The First Month Is Always The Hardest

School has started. We have been trying so hard to get back into a routine. It isn't easy, especially when we have to be up and out an hour earlier to drop Lex off at middle school. For now the 3rd graders go to the middle school until the new school is finished, which means school starts at 8 for him, and 9 for Lola. That one hour gap is killing me. I'm still trying to find a schedule that works for us. I'm up at 6am every morning, making coffee, lunches, getting their clothes ready and they're bags all set. Bedtime is tough. On one hand I know they should be in bed by 8, but I like the quiet hour after dinner where we sit and watch something together, or read books, or just hang out. I just can't get them to bed by 9. We're working on it. The first month really is the hardest.

Lex started the 3rd grade and he seems to have grown up on me over the summer. He just....looks older, more mature. I'm loving that he still holds my hand and wants me to walk him to school and I even get a hug and a kiss!! In front of other kids!!!! So awesome. :) I'm so proud of the young man he's becoming.

Lola, my 1st grader!! She's sooooooooo excited about school, and having her very own desk! That was the one thing she really looked forward to. Such a simple thing, but it makes her so happy. She loves her class, she loves her teacher, she loves her desk, she loves that I can now braid her hair like Anna's from Frozen, she loves home lunch, she loves her new friends, she loves when I walk her to school, she loves sleep, she loves SunChips, but most of all, she loves donut fridays!! Every Friday I get donuts for breakfast. I know, I know....not healthy. Whatever. It's fun and they love it! Lola starts dance next week. They have a free class tomorrow and she is super excited about going. I mean super excited. She's been telling everyone about it. It seems like yesterday I was holding a not so little baby in my arms, and now I have a little girl growing into a wonderful young lady. I'm good with that. 

Me~

I'm Too Young For This.........

I recently became a Grandmother. Yes, yes, I said GRANDmother. The teenager, who is now 18 and thinks she knows everything, had a baby April 19th. Or was it the 20th? I don't know! See? I'm a terrible Grandmother. Anyway. Her name is Myla Jean, aka MJ. I like being a Grandmother. Two reasons......1.) It's not my kid. I don't have to wake up with her, feed her, change stinky diapers or lose sleep. And 2.) It's not my kid. ;) I still get to cuddle her, hold her, love on her and then give her back!!. HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! Here she is.......

EEEEEKKKKK!! Squishy baby goodness!!!! I just love her to pieces. :) Lex and Lo are now Aunt & Uncle. They're in love with her, too. Especially Lex. He loves babies. Lo is a little too worried about her. "WHY ARE YOU NOT FEEDING HER SHE IS CRYYYYYYYING!!!!!!" She was a bit stressed about the crying. After we got home from visiting them Lo said to me...."Mom. I am never ever having kids. It will hurt too bad and I am not ok with that. I am not having kids. Don't ask me to." Fine by me, kid! :) <3

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~

How Long Do I Have To Raise The Teenager?

Seriously, how long? She can check herself into the hospital without my consent. Her doctors don't have to tell me a thing about what's going on in her medical life. She can go behind my back and get pregnancy tests and STD tests and I can't say a thing about it. Well, I could, but legally I don't have the right to anymore. BUT, I have to deal with all her drama, attitude and mood swings. I'm not gonna lie, she has gotten a lot better since she started taking her meds regularly, but still, she's a teenager. A teenager with mental health issues. A teenager that thinks she's grown, but can't even do her own laundry or cook herself a meal without almost setting the house on fire. So yeah, she's a handful, to say the least. As far as getting her help goes, we're doing our best. Not easy when our insurance only covers certain doctors in certain towns, and those doctors aren't accepting new patients. Oh, and get this......she's still considered a child, so she has to see a pediatric psychiatrist. It's frustrating, it really is. Some days I just want to scream. Other days I actually find myself thinking that she should live with her grandmother if she hates me so damn much. Not that I would ever let that happen, but when you feel so helpless and beaten down by your own child, then you tend to think negative thoughts. Yesterday, I wanted to clean the porch so we could eat out there again, and the whole time out there I cried. I just let it all out. Weeks of stress and trouble with my teenager just flooded out of me, and it felt good. I've decided to do that more often, cry it out. I tend to hold things in, stand strong and don't let anything get me down. Sometimes though, I think it's best to let it out. I sure felt better afterwards. :)

Me~

The Recall That Broke The Camel's Back

I am tired, sick and tired of all these recalls. First it's cribs, then it's medicine and now it's formula. Is there anything that is safe out there nowadays for our kids? None of my kids are formula fed, they're past that phase, thank goodness! But there was a time when I supplemented with formula, or straight out formula fed each of my kids. This really bothers me. These are our babies!! There should be higher standards in the making of anything that goes into their tiny bodies. I shudder to think of all the little ones out there right now suffering from belly aches and pains because they were fed formula with insect  bits in it. Just disgusting. If I ever were to have another baby, how could I trust these companies? I would be terrified!! I'm a breastfeeding Mommy. I breastfed each of my littles until they stopped, or I stopped or both. But now, I'd breastfeed the next one till he or she was 1!! I am losing total faith in any company that is making products that goes into my children's mouths. I have a teething 2 year old right now, but I refuse to give her anything unless it's all natural. I can't do chemicals anymore. It's not the worth the risk, and that's sad that I feel this way.

Another issue.......I have wasted so much money on medicine because I had to throw it out. I had some of the products that were on the recall list, some of which I had already used!! You can only imagine how that made me feel. Angry, scared, utterly disappointed in the company. I take my children's health very seriously. I don't just dose up every time one of my kids sneezes. But I'd like to have the option of giving them medicine if need be!! For now, we have the generic in our fridge, just in case. I hope that something is done to enforce stricter guidelines when it comes to making anything that goes into our children's bodies. So far, they are failing. Miserably. Shame on them.

Yet ANOTHER Milestone!!

Lola pulled herself up on the couch and stood there playing with her toys. :D I can see it already.....Lola walking BEFORE Thanksgiving. :) Then I'm REALLY going to be in trouble. LOL! That's fine by me. We're already done with formula and Lex is really taking off with the potty training, so soon I'll have no more babies in my house. ((sigh)) I can't lie, I won't miss it one bit. I am done with the baby phase. I am very happy/content with my 3 wonderful children and I wanna keep it that way. So yeah....GO LOLA!!!! HAH!!