Mind your Glasses

It is possible to find the right style of glasses

When I found out last year my daughter needed glasses, I was a little scared. I've never had to wear glasses, so I couldn't relate. Would I be able to help her pick out the right style? Would she be teased for her new-found, but necessary look?

After visiting with the specialist, it was indeed true. She would need eyeglasses to see the board during class. She was actually pretty excited. Glasses meant she would no longer be squinting to see. It was definitely something we wanted to nip in the bud right away.

Now going through an eye exam is not fun. After all, who wants air blown into their eyes. However, it isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is actually picking out the frames. There are so many eyeglasses frames to choose from.

Why couldn't they just make it easy? When I was in the military, everybody who needed glasses got the same frame. Granted, they didn't look good, and comfort wasn't exactly a priority. They were purely to see. When it came to trendy glasses at the store, the selection was endless. Do you pick square frames? Do you want circle frames? Do you want wire? Do you want plastic? Do you want name-brand? Do you want generic? 

Personally, I prefer the ones with the big bushy eyebrows and a mustache.
Finding the right glasses can be tricky!

After hours  of looking through the glasses, my daughter finally decided on a pair. Now that we had to buy glasses for her, I can only imagine how her failing eyesight is going to impact our pocket book. That little visit cost a pretty penny. Do we have any other options?

The answer is yes!

After visiting GlassesUSA.com, there is a less painful way of picking out frames. Not only are they high quality frames and lenses, but I can do it from the comfort of my own home. They come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a generous refer-a-friend program. With 2 people in my household who wear glasses, I bet you can guess where we will be shopping next time.

As an added bonus, if you visit GlassesUSA.com, you can take 10% off any order of prescription glasses with the code: Blog10. Or check out the Sales & Coupons page for current site-wide deals. 

Disclosure: I received payment from GlassesUSA.com for this article. The opinions and story included in this article belong entirely to the author.

Where did the year go?

Today is the last day of school for my daughters. It seems like only yesterday school was starting... now we are getting ready for summer.

Here is Southern California, the temps are starting to crawl up into the triple digits. It is hot.

I don't do well in the heat.

Our pool isn't ready yet.

Today I got burnt in less than 2 minutes.

The kids are probably going to drive me mad...

Guess just because it is summer doesn't mean things really change. At least next Monday I will get to sleep in.

School Paperwork has Sucked Out My Brains

This morning had an interesting start.

I woke up to my son screaming because he wanted a drink... in the middle of the night... ok, so it was actually morning... 3 a.m. to be exact.

I figured this would happen. After all, he played so hard yesterday he fell asleep at dinner.

All that running around just wore him out!

After I had gone downstairs to fill his cup up with juice, I dragged my behind back up the stairs. The hallway was illuminated with nightlights and I could hear whimpering from the bedroom.

Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I see this rodent run in front of me and across the room.

FUCK!!! Don't tell me I have a mouse!

That was, of course, my first thought. After all, our hamster had already escaped once and we had been enforcing the "Stay Away From The Cage" Policy. Not to mention I was half asleep so I wasn't really think. But after almost squishing this little rodent, I was wide awake.

Houdini.... errrr... Buddy the Hamster, is a
friendly little guy. He just sometimes likes
to come out at night to explore.

I checked the cage and Houdini...er... Buddy the Hamster... had indeed escape. I grabbed his bag of food, hoping that if I shook it, he would come out wanting food. Nope - he was a smart hamster! He knew he was being cornered and he knew he was being trapped.

I caught him before we had to deal with any sad, crying kids. However, by this time, my son decided he was wide awake and he wanted to watch a movie. Why not - after Hamster Hunting it wasn't like I was going to have much luck falling asleep.

So I got up... and I decided to start laundry, iron my husband's work clothes, make the kids lunches. It was a productive day to say the least. At least before 8 a.m.

This afternoon I went to go fill out the rest of my paperwork for going back to school. As if I wasn't tired enough. Whatever remaining energy I had, just went out the window. I feel as if my brains have been sucked out.

Now how the hell is this school thing going to work if I lost my brain?

What Do You Mean My Kid Has No Talent?

I hate politics?

It doesn't matter if we are talking about nitty-gritty government politics or just social politics.

The school out here is having a talent show. I don't remember when I was in grade school if we did talent shows. If we did, I never applied. I was to embarrassed to actually admit I had a talent others would find interesting.

I have yet to find the talent that I can actually stand up on stage and do. (For those who remembered my awesome performance mimicking Rick from The Walking Dead, I stay away from acting because I need to avoid future concussions!)

Singing makes me nervous. I have two left feet. And I certainly can't read poetry the way Mike Myers did on "So I Married an Ax Murderer."

Personally, I think anybody who gets up to try out is brave and therefore somewhat talented. Unfortunately, the rules of the talent show kind of stink and to me it just doesn't make sense.

Last year my daughter was in softball. They never kept track of the score. Why? Because they didn't want the kids to feel bad if they didn't win. So even though the kids knew, there was no determined winner or loser by the time the game ended. It was because the adults didn't want to discourage them from getting better and from trying. It was a way to let them experience all positions without feeling bad if they, well, to put it bluntly, sucked!

