Help!

Do you ever wish you were independently wealthy? Right now, I do. Simply because I would bring someone in to clean the entire house, top to bottom. And then I would hire a nanny to relieve me once a week so I could recoup. Let's face it, I need a break. Although I suppose if we were wealthy, then the Hubster wouldn't be in the Navy, thus he would not be in Iraq right now, and I would have help!
Ok, so maybe instead I wish the Hubster was not in the Navy. Its tough being on your own with 3 crazies. Especially when most of the people I know are also military. I might need help, but can't bring myself to ask for help from my friends that I know are busy.
Before it was a little simpler, as there were only 2 crazies. And finding a sitter for 2 is easier then finding one for 3 who doesn't want to bleed you dry. And really, if I am going to pay someone $10+ an hour, then I had better come home to a spotless house and all the toys picked up. Can you tell that the last one I hired did none of that?
Then to make things more fun, I really want to get the Bake Shoppe a small client list started. I kind of thrive on chaos, business chaos that is. When I do get a chance to work, I love to be crazy busy. Because then I go full speed ahead in a nice groove.
I should be blogging on my Bake Shoppe blog. Hopefully I can maintain there, and here. I wouldn't want to disappoint my "reader"!

A Little Bit Of Crazy

I come by my anxiety honestly. My mom is an Olympic worrier. I have to fight with myself to not imagine the worst. So you can imagine what being the wife of someone deployed to Iraq is doing to me. I rarely watch the news. I read chick lit, and watch only funny movies.
Last night I was checking my email and saw a article on yahoo about a bombing in Baghdad. Stupid me, I went and read it. Now, I know that the Hubster was not near where that happened. HOWEVER, I didn't get an email from him last night like I normally do. Which then feeds into my paranoia. I know in my heart that he is crazy forgetful, and while he knows that I worry like there is no tomorrow, (is there a tomorrow?? will we still be here?? j/k!) he will think, "Oh, I am tired and I am just going to crash and will email Posh later" Or the Hubster will get busy and be running late. Which are all valid reasons. And had I not read that article, I would be just fine.
So I worry. A lot. Until I hear from him, I will be a nervous wreck. What if someone I don't know knocks on our door? Should I answer it, or hide with the kiddos like on Army Wives?

I Have A Crutch

I have tons of things bouncing around in my head right now, and everytime I try and write something, my lovely laptop gives me a hard time. I am constantly trying to think of words that don't have the letter "g" in them because my enormous dog apparently tried to get online one day and her paws just aren't cut out for typing!

I am going to go somewhere here I don't normally go. Jesus is my crutch. Not something we hear people say very often. Jesus is our rock, thats more Christian PC, right? On Him we weather the storm. Truth! Yes! However, what about when we are weak, and unable to stand? A crutch holds us up. In Him I am strong. Without that crutch, I am weak and unable to walk.

Too many people don't want to accept that I think. But its ok to fall down on your face and cry your eyes out, not only that, its ok to let someone else pick you up and put you back on your crutch.

Today someone tried their best to convince me that I can have joy and peace without leaning on someone. That busy-ness and being helpful is all I need to be happy. All that tells me, is that person fills their life with activities in order to fill that God shaped hole in their life.

I know what its like to not have God in my life, I know what its like to try and do things on my own. And personally, even with our trials, with the hubster going to Iraq, with being away from my family, when my Dad had cancer, I had more joy knowing God was in control.

Which Came First...

I haven't yet switched over to my Bake Shoppe blog. Soon! So, if you want to open a bakery, and hope to also write a cookbook someday, which comes first? I think I may be about to go about this a bit backwards, but do I have a choice?

Yep. I think I am going to research and come up with a plan to write a cookbook. I love to share recipes, some I come up with on my own, others I have been making for years. Facebook has become a nice little outlet for recipes, and in the process, I have gotten few comments on maybe writing a cookbook. Its definitely something I have contemplated as a future project. AFTER I had opened a bakery or two, and had some success though.

