Peepers

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Listen here all you peeps who like to make fun of my dollar store glasses, I had an eye exam today and I have young eyes! Actually I still have to wear reading glasses to avoid unnecessary botox but that is all. Now that I know that I can get an eye exam and mail in my liscence renewal and avoid the MVA it was great motivation. Funny how it was worth an extra $50 to avoid that place. I highly recommend it and you get to keep the same photo and never change your weight so you will always be younger and thinner.
The down side to the eye exam would be the dilation. I was in a fog until just now. I couldn't read the menu at lunch today. I did get a great pair of reading glasses unless they just looked good because I couldn't see. It will be like getting a surprise in 2 weeks when they come in!
On another topic... I actually cleaned out the basement and took SEVERAL bags to salvation army today. I think this means I am not a hoarder if I can part with things. Actually that may be the most organized room in my house today. It looks like Christmas threw up in here.
Thought of the day: Why is it that kids can get everything on their list for Christmas and still manage to whine for something at Target a few days later?
Email me your resolutions for the new year at stacygolden100@gmail.com

Holiday traditions

I took 6 kids to McDonalds and Lights on the Bay tonight. It sounds as though I am an incredibly thoughtful mom but I really wanted to keep them from destroying my house so I made other arrangements to occupy them. I have began to realize that all the traditions, like viewing lights is really for me, not them. They complain but one day they will do the same to their own children. They were all singing Christmas tunes so I am pretty sure it wasn't that miserable for them.
Kid 1 " Why would anyone kill Jesus? He was a nice guy"
Kid 2 "He wasn't their God"
Kid 3 "Pontius Pilate crucified him"
Kid 2" He didn't want to."
Kids are smarter than we think!
All the craziness of the season makes us forget about Jesus and his birth. I try not to complain but embrace the season. Honestly, Christmas comes whether we are ready or not. Kind of like babies. Think of Mary and her Son. Be thankful that there are presents under your tree.
On a lighter note...All kids ask for live animals for Christmas at least once. I suggest that everyone follow the rule that Santa can't put livestock on his sleigh. Some believable reasons could be..
Puppies might chew up the toys..
Ponies are too heavy...
Kittens might pee on the stuffed animals..
HAMSTERS don't travel well across the world. (Karen, take note!)

tgif again

Yesterday was a long day. The kind that just keeps getting worse. Finally at the end of it I called my bff to complain only to hear that her day was just as bad. What a wasted call!
Today I want to know how you get a job with the anne arundel county health dept because it seems you get paid and don't actually have to work. I have been waiting on building permits since September and the health dept can't seem to get anyone out so I am still not approved.
Another thought on my mind today. Remember that defense mechanism that makes us say " If they are talking about me at least they are leaving someone else alone"? Well I am saving alot of people grief I think. I would talk about the people talking about me but they are not worth it. Well maybe I will just say one thing...You are all douche bags! Did I say that? OOPS!
Quote of the day "People who matter don't mind and people who mind don't matter."
A big thank you to my kids. They make me smile and laugh every day, even when they drive me nuts!

another golden weekend

Christmas time brings holiday gatherings with old friends. There once was a time when I would have gone out and bought a new outfit and primped all day in anticipation of one of my friends looking better than me. Since taking a shower is primping now I certainly don't have time to plan an outfit. This backfired on me this weekend. My husband and I showed up dressed inappropiately for a party. ( at least for this party) I should've known as soon as I saw the valet parking at a house party! BTW... I also had a road soda in my hand and a 6 pack as I entered by the piano player into a room of cocktail dresses. LMAO! Now this is a dear friend of mine so I asked her why she didn't clue me in. She should know I need instructions. However, it was a great party and next year I will buy an outfit!
The most interesting part of my weekend was when my grandfather told me he would like to date his widowed sister in law. Now let's just say that his thoughts and words are never that clear so it took some deciphering on my part. I do believe he was speaking about spending some alone time with her if you know what I mean! I think he was trying to get my opinion as I sat there like a deer in the headlights. Just another Golden day in the dena!
Tip of the day: Always over dress for a party. Never assume that life elsewhere is the same as in the Dena!

Wine tonight, Whine tomorrow

It has been a long time since I woke up and thought..wow, I embarrassed myself last night. Well this morning as I crawled out of bed wearing only socks I knew it was that kind of night. The kind of night that makes me laugh my ass off until the next morning. Although my friends are still laughing!  For some reason alcohol makes me have no filter and swear like a sailor.  Thank God I don't remember every offensive thing I say.  I am sure I will keep being reminded.  At least I left my clothes on until I got home.  Drunk Stacy has a hard time finding the pj drawer apparently.
Quote of the day: Sadie to her father: "What is puberty?" Thank God I dodged this one today.