Hey Batter Batter... SWING!
My daughter is the one in green!

But the same rules did not apply for the talent show. In fact, they could just downright tell your kid they sucked. You were required to try out and show off your best talent. But if the judges didn't like it, you didn't make it.

Well, one of my kids made it... the other did not.

It leaves me wondering... what is the difference between softball and talent shows?

Admit it, you want to see that talent!

The kids trying out for the talent show are at the oldest, in fifth grade. Isn't that a little too young for them to be told they are not talented, hence why they didn't make it in the talent show?

Now I understand if a kid thinks they can go up on stage and pick out a big juicy booger and say "Treasure Finding" is their talent.

First off, I bet almost every kid has that talent... and secondly, no one really wants to see that.

But what about those that want to go up and sing. What if they ALL want to sing? If they don't impress the judges they don't get through. But what if that is all they feel comfortable doing? Maybe this is them trying to break out of their skin and do something they are uncomfortable with?

I know my children are talented and I don't need a talent show to tell me that. They are both so talented in so many ways. They can both sing, they are both learning the piano, they are both smart. They both look at the world through a different set of eyes. But they are still young and they are still developing those talents.

My daughter practicing on the piano while we were getting ready to
go on vacation.

This could very clearly be evidenced by the choir and band concerts kids put on in the early years. Sure, everybody tries to put on their proudest face when the recorders start squawking and the band is all playing a different version of Hot Cross Buns and the choir is so quiet you can't even hear the song to begin with. But we all have to start somewhere!

I just hope in a world where it is ok not to keep score in baseball, but telling a kid they are not talented enough for a school Talent Show, doesn't keep these kids from trying and exceeding to the best of their ability.

After all, we are the ones building the kids up to the future. And if we break them down and make them think they aren't good enough, what kind of future are we making? I also understand not all kids can participate in everything, but there has to be a better way.

I would much rather bring a pair of ear plugs as I smile and encourage that child to keep trying then to go ahead and tell them they weren't good enough to begin with!

Excuse Me... But You Are NOT My Child's Parent

Yesterday we got a letter from the school. It was a letter to notify us that our oldest daughter has been excessively absent over the last school year.

I am ticked.

Don't be deceived by her sweet
smile... she is a trouble maker!

First off, who the hell does the school think they are? They are not the parent to my child. I am.

So I get this letter, telling me about my child's excessive absences, which, by the way, I had already called her in for. They were marked for illness and she was kept home for very good reasons. She was sick.

Believe me when I tell you, I encourage my children to go to school day in and day out. I have never held them out of school so we could have a random snuggle day just because I wanted to spend time with my kids. That is what the weekends are for. And if I did, whose business is it anyway?

• Last year she had perfect attendance, so what does that tell you about how ridiculous this letter really is?
• Last I checked, I am the one who went through labor for each and every one of them.
• Last I checked I was the one nursing them back to health when they had a raging fever.
• Last I checked I was the one that had to clean up the puke splatter (ok - I usually make my husband do that!)
• Last I checked, I am the parent and I get to decide what is best for my child.

Yet I get this letter from the school telling me of all the possible repercussions if my child's attendance did not improve. She is a top student for a reason. She loves to read and she loves going to school. She is very smart.
But as the parent, I might be guilty of an infraction and subject to prosecution pursuant to Article 6. What the FUCK is that supposed to mean. The student might be subject to arrest under Education Code Section 48264. And a bunch of other BS that continues to heat me up.

Arrest the child already... for being sick!
That shouldhelp their education.

I get it. I really do. Some parents don't enforce their children to go to school if they don't want to. Some kids are excessively sick and the school is the first pathway to catch problems that might be at home. But this is now the second time we have gotten this notice since we have moved to California. And frankly, I am angry!

The schools don't allow you to have your child at school when they reach a fever over 100. So isn't it the responsible thing to keep your kid home when they are sick. Believe me, it will hopefully stop the spread. If other parents kept their child home when they got the flu maybe my child wouldn't have brought it into our house! My daughter missed 5 days in the month of February from that darn flu bug. Our family still isn't over it.

Mommy... I am not feeling good!

Not to mention, if a child is sick, they are to attend Saturday school. This is all because of the money. The better the attendance, the more money they get from the state. Cool... I am all for giving the school money. But the politics behind this is absolute crap.

I get it. They can't single out students. They need to treat them all the same. So send me a letter announcing my daughter's truancy. But I am going to complain about it. And guess what? The next time she is sick, I am still going to call her in and let her stay home.

The other thing that really bugs me about the whole situation is because on the same letter, my daughter has two unexcused absences. I know what these are from. They are from when we went home for Christmas.

Now someone explain to me please why I can't pull my kids out of school, based off of my own discretion, to let them visit with their family across the states? We pulled them out a day early, we even informed the school of this decision, because we didn't want to miss Christmas if we hit bad weather. On the way back, we had issues with our vehicle so we ended up getting back a day late. Both absences are unexcused, whether we called them in or not. What gives them the right?

