Craziness

This household is crazy. School is going ok, but I'm stressed; Mark is getting into trouble at every turn; Dean is growing like a weed; Trevor NEVER hushes; and Ross is not doing well at school either. 

I was thinking this semester was going to be an easy semester with next semester being the hardest. BOY...was I WRONG! This has been a very challenging semester. And I still know that next semester is going to be my hardest. Yipppeee (in a sarcastic voice). The thing that is helping is to know that I have the Winter and Fall, then I have my degree at last :)

Mark doesn't know how to NOT get in trouble. He has been stealing from people, telling lies, and just plain going off in the wrong direction. We are at our wits end also. He has been grounded from the tv, any games (such as his Gameboy, Nintendo, or Wii) and ALLL of his toys are packed up. Yet, none of this has bothered him and for him to stop. I have even looked at a military/wilderness school.

I am sooo stressed. I am like a single mom with another adult adding to the problem. I am trying to keep our marriage on track, but I don't get recognized for anything. Then, to add the school, kids, my parents on top of it all....how much longer can I go like this?

Dad keeps telling me "I'm taking one day at a time." Well, his one day at a time is messing with my family. Since he has to get out of his apartment, he doesn't have a place to go, so he wants to put his stuff in storage until he can find a place. Well, that means WE have to put it in storage, WE have to get it out of storage when he does find a place. But he doesn't think about we have our own things to worry about. We have a limited amount of time to do things. But it's ok.....he's taking it "one day at a time." Erggg.

Closer to time

It's getting closer to time to school. Yippe :) I am taking 4 classes: Victorian Lit, Cultural Anthropology, Social Inequalities, and Science Fiction. I'm looking forward to the books we are reading in Sci Fi class. I know the books will be different than the movies I have seen, but that's fine. We will be reading ones like Time Machine, War of the Worlds (and I remember that from the tv show in the.... 80's? I believe), and Planet of the Apes.

Now that I have gotten hooked on DIY shows, I have now gotten to where I look at things and try and figure out what I could do with that thing differently. It's funny how your mind changes once you start doing things you like. I wish I had found this hobby...well, not really a hobby cuz it's now became a way of thinking for me....before now. At the same time, I don't know if I would have been as successful at it before because I wouldn't have been so excited about it. I think pinterest has helped me. Although I have gotten ideas, I have been proud that I've come up with my own things too :) Guess I just never thought of myself as this type of crafty person. I used to do plastic canvas, but not anymore. Hard to do it with little ones around wanting to get at the string...plus with a noisy household, it gets aggravating when I have to keep recounting for the stitches or boxes...lol.

So things are good. Going today to get the 2 younger ones registered for daycare. Then to my FIL to see if for the next week and 1/2, the oldest can stay with him. I start school before the schools are back in session, so I need to find somewhere for the oldest one :)

Hasta luego :)

School and such

School, for me, starts next Wednesday. I'm like a little kid, too, cuz I can't wait. New teachers, new notebooks, new books, learning new things, and all that good stuff. I'll probably be complaining after a few weeks...but right now I'm excited. I'm more excited because I know that I am sooo much closer to my goal of my degree. I only have 3 semesters to go. By Dec of 2013, I will have it :)

Trying to get help with daycare is a bit of a hassle, but I am glad that is finally done and settled yesterday. Had to go with all 4 boys...uggg...but I'm all set to go :) They are going back to the daycare they went to last year. I'm happy about that because they loved that facility.

Ross spent the week with me. It was his b-day while he was here. I was so happy to give him a gift that I made myself. I was proud of how it turned out. He is a soccer fanatic. He loves to play it and, although he can't keep his attention on it long because of his ADHD, he loves to watch it too. He wants to be one when he grows up. So on the top, I did his name to look like soccer netting, then used adjectives that described him. Then I did a soccer ball. I think the ball came out great :) Then I did HIJO, which means son in Spanish. I then used adjectives in Spanish that described him. Humilde (humble) gracIoso (funny) trabaJador (hard-working) amorosO (loving). The last one is that color because the ribbon Ross picked out is tye-dye and uses those colors, so I wanted to incorporate them into it :)

After he goes home today, I don't know when I will get him again. With his school schedule, my school schedule, it'll be hard to get together....but it will be ok. We've survived before, we will survive again :)

My say to this CFA thing

I honestly didn't know if I was going to write anything about the Chick-fil-a controversy. I actually started and stopped this post a few times. But here I am :)

When this first thing with CFA first came about, I  didn't know what had happened. All I knew was my Facebook was BLOWING up with people posting saying they were going to "Eat Mor Chickin" and that they supported CFA. I couldn't figure it out, but I did figure that something "controversial" had happened. I love CFA sandwiches...they are the BOMB :)

Isn't that how it usually goes? Someone (or some company, or some group) says something that another someones or another group doesn't agree with and everyone goes ballistic? I admit, I do it too. In fact, I even copied and pasted one the other day about a comment a lady said about how SAHM's don't have "jobs." That's a big sore spot in my personal life. But that's how a lot of these things get going. A few words are said, someone doesn't like the person or group that said it, and BAM! it's all blown out of proportion.