My random thoughts of today

For all of you TLC junkies: Am I the only one who didn't know that discovery health is still a channel? When Oprah took over channel 42(comcast/xfinity) I was really pissed.  Channel 181 is still discovery health. Now I can watch baby story over and over. My kids may be scared to actually have babies one day.
I am also wondering why people post pics of themselves on facebook. Not pics others take of them but the ones taken with their own camera in a mirror. Is this to get approval for the outfit they are wearing? Maybe they should phone a friend and send them a photo to see if they look like an ass instead of waiting for the remarks. Or do they just think they look so hot they should share with all their facebook friends. This just makes me wonder.. no offense.
Does anyone else make a grocery list, shop, check off the list just to come home and realize that you actually forgot to write items on the list? This happens to me often and today was no exception. After a 300 dollar trip this morning I was back to the same store tonight to buy the rest of the things I missed. How did I miss toilet paper? That is kind of essential. Although I borrowed soap and laundry detergent from my neighbor this weekend so I guess I should not be surprised.
Quote of the day: From scary mommy(blogger).."If you have never once wanted to yell SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!! to your child, I can't relate to you in the least." This makes me laugh!

Happy Thanksgiving

Ahhh... The dreaded Christmas photo. Usually several attempts until there is yelling (me) and crying (them). Not this year. I don't care if they had on shoes or matching outfits. I snapped a couple and realized Char had a ninny so I did one more take and this is it. Not too bad!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Black Friday! I ventured out around 7 am to find pleasant sales people and no crowds. I only hit 2 stores though. Back home by 9 to start the usual decorating. Even ended the day with the Lights on the Bay. That was a Griswald moment. Violet pooped on the way and I had no diapers or wipes so while she screamed we rode through with the windows down. Note to self...I have to keep diapers/ wipes in my car from now on!

Thought of the day: Why don't liquor stores have Black Friday sales? I mean half price cases of beer might be a reason to get up at 5am!
Quote of the day: Not a proud moment but.. Me, " Are you shitting me?"...Aaron, " I am not s-wording you." Now that was a laugh!

Daytime Television

Getting my babies to nap at the same time makes me feel like a rockstar.  It is so strange how something like that can make me feel like I conqeured the day.  The anticipation of someone waking up prematurely helps me to kick it in high gear and get lots of things accomplished..usually.  Watching reruns of What not to Wear while I vacuum and unload dishes during commercials is today's agenda. Everytime I watch this show I think I need to clean out my entire wardrobe and start over. Wish someone was giving me the $5000 card to shop a new watrdrobe. As I sit around in my comfy yoga pants and oversized tees I think Stacey and Clinton would be appalled. I think we should all dress like soap opera stars to do housework and grocery shop and wake up perfect in make up and lingerie. Maybe that will be my new years resolution..to dress better for mundane day to day activities. I will add that right behind..join the gym, clean out the basement and let's not forget coupon clipping. (damn TLC channel). Maybe my resolution should be to stop watching TLC. 
Thought of the day: I seldom watch the news but this one makes me wonder...Why would someone rob the goodwill stores repeatedly? How much money could there actually be to take? If someone is truly searching out some vintage clothes they may need to watch a little TLC!

Chillin on a dirt road

If I could hire someone to help with bedtime every night that would be awesome. It is the worst time of day. Cranky tired kids that don't want to sleep and cranky tired mom who does want to sleep. Forget about any alone time. By the time I get everyone settled I am usually in bed with at least one child that is bucking the system. Joey was home for a few days and I think he believed he could solve the bed hopping issue. He worked very hard the last 2 nights making sure everyone was in their own beds (or at least not in his). Char is refusing the crib, Sadie refuses to sleep alone, Violet is cutting teeth and Aaron is a great sleeper but will not let Sadie sleep with him.
Today Joey went back to work and I am on my own as usual. Sometimes exhaustion just wins so I am pretty sure there will be 2 or more children in our bed when he gets home tonight and he will be carrying them out of the room or sleeping elsewhere. Did I mention how much I despise being a single parent most of the time?
I miss music video nights ( a Golden family thing), I miss talking on the phone, I miss going to the bathroom alone, I miss the adult conversation but I tell you what I don't miss... I don't miss out on anything my kids do and I will never look back and think I did.
Char has a favorite song now. Dirt Road by Jason Aldean. Very funny to hear her sing that one. Her lil voice singing "chillin on a dirt road."
Quote of the day: " Aaron, do I look younger and hotter than Daddy?" Aaron.."Yes, especially with your hair like that." Is he going to be a ladies man or what?

