Stereotypical Parent

So the other night, we were all in the van after taking the kids to a Halloween carnival. We were sitting in the McDonald's drive-thru line to get something quick to eat since it was so late. There was a kids' dvd playing in our van's dvd player. And Arnold and I were getting hit in the back of the head with balloon animals. It was then I thought "wow.. I really feel like a parent right now!" Sure I was amazed and in love the day my kids were born and handed over to me. But I don't think I truly felt like a parent until I was knee-deep in tantrums, homework, sleepovers, class partys, and so on. Life has become so chaotic. And I have found myself doing SO many things I never thought I would do. I swore I'd never do. But in reality, you end up doing what works for you.. and a lot of the times that may be the "easy" way out but it is to keep your sanity!!

Here are some things that come to mind that I have done since becoming a Mom, that makes me feel like the "stereotypical parent." I know you other parents out there HAVE to agree with me, at least on some of them!!! Be sure to share more if you have them!!


1. I am driving a minivan. With plenty of room for all the family, plus an extra friend (or dog). Complete with family sticker decal on back window. And the backseat is usually filled with jackets, papers from school, coupons, and the odd shoe or hairbow.

2. I sometimes feel the urge to walk into their rooms when they are sleeping. I brush back their hair and watch them for a moment. Man, they are so sweet (and quiet!) while they are sleeping!

3. I have been known to start crying out of nowhere. When daydreaming about the future, or watching a video of when the kids were younger. Time goes by way too quickly! Who are those little babies I see in those pics.. they surely can't be mine!!

4. I do all sorts of cutesy stuff for holidays and special occasions. This morning I got up early and made them pumpkins for breakfast before school. Later they will have some small gifts waiting on them after school. I have plans and traditions for every holiday! I just like to see them smile!

5. I beam with pride everytime someone gives the kids a compliment. "Your daugher is so bright!" "Your Son is so helpful and respectful of adults!" "Your daughter is absolutely gorgeous!" "You have a sweet little family!" Everytime I hear one of these I get a good feeling in my tummy. I get more excited over compliments about them than myself, I think.

6. I make funny voices when reading stories. Higher voice, accents, grumbling, you name it. The kids think it's hilarious. Arnold does it too. I think Caleb nearly loses himself everytime I read him a star wars book and say "Caleb, I am your mommy!" (I make it my own ;)

7. We threaten to throw or give away toys if the kids don't clean their rooms. They scream and protest.. but it usually STILL doesn't speed up the process any. In the past Arnold has taken toys down to the basement, and held them captive until they do better about it.

8. We get SO excited when we get that rare date night. Usually I spend all week thinking about it. I plan everything out. I just can't believe that we are going to get all those un-interrupted hours together. Just us. And then, when the kids are gone, MORE THAN ONCE we have passed out in the bed, early. So much for a date night-- we were too exhausted!!

9. Singing kids' songs when they are not even around. I can be standing washing the dishes and catch myself singing the theme song from Kipper the Dog. I have been laying there trying to fall asleep and catch myself humming the theme to Phineas and Ferb. It never lets up!

10. I will stand in really long lines, just to make the kids happy. I have stood in line for prizes, balloon animals, face painting, inflatables, freebies, toys on sale.. you name it. It's always a line!

11. Worry endlessly if they come home and tell me something like "no one would play with me at school today." Then you start over-analyzing it. "Is my kid ok?" "Are they being a bully?" "Are they no fun to be with?" "Did I not teach them enough manners?!" "Will she be damaged socially?!" You go over and over it in your head-- when in all reality it ends up being something silly like "So and so felt like playing with another friend today instead."

12. Research something online because it is all your kid can talk about lately. Brooke recently started playing "Animal Jam" with her friends in class. She asks to have some computer time every day now so she can go join the little virtual community and see everyone. But she is disappointed because she is not a "member." And apparently being a "member" is sooooo much cooler! So I was reading up on it the other day. Seeing what perks you get as a member. How much does it cost? Is it worth it? Am I going to get her a membership for Christmas now? Umm... yep.







I could go on and on, but it would take days. I hope you guys enjoyed my list and be sure to shoot me a comment about any you can think of in your lives ;)

Failure

So, this is what failure means: "an instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success."

And that is definitely how I feel right now. Do you ever have that kind of week? Where it seems you can do nothing right? Yeah, I am in the midst of that.. and it's not every Friday yet!

