The Art of Being Busy

I just read a great article shared with me by a facebook friend. Take a look. I know a bunch of Moms this applies too. I have often wondered how they keep up. They make me feel inferior. They are the Moms that are always involved in something; school, charity, church, sports, friends, dating their husband, being the best mom, soccer mom. Do I really need to continue? On top of all that they bake, cook, clean, sew, do crafts and have an immaculate house to boot. Some of these women are some of my best friends. If you are reading this, you know who you are. Don't take this the wrong way. I do not hold it against you. You amaze me. BUT this article really does get to the heart of the matter.

I work from home running a daycare. I think most people think that because I stay home, oh, excuse me, sit at home all day doing nothing, that I should be able to have a neat and tidy house. That dinner should be ready, clothes and dishes should be washed and put away, etc. I do manage to "manage" all the appointments, but bills sometimes get overlooked in the mix of everything else I have to do. Yes, I am a busy Mom too. But I can promise that I am not trying to compete with other supermoms out there who seem to be able to do it all with grace. Most days, I'm doing good to get a shower and put on decent clothes by dinner time. I am slowly learning how to say "no" when asked to do/participate in/take part of/attend something that I just don't feel compelled to do. Sometimes, it really is because I have other plans, but more than not, it is just because I can't take one more thing on me that is not something that I am not 100% wanting to do. I have had to bow out of Relay for Life events this spring, I have missed parties and other events, church activities and the like that I just am not into whole-hearted. If I can't do it joyfully, I would just rather not do it at all.

I do hear alot of other Moms saying how busy they are. You ask to have lunch with someone (I am not really speaking of any particular incident), just hang out with someone, meet someone for drinks/shopping/a movie, and you get "oh, if I weren't so busy doing X, Y, and Z then I would love too. Sometimes I wonder if we have really moved away from the simple life and are trying to outdo each other as Mothers, like the article states. Everyone is trying to keep up with the next person who seems to have it all together. I can PROMISE you that there are not many people out there trying to keep up with me. I have looked at these women and asked myself how they manage to do and have it all. Do they really really want to be that way? Are they in some sort of competition with the next person? Are they REALLY happy being this way and doing that much?

I would love to hear other thoughts on this, if you are not to busy to drop me a line!

Staying Afloat in a Sinking Economy

I have had so many other things I was going to blog about in the past few weeks, but worry has gotten the best of me. I know, I know, worrying does no good, especially about things that have not happened yet, but it is what I do best. What I have always done best. It is a trait passed down to me from my mother.

The poor economy has sent me into a tailspin. So many people are losing their jobs. I have lost half of my income in the daycare business since October. That's about a $10K hit with just me alone. Chris talks of downsizing in his company. One person has already been laid off/let go. Just today, four others were reduced down from 5 days a week of work to 4 days a week. That is the plan for his company for the next 12 months and hopefully Chris's customers will keep him busy enough that he is invaluable to the company. He is one of the busier customer service/sales reps in his office. That's a good thing.

A few days ago every thought I had was consumed with what ifs. What if he were to be cut to part time hours? Well, I can tell you what if. We could possibly lose everything we own with just an 8 hour reduction in salary for him. It wouldn't be so bad if the childcare business would pick up but I have not had a single call since October. Not a single one. We are just barely making it now. Each month leaves me wondering who will get paid and who won't. Not a good feeling. Especially since I have family as cosigners on two of our loans.

Two older people stepped up at his work and offered to have their hours slashed as a result of the poor economy. I know NO ONE can really AFFORD to lose money, but these two wouldn't be hit half as hard as we would be. They are older with no children at home anymore. I want to kiss them. That was very noble of them to do that in an effort to spare others. I hope they won't be out of a 5 day week for too long.

If the economy doesn't improve, what becomes of all the people out of work and unable to pay their bills? Do they/we all become homeless, wandering the streets in search of our next meal and bed? It is a thought I don't want to have. I only hope and pray for everyones sake that things improve quickly. I hear it will only get worse. I know it has been worse in the past and now we, the 30 something generation, are facing what our parents faced so many years ago. It is scary. We have had it so good for so long. Now its time to pay the piper.

While we wait I will continue to pray that things on the Toler home front remain as is. No more lost income and if anything, maybe I will get a phone call or two for childcare. One can only hope.

You Know You've Been to a Party When...

...the cops get called and clothes start coming off! Before I go any further with that, let me just say a few things. This was a Disciples Women's Meeting for our church at a friends house, spouses and children were invited, and there were no alcoholic beverages at the event. So... what you may ask can I possible mean by that first sentence? Let me explain.

