My Job Description...?

I was thinking about my life this morning as I vacuumed...Decided that I would share what I think and see what you all think. For centuries women have labored to achieve "equal rights" for women. What does that MEAN really? It's amazing to me that MOST of my friends/peers are stay at home moms. I grew up believing that I would have a Job outside the home ~ which is kind of funny because while I wanted to "be" many things as I was growing up I ALWAYS wanted to be a mom. I can remember in my early childhood watching commercials of women scrubbing floors and toilets and taking care of their children and fantasizing about being those women one day. Now here I am ~ I'm that woman. And I am HAPPY and FULFILLED...in ways I don't think I could be working outside the home. Yes, I work one day a week in an office (this week), but I don't look at it like a job. It's more like a lark ~ I do it for fun. It's a social outlet. I enjoy having my own money, but only because my money is "fun" money. I like buying Jon's birthday and christmas gifts with MY money. But, from the beginning my "workplace" knew that my REAL JOB comes first. If my kids are sick or have a snow day, I'm at home with them.
So, what does stay at home mom mean to me? Obviously, it means my children and my husband are my job. Sometimes I deserve a "Needs to Improve". I'm not the greatest at dinner! I struggle wth planning it and often with execution... it's my least favorite part of my job and I tend to blow off the importance of that task. I KNOW I need to improve in that area...
I excell at "housekeeping". I was not always a clean freak and my family can attest to that. Fo some reason, that is one task I take VERY SERIOUSLY. I am a homemaker ~ and I believe that because I am home all day my husband and children have a RIGHT to EXPECT to have a clean, comforting. LOVING home all the time. They have a right to expect to have clean jeans and socks and underwear all the time. I struggle with the fact that I need to teach them to do all these things as well...because I feel like then they will be doing MY JOB. Sam knows HOW to do laundry...but unless he's being punished for putting clean clothes in the dirty laundry ( I have used this means of punishment before)...I would never make him do my job.
So, what do you think?? What do you think being a homemaker means?? What do you struggle with?

Spring Cleaning II ~ Liam's Room

Well, I kind of skimped on Liam's room at this point. It's really rainy and grey and yucky out and I'm REALLY NOT feeling the "clean springing" thing today. SO, I cleaned it, because I promised him his room would be done when he gets home from school, BUT I still need to dust and clean out his clothes (summer/winter). I'll get to it when it's spring-y again! The pictures are more for the benefit of Tracy than onything else ~ a gradual virtual tour through my home if you will :) !
I have one more day of work and then I'm done. We are SO looking forward to our trip to NC. We are excited about Steve and Carolina's engagement party and our cookout with the Edwards clan...can't wait to see all of you!!!

Sam and Maggie both had ball last night ~ and we STILL haven't heard from Liam's coach...

Sam has ball practice on Tuesday and Thursday, Maggie on Tuesday and Friday...what you wanna bet Liam will be Monday and Wednesday?? Haha... So, that's Liams room...I'll show you each room as it's CLEAN!!

Jelly Drama and Ball

This post will be short and sweet... This morning I made sourdough toast for myself and all the kids. I prepared everyone's the same just because that was easiest for me...silly me!
I shooed Maggie out of her room, where she was sitting on the floor watching Monsters, Inc. and made her bed. When I walked out to the kitchen she was sitting at the table with her head down on her arms and her toast pushed to the middle of the table. Still oblivious to my blunder I said, "What's wrong Mag's?" cheerfully. When she didn't respond I went over to the table to find this...
I'm sure it only encourages our little drama queen that I proceeded to make her NEW toast with cinammon and sugar. Liam was MORE than happy to eat her rejected toast! She is SUCH A PAIN IN THE ARSE!! She cracks me up though. She got pretty mad when I laughed hysterically and took a picture of her toast.
Here she is at her baseball practice last night trying to throw a tennis ball into the bucket. Love the socks, eh?

Spring Cleaning ~ Maggie's Room

Well...today I decided it's time to start spring cleaning. I've decided this year I will concentrate on one room per day (not necessarily consecutive days either!) until they're all done. I conquered Maggie's room first. I wish I'd taken a before pic ~ it was hit pretty bad. So FIRST... I had to kick her out of bad and send her sweet behind to school!

