The Mess ... Again

repost because I love this one:

The Mess

The mess in my house is NOT a means of defining me
The mess in my house is inevitable
The mess in my house comes back 1 hour after I clean
The mess in my house is every where
The mess in my house does not reflect poorly on my parenting

The mess in my house does NOT mean I am stupid
The mess in my house does NOT mean I am lame
The mess in my house does NOT mean I am lazy
The mess in my house does NOT mean I am piggish

The mess in my house is organic

The mess in my house is because my kids play
The mess in my house is because they play often
The mess in my house is because they eat
The mess in my house is because they are free with their fun and food
(snacks only, meals are at table)
The mess in my house is because I am busy with the girls too busy to clean everyday
The mess in my house is because I am busy caring for me everyday
The mess in my house is because I love my family too much to clean all the time
The mess in my house is because we are off on adventures to playgrounds,
Sea World, the Zoo, play dates, finding bugs, rainbow walks *, riding bikes, scooters and rollerblades (ok most of those are with dad)

The mess in my house is just a mess it comes and goes and when I look back on their childhoods I don't want to remember a clean house I want to remember the smiles, the "mommy you are the greatest" the smell of sun on their skin, the smell of them after a bath, the chatter at the dinner table the screams at the pool.

So, please come over, have fun with us, don't judge me because my house is messy be happy for me for letting go in fact maybe be inspired by my letting go too. Don't think bad thoughts about me and my mess because me and my mess are starting to get along and I don't want to mess that up.

Snuggles

Dearest Moms,


Snuggle as much as possible. Every time my girls ask me to read a book I try never to say no! I always ask them each and every day to come cuddle me for 10 minutes (hopefully longer).


I LOVE to lay and talk to London about her wishes for things like every piece of clothing she touches from Justice and I love to have my 11 year old tell me how she hates oil companies and how people are stupid and ruin our earth and how she will change that and how she tries to now by educating her friends and family...I love to ask my 5 year old about her day and what she dreams about and my awesome teenager is always eager to update me on her school schedule, social outings and friend gossip.


Recently my daughter scolded some acquaintances severely with regards to alcohol abuse and we are just SO DAMN PROUD OF HER!


Its really truly the best thing ever to assist these little beings in developing into intelligent, considerate, conscientious human beings responsible for their own actions and how they affect other people.


Its so amazing to remember they are not MINE they are just allowing me to guide them and keep them as safe as meant to be on their 

Back to School

Fuck me

If I would have known the logistics of having 4 kids to get ready for back to school I am unclear as to wether I would have had 4 kids...OF COURSE I wouldn't change anything now and I love and adore them so all you scoffers shut up thats not what I am saying.  Its just no one warned me or explained to me all the appointments and money you need to spend to have healthy, seemingly happy children of various ages!

Ok so in August we have 4 pediatrician well check up appointments and they are all AT LEAST 45 minutes because the doctor is never on  time and each kids has to be asked certain questions and do certain tests. I try and book all 3 young ones the same day in a row so I don't have to take out 3 days of doctor appointments just one day is ruined. So while we are there the girls are madly bored and of course misbehave making me appear to be the LAST adult on earth who should have bred 4 times!  We have THE BEST PEDIATRICIAN if you want contact info email me!

THEN I take the teenager to her appointment but this year she went on her own WHOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

Now we are at the dentist portion of August.  Again I insanely book all 4 girls same day so I only have one rotten day of whining and complaining.  Our dentist is awesome and she gets us in and out fast (possibly because she has 5 kids and can relate!).  Dr Dixon's office in Sorrento Valley we see Kim Sauer DDS.

Then 2 have to get ortho dontist appointments and of course they HAD to be at 2 different offices so thats 2 separate days of ortho appointments and trying to NOT take the other 2 little ones on either day posses a babysitting issue.

THEN all 4 have the eye doctor to see......you getting the idea? 4 more appointments.

DONT FORGET that every year at least 2 need papers filled out at the pediatrician and dentists office before school.....