Around 5:30pm my family headed to Lisa's house for a "get together/meeting" for our Disciples Women's group. Most of the members and their families were not there since a lot of them have had or currently have that awful stomach virus that is sweeping through Lynchburg. Lisa, her hubby and two girls, and Nannette, her hubby and her three children, one being only 6 months old were in attendance. We had a great time eating and talking. Watching the kids play Wii bowling and just hanging out enjoying each others company. The children, ranging in age from 4-8, headed downstairs to the playroom. Not too long afterward, we hear a knock at the door. David answers to find a Deputy inquiring about a domestic dispute. He asks to speak to the lady of the house as well. Uh, stunned looks enter at this point. The deputy proceeds to say that a juvenile had called 911 and said that their mommy and daddy were fighting. More stunned looks at this point. Lisa asks the Deputy if he can head downstairs, David and I following closely behind. I figured my child was behind this, and being the type of Mommy I am, was ready to whip some little behinds at this point. Questions are asked, and oh, I wish I had pulled my camera out for the looks on the faces. PRICELESS. Denial is going around the room like wildfire. Finally, Maia, my never do wrong child, comes forward to say she did it by accident because she thought the phone was a toy. I must say, it was a princess phone and did look rather toy like so I could see how the mistake was made. She is cowering at my leg just shaking like a little leaf. You could smell the fear. Poor thing. I had to stifle a laugh. A. I figured the deputy would not think it funny, and B. Well, what kind of example would I be setting If I let loose with the laugh I had inside me? (It's hard being a mom sometimes and doing the right thing!)

The Deputy was really nice about the "incident", and we explained why you don't pretend to call 911 and how it takes a cop away from a "real" call. The deputy said the dispatcher called back and got a busy signal, and with all the noise the kids were making downstairs when the call was placed, it is no wonder they rushed out there. He actually said he stepped up the pace to get there. TOO FUNNY! If you knew Lisa and David (HI LISA!!!) you would know why the thought of them in a domestic dispute is just too funny for words. Drama over, kids went back to playing, Deputy probably had something interesting to talk about the rest of the evening, and adults got a real good laugh upstairs.

About an hour later, Maia and Harrison come running back up the stairs to announce that another child in attendance (names withheld to protect privacy :-) ) was taking their pants off. Parent of said child goes flying down the stairs to correct the situation. More laughs from adults.

Never in all my life did I think my children would provide me with such entertainment in such a short span of time like they did tonight. Now, Lisa is probably the talk of her neighborhood and I actually have something funny to blog about for a change! It was real Lisa! We HAVE to do it again sometimes. I bet those ladies won't miss another meeting when the realize all the fun they missed out on!!

About New Years Resolutions...

I don't typically make them, simply because, I know that I will be unable to keep them. No matter how good my intentions in the past, the ones made to lose weight, eat better, cut out coke/pepsi as my main source of hydration, etc, etc, etc., I have NEVER been able to keep ONE SINGLE RESOLUTION. This year, I may have to change that. Today, I spent the better part of my day trying to balance the checkbook. I had not TOUCHED it since sometime the beginning of October. By this I mean, I had not entered a single transaction, balanced the thing, or anything having to do with keeping track of my money. I chose to live in fantasy land where there is always plenty of money in there and that it will miraculously take care of itself for me. Well, I found out today that that didn't happen. I managed to get it balanced through the end of November and then had to stop for the day for fear that my brain would explode from looking at numbers for hours on end. Boy, do you really see the error of your ways when you are entering in all the random transactions. Ours are very heavy on the eating out end. Target is also a very very bad place for me to go unattended.

This being said, my New Years Resolution is to balance the checkbook at the very minimum, once a week, preferable Friday or Saturday. I hope I can keep this one. Maybe if I do, things will improve in our financial life in 2009.

Lessons Learned in 2008

As 2009 moves in on us, I thought I would take a moment to note the lessons I have learned in 2008.

There are really really GOOD people in this world ~ Total strangers have banded together, in response to my "All I Want for Christmas" blog, and started work on my bathroom. Free of Charge. In their Free time. How nice is that? My friend Sarah, and her hubby Jeff, attend One Community Church here in town, and Sarah got her small group to give this to us as a gift. I can NEVER repay this group for doing this for me out of the goodness of their hearts. All I can do is pay it forward somehow. When the opportunity presents itself for me to do that, I will. As they make progress, I will post on it. Look for more on that subject in the future. Religion gets such a bad rap in the press, but I plan on correcting that soon. These people ROCK! Thank you Sarah for being such a good friend to us!

No matter how much money I make, I will always be broke ~ Before I had kids I made a decent salary and still managed to be broke, most of the time. I still work, though the type of work has changed dramatically, the salary has remained about the same. I don't work outside of the home, but run a daycare from my home. The money I save on gas, clothing, lunches out, childcare for my kids, etc, pretty much evens things out for me. Not to mention the tax deductions I can take for operating a business from my home. Bottom line is the same, I am still broke. I am convinced that if I made a million a year, I would STILL be broke.

Family counts more than anything ~ they are the ones who will stick by you through thick and thin. I have had some baaaaddd moments that all started right at the very beginning of 2008 and my family really stepped up to help us out this year. I only hope that one day I will be able to return the favor.

Question things, but never be afraid to take a chance ~ A few things have come up recently that made me ask a lot of questions. I won't divulge because Chris has asked me not too. It involves my child. We had to make a decision about the best way to handle a situation and after asking a lot of questions, we decided to dive in head first. It turns out to be the best decision we could have possibly made. Total turn around in the life of one little boy that I think will help him excel in his life. Had I not been willing to take that leap of faith into the unknown, I would have been doing him a HUGE injustice.