The last letter I got was also for unexcused absences where we called them in. Different school, still in California. We went home because my great Grandma was having health problems. So you are going to tell me my kid is truant because I went home to see a sick family member. Wrong. That is wrong on so many levels.

And guess what, I don't regret any of the decisions I have made. I will pull my kids out of school again if it is to see a family member they only see a couple times a year. I will pull them out of school if they are sick. And frankly if I am having a day that I just want to sit at home and watch movies all day with the kids and I don't feel like sending them to school, I will pull them out to. Why - because I am the parent and everything I do is what I believe is in their best interest.

It is just a shame the main lesson here is parents are going to  have to learn to lie to the school to get their kids absences excused for legitimate reasons. After all, a child having truancy on their record could haunt them in the years to come.

Bad Tooth Fairy

My daughter came home yesterday one tooth short. If any more teeth come out of her mouth, I am going to need to get her some dentures.

She has been losing teeth like it is a new fashion trend. Sure - there are other teeth coming in behind them so no worries. She isn't getting into any fights and getting them knocked out. I promise, she is a good kid!

But you know who is not? The Tooth Fairy!

The Tooth Fairy out here is a bad seed in the garden of dollar bills!

I am serious. When we lived in Wisconsin, the Tooth Fairy always seemed to be on top of things. Out here in California, it is a different story. The Tooth Fairy can't seem to get his (or her) act together!

Now I am sick of coming up with excuses as to why the Tooth Fairy didn't arrive...

"No sweetie, it must have been because you lost your tooth too late so you weren't put on her tooth pick up schedule!"

This Tooth Fairy needs to get their act in gear. I don't care what the excuses are... if they have a sick kid they have been caring for or even if they are just plain tired! I don't even care if tomorrow is a scheduled Apocalypse.

Tomorrow, the tooth better be on the schedule or else!

Music Monday: The Hamster Dance

Rhino The Hamster and his penthouse view!
He seems to have made this his bedroom,
even bringing up some of the bedding
and some food for later!

I don't know what made me think this was a good idea. My daughter has been asking for a pet for a long time. She is downright obsessed but we can't have the traditional dog or cat. It isn't allowed on our lease (OK - maybe because I requested it!) We just don't have the time or ability to take good care of a pet at this time.

Yet, when Christmas came and there was no baby turtle under the tree, she was in tears. It was the only thing that she asked for.

Yesterday was her birthday. She turned 8. As an 8 year old, she is spoiled. She isn't really lacking in anything. So when it came to finding her a birthday gift, we were stumped.

So we got her a pet. Not just any pet... a hamster. We were going to get her a fish, but you would have to clean out the tank, you would have to plug the filter in... there was just no where to go with it.

So we opted for a hamster instead, and we even let her pick it out.

She had to go ahead and pick out the most hyper hamster in the cage. She said it fit with her personality. He is a character already, much like my daughter Bella.

So naturally, how could I not choose The Hamster Dance for Music Monday!

Passing on my Fat Genes

This is probably going to cause a fight, but this is a topic that I hold very close to my heart. Yesterday, I was watching Anderson Cooper (DVRed - I got kids - I watch my shows on their schedule!) and it was about the "Diet Mom." You know the one - the one who put her 7 year old kid on a diet.

I don't even really know how to start this because in a room full of people, I am probably the only one that seems to be able to understand her side of the story. Dara-Lynn Weiss, author of The Heavy, is the woman responsible for starting such a controversy.

First off, let me say, I don't believe in putting children on a diet. Sometimes kids just have what I like to call baby fat. They will grow out of it.

However, childhood obesity is a big problem. It isn't something we can really deny. What is the source of childhood obesity?

• Is it the lack of parenting in the first place that might cause the child to develop poor eating habits to begin with?
• Is it the food that is offered due to financial restraints or possibly a lack of time?
• Is it the lack of recesses at school to get in more education?
• Is there too many video games and not enough time outdoors?

I really don't have a straight answer to that. But I do know that Childhood Obesity is a problem and it is something that needs to be addressed. However, I am not talking about putting your child on a diet that has 10 vanity pounds to lose. I am talking about the children whose doctors are classifying them as obese and are having health issues because of their weight.

Yesterday when I was watching the show, I was insanely frustrated. Why? Because the body image consultant blamed Weiss for passing on her obsession for weight since she had admitted to having body image problems when she was a teenager. And therefore, she was vicariously living through her daughter by putting her on a diet. And the other woman, who was blaming her for her future daughter having an eating disorder. And then questioning whether she actually loved her child because she put her on a diet. I was about to lose it. Some of these people sounded ignorant!

Why? Because they don't know what is going on behind the scenes. They are looking at the outside picture and they are listening to everyone else saying how wrong this is. And it all revolves around the word "DIET!"

I made my kids a smoothie with spinach in it so they
would enjoy their vegetables. Does that make me a bad
parent for pushing a "Diet" on my kids!

