Just Heather
0
Retreating
Jan 25, 2008 | Filed Under: Almost Crafty, Glamorous Life

I’m off to a local B&B tonight for a weekend scrapbook retreat. I’ll have my own bed (with a roommate) plus a full table in a workroom complete with a fridge and microwave. I’ll be bringing plenty of snacks & soda to survive the weekend, plus my own lunch & dinner rather than add to my expenses by eating out. The B&B does serve a hot breakfast (thus, the name) each morning that includes many, many things I can actually eat!

I will be taking over 400 pictures and 5 different albums to work on throughout the retreat. I’m not insane enough to think I can actually get through it all, but I know me and my habits. I’ll need variety to get through the weekend. If my eyes get tired or my creativity bottoms out, I’ll have the opportunity to switch projects. I’m also planning to bring my laptop and Gilmore Girls Season 4 to keep me company when I am the last one in the room.

I also have to pop on over to Conner Prairie across the street to pickup a bonnet for Pioneer Day. Even when I’m away, the mom duties come first.

0
Miscellaneous Mom
Jan 22, 2008 | Filed Under: Mommyhood, My Biz

I’m not quite sure where I fit anymore in the whole Mommy name game. Mostly, I am a stay-at-home mom, but I do work. I guess I’ve lost my work-at-home status since I leave once a week to pimp my site on network television.

Not that it matters, but it is hard to find a place for support since I defy categorization! I’m officially coining the term Miscellaneous Mom for those of us who just don’t fit.

3
Dear Diary
Jan 18, 2008 | Filed Under: Almost Crafty, Scout Mom

I tend to treat this blog like a diary, only not so private. That’s the part that makes writing hard these days. Most of what is on my mind is not for public consumption. Everything else seems mundane and boring.

I could tell you all about Girl Scout cookie sales and how I blackmailed the troop parents into a cookie mom by threatening to skip the sale altogether and charge $100 per girl to make up for the funds. I could tell you about the ice skating field trip we had planned for tomorrow for my other Girl Scout troop only to find out today that they don’t actually have public skate tomorrow. Nevermind that we verified the date with them 3 times. They suddenly have a hockey tournament that was scheduled months ago. Go figure.

I was excited about my scrapbooking retreat for next week, but I’m not sure all the pictures I wanted for my projects will arrive on time. I don’t know how fun 2 days away with strangers will be if I’ve got nothing to do. I am still trying to finish the girls’ baby albums, but I like to have variety so I can change things up when I start getting stressed or tired.

That seems to be a permanent state these days. I’m not sleeping, I have too much on my mind and I don’t know how to process it all. Since I don’t have an outlet for pounding it out it just stays bottled until I blow up. Then I get to stuff it back in again until next time…

Read the comments.
1
Year In Quotes
Jan 13, 2008 | Filed Under: Going Gluten-Free, Quotable Kids

My kids crack me up on a regular basis. There is something about Brenia, especially, that just makes me laugh all day long. It’s probably a good thing since when she isn’t making me laugh she’s likely doing something to piss me off.

We are having trouble getting her diet figured out. We saw massive behavioral improvements when we went gluten free. This fall, we pinpointed the red dye issue. Even Brenia started to see the correlation. Now when she takes candy she isn’t supposed to have, she leaves the red ones behind!

I actually think she has some sort of problem with processed sugar. She’s not diabetic or anything—it’s more behavioral than medical. She honestly gets out of control when she has had any sugar. I don’t mean hyper. I mean it’s like a switch is flipped on her attitude. She gets mean, angry and lashes out over nothing.

When we skip the sugar, she is a sweetheart. If I could afford all organics, we’d definitely go with that for the entire household. It’s not sugar that is the problem because she can handle cane juice or organic sugars. It is the processing involved in so much packaged crap.

In between sugary, meltdown treats I give you this:

  • “I’m the smartest kid I ever thought!”
  • “Stacia, stop being such a smartiac!”
  • “Mommy, I have bunches of boogers in my nose. Can I please have a tissue?”
  • “Hey, mom! Can I have that half-eaten cookie off the platter? That one’s mine.”
Read the comments.
0
Mathmagicland
Jan 07, 2008 | Filed Under: Just Because, Party Girl

Yesterday, my oldest daughter entered into the world of double digits! We celebrated her birthday with a Webkinz gaming party and sleepover, which were both pretty kick ass if I do say so myself. I did, however, learn that my party planning skills have suddenly morphed from awesome to dorky & lame. I don’t know what happened to me. I used to be so cool.

Yesterday was also the day that my girls and I officially became a story problem. I am 3 times older than Stacia who is twice as old as Brenia and 5 times older than Lorelai. I’m guessing the fact that I figured all that out and found it entertaining has something to do with my dork quotient.

1
Still Here…
Jan 03, 2008 | Filed Under: Family Ties, Glamorous Life, Just Because, Mommyhood

I have been actively reading, but not commenting or posting to my own blog lately. It has been a combination of activities, stress and taboo topics, but here are a few highlights:

  • Kids grow too fast.
  • Toddler + laptop = broken shift key
  • I have something huge I would so love to share, but it has to be a secret for the foreseeable future. I know there are people who read here that have contact with my family (plus, on very rare occasions my family actually reads for themselves). It’s nothing bad, quite the opposite, but it needs to be kept from them for now.
  • It’s super easy to lose touch with old friends, but not very much fun. It makes it hard emotionally to lose those connections. I’ve recently reconnected with a few people from my past. I’m so glad to be back in touch with people I was once close to.
  • Speaking of emotional, my grandma died 4 years, 2 weeks and 2 days ago today. It doesn’t get easier.
  • If I never had to see my mother-in-law again, it would be entirely too soon. Unfortunately, never comes on Saturday.
  • The wee one is officially up to the 50th percentile, and just when I start to wonder if it is coincidence or if the gluten free diet is truly worth it, a box of Girl Scout cookies confirms the lifestyle.
  • Potty training a toddler with GI issues is next to impossible.
  • Potty training a toddler who refuses to wear diapers and takes hers off every chance she gets is completely necessary.
  • This list is less random than I thought.
  • My new 40-before-40 list is totally random, but not yet full. I’m only about halfway to 40. Then I can start chipping away at crossing them off.
Read the comments.