Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!!

Happy Birthday to my darling 7 year old!!! Although 7 years ago I was really still in labor with him we will say Happy Birthday a little early. We woke him up this morning singing Happy Birthday to him and this evening he got to celebrate with his Mamaw and Papa. They got him a new bike since his old one was stolen from our front yard. He loves it and was already speeding down the road in it. Of course he tucked it away nicely in the garage cause he doesn't want it gone again. Tomorrow he gets his birthday party. He is so excited. We are having it at Peter Piper pizza. His school friends and our families are coming. It should be lots of fun.

I can't believe my baby is 7. I remember bringing him home and thinking Oh Lord please help me with three little boys 3 and under. Let me tell you that those were some of the best years of my life with them. They were so awesome to be around. The exploring, going on adventures with them and just watching them enjoy life was some of my best moments. He is now growing up and while he still loves to cuddle and tell him Mommy how much he loves me its still not like having a toddler around the house. Don't get me wrong there is nothing better than hearing your child tell you they love you. It's much better than listening to them tell you they hate you (kind of like a certain 10 year old who lives here). Once again though the birthdays come and go and I am left with boys who keep getting bigger and more independent. Well at least when it comes to going to their friends houses or riding their bikes around the block. The independence stops there as they still rely on me to do the little things like getting their clothes ready on any given morning but that's ok. I have made them that way and in some ways I guess I wanted them to always need me just a little more. I love it when they call me and say Mom when are you coming home cause we want you to put us to bed. It makes me melt still.

I love my boys and they love their Mom. Birthdays are just a little extra special than any ordinary day. It shows me that I am doing a pretty ok job and they are growing up to be awesome mini men.

So Preston, Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!! We love you soooo much!!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Well, officially it was yesterday. I am now 32 and am feeling way beyond it, that's for sure. My parents spoiled me like usual with lots of new clothes and shoes. Love it!!! My boys remembered to wish their Mama a Happy Birthday but my husband, well, let's just say we aren't speaking. It really is just one day of the year that I would like a little recognition but it didn't happen this year. He didn't even remember and it took my oldest son to Happy Birthday before he remembered to even say it. I was beyond hurt especially with the year we have had. Something, even a card, even a homemade card would have been nice but nope. I got the big fat NOTHING. Needless to say we aren't on the best of terms. Hope he doesn't think this is a short term thing either. He really can't make it up to me until next year. Let's just say it is going to be a LONG year.

Multi -Tasking/Role Reversal

As of Monday I am the working woman in the family and Mat is home with the boys. Talk about a role reversal and boy is it showing. Why is it that a woman can manage to get kiddos to and from school, papers signed, lunched packed, homework done, housework done, laundry done, animals cared for, dinner done, sports carpools taken care of and everything else that fits in during the day? Yet a man (in particular mine) can't do one load of laundry and get homework done on the same night. Really, I mean REALLY? Don't act stupid and then expect me to be grateful cause it ain't happenin' boy!!!! This time around a job needs to appear because he definitely needs something to do during the day cause housework and child rearing isn't his kind of thing. I guess that is why they say it's womans work because it really is a woman's work. I have a feeling that the majority of men do not do the multi tasking thing and hope their wives take care of it. Well, I am off to bed but I am sure by Friday I will be doing some major multi tasking when the house looks turned upside down and laundry is everywhere. It needs to be done by Friday cause I want to spend my birthday doing nothing and I plan on making it happen.

First Day Back in the Working World....

It was my first day back but it wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be. For one thing Mat is home with the boys so there are no worries right now about their care and well being while I am at work. I do wish that he was employed but I also love that he is home with the boys before and after school and for all sporting events. I guess you can't have the best of both worlds. Oh well, wishful thinking I guess.

Work really was good today. I had orientation in the morning which made the morning go fast. Then I went into train with another woman in the office. I think I was pretty quick at grasping all of the concepts she was teaching me. I even finished the file we were working on by myself. I felt pretty proud of myself since I haven't touched a mortgage file in over 8 years. It was kind of like riding a bicycle. You really don't forget the main points of it.