So yesterday I sat down at dinner and we had a family talk about diet. After all, I was that child that struggled with being heavy. I was that child that might have needed to be put on a diet. But on top of that, I was also that child who grew up into a woman constantly obsessed with diet pills, constantly obsessed with exercising, and constantly obsessed with the number on the scale. I would hate to pass on my fat genes to my kid! So after listening to this show, I wanted to make sure my kids understood the word diet.

The definition of diet is:

Food or drink regularly consumed. Habitual nourishment.

Ok - so it can also be used as a verb, meaning to cut calories. But for the most part, being on a diet is eating. If you have a diet of chocolate and french fries, you are still on a diet. Who am I to judge. The question is what you choose to be a part of your diet!

And if you have to count your calories so you can understand what a proper serving size is and the proper amount of food you should eat in a day, what does it matter? Does it really affect you? But the reality is, we have been teaching our kids that eating large servings of food is acceptable. It is not. It will and has made us fat! Obesity is a disease and it is something that we can change if we want to!

Now, according to the body image consultant, my obsessive exercising, my need to count calories to stay within my weight range is showcasing a bad example to my kids. In fact, they will probably have an eating disorder later in their life because of it. Why? Cause I am obviously passing on to them my fat genes.

I work out like it is a career. My kids see that. But does that
mean they will find their weight something to obsess over
or that they will find joy in a good sweat!

However, I don't believe that. Because I talk to my kids about diet and exercise. But I don't emphasize diet. I emphasize making good choices. I explain to them why it is important to exercise. Why it is important to choose fruits and vegetables.

Guess what? I may have had an obsession with dieting when I was younger and maybe even still a little even though I am adult. But my kids don't. They are healthy and to me, that is what is important. I have talked to them over and over again on the importance of loving themselves and loving what they look like, regardless of what size they are.

So what is missing from the diet aspect? It is the open communication that I have with my children. You need to talk to them about body issues, and healthy eating and healthy choices. And you also need to lead by example. And if your kid is obese and it isn't due to a medical issue, than that means you, as a parent, aren't doing your job. It shouldn't even have gotten to that.

But that is ultimately what is going to happen when your kid spends too much time in front of the TV, computer or even their Ipad. That is what is going to happen when they eat adult sized meals. That is what is going to happen when it is normal to have ice cream every night. That is what happens when you introduce them to large portion sizes and a sedentary lifestyle.

And if a doctor classified my child as being obese, you can damn well be assured that I too will be putting my kid on a diet. However, I wouldn't call it a diet. I would call it what it is... A Lifestyle Change!

We Are Getting Old....

Last night was date night. My husband and I were pretty excited. After all, we don't do date nights very often. Why? Because they are expensive and because we have to find a babysitter.

I know - small price to pay for some time alone to celebrate your relationship.

Last night was an exception. We have been waiting for the opening night of Warm Bodies for a long time. Originally it was supposed to come out on our anniversary last year, but they pushed back the release.

This movie is a zombie love story. Not only are we both obsessed with zombies... but it adds romance and comedy to make a perfect date night. So we decided to get out and break the bank.

These kids look so cute. Really,
why would anyone want
to get away for a night!

The first thing we did upon getting rid of the kids was headed for a nice relaxing meal. We were smart this time around. We made reservations.

We walked in and we immediately cut ahead of about 15 people waiting for tables. They gave us dirty looks. We stuck our tongue out at them for not being smart enough to call ahead. Now we had about 2 hours and 45 minutes to eat. This gave us plenty of time before the movie started.

Well, old habits die hard and since we are both ex-military, we had ordered, eaten and finished in 45 minutes. Now we still had another 2 hours to waste! Whatever were we to do?

We used to walk the mall every weekend. At one time,
we actually thought it was fun!

Remembering our younger selves, we decided to head across the parking lot to the mall to walk around. We used to do this all the time before we had kids. For some strange reason, I remember enjoying it. Yesterday, it was boring.

We walked through the mall and not a single store screamed out, "Come look at all the stuff we have here for you to buy!" I just wasn't interested in shopping.

However, one salesperson did scream out to us. She wanted us to try this moisturizer sample and then she nicely pointed out that my husband needed this eye serum to get rid of his wrinkles and bags... and she pretty much gasped when she realized he was only 33.

But no worries. He could improve the wrinkles under his eyes and look so much younger with this promotion today for only $199. I laughed... my husband was not amused! (Especially since neither of us got carded at dinner either!)

After 30 short minutes, we realized we felt out of place and awkward. We were surrounded by teenagers holding hands. Girlfriends running from store to store. Boys with their pants so low their boxers were showing. We were no longer a part of that "mall crowd!"

We were... GASP... the old people!

We promptly left and headed back to the movie theater. At least in the movie theater it was dark so no one could see how old we actually were!

After the movie we promptly drove back home to go to bed where we giggled like little teenagers with excitement because without kids we knew we were going to get something that most married couples don't get much of....

A couple of old fools..

SLEEP!

Geesh... what you think I was going to say!

Music Monday: 100 years

Doesn't hitting 100 of any milestone just make you
want to smile? I know it does for me!