Here are a few examples of why I'm feeling this way...

1. I was backing up and ran smack into my mailbox, and knocked it over. Wouldn't have been so bad except that is not the first time that thing has had to be put back up! AND I'm thinking the neighbors saw me, and I know they already believe I'm not that great of a driver :x

2. I was fussing at the kids, for not paying attention and getting their homework done faster. When in reality, it wasn't that big of an issue, just me being impatient.

3. I made a fairly nice dinner the other night, had everyone sitting down and eating it, and Arnold's plate got cold. To be fair, he WAS home later than usual from work, but I still felt bad. I try to time things out just right, and it doesn't always work.

4. Last night I was playing with Rachel and then was rocking her back and forth, just being silly. Caleb came up to me and said "why do you like her the best?" Oh wow. Have I been making it seem like I have a favorite? Because that is not the case at all! Sure, I react with my kids very differently. They are different genders and have very different personalities. But I didn't know Caleb was feeling left out. Need to work on that. Note to self: learn more about "boy stuff!"

5. Brooke has had to have so much dental work. Even thought we take care of all the kids' teeth the same way, she has been doomed with repeated cavities, fillings, crowns, and even extractions. On top of that, she has dealt with seizures in the past and now ADHD. She is only 7- why is she having to go through all this? It kills me to see her struggle. I don't want her to feel any pain. Part of her dental issues might be from thumb-sucking. She DID suck her thumb for a really long time, come to think of it. Should I have tried to get her to stop? Is it partly my fault her teeth and jaw are messed up? Sheesh. I thought I was actually escaping problems when none of mine would take a pacifier!





Anyway, I could go on, but I won't bore you. So that is what I'm dealing with lately. I just feel so let-down and un-sure of myself. It is hard to keep up with life. It's amazing how one day you can feel top-of-the-world and so confident in yourself, and then the next you feel like you are worth nothing.

But I guess I have to remember that to fail from time to time is human, but you have to rise up and try again. Sometimes again AND again. If you refuse to try, THEN you become a "failure." No one is immunue to failure and heartache, not even Christians. Not even those of us who feel we are "very close" in our walk with God. Sometimes it doesn't feel fair. But I know that God is there to help me get through those times. I looked up and found "let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." That is Hebrews 12:1 in the Bible.

So I hope I am not the only who experiences these kinds of days (weeks??!) I'm sure I'm not. Thanks for letting me ramble. And for anyone else going through a tough week, remember that you always have someone on your side.

Weekend Recap!

 

 

Friday morning I went out to do a little shopping. I went to the mall, to Bath and Body works, to get more wallflowers (Japanese cherry blossom of course!) and while I was there I found some other things because they were having SUCH good sales! I got Rachel a few things in Sears, AND I had some rewards dollars that I didn't even know about, so I got money off my order. I made a stop into Gymboree because they had 40% off their already clearanced items. I picked up the kids a few shirts, the girls a few accessories, and the CUTEST baby outfit with matching hat and blanket. At checkout, the lady asked me if I wanted a giftbox for the outfit. I told her no, that it was for Brooke's lifelike baby she is getting for Christmas! LOL! I have lost my mind? Nah, it was cheap AND so cute!

 

Arnold called me later on and surprised me with saying he was getting off work early. So we met up and had lunch together. We might have even been bad and had some chocolate mousse cake! YUM! That afternoon when the kids came home, I decided to give them little prizes from my "stash" because they had all made A's on their spelling tests and gotten 2 weeks worth of "smileys." So now Caleb has a new little Kreo set, Brooke has the Aladdin figurine set, and Rachel has a Mrs. Potato head (haha.) They were happy-- I love doing little surprises for the kids--- my mom always did stuff like that for me growing up!

 

Saturday morning we went to Brooke's very last football game of the season. It was a special game too, because they had homecoming!! I was very excited that the weather was nice-- no rain, and actually not too cold! The dads and grandpas of the girls escorted them out on the field, and they got a sash and a crown. Instead of picking a "queen" like they did before, they gave each girl a title. Brooke got "listening ear." And RIGHT after that she said "hey dad, what did they say I won?!" Not kidding! Ha! I was thinking "yeah right!" ;) It was the sweetest thing EVER watching them, and I took 55 pictures while there. Had to make sure I captured all the good moments! Both sets of her grandparents were there.. they ALL made it out to see her.. even if her Pop Pop had to take a few conference calls at the game before it started (that's a good Grandpa right there! ;)

 

Saturday evening they had a big festival in the town that I went to highschool at. We dressed up the kids in their costumes and got them ready. Brooke begged me to wear makeup, so I let her wear a little. All the kids looked so cute! They did several trunk or treats and it took forever to get through the line. By the time we were done we were hungry, so we went across the street to Blue Moon Tavern and had dinner. We saw at least 3 or 4 other families in there that we knew, that had the same idea! :) We all had a good time, except Caleb kept complaining that his mask was either too tight or itchy, and I had to keep readjusting the girls' wigs!

