Irony Sucks

Waaaayyyy Back when Winter got started at the beginning of November, the sickness season also began.  Viruses, bugs, bacterial ickiness and general sickness galore has gone through just about every household of everyone I know in my county.  There are probably only a handful of kids in school that will get perfect attendance this year, that is if any of them at all were spared. 

My kids don't usually fall to every illness sweeping the schools and my husband never gets sick.  I can't remember the last time I was really ill myself.  Overall, I say our family has a pretty good immune response to all the icks that go around.  Last year was the swine flu in which Naomi was the only one to fall victim.  Somehow she fought the flu for 7 days on the living room couch and did not infect anyone else in the house.  Last year was a victory for us.

This year, it seems as if any immunity we had stored up over the years was repeatedly attacked.  Hendrix, my son has been sick two times this winter.  He was the first victim of this horrible season.  He woke up at 3AM one morning and came in our room and puked on the floor.  He is 5 years old and had never puked before, so it was new, scary and just overall miserable for him and everyone involved.   Hendrix's immune response is strong.  He has a knack for kicking out a virus within 24 hours.  He missed one day of school and was back and ready to roll.  Around one week later, Naomi wakes at 3 AM and pukes all over her floor and about 30 minutes after Nathan and I have the bathroom and her bedroom cleaned up from that catastrophe, he starts getting sick.  Both Nathan and Naomi were sick for around 48 hours.  They puked and got a fever and then it passed.  Everyone in the house had been sick and I was feeling the impending doom, but it never came. 

About three weeks later, Hendrix once again was sick and missed about three days of school.  He had the flu.  He just wanted to lay around for a few days and had a fever.  The flu swept through the households and school relentlessly.  It seemed as if everyone was rushing for their dose of Tamiflu. I thought that the whole family would fall victim once again, but it never happened...thank goodness.

Even though more viruses have plagued the school since these instances, our home has been sickness free.  We came out a lot better than most families, who had things go around the house multiple times and whose kids missed weeks of school.  Now it is right on the edge of spring.  The groundhog predicted that spring would come early and other than a minor setback of a snow storm last week, it has kept to it's promise. I felt like we were in the clear...then BAM!  I feel like I have been hit by a Mac Truck.  I finally fell ill today.  Nothing serious yet, but I feel it could have the potential to not be good in the coming days. 

The whole irony of the situation is that I am the one who HATES winter will all my heart and soul.  Being cold is the worst form of torture to me.  This Winter has been completely unbearable for me and even though it has affected me in other years, this is the first year that I am afraid I suffer from SAD.  (Seasonal Affect Disorder)  The few nice 60 degree days the last few weeks have been heaven to me.  I was just starting to come off of my funk when today at 60+ degrees when I should have taken the kids on a hike or to the park, mid-day my throat starts to hurt like it's swollen shut, I am coughing, my chest feels almost wheezy and my head has been pounding.  I am hot and then cold at the same time.  The only thing missing is the fever.  So now the nice weather is here and I kick off the spring when I should be out walking, hiking, and soaking up the sun, by being miserable and sick. 

While I hate to be sick, I also am hoping that this is some kind of bug.  If this is my allergies already acting up, I am going to have a loooonnnngggg spring.  :(

Feeling the Crunch

It's that time of year.  Winter is slowly being forced out by spring, which means that soon I won't be able to blame the weather for not getting out and walking more.  More importantly, it's that time of year where the School Board starts working on their budget.  In the past my interest in this subject was little to none.  Two years ago, our county built two much needed high schools and since then, the budget has been cut and cut and cut.  Some has to do with the debt service for building the schools, most has to do with the fact that Federal and State budgets are being cut too.  For the last two years my interest in the budget process was peeked.