Life is full of seconds, minutes, moments and years. Entwined between all these pieces of time are milestones that make up our lives.

I remember when I was much younger and I couldn't wait to grow up. Now that I am 33, I look at my children and I wonder where all the time I thought I had has suddenly gone. It seems that in a blink of an eye, my babies grew up and suddenly my hair is full of wisdom highlights. I never imagined getting older.

But what I realized is with age comes wisdom. With age comes lessons. With age comes milestones.

Today I am embarking on another milestone which only a year ago... maybe not even that long ago... I never even imagined. This is my 100th blog post on Ramblings of an Undiagnosed Mad Woman. Honestly, I didn't ever imagine myself as the "blog" type person. Maybe it was because the internet was still new when I was growing up.

Yet, I haven't regretted one bit of time that I have spent here in the blogosphere. I have learned so much about myself and others along the journey.

So for today's Music Monday post, I am featuring a song by 
Five For Fighting - 100 years. 

Am I going Nuts? Where did this extra kid come from?

I know, I know... I am the undiagnosed mad woman... so asking if I am going nuts seems a little ridiculous. But I am going to ask because obviously I missed something.

Just the other day, I was on Facebook using a very trustworty app program and I just could believe how accurate the results were. But now I just have one question - where did this extra kid come from?

This is actually what I have...

So which one is the imposter? Because obviously this trustworthy Facebook app told me I was only going to have 1 boy and 1 girl.

Well, I guess I have no choice but to keep them all. I only wish Facebook would have told me that I had one too many kids a little earlier. Can you imagine all the money I would have saved!

Friendship Hurts: Until Our Paths Cross Again

Sometimes, you just find that perfect
person that comes into your life!

My daughter came home yesterday, and the look on her face was indescribable. She was obviously devastated about something that has happened. I know this much, just not what has happened. I can already sense her pain before she even says a word.

When I woke up, I didn't assume that I would need to have the "Friendship Talk" with my daughter. I hate this talk. Not because having friends is a bad thing, but because sometimes having such good friends can lead to so much hurt in life, especially when you have no control over the situation, as is the case when you are a child.

Over the weekend, Abby's best friend moved.

This came as a bit of a surprise. But then again, maybe with everything we had going on with the holiday travel and then the colds, maybe we just didn't notice. And children, well, they are not always well informed on their parent's plans. It isn't necessary to worry your child with stuff that is meant for the adult to worry about.

What does that leave us with... two little girl's whose hearts are breaking.

For anyone who knows my daughter Abby, they will know that she is a kindhearted child. She loves hard and she gets hurt easily. And when it comes to friendships, she finds one really good friend and latches on hard. Therefore, when she is separated from that friend, she becomes devastated. It isn't that she doesn't have other friends, but she has just found that one person who she considers family, not just a friend.

I have to admit, I have been through this as well. When I was a child, my family moved and I lost friends because of it. Some I kept in touch with and others are nothing more than memories. As a child, we can't control these situations.

Some of these old friendships eventually ended up crossing my path again. Now thanks to technology, it is much easier to keep in touch and rekindle these old friendships.

But the thing that remains true... if you are truly meant to be in each others lives, your paths one day will once again cross.

It is a hard lesson to learn. But I truly believe that the people who are meant to be in your life will push through all obstacles to be in your life.

It Really Could Have Been Much Worse...

Everybody is probably sick and tired of me whining about my crappy vacation. I mean... a person goes on vacation and you imagine it is going to be epic and fun and memorable and relaxing.

Well, this one was fun and to a certain extent it was relaxing... and it was definitely memorable. I mean, how many people can honestly say they got stranded in the midwest because their car blew up in Missouri. I am betting not too many.

However, among all the whining and the crying about this vacation, I have to say, it really could have been much, much worse. And that is really what I need to focus on... the positives of this vacation.

My husband and I have been traveling across the United States for as long as we have been together. It is something we will never get away from. After all, he is from California and I am from Wisconsin. The heart wants what it wants, and honestly, I don't mind the travel. (Although it would be nice to have a vacation not centered around visiting family!) So it is something we have to deal with... since we have had so many kids... we have decided road trips are the way to go since it seems more affordable. (Unless you count the therapy bills that will be needed in the future. This trip, I threatened to Duck tape my kids to the roof of the car!)

So after I took a couple of xanax and started calming down, I realized our situation could have been much worse.

Sick! That is how it all starts!

Yep, the second we got to my parent's house, my mom was sick. My immune system sucks. You could probably shake hands with your second cousin Ralphie whose aunt has a child who is friends with a kid whose teacher has the flu and I would probably get it. I knew the second I saw my mom walk out of the bedroom looking like the living dead, it was only a matter of time before I got sick! My dad followed shortly after. I fought hard.

But the reality is, I lucked out. While I did get the case of the sniffles and the occasional headache, and I was a little worn down, I really didn't come down with it full blown. And to top it off, because we were all kind of fending it off, we really didn't go out of our way to leave the house and visit too many people.

This is what we call quality time! 