Hope you all learned something from 2008 and that 2009 brings you lots of opportunity to grown and change for the better! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Just Call Me Scrooge...

Before you start reading, I must warn you that this post is filled with negativity. Sorry people, it is just that time of year for me. Ba Humbug!

I typically don't like this time of year. I do, but I don't. There, now if ALL makes sense! The reasons are many. First, there is so much pressure to buy gifts and give the perfect gift to everyone. I don't have the money to buy gifts for people and that makes me feel bad and icky. I like to give gifts and when everyone else in my family is exchanging gifts and giving me a gift and I have nothing to give in return I just feel bad. REAL BAD. I am 36 and I don't think it is asking to much to be able to get a little something for people who have done so much for me. BUT, our finances pretty much dictate that we cannot do this and it sucks. I also hate dragging out so much holiday crap, ie. decorations, and having to somehow try to make my house look festive when all I really want to do is leave them in the boxes and pretend it will all go away. My house is a mess and dragging out another mess to add to it just doesn't make me all that happy.

I know I should be more thankful, and maybe I should revisit my Thanksgiving post after typing this bit of negativity. Maybe I will. There is just too much pressure on everyone this time of year. People are crabby out in public. Lord, the man in Wal-mart that got trampled?? Come on. Lets get real. Was it really worth someone dying over to get to whatever it was that was inside? I can't stand that type of behavior. I may be a scrooge but I would never stoop so low as to act that way in public.

The kids want lights on the house, I want it to look a certain way, and no matter what, it never measures up to what I had in my head. Everyone else's perfectly decorated house just makes me feel inferior. Trying to find the time to get it all done if hard. I had the best intentions of making a go of it over Thanksgiving, but the time got away from us and NOTHING got done. My to do list is a mile long and just adding more (decorating for the holidays, play practice, parades, birthday parties, etc, etc.) just isn't my cup of tea right now.

People ask me what I want for Christmas. Do they really want the answer to that? OK, lets see. If you are reading and you are one of these people, take note...
1. A better financial situation
2. my BATHROOM finished
3. More time together as a family
4. to find a way to reconnect with Chris
5. MY BATHROOM
6. Some fresh coats of paint in... (pick a room, any room will do)
7. A better financial situation (oh, yeah, i meant to repeat it!)
8. Some kids to keep to help out #7
9. Appliances that actually work without making ungodly noises (stove, oven, dishwasher, TV, computer, washer)
10. For people to get off my back about crap I can't control or change.

I just can't get into the spirit of the season. It has become too much about things that don't matter and that makes me feel like a lesser person because I can't be a part of it due to financial constraints. That is a crappy feeling. No matter how many times I tell myself that "it" is not what matters, society dictates otherwise. I will never be able to measure up in this regard. Unless I win the lottery, and you gotta play to win. Heck, I don't even have a dollar right now to buy a ticket if i wanted too! NO JOKE!

So, if anyone has any humbling words for me that will help me get into the spirit please, please pass them on to me. I could really use it. And, if anyone is looking for a gift to give me, just check out the wish list above. After all, that IS truly all I want for Christmas this year.

Ahhh, Day 30

I cannot believe that I actually blogged for 30 days straight! It has been fun and quite a challenge at times. Somedays I just don't have a thing to say. Other days, I do, but I don't know who in the world would really want to read about it other than family and friends. Oh well. This blog is for me as a way to record memories and events. It is not suppose to be anything more than that for me. Some people have very useful blogs and blogs that relate to specific things like my friend Adrienne. Her's is Sewing. Mine is just about me and my family and things that make me go "hmmm" from time to time. SOOOOOO, on that note! I gotta jet people! My favorite show in the world, Desperate Housewives, is coming on in 5 minutes so I gotta go claim my spot on the sofa!

What I'm Thankful For

I thought I would post about things to be thankful for since Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. A time to remember and be thankful for what we have, rather than dwell on what we don't have. Since tomorrow is my baby boy's 7th birthday, and that will take center stage, I wanted to do it today. Here goes...

• My children ~ even though they drive me crazy I am thankful they are healthy and are ABLE to drive me crazy (they are screaming at each other as I type this!!) I have read about far to many children of friends that have passed away in recent months from unspeakable diseases.
• Harrison's 7th Birthday ~ two of those families just buried their 7 year olds. I NEVER want to experience that pain.
• My family ~ I am thankful for the help they have been able to provide to us, financially, and by coming over and sitting with my daycare kids for me to be involved in my kids school, as well as go to other appointments.
• My health ~ It ain't perfect, but I ain't dead!!
• My home ~ Again, it isn't perfect and it surely has its flaws and tons of stuff to be repaired or replaced, but it isn't a box on a street or under a bridge.
• Food in the cupboard ~ May not be our first pick of things to eat, but it is more than a lot of people have
• My meager income ~ While not much, again, it is more than some have. I could be without a job. Or without the health to work a job.
• My pets ~ they provide me with unconditional love and keep my feet warm at night and are a constant source of entertainment, thus providing much needed laughter on certain days.
• My car ~ It isn't much, but it gets me from A to B.
• Sunny Days and Cool Air ~ I am free to bask in the sun and breath the fresh, crisp air anytime I choose too. So many in this world don't know that luxury.
• Freedom ~ to come and go in this world as I please. Freedom to practice my religion as I choose and where I choose.
• The teachers that teach my children ~ They have a tough job. I wouldn't want it!

