My daily battle

Most days, I try my hardest to be organized.  I really do.  It does not come easy for me.  I try to get my meal planning done, my chores prioritized, and my errands ran.  It truly takes extreme effort on my part to know what I need to do and to actually be able to get it done.

If a truly organized person would come into my home and watch me for a full day, she would probably evaluate me running at 20% efficiency in the area of organization.  Twenty percent.  That's probably being a little generous with the estimation, too.

On days like today, I wake up and organization is a giant monster that wants to eat me alive.  I lay in bed not even wanting to fight back.  I don't even where to begin.  The to-do list has no end and I have no motivation to even start.  Even if I did, every single thing that has to be done is flying around my mind or glaring right at me, all screaming and vying for the number one priority spot.

It's enough to make me scream, "I quit!  I'm done trying to get it all done.  I don't care."  But just as I open my mouth, a sigh escapes instead of the scream.  I realize (once again) that I can't quit.  I have a husband (who I love more than I can describe) who is an absolute neat freak and born organized, and kids (who I also love, of course!) that need structure and a clean place to eat and play.  I have to keep trying.  Every day, I have to start this battle over.

So, I get out of bed, brush my teeth, and face the monster head on.  Hopefully, I'll get at least 20% done today. 

P.S.
Obviously, blogging has been extremely low on the priority list.  =)

morning musing

I love how 3 drops of neon blue food dye in pancake batter make me the coolest mom on the planet.
=D

So how do I really feel about Valentine's?

Yesterday, while at base, I ran in to the grocery store (by myself!!) T had stayed behind with the girls. I was routinely checking my list as I raced down the aisles to find the few things we needed. As I was reaching to the top shelf for Chocolate Silk, C's favorite drink in the whole wide world, I dropped my grocery list. When I realized it, I had two cartons in my hands, so I readjusted to be able to hold both and be able to bend down to pick up my list. Well, an older man was standing near me, saw my list, and picked it up for me.

"You should be careful where you drop your lists, you never know what someone can tell about you from them." huh? I just smiled nicely, thanked him for the list, and put my soymilk into my cart. "I could tell just what kind of person you are from your list."

"Oh yeah?" I said.

He nodded, "May I?" I thought about it and decided I wanted to hear what he was going to say, thinking he would get it all wrong. I handed him the small notepad paper.

"Hmm... You are a very nice person. You live one day at a time, very easy going. 'Help me get through the day' is your motto. You're very emotional, but you try to hide it," he started. Yeah... but that would apply to most women, I thought. "You get angry, but you don't stay mad for long." Again, true... but a lot of people are like that. "Wait, what's wrong with Valentine's Day? You're mad about something with Valentine's Day."

"ummm..." I thought about it as I looked at the line he was pointing to: Valentine's Treats. Am I mad about Valentine's? I don't think so... Unless... Oh maybe. "Oh," I answered, "I guess that'd be because my husband has duty."

"Oh yeah, that's a bummer. I'm sorry," he answered. I think he was pleased that he'd picked that up. "You see how everything is straight, except for Valentine's? That's what it means. It's the only word that dips like that," he pointed out.

He went on to talk about other stuff, but I was still stuck on the Valentine's line. I was highly amused. After he was done, I admitted everything was, in fact, right on about me. It made me wonder if this was just a hobby of his, or if he was a civilian working on his 2nd retirement with the military or something, banking the money while analyzing people's handwriting. That would be a cool job, if that is a job. Who knows. If it was just a hobby, can you imagine how torturous it would be to go to the grocery store? Seeing so many people with lists that you just want to grab and run three aisles away so you can analyze it? Either way, whether it was a hobby or his job, I got a kick out of it.

And if I had been writing a note or list right then, I think it would have showed I was subconsciously trying to prolong my solo trip in the store. heh.

=D

Homesick.....