 

Sunday afternoon we took the kids to ANOTHER fall festival. Put on by our church (well another campus.) It was HUGE. They had the biggest inflatables you'd ever seen. We went on a hayride, let the kids jump in the inflatables (only 2 because the lines were so long!) and went to the trunk or treat. One of the trunks was actually decorated with camo and the guy was dressed up like Willie from Duck Dynasty! (my fave of all of them ;) When we finished up, we decided to stop by the inlaw's house real quick since they live right down the road. We gave them copies of Brooke's cheerleading pictures that had just come back that weekend. And they had little Halloween treats for the kids, too. The kids have SO much candy now it is insane, and it's not even actual Hallowen day yet!!!

 



 

 

 

 

Here are a few pics from the weekend...

 

 

 

 

The costume I picked out for Sheldon to wear! I hope he will keep it on! ;)

Brooke and I at the game

Waiting in line

Here comes brooke with daddy! She is smiling so big!

Getting her tiara. 

With our sweet girl!

All dressed up. Hulk, Lalaloopsy, and Clawdeen Wolf from Monster High

At the halloween festival Sat night

Eating at the Tavern. Brooke looks SO grown up here!

Arnold tried on Caleb's stuff! He didn't drive home like this.. don't worry!

I went super curly! ha!

On the hayride Sunday afternoon.

Going through the trunk or treat

Aww isn't he adorable?! ;)

Our Week in Numbers

 

 

 

2- number of hours my Target interview took on Monday (I got the job!)

 

15-minutes I spent waiting at the lab on a drug test for my new job.

 

43- dollars I spent Monday evening at a Mary Kay party. New makeup!

 

4- numbers of nurses & drs Sheldon won over at his vet appt this week!

 

553- number of dollars it took for us to get heating oil put into our tank! ouch!

 

2- number of red shirts I've bought so far for me to wear to work.

 

180- number of dollars the doll went for on Ebay that I was wanting to buy for Brooke (I did NOT get it) I am trying to find another one I like now! (it is a reborn doll, they look real!)

 

8- bags of trash I emptied at the Pregnancy Care center Thurs. before leaving for the night.

 

6- number of stores I went shopping in on Friday.. found some good stuff!

 

10- number of costumes I considered for Sheldon's halloween costume before deciding on the ADORABLE blue dragon costume ;)

 

30- number of degrees it was over night, last night. SO COLD!

 

2- hours in bed I spent reading "Allegiant" last night. SO GOOD!

 

55- pictures I took at the Homecoming game this morning.

 

3- rolls of wrapping paper I bought today at Hobby Lobby. I need to start wrapping or I will never get it all done. By the way, they have the BEST and the CUTEST paper around!

 

500- times I spent re-adjusting the girls' wigs tonight at the Halloween Spooktacular.

 

145- the number of pieces of Laffy Taffy in the container I just bought Brooke for Christmas. Her fave candy. And yes I found a deal on Amazon and yes I will be putting it with her stuff! ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are a few pics from the week! :)

 

 

 

 

 

Arnold and Sheldon napping together!

He was really out of it!!

Sheldon with his new halloween toy-- Sammy the Spider!

He was tired of pics!

School Picture day!

Hanging out with Brooke at Cheerleading practice on Tuesday night

Hanging w/ the girls at the Mary Kay Party

Sheldon cuddling with Caleb! :)

Weekend Recap



 

 



~Friday was my mom's birthday! Since she is off on Fridays I was able to take her out to lunch to celebrate. We went to Libby Hill first, but they were doing some remodeling or something, and were closed, so we ended up at Chili's. Which is fine with me, because I got my favorite potato soup!! I had put together a cute little gift for her.. including an infinity scarf, a halloween bracelet, a bath and body works candle, a book I knew she'd like, and a "mason jar" tumbler in red (her fave color!) she seemed to like everything and we had a great time.

