My life as a Mommy of 4 little boys

Monday, February 22, 2010

BUTTer

Landon has had eczema since he was a baby, I blame the formula lol.  But it's been years now and he is ALWAYS broken out on his thighs and the backs of his arms.  Lately it's been the backs of his knees really bad as well, and a few other spots.  We've been able to keep it mostly under control but there is always something on his body, it's never fully gone, just not horrible.  Well on DS I've been reading a few threads now about this cream a WAHM makes called BUTTer and they swear by it, say it's even better than their prescription creams they've been using so I had to try it.  I got the sampler, only $6.25 for 8 scents to figure out which I like :D  But I couldn't just stop there, I also bought the buttermilk bath they can all use that.  I really hope it works, it sure would be nice for his skin to be completely clear for once!!!!  

Hayden also has it but not nearly as bad and his seems to have triggers we just haven't figured out yet.  But his head is always SOOOO dry, then he just gets random flare ups on his body occasionally.  I'm hoping having him soak in the buttermilk bath will help that.  Yes soaking goes on your body...but Hayden LOVES the bath, he swims, he lays down, his head is in the water so I'm hoping it helps.  There really isn't much I can do for his head, I can't put the BUTTer or any other lotion in his hair or it will be really greasy so hoping this option helps him.  

I also had to get her cleaner, because well I love trying new cleaners.  I chose the warm vanilla cake scent....who wouldn't want their clean kitchen to smell like CAKE!!  YUMMM

Can't wait to try it all, will be back with reviews and pictures showing how well it works for them

Friday, February 12, 2010

And the total is....

14.40 inches in Haslet, can you believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Texas Winter??

I have lived in Texas most of my life.  I did spend the 2005-beg 2009 in Colorado but really my teen-adult life has been in Texas.  I have never seen a winter like this!  It is very rare we get any snow and IF we get something it's usually a light dusting, some flurries, or sleet....not real snow.  But we actually had a white Christmas this year!  How crazy is that??  And today we got our 3rd good snow of the winter!  This time we got so much, this is like a Colorado snow.

I took the boys in the backyard to play, which is fenced off so blocks the wind from blowing it up so it is pretty accurate on how much fell.  I stepped down and it almost came to my knees!!!!  I can't believe how much we got.  I haven't heard an official total yet but I'd have to say atleast 8-9in and it was still coming down when we came inside.  This never happens in Texas...what has happened?  I'm not complaining I LOVE the snow I'm just shocked!!!

The boys had a blast playing in it today.  Landon is so thrilled because he was very upset when we told him that most likely we wouldn't see snow this winter.  I had to dig out their snow gear from Colorado..they were all mismatched and in wrong sizes but we made it work.  Hayden only has thick hoodies and sweaters for the winter here so I had to find an old jacket of the boys so he'd have something waterproof.  All I could find was 2t snow bib and 3t jacket...poor thing could barely move it was so huge on his tiny body haha.  He kept falling down, spent more time crawling in the snow than walking in it, his legs are just too short, but he had so much fun.  They wore socks on their hands to protect them a bit from the cold...again didn't buy gloves, haven't had a need before and of course now they are sold out.  They made snow angels, had snow ball fights, built a tiny fort then came in and had some hot chocolate.  They were worn out come bedtime but it was a really nice evening.  Landon's school is closed tomorrow so we plan to do the same then...maybe I can get all 3 to nap......

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Dates

I couldn't tell you many dates in history.  I can't remember when certain wars happened, when people were born, elected presidents, when things were invented...dates just aren't really my thing.  But there are certain dates I could never forget.  Those would be my children's birthdays, my anniversary, my immediate family's birthdays and then the day my Father died.  That last one especially.  It's been a hard couple of weeks.  

It's been 2yrs as of January 30th that my Daddy passed away.  I have always been Daddy's lil girl.  I knew it, he knew it, everyone knew it.  I was always extra special with him.  Maybe as a father it's wrong to tell one child that, but he did, many times growing up.  We had some really bad times as a family, things I won't talk about here, it was really rough those last few years but up until the very end I was there for him and he was always there for me.  I miss him so much lately.  

I hate what happened to him, I hate that he knowingly did it, he died from alcoholism, it completely shut down his body.  It was the same thing his father died from.  He knew it.  And I believe with all my heart he was so ready to go but it doesn't make it any easier.  He's no longer in pain, he is no longer sad but the selfish part of me wishes he was still here anyways.  

I hate for my kids that they will never know what an amazing man he was before the alcohol fully took over.  Landon remembers him, but not much.  He remembers in him the hospital, though he saw him after that too.  That's the image that has stuck with him.  Casen was too young to really remember anything.  And he never got a chance to meet Hayden.  They really missed out on a relationship with their paw paw and I wish I could get that back for them.

You know the song Small Town Southern Man by Alan Jackson?  I heard that song a couple days after my Dad died while on the way to Heather's house and the words just hit me like a ton of bricks.  That song reminded me so much of him.  I actually had to pull over because I couldn't see through the tears.  He did everything in his life for his family, aside from his drinking.  The drinking, now that was for him.  It consumed him.  If anyone has ever wondered why I feel so strongly about alcohol, there is your reason.  We do not allow it in our house, I refuse to cook with it, my kids are not around people that drink, we never subjected them to him drunk and will never EVER drink in front of them.  I will not put them through what I had to grow up with.  I was really angry with my Dad for a long time, even though I always loved him, that never wavered.  But it's like the anger is finally gone, now all it is is pain from loosing him.  I wish he would have been able to overcome his drinking.  He was only 48, I was 21, too young to lose a parent.  