Then I got down to business...I pulled ALL of her clothes out of the closet and dresser. Brought all her off season clothes up from the basement and went through it piece by piece. We are very fortunate to have several people who provide Mag's with haute coutoure hand me downs ;) SO...I went through it REAL PICKY. She has SO MANY clothes thanks to Katie and Brandy and Melissa that I decided at this point I can afford to be! If it was stained or damaged, slightly too small or even if I just wasn't crazy about it...GONE! I weeded out 2 large garbage bags to take to good will (or maybe I'll check with Christy first to see if she wants to go through them for Laura and Anna), and Maggie still has a crammed closet and dresser full of spring/summer clothes. All of her winter clothes are packed away in the basement, so most likely it will get really cold again now and if so...sorry everybody! It had to be done eventually:)!

Then , I moved her furniture so I could vacuum behind it and dust her railing/fence.

Then, I dusted everything and hose vacuumed the ceiling for cobwebs and put all the furniture back.

I took Sam's bookshelf (which he NEVER used) and put it in Maggie's room. That child LOVES her books! If any of my kids need a bookshelf it's her and she was the only one who didn't have one. So, she does now and I can't wait for her to get home from school. When she sees her clean room and her "new" bookshelf I'd imagine for a few hours anyway she's going to love me a whole lot ;)!
Maggie's room is now DONE! Yeah! One room down, 10 rooms to go + the basement needs organized :( ! I think I may wait for Jon to be home to do THAT!

We still haven't heard from Liam's coach yet...Maggie and Sam BOTH have practice tomorrow night at 5pm. Sam at the ballpark and Maggie at the little Sparta field which works out VERY well ~ one location, one night, one time, killing two practices...two sets of parents to socialize with...ah I do believe it's HEAVEN!! Love you all ~ I'll keep you posted!

I'ts SPRING!!

Yippee!! Finally ~ and of course in true Ohio fashion...it's COLD! But only for today and it is sunny, so I'll try to refrain from complaining! We should be headed up from here on out...the forecast puts us in the 60's for the next week and I think that is WONDERFUL!
Sam started his baseball practices this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was beautiful Tuesday - 74 degrees!! However on Wednesday despite the fact the the temperature was supposedly 56, we FROZE! The wind was whipping through the ball park something fierce and it was terrible! But then, that's just how it is in March here...74 today and 54 with a windchill tomorrow :). Sam did well at ball practice. He's really coming along ~ I think this will be a defining year for him. He's either going to decide he's serious about it or he'll quit next year. I hope he decide's to stick with it, baseball is one of the few sports I kind of enjoy watching. Maggie and Liam's teams have not started yet, but it's coming quick!
For those of you who don't already know, my work let me go effective 03/27. So, I have one more week and then NO MORE PIZZA :(... I am looking forward to having lots of time to spring clean my house though!
19 more days until we go to NC!!!!

Chuck E Cheese Visit

So, Friday night Maggie was invited to a party at Chuck E Cheese in Mansfield. I cannot say I was looking forward to it, as CEC is an ordeal on a day when you (as an adult) are well rested and in a fairly good mood. Well, it was Friday...which translates to I was tired and a bit crabby from being bored at work all day!! Being the biddy I am, I refused to suffer alone, I made Jon and the boys come too. Now, obviously this did not bring suffering on the boys...but if you can't share misery with your spouse WHAT CAN YOU SHARE?!?! Ha Ha!
Here's Maggie integrating herself into the party when she arrived... my princess!Liam and Sam blew through 80 tokens in about 30 minutes - no exagerration. (Is that spelled right? Don't think so...)

Sam kicked some poor kids butt at a shoot 'em up game, nice Sam.

They pretended to love each other as long as I was holding the tokens ;) Don't thy look PALE? You can SEE how terribly in need of sun we are!

and here she is...Ms Morrow County in her monster truck. Like I said, my princess.

Oh well, at least the kids had fun.

Today we ventured out for or BIG monthly grocery trip. Costco and wal-mart and Sears OH MY! We went to Sears because Maggie had been insisting for the last two weeks that she needs glasses. I relented last week and made her an appointment. The eye dr determined that she actually has 20/20 vision and a friend who just got glasses. UUGGGHHH! At least we know now ~ Poor Maggie was very disappointed. She desperately wants to get glasses for some reason???

When we have more news I'll post it ~ baseball should start up soon!! Love you all...