I am sure I could come up with lots of other things on any given day. There is so much to be thankful for in this day and age. When things are going rough (and I have had some rough days lately) it is hard to stay focused on what is right and good. What we DO have, instead of what we DON'T have. I hope everyone has a very Thankful Thanksgiving Holiday!!

Do You Hear What I Hear????

Today was our big debut in church. "Our" refers to the children, ranging in age from 4-10, and myself, the "leader" so to speak of the children's handbell choir. We are not talking rocket science, as no real musical skill is required to teach the kids the color coded Kristal Bell Method. I am pretty sure I have referenced them before so I will spare you the link. The kids were a-OK with playing, I on the other hand, was a bit rattled about their performance. My good buddy Helen assisted me since she has a little more experience with this sort of thing than I do. And, Shirley. Sweet Shirley, who has been teaching the little people of our church since I was a little person. She taught me.

Around 10:30 we corralled the kiddo's up to the sanctuary for a quick run through of our Thanksgiving Day song, We Gather Together. I was a bit nervous based on the practice alone. The kids were AWFUL. Like someone fed the all Speed then sent them off to church, mine included. No one was listening, they were arguing over which color bell they were going to play, playing around on the stairs, running around, talking, goofing off in general. I was worried. After we got the coordination of the thing worked out I felt a bit better. This is where I am clueless. I don't know how things "flow" in worship. I was scared the cards would stick together, thus throwing off the song.

My fears were unwarranted. The kids managed to pull themselves together, somewhat. (Hey, they ARE kids, after all!) and thanks to Helen's brilliant idea of putting the bells in a basket for them to grab one, then returning them to the same spot, it went off without a hitch. I do wish I had thought to video it. There were some comical moments. Harrison shaking his bell like a mad man, two little ones in the front being silly and feeding off the laughter from the pews, and then my darling daughter screaming "Harrison!" mid-song, were just a few. You had to be there. They sounded great and were so cute. I dare to say, they were a hit! After they played for the offering, we shuttled them back downstairs to Children's Worship, led by Mrs. Patty.

I feel better having one performance behind me. I guess I was just scared of how it all comes together in the end, but it as great and I am so glad I agreed to take on this project when Mrs. Carol, the former Minister's wife, left to move to Texas with the family. I think she would have been proud!!

All I Want for Christmas is...

... my bathroom finished, (Sing it now) my Bathroom finished, yeah my bathroom finished. All I want for Christmas is my bathroom finished, then I could take a shower in it!

Unless memory fails me, we are fast approaching three years of a gutted bathroom. It is quite possible it has been longer. Time flies when you're having fun. We are down to one bathroom. Have been for a while. That one bathroom does not have a shower, just a claw foot tub. Washing a head of thick long hair that reaches past my shoulders is NOT EASY in that tub with a cup! Not to mention, the hair falls out and who wants to get out of the tub with 2 foot long pieces of hair clinging to them? Eeeewwwww. Yucky!

We are at the mercy of others at this point. We don't know what we are doing. We do not have the disposable income to pay someone to do the work. Chris works two jobs and it is just hard to find the time to get it done. Trying to coordinate two schedules to work on it is darn near impossible. Here is what we need done (I gladly accept charity work without any notice!!!)...

1. Sheet rock is hung, needs to be finished, sanded and painted.
2. Cement board needs to be hung on shower walls

3. Tile needs to go on top of cement board

4. Tile the floor

5. Install Sink, toilet, and shower fixtures

We have most of the supplies we need to do it, just not the expertise to finish the job that was started a loooonnnnngggg time ago. In the meantime, I am left with one bathroom with a claw foot tub and no shower and one messed up bathroom that desperately needs attention. Lets take a look at the progression. Keep in mind, these photos were taken over a period of 3 years. The first photos date back to April 2005 and move all the way through today's post. I am not sure if we have made progress or not. Looks like it went from bad to worse in the photos.

Looking into our pepto pink bathroom from the playroom. Gotta love the pink plastic tile and 1960-70's era wallpaper. The floor was so stained and smelly to boot.

Note the missing tile in the shower and brown wallpaper glue and mold on the pink shiny walls.


Yep folks, "they" wallpapered the ceiling. Not sure why. It is peeling off in this photo, and the second shower curtain you see is the one I put up to cover the holes in the wall so the shower was usable for a while. The brown and ugly stains are NOT the result of bad photography, they were actually there. NASTY!!!!!

Phase 1 of bathroom remodel, circa March 2007. Walls are out. All that's left that is original is the 500+ pound cast iron bathtub. Its gotta stay. Hopefully a little re glaze will do the trick on it.

The corner where the sink/vanity use to stand. Now, its just 2x4's. My brother did some rewiring for us so new light fixtures will be at the correct height for the pedestal sink.

Looking over the toilet, at the ceiling in the shower area. What a mess. Had to do some corrective plumbing. My poor Dad. In a crawl space about 2ft high. Couldn't pay me enough to get in that nasty space. Notice that there is NO insulation in the walls. NONE!!