What does that mean? I got to spend a lot of good quality time with the people most important to me. My parents, my sisters, my nephews and nieces... my immediate family members. If it wasn't for the cold going around, we probably would have done a lot more running around visiting others. While I am sad I didn't get to see everybody while I was there, I am grateful because out of all the times we have come home, this has been by far the most relaxing trip since we weren't out running around visiting. Next time I go home - they can come to me. All the running around is just too much.

Stuck in Missouri

As part of the trip, we had planned to stop by and visit our friends Kelly and Dave. Many of you may know Kelly as she is The Realhousewife! (Go check her out!) Kelly and I became friends online and when she went on vacation in 2011 to LasVegas, I jumped at the chance to meet her in person. Since then, we have stopped by their house on the way through to stretch our legs and say hi. This time, we planned on spending a little extra time with them to hang out. However, that didn't go as planned. A little extra time turned into a lot of extra time.

Our kids watching TV in comfort as we waited
to hear the news on our car repairs.

Overall, I understand how having company can get old after a few days. Believe me, my kids can be a handful. (I am sure my husband and I can be as well!) But through it all, if we were going to get stranded somewhere, this was probably one of the best places for it too happen. At least we knew people here. Granted, we weren't expecting to stay a couple extra days, but if you are going to be stuck somewhere, hopefully it is with good people.

The next place I would have wanted to be stranded was near Terrye from The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan. After all, I promised her that I would stalk her now that she moved and is a little closer to me. I guess I will save that for the next trip.

For the most part, I can only imagine how horrible of guests we must have been. We were stressed out. My kids were running around wild and eating all of Kelly's food. And we also took over both of their kid's rooms. They were all troopers for putting up with us.

But being stuck in Missouri was the best possible outcome because it meant we didn't have to worry about a tow truck, we didn't get stranded in the middle of nowhere, and we didn't get stuck in a hotel room for days on end. And ultimately, because my husband and I don't have credit cards, they used their credit card so we could rent a car. Luckily paypal is pretty painless to work with so I could pay them back. However I do question the worth of having the Mastercard or Visa logo on debit cards. It obviously doesn't mean much! My cash was not good enough apparently!

But I do thank my lucky stars for having such a good friend available in the area that was willing to open their heart and home to us during such a stressful time. There is honestly no way I can think of to say thank you enough to them! So if anybody has any great and creative ideas... let me know!

Although I am sorry to say, it will probably be a long time before I decide to venture out on another long roadtrip. Next time I go home, I am sucking it up and flying!

Merry Christmas from Me to You

Christmas is finally here! 

From the Mad Woman to everybody else around - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Hope you holidays are full of family, friends and fun. Remember to create some crazy memories that will last a lifetime!

Music Monday: Don't Be A Jerk - It's Christmas!

Last night we were watching Spongebob. Now I will admit, Spongebob isn't the greatest role model for any child or adult. But he makes me laugh and my kids enjoy him, even if his lessons aren't always the best. Ok - what am I talking about. Spongebob doesn't teach lessons. The humor is sometimes even crude.

Yet, when the Christmas special came on, I was pretty impressed. The lesson, while sarcastic in nature (and everybody knows how much I enjoy sarcasm!), was pretty spot on.

It is the holiday season, and even this year I have been a little bit on the grumpy side. I will admit, part of that is due to being homesick. Which in effect is actually compounded by the stress of going home. I know - ironic isn't it?

I miss my family but with the stress of the holidays, I have just gotten downright grumpy. Just imagine the normal cost of Christmas. Now compound that with trying to find the perfect gift, but it has to be small enough to travel with you. On top of that, add an additional couple thousand dollars to what is already an expensive holiday, and that is what we are expected to deal with.

Now, we also have to worry about the weather. After all, it is Winter and the likelihood of getting snow is pretty good once we get past the snowbelt, and maybe even the small portion of the drive through the mountains. I just hope and cross my fingers that the snow holds off until we are off the road and safe and sound at my parents house.

But, as I watched Spongebob yesterday, something hit me. Why am I stressing? Adding stress doesn't help matters. Besides, we always figure it out. We have done this countless number of times and usually everything goes smoothly. So, what I have found, is I have been a cranky jerk for nothing.

Christmas isn't about the money you spend, it is about the people you spend your holiday with. Remember that this year... and if you have been a little on the cranky side like I have been, hopefully this song will help put you in the right mood.

Today's feature for Music Monday is none other than:
Spongebob with "Don't Be a Jerk - It's Christmas!"

Merry Sarcastic Christmas!

I have been all sorts of Scrooge this year... Probably because there is no snow on the ground and we don't plan on decorating for Christmas. Why would we? We won't be around. It would be more of a hassle to put it up to just take it down. And believe me, I got a lot of dollar store decorations. I am the queen of tacky Christmas decor and it barfs all over my house.

That being said, we can't do the traditional picture of the family in front of the Christmas tree to send out on our family Christmas cards.

I know... everybody all at once... awe.... how precious. Your family looks amazing.

