Balancing the Computer and Family

I'm trying to balance my computer time vs. family time. This is a funny thing to have to think about, but I find myself on the computer a lot longer than I spend quality time with my husband and kids.

Whenever I have some down time, I love to get on the computer and write. Writing is my passion, it makes me feel complete. Being a mom often pulls you in so many directions that you have to find a few things that bring you happiness too. The problem I've noticed lately is that I'm a little out of balance. While I'm on the computer, my kids will be playing video games or up in their room watching t.v.

When they were little we were always doing things together. Times have changed...I sometimes forget about making time and continuing to build those special relationships. The kids are getting older and more independent. But I realized that this is still an important time to stay close (even if they sometimes push you away). I want to have a strong relationship with my teenagers. I need to find more balance in my life and stop escaping behind the computer.

I implemented FAMILY GAME NIGHT once a week, starting this weekend. I thought the kids would say, "This is stupid! I don't want to do this." I did a practice run yesterday and invited my 20 year son to play a game of Yahtzee with me and Elijah (we were the only ones at home). I didn't really think he would, but he sat right down at the table! WHAT...even a twenty year old craves quality family time?!!! My stepson came over last night and said, "When is family game night?" I think it will be a hit!

I'm excited to be able to have QUALITY time with my busy kids. Family is the most important thing, along with keeping the communication open. MY SOLUTION~LESS COMPUTER~MORE FAMILY TIME!

Time Change

Monday's are always hard, but today I could barely keep my eyes open. The time change has stolen an hour away from me that I'll never get back! I want it, I need it...I have insomnia and every minute is needed to help me make it through the day.

This morning when my alarm went off, it was still dark outside. Who gets up and goes to work when it's still DARK OUT? Oh yeah...ME! I have to admit that I love when it's summer and it stays light late, but getting used to this is hard.

My kids even looked like little zombies when I picked them up from school today. Hopefully it's a little easier tomorrow.

Super Bowl Sunday

I can't believe it...I thought the Cardinals were going to pull off the upset. I wanted Kurt Warner to win another Super Bowl. It would have been so amazing. So many people just give up when they get written off. He was put on the sidelines as a rookie's back up. He has such a positive attitude and knows that perseverance pays off. He is such a great motivator for kids...if you dream it, you can achieve it.

I guess he wasn't able to pull it off, but at least you know that he wont give up and will probably be back in the Super Bowl again next year. I always cheer for the underdog...most of the people at the party we were at were cheering for Arizona also. It made it really exciting when they started their comeback. We were all going crazy! When I say ALL, I mean it. The party that we were at was PACKED full of people. Everyone had a great time...just fun to hang out with friends, just not the best ending.

I hate when football season is over, it's my favorite sport...baseball and basketball can't even compare. I'll impatiently count the months until pre-season. Hope you all had a fun day!

Weird Halloween

Last night, the kids got ready and had us drop them off with their friends. We received a phone call around 11:00 p.m. to pick them up...this is the first year that we didn't go out with them. My baby's are officially all grown up. I feel so old, this is the first year that we didn't go with the "little guys." That's what we still call them even though my little guy is taller than me and Adam is getting there.

Me and Anthony went and had some sushi, rented a movie (Leatherheads) got some ice cream and went home. So it was definitely a weird one. Makes me sad to think that my days of getting them ready, walking around from house to house and sneaking candy out of their bags when they weren't looking is over. Now I guess I'll have to resort to sneaking the candy out of their rooms.

Unfortunately they get a lot smarter when they're older and they hide the stash. My husband is actually worse than me when it comes to chocolate. He would leave the kids in tears when they would reach for the one BIG candy bar that they were lucky enough to get...only to find the empty wrapper in its place.

Now begins a new chapter...we are old!

AND THE AWARD GOES TO........

“ME…WHAT…I WON? Am I really the SITS Featured Blogger?” (shocked, jumping up, stumbling over a few people, giving high fives down the aisle…quickly approaching the platform…pause) “WOW…You like me, you really like me! Tiffany and Heather, you guys are amazing!” (pointing at them, of course they are sitting in the front row…that’s where all the important people are at the SITS Academy Awards.)

“I would like to thank my family, aka “The Orange County Brady Bunch.” The years of fighting, whining, complaining, and EVENTUALLY getting along has given me so much to write about.”