 

~Friday evening I took the kids to their school's fall festival. All their teachers were there working at it, and we got to chat with all of them, so it was fun. My SIL and neice came out to have fun, also. They had a lot to do. There were inflatables for the kids to jump on, and lots of games to play, and prizes to win. On this one game, Caleb was the night's first "big prize" winner! Then inside they had food and slushies to buy, so the kids wanted some orange slushies of course. They had an auction set up in the library.. all the classrooms had put together baskets with donated goods. I put a bid on a Scentsy basket and a basket full of chocolate.. but lost both! :( Oh well, my intentions were good! Mom went w/ me and helped me with the kids, since Arnold was with the band playing at a rehearsel dinner.

 

~Saturday morning we woke up to fog and rain, which wasn't any fun. By the time it was time to leave for Brooke's game it was only drizzle, so we went anyway. You know southerners and their football-- they take it seriously! Brooke was seriously peeved she had to go, she was frowning and complaining most of the time, bit I think she still had fun! AND our team won! Can't wait for homecoming this Saturday!

 

~Saturday afternoon we went to a local Christian bookstore. They were having "Duck Dynasty" day..and had all sorts of deals and goodies. They put the Duck Commander book on sale for $10, so I got that to read (and have already finished it!) They also have a new Christmas Veggie Tales movie out that SI from DD. is a voice character in, so we bought that, and it came with another free DVD. They had snacks set up for kids and were giving stuff out. We got a SI cup and SI card.. and you also could get beards-on-a-stick, but we didn't grab any of those ;)

 

~We were supposed to take the kids to a fall festival Saturday afternoon, but it was still rainy and the perfect weather for a nap.. so we went home and slept most of the afternoon away!

 

~Saturday evening we went to mom and dad's for dinner. Mom likes to do special things for the kids at every holiday (she is where I get my excitement over holidays and other events! That is just how I was raised! ;) She wanted to make the kids a special Halloween meal.. that included a skeleton made out of veggies, and a homeade pizza, and a tree made out of cupcakes with owls on top. Everything was so cute and the kids loved it! And she gave them their halloween goodies that night, too.

 

~Sunday we spent most of the day cleaning up around the house. The house gets trashed easily with 5 people living here (and numerous pets!) we did loads and loads of laundry, and the kids worked on their rooms. Arnold was an awesome husband and helped me out, too. Then we all went down the road for lunch at Granny's kitchen.

 

~Sunday afternoon we were wanting to take the kids to the parade in our town. Since it was so close to our house we decided to walk into town. We even took Sheldon with us :) Arnold swore it was on a certain road, but it ended up being wrong, and we missed the parade! The kids were so bummed.. I think they mostly wanted the candy the people on the floats throw out ;) We ended up walking ALL the way around town to get back home, and it was about 45 minutes of walking. The kids said they were sooo tired, and my legs were pretty sore, I'll admit. But it was a GREAT workout!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few pics from the weekend...

 



 

 

 

Mom at lunch with her gift, ready to open it. I put it in a photo box with roosters that I found at Michael's. I thought it was cute and the box could be re-used!

Rachel at the school festival. Her first one as a student! She had just gotten her face painted.. with a lady bug that she picked!

Mom and I :) I had just gotten up from a nap and was looking rough!

Mom's veggie skeleton! Isn't it cute?! And their was dip inside the head/face part. It got eaten pretty quickly!

The kids with their halloween goodies! They all got a new book, and a box of skittles.

Brooke helping Grandma cook. They made some yummy homeade pizza!

The girls playing dressup. They love to pull out Grandma's purses, highheels, and hats. They put on a little show for us, too :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

 

 



 

 

 

~I'm loving that I felt like SUPER MOM on Monday. Arnold went into work really early, so I got all the kids up, dressed, fed and ready by myself AND got them to school EARLY! Then I went and did the weekly grocery shopping. Then I did a lot of cleaning around the house. Then I helped the kids with their homework. Then I cooked dinner for all of us. Then I got the kids ready for bed and tucked in while Arnold went to band practice. Busy day, but it was fun! :)

 

~I'm loving that I got to have dinner with my friend Erika, AND lunch with my friend Cori, in the past week. I love girl time!

 

~I'm loving that we got to help celebrate my friend Jackie's son's birthday at Chuck E Cheese. The kids had a great time and I love how they can run around crazy while Arnold and I sit down and talk, since they have the security thing in place.