One is entering middle school so I have to go to the school 2 times. Once to pick up papers and fill them out and another day to see school and get her schedule and picture taken.  One is headed to Kindergarten and so I have to enroll her one day and go back another day for Kinder orientation and classroom/teacher visit.  Thats 4 more days in August.

Now comes the expense:  new shoes 1 pair per girls $200+, socks  (haven't bought yet but I imagine for all 4 girls $100), panties ($7 a pair for some $10 a pair for some and $10 for 5 for little ones = $150)....1 new outfit for each girl ($200), 3 backpacks ($130) and 3 new lunch boxes ($60)...that doesn't include ANY school supplies which I will have to purchase after the first week of school.

OH and I left out a $30 co pay for EVERY doctor appointment....$400

TOTAL COST FOR BACK TO SCHOOL for 4 daughters - around $1200

Feel my pain yet?


Kids that made me a card yesterday cause I didn't feel good that calls me the best mom and made me look thin PRICELESS


Wouldn't change a thing I swear its pretty damn cool to see all I CAN do for them!


If you ask me "How many could should I have Erika?" I'd say 5!

Wow I learned how to help save the earth SO SIMPLY

HOLY CRAP

http://www.tappedthemovie.com/

So many of us WANT to do the right thing...eat healthier, 

save the earth, waste less, help others....I think a SMALL percent

of US do want to DO good but dont know how or when and feel over whelmed.

If thats you then start by watching TAPPED and NEVER BUY 

ANOTHER plastic disposable water bottle again. Its THAT SIMPLE!

  

Dear Pedestrians

....fuck off.

DO NOT WALK DOWN the middle of the DAMN driveway isle at the grocery store or mall do as you are supposed to and stay to the right!

AND If you are too STUPID or TOO LAZY to cross at the light or stop sign 50 feet further and you must cross the street randomly WAIT until I pass.  Don't you DARE walk out in the middle look at me and then expect me to stop for your fuggly ass.

I DONT CARE IF IN CALIFORNIA the "pedestrian has the right of way" that ONLY counts when you are at an intersection NOT RANDOM street crosses.

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE you are ignorant people not paying attention to your environment because you are shallow and stupid and always thinking about yourself in your head.

I am from Philly near the tri-state area and I ~*~ WILL ~*~ run your ass down and make you scoot.

and one more thing PARENTS keep you damn kids to the side when you are walking down isles too and teach them not to dart out.  I wont hit them though I promise.

and JUST wait for my rant about the bad kids at the grocery store and the BAD adults.

PS Vanessa its ok to be  in a bad mood and if anyone takes it soooo personally it ruins their day then screw em they are so self centered to even think its all about them.

Read rEad reAd reaD - relax

I was angry the other day when I arrived home from my brainless part time job at a local grocery store (because I couldn't make the numbers for life insurance agent) and I was bombarded by a 5 year old asking for a popsicle AS I ENTER THE FRONT DOOR...the 7 year old is complaining to me I haven't bought her anything or given her any presents recently, my 11 year old simply wanted to show me something cool on youtube and my 17 yr old who knows she just started jabbering at me....my husband was upstairs it was 1pm and NO one had had lunch.....Needless to say I was pissed.

I start making lunch in my work uniform (not cute) and my husband comes downstairs and tells me he has heard that taking a minute or two for mediation can reset your bad mood......


MAYBE THAT WASNT THE BEST TIME FOR SUCH GOOD ADVICE.

I managed a sarcastic smile and said "thanks honey I bet thats true".

Even the best advice and the most correct advice can be received badly at times.


Please take a minute when you are NOT already pissed and click here HERE

To Shop or Not To Shop

Help.

I want cute expensive jeans and purses and shoes.

I also want to buy only recycled items to STOP this consumerism.


The Story of Stuff














ok so I shop at second hand stores and our family recycles all it can. I am PROUD to say that it takes 4 weeks to FILL my garbage can but only 1 week to fill our recycle bin.

We have taught the girls it is a mortal sin to litter and smoke.

But I want my house to look like the inside of a Pottery Barn Store and that shits hard to find used in decent condition.

We do have one big car (need to seat 6 and some friends) that uses WAY too much gas but the other car is small.

