Back to the grind...

I've been back in town from my California trip for a week and a half now.    It was so much fun and I'm already thinking about doing it again next year.   It was incredible to travel by myself and have a little peace and quiet.   There's alsosomething about not being needed every minute of overy day to wipe ass, pick up toys, or do laundry.  

Margot was home with the kids and they did really good.    Keane started to have a hard time the last day and delays at the airport made me think that I might never get home!

Anyway, I'm back in the saddle and feel pretty good.

This summer...

I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with Graem and Emmy this summer.   I know that we'll probably try to go on vacation but also I want to put them in a few weeks of summer camp.  

Of course, it's all just time and money.    I wish we had more of both!

Plumbing issues...

This past week we have had some major plumbing issues.   The plumber came out last week and we are looking at replacing all sewage pipes with PVC.   We need to go up to 3" and he needs to reconfigure the pipes too.    So much for having extra money after our tax refund?

I've seen straight line action clamps that would have been helpful yesterday when Margot climbed on the roof in the middle of a snow storm!!

Dr. Phil.

Okay, I admit it...   I tape Dr.Phil and it's smutty and then Dr. Phil tries to make it seem like he's holier than JC.    He gets right in there and then sets everyone straight!

The hard thing is...   I can't watch it around the kids!    They have a good idea of what he's saying and half ot he shows are of poorly behaved kids.   God knows, I don't want them picking up bad behaviors!

Namaste

When Emmy was a baby I did a mom and baby yoga class.   It was actually really nice and I was able to meet some nice mamas and babies in our area.   I would consider doing something like that with Keane but I just haven't been able to get my act together!

I have looked at mats and wholesale yoga supplies online and it wouldn't be that hard to do more yoga at home either.   

Can't wait...

In 23 days I will be in Los Angeles with my friends!   I'm so excited.   However, there's a part of me that's scared to leave my family.   I'm going to miss the kids terribly and I have never left them.   I know they'll be fine - but still...I wish they could go with me.

I wasn't there!

I just started reading some of the back issues of Time Magazine this morning at the doctor's office.   Before I looked at the date I saw an article about marty hanaka.    I read it for two minutes and then I got called away.

It's interesting how any one source of media can portray a person a certain way.   Then in the two minutes that I read I can have an idea.   

That's pretty dangerous.   

5 more weeks!!

Til I get to go to LA to hang out with the girls!!   I'm really excited!!   Shockingly, I think I'm going to have a hard time leaving my family behind.   I'm going to miss the kids.    Especially Keane.   He's still nursing and I hope that when I come back he still wants to nurse.

I plan on pumping the whole time I'm away and I hope that my milk stays around!

Dinner

I've been trying to make some good home made meals.   I let M and the kids pick out what they want for the upcoming week and I go out and get all of the ingredients that I will need for the upcoming week.   Typically, a  meal ends up easily costing more than it would for us to go out to eat at a restaurant!!  

Tonight we are having meat loaf and rice.   It's gooooood stuff.

Old fart.

Well, it's happened.   Another year.   I'm 36 years old.   Damn, that's old.   I remember I was 14 or so when my parents were my age.   I thought they were so old.

And to think that I have a one year old?!  

I had a pretty good birthday.   It was somewhat upsetting that M didn't do anything to plan for my birthday.   I got a card.   We are broke from Christmas.   I was also afraid that my father had forgotten my birthday.   So that evening I was on the edge of tears.

Then I get the call/message and email.   It made me feel better.  

The best.

The one thing I'm a snob about is getting the kids good winter gear.   My kids spend so much of the winter days outside that they need to stay warm.   Typically, I shop online and try to pick up good deals on the best brands.   My favorite is patagonia kids.    

Patagonia offers great quality products.   Yes, they are a bit more expensive but with three kids - the jackets, buntings, and hats LAST!   

I just got my Patagonia R2 Jacket in the mail the other day and it's so warm and fuzzy!   I don't want to take it off!

Making money....

These days I've been looking for ways that I can bring in just a little extra money.   It's hard because you get to a point where if you work you lose money because you're paying out so much in daycare!!!    Then there's the aspect that I really don't want to work because I have three kids that I want to be home for.

I wish I could just pick up a little part time job that would let me bring Keane to and/or would pay good enough where I could work a few hours a week and not feel guilty about getting a babysitter!

Gold!

We are constantly looking for ways to invest.   Margot is confident that putting money into Apple is going to make her $5,000 investment into millions.  

I want to buy gold bars!   Gold has done amazing over the past few years and it's shocking the increase that it's had.   Even when the stock market was in the gutter gold prices were at an all time high. 

Pre-K

I am so glad that Emmy got accepted into pre-K.   It's been such a good fit for her.   And us.   The only downfall is that they get out early on Fridays and typically I pick her up and we hang out for 4 hours until Graem comes home.      Just if she'd take a nap she'd be in much better spirits!

Filtered!

It seems like everything in our house goes at once!   Right now we are battling the plumbing and trying to figure out why we have a slow drain in our kitchen.   Margot bought a snake the other day and wasn't able to pull anything out but sludge.

Today I'm going to call the plumber out to see if he can do some piping work to help the waterflow.

I'm glad that we don't have to buy the iqair prefilter this month!   However, we do need to replace our fridge filter.  

Bad service

Typically, I go through one of the cheaper websites to order our holiday cards.   This year I went all out and ordered through a more expensive website.   I was disappointed that the customer service was anything but good!   I waited for an online chat person for over 10 minutes and finally gave up.   When I tried to call there was a 17 minute wait time!

Next time I'm going to look at cheap catalog printing places!   Not only do they offer tons more options, but they know how to print a large amount at half of the cost of the other guys!

Bad luck

Yesterday we went out to the car to find that our battery had died!   UGH.   We ended up having to call the wrecker to come and jump the battery.  LD came down but for some reason it didn't work.

After all was said and done I had to get the new battery installed at Walmart.   It was time though...   We have had the car for almost 5 years and never replaced the battery.

That was best case scenario!   I hate having car issues and knock on wood --- we've been very lucky!

Christmas!

So I've started Christmas shopping.   I just want to be finished with it already and STOP SPENDING MONEY!   It's like we're bleeding cash.

Then there's the $1,500 that we have to spend in order for Margot to adopt Keane.  

At least she'll be able to get the tax credit and the deduction for the boy.

Toothfairy

It's been a while since the tooth fairy showed up.   THe first time she came it was somewhat unexpected and there was a major scramble to find silver dollars.   The local bank was out and so she had to leave dollars!

I saw they have susan b anthony dollar at goldeneagle.    So last case scenario, I get desperate next time I can just hop online and make a big order.   With three kids, I have a feeling that I might just go broke!

Black Friday

I'm just waiting to see the sales ads that will be going out in the upcoming week!   I am looking for a killer deal on a nintendo game boy and a Kindle fire.   Those are the girls big gifts.   The boy has totally been shopped for an he's in good shape.   Lucky thing.

We are doing Christmas pretty "lite" this year.   We decided that we're doing $200/Emmy and Graem and $100 for the boy.   Then we're celebrating Graem and Keane's birthdays a few days later!