And how to go about it? Write and self-publish it? I think, (think being the operative word...) that I have enough friends on Facebook to get it started, then they can spread the word. What else is social networking for? I am also a member of LinkedIn. I know if you self-publish, you can try your hand at selling it on Amazon, I suppose I could put it on ebay? Craigslist? And have a link for it on my Bake Shoppe website too.

The timeline for a cookbook, is about 1-2 years. I am working towards opening the bakery this time next year. With the hubster out for the next 9 months, it gives me some extra time. Time to write, get financially ready, and hunt for the PERFECT space! And with a storefront, comes space to stock my cookbook....

So what do you all (how many readers do I have anyways...)think?

Just Like A Man

When it comes to certain things, I am a very detail oriented person. Every time we have a sitter, no matter who they are, or whether they have sat for us in the past, I type up a sheet detailing everything from food, to bedtime, and what the kids will be sleeping in. That way there is no excuse for not getting it right. Tj can be VERY hard to deal with if you initiate change without prior consent, and the right forms processed in triplicate. Little Guy is fairly easy and rolls with most things, and well, The Princess, we have learned certain tricks to do, in order to head off disaster, in other words, how to keep her from streaking in front of new folks!

So last night, we had a new sitter who had come highly recommended by our regular sitter. Personally I think D. has an ENORMOUS crush on N, our sitter, and would do just about anything for her. And I can't say that I blame him, she is adorable!

Our guy arrived last night, LATE I might add, something else I am pretty sure a girl sitter would never dream of, and I walked him through my list, as well as gave him a tour of the rooms relevant to that night. I keep our bedroom locked, mostly because at the moment, it is a pit!

As luck would have it, Tj decided he needed to use 1/4 of a roll of toilet paper and cause it to overflow. One of Little Guys fears of course. It was fine until Tj flushed the second time and it flooded the bathroom. At which point, I got a text from D asking where the plunger was. Ummm... in our bathroom, which you have to brave the pit to get to. Yep. Along with that, he had to use a nail to unlock the doors since they lock from the inside and thats how I keep a certain little girl from dragging tampons and toothbrushes around the house.

While D was picking our locks, Tj ran and put on his swim trunks so he could take a dip in the overflowing toilet water. Were our kids born in a barn or what?!

Once that disaster was cleaned up, and our sitter was officially initiated, things went fairly smoothly. My friend, one of our neighbors daughters, and I came home and got the rundown and relieved him. Honestly, in-spite of the toilet issue, it sounded like he had fun with the kids and they didn't give him too hard of a time.

I went around the house, doing my usual before bedtime routine, and went to check on The Princess. Now, in my OCD Notes for D, I mentioned that she sleeps in a onesie. The reason being that when she was sleeping in her crib, we would come in one too many times and find her fast asleep and buck naked. Jammies were just too easy for her to get off. And so far The Princess hasn't even bothered trying to unsnap a onesie. Plus much like the Hubster, she gets overheated and sweaty in her sleep. Oh the lucky man that will marry her!
The Princess was in FOOTIE jammies... Now I suppose to a guy, that is, indeed, a onesie. The best part however, was when I went to change her diaper, and discovered, the onesie/footie pajamas, were on her BACKWARDS! Poor Princess, the legs were all twisted so that the feet were on properly, and the neckline was so high up since it was really the back. And of course she was way too hot. It was all I could do to not laugh out loud and wake her up. At least the diaper wasn't on backwards too.

Where Oh Where Did The Drama Go...

If any reality tv shows are experiencing a lack in drama on their shows, its because there is a certain 5 year old sucking its existence from the very soul of the universe!
Tj is so full of drama its kinda funny. Any time I tell him No, or that he needs to wait for something, you would think prior to I had run over his cat. The whining, and the tears, and the "You're not a very nice lady!" If it wasn't my kid, it would be almost laughable. Ok, sometimes it is...
The Princess is going to have to come up with some pretty good theatrics to keep up with her big brother.
Its not like this is a new thing he has brought home from school, he has always been a bit of a drama "king", but I think the fact that by the end of the day he is exhausted, only heightens the effect. Yay! Fun times to come!