“To my husband, you have taught me patience. Your endless sighing, pleading, tossing and turning during my midnight SITS site stalking…umm, sorry I’m a little nervous, I didn’t mean to say stalking, I meant to say patiently waiting to be #1 on the daily SITS comment section.”

“OH NO…is that the music…who else ~ who am I forgetting to thank…The Secret is in the Sauce (SITS) family…you have been so much fun…laughing, inspiring and caring, you’re unbelievable! (music now loudly playing, shouting) Please everyone sign on to this amazing site...one day you may be standing up here…” (cut to commercial, walking off stage, mumbling) “Oh man, I forgot to tell everyone to leave a comment when they stop by…I knew I forgot something!”

My Son Turned 20...WHAT?

BIRTHDAY BOY

With all the drama going on (Elijah getting hit by a car, Dr's appts., football practices...etc.) I haven't had time to blog about my oldest son Josh's 20th birthday on Aug. 1st. Yep, 20, I can't believe it!! Where have the years gone? It's so weird, the older you get, the faster time flies by. Since Josh moved out when he was 18 to go live with his dad (whole separation anxiety for me) we haven't been as close as we used to be.

I decided to take the day off and spend it with my three boys. I took them all surfing, we came home and ate some grilled cheese sandwiches, then we went miniature golfing, we actually planned on going go-cart racing but it was alot of money for 5 min. so he said, "Let's just golf." We had SOOOOO much fun. We are all very competitive, it was a battle at first...I was kicking their butts the first 9 holes, then I fell apart. They were all trying to distract me, not fair. In the end Josh won, Jullien took second, me third and Elijah last. That night we had tacos for dinner (it's his fav) and carrot cake. It was the most awesome day! It was just like when they were little...I miss those days! Enjoy every minute...they will be moving out before you know it and you will long for "the good old days!"

Joshy & Elijah

Joshy & Jullien

Bloggerception...

Bloggerception is real and you probably have it too! I used to go through my day on auto pilot. Wake up, shower, throw my makeup on, pull my hair back (if I'm feeling extra spunky, curl it). Grab a quick bowl of oatmeal, eat standing at the sink, toss the bowl in the sink and run out the door. Drive to work, making a mental checklist of all the things that I needed to do. Halfway to work wondering how I got to the freeway, I don't even remember the drive there. Hope I didn't run any red lights...DEFINITE auto pilot! Work, go home, run the kids around, make dinner, sleep and start all over again. That was BEFORE I entered the Blogosphere.

My days are completely different now! I wake up and immediately start to think, "Hmm, what can I Blog about today. I get in the shower, making a mental note of any mishaps, slipping, tripping, no soap, shampoo etc. Everything is a potential story. Putting on my makeup can also be interesting, depending on what happens. Eating and running out the door can be a whole adventure that might be funny. Yes my BLOGGERCEPTION is on HIGH ALERT. Driving to work is no longer, "Who am I and how did I get here?" It's all about stalking, staring and watching everyone and everything...you never want to miss that perfect story (i.e. the guy with the parrots on his fingers as he drove to work).

Yes, before Bloggerception I would have missed this! My perception has increased, making me feel ALIVE, I am no longer, robot lady. Work also is a great adventure, never missing a single thing (and I am not a detail orientated person). Kids, hubby, friends, sisters, parents...no one is off limits to my Bloggerception.

WARNING: You do it, I'll notice, be very careful or you WILL end up a VERY INTERESTING, AMUSING, JUICY little story in my Blogosphere world!!

Sad and Scary Day Yesterday (Part 1 of 2)

I left work yesterday...late again to pick up the kids, but not driving fast like I usually do. Those of you who know me would be amazed how often I drive the speed limit, gas prices and my big gas guzzler has slowed me down. A lady in a blue Expedition was driving next to me, I noticed because every time we pulled up to a red light, she would gun it the second it turned green...I kept looking over because she was acting like she wanted to race...and she was about the same age as me! I guess I probably would have tried to beat her back in the old days when gas was $2.50 (always a little immature I guess.) Oops...I got sidetracked...it's hard to write about yesterdays events!

The lady beat me again, speeding past the kids school, I turned into the parking lot, spotting my two kids standing beside a group of about 20 other kids. All of a sudden I heard a loud chirping noise behind me as I stopped the car. The kids started screaming, "What the HECK!?!" My boys were running inside the crowd towards the street, into the middle of the road...I looked out my rear view window to see them standing in a circle surrounding something, on the ground. I jumped out of my car...worried they would be hit by oncoming traffic. Lying on the ground was a small white dog..the speeding lady had hit him, slowed down, looked in her mirror and sped away...with her child witnessing everything.

