A princess revolts

In case you've missed it in past post, I am a stay at home mom.  Flyboy flies airplanes and I do the baby raising, kid wrangling, butt wiping, juice pouring, drop off pick up from school, doctor visits, etc, etc.

In the interest of full disclosure I suppose I'm "lucky"  {trust me luck is in the eye of the beholder}that I married not just a Marine, but a clean freak Marine who enjoys steam cleaning the bathroom seat, mopping floors, detailing the car for 10 hours, and scrubbing down his shop vac. Yes ladies, he cleans his shop vac.

So in case you aren't familiar with how this stay at home mom thing works, despite thinking I should, I do not actually get a paycheck for my work.  Flyboy gets the paycheck.  It does however go into our joint accounts and from there I pay the bills and single handily keep Target afloat buying the various things that young kids and our family of five need.

And by the way, all of our accounts are joint.

All that I know of, I suppose flyboy could have some hidden accounts somewhere but what between flying, dealing with idiots{at work not home}, mopping, wrestling with the boyos, and cleaning his shop vac he doesn't have the time to set up hidden accounts.

Despite not having a paycheck, despite not earning my own money, despite "depending on a man to take care of me" princess is hardly the word that comes to mind.

Unless princess' get thrown up on while on the toilet like I did today.

Dash-2 ran in to the bathroom after rough housing with his brother to throw up his dinner {cheese, ham, and bananas in case your wondering} and ended up spewing right on my feet.



I was reading the magazine All You while sitting in the car waiting for dash-1 to get out of school this afternoon and they have a little thing about what your money style is.  The "princess" one caught my eye. It talked about letting someone support you and how it can be detrimental to your children to see you "entirely dependent on someone else" for your financial support.  Oh and how its an "unrealistic attitude in today's world".

I'm contemplating finding a local bra burning and tossing this magazine right on the pile. Since I'm a princess I have all day to google these sorts of things to find one.

What a load of cow poop.

And in case you aren't a princess living on a farm, a pile of cow poop is ginormous.  And steaming.  My kids think that's hilarious in the snow, but that's beside the point.

Here's a few points I take issue with, yes I am dependent on my husband financially.  Completely.  However, this was a decision that the two of us made.  Together.  And while I don't earn a paycheck I'm certainly not sitting around on my duff.  And even when I am sitting on my duff I run the risk of being vomited on.

Oh and today I got poop all over my arm.  And my leg.  And on my nose.  Don't ask.

Second bullshit point I take issue with: That I am somehow screwing up my children because they see me dependent on their father.

I think its a good thing actually.  They see what team work is really about, they get to see two people who believe in each other so much, who trust each other so totally that they are able to really lean on each other.  Flyboy needs me to get his job done, he might make jokes about my cleaning abilities but at the end of the day, I keep the house going and I keep the kids alive, no small feat mind you. 

I could earn my own money.  I have a degree, I did the whole higher education thing.  Is the single paycheck lifestyle hard sometimes? YES.  Do we give up some luxuries? YES.  But do we feel it's worth it?  YES.  Does that make me a princess?  Hardly.

Unless of course I can be the princess of poop and vomit.  There's a title I could really get behind.

Next time someone around here needs their butt wiped I'm ripping out that page of the magazine, using it and then sending it in with my thoughts written on it.  Show them how this princess really lives.

the big 3-0

Friday was a big day.  A start of a new decade.  The big 3-0. 

Some people dread their thirties, to be honest, I can't say I've given it a lot of thought and/or that I care a whole hell of a lot.  Turning 30 really is better then the alternative now isn't it?

It seems that what with so many people our age that we've known or our husband's have known giving their lives in the past 8 years of war getting bent out of shape seems trivial at best.

And goodness knows I'm anything but trivial right?  I know you just snorted coffee thru your nose my dear flyboy.

I say adios 20's and hola, with enthusiasm, to my 30's.  After all, I'm quite lucky.  I'm married to a great guy, who loves to clean, eats whatever I serve him, deposits his paycheck into our joint account every 2 weeks, and kills bugs for me no matter how hairy.  I have 3 adorable kiddos, who despite being rambunctious handfuls who see no need for a nap or any sort of down time, are smart, polite, loving kids. 

And did I mention adorable?

All in all I'm quite content with my life, very content actually.  Whether my age is 25 or 30 that doesn't change much in my eyes. 