I don't know what it is..... but homesickness struck really hard today. I think it was the weather. It's cool, fallish, and cloudy. When I looked outside, it looked like Central Texas fall. =( My Texas. Every time I glanced outside I thought I should be able to just drive to my Mom's house. sigh....

It's a good thing I had quilting class today. I would have brooded around the house all day crying about missing home. lol A funny thing was after a few people showed up to the class, someone noticed my t-shirt of my brother's highschool football team, and asked if I was from Texas. I said yeah. Turns out all 4 of us that were there first are all from Texas. So I shared my homesickness, and we talked about Texas for a few minutes, how we all missed it. That helped a little bit. =)

Then I spent the next 3 hours learning how to work my sewing machine (again,) and cutting my first color of fabric for my quilt. I am very excited! I hope to have all my fabric cut before the next class two weeks from now, so that I can start my sewing. =D

it was a good day :)

First, a few 365s... There are a bunch more... but I won't bore you. :) Plus I don't feel like uploading much more than this. haha

8/22/08 tony actually took this one, I was doing dishes... so it's not a self portrait, but w/e. :)

8/23/08 Reading the ads in the paper.... nothing good this week.
8/26/08 Breakfast this morning! Apple French Toast... Super Yummy! It was Tony's day off today, so I thought I'd make something extra special.
So with a good breakfast (well brunch really, since we all lounged around all morning,) to start our day, we were all in a good mood. We headed to base to run errands around lunch time. While there, I decided to stop by the college office, since they still hadn't contacted me about my degree situation, even though they said they would within a few days... yeah right.

I walk into the office, and wait a few minutes for another guy to finish with the college rep. Finally, I sit down tell him who I was and about my situation, and he says, "Oh yeah, your stuff is right here," and proceeds to pull my papers out of a stack on his desk. I asked if there was an update. He then goes over the paperwork in detail (for the first time, I think) and tells me basically what I already know: I have two options. I can get my diploma from the old plan but would still need Span 1 and 2 or I could get my diploma on the new plan but still need a performing arts humanities credit. I asked if they could substitute my Eng. Lit class for the huminatarian class since it was counted under the humanitarian section anyway. He called the lady in charge of all of Europe and managed to fully confuse her about my situation. So, he faxed everything over, and we waited for a call back.

We chatted to pass the time. He asked me about getting my bachelor's, and I told him I was planning on getting it, but I am not in a rush since I plan to homeschool both girls. He was interested, and surprised that there are really no laws in Texas that regulate homeschooling. (He's Texan too.) We talked about how our public education really disappointed us both, I was glad to hear it's not just my opinion. :) Anywho... I decided to take up his offer to go talk to the University of Maryland reps to find out if they had an art class available to take in case my college wouldn't budge on the credits.

Turns out they had a drawing class start yesterday. So, I was to apply tonight to UMUC and sign up for the class tomorrow and pay almost $600 for a 3 credit class. That is way more than I pay for my college, I know because it's a University, but also because with my college I'm a resident of their state, so I get way cheaper rates. But I was willing to do it to just be done.

We headed back to the CTC office and Tony and Carlee walked in. While Tony was asking about his degree credits, the Europe lady called back. She said she looked everything over, and was convinced that they would probably make the substitution and give me my degree. She said she would call the main campus and find out. We gave the rep our cell phone number so that he could call us in case she got back to him sooner rather than later.

While at the grocery store we got the call. Tony answered and sounded very short and straightfoward. I knew they must have said no to my request. Tony said, "They said they can't do it." I asked why, and he gave some answer I don't even remember now... then said, "Just kidding! Congratulations, you have your degree!!!" AHHHH!!!!!

