This Southern Blog

I haven’t written in forever.  Mostly, it’s been because of laziness…..or exhaustion, constant pain and pregnancy hormones.

I did not have an easy pregnancy this time and I THINK it’s because God wanted me to feel every single pregnancy symptom this go around so that I make damn sure my birth control pills work in the future.

Oh yes….I had it ALL….severe morning sickness, aches, pains, headaches, sciatica pain, SPD, hip pain…..and the worst of all: hemorrhoids.  And we’re  not just talking about annoying little itchy things…..we’re talking about SEVERELY painful, thrombosed hemorrhoids the size of walnuts that have to be surgically lanced and removed.  Pretty picture.  Yes, I was humiliated.  Yes, I had surgery at 24 weeks of pregnancy.  Yes, it was MORE painful than actual childbirth.  And yes, It was horribly traumatic.  But….I lived through it and I have another battle wound to mark on my chart.

Another interesting event during my pregnancy (other than the fact that I was constantly reminded that I was listed as “advanced maternal age” at 35 and treated like I needed a cane most of the time) was that we had to fire my original OBGYN and change doctors at 30 weeks of pregnancy.  I won’t go into ALL the details….but I didn’t feel safe.  I questioned his abilities as a doctor…..and I began calling him “Dr. Slice-em-up” due to the fact that I could not find ONE single patient of his that had not had a csection.  The csection rate at the local hospital in my current town has a csection rate of 57.4% – even all the nurses that worked in L&D at the hospital had had csections.  Vaginal birth was not something that was encouraged.

I ran like hell to find another doctor and hospital.

We ended up with a fantastic female doctor and a much better hospital where I was able to deliver the way I wanted to (mostly)

After having a very rough pregnancy full of pain and stress, we all decided to induce and let the baby go ahead and come out.  I’m 35 and tired.  I also have three other kids, one of them with autism….and I live 45 minutes away from the hospital.  If I were to have gone into precipitous labor and delivered the baby at home in front of my autistic son….it would have been a nightmare beyond all nightmares.

Anyway, they juiced me up with Pitocin….inserted a Foley bulb to help me dialate (which only took 30 minutes) and the contractions picked up pretty strong.  I made it no secret that I WANTED an epidural this time around.  Screw natural childbirth.  I did it last time.  It was a most miserable experience that I did not want to go through again.  I asked for an epidural every time someone came into the room….and they made sure I got my epidural this time.  Last time, I missed out on the epidural because I waited to long to ask for one…..and my blood pressure was way too low.  Yeah.  I found out what happens when you have an epidural with low blood pressure……you almost die.

Within 10 minutes of getting my epidural, which was given by an extremely crabby british man who looked like Gerald O’Hara……I was completely paralyzed from the CHEST down.  Within 15 minutes, my blood pressure bottomed out and it was “lights out, Jenny”

I remember my husband screaming my name, and my mom saying “Stay with us, baby” and the next thing I remember is my heart nearly beating out of my chest.  They had to give me a shot of ephedrine to raise my blood pressure…..it was not fun.

I’ve heard it’s a pretty common side effect (20%) of an epidural, but that is NOT the way I want to die….so yeah.  It scared the crap out of all of us. Luckily, the baby was fine and I didn’t get rushed down to surgery for an emergency csection. God was looking out for us.

Since my first labor was only 8 hours, and my second was only 5 hours….we figured this one would be even shorter…..nope. It was 12 hours.  With all of the interventions that slowed down labor, I laid in that bed paralyzed…paralyzed from the CHEST DOWN for 12 long hours.  BUT when it was time to push, I gripped those bars like a Jedi Master and pushed the baby out in 3 pushes. Done. And afterwards, I bled like a stuck pig. It looked like a scene from Texas Chainsaw.  Childbirth rocks!

My sweet angel boy was born at 6:01 p.m. and although we thought he was going to be a big baby, he was only 7lbs and 3oz. He just had a really big head (which I’m very aware of…..with all of these stitches I have…..I think the doc tried to sew me completely shut, as I can no longer sit “indian style” – sorry if that’s TMI….but it’s a fact.) And we couldn’t be happier.  Our family is absolutely, positively complete with two girls and two boys.

It was definitely a long, hard journey…but I’d do it all over again for my littlest one.  He is a sweet little baby boy who is alert when awake and cries hard for his bottle at dinnertime. Yes, my third and final attempt at breastfeeding was an epic failure due to double mastitis and total engorgement….bad latch.  Probably the epidural’s fault too.  He did get my pumped milk and he mangled my boobies trying to get the colostrum….I’m STILL wearing cabbage leaves.

But, we have a sweet, healthy bundle of joy.  And my husband finally has a son of his own.  And my son FINALLY has a baby brother among all of his sisters:-)

That’s the birth story in all it’s glory.  I’m glad it is the last….and I’m ready to begin this new journey:-)))

Don’t you just love gory birth stories?:-)))

I prayed hard last night.  This morning, I got a profound answer.