But why not make a list anyways?  Why not make up a 35 at 35 list? 35 things I want to accomplish by the time I turn 35, which I have a feeling is going to creep up overnight the way time flies these days.

I have a couple of things I'd to do:
-run a 5k and a 10k
-learn to bake bread, by hand, that people would actually like to eat
-take a trip with just flyboy and I, I realize this sounds easy but between his tight schedule and the kids schedule, running the 10k might be easier.
-drop 20 pounds and keep it off for at least a year
-finish scrapbooks for dash-2 and dash-3
-actually paint the boys room, the living room, and dining room {provided it looks like we are staying here}
-travel outside of the United States {and Canada and Mexico do not count}

I'm going to keep thinking of things and post up a final list.  However, because I am extremely boring, I was hoping that you could help me out and add some suggestions.   Many thanks in advance.

What I had hoped.....

Before school started I thought I would have an excess of time just waiting to be used.  Laundry would be caught up, counters would be sparkling, toliets would be minty fresh, dinner would be put together in the early afternoon, errands run with effecincy, blog post would be well written, witty, and frequent, shoot I even had plans to clean my car out.  

Schools been in session for 3 weeks. 

None of that has happened yet. 

In fact my house is far more of a shit storm then it was a couple weeks ago.  There is something sticky on the counters.  And on the living room floor. Seven piles of laundry were piled up in my bedroom today before I finally got around to starting to tackle it.  In case your wondering, I'm on load number 4.  

And can you believe it.... I couldn't remember the password to log into blogger.

What happened to my grand plan? 

Oh and I was going to try to get some walking in while dash-2 was in school, leaving me with only dash-3 who is just content to ride around in the stroller while I burn calories.

Has that happened? No.  No it hasn't.  Thank you for asking.

I've managed to get on the treadmill a couple times but usually just long enough to run a mile or two before dash-3 gets pissed off and starts hurling his little puffs at me while screaming his discontent. 

You know what I'm amazed most by so far? The amount of dropping, running, and picking up.  Get dash-1 on the bus, run dash-2 to nursery school {2 days a week}, run back for therapy for dash-3, run to get dash-2, get home for a couple of hours or run more errands, most likely run errands, run to pick up dash-1, back home to get dinner ready, homework, dinner, bath, bedtime. 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Know what else I'm amazed by?  The amount of papers that come thru my front door now on a daily basis.  There is the form for the apple picking field trip, book orders for both dash-1 and dash-2, class newsletter, fundraising for both kids {by the way anyone interested in any wrapping paper?} school pictures, the flyer for family fun night, for school t-shirts.... a small forest has died and is now taking up residence on the side of my fridge.

For all the papers coming in the only papers going out seem to have a check attached to them. Apple picking, school pics {for only dash-2, really? nursery school pics?}, book orders so far comes to 77 dollars.

And I still have to fill out the fund raising stuff and take a look at the school sweatshirt order form.  However I'm thinking dash-2 might not be needing a nursery school sweatshirt.

Jumping into the whole new stage of life that school age brings is eye opening to say the least.  I can't help but feel like in the past few weeks life has hit the accelerator.  The peaceful stage of life that came with toddlerhood {I know a lot of you out there are laughing at that but its true} is over and the new, school stage has started. 

I look at my friend who has kids in college, high school, and middle school and I can't imagine how go go go it will feel in a few more years.  I never know where that woman is and frankly, I don't think she does either! In a few years I'll look back at this post and laugh.  I'll look back at what I was the cost and pine away for those days.  I'll probably be looking back at my food bill with the same wistful thoughts.

Who knows, maybe I'll find my groove. Or maybe frazzled, domestically-impaired housewife and mom is my groove.

So long as everyone is happy, and there is some money left in the bank account for book orders, that's good enough for me.

I'm surprisingly ok with piles of laundry.

and the winner...

The winner of the burp cloths is.... Eimi! Thanks to everyone for entering!

I keep meaning to post more giveaways, shoot more post period, but life is almost busier with the kids in school then it was before. How did that happen?

Today the excitement builds....

Today there is excitement in the house.  

Dash-1 already has his shoes on and bookbag ready to go despite having a half hour till we have to catch the bus.

Dash-2 is still in his pjs but that will change. He can tell something is a comin'.