Out Of Sorts

I have been baking like crazy lately, but with no where to send it. Its a little infuriating to not have a bakery to sell our goodies in right now. Especially since we were so close we could touch it a few months ago. I want this so badly, and it overwhelms and almost buries me with the need to be working in some capacity. Am I failing because I am not putting everything on the line to "make it happen"? Does it mean I am not committed enough because I am not willing to sacrafice our family's well being for our dream?
I feel like it sometimes. When we lived in The Armpit, I worked so hard on the Event Planning company I own. Of course, at that point we only had 2 kiddos. And the other Planners I knew scoffed at the thought of not pushing constantly to make our businesses grow. Maybe thats why I feel guilty because I am not scattering my children among various sitters, or dragging them around with me while I canvas the neighborhoods, making contacts and networking. I should be, shouldn't I?
But the thought of leaving my emotionally fragile Little Guy with someone else while the Hubster is away, leaves me broken hearted. Or missing something new that my Princess says or does, or missing TJ when he comes home from Kindergarten. Is there some way to balance all this? To be able to keep my house sparkly clean (not going to happen no matter what, until I hire someone!) spend enough quality time with my kiddos, and enough quality time on getting this Bakery up and moving in the right direction?! Can it be DONE?! Does anyone know the answers?!

Train Wreck

So I have to say that contrary to popular belief, girls are not easier to potty train! I have trained my two boys. With my oldest, as soon as I got down to "business" with him, he was trained. Then Little Guy, was literally trained in 2 days. With him I took the Naked Potty Training approach. I knew he was ready because one day he took off his diaper and came and handed me POOP! He was in tears. I took him to the bathroom, put it in the toilet, and flushed. Explaining the entire time how the potty was where the poo went. We had one pee accident after that, but all in all, that was IT!
So now The Princess has given me signs that she is ready. She knows when she is wet and wants me to change her diaper. And has gone on the potty, and her potty chair, several times. Most of the time, however, she pees on the floor. Yesterday it was with in 2 feet of her potty chair! So at least we are getting closer. I have promised Jelly Beans and candy pumpkins. I have had her older brothers use her potty and then ceremoniously given them each a treat. We even had one of her little friends do it! To no avail!
I thoroughly believe she is just doing it out of stubborness. She will sit on her potty and "try", and literally 5 minutes later she does it on my floor, or better yet, the table! At least urine is sterile.

Casanova and Poptarts

How young is too young for my boys to start checking out the "ladies"? Tj has his eye on one of our neighbors daughters. Its pretty cute, they play together a lot and always hug and kiss eachother goodbye. Tj also has decided to MARRY this little girl! It sounds like he has a better plan then most 18 yr olds trying to get married.
I asked him what he thought would happen after the wedding. I was dying to know what his idea of marriage was. TJ told me that he would move into her house because he felt she should be near her Mommy. And then he would get a job doing Construction so he could buy her food.
Then there is Little Guy... So far he hasn't chosen one woman for him. We were parked outside of Tj's school a few days ago, it was raining so we couldn't walk. Little Guy started asking me to roll down the window. There was a cute little girl outside that he wanted to say Hi to, ask her name, and talk to. Um, what? I said No, I am not rolling down the window so you can talk to that little girl. A blonde walked up, and he asked if he could talk to her instead!
This morning as we were driving to the gym he spotted ANOTHER little girl and told me she was really cute!
There is going to be TROUBLE when he hits kindergarten next year. I just know the hubster and I will be called to the office because Little Guy is going to be caught kissing his classmates!
With the boys I never dealt with them shoving anything up their noses. I was always a little worried when we introduced them to Legos, thankfully not a one of those little pieces made their way up there. Then this morning, my sweet precious angel, the Princess, shoved a piece of Poptart up her nose! How the heck am I supposed to get that out? I put her on her back in my lap and kept telling her to tip her head back. For some reason she took that to mean stick her tongue out. Some of it came out with tweezers, but most of it is still up there! UGH! I am going to try something a friend of mine suggested. Get her to sneeze by smelling pepper! I will let you know how it turns out...