I am so excited to be done with this degree! and I met my goal of being done before the baby gets here!!!! Now, I'm half way to a bachelor's, at least have something to fall back on, and my goal is to finish the bachelor's at our next duty station (especially if Tony decides to get out of the Navy.) I cannot even express my emotions right now. I think it's hard to really describe why this means so much to me. I know it's not hard to get an associate's degree, but I made the decision at a very young age to get married and start my family. That's what I wanted to do, and I did it. I knew I wanted to finish school, but I wanted this first. I had so many people tell me that I would never finish. That I had screwed up. What was I thinking? (I heard it all...) But I had faith in myself. I had the determination. And I still have the determination to keep going until I'm satisfied. And if you know me, I'm all about self improvement, so I am never satisfied with what I know. LOL That's why this means so much to me. =) It's taken me a while... but I'm done with it. All in my own time, and with my wonderful family by my side to celebrate with me. <3

I love it when....

I wake up to Carlee whining....

and the cat puking somewhere in my room.....

awesome.

=)

Spending the morning Stampin....

I made a birthday card for a friend this morning... (yes, that's a link to yet another blog. haha) I want to keep my cards, scrapbooking, and crafts separate. Angie... where's your new one so I can link!? :)

Carlee is feeling much better. We're just lounging around today, since it's Tony's day off. We're kinda treating today like a Saturday. :) I hope to get some more scrapbooking done.... maybe I'll get to all those 365 photos I've been taking. It's going to be a pain to work with them though... my Microsoft Office trial is done... boo. Back to using Paint to resize... yay! LOL

Update

I have a ton of pictures to go through for the 365 project... LOL it's not going to happen right now.

Carlee caught another viral infection and started showing signs of it on Sunday. She's feeling better now as long as she's on tylenol.

Been busy the past week with MOMS Club stuff, taking Carlee to parties, and whatnot (not knowing she was carrying that yucky sore throat bug.)

Last Tuesday I went in to the college office to talk about my credits. The one guy who would know anything was out of town until yesterday. So, I have to wait for him to take a look at it and email me...

Pregnancy is still going good. This child is always kicking me. LOL I go to bed, I'm getting kicked, I wake up and I'm getting kicked, I'm cleaning/eating/walking/sitting/etc/etc/etc and I'm getting kicked! little booger. :)

We found out yesterday that a mutual friend from highschool died over the weekend. I saw him last about a year and a half ago. He was only 25. He had just gotten married 2 months ago. :( My heart broke for his wife when I found out. I can't imagine. Just makes you realize it could happen any day. I'm so grateful for everything I'm blessed with.

A bit of Sheena trivia....

Click Here to watch the 1984 movie I was named after.
=D
I have it on DVD....
now I feel like watching it.
haha

365 Catch Up and my new favorite tin

Monday night (6-9-08) reading ALL of lesson two (=2+ hours,) after having finished lesson 1 earlier that day. Yay for this 8 week class! I just love how the book is glowing.... (and yes, that is a blanket over our window... LOL curtains do NOT keep enough light out. We like it super dark when we sleep.)

Tuesday night (6-10-08) after just coming home from a craft night! I made this super cute tin with Stampin' Up! products. I love it. It's so me! Too bad they don't make that paper in those colors anymore. :( Here's a better one of the tin:
Tonight (6-11-08) I decided to take a belly shot. :) I'm at 17 weeks + 3 days!!

Somehow, I am getting everything done... hopefully it will stay that way. I even got some cards made tonight. Tomorrow, I take my first quiz over lessons 1 and 2. Wish me luck! And Friday, I have a MOMS Club event. Then, I need to work on a paper this weekend. whew! :)

Itty Bitty Burgers (vegan of course)

My 365 for today. This is one of the Itty Bitty Burgers that I make for Carlee when we eat Boca burgers. We had some for lunch today. I did this one time when Carlee refused to eat a regular sized burger, it kept falling apart in her tiny hands, and she got too frustrated. So, I used a small circle cookie cutter, it's a little bigger than a quarter. I cut circles out of everything, the bread, the boca burger (split in half first to make it thinner,) lettuce, tomato, pickles if she wants it, and add a bit of mustard like she likes it. And she eats them! Well, usually only about 2, but hey, that's better than nothing. And really for her, two of those are about 8 Carlee sized bites, so that's pretty good.