The owner of the dog was holding its little head as it laid there breathing hard and looking straight ahead, blinking and silent. It's right hind legs had missing fur and indented where the tire had ran over him. He had a little blood coming out of it's forehead. A neighbor came out with a flat cardboard box and a towel to keep him warm. We slowly scooted him onto the box and carried him onto the sidewalk while the owner ran to get their truck. I was holding the part of the box closest to his head...petting him, trying not to cry, he just kept looking, pleading with his eyes for help. We carefully put him in the back of the truck, they opened the back window to hold him in place as they slowly drove to the vet.

I don't know if he survived...but all night I just kept picturing his eyes and I felt so SAD! How could someone hit a dog and just take off!! What's wrong with people...and in front children!

After I got home the scary part of my day started...(part 2 tomorrow)...

HOME CURES FOR A COUGH

My middle son had pneumonia when he was four months old. This contributed to a weakened immune system his whole life. The minute he would get a little bit of a cold, it would go straight to his chest. After several years of constant trips to the doctor for bronchitis, at 4 years old I started treating the cold/cough at the first onset of symptoms. I would immediately boil water and make a "croup tent". I would let it cool down a little bit, then put it in a bowl, take a large bath towel and have them lean over the bowl with the towel over their head (holding it out like a tent), this holds in most of the steam. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT LET THEIR HANDS OR FACE GET TOO CLOSE TO THE BOWL! Have them take in deep breathes of steam. You will have to give them a break after a few minutes, then repeat the steps. They will immediately start to cough as they take in the deep breathes, just have them continue doing it, it will subside. The next step is to rub warm (not hot) Vicks on their chest and back. Make sure you rub it all the way down to where their lungs are on their back. Put a t-shirt on and put them to bed.

It can be a little tricky at first, but after doing it a few times, it becomes very simple and it seems to work better than a humidifier. Make sure that you do this procedure at the very FIRST signs of a cough.

This has saved me a lot of time and money. I still do this for all of my kids and stepkids, even now that they are teenagers, they don't like it, but they know it works! I hope this information is helpful and will save you trips to the doctor also.

My Son Blames Me!

My son Josh, who recently got a DUI, finally contacted me last Thursday and I picked him up at his friends house (they took his license when he was arrested). I was so excited to hear from him! We went and got lunch then he came back to the house. We hung out and talked, he seemed more like his old self. He walked across the street to the grocery store with me, had dinner with the family and even the little kids said, "Wow, Josh talked alot!" Which is unusual, because he never talks to any of us...it's like pulling teeth just to have a conversation.

Today he said he was coming over for dinner, I got really excited again. While I was cooking I asked him if he wanted me to go to court with him on May 28th? He said, "NO, you've babied me my whole life and I'm 19 now and having to learn everything because you never taught me!" I said, "What are you talking about? I taught you how to do your own laundry, showed you how important it is to never give up and always finish what you start. We went and opened a bank account, I tried to teach you how to save, write checks, balance your checkbook, helped you find and purchase a car, showed you how to put gas in it. Taught you right from wrong, and ALWAYS punished you when you made bad choices". He just repeated how much I babied him and now he is having to learn the hard way!

I can tell you right now this statement is coming from his father, (the same guy who has NEVER been a part of his life until he was 18, never paid child support until he turned 16 and then it was whatever he felt like paying, after I spent a week and a half begging for the money). My son spent years crying himself to sleep, while I comforted him because his dad wanted nothing to do with him.

I felt like crying right in the kitchen...it's so hard when you have busted your butt your whole life to make sure that you were raising your kids right and making sure they never did without and then to be blamed for all their problems...while the person who really has caused the mess, (his father) is now the wonderful parent! My son had no BIG problems until he moved in with his alcoholic father who bought it for him and his friends and then partied with them. He let him do whatever he wanted and was a party buddy, NOT A FATHER.

So the minute he is in trouble...IT'S MY FAULT! Wow, it's amazing....how I am the bad one for loving, caring, guiding and disciplining him. It hurts and I hope someday he will realize how much I sacrificed to give him a good, stable, and loving upbringing...I need to go and cry now, thanks for listening, needed to get it all out.