Winter Weekend Fun!!!

This weekend was a blast. I have to say, I am sitting on the couch with my husband watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics and a absolutely exhausted! But, we had a fabulous time skiing and playing in the snow fun park at the resort. I was so proud of all my kids. The older three did such a great job on the slopes and I always enjoy skiing with and watching them ski down the slopes in front of me! My youngest had a good time playing with my husband at the fun park on Saturday, but after having been there once, he was more aware of what it was all about and played on every play structure today! I had the joy of being with him today and loved watching him explre and have a fun time! I think that is what makes me happiest, when my kids smile and laugh and I can tell that what they are doing in making them happy! We are gearing up for my little one to begin Soccer Tots on Saturday and I can't wait to take him there and see him kick the ball around and play with our friend's little girl! Sometimes, I need to remind myself how much I enjoy my kids, when the yelling and fighting get to me, it is important to remember they are kids and need my support and love, not frustration! Wow! What a weekend!

Free Therapy Friday: Free Write

Thanks for joining Me and Home is Where... for our first Free Therapy Friday! We hope that you will find therapy here when needed. Sometimes, we have found you need a place to vent, a place to write down your thoughts. Having a support system is key in life. We thought we could offer that through the world of blogging. Often times I can go back and read something I have written and laugh about it.


This week we have decided to start off with a free write. Let's us know what is on your mind. What are your frustrations? For me it is Washing Machine Woes! My washer broke (I wrote about it in my last post) and my husband thought he could fix it! Makes me laugh! But, really it is not funny because tonight I spent the evening washing clothes at my sister's house and am sitting preparing tomorrow's post while the laundry dries and it is only the first of three loads I have to dry tonight. By the time the second load goes in I will be able to post this as a Friday post. The rest of the family is in bed, cozy and warm. But, looking at the positives I will get to watch the ladies figure skating in silence and I can take out my frustrations on appliances while I ski on Saturday in clean ski clothes.

Things I Just Can't Say...

It has been a rough almost 24 hours now. Thankfully nothing life altering going on, just annoying! It is funny how things can be o.k and I say o.k. because they weren't great and then they seem to spiral downward.

Last night at 8:00 p.m. my washing machine decided it was tired an stopped working. It doesn't osculate. So my husband decides that if he empties it he may be able to get it to work again. However, he was unsuccessful and at 8:20 I called the phone number and made an appointment for a service call for Monday afternoon! All the while I am thinking, but can't say; Please go buy a new washing machine so I can do laundry and not come home after skiing (with a bunch of water, smelly clothes) to piles of laundry which I will have to wait to wash. I told about half a dozen people, I just couldn't say it to my husband.

Last night, I sent an email asking for help in paying for an online course I am taking for work. This morning I receive an email from a technology specialist from the county in which I work telling me that he knows that the company that I am taking the course through has sent several emails and I should follow the directions in the email after reading it. Oh thank you, I forgot that part! I tried to log into the system but was unable and once logged in after retrieving a password that matches none I have ever used before for work, I have to navigate through a bunch of different screens to find the payment button. Thanks for your help again! And I am sorry that I am completely technology illiterate! However, you should read my blog!

The overall lack of communication and the playing of telephone that goes on at my job every day floors me. Why don't people listen to what you are saying, take it in and absorb it and then use it to make appropriate decisions? Hmm...

Why is it unacceptable to say what you are really thinking in most situations and what would the ramifications be if you did?

Introducing Free Therapy Friday!

Ever felt like your head was going to explode?

Ever get so stressed out the only thing that helps is a good cry?

Come on we have all been there. Some more than most, but we all need a good therapy session with our friends once in a while. Afterwards we can often laugh over the kind of day we had or the stressers that caused us to falter. So join Mommy’s Daze and Home is Where… for Free Therapy Friday every week. Sometimes we will have a good venting session, or a writing prompt, or just some good laughs. We can all link up and provide free therapy for one another. Often hearing about other people’s stressers puts things in perspective for me. May it will for you too! So sit back, grab a glass of wine and enjoy the ride!

Post It Note Tuesday!

MeMe Monday: As Seen on T.V.

