Busy Busy Busy....

Thought of this video when I was coming up with a title.   LOL! Aint it the truth at this time of year. Working at the drug store I guess puts things in to a "prospective" that I hadn't really seen in  a while.... because everyone I wait on is in such a rush with buying all those last minute gifts.  Almost every customer is completely stressed out!  For some reason I'm not feeling very stressed this year, which is really quite nice.  Oh it isn't that I don't have anything to do,  I still haven't made the candy things I want to make for everyone.   We stopped a few years ago giving presents to everyone and now are only doing a Pollyanna for my side of the family..and kids on Brian's side.   It's really nice, because it takes a lot of the "stress" OUT of the holidays, (especially financial stress)--- but I still like to give a little something to everyone which is why  I usually make something.   This year I'm making those "buckeye" candy... choc & peanut butter candies--- taste like peanut butter cups.   I got the recipe & idea from my sister in law Eileen... she made them when they came to visit us & they were so yummy!  But even knowing I still need to make them doesn't really have me that stressed.  I figure I'll make them tomorrow since I'm off.  Brian & I stopped exchanging presents several years ago,  it took me a while to "get used" to the idea but I guess I'm ok with it now.  I still wish in ways that we did,   but in other ways I'm ok with it.    Financially it's really nice, emotionally I miss giving & receiving presents.  It's not even the "things" that I care about, it's the thought that goes behind giving them.  It makes me a little sad not doing it.  But like I said in ways I like it too.  I guess when I think about all those "stressed out" people spending way more money then they can probably afford I'm relieved not being one of them.  For us really it's about Emily & making it a nice Christmas for her.... she loves Christmas so much!!! I get a lot of my Christmas "spirit" from her,  it's impossible to be a Grinch around her,  she embodies joy & love!   I just love her... I think she's said almost everyday for the last 2 months that she "can't wait" for Christmas!!!!  I know it's also not all about the "presents" for her... she after being asked if we could only afford a few presents to give her, would she be ok with it.... said that would be ok & I believe her.  She's not a very "materialistic" kid----- she didn't really ask for very much this year.  We are really lucky.  I see kids who's list are sooooooo long & they are constantly adding to them... & I feel really really lucky to be Emily's mom.  Ofcourse she's not perfect but she's a pretty easy going kid.   I know really most definitely every day I have the "best" present any one could ever receive so who really needs anything more.  really.

Today is....
            12/13/14

Getting in the spirit! #MerryChristmas

BTW...my snow is an old T-shirt.  Used what I had & didn't want to have to buy that fake snow crap! Reduce, reuse recycle... lol!  After I'll use it for dusting. :) Merry Christmas earth!

Haaaaaa.... to taking a nap.

Yeah that whole laying down to rest or take a nap thing...... that never happened.  #amomslife I started "straightening" up stuff & ended never stopping. The good news...  most of living room, dining room, kitchen is cleaned (again) including dusting, bathroom, some beds are made, etc... The bad news...still have much to do-SO I guess it's good I didn't try and squeeze in a nap.  ;)   BONUS HAPPY NEWS...this is my 79th post this year, which means- this is now my second most "blogged" year in my blogging career!!!  LOL! :) I totally followed through with my "New Years" resolution from 2014- blogging more!  ( & I am still only drinking water..... woah!)

Next time tell your mind to shut up & just go to sleep...