We get almost ALL the girls clothes hand-me-downs.  Shoes are pretty much the only thing we buy for them new that and bathing suits every summer.

We have a compost bin we try to use with worms in it eating our food scraps (no meat please).

We do not wrap birthday presents. We only reuse gift bags or paper in the house the girls decorate themselves.

We eat mostly organic non GMA foods.....
anything else you can suggest please (no room for a garden).

What do YOU DO?

I said NO

  Seriously. 


  A working mom is a f*cking saint but a SINGLE working mom is basically God on earth. Is that blasphemy? I am currently NEITHER (not a working mom or a single working mom) and not due to any of my choices.
  I tried working about 35 hours a week for 16 weeks...yup thats a mere 4 months people. The most important part of that is I have a saint husband so it wasn't that hard except when one of the kids would get sick.  I also noticed I cared less about what I fed them for dinner and more about getting some decent sleep to face the next day.
  More about that another day....this ranting post is to be start about the parents who are wusses.


YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!


You cannot say no, and when you try you only give in later which merely reinforces the bad behavior.


Moms: you NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH. If your child is  being a brat in public and you threaten to take away either tv or a after dinner treat THEN DO IT.  If you don't your rotten child will continue to disturb the rest of the world then grow up and be a criminal, shoot out an office of x - coworkers or steal cause they feel they deserve MORE.

I mean seriously AT WHAT POINT did us parents born 1965-1975 feel the need to swing the discipline pendulum SO far the other way? I get harsh spankings and shoving and slapping didnt really work all that great neither did the FINISH WHATS ON YOUR PLATE OR ELSE...nor did liver and mushrooms ever really go over well for me...but HEY nuggets and mac n cheese every night is too far! Asking your kid to do their homework begging them to eat? COME ON


WHY ARENT PEOPLES KIDS SAYING THANK YOU ALL THE TIME OR PLEASE AND WHY ARENT THEY LOOKING ME IN THE EYE when they talk to me? WHY doesn't your kids answer me when I say hello and why dont you make them when they don't?


REMARKS FROM TEACHERS:


"Believe me, when they start making an appearance in my world, they do. And you are right, teachers are the new parents. We are also the nurses, councilors, therapists, whatever. Forget reading, writing and math, we have to teach them everything!!!"


"We are raising your kids because YOU aren't"

12 best & Worst

Twelve "worst" and "best" non-organic produce items

If you'd like to keep pesticides and their residues off of your dinner plate, your best bet is a diet based on organic foods. Of
course, that's easier said than done if you live in an area where organic food is hard to find or prohibitively expensive. In that
case, what's a concerned consumer to do? Well, you could serve antidotes for dessert... but we think this is better: a list of
the 12 least contaminated types of produce published by the Environmental Working Group.

According to the Environmental Working Group, when it comes
to conventionally-grown produce, these are the 12 cleanest
kinds you can buy:

Twelve "cleanest non-organic foods"

• Asparagus • Avocados • Bananas • Broccoli • Cauliflower • Corn (sweet) AVOID: Probably Genetically Modified • Kiwi • Mangos • Onions • Papaya • Pineapples • Peas (sweet)

We don't recommend basing your diet solely on this list, but it's a
good healthy start towards meals that won't kill your appetite.
Since the EWG reports that more than half of our total dietary
risk from pesticides comes from just 12 foods:

Tweleve "RISKIEST foods

• Apples • Bell Peppers • Celery • Cherries • Imported Grapes • Nectarines • Peaches • Pears • Potatoes • Red Raspberries • Spinach • Strawberries

avoiding these foods for the most part, substituting from the clean list above, and eating organic and/or homegrown produce whenever possible can substantially cut down on your exposure to pesticides. When choosing foods from the above list, however, keep in mind that corn and sweet potatoes are among
those foods most likely to have been genetically modified. When
it comes to these two types of produce, consumers concerned
about GM foods as well will definitely want to seek out organic
alternatives to assure themselves of further safety.

 

credit to: http://www.living-foods.com/articles/twelvelist.html