Punkin Chunkin

Punkin Chunkin is a crazy fun experience for all ages. I wasn't sure about it at first. Camping in a field with a generator and limited water supply sounded a little scary but I said wtf, I will try. 9 campers and about 12 tents in our party and lots of fun. Great fireworks, awesome fair and lots of loud cannons. "fire in the hole" caught on real quick with Char. Pumpkin hats, custom made shirts and a beer buggy. There was even a diaper changing station with free diapers and special designated kids only porta potties. Good thing because there were long lines and messy porta pots for all the adults. BYOB events make for long pee lines. My kids did a lot of walking and even Char was a trooper.
Earlier this year I started towing my trailer myself. This is a great accomplishment for me. The kids and I were missing out on lots of fun events so it was time. Thanks to my neighbors I can do it now. This time I actually even made stops with the trailer so camping with no hook ups was just another notch on my belt. How cool will it be when my kids grow up and remember that mom towed the trailer. I may be a redneck but am wearing the title proudly. I am just hoping that my kids don't go to school and say they pulled the beer wagon and fetched the balls from beer pong.
This weekend will be the last hoorah for the camping season. It makes me sad but now I have spring to look forward to since nothing can stop me now. This redneck will be towing again and punkin chunkin will be a new tradition! 
Thought of the day: When I eat apple pie while watching the Biggest Loser it makes me feel like I am drinking a beer at an AA meeting.

Patience is a virtue that I sometimes lack

The kids and I took our annual Halloween camping trip this weekend past. I have a new respect for all those gypsies that live in trailers with their children. It rained and rained and sleeted and a 27 ft trailer with four kids was quite challenging. Actually Saturday may have been the longest day of my life. I think labor felt shorter but we survived it and Halloween night was much better weather luckily.
Some days the kids are more challenging than others. Today Charlotte actually embarrased me at the allergist office. Everytime Aaron gets a shot we have to wait 20 mins to make sure he doesn't get a reaction. Let me just say I haven't seen anyone get a reaction yet. Charlotte was so bad that I think people were watching the clock to see when our 20 minutes was up.
I stopped at the store today to pick up a pair of sunglasses. The days of expensive glasses have passed me by because nothing is safe around little ones. Charlotte broke my 5 dollar old navy glasses so I hit the clearance rack at kohls and bought 2 pairs for under 10 dollars. Good thing because somehow one of my children managed to break a pair before I even took them out of the bag. I pulled them out, tags still on and both arms were broke off. I am assuming the bag got stepped on in the car. I am so glad I decided to go for 2 pairs or I would be pretty mad I think.
Also does anyone else wonder what happens to pencils? I sharpen a new pencil every day for homework and somehow it can never be found the next night. This is a little thing but today it actually made me feel as if my head was going to fly off.  When is bedtime?
Tip of the day: I think handing out candy on Halloween was invented by someone that never had children. The sugar high is killing me!  Throw away a handful a day. Getting rid of it slow will not raise the kids suspician.

Feelings from the heart

Tomorrow my family will go camping. We do this every year on Halloween weekend. Some things are different this year than in years past. We are not going to Gettysburg which is a family favorite. This year we will go to Holiday Park near Denton. This place is a new tradition for us which we enjoy with our much loved extended family. It is funny how neighbors can turn into family that I rely on and treasure.
Last year at this time my life was crazy and sad and busy. Much like this year only worse. This time last year my MOM was in a rehabilitation/ nursing home and my DAD was living with me temporarily. John took him for the weekend so that I could try and escape some reality and spend some quality time with my kids and Joey.
She died and I still spend my time caring for dad and life isn't easier but it is sadder. She died and the family split and I am blamed for things I don't understand. She died and the family fights. She died and I am trying to just do the right thing for dad.
Mom may not have given birth to me but she loved me and she taught me right from wrong and most of all she just loved me and she was proud of me and told me so often.
So tomorrow I will go camping with my family and my dad is with Keith. I will spend some quality time with my kids and Joey. Somehow it will be brighter having my extended family that I love with me. I won't worry about Mom like last year but I will be sad just like everyday because the one person who loved me unconditionally and knew I was a good person is gone and isn't here to defend me against all this nonsense in the family.
Quote of the day: Forgiveness doesn't mean letting people back in your life that have done you wrong. Thanks Courtney McGeady for the inspirational words

