ABC Blog Etc.

ABC has a new Blog! Yippee! Hooray! Fantasticness (patent pending)! Super excited by all the overwhelming support and blessings that have been coming along at a simply marvelous pace! Blog address for ABC: antibullyingcoalition.blogspot.com


Almost done with classes for the semester *breathe sigh of relief*. 4 Online classes has been rough. I'm glad I was early enough in my college career to be able to take 4 classes and remain full time to accommodate for butt surgery in January, however it's hard to stay on task. Take right now for example, I really should be doing my homework. In fact my history homework is right underneath my hands and this keyboard. It's like it's staring at me, taunting me to actually do my work. As I look to my right is my Criminology book and down on the floor to my right is my Psych. All going ignored. But I will get it done, as I always do. Nothing is due until the end of the week and I will get my history homework done by 5. It's only 5 pages of reading and then posting about the downfall of the housing market as we are on contemporary issues. That shouldn't be that hard for me to write about considering I worked in the title industry before, during and after that fall.

First listing was signed yesterday! Delightful walk-in on floor time. I'm giving myself a Woot Woot! for being here and on floor! I'm also here today as I type this blog, on floor time, hoping for that million dollar phone call :D.

And the Poor Doodle Bug has had a fever for 3 days. :( Woke up this morning and I thought she felt fine, took her temp and it was 101.2. Obviously shows what I know (not much). David stayed home with her as he wasn't feeling the best either. Hope no one else in the house gets it!

Okay fine, history homework must be done!

Together we Can End Bullying, Visit ABC on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AntiBullyingCoalition

Consistent Blogging

So here I sit…. At 7 am with 2 dogs and a cat resting on the top of the couch looking outside just daring anything to walk by so they can totally wig out over it, run across my legs and act like cookoo birds. I really don’t know what cookoo birds actually act like, but in my mind they act like my dogs when they are hyped up.

I have had a Word document on my Desktop for at least a month and a half with the title “Blog Progress.” Do you want to know how much Progress has been made? That’s right, None! But here I am to change that!

A few days ago a blogpost by Mommie Dearest Strikes Again was floating around on several Pages I like. It’s a Note to the Mean girls, and the Mommie’s writing style and flair for writing gave me the spurt I needed to actively ensure writing in my lonely neglected blog again! So I’m back, for now!

It’s been a busy time since I last wrote and I will now give you the short short version of the things that I can remember with half a cup of coffee in my system.

Gracie Doodle Dandy – Last November I mailed out a packet of pictures of my Doodle to BMG Models in Chicago. This was after Jessica and Scott took her to answer one of those radio ads and ultimately they wanted a lot of money and I’ve heard from several reputable services it’s a Scam, Scam, Scam! So I decided to call around Chicago and the local Modeling and Talent Agencies. I really liked BMG Models and what they had to say so I decided to send pictures of Gracie only to them. In January I got a call to meet in February! How exciting! The Doodle was thrilled! She is now signed with BMG and we are really looking forward to auditions! She has such an outgoing and friendly personality and loves to get her picture taken. I am going to attempt to add a picture mid-way through of her headshot(s).





Chloe – We added a dog to our family! That’s right we are up to 3! Chloe is a doll baby, who has a penchant for easily gliding over our 4 foot fence and then looking at us like “I don’t know how I got over here.” Then she races along the side of the house and comes up front instead of just hopping back over. She’s a fawn boxer and super duper sweet. She, Aspen and Jet all bonded relatively quickly though I’m pretty sure Aspen is still sad she’s not the only poor baby in the house anymore. Chloe likes to paw me halfway to death first thing in the morning (according to her). Morning for Chloe is 6. Morning for me would preferably be 7 but I’m getting used to the exhaustion. I even got to sleep in for the first time in I don’ t know how long on Saturday! It was 8:45 when I got up (after I stumbled and let the dogs out and back in at 6 am). Usually I can’t go back to sleep, as soon as my feet are on the ground I’m usually up!



Real Estate – Well I finally took my Real Estate Classes and subsequently State exam and Passed! Just wanting for my Real Estate license to be approved! Super excited to team up with David. We had batted around Team Names for awhile and finally found one that we are really excited about! Once it’s done I’ll share it.
Losing Weight – Such a struggle! I was doing so well with working out, water intake and limiting food portions. Lately, I’ve not been doing as great. My pop intake has increased as I’m so tired and think I need it. My food portions are all whacked out again and I’ve been eating too much candy. Plus I’ve been so busy I only went to the gym once last week. I need to make more of an effort. I realize this. I know it’s not going to go anywhere without a lot of hard work and determination, but it is definitely a struggle daily!