Today I've been busy. We went to church this morning and I've been working on the MOMS Club newsletter and other MOMS Club stuff all afternoon. Did I mention I was the new president for this year? woohoo! The race was sooo close, I can't believe I won!!! (LOL this is sarcasm, I was the only who volunteered LOL) I still have to do the newsletter and secretary duties as of now, because I don't have a secretary. I'm trying to get next month's issue pretty much done so that I can focus on my class that starts tomorrow. This is going to be a very intensive reading and writing class, so I'm really not looking forward to it. I honestly just don't have the time, but I have to make time, because I'm so close to finishing this degree. And pretty soon, I'll have even less time to do it.

PS: That's tattoo #3 btw. Wraps around my wrist, with the same flower on the other side. I got that last October. I love it. My sister and I both got that one. It was her first... and on her wrist, too. I'm not sure if she's going to get another one or not, after that one, heh. She was a trooper though. :)

365: Our Wonderful Italian Toilet

This is a peek into my daily life. This has to be done... oh about every 4th flush for this toilet downstairs. For some reason, it does not like to flush all the time. Don't you love how high the toilet's tank is? When we first moved in, I would call maintenance probably about once a month to come fix this. Apparently, it's unfixable, so instead of continuing to call them and let them get paid too much to do exactly what I'm doing, I just do it myself.

I got some scrapping done this afternoon while Carlee stamped, played dress up, and cleaned her toys with a wipe LOL. It's still a work in progress, so I'm not posting until I'm done. I also worked on some more baby announcements for my sis. I got another 10 done of a design that I adore, and thought, "whew, I'm finally done." I went downstairs to add them to to stack, counted all the cards I've made, and I'm five shy. heh. Guess I'll be making a few more. I'll post a pic of the last design later, there's no natural light, so it'd be all flash anyway.

Well, if anything, this 365 project has me posting a lot more often! :) Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

365 - my 2nd tattoo

365 for today. I don't think I've ever put pictures of my tats up on here. I should. I love them. I have 3 so far. This was #2. I got this the day before I got married back in Jan 04. My best friend and I got matching ones. It was very symbolic for us, as we were both going through big... no, HUGE changes in our lives... a metamorphosis of sorts, for both of us. I was getting married, that's a big change. Anyway, it is a whimsical little butterfly, with both our favorite colors, blue (mine) and green (hers.) The tattoo guy hand drew it because we didn't really like any of the butterflies that they had on file. I adore this one, and think of her everytime I see it. :) I had to take a picture like this today, since I hardly ever wear shirts that show it off (although I should, I'm not diggin that farmer's tan I've got going on LOL.)

The Stampin' Up! party went great, I think everyone had a lot of fun. I didn't get to make the card with everyone because I was running after Carlee, but the demonstrator let me have hers. It is sooo adorable. I think I'm going to have to buy that set of stamps. :) I need to go through my wish list and figure out what I'm going to order....

PS: I felt the baby MOVE tonight!!! for the first time!!! ahhhh!!!! :D

Mandatory Fun Day on a few hours of sleep

Yesterday's 365 (June 4th): Me shopping in my Close to My Heart catalogs... they're having a buy 2 get one free on their stamp sets!!!

I almost forgot to take my pic yesterday, this was shot at a little after 11pm. I look rough lol. Then for some reason I had a hard night. A whole bunch of pregnancy symptoms decided to show up, and insomnia kicked in. I was nauseous, had indigestion, was starving, couldn't get comfortable, my back was killing me, I was over tired, AND my allergies were acting up, and I couldn't get to sleep for anything. 6 hours later I heard Tony's alarm clock go off, and all I said was, "You have GOT to be kidding me." I should have just gotten up and scrapped LOL.