The first year I attended a few budget meetings the schools and PTA's were sending home letters of the importance of attending and being heard.  Teachers salaries were going to be cut, important programs were on the chopping block and a lot of improvements to the schools would be set aside.  This was the year before the new schools were to open their doors as well and there were threats that the high schools would have to sit for a year, or that the old high schools would not be converted to middle schools.  That was a lot for people to swallow after fighting so hard for the schools.  That year, things worked out ok.  Life went on, all the schools opened. 

The following year once again programs were on the chopping block as well as many teacher aides positions.  The end of that process we lost 47 teachers aides.  The next cycle, one of the elementary schools got closed. 

So here we are again.  Being told there may be deep, deep cuts.  The problem this time is that there is nothing left to cut without crippling the parents and students of much needed programs.  On the chopping block this year are sports and music and arts.  At the last School Board meeting I realized how there are apparently three types of parents where I live...well actually four. 

There are the parents who breed their kids to eat, breathe and play sports. There are the parents who push the value of a good education balanced with arts and music.  

Third, there are the parents who just don't care.  In this category, those parents will never be seen at a School Board meeting, a PTA meeting, and you will never see their kids in sports, clubs or any extracurriculars.  The kids of these parents rarely have a chance to be anything but average.  These parents are also the ones who complain the most even though they do nothing to change the system.  Unfortunately, the whole public school system model is designed for these parents and students but that is a whole different discussion. 

Finally, there are parents whose students are in need of special services.  These parents at face value seem to fit into the category of parents who don't care, but that isn't necessarily true.  These parents know that no matter how many meetings they have or notes they send, that the schools are just not funded enough to help them.  What special needs help there is in place in our schools is very limited and the few teachers assigned to the jobs already have too many kids assigned to them, but realize that the ones they serve are only a fraction of the kids who need help, but can't do much about it.  But even as sad as their stories are, even if these parents joined together to get to the budget meetings and plead for help, the sports parents would boo them out and demand new uniforms and facilities. 

The other first two types of parents are the ones who attend meetings and it is hilarious when you get them in a budget meeting. You will have one parent stand up and remind the board how important arts and music are to education.  The fact that they increase IQ and the chances of kids being accepted to college.  Then the next parent will stand up and say that their kid isn't a band geek and no matter where they have to cut the money, they don't care as long as a kick ass football field gets built this year.  Well, you can probably tell from my very biased example that I am among the parents who value the arts and above all want my child to receive a good education. 

It is hard to be unbiased about the subject.  I did not play sports in school and had no interest.  My daughter is in 5th grade and has played every sport offered in our area but has outgrown all of them.  She was an awesome cheerleader, but had enough of the girly girl drama.  She tried her hand and basketball and soccer and it wasn't her thing.  She was awesome at softball, but in our local Little League it all depends on who you know and who is coaching.  So in a nut shell, she knows the importance of sports and I do too, but it's not for her and having a kid who is not going to play football or softball, I get so mad when these jock parents crowd the room wanting millions to be spent on softball and football fields for the high schools. 

With an obesity problem in America physical fitness is very important.  My daughter takes ballet instead of playing sports.  It is physically demanding and will keep her in shape.  It is the way that parents have gone about pushing their kids to their limits and making a lifestyle of sports or nothing that has gotten dangerous to society.  There are not many high school districts out there that do not coddle their star players, and that increases when a chance at regional or state come into play.  There were football players when I went to school that were dumber than a box of rocks, but they played well and the coaches were able to persuade some teachers to give them a break on their homework, or be lenient while grading test.  This was done because in able to play sports you had to keep a certain GPA. 

Another problem with the push for sports; injuries and drug use.  I will use football as the example again b/c that is where most of the atrocities I witnessed in high school occurred.  There were times when a player would get hurt and they would pop a pain pill, wrap it up, and send them back out to play. Not to mention that nationally, only one in three sports concussions get reported or check out.  These kids ram heads and keep going.  While most parents do not want to admit it, most of the "star" players were taking dangerous supplements and in some cases illegal steroids.  The better a kid plays in high school, the more pressure they have to be better to get that college scholarship. 