New Year

School year that is! TJ finally started Kindergarten this week. And is thoroughly enjoying himself. Of course, I have spent the last month pumping him up about it and how awesome its going to be. >wink< >wink< Seriously though, I couldn't be happier. Its full day Kindergarten, which from what I hear is a little unusual. TJ is ready for it though.
The only concern I really had was whether he would have a good teacher. The school he is going to has not had good reviews the past few years. And the first day was chaotic and confusing. They had the kids line up and said "Last chance to kiss and hug and say goodbye, cuz you won't see 'em until the end of the day" and in they went. It really bothered me I hadn't seen his classroom, or inside the school. With the exception of the office. So the next day, I went in with a friend of mine whose son is going there and asked flat out to see it.
I am now the room mom, made the first snacks of the school year (banana cupcakes with vanilla buttercream!) and will be assembling some reading books for the class! I hadn't planned on being super crazy involved, but if this is the only way I know whats going on, I will take it. Did I mention I am also in charge of planning the classroom Halloween party? Its going to be a busy year.... And next year, I get to do it all over again with Little Guy!

Julie and Julia

It would seem, and maybe just because I am reading the book, that there are a ton of bloggers out there doing something very similar. I suppose we are all secretly hoping that if we write long enough, about something remotely interesting, that we will be discovered and offered a book deal. And then a movie deal, and Amy Adams will play me, well, actually I would prefer Jennifer Garner. Sorry Amy, I know it must be a dream of yours...
I like to cruise around and read baking blogs, or blogs of people who have a bakery. Its interesting and gets my creative juices flowing. I get to thinking about different flavors and aesthetics of cupcakes and cookies. Also it gives me a little kick of inspiration. I know this is supposed to be more of a family blog, and it will head back in that direction once my new website and bakery to be blog are finished and I have somewhere to put these types of posts. I bet I just lost my one lonely reader! I just can't help what is consuming my brain at the moment! There are just so many awesomely delicious recipes out there, for cookies, and cakes, and tarts. In fact, I realized today that I have never attempted an authentic pound cake, or something that seems to elusive to a lot of bakers... The RED VELVET CAKE!
Maybe I should find a cookbook, like Cake Bible, or Joy of Cooking and bake through it in a year...
Although I doubt I would have the following Julie had, or rather, has?

Wah Wah Wah....

Yep, this is going to be one of those posts. I am tired. I am overwhelmed and maybe it doesn't seem like the hubsters been gone long enough just yet for me to feel this way, but caring for 3 kids on my own, without an ounce of offered help, well, its taking its toll on me.
I remember when everyone heard he was going to Iraq, all we heard was "We will take care of you and the kiddos" "We will adopt you!" "Don't worry, we will always be there when you need us."
Where is all that help now? I hate complaining. I am really doing my best to be strong. Its hard work! I am taking care of 3 crazy kids, an enormous dog, coupled with keeping the house clean. Because if I didn't we would soon be overtaken by the amount of hair our sweet Aigneis sheds! Dishes, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, laundry. One of the disadvantages of being in a larger home, is keeping the sucker clean, and it feels like the minute I get on top of one area, and move on to the next, the first area is filthy again.
Lately, at the end of every day, I either want to pass out on the bed, or cry in the corner. I'm sure it being "that time of the month" isn't helping much!
Then to top it off, I have someone who has decided now is a good time to bug me about watching their child. Who in their right mind would want to hand someone whose husband is deployed and has 3 kids, a dog, and is trying to run a house and a business another child?! Ok, enough of that. Ah, the trials and tribulations of being a Navy Wife.
I wish there was a formula on how to better handle a deployment. And I am sure there are people out there who will say there is! Just go here, buy this book. Talk to so and so. But how is that even possible? Every family is different, so their needs are going to be different. You can't provide a fail-proof formula that works across the board.
By the way, is there a fail-proof way to get a 2 yr old who is newly in a big girl bed, to SLEEP in her big girl bed at naptime?? Did I mention how tired I am?