I’m doing the “21 Days of Prayer” through church, and one of the things people are invited to give up during the fasting period is social media.  I can’t do a food fast, because of my pregnancy…..and the ONE thing I’d like to get rid of is Facebook.

I deactivated Facebook right away.

Yes, the urge to log on is still there.  In fact, I logged on this morning because I didn’t have a friend’s email addy and had to email her to let her know I couldn’t come to a party she is throwing in the next few weeks.  Then it hit me……I use Facebook to stay in contact with my FRIENDS, family and support system.  The negativity of Facebook for me mostly comes from the people that AREN’T my friends.  They don’t even like me.  I don’t really like them too much either…..so WHY do I say someone is my FRIEND on Facebook, when all they do is speak ugly about me behind my back? I’m not assuming they do…..I KNOW they do, because we have mutual friends.

So, why not just get rid of the people I never talk to in real life…..how about getting rid of the people I’ve either never met, don’t like…..or who post all the random garbage that makes me angry.  I wouldn’t stay friends with someone in “real life” if they did those kind of things anyway, so why should I put up with it on Facebook……the tool I use to keep in contact with distant “real” friends and relatives? I’m not the kind of person that “collects” friends on Facebook just to have them…….that is both sad and pathetic to me. I also don’t need constant comments from other people just to validate my life…..I seek ADVICE from others, but I don’t need compliments from anyone but my husband, and he gives me those in abundance.

I logged on this morning during my short email session……and I’ve not only deleted the people that are the MOST annoying, MOST negative and MOST unlikely to be my face-to-face friends….but I’ve blocked them as well.  Also, if they have made fun of, or have EVER made fun of children with special needs….they are gone too….or used the “R” word casually, then I not only deleted them, I enjoyed doing it.  I don’t want to have anything to do with people with ugly hearts.  Beauty slowly fades, but ugly lasts forever.  I’ve also deleted all the fake Christians, the liars, the people who put others down and people who obviously value themselves over others’ feelings.  I’ve also deleted ALL exes…..even prom dates.  Just because it’s just weird to be Facebook friends with your intimate past.

After I cleaned house, I deactivated.  I’m still doing the 21 Days of Prayer, and I have a commitment.  When those 21 days are over, I will decide whether or not to give up Facebook.  I more than likely won’t.  As I’ve said before, it is the perfect way for me to communicate with my friends and distant family.  BUT if I do log back on, it will be a more positive experience for me and I won’t be constantly harrassed by negativity. And I VOW not to be a CAUSE of negativity for anyone else…..or post negative things myself.

Praise God for a quick answer to my prayer during the first two days of “21 Days” – I’m excited and hopeful for the next 19 days!!

I have GOT to make some positive changes in my life.  And I KNOW I say this about once every three months or so….but I HATE Facebook! Facebook is the MAIN negative thing in my life right now.  I’m tired of reading hateful, insensitive posts by morons who wouldn’t dare say half of what they post on facebook in “real life”  -  I’m sooooo horribly SICK of reading posts and looking at staged photos of people with cream cheese smiles, when I know they are so miserable in their personal relationships……their whole facebook profiles are a lie. Sick of the political stuff, the complaining, the arguing, the lying, the “look-at-my-newest-self-portrait-aren’t-I-adorable-yes-I’m-desperate-for-attention” photos….. I’m just sick to death of it all!

I fell in love with it years ago because eveyone was getting off Myspace and Facebook was the thing.  I’d get on every now and again to keep up with old buddies…..but now, I use it as a message board, chat room, news site, social network, spy ring, brag board, (and when involved in an argument with someone) an intellectual cage match…… and the list goes on.  There isn’t a day that goes by that I haven’t logged on to see what’s going on in the world outside my little home.

I live in the country.  I raise my two year old daughter, and my nine year old son.  I do housework. I incubate my little fetus here, and I also like to read, knit, paint, sew and lots of other things.  I love family.  I love my friends.  I usually get on Facebook periodically throughout the day here at home.  I don’t leave the house too much because we live so far out, and we are trying to save on gas since my hubby drives 45 minutes to work everyday.

I only use Facebook at home because I don’t have a smartphone.  I don’t have a smartphone for several reasons: 1. I’ve had one, and the addiction is insane….I don’t want to be like the drones of zombie-like people who walk around all the time with their faces down and their thumbs texting, while ignoring the rest of the world around them. 2. They are too expensive for me…..in both the price we’d pay for a monthly deal, AND the fact that we have small children who like to destroy expensive technology.