 

~I'm loving this saying that my pastor said in this past week's message. "Faith is acting on something that you won't understand until you see it in reverse." Deep stuff! Isn't that the truth?? How many times have I had to act on faith, not knowing how it would go, but knowing it was the right thing to do.

 

~I'm loving that there is less than a week until "Allegiant" comes out! (last book in the Divergent series) Anyone else reading this series? It is amazing!

 

~I'm loving that both Brooke and Caleb made 100's on their last spelling tests. Well, Caleb actually made an 102 since they have bonus words in his class :)

 

~I'm loving that we went as a family to the pumpkin patch this past weekend! More on that in another blog :)

 

~I'm loving that mom sent home some of her homeade manicotti the other night with us, and we heated it up and had it for dinner! My parents are the BEST cooks. I wish I had inherited that skill from them ;)

 

~I'm loving that Brooke is now in the virtual world. There is a game online for kids called Animal Jam, and you make a virtual animal and go to all these worlds and play games, etc. Her BFF is also on the game, and they sit on the phone and talk while playing on the game. Sometimes I have had to kick her off the computer because she had been on there too long! (that is the bad thing-- I now have to fight my 7 yr old for the computer! ;)

 

~I'm loving that Arnold was such a sweetheart and a help last night. I was feeling awful yesterday (sinuses or allergies or something) and Arnold took the kids to brooke's cheer practice so I could rest.. AND he came home and helped Brooke out with his homework. He is an amazing father and husband-- I can't say it enough!

 

~I'm loving that yesterday was a "good mail day." I had lots of goodies in there. 2 things I had bought lately (a scarf and some personalized christmas labels), 3 magazines that I subscribe to, and an American Girl catalog.

 

~I'm loving that I have lost 5 lbs!!! I weighed myself Monday, and was pleasantly surprised. I have been working hard for the past 2 weeks. I am trying SO hard to stick with it this time. I have a lot to lose, thanks to a medicine I'm on (weight gain is a side effect, and its been hard to lose!)

 

~I'm loving applying for jobs online lately. I really hope I can find one to work at for awhile, at least until I start back to college in January. Anyone know a place that is hiring right now???

 

~I'm loving that we have a fun weekend coming up! We are going to the kids' fall festival, to Brooke's ballgame, and to celebrate my mom's birthday. Mom is also making the kids a special Halloween meal this weekend.. she likes to celebrate everything! (that is where I got it from!!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

A few recent pics to share...

 

 

Arnold and I at the Pregnancy Care Center Volunteer dinner

The kids at the last football game

Brooke and her friend Emma at the game

At Chris' birthday party

Isn't his cake adorable?! The kids love Mario these days too!

Opening gifts! I love how happy he looks in this pic! :)



Why I Share so Much...

 

This was on my heart today, and I wanted to get it out. Sorry for rambling!

 

I have been told I share alot. That I am somewhat "too into" social media. That I am an open book. That people know all about my family and life.

 

There are several things you guys all know about me and my family.. to name just a few..

 

-You know that I was adopted

-You know that I gave a son up for adoption when I was a teenager

-You know that I am a Christian

-You know that I am very conservative, and very pro-life

-You know that my daughter is on ADD medicine

-You know that we are on one income right now and sometimes struggle.

-You know that I am trying to lose weight

 

 

Whether it be on facebook or on this blog, I choose to share these things and others. Why? Because I like to. It doesn't bother me. Writing is an outlet for me. It has been since I was a little girl. When I was around 7 years old I wrote "The Autobiography of Abby Sears." There wasn't much to tell about my life yet at that point, but it made me happy. Writing has always been a part of my life. I am a very shy person, and I have a hard time talking to people or public speaking. I stumble over my words. It makes me feel ditzy and unprepared. I'd much rather think about my words and write them down. Not to mention, the blog is an awesome way to record what is going on with the kids, so I never forget. Way better than keeping up with a baby book, in my opinion ;)

 

Anyway.. since starting this blog I have gotten several comments, messages, emails, etc. That have said things like..

 

-Can you tell me more about adoption?

-Can you tell me more about the pregnancy care center?

-Can you give me advice on this?

-We are in the same boat as you!

-I have this suggestion for you!

-I am praying for you!

-You are loved, and it will be ok!

