 4 and then only half weeks in preschool, not full day. Lex is going to be in kindergarten from 8:30 to 3! That's a long day!! I work 2-3 days a week now in the afternoons and Kevin comes and stays with the kids, but he can only do afternoons and not everyday. So now what? I will take a year to get on my feet, take a course and then start working full-time next year when Lo is in school. I just hope things go smoothly. Wish me luck! :)

There's This Teenager.....

And her name is Raven. She's 15 years old and she has Alopecia. Her hair is falling out. As of right now it's just certain parts of her head, but I'm thinking the doctors are thinking that it's just a matter of time before it's all gone. They haven't said as much, but I can see it in their eyes. Her last derm appointment her doctor said that she wanted her to go to a special camp for children with skin disorders. Mostly the children have Alopecia. A part of me is relieved that she will be able to be somewhere for a week and not have to worry about hiding her hair, or lack there of. Right now the bald spots are in places where she's able to hide it. Her doctors want her to try steroid shots in her scalp to try and trick the follicles into waking up. So far the topical solution she's been using isn't working. :( It started happening when she was 10. Just a few small spot on her head, then the hair grew back and then last November is when it really started falling out. I'm lucky that she's such a strong young woman. She's handling this better than I would have if this had happened to me when I was a teenager. I'm hoping that she will start the scalp treatments soon. The longer we wait the less likely it is that the hair will grow back. We've already been looking into wigs for her just in case. I'm holding out hope that it won't come to that. :) So now we just wait and hope for the best.

I'm Raising A Mad Scientist......Or A Future Bomb Expert

Lex has always loved hands on experiments. Now that he's "all grown up and a man now" he want to try new things. His goal for the Summer is to do experiments that "explode". He says "But don't worry, Mom!! It's ok. I know what I'm doing!!". Visions of my house in flames and the fire fighter's trying to save what they can flashed through my mind and right then and there I knew I had to do something. So we got him all kinds of science sets that are safe. A science kit that makes candy, another one that makes goo and dough and things like that. He likes them, but he still talks about making things explode. -_- More of a concern now is that he likes to sit with the iPad and look at YouTube videos on how to make things......things like laser lighters. No, I am not kidding. Watch the video! I was spittin' mad at my husband for letting him watch things like that in the first place!. I mean, damn!!! The boy is sharp and a quick learner!! Look at what I caught him doing the other day.........

That's right, folks. The boy was trying to open this battery to get what was in it out to start making his laser lighter. ((sigh)) This is dangerous. So not only do I have to worry about him blowing things up I also have to worry about him making a laser and possibly destroying the earth. Lovely. He's a cute little Mad Scientist though......

Ok, so I threw that middle one in just because it cracks me up. LOL!!!

The Winner Of The Arbonne Body Wash Is...

I used random.org to pick the winner because I just couldn't do it myself. :D And I didn't count Andrea's comment, so there were 3 of you.

HD you are the winner. WOOT! Shoot me an email with your address and I'll send you the body wash ASAP!! Congratulations. :D WHEW! That was fun. I might have to do another giveaway soon.

Arbonne.....My Newest Love....Annnnnnd A Giveaway!!

A few weeks ago I was asked to review some products from Arbonne for a friend who sells it. I've tried a few of their products before and loved it, so I jumped at the chance!! It's hard to find products that agree with my skin, and it's even harder to find some that are safe, natural and aren't tested on animals. Arbonne is all of that and more. You can read all about their products and ingredients here. Andrea gave me some of their RE9 anti-aging face products to try out and I have got to say that I was so happy. Being a Mom who is going all day and even some nights, I look and feel tired. The first morning I started using their products I took a picture of myself.......with no makeup on. Scary. My face was puffy, oily looking and you could see some fine lines around my eyes and forehead. Not happy about that. I started with RE9 Advanced Smoothing Facial Cleanser. It's smooth, light and smells very nice. More importantly though, my face was clean. Coming from someone who usually only washes her face with soap, that says a lot. Next came the RE9 Advanced Regenerating Toner. I don't think I've ever used a toner in my entire life. I liked it! Made my face feel even cleaner and very smooth. Lovely. I was very excited to try the next product......RE9 Advanced Corrective Eye Crème. Ohhhh yesss!!!!!!! Bye bye puffy eyes!!! I can not stress enough how great it worked. Every Mom needs to have this on hand. Now, as much as I loved the eye cream this next product was just as amazing...........RE9 Advanced Instant Lift Gel. You apply it, let it sit for a few minutes before putting your day lotion on. I already have pretty nice skin and very few wrinkles, but after using this gel my skin looked sooooooo good, and it felt so smooth. I know that this all sounds like a lot of lotion on your face, but believe me, it's lightweight, not oily and is absorbed very quickly. I was actually thinking of not using this next product because I was afraid it would be too much, too oily, but I used it anyways. The RE9 Advanced Restorative Day Crème SPF 20. But a girl has gotta have some SPF!! It was smooth and, like I said, lightweight. For the first time in months I left the house with no makeup on. Brave, I know. :) At night I used RE9 Advanced Night Repair Crème and RE9 Advanced Age-Defying Neck Cream. Not that my neck needed it, but hey, doesn't hurt to prevent some sagging!! LOL!! Here are some pictures of before and after. You can't tell much of a difference, but I sure can.....