I have family and friends who are homosexual and guess what? I love them!! You know why? Not because I support an eating establishment. But because they are who they are. Eating somewhere doesn't change how I feel about someone. I am not a judge of them, just as they are not a judge of me. I leave that to another power. We love just each other, just as it's supposed to be.

I am embarrassed at how this whole thing is being played out. I have had friends who say they support CFA and then are told they are going to Hell because of it. Well...isn't that lovely. But just as the owner of CFA had the wonderful thing of the 1st Amendment behind him, so do we all.

My good friend and I were talking about this whole thing this evening and she made a good point...so I'm stealing it :) How many of those "christians," that waited in the long lines today, that are touting their support, that are getting on that big 'ol bandwagon, were there at church tonight or will be on Sunday? Or was this just another good 'ol reason to cry out that you are a "christian?" 

Now, I am not saying that there aren't true Christians in that crowd....my problem is with the ones who just like to cause problems. And in a way, I believe that is all this CFA deal is. Lately it seems anything that is for homosexuals....watch out cause the "christians" are going to be boycotting you. If it's against homosexuals...here come the "christians" to support you.

You can stop there if you just came for my stance CFA (although I do have parting words at the end)...I'm now going on into my great childhood memories :) and some wisdom on boycotting.

I will tell you a little about boycotting, since I had to live it for a while. Remember the great Disney boycott? Wonderful, wasn't it? Ha! I was under my parents thumb at that time. And at that time, my dad was VERY bible tooting. When the great Disney boycott came around, our family jumped on, full force. And let me tell you....there is no way a boycott really works. When it first started, we didn't watch anything Disney. I remember someone saying "It was weird. You could watch COPS at that age, but not Mickey Mouse Club." 

Then, when it came out there were other companies that was connected to Disney, whether that they owned them or by association, and we wouldn't buy those products. Then it came that we had to keep a small list of who was connected to them and who we couldn't buy from. I remember one time I was in tears from not being able to buy Kraft cheese (cause if you know me, that's all I can eat). It soon got to where we would have to carry around a paper that had a two column list of companies we were not to buy from....just because we were boycotting Disney. I don't think it lasted long after it started getting to a front and back, but it did get ridiculous.

That is why boycotting doesn't work. Companies have too many "irons in the fire" ....that just not buying one product won't matter. Then if you do decide to go full force with it, you might as well just not buy anything because everything is connected somehow, someway.

Thankfully, my dad isn't like that anymore. I like to think I've rubbed off on him :) but I'm glad I have had that experience because I can see the ridiculousness of the CFA outrage of today. Go to CFA, have a sandwich, support them, but do it because CFA is a place that loves everyone. Just because the owner made the comment that he doesn't approve of homosexual marriage, doesn't mean he doesn't love homosexuals. I don't approve of my kids lieing to me....but I still love them. CFA doesn't tell homosexuals not to come eat there, not to come work there, not to come there at all. So what's the big deal?

The last first haircut :/

So....finally had to do it. Dean got his first haircut today. I figured that since I have had sooo many people say "Awe! How cute is she?" and "I bet you are happy to finally have a girl after all those boys!", that it was time to give my BOY a haircut..lol

It took me a week to do it. L kept on me..."When you gonna cut it? When you gonna do it?" Granted, he had another reason for asking....he wanted a haircut too :).