My oh my! I am an infomercial junky, mainly because there is nothing on t.v. at the ungodly hour I am sometimes awake in the morning. But, I have to say I have never bought anything. My husband has though. When I had our daughter who is now almost 7 I had an emergency gall bladder surgery when she was 5 weeks old (this is a whole other story which could be quite a lengthy post). I was in the hospital for two nights and my husband had to feed our daughter who was breast fed a bottle and somehow get her to sleep. So, he sat in the over-sized chair in our bedroom feeding and sleeping with our daughter and watched a great deal of t.v. During these two nights he had seen to infomercial for the Shark Sweeper and decided to purchase it. They even suckered him into the extra battery. It proved to work for our family, quickly picking things up off the floor after dinner, but then again so does the dog. The dog was by far more expensive so the jury is still out on the better purchase there. We no longer have the Shark Sweeper. My mother-in-law gave us a swivel sweeper because she didn't like it. I prefer that and so does our youngest. He sweeps constantly! I train them young! I am so busy I have to!

I have to say that I have no idea what is out there right now. I have wanted many products seen in infomercials though; Magic Bullet, Space Bags, Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter (I guess I did purchase this one from Target, not worth it), Perfect Pancake, that brownie pan thing. I could go on! But, I am able to show restraint, because I know it will shop up in the As Seen on T.V. aisle at Target before I know it and I can buy it there minus the free gift that I will pay $29.99 in shipping for!

Free Therapy: Week In Review

I had no idea what to write about this morning. It has been a pretty crazy week. And although I hate to admit it, I think I needed to get back into the routine of daily life. The kids have for the most part calmed down after being off school for 8 total school days due to the Blizzard of 2010. They are back to school almost full time, with 2 hour delays through today! Their activities have run as scheduled. I have had my scheduled meetings and those missed due to snow are being rescheduled. Trying to get everything done at work has proven to be a little tricky but because many areas are still not clear, some of my students have not come to school giving me extra time to get caught up. I at least have had time to develop a new schedule so I know where I need to be and when during the work week. My thumb has been causing me some grief after a fall skiing last weekend, I didn't have it looked at although clearly should have because it is messed up! My middle son ran into a door jam at his older brother's basketball game which forced a trip to the ER and precluded me from taking care of my thumb. It started to feel better so I ignored it and then it started to get worse! I go in this afternoon to see the orthopedic surgeon who will likely do my knee surgery in the spring. It is quite amusing with my thumb because I have dropped so many things on the floor this week. They just slip right out of my hand because I can't really hold anything. I think it is skier's thumb! We will see if my diagnosis is correct. Yesterday my husband had a lovely meeting at work where he was officially told he would loose the grant that provides him with 7% of his salary. The good news is he will work a half hour less. The bad news is that the expectations are the same. Not only that, but we will also loose our health insurance benefit because they have decided that they don't care that you and your spouse both work for the same school district and will take away our reduced rate. P.S. they are not telling anyone though! Oh and I wanted to put my youngest in day care because my kids eat nothing but snacks all day and because my mother lets my kids eat in the family room (or anywhere else they want) I am embarrassed to have people over my house because my couches should be condemned! And I love to entertain! I live my life everyday wanting it to be something other than it is. It is not that I don't love my life, I have everything I wanted, a loving husband and 4 amazing kids. But, I am currently lost in my life. I have no idea which way is up because I have volunteered for all these activities at the kids school and church and now can't get out from under them. I want to be the perfect "homemaker" (I just got into my time machine and travelled to 1950)! I like to bake and prepare homemade meals, plan new menus, do crafts with the kids, and volunteer for many activities at their school. I have neglected church where I feel like I should be providing service; I am currently the family forum leader. This group is so in the dark about who I really am. If they only knew! They would see that I don't have it all together! I have repeatedly told my husband in the past week that I want to move. I want to get out of this crazy fast paced area in which we live. I am from NY. My husband would never move there because he doesn't like the lifestyle and everyone is rude. I totally agree, but feel only slightly different living where we do. It is just as fast paced, the people are nicer (it is a southern thing) and everything is newer, but 15 years from now I fear it will be just like where I grew up. And this makes my youngest child 16, still in HS and totally hating us if we were to move then. So that is it, my week in a nut shell. But today I feel some sense of relief. It is Friday and I have let all this out. My husband is a saint! He listened to it all yesterday afternoon after the meeting. He is so loving! Amazing! And so I can go on until my next emotional outpouring in the same manner as I live the rest of the days! And hopefully I will be able to enjoy a glass of wine tonight at BUNKO and not drop it on the floor because of my thumb!!!