I think something that has made this week much harder is I was talking to Dessa the other day (my little sister) and she asked if I had realized it was 2yrs and "7" days since Dad had died.  I corrected her and said no it was 8 days.  She said no it was the 31st.  I couldn't believe it.  She had the wrong date.  How could she not remember????  She swore up and down I was the one that was wrong, that her and mom had talked about it.  WOW mom too???  I found something to show her she was wrong and she was so upset that she had thought the wrong date.  I called my mom and told her too and she admitted I was right.  But that she had somehow gotten mixed up.  I don't understand it.  How can you possibly forget??? It's only been 2yrs, she was married to him for over 20yrs.  I just don't get it.  It hurts so bad that her new boyfriend seems to be taking over her life.  He has taken my place as her best friend.  I was there with her through everything, my dad loosing his job, getting worse with his drinking, in and out of the hospital and rehab.  I flew with my 3 boys to TX and stayed with her for a month when he died.  I'm supposed to be her best friend, I'm the one that she is supposed to talk to.  But he has taken that from me.  I hate him.  And no it's not one of those things where you hate the new guy.  It's HIM.  There is something not right about him, he gives me a horrible feeling...something is NOT right.  But now she doesn't remember the date?  It just hurts so bad that it seems not to matter anymore.  How can it not?

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Gummy Lump Giveaway!!

Want to win some awesome Melissa and Doug wooden blocks???  Go check out how here

http://blog.gummylump.com/2010/02/giveaway-win-set-of-unit-blocks-from_03.html


Great customer service here at that store, I bought a few of the boys Christmas gifts from them, very fast shipping and great prices!!! 

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Our first showing

Our landlord contacted us tonight and she is showing the house on Saturday.  Ugh I know I have to let her show it but I don't want to at all.  We are trying to get moved and the house isn't exactly perfect.  So now we have SOOO much to get done and it's at 11am Sat, Mark works until Sat so that leaves me doing pretty much all of it on top of making sure the boys are taken care of and NOT messing up what I just cleaned up.  And it doesn't just have to be clean it has to be pretty much perfect for her to show it, they are going to look everywhere.  

My to do list:

Kitchen:
  • Dishes of course
  • scrub down the counters, cabinets and appliances
  • straighten up all of the cabinets, I'm sure they are going to open and look
  • sweep and mop
  • clean the baseboards and make sure the walls are all nice, we have been painting so I'm sure they are

Boys rooms:
  • clean their toys up
  • clean out their closets, make sure their clothes are all nice and neat and everything stacked right
  • vacuum
  • clean the baseboards

Our room: (the worst, it always comes last)
  • clean the mess that's all over the room
  • make sure the bed is made and neat
  • clean the desk area and tv area
  • clean our bathroom completely (shower, sink, mirror and toilet)
  • clean out the bathroom closet and under the counter
  • clean our huge closet, make sure our clothes are all neat in there
  • clean the baseboards and try and paint the spots Hayden has taken crayon to :|

There is still the rest of the house that the walls need to be painted (thanks Hayden), baseboards everywhere, vacuum everywhere, oh yeah the boys bathroom top to bottom.


I have no idea how I'm going to get it all done.  Oh yeah and the laundry room/pantry that's a mess.  Ugh I hate this!!!!  I can't wait for it to all be over and us be in our nice new house and not moving again for atleast 1 1/2yrs.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Preparing for the week ahead

I can't wait to get moved...but I'm not looking forward to packing AT ALL!!!!!

But I have to start this week so on my to do list is....

Go through Hayden's room and get rid of clothes and toys he doesn't play with enough 

Go through Landon and Casen's room and start to split up their stuff and get rid of stuff

Go through boxes in the garage of old kids clothes and toys to get rid of more (anyone need boys clothes?!?!?!?)

That's good for the week right? lol

I got most of my laundry done this weekend, yay!  I just need to do some towels tomorrow and I'm good for a few days.  I need to start putting together my binder thing I'm making for the new house.  I'm determined to be more organized and productive. 

This week I'm also ordering some books....
  • Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.....we started this book a few months ago, just borrowed from the library, and Casen really understood it.  It says when you do them all they should be reading on a 2nd grade level so I have about 6mo to get fully through it with Casen before he starts kindergarten.  
  • What Your Kindergartner Needs To Know....it will give us lessons and everything I would need to teach him if fully homeschooling him in his kindergarten year so he will know it all before entering kindergarten.  Alot of it he already knows so it's just pushing him more and giving him more to do, he's so bored at home.
  • The Big Book of Parenting Solutions......I figure you can never know too much.  It also has alot of positive discipline and solutions for common issues so we'll see how much of it we can utilize.  Looking for more ways to deal with crazy Hayden.
  • Positive Discipline A-Z....same as above really
  • My mom calendar!!!!!  I can't wait to get that

Anyone read any of those 4 books??  Worth it or not?  I guess I'll see and be back to review them soon :)

My calendar will be great to help get more organized, especially with both Landon and Casen doing baseball this spring.  We will have more going on with that, playdates, Landon's school and whatever else we have going on.  Like I said at the beginning...I can't wait to move!