Nope, I log onto Facebook at home only….and in a way, it is my only window to the outside world.  Hubby and I have a joint account.  We just do.  We aren’t insecure in our marriage…we just choose to consolidate.  We have over 500 friends on Facebook.  This includes lots of folks from high school, college, sorority, band and former coworkers.  We also have a few exes thrown in just for fun…..and it does get kinda weird sometimes.  Having so many contacts on facebook….it gets hard to know everyone on the old news feed.  We just assume that the folks we don’t know are the other spouses friends….and that’s that.  Thing is, he can’t stand some of my friends…..and I can’t stand some of his, but we don’t delete because we’d have to talk about it…..and it’s just complicated.

Anyway……what I’m trying to say is….I want to keep up with (maybe) about 20 people on MY side of the friends list….and (maybe) three people on his….friends of his that have become my friends through facebook, although I’ve never met them personally….I’ve had great conversations and laughs with them over the years.

Here’s the thing……are we meant to keep in constant, daily contact with people from our past? Are we meant to have a window into the lives of people we have met at work 10 years ago, but haven’t seen since? Are they meant to have such an intimate window into OUR lives? Into our children’s lives?

I’m only human.  I LOVE to post pics of my babies.  I love to vent my frustrations without having to pick up a phone and wait for someone to answer.  Facebook is there, waiting……at my beck and call….for me to either joyously or angrily post something private about my life…..my inner thoughts, my fears, my emotions……..for EVERYONE who has ever been in my life to read.  Sometimes the urge to post is overwhelming.  Sometimes I post too much info……regret it, and delete it.  Sometimes I read someone else’s post and realize that they just did the same thing I do….posted something angry only to regret it and delete it.

I have deactivated our facebook account before.  I have gone days without logging on….and the withdrawl is fierce.  I compare it to quitting smoking……actually it’s WORSE than quitting smoking because it involves the ego.  You have to be willing to give up knowing about someone elses life, AND give up posting about your own……when sometimes all you want to do is post a cute pic of your kid on facebook because you want the world to know that Suzie just picked her first booger.

It is soooo very difficult to get off Facebook ……when ALL of your friends live in other cities.  I have friends in Texas, Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, Ohio, Maine, Tennessee……all over the place.  Email just doesn’t cut it sometimes.  I’ve tried that route. It just doesn’t work.

So, what’s a girl to do?

The answer is to get off facebook. And suck it up.

The good thing is, even if it’s hard for me to do it on my own, hubby may soon have a job that requires that he NOT have a Facebook page.  That would make it super easy!

I still want to stay in touch with friends and I will, but just not every minute of every day……and I know it’s going to be hard…..but I can’t quit Facebook cold turkey.  It works with smoking, but it doesn’t work with Facebook.  Mark Zuckerberg is a demon.  His insidious program has taught us to willing offer up our personal, private information to anyone in the world.  And he has made it extremely addictive to do so.

Until I can quit completely, I’m embracing Instagram, Pinterest and good old fashioned face-to-face communication. And I’m going to start going back to church.

I owe it to myself to quit.  Facebook is bad for my nerves.  Bad for me.

It’s my New Year’s Resolution.

I’ve quit smoking.

I’ve quit drinking.

I’ve quit all pharmaceuticals, including Advil.

I can quit Facebook…….I know I can.

My life is so much more important that a couple of pictures and words on a computer screen. I don’t need anyone else’s opinions and I don’t need other people to validate me.  I think I’m a pretty awesome person most of the time, and I have a very awesome family.

If people really want to get to know me, they need to know me in person.

And vice-versa.

What I wish I were doing right now. Except holding a cat...I don't like that cat.

We somehow managed to survive Christmas.  And I think we did pretty darn good this year, considering.

Because we began the descent into Christmas cheer before Halloween…..we were able to get into the groove of buying presents early.  We also used all the change we had saved from the past year to put stuff on layaway.  It was glorious!  Next year, we have to do the same thing…..because we will have four to buy for.  Yay for a big family!

I’ve begun painting again, which was a pure accident….I had an extra wooden board left over from building our kitchen island, and it needed some TLC.  I had so much fun doing it, I decided to paint some other stuff to go along with my son’s artwork.  We’re going to set up shop at some area art shows and businesses selling notecards and his original artwork.  My boy is an awesome artist, and who wouldn’t want to buy art from a cute, sweet and talented autistic kid?  I’m also making some autism awareness stuff like tiles and frames to sell along with his masterpieces.  We have to do something.  This economy is killing us.  We’re at the point now where cable may have to go and also get back on our ”Jenny’s 1930s-style-our-great-grandparents-did-it-so-we-can-too household budget” Which requires we save EVERY PENNY making laundry soap, stretching the food budget and going meatless, making our own cleaners, etc.   Hubby is also looking to get out of the evil, scummy retail business.  It’s not looking good for job security in this economy and it’s even worse when your position is threatened constantly….and you’re treated like a plow mule just because they know you need the money.  I can’t say where he has applied, but it would be an awesome opportunity for him, I think he would love it…..and he would be OUT of retail.  He would be taking a pay cut (a pretty big one) so we would have to adjust accordingly….but it would be a HUGE deal for us to be able to plan for retirement with the state….instead of hopping from retail job to retail job where he is totally miserable and we can barely make ends meet anyway.