The excitement is pallpatating thru our house.  

Even dash-3 keeps looking around wide eyed just waiting for it.

Waiting for what you ask?  What's the big excitement around here?  What does mama have planned while #1 kiddo is at school? 

Wait for it, wait for, wait for it.....

I'm cleaning the dishwasher today! Isn't that thrilling?  And running an errand to Target and Sam's Club.  Oh and maybe running on the treadmill.

Never, ever, ever, think for a minute that the life of a stay at home mom is nothing short of full time fun and glamour.  I mean really, de-gunking the dishwasher? Hello high life!

What are your plans for today?  And I dare you to top that.

Call it what it is

I have a pet peeve.  I know I know I have a lot of them, but I've had this one for a while, it crept up right around the time that dash-1 was about 18 mths to 2 years old.

Oh and I should put the disclaimer out there that I'm most certainly not trying to offend anyone but that these are *my opinions*.  We all have our own opinion of how to raise our kids, what I think might not  {shoot probably wont} be what the next person thinks.  But that being said this is still annoying me.

It drives me nuts when people refer to their kids daycare as school.  Why does this drive me so crazy?  Because an 18mth old or a 2 year old, isn't going to school.  Its just stupid to call it that.

Now my boys went to nursery school, dash-2 , who is almost 4 is there now in fact.  He goes for 2 1/2 hrs twice a week and I'll be honest, nursery school is a little bit of a joke.  It's just because of when his birthday falls, he'll always be the oldest in the class since his birthday misses the cutoff by five days, so he needed to get used to leaving the nest and prek wasn't an option yet.

Too bad because like I said, nursery school is a bit of a joke, he already knows his shapes, colors, and alphabet which is what they are learning this year, but he does need to learn to exist outside of my loving {I can be loving} arms.

So to go back a bit this is how this whole peeve of mine started, a couple years back someone mentioned that their kid went to school.  I'm pretty sure my head snapped back like a damn rubber band, her kid was the same age as dash-1 and dash-1 wasn't even 2 yet.

What the hell kinda school was she talking about?!

And she started to describe it, they feed them snack, lunch, another snack, they do nap time, and actives.  And they were there from 9-3. SIX HOURS

Hold on, I'm thinking, your kid is barely 2, if that, no where neeeeeear potty trained, and your a SAHM.  Why are you shit-canning your kid to day care.  Because I pretty firmly believe that unless there is some type of educational programing going on and you can crap in a potty you can't call it school. 

I feel like I should reassert my disclaimer that these are *my opinions only*.

I know there are little programs for small kids to go to to get used to seperateing and to give mom a break, in fact I went to one when I was little, three I think, and it was called just that, Mothers Time Out.  It was in a church basement and it was for an hour a week.  Not from 9-3, an HOUR. Once a week and we did little crafts and had a snack.

And I know I'm not the only one who is annoyed by this.  I just read a  140 character tweet/rant about this on twitter today from Mrs.TSgt.  Just one more reason we should have been stationed closer to each other but thats for another post.

Here's the thing, my kids drive me nuts.  Really nuts.  In fact there are some days I dream about sending all of them off somewhere for a solid 6 hours during the day.  Time without your kids isn't entirely lost on me.  But goodness knows they are going to be spending enough time in school later on down the road.  Why rush it?  And if they have to be in daycare, call it what it is, daycare.  Aint no shame in that.

There that's just my points.  And please, no shitty comments, if you disagree, which I'm sure of you do, polite is the word of the day around here. 

`

There I said it.  Its out there.

9/11

Today we remember. 

We remember the lives lost nine years.  We remember the people in the planes, those in the towers, those in the Pentagon, the first responders who ran in, the families who still feel an emptiness.

We remember those who's survived the day but later gave their lives from illnesses from the dust and debris, those who deal with the stress of PTSD.

We remember every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine who has given their life in the years of war since that day.  

  Today we remember

the start of school round here

School has started in the flyboy house. 

Dash-1 started kindergarten and for homework they had to fill out a questionaire about themselves.  What he hopes to learn this year? "Chemistry".  I'm sure his teacher is all over that.

Dash-2 started nursery school and is despite knowing that they aren't real, he's really hoping the wonder pets are there and that there are no girls in his class.

Dash 3 turned 1 and is just relieved to have some damn peace and quiet around here. 