I guess the Princess is officially 2 yrs old now. I got up this morning to discover she had climbed out of her bed and opened her bedroom door. This came out of NOWHERE! She hasn't even tried before. So of course when the little miss went down for her nap, in her crib because I hadn't had a chance to get a safety rail for her big girl bed yet, it took her all of 10 minutes to get out of bed and open the door.
"Mommy!"
Back up we went. Into her crib. Yeah, she didn't stay there. So then I put her into her big girl bed. Again, and again, and again. Still working on that one. But I know that consistency will win out and she will eventually be perfectly happy to sleep in her bed. And STAY in her bed. I think.

In other news, I finally got a response to the ad I posted for baking. The email was from a woman for her sons 5 yr old birthday. Hopefully I will hear from her soon, and I will have a new client, who isn't a neighbor or a friend of a friend! Those are important, don't get me wrong. However, I do think that I need to get other people out in the community and surrounding areas to really build a good customer base!

Business stuff

What have I been up to these past couple of days, besides removing questionable ads from the top of my blog, (Thanks Sarah!)? Like I mentioned before, I have been reading like crazy on below mentioned blog. And getting tons of great ideas! Its about spreading the love people. So I aim to please.
I know my tasty treats are well loved by those who have had them. The problem is getting them to MORE people. The birthday party I did 2 weekends ago, brought me another client for another birthday party, and as I was sitting outside while the boys splashed in the pool, one of the neighbors complimented the cakes from the last party! She said they were SO GOOD and pretty too. She also wished she had known beforehand about me since she had just celebrated all her kids birthdays. I made sure to let her know I do ALL kinds of baked goods, cupcakes, cakes, and PIES! The Holidays are just around the corner, and I do a mean Pumpkin pie, as well as Chess pies!
I also posted an ad on Craigslist. Not that I really think I will get anything from that but at least I am putting it out there. I hope once my website is launched, that will bring in some business. However, I know I also need to find places to pass my goodies out at. Blood drives, openings, anything!!! So if you all have any ideas, please let me know!!

Baking News

Wow, two posts in one day. I have a ton of things going through my mind right now. Oddly enough, they are all bakery related. Putting it on hold like we did was painful. However, 18 days into Hubster being IA has proven to me that we really did make the right decision. I am sure we could have found a way to make it work, but the kiddos would have been put through the ringer I think.
So instead, the kiddos have my attention, and I can take in small to medium orders for birthdays and such. So far, I have completed one birthday order, a cake for twin boys first birthday, accompanying cupcakes, and a cake for their sister's birthday and cupcakes for her as well. From that, I picked up another birthday order. For the end of August, I will be doing Spiderman cupcakes! I am so EXCITED about that! There is just something about getting an order from someone who enjoyed the work you did for somebody else, ya know? Hopefully this will just explode into more orders, they may for the time being, come from our neighborhood, but business is business!
Not too long ago, I stumbled across this blog. It is exactly what I have been looking for. When this whole hare-brained idea formed in my head, I researched and researched online looking for info on how to start, plan and open a bakery. Ya know what? There isn't a whole lot to offer. I emailed bakeries I could find that had been opened by women, or families who wanted to do something different. I asked for advice, tips, hints. ANYTHING. What did I get? Nothing. So when I began reading this blog, I about fell off the bed. Its full of all kinds of good info. And has just got me itching to get back in gear. I have a plan... Oh yes I do. And while I have your attention here, my one reader you... My new website is going to be done shortly I think! I will also have a baking blog. Not quite sure how to run that one. Weirdly enough, I am not keen on sharing recipes, not sure why. But I do want to post about our journey to Bakery-Land. Lots of pics of tasty treats and probably stories of jobs and craft fairs. There have got to be other Chicks out there like me, wanting to open and run their own bakery, with no idea of what to do. Maybe, like Kari I will help someone too.