I know this has just been a rambling of thoughts and I got a little off track of my main point.  My main point was that this School Board budget meeting made me soo mad.  If our board appropriates 2.7 million to build three new sports fields instead of fixing the crumbling elementary and middle schools, I think I will be done with the public school system.  Where I live, a school is "in improvement" from the NCLB act and others were on the cusp of not being accredited.  The kids who graduate here rarely go off to be anything special.  This one meeting led me to think back over the years and I can see plain as day why now.  The priorities of some of the parents here are a little backwards.  It is funny how hard they fight.  Their kids will graduate with injuries and not get scholarships for sports, and never even have a chance at going to state, but at least they had a field that made the other teams envious.  I was so dumbfounded I came away not knowing what to say.  But the budget process just got started and I will find my voice.  When I find my voice I will show these sports fanatics that brains always win over brawn.

Sticking to my guns...figuratively

Both of my kids have decided that it's time to test their boundries.  Being the butt end of winter with spring just within reach where I will be normal and happy again, I think they must both have lost their minds to push me right now.  My daughter is 10 and puberty is hitting her, her friends are getting their periods, she is a punk rock diva who's trying her hardest to find where the limits are.  My son who is 5 is a parrot and mimics everything that his big sister does.  He is testing the limits too in his own age appropriate way.  She is famous for using a major attitude in her voice when she is talking to me, or her step dad or anyone in authority like she is talking down to them. Hendrix has chosen the route of temper tantrums and acting like a two year old.   

Both of them have lost their marbles.  I have never been one to punish or ground, so when the hammer came down last night...figuratively again...I think they were shocked.  I laid down in bed at 10:30.  They had been in bed for over an hour.  I yelled in the room for them to turn down the TV.  They did and all was good...except that they should have already been asleep.  At 11:30 when I heard them arguing, I woke up and walked in to find Hendrix playing his DS and Naomi reading a book, lights on and TV playing.  I lost it.  I turned off everything and flipped out on them.  I did a lot of yelling and told them they lost the TV for a week and they earned an 8:30 bedtime until the end of the month.  I make threats of punishments all the time, but are not the best at following through.

Well, today I physically took the TV from the room and they are in bed.  They may not be asleep, but they are in bed with the lights out and nothing to do at 9:00.  I know it's only been one day, but I feel triumphant.  I kinda hope they screw up some more so I can take more of their joys away since they have decided to take so much joy from me the last few months. 

Egypt, Gaga, Me=Getting our Groove Back

Making a concrete exercise plan has been on my agenda now for a month.  Not as a New Years resolution or anything, but again, trying to beat the winter blues and get some motivation and energy.  I have been a sorta active member of a gym now for a year and have one year left on my contract.  Sorta a member means that I started off going three times a week, and slowly got to once a week and now if I go twice a month I am on a roll.  I pay a monthly fee for this gym, so the exercise plan is to incorporate definate gym days into my schedule.  Friday is my toning day at the Luray Fitness Center, which unfortunately is not my gym.  I had been to toning twice in the past and know what it entails and knew going in that it is fun, hard, and extremely successful.  I started my plan today and jumped right into toning and now I feel like jello, which is phase one, tomorrow I will feel like a tree and every move will make me creak and moan in pain.  No pain, no gain.  I am going to make sticking to my exercise schedule a high priority of my day through the rest of the month and then tweek it if I need to.  So me...getting my groove back.

Lady Gaga joins me today in getting her groove back.  I have been highly anticipating her return and new album and was overjoyed with it's release on Facebook today.  I love the song and can't wait to get that album on my MP3 player.  I was waiting for this day and to hear this song, and alas, Mubauk, that Egyptian ahole of a president, decides that today is the day he will finally resign after a month of protesting.  Way to steal Gaga's Thunder! 

