Tag Archives: kids

Almost The New Year

This year has been rather chaotic. I am going to make 2020 more organized and little procrastination!

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels.com

No, seriously, I am going to get crap done and be organized! I think I had seven years off (no outside job) from mega chaos and now I don’t remember how to fit it all in without feeling overwhelmed. It actually helps me to be busy in order to get cleaning, stuff I enjoy, and kids stuff done. I was getting too use to sitting around and taking my sweet time. I will say it was enjoyable! Now, I will have something more to look forward to when I don’t have to work or kids in the house to pick up after. 🙂 Even though I do enjoy it!

Though having kids in the house does make the days happy and not lonely. I’m not sure if I will be lonely when the kids are all on their own. Though the way things have been going, one of the kid’s usually need a place to stay when things are rough for them. I truly don’t mind that because rent is outrageous on their own. Plus, it gives me someone to have around and cook for, when I want to cook. Lately, I have not wanted to cook, running out of ideas, or maybe I’m just losing my appetite. 😦

I am finding out having a job at home is as challenging if not more challenging than having one outside the home. I just need to shut my door and say I’m working! I get interrupted all the time. I like having the work at home job because I can make my own schedule, but then sometimes I don’t do time management as well as I should. Another task to work on for the new year. My sons’ could use some time management as well. 🙂

This year I did horrible at reading books! Only 3 read, but in my defense, my job requires a lot of reading so that did a bit of procrastination to not read books. I do want to! I need to write more because I feel happier when I write whether it is my stories or blogging or both! 🙂

I tried to make myself participate in NaNoWrimo this year but no luck, major writing block. Once again that time management thing.

Do you have any goals for the New Year?

  • Read
  • Write
  • Manage time better
  • Organize my clutter 🙂
  • Get rid of stuff (my kids will be happy)
  • Pay a couple bills off! (paid 2 in 2019)
  • Regular cleaning schedule.
  • Work, work, work
  • Fun time with hubby and kids.
  • Be healthy!
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End of School Year

I see it has been a month since the last post. It has been a busy month for sure. We were getting ready for our second grand baby to be born. She was born about a week ago! A beautiful girl named ZeQara. She is fun and adorable. Mommy is doing good as well. 🙂 She and mommy are living with us currently. ZeQara is a good baby so far.  🙂  I tell her mom that means she will be ornery when she is older. LOL

Hopefully not, but you know.   🙂

We were blessed with our four kids being pretty good babies. ZeQara’s mom(oldest kid) is so far the orneriest of them all. Still have two going through high school, so one could win that honor yet. The youngest at times tries.

I sure can not believe how fast time flies. I remember as a young kid wanting time to speed up. The adults would say oh just wait, it will go by so fast when you are an adult. I didn’t believe them. Wowzers!

Definitely, they were correct.

Then what will we ever do?

Spoil grand kids? I think that is a winner! We have two now! Bummer the grandson is many miles away, but that might change someday! If not, maybe traveling will be in the plans to see him. Miss his parents as well.  🙂

We are in for some more rain tonight. We have had way too much for the month. Our lake and rivers are getting too high. We did see a tornado two days ago that was along side our neighborhood, a mile or two away, so there was no damage. Hopefully the weather person is wrong for more storms tonight.

Well, I best figure out supper, have a good night everyone! 🙂

 

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Fun With 1/2 the Family

Last Saturday was a fun fall day with three of my immediate family members. It began with the middle son bowling in a tournament out-of-town. He did good. It was fun. He said he enjoyed it. We had not participated in a tournament other than school team in a few years so it was nice to be at one again. He did bowl one game of 236! 🙂

My hubby and daughter joined us at the tournament which was great. The youngest son stayed home, he didn’t want no boring bowling tournament. lol

After the tournament we headed to a pumpkin patch that we had been to when the boys were in grade school. The daughter wanted to go and she didn’t have to twist our arm too hard to go there. It was fun and a perfect cool night.

Hubby and I figuring out how to climb up there. It was a bit comical, but we made it! 🙂

The daughter, hubby, and the middle son. As always hubby and son messing around and made the photo blurry. oops.  🙂  The daughter and son.  🙂

The daughter and I had fun with the kiddy stuff. We were wondering why they put the board in the middle of the opening of the scarecrow? Perhaps it had fallen down? So, we stood by it instead of poking our faces through the hat area.  🙂

The corn maze was a blast!