I just don’t see how people are expected to thrive in this ever-worsening economy.  Taxes are about to go up, food prices are going steadily up, gas is creeping up…..and paychecks aren’t changing with inflation.  It’s almost like they WANT everyone to be on food stamps…..which is where we are about to end up again if things don’t change.  We’re about to have another mouth to feed…..and it’s already a tight ship here.  But, we will make it.  We always do!

Did I mention we’re having a boy?  Yes…..both my hubby and my son are beside themselves with excitement.  He will FINALLY have a son, and the boy will FINALLY have a brother…..I can hardly believe it myself.  In fact,  I probably won’t believe it until I see the baby with my own eyes.  We’re due in May, so it’s really not that much longer.  So much to do…..and NO energy at all.

Well, anyway that’s my story. Sorry it’s a boring blog….but I’ve had no sleep and I have a lot on the old brain.  Better blog next time……it’s a promise!

Instead of posting sugar-sweet updates every single day on Facebook through the month of November, telling everyone why And WHOM I’m thankful for….I thought I’d just go ahead and consolidate all those right here in this blog. After all, I’m pregnant and moody….and I’m not happy and thankful every single solitary day right now. In fact, I’m kinda in a horrible mood right now…but I probably won’t be in about 10 minutes. Gotta love hormones!

Here’s my list:

1.  Thankful for the hubby…he rocks.
2. Thankful for God and His wonderful blessings….He rocks.
3. Thankful for ALL my healthy, smart, amazing, beautiful children, stepchild and one LAST baby on the way.
4. Thankful for my crazy family…I love them all
5. Thankful for my friends
6. Thankful for all the other good  stuff

Here’s the secondary, but just-as-important-thankful list:

1. I’m thankful my dog didn’t take a crap on the rug today, and that I didn’t step on it while barefoot. 
2. I’m thankful my daughter didn’t wet the bed today during naptime, because I’m a slacker and haven’t done laundry..she would have had to sleep on a towel…..and that would have made me “Mom of the Year”
3. I’m thankful that I’m no longer a smoker, because I will be healthier, younger-looking and ALIVE in 10 years. I don’t know if others are happy that I’ve quit, since I’ve been just a tiny bit crabby for the last three months. But, I can breathe….my unborn baby won’t have asthma….and I don’t stink. 
4. I’m grateful that I was able to take a bath today. I usually don’t get baths every single day  if I’m the solo parent. Also, I’m doubly thankful for the bath because Hubby has been gone all week and….well….since I’ve had no one to impress….I’ve let my hair down….ya know? 
5. I’m grateful that I found ONE good and UNUSED razor with which I could take care of thankful item #4
6. I’m thankful I’m not yet so big and pregnant that I can’t paint my toes, clean the bathtub or flip over in bed without help.
7. I’m thankful for being able to knit while eating prunes and watching QVC…..like I said, hubby has been gone all week, so I have gone out of my way to be completely unsexy at all times. It was awesome. I missed him, but I did enjoy my old lady time.
8. I’m thankful that I remembered not to drink anything before bedtime last night….I only had to get up and pee twice last night instead of 47 times.
9. I’m thankful my hubby is coming home tomorrow because it means I’ll be able to get at least six hours of sleep…..our daughter still gets up at night. A few times a night.
10.  I’m thankful it’s finally November, so that I’m not ashamed of opening the blinds …..because I’ve had my Christmas tree up since mid-October.
11. I’m thankful that payday is tomorrow. We are out of coffee, toilet paper, diapers, food, 
Pickled artichoke hearts  and chocolate. It’s borderline disaster mode here. Hubby doesn’t consider pickled artichoke hearts to be food….but I ate an entire half gallon jar from Sam’s two weeks ago. Hell yes, it’s food!
12. I’m thankful for our new dog. She’s sweet, she’s calm, she sleeps at my feet and doesn’t fart in my face. Our old dog not only farted in my face…she farted in my mouth once. You haven’t truly known misery until that happens to you.
13.  I’m thankful my daughter hasn’t drawn anything on the walls this week, because I still have to paint over her last two “paintings” before the landlord finds out.
14.  I’m thankful that I didn’t run over the black gentleman with the cowboy hat walking down the center of the highway today. Someone took a break from their meds…..or else I was hallucinating. Forget that he was walking in the highway…..How often do you see black guys wear cowboy hats? 
15. I’m thankful for Hormel canned foods. I have cooked NOTHING all week except toast and roast beef hash from a can. It might look and smell like dog food, but it tastes like Heaven!
16. I’m thankful we have a DVR so I can record the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. I’ve missed it for the past five years because the hubby’s family has their Thanksgiving lunch way early. Before I met him, I never missed a parade….ever. That’s love. True love. 