Overall the day went pretty quickly. I did end up with a killer headache at lunch but took some medicine and it went away. Thank goodness!! It was a good start to a new career. I really do see myself advancing with this company. The people are great and they seem to promote from within quite a bit which made me happy. So good day and now I am exhausted and heading to bed.

Baseball, Baseball and More Baseball

Today was our first Saturday full of baseball. We started at Nicholas and Preston's game at 10:30 this morning. It was a good game and Preston and Nicholas got good hits. Preston went two for two and Nicholas went one for two. Preston ended up getting the game ball which he was so excited about. It made his day. He was so proud of it and so were we. Then we took a little lunch break at home and off to another round of baseball. Austin's team was playing at 4:00. They were incredible today. They ended up winning by the mercy rule because we were up 10 runs. They were hitting machines and their fielding was great. Overall it was a great day of baseball. Can't wait til our next game on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Yep, another full week of baseball. It is always so fun during baseball season. I love the go, go, go of it. The boys love it too.

Mothers, Moms, and Mommies

Every one has a Mother, Mom, or Mommy. Whether we are close to them or not is different for everyone. I, for one, am very close with my Mom. I guess you can say I have been bonded to her since birth. Sounds kind of corny but it is true. I was a Mommy's girl growing up (loved my Dad too) and even though we have been through our ups and downs together we are still as close today as we were when I was growing up. I remember going right behind my Mom everywhere she went when I was little. She never cared that I was attached to her hip til I was pretty much in high school. I loved going everywhere with her too. If she was going somewhere I always wanted to be with her and like I said she never cared. I look back and think where was her alone time away from me cause I sure need it away from my boys. As you can see I was always with her. I guess that is why I wanted to stay home with my boys while they were growing up because she was always there for us. I say to myself everyday that I am very lucky for the relationship I have with her. I know a lot of people that are not close with their Moms and some that don't even talk to theirs. I talk to mine everyday and sometimes multiple times a day. She goes through all of my good times with me and sits and listens to me through the bad times too. I wouldn't be the person I am without her. I tend to think I am a very good hearted person and I give her all the credit in the world. I watched her through the years help others, take care of my Dad wonderfully, and be a great Mom. I love that I had such a great influence in my life. Some people in life are very fake. They live lies among themselves and are not true to who they truly are. I was taught in life to be myself. I like to think I am teaching my children the same things my Mom taught me. My Mom was a real, hard working, be yourself kind of person. She never acted like someone she was not. She carried through life true friendships that she still holds onto today.

I will miss spending all of the quality time together since I am heading back to work. I had so much fun throughout these years spending time with her and my Dad. I will always cherish those moments and so will my boys. I am glad for all of the time I have had home. Today was my last weekday home with my family so I enjoyed it with my Mom. She helped me organize my home and all of the boys' rooms. She helped with my laundry, dusting and all around cleaning. I am not sure how many Moms lend a helping hand to their daughters but mine is always just a phone call away. She definitely helped me so much so when I am back at work we are organized.

So thanks Mom for all you do!! You are one of a kind and we appreciate all you do for us.

Meltdowns

When your child is going through their toddler years you endure many, many tantrums. I know we did with all three of our boys. They were at all hours, places, and occassions. It was always a precious bonding moment between me and my son when it occurred. Usually because they were close enough to me to kick, hit, fling their bodies around and scream in my ear. Well, my ignorance always thought the older they get the less fits and tantrums I have to deal with. I guess ignorance is bliss except when the bliss ends with legs kicking, shrills piercing ear drums and alligator tears running down their faces. All this coming from a 10 year old, yep my 10 year old does this. He actually was a great toddler, very few tantrums, knew his boundaries and we were always complimented on his behavior. He was so sweet and loving. Well I guess the hormones are starting and the nasty attitude, eye rolling, and smart mouth aren't enough. He now kicks his legs, lays on the ground and cries. His brothers just climb over him and laugh which I was hoping would help curb his behavior but it didn't. I hope this is just a phase, a very short phase. At least he hasn't laid on the ground at a store yet. I would have to leave him there and pretend he is not mine if he did. Cute, cuddly toddlers are one thing, but large, loud mouthed preteens are another. :0) I love my oldest son a whole lot. He talks so maturely with me and is usually pretty good but this stage of not controlling himself is starting to wear thin on me. Hopefully my returning to work will make him realize that his time with me should be enjoyable instead of acting like a butthead.