Check out that NASTY NASTY floor. I particularly like the butter container in the sewer pipe to keep out the fumes. We knew the floor was soft before we started pulling up linoleum and soon discovered the source of the problem and smell. Most of the boards near the toilet area were saturated with URINE and SMELLED!!! Ummm, several decades of soaked in pee. You can just imagine.

Looking straight into the room, which is now serving as a work equipment storage area. The sheet rock is hung, but unfinished at this point. The walls have nice, new insulation in them too.

The corner where the sink will go. My brother, who hung the sheet rock, had a few choice words about old houses not being square.

The tub/shower area with the nice new insulation. The tub is currently serving as a holding area for the bathroom door and extra sheet rock.

THE FLOOR! No more Urine stains or smell, but plenty of junk to cover it up! My cat likes to sleep on the plastic. The butter container is still under all that plastic somewhere.

Looking back at these photos makes me long for the days of pepto pink walls and moldy wallpaper. At least then I could take a shower!!

Cleaning the Playroom

My playroom is a disaster. I know, it's a playroom. It is suppose to be a mess. Tonight, I made it my mission to start the process of getting rid of toys that probably haven't seen the light of day in several years. Four bags were already taken to Goodwill, and I just filled four more. I'm talking lawn and garden bags, not little kitchen trash bags! I also have two more for Once Upon A Child. I am hoping for some cold hard cash out of toys that they have outgrown.

Little people have been banished to the basement in storage bins for safe keeping. I am hoping, one day, they will be worth decent money on ebay. I know some are going for a good amount now. I figure in about 5 more years I will be set. For a while, Little People moved into my house. All their vehicles, buildings, trains, accessories, etc filled every square inch of my playroom.

Now, they have been replaced with Barbies, Dinosaurs, Cars and Trucks of all shapes and sizes, Playmobil, Ponyville, Sweet Streets, you name it, I probably got it in spades. I decided it was time to move toys to the playroom, rather than their current location, the kids bedrooms, after breaking my neck for the one millionth time while trying to navigate the mess in my kids rooms. Again, I won't scare you with a photo.

Just to think, my financial woes could be cured with the toys they have in their rooms. Crazy. Just plain crazy. Now, Harrison's birthday is approaching, Thanksgiving Day to be exact. More toys. More "stuff" to fall over. Gotta get a handle on it, and fast. Right behind that, Christmas! This will be a very very light Christmas and birthday for us this year. Finances and just good plain sense dictate that.

Well, the playroom is calling. Just had to get my blog done before I dive back into the cleaning!

So, You're Telling Me I am Really NOT an Ostrich?

Life is hard people. Life is hard. I know, it is tough for alot of folks right now with the pissy economy and all. But it still doesn't make my pill any easier to swallow. I am having a rough day. I have this beautiful budget all laid out in Quicken. It is pretty in theory only. We are so far off our budget at this point in November that it is scary. I don't how we will catch it up, unless we win the lottery. So I have this BAAAADDDD habit I tend to do when the road gets bumpy. I play like an Ostrich and stick my head right down into the sand.

Problem is, the problem doesn't go away. It is usually only compounded by the fact that I have ignored it for so long. Its like a snowball out of control. I am overwhelmed by things and tend to just shut down when this happens. I literally become paralyzed by the things that are bugging me. Whether it be the mess in my house, the laundry piled up, the bills, life, etc. I am not quite sure how to stop this bad habit. Habits that are life long are VERY hard to break. I am quite envious of those people you see on all these TV shows that are able to make HUGE changes in life, be it weight loss, cleaner houses, better financial choices, or whatever. You fill in the blanks. There are tons of those shows around. I suppose if I had that kind of support I too could make a major overhaul of things. Right now, my method of robbing Peter to pay Paul just really isn't working. My attempts at exercise are laughable, the weights definitely going the wrong way thanks to a huge lack of willpower, and the house looks like a tornado went through it all the time, my to do list is crazy long. I've got to find a way to overcome this "head in the sand" thing I do before things get worse. How do you keep from shutting down? Chris says you just have to "do" it. Easier said than done IMO. Right now my brain hurts. I think I will go take a nap and tune it all out for a while.

Random Crap and the Waffle House

Last night we went to a Daisy Troop Meeting. The whole family went because Maia was suppose to get her first "petal" and some other things for her smock. Well, long story short, we get there, the leader is not there. We were suppose to have dinner, so we had not eaten. The kids were starving. We waited for close to an hour and she never did show up. There were a bunch of new members wanting to join and an old troop leader there that helps with our troop. I got concerned that something had happened to the leader, but turns out it was a big ole bunch of personal issues and work issues that got out of hand last minute and delayed her. No big deal, really.

Looking all cute in her Daisy Troop Smock. Hopefully, it won't be long before it is filled with patches and petals. A big daisy goes in the center and they earn "petals" for it.