I am thankful for a million and one more things…..but I’ll close with these:

I’m thankful that I grew up to be a real, honest person who isn’t afraid to just be me.  I don’t feel pressure to try and impress people. I don’t need validation from others.  I am who I am….and I’m pretty darn thankful I’ve made it to 35 with no major personality disorders, mental issues or physical problems….and that I’m finally at a point in my life where I’m content with my looks, personality, parenting style and lifestyle.  I thank Facebook for that. 

I’m thankful that I have two blogs…..one for when I’m snarky and need to vent….and one to encourage other moms to be more crafty, better home keepers….. and without all the complaining and cursing:-) No one is perfect.

I’m thankful for everyone who has come into my life and made me who I am. 

Thanks to all y’all for reading!

…..as a side note, I have to say that I’m not compromising my true self by keeping myself groomed and not looking like an old hag/sasquatch to my hubby….but I guess there is ONE person in the world I strive to impress:-) He’s probably thankful for that!

I haven’t written about my sweet boy in quite a while. That’s because he’s been kicking some major butt at school  lately, and we haven’t really faced many challenges in the recent months…well, other than him stabbing teachers with pencils, grabbing a boob or two and flat-out refusing to do his homework….does that sound like an autistic kid to you? I didn’t think so….sounds like a typical all-American BOY to me!  We’ve addressed those issues, though….no boob grabbing, no stabbing anyone with a pencil (unless they stab you first) and as far as homework….well, I don’t blame the kid. His father and I both have college degrees, and most nights one of us has to call the other one to try and figure out the boy’s math homework.  I don’t know…when I was in school, cursive was a subject, the world had one less ocean and one more planet and if it wasn’t in the encyclopedia Brittianica, it just didn’t exist. There was no Internet. In my day, there were hair nets, basketball nets, fishing nets and LOTS of Aqua Net…..but no Internet.  Har,  Har!!

That was supposed to be funny. Old people like me are funny. I got jokes…..

…………………. 

Anyway, the boy is doing great. The only thing going on right now at home autism-issue wise….is that there is absolutely, positively NO MUSIC of any sort allowed in the house. No music, no musical sounds, no instruments,  no whistling, no humming, no singing….NO joyous noises. My son will yell and cover his ears….or just be the meanest, grumpiest, *almost* nine year old you’ve ever seen. We can have all kinds of music in the car (mostly dogs barking “Jingle Bells” on repeat…..do you know how crazy-making that is? Yeah….VERY). BUT music in the house is strictly FORBIDDEN.

Why? I have no idea. He says he’s scared of music in the house….but he’s also scared of words, letters, reading, writing and he’s scared of his two year old baby sister. 

He’s scared of the blender, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, all mirrors, certain commercials, smoke detectors, burning smells…..and the scene in the movie “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” where Snots the dog is chasing the squirrel that gets in the Griswold family house.

There is no rhyme or reason to his phobia lst……except for one:

I had phobias as a child, too.

I was TERRIFIED of neighborhood watch signs, Gene Simmons, (you read that right) bridges, trains, WORDS IN ALL CAPS….particularly the words: DANGER, WARNING, EMERGENCY, ALERT, etc. And I was also scared of the weather radio announcer’s voice, any type of siren AND the worst of all…..the pants-crapping, heart-attack causing, run-for-your-life and cry-your-eyes-out fear that gripped me as a child was the Emergency Broadcasting System Test alert that would OFTEN but RANDOMLY attack on PBS before my daily dose of Sesame Street. 

Here it is….closest thing I could find:

Still sends a shudder through my bones to this day! I HATE that sound!

 If “IT” struck and I couldn’t run from the room fast enough, I would close my eyes tight, cover my ears so tight it would hurt and get on the floor in a fetal position. I stayed that way until I got the nerve to try and let go of one ear long enough to hear the sweet sound that would take away the fear: “Sunny day, sweeping’ the clouds away……”

I guess I was a weird kid.

Some kids are afraid of dogs….some are afraid of the dark.

 I was afraid of everything else.

So, I don’t really think this situation is completely autism-related….unless you consider the fact that I might be very mildly autistic, which could be true because I don’t like being around others that much, I don’t understand people, I hate crowds, I have a long list of sensory issues and I’m a right-brain, creative type person who is very introverted…..unless I’m angry.

The good thing about all of this is….I grew out of most of my phobias. I’m not afraid of much any more except death and taxes….and everyone is afraid of those,  so I guess I turned out okay.

Back to my son’s phobias….I don’t think any of them are as severe as my EMS Test phobia from back when I was five, but they could be…..

I DO have to put my foot down about the music, though….I’m a Christmas music nut….and it MUST be played at all times while we’re riding the Scott Family Christmas Train (see previous blog post) Even if it’s The Vince Guaraldi Trio’s Charlie Brown instrumentals, I’ve GOT to have a Christmas soundtrack.

OR I will just have to buy the boy some giant 1970s-style headphones to muffle all sound. He would LOVE it!