Do Nothing Day

I feel like since the Hubster left, it has been non-stop GO GO GO! Today is really the first day I have been able to sit down finally I think. I love being busy, I think it helps the time go by faster. Although considering it feels like he has been gone for about 3 months, instead of only 17 days. We have had playdates, grocery shopping (which is quite the feat with 3 kids!), some cake baking business, and hunting and purchasing a King size bed for our room. That happened a lot faster then intended. But being the self proclaimed Queen of Craigslist, I scored a pretty fabulous deal! You know how when you find something and even if you weren't completely ready to buy something, you really have no choice because the price and item are so amazing?? That was this bed. Solid carved head and footboard, leather insets, recessed lights, and HEAVY. Of course, I didn't even think about the fact that I would need to buy all new bedding. Queen bedding does no cover a whole lot on a King! Hubster loves what he can see on the tiny pic I sent to his cell. I think he will love it even more in person.
Today, to quote Phineas and Ferb is a "Do nothing Day". Albeit, not a long lasting Do Nothing Day. I got a surprise call from one of my Girlies who is in town! I have known her FOREVER it seems. I was her Jr High leader when she was Oh, 12... And now she is in her 20's and a recent Nursing Grad! I am so proud of that girl! Anyway, she is in town for Lollapalooza, just like last year. And we get to hang with her tomorrow morning. Which means a nice little clean-up around the house.
We do love visitors though, and now (once I get motivated to put it back together...)have an guest bedroom with a lovely queen guestbed!
I may even bake a pie...

Well That Explains A Lot

I had called my parents last night to chat about their heat wave. It was 103 yesterday in Portland, thats normal for a lot of places. However, since Oregon is not one of them, most homes don't have central air! SO thankful for our nice mild summer. Which I have to say we are rather deserving of since we living in Florida for 4 years! No wonder I love it here! Is it strange that I can't wait for it to snow? And poor hubby is sad because he will miss our entire winter. TJ asks daily if he can pray and ask Jesus to make it snow the next day.
In the course of our conversation, my Dad was thrilled to hear I had picked up a job to make birthday cakes and cupcakes for a party. I was telling him about my plans on decorations for them, although I know I have a long way to go in learning how to do all the really awesome things so many cake decoraters can do. My dad then proceeded to tell me that his Dad, my grandpa, was a CAKE DECORATER! He worked in a bakery and decorated the wedding and birthday cakes. News to me! Not to mention 3 of my dads 4 sisters are artistic, and his Great Grandmother, (I think) used to sing on the radio!
Its so cool to hear about ancestors and be able to tie in where certain traits and talents have come from.

So which side of the family are your talents from?

Yeah, I'm not very good at this

Talk about lax. I have been a bad blogger! And its not like I don't have time to write something, its merely a matter of taking the time to gather my thoughts into something coherent enough people might want to read!
We have had an awesome summer so far. We went to visit family in Texas, and had a blast. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, playing outside, fishing, and even saw a snake up close and personal. As in when we got up one morning, a rat snake had made its way onto the back porch. Hubby caught it in a rubbermaid container, sorry Mamaw! The look on TJ's face was priceless. I guess I should change his nickname to something snake related? All in all, it was a fantastic trip.
Being there also brought to light how much we missed having a dog. Yes, I know, we had a chihuahua and then rehomed it. For some reason, it seems that we have a hard time having a normal pet. Most of our cats have been crazy, our first dog was a half basset, half blue heeler. Bet you can't guess which personality was prominent? That dog was INSANE! There was no potty training that puppy. When we moved to Oregon, Milton went with us, but went from being an inside dog, to an outside dog. Poor thing. It was so sad. So we ended up rehoming him to a farm. Where for now, he is much happier. Then came Bandit. The 5yr old Chihuahua who hated Hubby, and Little Guy. So much so that his M.O. was to continually pee on their stuff. It got to the point that Hubby couldn't leave any thing on the floor for any amount of time. Plus Bandit was living out his little existence under our couch. So off he went to a new home, and oddly enough, he ended right back in Florida.
Where does that leave us now? With a boy cat named Opal, and a St. Bernard named Aigneis. I think we may have finally found the perfect pet. Aigneis is a big floppy girl who doesn't mind when the Princess pulls her ears, or when Little Guy rolls all over her.
The Princess also had her 2nd birthday party. So much fun, we had it at The Little Gym. It was a Hawaiian theme. I can't get over how much she has grown in the last year. Now if we could only get that girl potty trained!
The sad news is that Hubby is at training for 60 days, for his 9 months in Iraq. Completely and totally stinks. We are missing him like crazy. This all means that I will have a lot of me time in the evenings. And have made some plans for things I want to get accomplished. There is a great opportunity for Military spouses to get some money for school. I would love to take some business courses. With the bakery on hold until Hubby comes back, its a great time to get some online classes in.
And while its not obvious here, I love to write. Quite a while back, before the kiddos came along, I wanted to write. I started a work of historical/Sci-Fi fiction, with what I think is a great story line. And yet somehow 3 kids, and 1 and a half businesses later, it hasn't progressed very far. I think I want to work on finishing it. There are also some Bridezilla/Event Planning, Navy wife tales floating around in my head. Which would have to be written in a Nanny Diaries way to protect the innocent and the not so innocent!
As well as working on whatever orders I can get that are bakery related.
Life should be fairly busy for the next year. I think I also neglected to mention TJ will be starting school in a month. Wow.
I hope to write here a lot more often, I will also be starting a Bakery Blog. Lets see how long I can keep that up!