The kids ended up going their own way. They said they made it out once before we found them, but they got lost trying to find us….so….are they really telling the truth? LOL

I have only been to two different mazes but this one is so far the best and challenging.  🙂

We also rode on the hayrack ride around the area and ate some goodies. There is a ton of stuff to do and they keep adding more and more. One area had all kinds of outdoor games like corn hole, tic tac toe, and giant legos!

We will definitely be going back. Oh, and they had a band playing and lots of areas for making your own fire pits for cooking.

It is a neat pumpkin patch!

Gary’s Berries in Kansas.  🙂

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Lake Fun

Last Saturday, the daughter came over and we all headed to the lake for some fun! We decided to rent some kayaks and a canoe for about four hours. It was reasonably priced and a perfect day too. No wind and the temp was low 90s. Way better than those 100s.

 

The hubby and I manned the canoe together while the three kids paddled the kayaks. We went across the lake, under a bridge, around some bends, and bothered some geese. 🙂 Oh, and was in the way of many boats and fishermen at times. OOPS.

They all know how I hate snakes, so they were constantly yelling for to watch out for that water snake! Turds!

I swear hubby was trying to tip us in the canoe most of the time! He kept moving around because he couldn’t get a comfortable spot. Guess we need a pillow for him next time! LOL

At one point, the boys grabbed sister’s paddle and took off with it. She was stranded for a while until we got it and gave it to her. Pretty funny.

We all left our phones in the vehicles but the middle son. Amazingly, he did not lose it. He also got some funny videos. 🙂

Hubby and I stopped about forty minutes before the kids did so I was able to take a few pictures when they paddled in to put the kayaks away. I do believe investing in some kayaks is in the future. 🙂 And a boat…and a jet ski….and every other water fun thing.

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A very nice young man asked if we wanted him to take our picture when the daughter was taking ours. Heck yes. Thank you. 🙂

Only thing better would have been the oldest son, daughter-in-law, and grandson in the picture. 🙂 Miss them.

Now on to the next adventure….

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Summer is for Relaxing

I did the boys’ school enrollment today. Where did the summer go? We were not even busy. It has been a relaxing summer. The way it should be.

I remember growing up being involved in softball but the rest of the summer was being with friends and family. No crazy schedule. I went to one camp every summer for a week, dance camp. I can not fathom how the parents today put their kids in every thing they can during the summer. Which to each their own, not saying it’s wrong, but I think kids should have a relaxing summer. Because before long, they will be in the grown-up world of no more summers off, unless your job allows it. 🙂

I don’t even push a summer job unless they want it. I like the freedom of not having so many separate schedules to work with when we want to do stuff as a family. Now, come their last year of high school, I will definitely push a job so they can get ready for the workforce. To me, you are a kid once! As crazy as school years can get I think summer downtime is a must. Gives them a break. So much goes on in school nowadays. Perhaps that is why kids are stressed to the max. Maybe.

I do know once a child gets out on their own, they tend to not want mom and dad around as much. If yours does, you are one lucky family.  🙂

I also want my kids to enjoy their twenty’s. I feel this way because I had my first kid at 19 almost 20, by one month.  LOL.  I don’t regret because it did help me to grow up, but I missed out on all the young fun.

There are positives and negatives to every age you have kids. One positive to having kids young, I am a young grandma! 🙂 I can always have those fun moments in my 50s, the new 20! LOL

The best part is I can ask my kids if they want to go! I don’t have to worry about being a good influence anymore! LOL

Happy day to you all! 🙂

thR2OCW7UY(credit to bing.com images)

 

 

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Family Time

IMG_20180401_150303 This was our Easter dinner. I am definitely no chef. 🙂 But the family doesn’t starve either. I say you don’t like it, there is the kitchen, fix it yourself. 🙂 My boys are terrible at eating fruits and veggies. They eat them just not at every meal. I always offer them. I knew the hubby and daughter would eat them so that is what I mostly made. Yummy. I don’t feel horribly full either. Lots left to snack on tonight. 🙂