I would have loved those as a kid…..

Hmmm…..I might just do that…..

My skinny Christmas Tree kicks butt this year! The neighbors think I've lost my mind. But I have the stinking Jack O' Lantern outside.... I'm covering both holidays.....Jeez.

It’s the 24th of October…..exactly ONE week till Halloween.  As I sit here typing this blog post, I’m looking at my beautifully decorated Christmas tree to my left……and the stockings are hung over the electric heater with care……all EIGHT of them.  My dog and my unborn fetus (due in May) both have a stocking….it’s only fair.   I’m listening to Gene Autry Christmas radio on Pandora, and the scent of fresh fir branches are coming from my essential oil diffuser.  Yesterday, hubby and I put the kids’ Christmas gifts from Santa on layaway.

You would think it was December 12, not October 24.  But…you see….I’m a holiday freaknugget.  I’ve gotten my old holiday-loving-decorate-everything-self back and it’s only taken about 6 years. Last year, I was bitching about bad gifts and the Elf on the Shelf (I still hate that little creep, by the way…..nothing has changed.)

It’s just that my family and I have been celebrating fall and Halloween since about mid-August.  I’m sick of Halloween.  We’ve watched every single horror movie in our collection, from Texas Chainsaw to Frankenweenie, from Motel Hell to Redneck Zombies.  Last weekend, we celebrated with our annual family Halloween dinner.  It wasn’t actually dinner this time, it was an all-day snack-fest….but we ate all kinds of Halloween-themed treats like ”monster eye deviled eggs” and “goblin punch” and “skeleton cookies” ….a couple of weekends ago, we all went to the pumpkin patch and did all the stuff there.  There is only one thing “Halloweenish” left on the agenda and that is a Halloween party we’re going to on Halloween night….and trick or treating with friends afterwards.  After that, we’re done with fall……now, it’s time for Christmas…..and I’ll tell you why.

Last Christmas was a near catastrophe.  We accidentally paid a few bills early and one bill was paid twice, so we were struggling to EAT….and there wasn’t much left over for Christmas stuff for the kids.  Once we figured out what happened, it was too late to fix….so we had to make do with what we had.  We did an okay job, but looking back at the photos from last Christmas….it’s sad to see how very litle the children had.  Hubby and I also haven’t exchanged presents with each other in about 4 years.  I think the last thing I bought him for Christmas was a couple of thrift store shirts. I think he got me a pair of pajamas last year….which I love.  But it’s just been rough for us…..for a WHILE.

THIS YEAR it will be different.  I’ve been saving and saving….every little bit of change we get has gone into the Christmas jar.  I’ve decided the earlier we get into the swing of Christmas, the more time we will have to pile up the gifts and get some of that yummy baking done.   I couldn’t even afford to bake anything last year except one plate of sugar cookies for Santa.  Not this year……THIS YEAR, the house will be FULL of yummy goodness…..coconut cake, ambrosia, peanut butter balls, rum balls, sausage balls, butterscotch haystacks, corn flake candies, peppermint bark, gingerbread men, Christmas crack, lemon meringue pie, pecan pie, Martha Washingtons, Kentucky butter cake, divinity…..EVERYTHING! I’ve always baked lots of Christmas goodies to give as gifts and to keep around for snacks….and I’m excited that I will be able to start doing it again this year.  It could be that I’m pregnant…..and constantly starving….but I’m determined to outshine Betty Crocker this year.

We also didn’t really get to do any fun stuff with the kids last year…..there was just no money for that at all.  We didn’t even have the gas to drive around and look at lights.  My mom bought tickets for my son and I to do the Callaway Gardens Night Walk for March of Dimes last year…..and that was awesome.  My sweet boy got to see the lights up close and personal, while I pulled him for SEVEN miles in his little red wagon.  I can’t do that again this year…..I’m too delicate (for real).  We are going to the light festival again this year, but we’re only taking our youngest….the older kids got to go last year, and the little one didn’t.  It will be her special treat, because next year she will be the dreaded “middle child” – we’re still going to do one fun thing as a family…even if it’s laying around watching Polar Express and drinking hot cocoa until we vomit.  That’s how we roll.

Anyway…..there it is.  Christmas has started early here at the Scott house.  We are on the Happy Christmas Train…..and we’re on it for two solid freaking months!  We will listen to EVERY single Christmas song, watch EVERY Christmas movie and eat EVERY Christmas treat we can.  I want everyone to be so sick of Christmas by December 26th, we will thank God that it’s over, and we won’t even be able to THINK about Christmas again until next October.

There is that pesky little holiday we have to plow through while we’re riding on the Scott family Christmas train….but it’s just a couple of bites of turkey and dressing, and we will be charging ever-faster into the candy-cane colored abyss known as December.