 

Whether it be advice, words of encouragment, or just something as simple as a suggestion on where to buy something.. keeping in touch with people through social media had done me a world of good. I know some people won't agree with me. They think things should be private. Or that no one cares about certain aspects of your life. Which is fine.. if that is how you feel. But I don't mind sharing. I believe God made us to be a part of a community. To help each other while on this Earth. So I don't mind sharing my experiences! I love that I have helped people out in situations or been able to offer advice. And I love that when I am going through hard times, I can almost always count on a friendly word from SOMEONE.. somewhere....

 

 

So I just wanted to put it out there-- my name is Abby and I may be an over-sharer. But you know what? I am not sorry for it. I am will continue writing.. and sharing. And I hope those of you who don't mind continue to follow on with our crazy life journey! :)

Week Recap

 

The kids have been on a drawing kick. They ask every day to get out their paper and art box to work on pictures. Brooke drew this one of our whole family at the pool. In all their pics they draw me as the tallest or right in the center. I wonder if that means something? I hold the family together, so I guess it's right ;)

We have been wearing our new fall and halloween clothes. Love this time of year!

The kids have been playing outside just about every afternoon. The weather has been SO nice around here! Not hot and not cold.. just right!

My friend Erika and I went shopping at Kohls' yesterday to find me some jeans and a new outfit, and this was the new outfit! I loove the top, it is silky and soft and so pretty! The necklace and earrings are new, also. I wore it to the PCC dinner. We also had 20 percent off coupons so we got a lot of stuff.. it was so fun shopping for us for a change.. we always shop for the kids! 

Arnold was my date last night to the Pregnancy Care Center dinner. They had a really nice dinner at a local church to thank all the volunteers and board members for what they do. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, and rolls. AND this chocolate dessert that was to die for! I had a great time listening to all the stories of how the PCC is changing lives :)

Earlier this week Arnold and I celebrated 8 years since we started dating. yeah, I know, I celebrate everything! But who cares.. it is fun! I still remember 8 years ago when Arnold and I were driving around town and he asked me if we were officially dating! Prior to that, I had almost said "no" to him asking me for a 2nd date, so I am glad I changed my mind! This has been a great 8 years together! We went to lunch at Applebees. It is so much easier to slip away together now that all 3 kids are in school!

The latest "Kohls Cares for Kids" stuff this time around is Peanuts! They have the most adorable books and stuffed animals out right now! I want to get all of them, but so far I got one of the books and the Charlie Brown for Caleb.. I think he will like it. Only $5 per item and all the proceeds go to help kids! Can't beat that! The books they put out are hardback and really nice! I love adding to the kids' collections!

Just started this book the other day, about a young woman who lost her husband. It is pretty good so far. I am reading this while anxiously waiting on the release of "Allegiant" to come out later this month!

I guess it is a bad thing keeping up with "deal" websites and forums, because I am ALWAYS finding something I have to have, just because it is an awesome deal. The other day people were posting about a deal on American Girl dolls. They were the sets with the doll, book, and an extra outfit. It usually retails for $130 but it was going for $50. So of COURSE I had to jump on that! I got this doll, "Marie Grace" for Brooke. I grew up with American Girl dolls, and still have 4 of mine somewhere.. and so I wanted to share it with Brooke! They are recommended for ages 8 and up, so I will probably save it for her next bday.. or maybe Easter. I hope I can wait that long!

 

 

 

 I am in the process of trying hard to lose weight. I am on a medicine that has weight gain as a side effect, and unfortunately I have a lot to lose.. and it has been a struggle! My dr gave me a book all about carbs and how to try to limit them every day, but not cut them out or I will go crazy. Which is true, because I LOVE carbs! ugh.. this is going to be slow for sure, but I know it is what I need to do. I am also not going to change my medicine, because it helps me so much! I have to weigh the positives and negatives. So anyway, I have already lost 4 lbs! It is going to be a slow and steady loss probably, but that is the way to do it. Wish me luck!

 

This Weekend...

 

...I went to lunch at Olive Garden with my friend, Erika. I must go there too much, because the waitress recognized me, haha. She remembered me by necklace... I have a little dachshund necklace that Arnold got me, and she saw it and had to tell us the story of all her dachshunds :)

 

...I went to the 7 mile yardsale.. alone. All my friends were busy :( It is a big thing held twice a year near our house. Sometimes it is good, and sometimes not so good. There is a girl there every year that sells really cute girls' clothes, and I did find a few things.. and a few books.. and a Dora jewelry box for Rachel. But other than that, it was a bust. The other sales were either very small or very crowded. I gave up and went home early!