Spring is a comin'!

I have begun to see signs of life!! I went out Tuesday and cleaned out all the dead stuff from last year. I always leave it overwinter...gives the snow something interesting to lay on :). I'm so happy to see things are waking up though! It gives me hope! There's still now much going on here...the kids are getting to spend some more time outside now. We've had some reasonably decent weather. I've even been able to open the windows a few times!
The boys are SUPER ready for baseball to start. We got Sam's new glove las weekend and he and Jon have been working on breaking it in. He's been informed that this is the LAST glove we'll buy for him. He's gone through 4 gloves in the last 7 years at least...

Last weekend Jon and Maggie had a little daddy/daughter time. They watched Cars and ate a lot of popcorn.

I'm still working out everyday ~ praise God! The pedometer is pushing me farther now. I found that even with my work out there were some days that I would have fallen a bit short of 10,000 steps. On those days I' ve added an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill. SO, I have not fallen short, I've exercised more!! So again, thanks Dad...for my new obsession, lol! AND, I checked my blood pressure Wednesday at Meijer and it was 110/67!!!! Yeehaw!!

I found out this week that I am being let go at work. No big surprise...things at work have been VERY slow. SO, there goes our pizza money. Boy, when it rains it pours. We decided we need to replace out antennae pronto...with me not bringing anything in and Jon looking for a job the satellite will be the first thing to go, which should make the kids really happy :P!! Oh well...you'll have that!

We are eagerly anticipating our trip to NC...dreaming of warmth, green grass and BarBQ King!! We love you all!!

My New Toy

So, yesterday when I got home from work I had a surprise package waiting for me! We all know how exciting that is!! A present and not even Christmas or my birthday...Thank you Dad!!!! He got me the macdaddy of pedometers.I'm having fun walking...how goofy is that? So far today I've walked 12,529 steps. Now, I will confess that walked an extra 15 on the treadmill because with this being my first day and all I didn't want to get to the end of the day and not have 10,000! I was safe anyway though ~ that trip to Wal-Mart probably didn't hurt matters ;)! It hooks up to the computer and tracks my steps and everything ~ how cool is that?? Again, thanks Dad...you made working out fun again! Love you!

33Days!!

Only 33 more days and we are on our way to NC!! We are SO EXCITED ~ we could use a vacation. I think most of you already know, but just in case you don't, Jon received his 60 day notice from Chase Monday. I'm torn...a tiny little part of me worries about the current economy. A much BIGGER part of me thinks this situation is a God thing. Jon likes his comfort zone, BUT ...has NEVER really been happy at Chase. Banking just isn't his bag, baby. He is recieving a severence package, we have awhile before we have to worry. Maybe, God had to boot him out of Chase to get him to go for something he likes. I pray that is the case. Heaven knows we've been through and seen friends go through worse things than this...it all works out in the end. We know God is in control...good thing too because I can't seem to get a handle on things :)!
The kids are doing well. I told Sam yesterday about Jon's job ~ figured he'd start wondering about our whispering and cryptic little discussions soon. He didn't seem phased at all. He thinks Jon should get the summer off ~ and that if Jon gets a new job while he's still getting severence we should buy name brand pop-tarts. Ah, to be 12 and your biggest concern in life is getting name brand pop tarts. BTW, I just checked his grades and they are still good! 3 A's 2 B's and a very high C!! He's completely turned around ~ which makes me so happy. even so, I have to constantly remind myself to leave him alone. As long as he is getting good grades I let him make his own decisions about school work, which is hard for me! One day this week he had very little and he wanted to save it so he'd have something to do in study hall the next morning. You would not believe how difficult it was for me to let him do that and not nag for him to get his homework done!! I managed though, and he got his homework done in study hall and turned it in on time...ahhh, learning to let go is harder when your a controller!!
Liam and Maggie are still doing well too. I made home made rolls for the first time this week. I was totally unimpressed by them. Just not sweet enough or something...Gonna have to work on that.
The good news is it's supposed to get up to 65 degrees today. They said 63 this morning, but they keep bumping it up. It's gloriously warm outside. 70 tomorrow. It's supposed to rain but I don't care. I'm opening the house up and airing it out. There's not much better than that first springish day when you get to crack open all the windows and breath fresh air again. I may brak into the Hallelueja chorus!! I love you all!!!