I have so much to do & yet here I am procrastinating.   I worked the last two days, & have zero umpf to do anything.  I really just want to lay in bed for a while more... it's not even 8 am on the east coast at the moment, I've been up since 6:45 am, and I went to bed way toooo late after getting home last night at 10:30 pm from work I just was too pumped up to settle down and didn't go to bed til well after 12:30.   I like my new job but some of the peeps there, I can tell have been there toooooo long.  I feel like I'm working my butt off, & they are let's just say NOT.    But what you gonna do.   You can't be happy with every aspect of every thing.  I suppose.   When I'm at work... I do work.  It helps the time go by & it's a nice distraction from all else going on in life.   Kind of a "mental" break from all the normal important life things to think about.  You know.  Task work.  Which I kind of like, keeps my mind off the heavy for awhile.   Anyway... my father in law is arriving today from Las Vegas.  This is exciting because we don't get to see him too much.  Maybe once every few years....  he turned 80 in November & we all really wanted to see him.  Brian & his two brothers decided to make it happen.  SO not only will we be seeing him but we will also be seeing Brian's brother Rob/family who live in Ohio.  Super cool.  But I have sooo much to do before their visit and like I said zero umpf to do it.   I still have lots of "cleaning" to do.  I feel like yesterday I was running, running, running & today my body is saying you need a break.  But who has time for one.  Before work I put away 5 or 6 loads of laundry I had done on Monday,  (many of which was winter clothes I had taken out of storage) made muffins, changed the kitty litter, cleaned the dining room, kitchen & living room... and as always a load or two of dishes. Then worked 7 hours & went to bed way too late.  But ofcourse our house seems to always get messy & I still have to dust & mop all rooms today, clean the bathroom, clean the bedrooms, make beds, etc.....   I'm honestly not feeling it.   So..... I think I'll go and rest/maybe take a bit of a nap & try and get a little energy for full speed ahead.  Here's hoping anyway.  Have a great day!! :)

Parenting is hard...mkay? (side note)

BTW......Emily did an excellent job w/ communicating today.  She asked one of her teachers if she could send a text when she found out they were having an NJHS meeting today afterschool, because she said her parents would worry.. (lol.. she knows me so well)  YES!! She's learning.  I love this girl, this communicating girl!  Good Job Emily. :)

Parenting is hard...mkay?

 We've been working on Emily's communication skills for awhile.  But yesterday we found a little hiccup in "operation communication"....   Because when I checked on the school's "parent" portal for Emily I saw three or four test (grades) that we didn't even know that she took.  It's not that she did "awful" on them and we're not really concerned so much about the grades.  But we've let her know in the past that when she has a test or a quiz she needs to let us know about it the day she finds out about it, so that we could make sure she's well prepared for it. (basically making sure she studied for it).  Which from the grades we can tell she wasn't all that "prepared" for them.  Emily isn't prioritizing things they way she needs to,  like a lot of teenagers I'm sure.  She wants to do "her" things.  In her case... it's writing, watching her TV shows, & playing music, etc.   School work is secondary.   It's not that what she's doing is "bad", it's just when she's not prioritizing what is most important that isn't good.  We want her to get that in life,  it's not always about what YOU want to do, sometimes the more important thing is the thing that needs to be done.  There are some things that you just have to do.  We try to teach her by giving her examples.... Do you think daddy or mommy always want to go to work... NO.. but we need to.  Do we always want to brush our teeth everyday?  No... but we all need to.  Does mommy want to do the dishes, laundry, etc... no but I need to.  Or we don't have clothes to wear,dishes to eat off, money for bills or teeth to eat with.   I just worry so much about those "life skills" that she needs to learn & wanting to make sure she's prepared for a life on her own one day.  Isn't that a parent's job after all.  It's so hard being a parent.... honestly you worry and worry about your children.  You hope you're doing a good job of "preparing" them for this world.  We know her learning to communicate better is so important to every aspect of her life, now but even more so in the future.  So we had to have a "firm" talking to her last night.   At the beginning of this year we laid out our expectations of her telling us when she had a test.  Which she obviously hasn't been doing.  We didn't punish her yet but told her we now expect her to start changing her ways starting tomorrow (today).  Basically one last warning before some disciplinary action is taken.  Most likely taking away a privilege of hers.  No TV.  No computer.  or No phone.   We don't often have to "punish" Emily but she needs to learn.  We learn most when we make mistakes so I'm hopeful.