Go Ravens! Monday Night Football is celebrated much differently in the Golden house these days. PJs on and ipads and computers going while we are watching the game. No parties or beer drinking. Thank God that Monday night football moved the time back til 8:30 so now I may actually stay awake for the 1st half.
Violet is crawling. This is the stage I like to refer to as "the biggest loser era". A crawling baby makes for good weight loss and exercise for mom! Maybe they should assign each biggest loser contestant a couple of crawlers and maybe throw a toddler in as well and make them take care of them for 90 days. I wonder how the results would stack up? Trust me, I didn't push for crawling but now that it is here it should have some advantages so bring it on!
Along with the crawling stage also brings extreme vacuuming. Everytime I turn around there is a choking hazard on the floor. Mostly other kids toys are laying around or the occasional grape or fruit snack but also leaves, grass, acorn remnants make their way in. I freak out everytime someone walks with their shoes on and then my baby crawls and puts her hands in her mouth. Every public facility is being tracked in so this leads to extreme mopping.
I bought Charlotte a leash. You know the cute stuffed animal backpacks with the leash attached? I never really thought of myself as a leash kind of mom. They are for the moms with too many little ones and not enough hands or control. Oh wait... that is me! I am getting ready to take the kids away for a few weekends without the hubby and would like not to lose my crazy toddler in the crowds. I have decided I don't care what others think of the leash because an amber alert is much worse!
Tip of the day: Forget about the radiation warnings, toddlers are dangerous to cell phones. I bet you there are more insurance claims for phones because of toddlers than water damage. Pretty soon they will be refusing to sell the insurance to people who have kids under 5. Charlotte, "Char break mommy's phone" as she hands it to me with a shattered screen.

Definitions of "crazy"

There are lots of types of "CRAZY". There is "crazy fun", "crazy good" and "wow that is crazy". I think it is good when someone says "it will be a great time with Stacy cause she is crazy". This definition would be "crazy fun". However sometimes crazy actually means....CRAZY.  I  happen to be the lucky one that is surrounded by a lot of crazy. I think I know a couple of peeps that could guest star on Criminal Minds (and I don't mean as a detective). It took me a long time to figure out that some people can never be fixed. These are the people that get great pleasure out of screwing up other people's lives. You know the ones that lie and are so manipulative that they can make you believe anything, even if you know it is untrue. This kind of crazy actually feeds off of your reactions to their actions and words. The more they upset you the happier they are. Well after many years I have finally figured out that the best reaction to this behavior is NO reaction at all.
Watch out for the smart crazy person. This is the worst kind. They suck people in like a devil in sheep's clothing. Warning signs: Never keep friends but it is never their fault. They make up crazy(there is that c word again) stories that sound like they could be true and even pull others into it so it sounds more believable. Sometimes these people steal too so you never leave them alone with your valuables.
I am an expert at sniffing out the "crazies" if you ever need any help!
Tip of the day: Swimming with the sharks is a bad idea. Sometimes people actually do get bit. Watch out!



Go Cowgirls

It was a great day for Sunday in the Country! The weather was awesome, the bands were great. The beers went down too fast and I needed a nap. I slept through a band and then recovered to enjoy the day. I rode a bull, climbed a rooster and woke up Monday with one hell of a bruise. I'm not as young as I once was but I certainly think I am once in a while.

I do believe I am either out of practice and need to drink more often or I have to realize I need to drink less when I do go out. And what the hell was my out of shape ass thinking...riding a bull...and then I held onto the horns...really!



Bryan, Sadie, Aaron and Stephen at the stadium



I took the big kiddos to the Ravens Stadium tonight. The news actually tried to interview Aaron but when they asked him why he was there he said "I have no clue" so he is not going to get his 15 mins of fame today. Maybe I should have explained ahead of time that it was a charity event for Big Brothers and Sisters. He could of at least said he was there to see his Daddy and we could've gotten some free advertisement for Tall Oaks. They had a booth in the celebrity chef area. Their presentation and food was awesome if I must say so myself.  The kids got to run on the field and some of their friends were there too so it was a good time by all. We saw the locker rooms for the players and I have to say I wasn't all that impressed but then again what was I expecting? It definately looked like a locker room.