*Insert manicial laughter here*

It’s gonna be the HAP, HAP, HAPPIEST CHRISTMAS SINCE BING CROSBY DANCED WITH DANNY F*@#InG KAYE!

Seriously, though….it will be a great Christmas.  A looooong Christmas, but a good one:-)

Happy Halloween!!!!

School begins on Monday, and I can’t believe another school year is upon us.  My boy will be going in to second grade, and I’m running around like crazy trying to pack in all of the fun summer activities we can before that first school bell rings.

We’ve been having a blast!  Pinterest is FULL of neat activities for children of all ages….and I wish we had been doing this all Summer!

Here’s what we did this week:

Sensory balloons – These are just plain balloons filled with rice, dry beans, gumballs, sand and dish liquid.  Both my little ones love these….and they can really help calm autistic children down during “time out” – these were super fun to make.

This is straight from Pinterest….and I thought it was neat! Introduction to, and easy way to explain art details/perspective to little ones.  Plus, they love the colors and how the hand looks 3D!  This is my hand….my son wouldn’t volunteer, and my daughter wouldn’t stay still:-)  Fun project!

Keeping with a rainbow theme, we made rainbow spaghetti.  These didn’t turn out as bright as I’d wanted, but I didn’t want the noodles to stain their hands.  It was a great sensory activity for my daughter…..and she could eat the noodles!

Monster rocks – This was a fun activity for my son.  He got to help me choose the colors, paint the rocks and pick what kind of faces he wanted the monsters to have….he won’t share them with my little one, but that’s okay…..he likes them!

Rice and Beans Sensory box -  This is the BEST activity for moms who need to do the dishes or clean without the little ones being underfoot.  A simple bag of rice and couple of bags of dry beans in a container will keep them occupied for almost an hour!  This began as a small box of rice, but my daughter wanted to sit in the box….so we added beans to the activity, put it all in a bigger bin and VOILA! Sensory box time! It can be covered and stored under the bed.  Easy peasy!

While the kids were busy with all of their activities this week, I was able to get all of my chores done.  I recently received my gift copy of Homemaking 101, as I’m striving to be more of a Christian example to other stay-at-home moms….and this DVD is a Godsend!  One of the best ideas I got from the DVD is to wear an apron.  The idea is that when we work hard at home, it’s good to have a “uniform” – when you put on your uniform for any other job outside the home, you know you are at work and that work must be done.  The same can be applied to the apron….once it’s on, you are ready to start the day!  Well, I can’t afford an apron right now, but I found an old apron of my husband’s from work (he wears them when he has to cut meat at the grocery store) and decided to modify it a little to make it more feminine…..more like June Cleaver and not so much like Leatherface. HA!

I think it turned out well!  It even matches my kitchen.  I had some fabric scraps left over, so I made some potholders and trivets…..because we don’t have any….and it isn’t in the budget to replace them this week.  I think they turned out nice!

It’s been a busy, but fun week with the children.  I think they had as much fun as I did, and we didn’t spend a dime!  I’ve even been able to get a lot of homeschool planning done for my little one.  She won’t be going into public school like her older brother and sister, and I want her to start learning early.  I’ve read the earlier you start, and the earlier you establish a routine and an interest in learning….the easier homeschooling will be!  She will begin “school” at home on the same day as her brother and sister.  I’m so excited!!

Well, I hope this post can help give other moms some ideas.  I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to be a stay at home mom.  I believe that as women, our greatest ministry is in the home, and if women are able, I think we should strive to stay at home with our kids.  It’s truly the best decision I’ve ever made, and I’m blessed and honored that the Lord has given me the opportunity to keep a wonderful home for my husband and babies.  Yes, it’s tough financially at times….and there isn’t a lot of room for extras…..for ANY of us, but the Good Lord has provided all of our basic needs, and we are so blessed!

Proverbs 31:27-28

Titus 2:3-5

<3

-J

I have done more today than I’ve done all week, it seems.  I guess eating right gives you energy after all.  Mom was right! Shoulda listened.

Anyhoo, I did a lot today.  I chopped veggies to make a new soup recipe I’ve been wanting to try…..and of course, going by my new rule of ”make a meal, freeze a meal”  I made double the recipe.  At this point, I have enough chopped vegetables to make the Jolly Green Giant happy for a couple of weeks.  I even used the veggie peels and whatnot from the last few days to make an awesome vegetable soup stock:

In to the freezer, it went.  Also, the vegetables I used to make the stock will go right into the old compost pile for next year’s hypothetical tomato plants.  I don’t have much of a green thumb, so we will see…

After I prepared the Tomato-Basil Parmesan soup for tonight’s dinner (had to cook for several hours)  I went to work making my baby girl a pillow “pallet” … We have hardwood floors, and it’s not comfy at all to watch Veggie Tales while her little bottom falls asleep, so I broke out the sewing machine to make her something more comfortable to lay on.