Then today was "mandatory fun day" as Tony likes to call it, and his command was having a hail and farewell at the bowling alley. He invited us to go, but at 5:30 AM I was thinking, "Ha, yeah right," and kept trying to go to sleep. I finally fell into a good sleep around 6ish, then Carlee came in around 8:30. Nice. I had decided not to go to base because I felt like crap, but then I felt bad because every little thing Carlee did was really irritating me since I was in such a bad mood. I really didn't want to take it out on her, or be stuck in the house, or end up snapping at her all day, so we got dressed and caught the bus to base. She loves the bus (if you couldn't tell.) LOL I can't believe I could even function enough to smile haha. Somehow, I managed. *I don't know why, but she's always got some kind of food on her face lol I guess I should start checking her before we leave the house :)

So, we bowled and Carlee ate up all the attention from the guys and gals Tony works with. Carlee and I played a game after the command's tournament was done. She had a blast. Then Tony went and played racquetball with friends, while Carlee and I ran errands and such. She got a trip to the library which she was so excited about. I love that she loves books. :)

My 365 for today:
I kinda miss my ponytail :(

Anyway, tomorrow I'm holding a Stampin' Up! party. :) I'm excited, I don't host things very often, and I know this is going to be fun. So, tomorrow I'll be cleaning and getting all the food stuff and drinks together. I can't wait to see what we get to make. Now, I'm about to crash for the night. :D

My First Jacked Layout

This is the layout I did for the ScrapJacked! challenge. :)

feeling a little better

Carlee was feeling a little better today, which of course made for a happier mama. I stole this headband from her. It's too big on her anyway. heh. :) Took this on a quick break between dishes and folding clothes. I forgot to mention on my blog... I got my hair cut (if you couldn't tell.) It is drastically shorter. The first day it was so nice, the hair guy had it perfectly styled, a nice summer style he had said. And I had agreed, but since then, the style has been sheenafied with pontytails, pig tails, and Carlee's stolen barrettes and headbands. No blowdrying required. :)

I'm hoping Carlee will be 100% better tomorrow. There is going to be BINGO at the community center tomorrow morning, and I'd really like to go with some friends of mine. Well, Carlee is in bed and I'm going to go scrapbook while I still have the chance.... My American Lit class starts on the 9th, and with the emailed syllabus I received, it's looking like it's going to be very time consuming and tough. Nice... I thought about postponing it until the fall... then I remembered the baby would be here in November. So that wouldn't work too well haha. Ah well. My last core class! Wish me luck!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day always means so much to me every year. In my whole life, the one thing that remained constant and that I knew I could 100% count on being there, was and still is my mom. Through fun times and hard times, my mom, my sister, and I were always happy because we had each other. My mom taught me the most important lessons in life. Besides, my mom, there were also a few other main female role models in my life. My maternal grandma was always (and still is) very active in our lives. Then there are my two great grandmothers who were very active in my life growing up as well (my mom's maternal and paternal grandma.) As you can see, women were a strong influence on me, and what I perceived as the glue that held families together. They were/are strong, caring, and loved unconditionally. They've all helped me become the woman I am today, and I credit it all to them and to God for His placing me in this family. They are exactly who I needed in life, and I was blessed to have all of them.

I hope all of them have a wonderful Mother's Day, and all you mothers out there as well! Enjoy the day, and know that you have a profound impact on your children's and so many other people's lives as a mother and grandmother. You are a blessing to many, I'm sure.

The incredible women of my life:

My mom, Martha, while pregnant with me, and my grandma, Janie, behind her (1984.)

My great grandma Martha, who passed away almost 3 years ago. For some time, we lived in a house that was right next to her's. We loved that. :)

My great grandma, Eugenia, with Carlee (2007.)

... and the woman they helped create: me.
My first day as a mom (2005.)

"I want it ALL!"

I am such a sucker for a good deal... and if you're a good salesperson, then you're pretty much guaranteed to make a buck off me.