But overall, Egypt, I hope you will get your groove back.  But just a quick note to you Egyptians out there...democracy isn't much less corrupt.  Sure, you won't see a President serve for 30 years in most democracy's, but the people you elect definatly do not represent you.  They represent the interest of the lobbiest that take them to dinner and give them bonuses and lavish vacations.  Good luck with that Democracy and way to show Mubauk that you were Born This Way!

So much for Everyday

I intended to make blogging an everyday occurance.  A journal if you will.  After a few posts I realized that 1. it would be time consuming, 2. something interesting doesn't happen everyday and 3. the blogging actually worked in jump starting my writing and my ablitity to get somewhat back on track with keeping a schedule.  Usually the most interesting of comments or incidents can be compacted into a Facebook status and do not require a full blog. 

I am proud to announce that since my last blog I have read two books and completed the first chapter of the book I am writing.  I am not much of a reader, but would really like to get into the habit of reading for pleasure.  While I was in school, that thought never occured to me that I would grow up to be one of "those" kind of people who read books.  I hated to read the ones assigned and never read a book on my own.  I have a sinister purpose for the extra reading right now.  I really want a Nook for either Valentine's Day or my anniversary.  The hint has been dropped to my husband who really just wishes that I would share my daughters Nook, so I figured if I kept buying books and read them to have a stack of read book laying around, he would see the cost effectiveness of buying me one since books are 50-75% cheaper when you buy them electronically and sometimes are even free.  

But alas, even though I am proud of myself for reading more, and I am slowly getting motivation to get my "to do lists" attempted everyday; the reading has somewhat replaced the online games.  I thought I would have withdraw from them, but without seeing posts from everyone else playing them, I haven't even thought about them and I certainly do not miss them one bit.  I will gladly accept reading as my new vice over computer stuff anyday.  I am still struggling to get back into the "groove" of things.  The weather within the next few weeks should start to heat back up slightly and I am hoping my winter blues will be over and I will be back on top of my game. 

A Day of Triumphs and Let Downs

Yesterday my husband gave me great news.  He told me he'd be home from work early.  And by early that meant before the kids were home from school.  He suggested that we watch a movie and just relax, but in my head I had already decided that I do enough relaxing during the day and that we were going to go to town and have lunch.  Big mistake to keep that thought in my head.  At 12:30 when he arrived home, I announced that I wanted to go to lunch.  This caused a huge problem.  He had just come from town and we live far enough from town that it's annoying to make unnecessary trips. 

Nathan did not want to go to lunch.  He wanted to relax and watch a movie.  Winter is already a hard time for me.  I shut down and hibernate.  Two examples come to mind to explain my emotional state in the winter.  Example 1:  like a pre-teen who just started getting her period.  Example 2:  like I'd just been dumped the next day by the person I'd lost my virginity too.  That gives you a pretty good view that my emotional state is on a hair trigger and the littlest feather can set it off.  His unwillingness to do what I wanted set me into a crying fit.  It wasn't a big deal.  He'd just got finished working and hardly ever gets to relax.  I am not sure what made me break down like a toddler and throw a fit. 

My husband is an amazing man.  He didn't get mad, he didn't leave me to cry, he stayed by me and helped me through my breakdown.  We talked out a lot of things.  The heart of the conversation boiled down to my lack of motivation affecting my life.  The lack of motivation came from winter.  But even deeper, it came out that my lack of motivation for writing my book was that I was afraid of what my friends would think.  I am petrified that if I wrote a book that actually gets published that a friend or friends will read it and think it's horrible.  I could care less about critics, I just wanted approval from my friends.  It's crazy.  Having this emotional, face soaking talk with my husband was a triumph.  I talked my way through my feelings to the core of the issue and now I feel so much better.  Enough so that I did a lot of work on my book today.  Not actual writing yet, but character descriptions, notes, outlines, and other neat features that are on my writing software. 