So my DeanDean before:

 Then his lovely locks in the back :)

All the hair that came off :( ...plus a few Cheerios that we had to use to distract him..lol:

My new big boy...thought this photo was funny cuz I caught him while he was jibbering, but it looks like he's pouting..lol

 But I do have to admit ~~ It does make his perty blue eyes pop :)

I do wish I could figure my camera out or that I had gotten a different one. It's just not that "kid friendly." It takes forever to take pics, which, when you want to get that pic of your child, you want it to take it then. I dislike that Kodak went bankrupt because I never had problems taking pictures with it. I don't know what I'm gonna do. :/

School, for me, starts in 2 weeks. Whoohoo :) Hopefully childcare is going to come thru for me, but I'm getting nervous. I called about it today and they had put me on the wrong waiting list....so....I hope it got corrected and I will get it by the time I go back. I have only 3 semesters :) to get my degree :) :) :) (can ya tell I'm excited?...lol)

Sometimes, just leave it to the professionals :)

Well, tried a recipe tonight for the family. I've watched The Pioneer Woman a few times and I thought her Sausage Pancakes sounded good. Well, don't know what I did wrong tonight, but mine didn't turn out so well :/ Both me and L were "Ehhh" on them, but Mark did say they were yummy (although tonight I think he woulda ate anything..lol) They make it look sooo easy and so nice. I gotta remember that they do re-takes and all that. Also, sometimes, I just need to leave it to the professionals :)

Also fiddled with a few crafts today. Finished up one craft for a friend of mine (can't tell or show yet, cuz I'm giving it to her tomorrow and don't want her to see it  if she happens to read this :) ) Tried messing around with my stool. Don't know exactly what I wanna do to it next...still rolling it around in my brain :) I NEED to get the boys profile pics printed so I can get their silhouette projects done.

 I do have a family project in the works. I am putting together pictures of the family even if the kids haven't ever met them or haven't seen them in a while. I can't wait til I'm finished with it. I think it's gonna be aweeesome :)

Today, I was telling Trev to pick up some toys. Then I asked him to put a few more in his room. He looked at me and said "I will always do what you say, mommy." I looked at L and said "I shoulda video taped that."

Mom and Dad aren't doing so well. Dad says their days and nights are all mixed up due to a pain shot their doctor had them go get. Hate that they can't seem to get any relief :( Well, hopefully soon I will be able to get them to a new doc and that will help them.

Well, gonna go for now. Got a snoring hubby on the couch, so I guess that's my cue that it's time to go :)

OK!!!!! OK!!! Enough!!!

Well, didn't keep up my word last time, did I? lol ...So I am going to this time. With all the things I am trying to do for my kids to help them remember their family and to have later on down the road, I REALLY need to do this!!

So, I'm gonna kinda start over. I'm not going to get rid of ANY of my previous posts, but I am going to restart so that I don't feel as tho I'm having to go back the last few years that I've missed out doing this...then maybe I won't feel as pressured and I'll actually stick to it this time:)

So...I am Gretchen. 
*a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). 
*however, I am in college and 3 semesters away from getting my degree~~ Finally!! :) 
*love to read, which my Kindle Fire comes in real handy for :) 
*have always loved crafts, but until "meeting" my online friend, Crystal, who is so creative, and reconnecting with my old High School friend, Staci, who is always doing something (plus, being quietly jealous of another internet friend that does AMAZING crafts), I have been stepping up my game :) Plus, I think my kids are enjoying the extra stuff they get to help with :)
*love trying anything new. Used to be scared to try anything new...not anymore :)

I am married to Lewis (usually referred to as L) 
*loves bowling. He can usually come home and tell me what he bowled each frame (yet can't tell me what I asked him 5 mins. ago...lol) Still waiting on that 300..has plenty of 299's
*loves hunting. He's waiting on that big buck to come (plus a hunting trip in Wisconsin :) )
*loves playing online hearts :)
*has to be pried to go try new things. He will, it just takes time :) 

My 11 yr old boy is Ross (I sometimes call him Rosserdo..lol..not something a growing boy wants to hear..lol)
*lives with his father, but his father, step-mother and I have a WONDERFUL relationship. Kinda weirds people out :)
*VERY much into electronics~~PSP, Wii, computers
*loves Math, but hates (with a passion) writing. I usually don't like using the word hate, however, it fits here.  
*loves soccer and wants to play professionally when he grows up.

My 9 yr old Mark (Markers)
*also in love with electronics.
*loves wrestling....not the competition type...the WWE type.
*loves to read, but doesn't really have a specific subject (yet) that he clings to.
*loves to have responsibilities.....on his own terms..lol

My 4 yr old Trevor (TrevTrev)
*VERY rambunctious
*can tell you race car drivers if you tell him a # on the car :)
*loves to dace and sing
*will help when you ask...most of the time :)

Then last but not least, my 1 yr old Dean (DeanDean...yes, I seem to double up..lol)
*has been slow to learn things, such as walking, talking and such, but he's getting there :)
*has the cutest smile :) ...but I may be biased :)
*is spoiled by his brothers
*follows everyone around and when he figures something out, will do it over and over :)

So....now that I have "started over," I will do better :)