ABC – Words cannot even express the awe that I feel from the tremendous support that we’ve received for ABC: Anti-Bullying Coalition. I’m incredibly passionate about ending bullying in our schools and community and feel that Together we can!

ABC’s Facebook Page is: www.facebook.com/AntiBullyingCoalition

and

We were also featured on the Front Page of The News Dispatch:

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/04/10/news/local/doc4d9fb8b9ba345994045938.txt

ABC will be at the Samaritan Skedaddle in Michigan City on April 30 and hosting our first workshop on May 7!

Must get kids up and around and officially start my day!

Monday, Monday

Today is Monday. And it totally feels like one… Has since first thing this morning when a 50 lb cute dog stood over me pawing me with her gargantuan paws.

Of course that's the start of every day so that alone could not differentiate it from a regular day to a Monday.

 

Things that can:

Slamming my knee into the doorjamb at our front door while trying to close it

Running into something else (can't remember – short term memory loss) and slamming my other knee on that

Complete lack of motivation to do any homework

Missing RE Class today because John and Grace are sick

Worrying that John and Grace were sick (though this was alleviated after an hour at the doctor's office when given the good news that they just had colds)

Waking up 4-ish times in the night to go make sure they were okay. One in particular I leaped up from the bed and asked (probably really loudly) David if he was okay. I'm sure he appreciated that.

Held a screaming Grace while the doctor gave her a strep test.

Blythe requesting a creative sundae and then getting the wrong kind.

 

But of course, we can dwell on the bad… or we can focus on the good… I choose the good.

 

Good things about today:

Spent the whole day with John and Grace

Woke up next to the man I love

Took Blythe to school and picked her up

Made a delicious bacon, egg and cheese English muffin for breakfast

Did chores with my kids and had a clean house for a short period of time.

Made and consumed The Pioneer Woman's delicious Chicken Spaghetti.

Had Bubbles (ice cream)

Watched Morning Glory with my kids

Got work stuff done even though I wasn't able to work at the office

A beautiful sunset with pink, purple and peach streaks lighting up the sky

Spelled words for John and Grace to sound out phonetically while waiting for the doctor.

 

But the most heart melting moment was:

When Grace was getting her strep test done and Johnny became visibly upset and immediately came up to Grace and rubbed her back with his hand then we all group hugged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mommy Anxiety

I was up until the wee hours of the night/morning last night finishing Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. It's really my fault, I should know better than to start a book by Nicholas Sparks and expect to be able to put it down. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. However, if you are looking for a book to read, may I recommend Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks? Or really, anything by him?

So the real purpose of this blog post is to share the tremendous level of anxiety I have. Maybe it's not normal, or maybe it is soooo normal that everyone reading this will be like "Well Duh!"

As usual, last night when I was finally finished with my book I went to the kids' bedroom(s) to make sure they were okay. I stand there with my hand on their chest until I feel it rise and fall. Sometimes I accidentally wake them up, but if I don't do this I cannot go to sleep. Often I will do it and then hop into bed only to pull myself out of it a few minutes later to do it again. If I wake up at night with a start, I get out of bed and do it again. And then first thing in the morning I go in. I should also admit that last night I went in there 2 other times before bedtime. The first time they were awake, the second time they were not, the third time they were also fine.

So the book had some twists in it that kind of freaked me out. This happens extra easily (especially at night). I become uncomfortable in my house, rushing from darkened room to the safety of my bedroom after checking the locks on the doors. Perhaps I'm OCD but I really think its good ole-fashion anxiety.

As I lay down to sleep, my mind is running a million miles a minute. I start worrying about John and Grace while they are at their dad's and I suggest to myself that I text him in the morning to let me know when he's arrived (he has a play date scheduled tonight in Merrillville/Crown Point), then I go the extra step thinking well maybe he can text me and let me know when they get up in the morning. These thoughts are racing through my head and mentally I suggest ways to soothe my anxious nerves to alleviate the tightness in my chest. The fear/anxiety causes me the tightness to be there.

My fear/anxiety is not without cause. My mom had a son (who would obviously have been my brother) who died at the age of 3 from pneumonia. I cannot even fathom how she went on. Even though I wasn't even born until JJ had passed away, but I live with the fear of something happening to my kids. John currently has a cough and while it's not so much I feel a dr. is necessary it still worries me. I know my mom still checked to see if I was breathing until I was a teenager (and perhaps an adult too J). Then my Dad died in November of 2009. From pneumonia. This has exacerbated my anxiety. Shortly after he passed John got RSV and had to be on breathing treatments every 4 hours for weeks. It was an exhausting (and scary) time, but we got through it, but every night John slept next to me. I know I wouldn't have been able to sleep without him there. John gets a cough more often than the other girls and has been put on breathing treatments a couple times a year. Every time, I worry, but I worry anyway so it's just an elevation of my regular worry.