This year, I don't want to do traditional. This year I want to be sarcastic and funny. So yesterday I went on a mission for sarcastic Christmas shirts. I scored one for my husband and me right away. I was excited. The kids - couldn't find anything. We went from store to store.

I was getting frustrated. All the Christmas shirts for kids were centered around Hello Kitty. Now I get it. Kids aren't necessarily the target for sarcastic Christmas shirts. But still, this was frustrating. However, we did finally find something suitable.

Cost of outfits = $66
Cost of cards = $25
Look on people's face when they get our card in the mail = PRICELESS

So here is a preview of one of the pictures we took for our sarcastic family photos....

What kind of Christmas cards do you send out?

I'm a liar...

Yep... I just admitted it... I am a liar.

The worst part is, there is nothing I despise more than a liar.

My daughter Bella - She is indeed 7 and
not 8 like I said on my Vlog!

The lie I told wasn't even like a little white lie. You know the kind... the ones told to protect others feelings. Like when my husband tells me those pants don't show off my muffin top. (I know he means well, but I would rather hear it from him then hear some stranger dining at my expense!)

Nope, mine was a big lie. I feel horrible about it too. Mainly because I didn't even realize I did it!

Yesterday, I did a Vlog... and in there, I caught myself lying. But I only caught it after I had already put hours of work into my Vlog and even had it published for several hours. And frankly, I have no intention of going back and trying to redo it. So that is why I am here today, letting everybody else know that I am a liar!

So this is indeed my correction. My lovely daughter that I mentioned in my Vlog is not actually 8... she is 7.

I can hear the gasps now....

"What kind of parent doesn't know how old there child is!"

Well, I guess that I am that kind of parent. 

And what excuses do I have? I can think of a million.

• I have been writing a book and my main character's daughter is 8 years old. Maybe that is the reason why I suddenly thought my daughter was 8 even though she was 7.
• She acts older than 7. Nothing about her screams 7. It screams more like... I am 8.
• I hit my head a couple weeks ago. Maybe I do have a brain injury.
• On top of a potential brain injury, I have also been fending off this cold that my son seems insistent on giving to me. Maybe it is the cold.
• I have exhausted my brain from everything going on lately, that I am in a brain fog.
• Holidays equal stress and stress can affect your memory.
• She has been planning her birthday party since her last birthday, so maybe I already mentally turned her 8.
• The pie that I ate was getting too old so I am actually getting delirious off of food poisoning!

Yep... those are my excuses. But the reality is... I still lied. So I am fessing up. But being that I have 3 kids, I am sure it won't be the first time I mess up. 

Hey, I even occasionally call them the wrong name! I am only human!

My Ungrateful Thanksgiving Post

Are you feeling overly thankful!

Today is Thanksgiving. It is a day to be thankful and that is just what everybody has done. They have spread their thankfullness all over the place. Their cheery disposition is affecting the moods of everybody around them.

It is downright disgusting... I mean... what do you have to be so thankful for?

So I decided to take a different, nontraditional way of looking at Thanksgiving. I want to focus on all the things I am not thankful for.

1. Last year I decided to subscribe to the newspaper. I only got the Sunday paper because those are the ones with all the coupons, and frankly, I was planning on becoming the next extreme couponer. (Ok - that never happened! I don't get it. I spent more money using coupons than actually saving since half the stuff I didn't even need.) Well, I was a little upset because today's paper was going to have all the Black Friday Ads and I wasn't going to get it.

Guess what was laying on my driveway today? The newspaper. Now, I am so not thankful for getting one extra newspaper, especially the one that I was going to go buy anyway. I mean, these ads have not only given me ideas for what to get others for Christmas, but they also encouraged me to send my husband out for the Black Friday Madness. So if he gets what he is there for... how could I possibly be thankful for that?

2. I need to go clothes shopping. I am not a big shopper but sadly, a good portion of my clothes don't even fit any more. I guess I lost too much weight since last year.

3. Today we went to see family for a Thanksgiving feast. There was turkey and mashed potatoes and cranberries and sweet potatoes and green bean casserole and crescent rolls and pies. Needless to say, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I am so full. I could barely eat that second piece of pie.

3 Kids and they all want my attention!

4. As I sat on the couch moaning in misery (see above) my daughter asked if I would like to play some Bananagrams. This is a complicated game of words. I suffered through that game. I am way to stubborn to quit. Later, my other daughter kept talking and talking and talking. She does that a lot. Luckily, my son was passed out in a turkey coma. Lucky for me, he couldn't irritate me at all.

5. My husband kept giving me his bedroom eyes. I told him down boy. He told me I was beautiful and gave me a hug and a kiss. I think he was trying to make me blush. He complimented me on my outfit for Thanksgiving Day and told me I should dress like that more often. I think he liked my boots!

So this is what I have determined:

I obviously have enough money to buy things for not just my self, but for gifts for others.

I am in the best shape of my life. I have never been so healthy.

I have food in my tummy.

I have the best kids in the world.

I am lucky enough to have a husband who loves me unconditionally!

I Guess I Have A Lot To Be Thankful For After All!!!