Not everyone likes cooked ham so I made a roast beef and bought sliced ham and fried it. It was actually pretty tasty. It was a better ham too. It will make good sandwiches later. 🙂

Everyone but one ate the deviled eggs. I don’t know what it is lately with deviled eggs but I usually have a catastrophe happen. At Christmas one batch didn’t get done because I chose a different pan to use than normally so I didn’t boil them long enough. Ugh. Then the next batch at Christmas didn’t taste right, didn’t use enough of one ingredient. Double ugh. Today, several eggs ended up with holes in them, but I told hubby later that the universe was telling me that I was making too many. LOL Hubby helped peel them which was a big help so I could cut and get the yolk ready to mix. They turned out good. 🙂IMG_20180401_150500 Three of the kids were able to be here. Which is great. Missing the oldest son and his family. They are quite a ways away so totally understandable. He is getting ready for his first Navy deployment. Sad. I wish him all the best and for his family as well. Never a fun time leaving each other.

IMG_20180401_151535 We still like to give Easter candy plus a bit of money now that they are older. I put a twenty under their chocolate bunnies and the middle son was being goofy and knocked his out of the way and so the secret was out. Then they thought it was the only twenty because normally we do an Easter egg hunt with money in them. This year was tight on time because the daughter needed to get to work. I said next year. They were surprised when they moved their chocolate and they all had a twenty. 🙂 Love having fun with them. 🙂 I will continue until I can no longer. Just because they grow up doesn’t mean they don’t get to have any fun. 😉

IMG_20180401_151326 Hubby eating his watermelon! LOL

Oh, the watermelon was sweet which surprised us being it is not in season yet.

It was a good afternoon! Glad we could eat together. One day we may not be able to, sad thought to think about. Take those moments when we can. Live for today. Have a great Easter blog land!

 

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Kids Spark Thoughts

IMG_20170722_144608 I believe this bridge was at St. Louis but my memory fades at times. 🙂 I had the joy of driving through there when we went on our trip to see the oldest son in South Carolina in July. I knew I should have labeled the pictures that night. Guess that is what I get for thinking I would remember for sure. 🙂

IMG_20170725_144915 I do know this one! It is at Charleston, South Carolina by the Aquarium.  Love bridges. It was a nice day as well. I could sit by the water and watch the ships move about all day long if I was allowed. 🙂

The bridges bring me peace and calmness. I needed that right now after the afternoon today.

Nothing terrible, just the stress of getting two teenage boys their class schedules. Took the youngest one and his friend to the Freshmen school first. My tenth grader decided to wait in the car. 🙂 They have the Freshmen in separate buildings because the High School is not big enough to hold them all. It is in a way neat, because the military kids on base join them because there is no High School on base. This is a way to get to know one another better. I think last year it added about 150 kids to my middle son’s class. Pretty good amount of new students.

The school is three floors. I tried to explain to my son if you find all your first floor one’s at once then go to the second floor, etc., it would be the easiest to do. He wouldn’t listen. He even got grumpy butt with me. Perhaps, his logic was fine with going in the order of his classes, but mine was logical for this old lady to walk three floors in the most logical way. 🙂 I went through the first day of classes but then when he decided to do the second day’s classes I retired to the hallway close to the front doors.

They had really cool rocking chairs that looked like desk chairs. Now, where were those when I was going to school. I even had a great little conversation with a young grade school kid. He was cute. He loved the rocking chair too. 🙂

Then it was off to the main High School to find the tenth grader’s classes. Boy was that fun. Whomever designed that school decades ago made it insane. We had half floor levels before you got to the second floor. Weird. There was no logical movement around the school because you had hallways branching off here and there. I think those were done because they were additions at one time as the population grew. I was lost. At least my son knows where his first class is and a general idea of the other classes. I hope.  He is shy so he doesn’t ask many questions. Sigh.

I hope the new school passes this Fall. They need it. Not just because of design problems but it is faltering in many areas. The funding is there but of course you have those that can’t see why spend that much money on a school. It is not an area that is decreasing in population so it makes sense to build a new one.