Ugh!

So I woke up this morning to my boys fighting in the hallways. Not terribly concerning mind you, just not how I like to be awakened. They of course had to come fill me in on the injustices they were suffering at eachothers hands. In other words, Little Guy had a toy (The Princess's stuffed kitty) that TJ did not think he should have. Really? This is what you woke me up for?
I shooed them out so I could get dressed, stepped out of the bedroom, only to be bombarded with a lovely tale of the how they just watched the cat throw up in the kitchen. Are you kidding me?!

I am so ready to head back to bed.

On a happier note, I have been pretty consistent in working out for going on 5 weeks straight now. My body is definitely starting to change for the better. Although I wish it would tone up all at once, instead of this area over here, and then the backs of my arms, maybe this area of my hips... Makes it just a little more difficult to gauge progress, ya know?

Not Up To Much

And I don't know if that a good thing or not. Life has been good around here, don't get me wrong. However, since making the decision to put the bakery on hold for a year due to hubby heading overseas shortly, I kinda feel like I have stalled out. Craft fair season is more of a winter thing here. And while there are a few here and there, I am just not out there at the moment. Its a little frustrating. There are 2 things I fear right now: 1. That because we have to wait, my dream will slip away. 2. Everyone will think I am fickle and crazy and keep having these grand schemes that never pan out and I will just flit from "hobby" to "hobby" as I get bored.

It doesn't help that I am limited when hubby is gone. I have seen how the kids are affected by deployments, and the thought of me working and never being home doesn't sit well with me. So much comes into play with that, having to go into the city to bake, and then the actual event. Finding and paying a sitter.

So I overcompensate in the rest of our life. Not that its a bad thing to be involved with the kiddos. We play, and go to the park. Have playdates with friends. I clean the house, and bake all the time. How does one balance all this?! Can I do craft fairs and Farmers Markets, and somehow still be home with Train Junkie, help Little Guy learn to listen better, and watch The Princess grow up? Can I find the time to grocery shop, be active in the Fall at TJ's school, get Little Guy involved in hockey, and Princess in gymnastics and dance, get the kids to church, visit friends and family, and do Renegade in December? Not to mention continue to work on getting out of debt, scout out a new location for a bakery, and possibly find our first house to move into next year! So much for not being up to much!

March For Babies (March Of Dimes) 4/21/09

So I have decided to do the March For Babies. Its the March of Dimes annual walk, 4.3 miles in distance. I think I can walk that much.... Anyways, its this Sunday, a friend of mine invited me to walk with her so I signed up today. Ok, so its 5 days beforehand now. And I set a low fundraising goal for myself, because hey every little bit counts! If you would like to sponsor me you can click on the button below!





Thanks everyone! And if I can sign up 5 days before, check out your city and see if there is a walk you can participate in!