It is Thanksgiving and it is that time of year where everybody goes around telling each other how thankful they are for everything they have in their life. But why just one day a year? Let's count our blessings every single day.

Music Monday: Down With The Sickness

This morning my girls woke up barking...

And by girls, I don't mean I suddenly adopted a couple of dogs over the weekend and today they were barking and waking up the neighbors. No - the barking was coming from my children.

Watch out! That little bugger is out
to get you! And me without my
can of Lysol!

Now I am not going to lie, this wasn't exactly unexpected. My 3 year old son Max started getting it last weekend and it peaked on Tuesday when we ended up taking him to Urgent Care. He then spent the next few days making my life miserable. He is totally a man when it comes to whining about being sick. He doesn't want any help - he just wants to cry. He even beats my husband out for being the most dramatic sick person ever.

Well, now all three kids got the cough and they have been running fevers on and off. My husband, well he is lucky enough to be working so he gets to spend less time home potentially contracting this sickness.

Me, on the other hand, was comforting my son as he coughed, without covering his mouth, and spit his sick germs right in my face. If you want a more disturbing picture, I was in the midst of telling him to cover his mouth as he coughed. So my mouth was open and he just spit his germs right at me. I can feel it already. I am probably going to be sick. But I am strong. I only whine when it gets really bad.

So today I took some time away from my writing and got some deep cleaning done. It needed it anyway. I have been neglecting my chores since I have been working on my book. But I was going to attempt to get those nasty germs out of my house.

To bad I can't find my can of Lysol. 

Seriously? Who loses their can of Lysol?

So today for music Monday, I give you Richard Cheese with his rendition of Down With The Sickness!

Note: There are some bad words in the video, so this is your warning if you or anyone around you has sensitive ears! :)

The 3 A.M. Wake Up Call and The Evil Chihuahua

I am cranky today!

Yep, I will fully admit to my levels oh high crankiness. It might actually be a good move to avoid me at all costs. In fact, I am so cranky today, I thought about skipping the whole blog post because the only thing that was coming to mind, was how cranky I was. And seriously, how much can I really write about being cranky. But the thought of not writing my blog post made me even more cranky.

(By the way, the way, that is 82 words just about being cranky not counting these right here!)

My Poor little boy. He is definitely not
feeling too good.

So here is the reason. I got a wake-up call at 3 a.m. I woke up to my son kicking on the walls of his bedroom. He has been sick. And actually, this was the wake up call I got after I got into a deep sleep. The first one wasn't really a wake up call at all. I was still trying to fall asleep. The second one came not even an hour later. But then he got me. He got me good. You see, I had finally gotten into a really good sleep and suddenly he his banging on the walls with his damn feet!

Now, there was nothing I could do to comfort him. He actually told me to go away because I wasn't helping. But my husband had to get up in the morning and the last thing he needed was our son to be kicking the walls and screaming. So, I got up. We went downstairs and laid on the couch. Somewhere in the midst of Cars 2, we both fell asleep. Of course I am pretty sure this was because of the medicine which could make him drowsy. Finally, some peace and quiet... for him. He isn't a nice sleeper. My rest was anything but restful.

Cookies for breakfast...
don't worry, he didn't eat
anything but the insides!

But the day does go on and early morning I was feeling very good about how his fever had broken and he seemed to be doing much better. He was even using his sickness to his advantage. Promptly following every single demand with an "I'm sick!!!!" I caved. He got cookies for breakfast. But don't judge. He didn't actually eat them. He just licked the middles out and  placed them on the floor.

So, I decided that I would go walk "The Boys." The boys are a couple of Basset Hounds. I walk the dogs a couple days a week in return for my kids getting piano lessons. I was supposed to walk them yesterday, but Max was far to sick. But today, I thought I would go ahead and try. After all, worst case scenario, we would walk to the house and have to turn around without walking the dogs. Besides, it was good to get out and get some fresh air.

Upon getting the dogs leashed up and leaving the house... now mind you, I am holding on to two basset hounds - one that is young and pulls everywhere and one that walks slower than molasses. They are completely opposite. In the middle is my son Max in the stroller. Yes, this is a juggling act but I have gotten used to it after about a year of walking the dogs.

However, upon heading out of the house, we get charged. Not by some big bad ass dog but a little evil Chihuahua.

Well, this little devil dog has caused problems before. In fact, it bit one of the dogs the last time the owner had him out and about without a leash. So naturally, the older dog is scared and the younger dog wants to eat him. My job - I need to get the evil chihuahua to go away. And that I did. I stared into that evil dogs beady red eyes and told him to go home. He kept lunging at us. I jumped at him. I don't really have much choice, my hands are full with two leashes and a stroller. My options are tied.

I scared him away when I jumped toward him, but I also gave myself a headache. Apparently jumping is not the brightest thing to do after having a head injury. (I cracked my head open doing a bad acting stunt on Sunday!)

So needless to say... I am feeling cranky.

And I have a headache too.

To top it off, my son, who was feeling better is now back to running a fever and uncontrollably crying.

I have a feeling it is going to be a long night.