We left there, and since we had not had dinner and really didn't have too much money to spare, we headed to the Waffle House to eat some good ole greasy breakfast food. Yummy. This establishment has been here in its current state since BEFORE I was born, if I am correct. It is OLD, people. OLD. We eat there quite a bit and the breakfast food is super. Of course, I had the camera with me since I had planned on taking some photos at the Girl Scout meeting. Oh well. I couldn't resist pulling it out in the Waffle House. Hey, in there, ANYTHING goes. ANYTHING. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. Don't drool on the keyboard...

Chris and a grumpy looking, and hungry, Maia at the Waffle House.

Harrison and Mom do a Self Portrait at the Waffle House.

Harrison's Dinosaur bones "dressed" up in a tissue. What can I say, he is a very creative and inventive child.

The Menu: Decisions decisions...

Ahhh, my drink of choice, good old Coke, from a fountain of course.

I like this shot better. I was playing with the super macro feature on the camera.

Grilling up some fine dining in this fine establishment
(Gives new meaning to the term "greasy spoon").

Maia up close and personal. Again, the super Macro feature.

The choices were made and the decisions was... Waffle to be split with Harrison and Maia...

A Bacon, Egg and Cheese on Texas Toast sandwich for Mom. Chris got a Philly cheese steak on Texas toast, but I kinda figured I was being annoying with the camera so put it away before I got a shot of his yum yummy meal.

Maia opted for two sausage patties with her half of waffle while Harrison went for the bacon. That's good eatin' people!! (the camera also has a cuisine mode so I had to test it out! Although, I am pretty sure Waffle House does not count as cuisine. Maybe i should write them and tell them to add a "greasy food" option)

We were just about done eating, thank goodness, when Harrison leans over the wall of the booth we were sitting in and makes a startling announcement. He is looking over the wall into the part of the restaurant where they actually work, cook and clean. They were mopping the floor and had moved the trash can when Harrison peered over. He says "Look at all those bugs Mom!! What kinda bugs are they??" In a very 6 year old boy LOUD voice. Chris took a peek and, yep, they were ROACHES. Little bitty small ones. G-R-O-S-S. I don't know that I could have finished eating at that point. Now, I am no naive little girl. I know restaurants, probably more than I care to admit, have bugs. But it is just not something you want to see while you are sitting a mere inches away from dozens of them. I had the heebee geebees all night after that. Chris did too. Oh well, the food was good at least.

I am gonna leave you with this totally random shot of Maia, today after school, eating a big red Gala Apple. Yum Yum. Now, that IS truly good eatin'. Don't you just LOVE the argyle??

Sunday

That's a real exciting title to my blog isn't it?? I have spent the better part of my day to day in church. In a mad dash, due to oversleeping, we made it to church this morning just in the nick of time. Left there around 12:15 and headed to my mom's house while Chris headed to work. The kids and myself hung out there for several hours. I particularly enjoy using her FAST computer, rather than ding around on this one. Oh, I can't WAIT for tax refund time so I can get a new one. The cheapest thing out there would be better than the one I have now. Seriously.

After a quick stop to pick up girl scout candy that had just come in and a quick stop by the house to change into comfy clothes, me and the kids headed back to church for Play practice for the upcoming Christmas play, "Santa bowed at Christmas". I sat and chatted with a few friends while the kids were doing their thing, then we moved straight into "Fairview Nights" where I help with the children. We practiced the Kristal Bells for worship service next week. They will play "We Gather Together" for Thanksgiving. I hope the cards don't stick together or it will be a disaster. Kristal Bells are color coded and the cards show the color bell that needs to be rung as I count out the beats that they are to be rung for. Pretty cool and the kids love them. We also worked on some gifts for the nursing home visit the kids are planning for the holidays. Fun stuff.

Now, kids are in bed, Chris is home from work, I am in even comfier (is that a word??) clothing, and my favorite show in the whole world is coming on, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Had to do my obligatory post before that started!

Aren't you glad you now know how I spent my day?? I am sure you feel enlightened.

A Day in My Life

Today, after a nice sleep-in, I managed to knock out some housework. Still nowhere near where it needs to be, but I managed to get several loads of clothes washed, and dried and even put away, rather than left to sit in a basket for several days/weeks. I also sorted some clothes that need to be sold at consignment, or just given to Goodwill. My bedroom is MUCH IMPROVED from what it was. I won't even scare you with a before and after shot. After that the family went to grab a late lunch/early dinner and then to the nursing home to see Chris's grandmother. Depressing. I managed to do a little Christmas shopping (very very very little), and then put the kids to bed. I am REALLY not into posting tonight so I will spare you the boring mundane details of my life. I am still trying to figure out what "idea" Chris would like me to post about. Maybe the idea of a windfall of cash falling into my lap??? Nighty Night for now...

Maia's Doll

Boy, I just wanna say, that I am really starting to reach for things to blog about and it is only day 14 of this blog a day business. Luckily, with Thanksgiving and Harrison's birthday approaching, I should have more to talk about in a week or so. In the meantime, you get what you get. The hubby thinks I should blog about an Idea, rather than my day to day life events. Whatever. My ideas are probably things you REALLY don't want to read about anyway. I have Mommy brain. If it doesn't involve my kids or someone else's I probably don't have much to say about it at the moment. Which leads me to this post...