The middle school the boys went to was built around the early  90s I believe and it is so nice. They built it like a half-moon where each grade has its own area and then it opens up into the cafeteria, auditorium, and two gyms. They actually hold all the teacher learning seminars there for the district.  Their grade school was new as well and was designed like the middle school. Guess we will see what happens.

Then my tenth grader comes down to my escape room and says I can’t find my class schedule. Really? Not even five hours and you have lost your schedule. Shaking my head. So the hunt was on. He found it in the trash. Shaking my head again.

Here is to hoping the school year goes well for us and everyone in blog land. 🙂

 

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Vacation Highlights

Last week I took a vacation from being on vacation the previous week. 🙂 Isn’t that how it works sometimes? I did the minimum I had to do as a mom. I did catch up on laundry. I did not do much work on the computer though. Hubby had to go back to work but he said it was a relaxed week for him, if that’s possible truck driving. 🙂

Our vacation was going to Charleston SC to see the oldest son’s family. They recently had a beautiful little boy named Jayce. 🙂 We needed to see that precious baby. 🙂 Oh, and the son and his wife too. 🙂

Our other two sons and daughter joined us on the long road trip. 🙂 Thank goodness for portable DVD player! They stayed busy watching movies. When you have tall kids and a hubby over 6 feet tall, many breaks were taken. I’m short, but I enjoyed the stretching of the legs too. 🙂

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This is the recap of the fun week:

  • Saturday – Began the trip. Stayed in TN. TN is a beautiful state. Definitely need a trip out there someday to sightsee. It had the most winding road through the mountains. The cars don’t slow down. Nerves galore!
  • Sunday – Reached Shay’s place. Played with the new baby. 🙂 Nice apartment complex. Beautiful area. Too much traffic for me. Roads were 5 lanes or more. Ugh.
  • Monday – Beach Day! 🙂 Hubby sadly had a migraine, he stayed back. Shay, Adric, and Farra in Shay’s car. Maniac driver! Cassie, Jessup, baby, and me in Cassie’s car. They lost us! But we got a better parking spot by the beach, speed doesn’t always win. 🙂 Beach was great! Put up a tent for Cassie and baby Jayce. Wind was a bit of a challenge. Found lots of seashells. Shay had never ate down there so we decided to walk around the beach town. Adorable shops, good thing I was on a budget, no shopping for me. We ate at Washout! Live music was terrific.  Baby Jayce slept through it.  I had a salmon BLT, it was awesome! We had some ice cream afterwards. I switched places with Farra. She said no more riding with brother Shay. He was a little better with me but it still was scary. Dang sports car! 🙂
  • Tuesday – We went sightseeing! This time the two younger boys didn’t want to go so they stayed at Shay’s. We saw the aquarium, walked through the Ft. Sumter museum, and then walked downtown Charleston. It was cool to see the old buildings. Loved it! Found a place to eat called Sticky Fingers. Yummy BBQ food. Hubby and I shared a plate. 🙂 After we ate back to the apartment. Chilled. Played with baby Jayce. Cassie made Don a cake for his birthday, yummy. Great day.
  • Wednesday – Chill day. Kids found out they got their apartment in Virginia. We had pizza delivery and began packing up stuff in the U-Haul. More cuddles with baby Jayce. 🙂
  • Thursday – Put the final things in the U-Haul. Shay and Jessup went ahead to get to the apartment complex office before it closed for some final paperwork. Don, the truck driver, drove the U-Haul. So, that left me to drive our car, oh boy, city traffic. Farra rode with me. Cassie, Adric, and baby Jayce in Cassie’s car. Oh, forgot, Farra and I had the ferrets in our car. The escape artists almost got out on us. LOL Cassie had the lizard. Yes they love pets of the different kind. LOL. We ate at Outback Steakhouse when we got to Virginia. Yummy. 
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  • Friday – Unloaded the kids at their new apartment. The city seems nice. I’d drive there, 2 lane roads. 🙂 Apartment is pretty nice, entryway could use an update. Sad we had to leave after unloading them. So sad. I need to win the lottery so we can visit more. We headed on our journey back home. Stayed in hotel in Kentucky.
  • Saturday – More driving. Missing the kids. The other 3 slept most of the ride home. Arrived home around 8pm. Good to be home.