Thinking Back

The boys love to hear stories of funny stuff they did when they were little. I am so glad I have kept great stories of them over the years because it sure keeps them laughing. At dinner tonight we were talking about when Austin let a UPS man into our home when I was in the shower. Of course it leads Nick to ask me where he was when this happened. I told him he was takig a nap and then Preston asked where he was. I told him he was still in my tummy. So he stands up and says to his brothers, "Yeah, that's right, I was taking a shower in Mommy's tummy and it was COOOZZZZYYYY!!!! Mat and I just started laughing cause it was the way he said it that was so freakin' cute. He just cracks me up all the time anymore.

Do You Really Understand?

I always seem to put the tv on when I am doing laundry or cleaning the house. I guess it is more for the noise than to actually watch it in the mornings. I have never really gotten into the morning talk shows. This morning I was folding laundry and happened to be watchig a popular morning talk show. During this show I was listening to one of these women say how she understands how people are losing faith in the government and economy but people should really be more understanding and keep faith. Really, no I mean really. Keep faith and hope in what exactly? Doesn't she go home every night to her mansion with her millions in the bank and not really live the reality of the real working man and woman struggling at this time because there are no jobs and no money left to help people in these situations. My husband has no job stability anymore, not even a little. Even when you finally feel like you can breath a little easier something happenes again. Then you are back to square one or like us a little worse off than your previous situation. We found out this morning that while Mat may qualify for unemployment it is substantially less than we got last year. Funny what 3 months makes. What it makes is less money to help people but more money for any number of government run programs that the government wants to have succeed. We have to be humble and ask for help yet the person in front of me in line needs a translator cause they don't speak english so I get shoved to the back of the line. I am sorry but when did this country become one of not helping their own. Mat and I and our family are born and raised here, pay taxes here, and would love to get help when we need it. Have we ever asked for help before, NO, we have not. So why treat us like trash because we have come to a point in our life where help is desperately needed.

So back to the original topic, sorry, I get off topic when I have a rant. Do Hollywood stars have any real clue of what is actually happening in the United States of America at this moment? No, so they really should quit talking about how we should keep our faith in our government and give them a chance to succeed. I am sorry but I am done waiting for something good to come out of this administration and am tired of counting my "Change" that we have been left with because really that is all we have right now. Get over it Hollywood cause the real America is struggling just to put food in our kiddos mouths right now. When your biggest problem is getting out the door and into your limo on time you have no idea what the real world is dealing with.

Maybe this is why I never take the time to listen to all these great morning talk shows.

It Ain't Over!!

My sons say stuff everyday that just makes me want to give them a big hug and squeeze extra hard. :0) Austin was playing his video game and for some reason was talking to himself. Don't ask me why, maybe they forget they have two extra brothers to carry a conversation on with but oh well they all three talk to themselves. So when he was done with his conversation he shouted pretty loud "It ain't over til the fat lady sings." Then he looks at me and says "Oh don't worry Mom I wasn't talking about you." Gosh, good thing he cleared that up for me. Like I said it just makes me want to give him a huge hug and squeeze really hard. I guess outta the mouth of babes. Although he is getting a bit old to refer this saying to. He still says the most obnoxious stuff sometimes.

Do we really need another dose of reality?