Maia, my girl child, who until about a week ago, could have cared less about a baby doll. Her aunt Pat and Uncle Gary gave her a doll with a creepy laugh for her birthday this past May. She was briefly interested in it, but soon forgot it. Well, about a week ago, she "rediscovered" this doll and has drug it with her everywhere since. The doll is fine. Has a bit of a hair issue and the laugh is just too creepy for words, but other than that, it is OK. She has lots of others, from Cheap to American Girl's Bitty Baby, but this is the one she has "adopted" to be her baby. Oh, excuse me, it is her little sister Mia, and I am the mommy. Not her. When asked why she is not the mommy, she just giggles and looks at me like, "duh, I am not OLD ENOUGH to be a mommy." (You go right ahead and keep thinking that Maia until you are about 30, preferably, 30 and married)

Doll, pre-naming, wearing a dress Maia wore at age 3 months.

What I find most funny is that my daughter wakes up, changes the doll into her daytime clothes, feeds her breakfast, etc., then at night, she changes her into her pajamas, reads her a book, tucks her into her bed with her bunny and blanket and plays her doll mobile for her. The baby has even had a "bath" and several birthday parties complete with handmade invitations. Maia addresses the dolls needs before her own. Tonight, we went to the mall with baby in tow. I had an infant car seat in my car from my outing today with the child I keep, so Maia strapped Mia into the car seat WAY before she was worried about herself. I had to wait several minutes for his to happen before Maia was ready to hook her own car seat. I can already see the beginnings of a Mommy in her; neglecting herself to care for her "child". Funny how young that starts. I made the mistake of suggesting to Maia that we leave the baby in the car while we went into the mall. Lord, call social services on me. Silly me, You would have thought I slapped my own daughter silly by the look she gave me upon this suggestion. Don't worry, It won't happen twice.

Maia, tucking the baby into her bed at night. This happens EVERY NIGHT without fail lately.
I think it is kinda cute & have WAITED for my daughter to discover my favorite childhood toy.

All tucked in and ready for sweet dreams.

I can now add to my list of lifetime accomplishments, the title of SURGEON extraordinaire and professional stylist (I only wish I had the paycheck to go along with the first!). I had to perform a small "surgery" of sorts on her for fear that her head and foot would fall off. This is NOT a super well made doll; cheap fabric body, sub-par wig for hair that was barely glued on and whoever styled it must have been on drugs at the time. So, the baby got its neck sewn back together, the leg sewn back together and its wig re-glued and trimmed and restyled. Much improved much to my daughter's delight.

Baby Mia before makeover, sporting her new duds. Original ponytails are out at this stage, ready for her trim and new styling, courtesy of ME. I failed to get a photo of the before/after surgery. THAT was a real accomplishment.

Baby Mia, (actually, Maia refers to her as Little Mia), post surgery and makeover. Hard to see the differences in the hair, but trust me folks, it is MUCH improved in this photo.

Now, I am on a quest for a small wardrobe for this doll. I am finding that newborn size baby clothes fit it best and are actually CHEAPER than doll clothing. Better made and more stylish too. Never thought I would be shopping the infant section again, and certainly not for a doll. Oh well. There are some really cute and inexpensive things out there for a baby and it is probably the ONLY WAY I will ever enter the infant department in a store again.

Little Mia and her wardrobe purchased at Target. Bib, socks, and onesie all came from Target's Dollar section (oh, I could do a post on that!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that part of Target!), dress was clearance rack purchase and Pink Ballet slippers were from AC Moore.

For now, I am left to deal with a cheaply made, semi-cute, baby with a freaky laugh. Enjoy the photos and be glad I have not figured out how to add sound to this post.

Little Mia's First birthday party.

Invite to Said Party. This is the front.
I must say, Maia has GREAT handwriting for a 5 year old.

Inside of invitation, complete with Glitter glue accents, Maia's all time favorite.

Maia, sporting a particularly strange look, and her doll after a visit to Target to purchase
the outfit baby is wearing. Sale racks at Target ROCK!!

Are you freaked out yet by the Doll staring at you?? Now you have experienced a small bit of what I am dealing with. Every time I turn around the doll is there, staring and laughing at me. Creepy. I just thank God it doesn't have teeth. I am also just SLIGHTLY disturbed at myself for posting this much about a DOLL. I really really need to get a life.

Things that Make Me Happy

In celebration of my new phone, I thought I would compile a list of things that make me happy today. Hold onto your hats people, this is going to be life changing!

1. Having a phone that will dial a "5" AND gets good reception. YES! You CAN hear me now!!
2. Good music on the radio
3. A bright sun shiny day like today
4. Not having to repeat myself 100 times to get the kids/hubby to do something.
5. Watching Maia play with her baby doll. Too cute. Lets just say, the mommy neglect we tend to subject on ourselves as mothers starts very young. I have already witnessed it in Maia.
6. Naptime
7. Being told "I love you Momma" by my kids.
8. Ice cream
9. Cuddling
10. Good Friends
11. The first time you climb into bed that has just had clean sheets put on it.
12. A good book.
13. A positive balance in the checking account
14. Finding or receiving unexpected money
15. Taking photos of my kids
16. Doing something creative
17. BEING ALIVE
18. Family that cares
19. the smell of baking bread
20. Chocolate Chip Cookies, fresh made of course.