Out Of The Loop (4-14-09)

Man, I have been really lax in posting anything. I am not sure why blogging hasn't been on my mind so much lately. Well, actually I do. We have been through a couple of ups and downs around here lately. My goal since we moved was to get going on my plans to open a bakery. It came pretty close to happening, that would be the up! The down part is that we found out that hubby is going to be sent overseas for probably either a 9mo or even a 12 month Billet. This of course really put a snag in our plan for the bakery. Another down.
We are still heading in that direction, it will just take a little longer. Why? you ask... I remember very well the effect deployments had on our little people. And I can't even begin to imagine how they would react to Daddy being gone and Mommy working constantly. I can't and won't put them through that, not to mention the amount of stress I would be under.
It stinks pretty much because I had been offered a great space, with a great lease. We had prayed and prayed about it, and it just looked like God kept opening doors for us. When it came right down to it, there wasn't complete peace.
There is a good thing about this, we will get extra pay, and most likely be almost completely out of debt by the time Hubby comes back. Our car will only have 1 year left to pay on our loan, all of this will put us in a better position for a small business loan. It will also give me a little more time to get my name and products out there through craft fairs and Farmers Markets. Hopefully we can also scout out a better space that will fit all our needs. I am searching for the silver lining of course.

BTW, can anyone tell me how to get the date to show up with each post??

Where Did The Time Go?

My kids are growing up way too fast. Train Junkie, or The BIG boy as he likes to refer to himself sometimes, lost his first tooth this past week. He has been wiggling it for almost a month now, and I was beginning to wonder if that thing would EVER come out. Finally last week it got really loose. He could move it back and forth with his tongue, but if you approached him with a plan to pull it, he would run from the room yelling "NOOOOOO!! Don't TOUCH IT!!" And who could blame him? Hubby seemed to think it was hilarious to chase him around with various tools, with the promise it would "just take a minute" and there wouldn't be hardly any blood...

It came out on its own one night, which was an enormous relief. I was so worried it would come out in his sleep and he would swallow it.

We also had Little Guys 4th birthday party. The theme was Pokemon. Big surprise there. It would appear that Little Guy resembles Daddy in more then looks. He could have cared less it was his party. Cool, calm and collected. While his brother who is 5, followed him around OPENING his gifts for him saying "Hey look at this one, don't you want to open your presents?!?!"

And our Princess seems to be growing the quickest. She is talking, and jumping, and this morning I found her with a Capri Sun, she had opened the straw, put it in the pouch and was happily drinking it. With no help from her brothers. WHEN did this happen?! She is only 20 mos right now. My baby is growing up...

This morning, I also decided that if I have to follow my boys instructions, I will no longer occasionally enjoy a bowl of Cookie Crisp (which is NEVER, I eat grown up cereal, with lots of bran...) The Princess usually gets her bowl without any milk since thankfully she has not mastered the spoon on her own, and inevitably the bowl ends up on the floor. Which is not too bad since my two boys are like puppies, in that they then scurry over and eat the cereal. Leaving my floors spotless, and less for me to clean up... Anyway, they came to me on the couch and each had a handful of delicious, I mean sugar filled and unhealthy, little cookies. And then proceeded to rub each one on their face before popping it in their mouth. Um, what?! When asked about it, I was informed they had to "wash" thier face with each one before eating it. If thats the case, NO THANKS! I have a hard enough time maintaining my youthful complexion with out reliving my teen years.

6 Random Thing Meme

One: Link to the person who tagged you. Sarah.

Two: Post the rules.

Three: Write six random things about yourself.

1. Its been quite a while since I have posted anything here!
2. Mis-spelled words drive me crazy
3. In highschool I always had my toes and fingernails painted the same color, perfectly manicured all the time!
4. I don't do that anymore
5. Thanks to my boys, I now know almost all the names of the Pokemon
6. In 3rd grade I was in a spelling bee on the radio, I didn't win :)


I know I should tag 6 people, but.... So anyway if you want to do it, go for it, then leave me a comment so I can check yours out!

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

I didn't think that I would have to worry about kicking the Princess out of the bathroom for at least a few more years. I know girls like to primp, and I think I was always fighting for the bathroom from my sister growing up. Apparently, as the only sister, the Princess believes she should be allowed access at any time she deems necessary!