 

...We went to the school to watch the football game and watch Brooke cheer. This month they are wearing pink leg warmers in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. So sweet! But it was unbearably hot that day, so it wasn't any fun wearing them! (not typical Oct weather at all!) The Royals lost this week.. boooo. They were wiped clean actually, I think it was 30 to 0???

 

...We took our van to Auto Spa to get it detailed. I had been wanting to get it done forever. The inside of that van was the product of 5 years with 3 kids, animals, endless spills, toys, crumbs.. you name it and it was in there. There was even some chocolate milkshake on the ceiling.. I have NO clue how that got there! Anyway.. we dropped it off really early and they said about 4 hours. Well.. it wasn't done until 8 hours later, and it still wasn't technically finished.. they knocked some of the cost off. They had to give our carpets double treatments, and everything was still wet when we got it back. And they couldn't get the "racing stripe" off. But I was pleased I guess.. most of the stains were gone, and everything vacuumed and it smells GREAT! Now I am not wanting anyone to get in it!!!

 

 

...We tried the new Frogurt that opened up at the mall. It was ok.. but pretty small area and they didn't have as many yogurt options as sweetfrog. They didn't even have chocolate.. which I get every time! OR the little chunks of brownies :( But the kids had a good time.

 

...Arnold and I dropped off the kids Saturday night and went to a friend's 30th birthday party. His wife surprised him.. he had no idea we would all be at his house that night! We hung out in the yard and talked with friends, cooked out, and had cake. It was a lot of fun!

 

...Arnold and I also decided to get a date out of that night since my parents had the kids ALL night.. so we went to the movies. We saw "We are the Millers." It was HILARIOUS. I was laughing the whole time. It was a movie basically about drugs but it still somehow found a way to be heartwarming.. hard to explain.. but if you get a chance.. go watch it!!

 

...I worked in the baby class sunday morning. We ended up with 10 kids-- two years old and under. It was crazy! One little girl didn't want me to put her down, so she stayed glued to me the whole time. It is TOUGH to get up to a standing position with a kid in one arm.. after you have been sitting down on the floor for awhile! Maybe I am not so young anymore??? But anyway, we survived.. and the kids were pretty good to us ;)

 

...We went to take part in the Pro Life Rally that was going on, on a major highway near where we live. Since I work at the Pregnancy Care Center on Thurs evenings, they asked all the volunteers to come out if they could. We all got to pick out signs, and I picked the one that said "Adoption is the Loving Option." :) I thought that was fitting, considering my past :) The kids went with us too, and held signs up until they got bored :) It was a really neat time together as a family. I loved it when cars would go by and honk at us or wave.. I got chill bumps everytime! It feels GREAT to stand up for something you believe so firmly in!

 

...I snuggled and held Rachel a lot this weekend. Poor thing started getting hoarse.. to the point you could barely hear her by the end of the weekend. She also has a runny nose and croupy cough. She sounds pitiful and it breaks my heart!

 

...I helped mom out in Toys R Us, picking out gifts for the kids for Christmas. The big kids are big into legos these days, so we got a few of those sets.. a Lone Ranger set for Caleb and the Cafe for Brooke. We found Rachel an art easel. It was a "hot deal" this week for only $20 (originally $46!) She LOVES to draw and paint these days, so it was a great pick for her. They also had Monster High dolls on "hot deals" this week so I got Brooke another of the characters. I think soon we might have all of them...

 

...I watched the season finale of Hot in Cleveland. Anyone else watch that show? Hilarious! I love that Betty White is in her 90's and still so active and funny! I just love her! I can't believe what happened at the end of the season.. can't wait for the show to start up again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 generations of Deal men :) Caleb, his daddy, and Paw!

The cheerleaders sitting on the sidelines at the game.

Halftime. I don't think any of them are doing the same thing! But they sure are cute! 

Erika and I at Chase's bday party. Must have been a "pink" day :)

Some of the people lined up at the Pro Life Rally

Me holding up my sign. I stood there for an hour and held it proudly!

Out to lunch at the Hickory Tavern, while waiting on our van to get finished.

They sat us at the table under the DMB poster! I was happy! ;)

Mom took this pic of us at their house on Sunday, while picking up the kids.