I have known since Friday that once again reality was slapping us in the face AGAIN. Mat has been up for his raise and benefits for a couple weeks now but he never received the information for them or his review. We thought maybe since the company he works for was getting busy it was just being put off for a little bit. No, not it at all, they had different plans that we never expected in a million years. They terminated his employment as of Friday instead. Isn't that great of them? Yep, right before Easter, before our weekend away, and before we thought we were finally going to get somewhere. Instead we are right back to where we were before but without unemployment. Mat exhausted those benefits last year when he was unemployed. The bad thing is is we never saw this coming. We felt it was coming at his last company. This time he was working his behind off for this place, staying late, getting project after project done, and for what? I am so frustrated for him because he never saw this. When I found my new job so easily we finally felt that this was going to be a great year. Why must we always go back to square one? I feel like screaming, crying and everything else at this moment. I truly hope he can find a job easier than last year but with nothing in the paper it just seems like a never ending battle that can't be won right now.

Funny, funny Preston

Yesterday Austin was giving us some major smart butt behavior so Preston had had enough. We walked into the room and Austin said something mean to Preston so that was all my poor little 6 year old could handle. So he said "Yeah, well somebody is gonna come in and throw candy at me and Nicholas and push you down Austin." Who that somebody was we weren't sure of but he was so sure of it when he said it. It was very cute and at least he didn't hit him or call him names, like I am sure he really wanted to do.

Easter

Well, it is Easter and we are in Las Cruces getting ready to leave. It was very cute though waking up this morning with a room full of hidden eggs and a little boys who was very excited. Preston woke up, used the restroom, came out and said the Easter bunny must have used our bathroom. We asked him why and he said cause there are eggs hidden in the bathroom. Then when he came out and looked around he said Mom, our hotel room doesn't have many hiding places for eggs cause it looks like the Easter bunny just rolled a bunch of eggs around. Oh well, he still had fun. Although the Easter bunny made a big mistake and forgot those Easter baskets. Oops for the Easter bunny. Although the bunny did remember all the candy and goodies so at least those were set out last night. And did I mention that the poor Easter bunny didn't get to go to sleep until after 1am because I had a child who decided to stay up and watch me all night. Oh well, I guess I will be getting some good sleep on the road today, oh I mean the Easter bunny will that is.

Cows

We took the boys to El Paso, TX this weekend but we stayed in a hotel in Las Cruces, NM because Mat had stayed here before. He liked the hotel so decided the twenty minute drive to and from wasn't bad. Well, we were driving to Texas this morning and there were a ton of dairy farms along the freeway. The boys thought they were so cool, except of course for the smell. Well we stayed in Texas for a couple of hours and then ended up driving home. Preston remembered that there were a ton of cows along the freeway so he was waiting for them. When he saw them he got so excited he shouted "Mom look it's the dairy queen cows." I laughed and said the dairy queen cows and he said yep, look at all those dairy queen cows. So I guess to him the dairy cows milk goes to dairy queen to make yummy ice cream.

A New Journey

Well, I have been a very lucky Mom. I say that because I was able to be a stay at home Mom for many years with my boys. They grew up knowing Mom was right there with them and I loved almost every minute of it. :0) Really certain days were very trying but the boys knew Mom was there for them and their every need they had. I was able to enjoy that time with them. Now the journey ends and a new journey begins. I was the co-owner of The Green Team but it was very part time so the boys still had me home, at their school, on field trips, etc. That was fine but it really is time for me to begin a career and that was not a career. I need to get back to something I enjoy and being around people I enjoy. Although I will always be Mom and I love it. I was offered a full time job with a bank/mortgage company and jumped on it. It was the only interview I have been on in years and I guess when you have got what they want that is all it takes. I like to think of myself as an intelligent person so putting that to use will be great. I start my new journey on April 12th. I have a great friend of mine who is going to be watching the boys before school and on Wednesdays since they get off early. It is awesome for them since Austin is best friends with her son. They are excited too. Mat will be adjusting his schedule to get off for the boys the other days of the week so overall it all worked out for the better. I am sure it will take us all a few weeks to get used to Mom not being around at every minute of every day but they will adjust. I am sure it will take a few weeks just for Mat and I to adjust to it as well. Overall this is big for our family and we have needed it to happen. So I do feel that the job was there when I needed it to be and all things happen for a reason. As chaotic as it feels right now, in a few months we will be much happier.