I went to a tupperware party yesterday, and came home with nothing.... but with a lot on its way. haha. The tupperware lady had a great demonstration of the stackable organizing containers. I loved how they fit together, how long they keep food good, and that they are the only things the military will ship my spices in. (I just found that out yesterday!) Well, if you purchased the 10 piece kit the demonstrator put together, you automatically qualified to get certain things at 40, 50, or 75% off! The wonderfully prepared saleslady had a poster prepared with the title, "I want it ALL!" She added everything up, and showed you how much it would cost normally, how much you'd pay today, and how much you saved. I couldn't help it... I DID want it all.

You see, I am horrible at organizing. Really horrible. Tony is the organizer in this household, and it's funny because he's borderline OCD with it, and then you've got me. The only time I'm organized is if Tony goes in and redoes everything. I try to keep it organized... I really do, but somehow it always goes back to the way it was. (And really, it IS organized in my head, because I still know where everything is somehow...)

Anyway, I decided I really wanted to try to organize the kitchen pantry. The lady even does free consultations to help you figure out what containers you need and how many. We're considering having her come over.

I finally decided on the "I want it ALL" deal, except trading one thing out for another. I got the 10 piece organizing set to start with. I also ordered a set of 6 fridge containers I've been wanting for a while now, that were 1/2 off (swapped out for a set of 2 containers in the prepared deal.) They keep your veggies and fruits fresh longer, and my friends love them. I also got a set of mixing/storage bowls in very cute colors for 40% off. I drew the line there.

It didn't help that this was my very first tupperware party, and that I was extremely impressed with the product, and that the lady was an awesome demonstrator. I spent more than I meant to, but Tony wasn't upset, he was actually happy I was going to try to organize the pantry. So, we'll see how that goes, and hopefully I'll give an update soon! :D

First Belly Shot

We bought a kite for Carlee today, and took her to the park to fly it as soon as we got home from base. Tony got a picture of us, where you can see the belly already. (The way my sweater fits makes my belly look a bigger at the top then it really is, but it really does stick out at the bottom like that. I'll try to take a better one soon.) It amazes me how different this pregnancy is from my first. I didn't show with Carlee until 4 (or maybe a bit more) months, with this one I was uncomfortable in my normal jeans by the end of the first month. I am now 3 months! Woohoo! Second trimester here we come!!!

Baby Update

Last Friday, I had my first official prenatal appointment. It was such a different experience than what I had when I was pregnant with Carlee. This doctor sucked. Seriously. Everything sucked. The exam (ladies you know what I'm talking about,) was the worst one I have EVER gotten. Then, when he finally got to the ultrasound part, the first machine wouldn't work, he couldn't figure out the second one forever. After which, he took over 15 minutes to find the baby! I was so scared something was wrong, I mean seriously, it's not that big in there. He finally found the baby, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his/her little heart beating. Then the machine wouldn't let him measure the length of the baby in order to verify the due date. Another doctor came in, and it turns out he wasn't even in the right setting, so doctor #2 changed it, and the picture (which was fairly good,) was lost. He had to start all over.

He couldn't find the baby (again) and when he finally did (again) the picture was horrible. He couldn't even get a measurement. So, he scheduled a radiology ultrasound appointment in order to confirm the due date. uh... those suck. I have to drink 2 liters of water 1.5 hours before the appointment, drive all the way to base on a full bladder, wait for them to call me in, and sit for an hour scan. Did I mention they're going to have to do one of these between 18 and 20 weeks anyway? Yeah, I've decided to cancel the first one, and just wait. I saw her/his little heartbeat, that's all I needed to see. Anyway, so that was the appointment, oh and I had to get blood drawn (again) because the doctor thought I might have something going on with my thyroid. (But he wasn't sure....) ugh. Yeah, I think I'll be changing doctors for the next appointment.

Here she/he is!!! (you might have to squint.)