Today was a day I hoped my kids would triumph as well.  Hendrix was to start his first karate lesson and Naomi her first ballet lesson.  Hendrix and I observed the karate class on Tuesday so he could get a feel for the routine and decide if he wanted to give it a try.  Tonight, he, just like mom today, shut down.  He wouldn't even give it a try.  They start the class with exercise and streatching and Hendrix wanted no part of it.  Karate is over.  It was over before he even tried.  Glad soccer starts in two months, he's really good at that.  I was more worried about Naomi's start to ballet.  She is a fast learner, but she has never taken any dance and at 10 years old, she was going to start in the advanced class, even though she is a beginner.  She came home and declared that she was very sore, but in a great way and she LOVED it. 

The day belongs to the women of the house.  Naomi rocked ballet, I got a lot done after my breakdown, especially on my book.  The men, not so much.  Nathan had a half a day just to console a wailing crazy wife, and Hendrix had a disapointing evening when I gave him the ultramadum of staying in karate, or giving up.  My son had his first lesson in quitting, I know it won't be the last, but I can always hope.

This has Kinda Helped

I have gotten out of the house the last few days.  My cabin fever has broken and even though I still want to play the part of the bear and hibernate until spring, I have managed to find some kind of motivation to get me out and about.  I am still WAY behind on my task list, which has to be completed before Monday.  On Monday, the month of February explodes on my calendar.  Why?  Because I thought it would be a great idea to sign up my son for karate at the same time I signed up my daughter for ballet.  Each class meets twice a week.  Same time, same day?  No way!  Is it ever that easy?

On top of that, my daughter will start her next play with the local theater around February 14th and that is a twice, sometimes three times a week practice.  But I digress...

The real reason for the post is to announce that the blogging has somewhat helped me sort some things out in my life.  I have decided which book to write first and that was a huge decision.  I also decided to make it into a book series and has roughly outlined the first three books.  Very roughly outlined, but it is progress, none the less.  Right now the only things that are keeping me from just diving right in and writing my little heart out are taxes and my new camera.  The taxes won't be too horrible.  I do have software and it's pretty simple, but the camera?  Photography is a pretty big passion of mine along with writing and reading.  I haven't had the time to take this baby out and see what she can do. I named my camera Delila.  She is beautiful and I hope she will help me capture many great memories. 

I hope that in my next post I will be able to report that I have written the first chapter or two.  My creativity has been overflowing lately without the distraction of games.  By the way, I deleted Cityville too.  I am Facebook game free.  I've been clean for three days.  The Wii, now that is a different story.  We just bought a few pretty addictive games for that too.  Those games are exercise though and I can limit myself because I get easily tired. 

One final note...I don't know if the groundhog is supposed to see his shadow or not for spring to come, but whichever it is, I hope it happens.  Otherwise, I will no longer break for groundhogs.  That's your only warning rodents.

Can Social Networking Save the World?

Ok, time for the randomness.  I had a normal day of friends and shopping and nothing extraordinary happened today that would prompt a long post; that is, until I got on Facebook tonight.  I consider myself a Facebook newbie.  I have not been on for even two years and fought everyone tooth and nail to not get on Facebook.  All the time it takes from me I wish I'd fought harder. 

Social networking is relatively new, and it never ceases to amaze me.  Even though it takes up time...I am able to plan events, have the best parties and social events ever since I have access to everyone so readily, keep in touch with people who I really did miss or who have moved away, and it is a learning experience.  Most people post news articles, links to their favorite websites, shows, music videos, ect...  It is also entertaining from time to time.   Especially when you have some of those drama friends who are always calling someone out on a post and then they spat back and forth until things get so ugly someone blocks the other. 

Tonight though, I noticed how social networking makes everyone an activist or advertiser.  I am guilty of it too.  We all have a cause.  Tonight there were friends who had petition to end texting while driving, to stop the violence in Egypt, to legalize marijuana, to feed the hungry and the list goes on and on.  I am not even sure that anything gets done with online petitions.  I am afraid that when you sign on you get put on a trouble maker list.  There are people who advertise their favorite products, or their new blogs. (<---that one is me too)

We also use social networking sites to really break the taboos of politics and religion.  Which again, I'm guilty as charged.  I definitely let the Facebook world know that I am a lefty liberal and that Sarah Palin and Fox News are the devil along with everything Republican and Tea Party.  My Facebook friend list has friends of all political nature, but I think most just don't care.  I haven't had too many heated debates thus far. 