Quote of the day: " I am not sure if it was the bull or the rooster that gave me this bruise but I know it wasn't the jackass."  Thanks Candy! (come check out the new bows by Candy)

Weekends

I can remember a time (barely) when weekends were about carefree fun. I would buy a new outfit for a night out with the girls. I would sleep in and go to breakfast with friends. I could go away on the spur of the moment. Then there were kids....
Now weekends involve sporting events and church events and sleepovers and play dates. Nights out require a babysitter so they are well planned in advance. Kids get up the same time as during the week and usually there is an extra kid or two lingering in my home.
I don't miss my old life (I am surprised I even remember it) but I do miss the lazy Saturday mornings and going shopping alone to buy something for me instead of one of my offspring.
Well here is to another weekend. One kid is going to a birthday party tonight. Two games tomorrow. Choir tomorrow evening. Two sleepovers and I have my Dad for the weekend. AHHH... but Sunday I am going out ALL DAY with friends. I will be carefree and laugh and drink beer and sing.(poorly!) Hopefully my cell phone will ring less than 10 times. A few hours in I will have an epiphany that I have to get up with lil ones and work on Monday morning and I will swear that I am going to slow it down. Although I will probably wake up Monday feeling shitty with no voice and say "damn that was fun!"
Happy weekend!
Tip of the day: Don't be hatin' on Barney the purple dinosaur. He is one of the best babysitters I have and he is free!
If anyone would like to share a tip of the day please email stacygolden100@gmail.com. Thanks

Teddy Bear Day

Today was "take your teddy bear to work day"! You heard me right. How many of you would laugh your ass off if your coworker actually took a teddy to work. Could you imagine if you got in the elevator and your 40 some year old male coworker was carrying his favorite bear. I guess it would make good water cooler conversation. I guess it's better than "take your kid to work day". I think I get that but somehow it seems ridulous to take your young kids to work. A teenager could benefit from seeing a work atmosphere but people who take their lil ones with them are only distracted and probably get nothing done. I guess if you take a teddy bear they at least don't talk. But seriously who makes this crap up? Who decided that it would be a good idea to have people take a stuffed animal to work? Well I researched this and noone seems to know the origin of where this day came from. You want to know why? Because it is RIDICULOUS! To all you people who got up extra early to dress your bear up for a day at the office....seek professional help!
Tip of the day: Just laugh at the people you don't understand. Don't judge. Think how boring life would be if everyone was perfect like ourselves.

memory loss

It always amazes me when someone can remember the names of their grade school teachers or a grade they received in sixth grade. It makes me wonder how bad my memory truly is. I can't remember anything like that. Sometimes I have to focus when I wake up to remember what day it actually is. This I like to blame on sleep deprivation though. I hope! I know some people have an extroardinarily good memory but I think mine is worse than most. Once I read an article that drinking alcohol in your teens can lead to memory loss. Well I like to think this explains it! However lots of my friends drank with me and they seem to remember a whole lot more than me. Maybe it is good that I don't know everything I did back then. My husband knows that I am worried about how my mind will age but I think he is hoping I will lose my mind and he can have a girlfriend when I am completely senile. He actually jokes about it! I keep journals, I read and I write to help my brain along. It is funny that I can remember very clearly every single thing Joey has done that pissed me off. Poor man!
Well one thing is for sure...If Charlotte doesn't start behaving I may lose my mind long before I lose my memory and my posts may look more like John Grogans daily columns from Marley and me only instead of a bad dog it will about a very cute but bad little girl!
Tip of the day: Yelling at your kids will only make you feel good for about a minute before you begin to feel guilty. However it could be the only minute you feel good all day!

Witches!

Charlotte made a new friend as I decorated for Halloween. This may be the last Halloween that this witch survives in the Golden Home after Charzilla gets done with her. Just today as I finished decorating I found a smaller witch so now Char has two friends. She takes them from room to room as she travels through the house.

Charlotte's new friend

You would think she may want to be a witch for Halloween but no.. If you ask her what she is going to be she says "Babyzilla..Babyzilla". I think she is wearing this dinosaur costume and calling herself babyzilla for Halloween. Hey it saves me money for her to wear Aaron's old dino suit! See I like Halloween but I hate that the kids always want to buy overpriced cheaply made costumes. Unless you are the crafty type who makes fab costumes for your kids. I am not that mom. I actually save all the costumes and recycle them or parts of them from year to year. (remember I am a hoarder.. see last post). This pisses my kids off. They want to go to the big Halloween store and spend way to much money on a costume that they will wear for 2 hrs and throw on the floor as they dig into their candy. I wonder if this will be the one thing they rebel against as adults. Will they take thier kids and buy extravagant costumes and say "My mom never let us have these so I am not doing that to my kids." What I really want them to remember is that I take them camping every year and they get the mother load of candy going from trailer to trailer!
Tip of the day: Husbands can be clueless and when they are sick they are worse. Instead of showering them with affection just leave them alone. You will both feel better!