I can't believe I just posted those. LOL!!!

She also gave me Arbonne Aromassentials Awaken Sea Salt Scrub to just enjoy, and boy did I ever!! My skin was so soft and smooth. I didn't need to use my lotion afterwards either. Needless to say, I absolutely loved Arbonne. It's a bit pricey, but you don't have to use much of it, so it can last for quite a while. Well worth the money. Andrea was also kind enough to give me something to giveaway!! YAY!! My very first one! It's the FC5 Invigorating Body Cleanser. It retails for $23, but one of you will get it for FREEE!!!!! All you have to do is post a comment here and I will randomly choose a winner. I will not except anonymous comments, you must have a valid website/blog and email. Sorry. I'd like to know who I'm giving this to. I'll close the giveaway in a week. Plenty of time to get  enough people to comment. If you're reading this on Justmommies.com you have to go directly to my blog and leave a comment there, I won't count any comments made on JM. Sorry. :)

Good luck!!

FINALLY!! The Elusive Sweet Shot Captured!!

For the past two years a chipmunk has been teasing me with cuteness that I was, until now, unable to capture. I tried everything. Sneaking up on it, zoom lens and trying to snap a picture from a mile away, begging it to "just sit still for a second!!". Nothing. For TWO years! Then, the other day I got lucky. This little creature just loves my tiny pot and hangs out in it all the time......

I love it. Now, if only it will let me hold it, squeeze it and kiss it I'll be happy. But for now, this will do. :)

Is She 4 YET?!?!

It's no secret that I kinda don't like the 2's, but we all know how I feel about the 3's. I despise them. I wish I could skip that age completely. At 2 they don't really understand yet and they're pushing boundaries, talking back and the dreaded "MINE!!!" phase. And then they turn 3 and all Hell breaks loose. It's exhausting. Lo has reached the 3's early. I don't even know what to do or say to her at times. I've had to threaten her with spankings! Thankfully just the threat is enough.....for now. I'm still holding out hope that she will be different than my other 2, but I doubt it. I'm not that lucky. I was lucky that she was a delightful baby that slept well, ate well and never cried. I was also kind of lucky that she was delayed in the crawling/walking phase. I couldn't imagine having 2 crazy children running around the house at the same time. Lex was plenty!! But I'm paying for it now. She's a hellion!! But a super cute hellion.....

Have I mentioned how happy I am that spring break is over and Lex is back in school? No? Well I am!!! They exhausted me last week!!!! :)

Long Time No Post!!

Let me start off by saying this.....we are all done teething in this house! HALLELUJAH!! Ever since Lo was born I've been looking forward to this day. It's a wonderful feeling. ((sigh)) So anyways. Lots of exciting things going on around here. I have my first wedding shoot 2 weeks ago. And yes, I'm still editing the pictures. Where do pros find the time?!?! Geesh. It was my bestfriend's wedding. She's 4 months pregnant and the happiest she's ever been. It's a beautiful thing. Here are some pictures I edited on the iPad using instagram......

Those are some of my favorites. :) I have soooo many more to edit. I'm just trying to fit everything into 24 hours and it's just not working. I need more hours, a maid and a Nanny. Or a Manny. A male Nanny would be nice. ;)

Lex is enrolled and all ready for Kindergarten!! Boy, how did that happen so fast?! I miss my little boy. :( It's so bittersweet. He's is super excited. He wants to take the bus to school, but I'll be damned!! HAH! There is no way I'm putting my baby on a bus!! :) Middle school? Sure! He's talking about maybe letting me cut his hair just a tiny bit. I seriously doubt that. :) I'm hopeful I'll get an inch off. It's sooooo long! He will make Locks Of Love very happy when he does cut it. 

My husband and I forgot our 10 year anniversary. How do you forget something like that?! We're dorks. I think we're going to go back to Gatlinburg in July for a mini family vacation. That will be our gift to each other. HAH! Kevin also committed us to a 5 day stay at a Hilton in Florida, which we have to book in the next few weeks. o_O The Hilton called and offered us a villa right outside of Disney for 5 days for o nly $175. Can't beat that price! It's a 3 bedroom villa which means I can cook all our meals and save on that at least! We're still planning it though. Worse case scenario is we lose the $175 if we decide we just can't do it. We're going to shoot for September. Lex and Raven will only lose 1 or 2 days of school and it's the beginning of the year. Not too bad. We already started saving for both vacations. We're insane. And we may be broke come October. HAH!!!! Oh well. ;)

That's about it. Nothing exciting. I haven't had the time or the heart for blogging lately. Hopefully I can keep up again real soon.