As for religion...I can't tell you how sick and tired I get of the copy and paste posts talking about if you love Jesus, or believe God needs to be in schools, ect...blah, blah, blah.  Or the people who pray for EVERYTHING!  I am agnostic, but I think that if there is a God, he probably doesn't like for people to bother him for their cat's broken leg, or to pass an exam or all the trivial things that people will publicly ask all their friends to pray for. 

And yet, even though we all have these crazy motives, links, posts, rumors, and taboos on Facebook, everyone just gets along; for the most part.  It is a place where hundreds of random, unique, individuals with their own customs, and beliefs can agree to disagree and live in peace.  (or not, but that is just a block button away, not a crisis) 

So what is wrong with the world?  Should Facebook be the new universal president?  Can social networking save the day? 

My Dream Land Paradise

I was going to attempt to write these at night so that I have time to let my day sink in and decide what was the most important thing I experienced or thought about during the day.  It's only half way through my day and I have had a very irritated conversation about a heated subject, finished watching Californication : The Complete Second Season which brought out many emotions, and I woke up this morning from a dream I found disturbing.  I also received my new Nikon camera in the mail and a high electric bill.  

It has been a busy day for me thus far.  In a little while I am taking my daughter to her BFF's dance birthday party and will be a guest chaperon.  I also have to manage to get the dishes done, and fix dinner for my guys before the girls head out.  At the day's half way mark, a lot of interesting things can still happen.  But for some reason my dream is at the top of the list.  No matter what else happens today, the thoughts and feelings of when I woke up will dominate in importance in my brain. 

In my dream I was in Hawaii.  I have never been, but in my dream it was paradise.  I was in a pair of small shorts and a bikini top which is my preferred way to dress on a hot summer day.  I could smell the salt water, I could smell the slight scent of ash and smoke in the air from the nearby volcano.  Everything seemed perfect.  The temperature seemed to be about 85 degrees Fahrenheit with a slight ocean breeze. 

I was on the phone with Nathan and the kids begging them to come and see me.  I am not sure what the circumstances were to lead me to be in Hawaii on my own, but in the conversation, Nathan was angry with me.  He told me that I wasted a lot of money on my vacation and it was selfish.  I again pleaded with him to leave the snow behind.  I told him how beautiful it was and how warm it was and again he relented. 

That is all I really remember.  I am not a dreamologist or a psychologist, but from my understanding dreams come from our subconscious, cellular memories, emotions, thoughts and other complexities of the mind and body.  I know that my dream in Hawaii came from my view of the weather report last night that said to expect snow and a wintry mix from Monday through Wednesday.  I am an extremely cold natured person and can not stand to be below 75 degrees, explaining the high electric bill.  I keep it blazing in the house with the electric baseboards and the wood stove. A few weeks ago I tried to escape the cold thinking that going to VA Beach and chilling in an indoor pool would give me the allusion and comfort of summertime.  Temporarily it may have, but I still came home to ice and snow.  It was still cold as we walked on the beach.  The indoor pool was warm but the room housing it wasn't a sunny 90 degrees.  I was just trying to trick myself.  I am miserable this winter.  The snow won't stop and the temps are not peaking above 40. 

The interpretation of my dream leads me to believe that winter is what it is.  I can't change it.  I do not have the resources to escape it.  Any mini vaca is just going to be all the more disappointing when I come back home.  I hate to think that I am doomed to the snow and cold, but realistically I am.  We do not have plans on moving to a sunnier location.  Nathan and the kids not coming was symbolism for reality.  I can't tell you how many times Nathan tells me to stop complaining about the cold.  He says, "this isn't different than any other winter."  He's absolutely right.  I will still try to argue though with come backs of...there is more snow this year, the temperatures are colder, I never had to wear so many layers and other stupid rebuttals that not only are stupid, but are just not true. 