There ya go folks. A disguistingly positive post from ME! Have a good day. More on Maia's doll tomorrow.

Juliette Lowe Princess Party & Other Stuff

Well, I was gonna post about our dinner at Sachiko/Porterhouse tonight in celebration of my mother in laws 60th birthday, but now I am down by two cameras and hating life. My cat knocked mine off the table last week and destroyed it. My FIL brought me his to use and his battery (the expensive rechargeable kind) is dead. SO, long story short, I am on a major hunt for things to hock so I can come up with the rest of the funds to buy the one I am saving for. I only need about $60 more dollars to get it and I am jonesing. I will post about that when I get the photos that are suppose to be emailed to be that were taken by another couple that was with us. I know you will be chewing your nails in anticipation of this.

On a good note...I had to fill up the van tonight on our way to the above mentioned dinner and I only had to put $30 in it to just about fill the sucker!! I almost cried at the pump. Seriously. That is HALF of what I had been putting in the van. HALF PEOPLE!! That is a HUGE savings. I can drive for just about a week, sometimes more on that.

Now, on to the post for which this is titled...

Last Saturday, November 1st to be exact, I attended a Girl Scouts/Daisy Scouts Juliette Lowe Princess Party in celebration of, guess who?? Juliette Lowe. She was the founder of Girl Scouts so Maia's Daisy Troop and three other local Daisy/Brownie/Girl Scout Troops got together at the YWCA to have a princess party. It was pretty cool.

My Princess

HUGE HUGE HUGE cake celebrating the birthday of GS's founder Juliette Lowe

The girls got to make princess wands and tiara's and earned Try-It badges for several of the activities they had set up. Of course, all the girls came in their Princess Attire. At lunchtime, they got a lesson in proper table settings and manners, and then we enjoyed a HUGE birthday cake. It was a fun, if not LONG, day but I think all the girls had a great time.

The "proper" place setting. Does ANYONE still use this many dishes at one mealtime??

The girls all had this place mat to help them create their place setting. Even I don't know what to do with all these things!!!

The girls all had a scaled down version to work with.
Maia is hard at work trying to get hers right.

The final photos were taken last Monday, Nov 3, at my In-Laws house. They have a fire pit, so I couldn't resist snapping these of the family.

Three Generations of Toler Men and one little lady. Tim, Chris's brother, looks just like Chris.

My little firebug.

Things to be Thankful for When Times are Tight

I am in a funk. I made a deposit at the bank only to discover that after $160 is put in, we have $8 of it at our disposal. Gonna be slim pickin's in the Toler house this coming week until Chris gets paid and things won't get too much better then.

After that discovery, I got on the computer to waste some time (that I don't have to waste) and started checking up on my friends son's care page. He is about the same age as my son and he has cancer. They have met several people in NY when there for treatment and several of these children have recently passed away from the cancer. So, I sit here unable to tear myself away from these sites, and try to imagine what these families are going through. It isn't even possible for me to go there.

On that note, even though money is tight, Christmas will be extra slim this year, our jobs are in jeopardy and the country as a whole is knee deep in recession, I find that I am VERY THANKFUL that I have been blessed with my two children and that they are for the most part, healthy and happy. They have their faults, we all do, but I love them good or bad, right or wrong, come hell or high water. I hope and pray that they will remain healthy and that I NEVER have to experience the pain and suffering that I know these families are going through right now. Money, I am sure, is the least of their worries. So go grab your kids and loved ones and hold on tight to them. No one is guaranteed another day on this earth so we have to make the most of it while we are here and together. You just don't know when it will all disappear.

Tonights Post feels more like an Obligation...

Yep, Day 5 into the month long blog thing and I am tired. I think I am not into it right now because of several factors. One being, as of late this afternoon, I am not feeling all that great. Not sure if it is a cold coming on, or just my lovely allergies doing their number on me. Second, I am stressing over my house and the messy state it is in right now and my inability to motivate myself to care enough to lift a finger to correct the problem. Third, WE ARE BROKE! That alone will suck the life out of someone. It is going on the third week now with half my income gone and we are feeling the crunch. I am having to float checks (which is risky business), run behind on bills, be inventive at dinner time, get the MIL to buy me some bread not to mention Santa stuff for Christmas. Stressful times. I always lose kids this time of the year and if it were not for my MIL I don't know that my kids would have ever had a Santa visit. It is just a sucky feeling to be soooo dependent on family when you are 36 years old. Not a good feeling. Rather than dwell on the bad, I am just going to do my obligatory post and go to bed and read a book. I can only hope and pray that easier times are ahead for us stuck in the middle class doldrums. I know it is not just me that is having a hard time. Things can only get better, right???

I will say one other thing... For more insight on the election see this blog my friend Sarah wrote. Sarah, I hope you don't mind!! You took the words right out of my mouth!

****This just in... I just read this from a posted comment on another friends blog (thanks Karen). I thought I would share it as it hits the nail right on its ugly head. I am not really sure if this is "legal" in the blogging world, but it was too good not to have others link to it and read his thoughts.****