TGIF

Today was a good day because when I got up I decided it would be. The power of positive thinking!!!
I have had a few stressful days and not about to have another. Around lunch time I just decided that this day needed to be carefree. So I took the babies to breakfast at noon. I didn't give them naps. Then I went to my friend's warehouse to pick up some awesome finds with an unfortunate past. There were trunks full of new kitchen and bathroom accessories as well as furniture. They had been there 3 years, unshipped and unclaimed. It is the belief that the woman who owned the belongings had passed away. So finally it was time to get rid of all the stuff and I was lucky enough to get invited to see if I could use anything. Of course I can! If you have ever seen my basement you would know that I am somewhat of a hoarder. I am a closet hoarder. The rest of my house is fairly put together and neat but the basement is a different story. Rubbermaid totes line the walls, shelves are overflowing. I made the mistake of letting some people see it and now it is kind of a tourist attraction. I justify this with the fact that I never turn down hand me downs as well as I keep the girls clothes to pass down and all the baby gear. However at least 15 tubs are full of little men.(starting line ups) My husband used to think this would be his retirement money. Yes, quite humorous. Now I am not sure they are worth much money but every time I suggest he part with them he looks as if he just had a vasectomy. And never ever suggest you actually take one out of it's packaging! So among the clutter I will find room for some more treasures. Thanks Kris and Bernie!
Tip of the day: As well as college funds I think a savings acct for fashion is in order when you have girls. Sadie is very into her style and LOVES TO SHOP. Especially shoes and bags. OH NO..not already. Since boys are born with selected hearing do you think girls are born with a need to shop?

Lunch duty

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, apparently. Charlotte wrote on herself and my wood floor with a blue sharpie. She did this in the amount of time it took me to take out the trash. WOW this chick is fast!  I had a plan for the day when I woke up. I should know by now that things don't always go as planned or should I say never as planned in the Golden home. I put on a happy face and then I had lunch duty for second grade. Aaron is always so excited when I have lunch duty. At age 7 they are still so happy to see Mom at school. Lunch duty can sometimes be a challenge, kind of like letting all the monkeys loose at the zoo. It is funny how intimidating 30 second graders can be. I always leave with a great respect for the teachers that deal with these kids all day long. It is amazing that they actually are able to teach them anything. Well today I actually had a little girl pull her pants down at lunch. I have done many lunch duties through the years and this was definately a first or maybe I should say a second since she did it twice! I actually ended up punishing this kid after she scratched another child by making her stand by the fence for the rest of recess. AHH, the pleasures of private school. You can discipline any way you see fit! If someone complains the worst thing that can happen is you are banned from lunch duties. Oh, what a shame! All I can say is teachers are very under paid to babysit our offspring. 
 When I woke up I thought my biggest challenge of the day was going to be to pick up all the shit around my house for the cleaning lady. This is a pain but not nearly as much of a hassle as cleaning my house myself! BTW.. the house only stays clean for 5 minutes after she leaves. Someone always spills something or comes in the house with muddy shoes after I told them to take their shoes off about 100 times. Let's not forget that the potty only stays clean for about 3 minutes after she leaves.
Tip of the day: Murphy's law..If there is a clean toilet then someone will need to take a dump! I suggest you rush to be first.

Working Mom

There are days that I wish I was a stay at home mom...for about a minute. It is usually early in the morning when I have to get ready for work and don't feel like it. Then all the kids get up and I quickly get ready to get the hell outta there! Part time work is the best of both worlds. It is just enough time for me to get away so that I can be nicer and appreciate my kids when I come home. Besides, I like having money!  Two days a week Joey watches the kids while I work. He acts like this is easy work. I think it could be easy if you remove cooking, cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping. I have to say that he does do laundry occasionally.  When I get home I get the usual" they were still wet so I threw them back in the dryer". The translation for this is "oh shit, she just pulled in so I better run down and throw them in". I just want him to admit that he is frazzled when he is here alone with the kids and maybe I wouldn't pick on the other things he doesn't do!
BTW..Cowboys are playing tonight. It is only the pre game and he has already cursed at the TV. Maybe a glass of wine or 3 so I sleep through his ranting.
Tip of the day: Potty training your child early doesn't mean they will be a child prodigy. It only means that you will be visiting every bathroom in the tri state area that much sooner as you utter " Do you have to go potty?"

Baseball?