For now, Hawaii and Florida will have to remain in my dreams and as long as it is this cold, that makes me all the more excited about getting enough sleep.

Wanted to start with baby steps, but took a leap instead

I had mentioned in a previous post that I was addicted to online games.  It may have sounded like a silly joke, and while I don't like to admit it...I seriously have a problem.  Another thing I don't like to admit...I spend over 3 hours a day on Facebook.  It obviously does not take that long to update my status and see what is going on with friends.  The bulk of that time was dedicated to Farmville, My Town, Mafia Wars, Petville and most recently Cityville.  Zygna really has a racket going. 

Most games I get tired of after a few weeks and everything is well, as what happened to My Town, Mafia Wars, and Petville.  They didn't last long at all.  I say each maybe had a reign of one week.  My Town is also not a Zygna game.  Zygna games are the ones that make you hopelessly addicted in some way I cannot explain. You have to rely on having your Facebook friends play the game too.  In each Zygna game, you have to have a certain amount of "neighbors" to advance to higher levels and unlock certain aspects.  These neighbors also have to constantly send and receive "gifts" to keep the game afloat too.

I on a bad day will spend over 5 hours just playing Farmville.  It has gotten a lot better, but I have played it for over a year.  There are only four neighbors of my 60 or so that are ahead of me level wise.  What has kept me going is the sense of community and the fact that I had advanced so far.  If I quit will I let my friends down.  And honestly, some of my Facebook friends I would have deleted a long time ago if they were not players in the game.  I have used them and I wonder how many have used me.  These are mere acquaintances that I accepted to say "hey how's it going", but then have had no other contact except through the online gaming community. 

A few days ago when I started this blog and wrote about my passion for writing.  I started to think about baby steps to take that would ensure that my day would have the time and I would have the peace and quiet to write.  The first baby step was to write something of some importance to me everyday here.  Only a few days in, but I can safely say that that step has been taken.  I love this.

Baby step two was to make a schedule for myself again and try my damnest to keep too it.  I have kept a list the last few days, but can already say that things just keep getting bumped back.  I have to try a little harder. 

Step three was to limit my online time.  Mainly Facebook and the games.  Today I turned on the computer, limiting my time to Farmville and Cityville to one hour.  I know that is still a lot, but again, trying to take baby steps. 

I am proud to say when I hit the games tab and was getting ready to accept all my Farmville gifts, instead of hitting accept, I hit the block button.  BAM!  In a single click that took not even a second, Farmville is gone from my life forever.  Cold Turkey, but I am amazingly calm and ok with the decision.  Next on the chopping block will be Cityville, but that will work out itself.  It doesn't have the same strange appeal that Farmville had over me so it will only be a matter of time. 

Cabin Fever and Too Much Snow

If I'd had a job I would certainly be fired by now.  I cannot remember a week since Thanksgiving that there hasn't been a snow storm or a sick family member.  Winter in Virginia is the same as it always has been, but the dynamics of our feelings towards the season change as we grow older. 

The excitement that my kids show towards a snow day and staying out in the freezing cold, soaking wet to build a fort, or igloo, or snowman or to sled is something I remember in my own childhood. Now however, I hate the cold.  I hate the snow.  But by golly, I bundled up in upteen layers today and trudged outside with the rugrats.  I started to build a castle, but got too cold.  Then I attempted to sled, but after climbing up the small little hill three times was all that I could take.  I go in to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and a heated lunch and the kids stay outside for another hour or so. 

I tried to regain the excitement of the snow day, but at some point; it is just snow and it's existence is miserable.  For me it just means that the kids are going to fight all day long instead of being in school, I will have three times as much laundry to do since they will trudge out three times a day in the snow and will get mud, and water, and who knows what else on their layers and layers of clothes. 