I saw the idea on Pinterest, but the link was broken……so I had to wing it with no pattern.  It turned out pretty good:

I think she likes it:-)  I should warn her though, her dad likes it too.  I leave the room and come back to find him like this:

Shameful.

Guess I’ll have to make everybody one.  It’s really just three pillowcases sewn together…..only I didn’t have three cute pillowcases, so I had to make the pillowcases out of old receiving blankets first, then I sewed the whole thing together.  Genius, really. Not me, just the whole idea of sewing pillowcases together for a comfy place to lay around and watch movies:-)

After I finished sewing, I had to play with my little one for a bit and then check the soup…….and let me just say……this is the MOST delicious soup I’ve ever eaten!  I will include the link below to the recipe.  It is delicious!! My little girl even ate TWO bowls of it….way to feed her the veggies! Whoot!

Tomato-Basil Creamy Parmesan Yummy goodness!

With soup this good, you need good bread to go with it.  Well, it was getting close to 3 p.m. and bread dough has to rise…..twice.  Soooo…..I got online and found that if I made pizza dough, I could have it ready by dinnertime.  Thank you, Martha Stewart.  Easy peasy garlic  knots:

After you make and bake the rolls, you COAT these little gems in a bowl of garlic and BUTTER…just like the Italian restaurants do.  YUMMY!!!

Anyway, here is a pic of dinner: (I know, right? You’re dying to know what I had for dinner! Just bear with me…..I’m suffering from a little writer’s block lately and these how-to blog posts are all I can think of at the moment)

So, to try the projects I did today…..head to Pinterest and look for: Bed in a Bag….or go here:

http://www.gltc.co.uk/fcp/product/-/bedroom_furniture_sleepovers/Bed-in-a-Bag/10000002595

(you can buy it here on the UK site, but I recommend sewing them on your own because they are super easy!)

Tomato Basil Parmesean Soup….to DIE FOR!

http://utah.todaysmama.com/2012/03/20/tomato-basil-parmesan-soup-in-the-slow-cooker-or-on-the-stove-top/

Martha Stewart.com has the recipe for the Garlic knots here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/313312/garlic-knots

If you want to find a husband who will fall asleep in your baby daughter’s new pillow “pallet” – sorry, you can’t have mine:-)

But you could try:

www.christiansingles.com

Good luck!!!! and Happy Homemaking!!!

Since I couldn’t find citric acid OR rennet at the health food store (I was going to make homemade mozzarella cheese, and blog about it….I know… it would have been FASCINATING) – I decided my next home project would be to work with what I did have…..and what was on sale:-)

This week, I’m ALL about the power of lemons.

I’ve always known that lemonade was dee-lish, that a little bit of lemon juice can soothe a sore throat and that a slice of lemon in a glass of cold sweet tea is equal to perfection….  BUT I didn’t know that lemons are good for MANY other things. More than I could ever mention in this blog post.  After reading more about this sour little fruit, I have much more respect for it….and vow to never run this house without at least one lemon on hand at all times.

Here are a few things about lemons I bet you didn’t know…..

They are: antibacterial, antiviral and immune-boosting.  Lemons are also a digestive aid and a liver cleanser.

Here are a list of maladies that can be cured by lemons:

varicose veins, canker sores, fever, cold & flu, corns and calluses, eczema, acne, fatigue, hypertension, bug bites, insomnia.

A bit of lemon essential oil helps with fatique, exhaustion, dizziness, anxiety, nervousness & tension and can also help increase concentration and alertness.

Soooooo…….yeah, I love lemons!

Here is what I did this evening….

Freshly-squeezed homemade lemonade for the fam ( I drank some).  I will also freeze some into cubes for lemon slushies.

Beautiful jar of preserved lemon slices for whatever ails us. Or we can just eat them right out of the jar……sluuuurp! My daughter LOVES lemons……so that’s a bonus.

I took the zest of two lemons (doubled the recipe) and I’m infusing it in cold-pressed olive oil to make our own lemon essential oil.

NEVER throw anything away! (well, mostly) – I’m freezing this bag of lemons for making homemade cleaner, or using it in fish dishes, etc.  I have come to believe that being wasteful is being ungrateful to God for his blessings.  He has blessed us with food, and I am determined to not waste anything He has given me.

So, there it is…..the lemon should be respected.  It is far more than just a fruit.  Fall is knocking on our back door, and I don’t want to face cold and flu season without an arsenal of homemade lemon products.  The Good Lord gave us all of these wonderful things…..I’m ready to stop using so many products with preservatives, chemicals and just….junk.  Anything that I can try and make at home, I’m going to do it.

Here are the links if you’d like to learn more, or try some of these recipes for your home:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Physical-Health/Hidden-Health-Secrets-of-Lemons.aspx

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/homemade-lemon-essential-oil

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_preserved_lemons/

http://www.autailgate.com/toomers-lemonade

http://smilinggreenmom.com/2010/07/make-your-world-cleaner-fresher-with-lemons/