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All in all, great week! 🙂 Miss them 3 though. 🙂

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Blog Anniversary!

Yay me! Five years!

I’m not quite where I would like to be with this blog but I do enjoy having it. I wouldn’t change having it. Some months I do good with writing a lot and other months time speeds by.  🙂

I am very thankful for those of you that take the time to read and comment.  🙂

I hope to have many more year anniversaries.  🙂

This past week was pretty busy with end of school stuff for the boys. It was nice to not get up at an early hour this morning. The youngest son was up early. The middle son slept in a bit but that was because he was up late.

Going to have to figure out a regular schedule there. I don’t want them staying up every night late during the summer, makes for a rough school start.

Now, both the younger two kids will be in high school this Fall.

Time is flying by.

The oldest kid has been out of high school for eight years this month and the oldest son has been out for five years. And to make things ancient I have been out for 28 years! Yikes!

The oldest kid, daughter, moved out this month. She had been staying with us for about ten months. It was fun. She wasn’t always here so not like I saw her all the time, but it was nice getting more time with her than if she was living elsewhere.  🙂

But, she is only about twenty minutes away in her new apartment.  🙂

The oldest son, celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday! Does not seem possible. He is really far away and waiting to go on his first ship for the Navy!

Exciting news,  him and his wife are about to have our first grand baby.  🙂  The due date is on our wedding anniversary! How exciting!

Sad part is it would have been our third grand baby but the daughter had two that didn’t survive.  😦  But she is excited to be an Aunt! 🙂

I hope we can go see him before he ships out but that thing called money tends to get in the way.  😦

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Weekend! 🙂

Thanks again for reading my blog! 🙂

20161115_164702 Me in the Creative Cave! 🙂

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Morning Sunshine

17904266_10154373872287483_2964761958218887982_n (My breakfast this morning)

I was in the mood for eggs this morning. 🙂 I’m usually terrible with fried eggs but this time I did not break the yoke. I wasn’t impatient for once. 🙂

Breakfast reminds me of growing up living with my grandparents. Grandma always had breakfast for grandpa and I every morning. Sometimes cereal, eggs, pancakes (Sundays) etc. The point was we didn’t leave the house without eating and it was all three of us together. I always had orange juice and a vitamin with my breakfast. I rarely got sick. Maybe a cold once a year but a mild one. Grandma was organized and in charge.

I did not learn that lesson from her. My youngest son does eat cereal in the morning, most of the time. The middle son grabs a quick bite usually. Today I made him frozen waffles with peanut butter on it and a vitamin.  🙂

When the other two kids were growing up, breakfast stuff was available and sometimes they ate it on their own. Other times they would eat at school. Me, I was terrible when I was working, never gave myself enough time to grab something, so it was stuff at work. It usually was something not so healthy. Now, that I am at home, I eat way better.

Having a healthy breakfast in the morning is something I wish I had done better for all four kids and hubby. We still are fairly healthy, good genes, I guess. 🙂  It might not be all my fault, society as a whole is in such a hurry in the mornings that I think a lot of people grab quick stuff. It is the thing to do.

We do eat supper together and even when I worked. Sometimes it was late at night when everyone was home but we made a point majority of the time to eat together. Now and then one or more would be gone for something but I think we did pretty good.

We eat together at night now. The adult daughter living with us, most of the time eats with us, so that makes me happy. We don’t allow cellphones at the table either. 🙂 Probably once a week is make your own meal and that is at different times. I like a break from cooking plus it helps them to learn how to figure out a meal for themselves. Sometimes leftovers and other times quick meals.

One thing that is the same, there is a TV in view from the table, even growing up. It has not hampered any conversations believe it or not. We tend have some interesting ones while eating. Kids are rather comical. Good family time. 🙂

Do you eat together? How many meals?

—- growing up,

  • breakfast together
  • lunch when school was out
  • supper when grandma wasn’t working otherwise it was grandpa and I.

—- now,

  • breakfast on weekends half the time
  • lunch is on our own unless I switch the day’s meal to then and not supper
  • supper almost always.

Times change and not always for the better.

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