Sure it's a five day weekend.  I have gotten a lot done being cooped up in the house.  At some point, I want a regular schedule back.  A five day weekend is great once in a while, but I feel like I have been on one for three months now.  I want to go to the gym, have a ladies night, have alone time with myself and with my husband.  

I have managed to have some quiet time today.  I popped in the second season of Californication and banished the kids to their rooms for a few hours.  There were slight protest until I told them that what mommy would be watching had nudity in it and that sent them screaming from the room.  My husband even came in from his workshop and watched it with me.  I got some snuggle time with the hubby next to the wood stove watching one of my favorite shows.  Not too shabby.  On top of that three hour alone time I now am plopped down in front of my computer getting a little silence to type up my blog, update my Facebook, and check on my farm and city in my stupid online games.  (I long to delete them, I really do-horrible addiction) 

I am crossing my fingers and hoping that I will only be so lucky tomorrow.  The kids really pushed some buttons today and were testing the waters.  I hope I can get through the next three days without sinking any one's battleship. 

Trying Something New

If I could sum up the theme of my life it would be "trying something new."  I am always looking for the next best thing, or a way to change to be a better person, mom, wife, community member ect...  The last year or so, my "new" major project was to write more.  My wonderful husband had bought for me a writing software for me to organize my thoughts and characters and I was on a mission to write a book.

But a problem has occured.  I keep coming up with new ideas for themes and plots to books I want to write.  At today's count I have the outline for over 10 books, everything from kids books to fiction and non fiction novels.  I am blessed that enough interesting things happen in my life and the small town around me that I have endless themes and stories to go on.  So, most people tell me, having too many ideas is not a problem.  Some people do not have any at all and get writers block.  Well, my problem is not writers block, but motivation.  I sit at the computer and get caught up in Facebook, e-mails, online games, and amazon.com shopping sprees.  The writing software hardly ever gets opened.  Once I open it, I cannot fully decide which book to work on. 

I am not sure if this will help, but I wanted to start to blog.  At least I am writing something longer than a 140 character Facebook post and I hope that it will jumpstart my efforts to write.  I am hoping that it will get me warmed up after all my other online activities everyday to hope on a blog, jot down my random thoughts of the day or something interesting that has happened, or just whatever sparks me, a poem or short story.  Then I will be ready to hop on my writing software and create an amazing book or books.

I have no idea how any of this really works.  I have no idea who will actually read any of this or if anyone will really care.  I have many friends that blog.  Some review books, some talk about motherhood, some have themes, and others do not.  I am giving this site a try as well as a few others.  I hope that I come to love to blog and that somewhere along the way I will share things that will touch someone's life, or help them through a problem or even get them to think a little differently.  As an introduction this is pretty mellow compared to my real attitude.  I love to controversy!  I do talk about politics, religion, and ethics and other subjects that are taboo to bring up at dinner or among mixed friends. 

Here I go...I am trying something new.  I know I will make friends and enemies.  I know I will bring smiles and frowns.  Love me or hate me, I'll be fine.  I am now part of the blogging world.

Introduction

My name is Jennifer.  I decided to do a free blog as a hobby and a relaxation technique.  Sometimes you can't say everything you need to say in a Facebook post.

I have a wonderful husband, Nathan.  We have been married for 5 years.  Our compatibility is unmatched and he is truely my other half.  I have a daughter that I brought with me into our relationship and her name is Naomi and is 10 years young.  Together we have a son named Hendrix who is 5. 

We live in a small town in Virginia which has it's ups and downs.  I am a stay at home mother and my husband is self employed.  I am an active parent and most of my time is consumed as my children's personal assistant as I have to shuttle them from sports, plays, and other extracurriculars.  More to come, I hope you follow and get to know more about my family and our adventures and my random thoughts.