Now maybe at this point you think I'm crazy… and if you are a friend of mine, you may already know this J, but I really wanted to get these words out, so much so that even though I was exhausted at 12:30 AM I had to stop myself from getting up then to write this blog post. Sometimes the best thing for anxiety is talking it out and other times it's pills. I don't want to take pills for something I know I can control. And so what if I check my kids 3 – 4 times a night, my kids know that I love them and I know they love me (even if I'm crazy).

Kid Friendly Chores

My kids love doing chores. I love that they love doing chores. I have had conversations with other Momma's about what I have my kids do as chores and thought I would formulate a list as to what I have them do. It might be helpful for someone. Or no one.

I try and make a chore list with the kids doing 2 chores a day but I have a hard time always sticking to it. Usually I look around the house, assess what needs to be done and what they can do, and dole out the chores. One or two days a week they have no chores.

The following is a list of chores by room (the kids would get a combo of 2 of any of these):

Cleaning Their Room—(Every other day) Cleaning of the room entails picking everything up from the floor that's accumulated, taking laundry downstairs, making beds, and putting clean laundry up.

Bathroom—Clean mirror, sink and put up stuff that's not put up.

Living Room—Clean TV stand, vacuum couch, sweep the floor, line up shoes/boots by the door or just general pickup.

Kitchen—Help me put up dishes or load dishes or set the table for dinner. OH or cleaning cupboards with a magic eraser (John LOVES this one)

Laundry—Help David with Laundry, folding or carrying it upstairs

 

A common chore day would be the following:

Blythe: Help with Dishes, Clean TV Stand

Grace: Clean Bathroom, Set Table

John: Vacuum couch, Help David with Laundry

I recently implemented the allowance, which is $6 a week, sometimes. I suppose I should be more consistent with it but there are evenings when everything is done or evenings that are too busy to do chores.

It is a HUGE help and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!! John often asks for even more chores to do! It teaches them responsibility and the importance of cleanliness, plus we do a lot of the chores together which is really nice.

Power to Cleaning House!

Biggest Loser

Why is it when I watch The Biggest Loser I eat bad things? Just finished 3 deliciously baked break n bake chocolate chip lovers cookies. Doing that basically made my workout today completely null and void. Boo to me. Boo to my love of all things chocolate. Sidenote: They were delicious!

I want to be on Ellen!

I think it's important to have goals. Goals can drive a person, make a person want to do better, be better and achieve something. My current goal is to be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I send everything to Ellen. Pictures, videos, letters, panties. Haha, just joking about the panties… or am I? No I really am. I love Ellen, but let's face it, that would just be weird.

    I am considering creating a Get Cari on Ellen page on Facebook… However I don't like that title. I just thought of that title but I do not love it. Shouldn't my brain come up with something brilliant? Something that will catch the interest of Ellen or Ellen's employees that will make them sit up and say, "YES! We have found Ellen's next guest." Bah! I'll just content myself with saying it's a work in progress. I WILL come up with something Brilliant and I WILL create a FB page in the hopes of catching the attention of the Ellen crew.

    Now let's be honest with each other here. WE all know I'm afraid of everything. Everything includes flying. I'm not afraid of Everything, but I definitely am afraid of a lot. Friends of mine have asked if there is anything that they are afraid of that I'm not afraid of. We haven't run across anything yet.

    I was off on a tangent there. Back to the point, fear of flying. So how will I get on Ellen if I'm afraid of flying? I am willing to take my Xanax like a good fearful girl and get on a plane with my children and clench the armrests the entire time to get to Ellen.

    But can any other goal measure up to the one of being on Ellen? Deep question right? I'm willing to chance it.

    I'd really love my girls to be able to be on while The Bieber is there…. And Usher was there… because we all know I squeal like a little girl when I see Usher. But the girls would just flip out… especially Gracie who is determined to marry him. Who can really blame the Doodle? He is adorable.

    This is the point where I include the link to the Doodle (Gracie) talking about her boyfriend The Bieber.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMomoftwinsplus1?feature=mhsn#p/a/u/1/ZeaRC50h4m0

    And then talking about his haircut:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMomoftwinsplus1?feature=mhsn#p/u/3/SFOgjaVTgBg

    Enjoy!

    This post is brought to you mostly because:

    A: Getting me on Ellen (pretty sure I'm clear about my goals here)

    B: My desire to be a more consistent blogger

    C: Getting more views on Gracie talking about her boyfriend, because it's so cute.

    D: I have to go potty. That was obscure, but it feels right J