Baseball..America's favorite past time..
Could you imagine if you tailgated at every home baseball game. They play so much that you would need a new liver.
My dad loves baseball. He is here for the weekend and when he is here baseball is on Tv all day.. This is really quite annoying. This may be the only sport that you could actually play after a big mac and a few cold ones. You can even be overweight and close to middle aged and still have a long career ahead of you. BTW, I have never been invited to a world series party. Have you?
Do you remember when everyone played baseball and if you had brothers you spent hours at the field watching a slow moving game? Well Thank God lacrosse became big. Woohoo..at the field for all of an hour. 
No offense too all the baseball lovers out there, I am just not one of them. 
I like football season. Games are only a few days a week and every Sunday you have a reason to party with friends and neighbors. I would love football even more if my hubby wasn't such a nut about his team which happens not to be my team. I like it when the Ravens win but it doesn't ruin my day if they don't. Joey is hard core. If Dallas sucks then he isn't pleasant to be around. I find this RIDICULOUS. Almost as ridiculous as the fact that he lives here and roots for a team in a different time zone but I married him regardless of this so guess I have to put up with it! 
When football season ends I think we try to keep up the momentum and maybe even watch Nascar for a bit. This gets old quick. Garage parties and tailgating are not quite the same when you are just watching cars go in circles really fast. This is when it is time to just wait for summer. There never has to be an excuse to have a party in the summer!
Tip of the Day: Why is it that magically at 6 months of age it is ok to use sunblock and bug spray? I think this means don't take your child under 6 months in the sun or around bugs. Maybe put them in a bubble? I used sunblock and bug spray all summer on Violet and she is just now 6mos. Her skin looks great and she doesn't have west nile..just sayin!

Chiefs vs Indians

Sometimes we are Chiefs and sometimes we are Indians.

Today I had to be somewhat of a chief. As bossy and opinionated as I can be I really don't like being the chief. Family decisions are tough. You know the old saying..you can pick your friends but not your family. Wow that hits home sometimes. Who says we have to put up with family that does us wrong? I mean should we all be like Casey Anthony's mother and defend our blood no matter what? I don't think so! Let's just blow the lid off of this one..." I don't always agree with the things ----- does but I have to love ----cause ----is family."  Bullshit!  Family or not I am not bailing anyone out of jail that has the bloody knife in their hand.
Can I just say that my family that reads this need not be offended. You all rock!
Tip of the day: When your two yr old asks you to go potty and you so proudly take her pants and diaper off you should probably do the sniff test first. I believe at two you can really mean "I went potty already." WHAT A MESS!

Date night/ Tip of the day

Every couple of months Joey and I have a date night. Tonight is date night. We are going to the Darius Rucker concert. We have 4th row seats. I am just hoping it doesn't rain although there is a 60% chance. A concert is a good choice because when you remove the kids from the situation there is usually a lot of silence. It is funny how you can forget how to be a couple once you are parents. So I am wondering what to wear so my husband will think his 40 yr old wife with a few pounds of baby weight still, is sexy. The ironic thing is that I am sure he could care less what I wear as long as he gets lucky when we get home!  Much like the weather there is a 60% chance that a kid will be in our bed when we get home. Maybe we will luck out and it won't rain and our bed will be empty!

Before date night there is still everyday things to be done like grocery shopping, laundry, pick up kids and then homework. Oh and had to clean Char's hands with acetone since she wrote all over them with a sharpie marker. Babies were pretty good today. Charlotte only threw her shoes in the bread aisle but she told me and I went back for them.

Tip of the day: If you are only grocery shopping with one child, PLEASE do not take the car cart. You know the one your kids scream to ride in so you allow it. Well moms like me cannot fit their children in a regular cart. When I show up at the store and it is being used with one child in it I have cart rage. I always hope that particular person feels like an ASS when they see me with a baby bjorn and a cart.

Char bites/ sleep deprivation/ tip of the day

Charlotte Bites!
She doesn't just occasionally bite. She bites several times a day. She leaves marks. We handle this similar to how you would handle taking your kids around a strange dog. We say " don't get in her face" or "get away from her". I have tried time outs, biting back and even spanking. Nothing works. A few months ago her friend bit her. After this she didn't bite for quite awhile but I guess the memory of the pain faded and she is biting once again. Charlotte also throws things. (not sure where she gets that from..check out last post) She didn't like the cup I put her milk in last night so she threw it at me. When she didn't make contact she chucked it at me again. Since her antics also include feline torture, I found her pulling the cat around in a plastic garbage bag this morning.

Sleep deprivation
I like sleep. I haven't had a full nights sleep in 10 days. Violet is the last to catch the sickies in this house unless Joey and I get it. I am hoping for sleep within the next 2 days. If 4 children are sick for 12 consecutive days then the Duggers would be sick for 60 days if their house got this. I am pretty sure you would find me rocking in a corner if  I didn't sleep for that long. I may be speaking jibberish by tomorrow.

Tip for the day: Who cares if your husband likes crockpot meals or not. It's practice season and if you eat Mcd's every day you will have a fat ass and he will dislike that more!