Good times to come and hilarity to ensue.

dash-3's giveaway

In case your calendars at home didn't come with it marked, September is a big month.  Right off the bat, day one, dash-3's day of birth, followed in a couple weeks by my birthday.  That officially makes September the month of the mrs. and now as of 2009, the month of dash-3. 

See? A very big month.

So since its September there should be some fun stuff around here.  And what's not fun about a giveaway?  I mean really.... free stuff!

This is a dash-3 inspired giveaway.  He really wanted to get in on the action and well he's a man of limited means.  And by limited means I'm not just talking bank account, he can't walk, since he can't walk, he can't cross the street and he certainly can't drive, and since he can't do either of those, he can't really shop now can he?

 So he did what any kid would do.  He hit up grandma for some of her Blue Bird Crafting goods.  One little smile and nuzzly hug from her youngest grandson and she caved.  And then like any good grandma, she happily obliged.

And she provided all this!

Dash-3 has gotten a lot of use out of the burp cloths that grandma made for him.  They have wiped snot, vomit, spit up, and leaky breast milk.  

{Wow, you know this is an awseome giveaway if it mentions leaky boob milk.}

Seriously though, when I asked dash-3 why the burp cloths? Why give those away little man?  It was a resounding "cause they're awesome! and free".  Actually he just kinda looked at me and put his hands over his ears, that's how he plays peek-a-boo, clearly he's ready for MENSA already. 

These are some seriously absorbent burp cloths, they have a soft flannel on the back and adorable Halloween fabric which is of a most delightful quality both in softness and durability.  {I asked dash-3 to describe them, those were his words exactly. Genius I tell you. Genius.}

The halloween fabric is to get you in the mood for the fall, cause baby fall is a comin!  

But fear not after Oct. 31st you don't have to shelf all this stuff, the large zipper bag, which by the way can hold almost anything, except an actual baby, is just in black and white print fabric so you can use it all year long.  

And by the way, you can fit, wipes, a couple diapers, both burp clothes and a spare romper or onesie, hand sanitizer and butt cream in one of those bags.  I told ya, it holds anything. 

So all of you with kiddos, or kiddos on the way, or friends with kiddos on the way sign on up for the giveaway!  And spread the word, dash3 really wants his first giveaway to be a blow out.  {And not a messy diaper kinda blow out either}

To enter dash-3's giveaway:

{and as it is for every giveaway, each entry needs a separate comment!}

first entry- leave a comment! Who would be the spitter upper of these fine burp cloths? You or a friend or relative?

Additional entries:

1 additional entry - {1 additional comment} follow me on twitter @mrs_flyboy

2 additional entries - {2 additional comments} tweet about the giveaway

2 additional entries - {2 additional comments} blog about this giveaway with a link back here

4 additional entries - {4 additional comments}- tweet a link to Blue Bird Crafting over at Etsy

The giveaway will be open until next Saturday! Good luck!

Someone is one!

Today my dear, a special little boy turns one and that boy, my love, is you. 

I could say your smile lights up a room, it does, but it also melts my heart because when you smile, your soul shines thru your eyes.  My love you are a charmer. 

Coming after a loss, you reminded me that the miracle of life really is just that, an amazing miracle that makes our family complete. I've loved watching you grow and morph from baby boy just chillin and watching everything go by into a little boy who wants to get into the thick of things.  

You've had your ups and downs this year, some kinks needed to be worked out, balls to be put back where they belong, legs to getta workin, food a swallowin, but look at how far you've come! 

No longer are you that tiny little baby who needed help sitting! Now you're taking over the playroom, one lego tower at a time and terrorizing your brothers.

God willing, you'll grow big and tall. 

Smart and strong like your daddy, witty and sharp like your mommy. 

You will back talk and do things that will drive me mad. 

There will be days {perhaps weeks and months} that I am certain you have been taken over by an obnoxious zombie, but I will always remember your sweet baby days.  How you love to clap your hands, playing peek a boo with anything, your new love of cleaning up and closing doors, proof you are your fathers child.

You're becoming your own person and its a joy to watch.  Even if your person is going to be stubborn and headstrong like all the rest of the males in this house.  

I love you my dear, my sweet little bubba, my third little boy, you will always be my baby and I will always be your momma. No matter how big you get.