Anger management

I just spent $56.99 on a used DS. This will be Aaron's fourth DS. The reason I bought a new one is that I threw his DS across the room and broke it today. Yep.. no mother of the year award for me. I am sleep deprived and Aaron was whining over doing his homework and I just lost it. Immediately I realized that guilt would overcome me and I would be buying another. This just pisses me off that I did it in the first place. Of course I told him he wasn't getting another but here I am sitting at the computer at 9 pm ordering a used system off  Ebay. How many times do I tell my kids to think before they do something and then here goes hot headed mama throwing things. Sadie says I may need anger management or a good nights sleep.

And here is a tip for the day:  Keep your old set of silverware. You know the ones that have all the spoons but only half of the forks and knives. You can use those to put in the kids lunch boxes. This will keep you from being pissed off when they throw away pieces from your new set.

Sundays in the Dena

Football Sundays rock! Always an excuse to get together with friends and neighbors and watch the game and have good eats. Garage party yesterday at the neighbors. Good times! Hope to be invited back after Charlotte wrote with magic marker on the brand new recliner. Thankfully most of the time we were in the garage since my family spilled about 5 drinks by riding their scooters into them. We will see if next weekend they say"Hey let's just come to your house".

I woke up this morning in Sadie's bed with Char. Nothing unusual about this since bed hopping happens often in the Golden home. Sadie and Vi were in my bed.  Well let's just say I slept about 15 minutes of every hour. Charlotte was coughing and yelling at me not to touch her blanket for most of the night, I heard the alarm go off and Violet wake up saying"dada" over and over again. Why is this always their first word? Then once they learn "mommy" you never stop hearing it ever again! I wonder when I will ever sleep straight through the night again. Probably never since even if they sleep I have to get up to use the bathroom. The pleasures of being over forty....



No fevers luckily!

 Joey would like me to add that Tony Romo had an awesome game and played with broken ribs. It's funny how now that it is football season it is important for him to be home on Sundays with the family. I guess the restaurant can run without him from September through January. Better luck next time Ravens!

Ahhh. Saturdays, Time for relaxation...in some homes...not mine!

Charlotte got up at 5:30 this morning and so did Aaron and his friend Ian. Violet woke up right after. Really kids..it's SATURDAY! 9am I was on the road to pick up Sadie from a sleepover. Off to soccer at 10am but not before I made a pit stop at home to pick up forgotten cleats for Sadie. Soccer from 10 til 11 and then off to field hockey. Home for 2 hours and then back out the door for choir.

I spent mass as usual, in the gathering space since Charlotte acts crazy and is sooo loud. As if it wasn't enough that I was there with all my kids, another little girl decided to stay by my side for the whole mass. She was very cute but I really didn't need another kid in diapers hanging with me. Violet spit up on me about 8 times and Charlotte rolled around on the dirty floors and just acted like Charlotte.

Moms like me are definately adding to the air pollution by driving 40 miles in one day but yet never getting further than 3 miles from my house and repeating it again and again and ......

Ahhh. Bedtime. That's worth a celebratory drink!

My friend told me today that is is a sign that we are old when the weekends become harder than the weekdays.

Charlotte

A Typical Day with Charlotte

No chocolate syrup this morning. Now she is just pissed off for the day so watch out fellow siblings and pets!

                                   



First time actually on the cob as she insisted "Char eat like this"



Yesterday was beautiful outside. All the kids and their friends played in the yard. Char wanted to swing. "Ms. Stasty...Ms. Stasty Golden..swing now". Of course she got her way! After climbing on the table, demanding Kris to color with her and then using her cell phone to randomly call people, she also misplaced her brother's ipod. After asking her several times "where is the ipod?" her response being"ipod, ipod". Sadie then face timed the ipod and we found it.... inside the gas grill! Oh and just like everyday she go into my lotion about a hundred times today. Those kids need to learn how to shut the bathroom door or next they may find  their kitty flushed down the toilet. Luckily the cat escaped her antics since she has used up about 8 of it's 9 lives. I think the cat is hiding since she got ahold of him a few days ago. "What did you do to the cat?"  Char: " bite Rico"

OOPS

My husband is going to take me to a concert next week. Sadie asked to go.
Me:" If Daddy can get cheap tickets then we can all go."
Sadie:" If not are you and Daddy going to have a date and kiss like when I found you naked?"
Me: "We were not naked. Daddy had on boxers and mommy had on a nightgown"
Sadie: "It looked like you were naked."
She will remember the day she found us having relations and I am sure her and Aaron will discuss it one day!