Who Wants A Gift Card to Target?

Who wants a gift card to Target?  How about $20.00 worth? MEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  :)  I'm sure you are screaming "Me" now?  Maybe?  Right now the Frugal Life of Aimee is having a giveaway.  She has a new blog and you should go give her some lovin'.  Check out her blog here: http://thefrugallifeofaimee.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-abouta-giveaway-of-my-own-yeah-yeah.html

22 Britannia Road (Giveaway)

Right now there is a giveaway going on for a book that sounds so great.  If you don't know, my favorite genre is Historical Fiction.  I get so caught up in the setting and details, as well as the whole plot.  I get so wrapped up in a great book.  Right now Girl From the Ghetto has a giveaway for the book 22 Britannia Road.  It is a book set in the World War II (my favorite time period to read from)- well the book is from the end of the World WarII. 

Check her giveaway out at http://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/b22-britannia-road/
Don't forget to check out the author's page at http://amandahodgkinson.com/

Happy entering.  :)

In Honor of the Royal Wedding (Giveaway)

Right now, Girls Without a Bookshelf is hosting an awesome giveaway in honor of the Royal Wedding.  5 books go to each winner (2 winners).  These books are just SCREAMING my name.  Check the giveaway out right now!  Don't wait.  http://withoutabookshelf.blogspot.com/2011/04/giveaway-royal-wedding-treat.html

Down on Myself

Today I am feeling extremely down on myself.  I feel so.... so.... single.  Am I the only single mommy at church?  I go and hear talks about how you're supposed to do this and that and yadda yadda about your husband and a successful and lasting marriage and I just sit there thinking... uhhhhh what about us folks who aren't married???  I am getting a bit tired of it really.  And I am not desperate by any means, but throw me a bone here God.  lol

This Too Shall Pass.... Let's Hope

Last night I was cleaning my room after cooking dinner.  My daughter asked if her and her brother could have a cookie.  I told them no.  I told them maybe tomorrow night.  They agreed and seemed fine with it.  I went to cleaning my room and going through clothes.  I was feeling so great and accomplished going through my kids' clothes and had a big bag ready to donate.  It felt amazing because I hardly seem to have time to do this and it is desperately needed.  After about half an hour or so, for some reason it became oddly quiet in the house.  I went in the living room to find a little boy with chocloate all over his face with a deer in the head lights look on his face.  He put his hand behind his back very quickly.  My daughter had her back toward me and had a blanket covering her face.  Hmmmmm I wonder what they could be up to!  Needless to say, I got really upset.  I had specifically told them not to get into the cookies.  There was such a mess in the living room from the cookies as well. 

I can't lie and say that I pleasantly told them how disappointed in them I was. 

I yelled at them!!!! 

Yes, I did.  YELLED.  I told them how *pissed* off I was at them doing this kind of stuff.  I went on and on and on.  I told them to wash their faces and get to their rooms.  I was so mad at how they have been misbehaving lately and doing things when I am not looking.  Do I honestly have to watch them like a hawk at all times in order for them to not do things that they shouldn't be?  Yes, I know that kids will be kids and that is part of parenting and kids.  Does it have to happen so frequently though?  With my kids, as of late, they have really been acting up lately.

Both kids were crying and went to their rooms.  (They had been watching Lilo and Stitch that we checked out from the library, and it was only half way through, and Mommy turned it right off.)  I really lost my temper.  My son threw a huge tantrum and got into it with me.  I put him in his room and a little while later I went to check on him. He told me to go away and that he was sad.  I asked why he was sad and he said, "Cuz you yelled at me!!!" 

It seriously saddened me so much.  I have felt so much pressure and weight on me lately, and I have really lost it a couple times lately.  Being a single mom in general isn't always easy. 

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For....

Last night I was really wanting some ice cream.  It sounded so good.  I was ready to take my kids to Coldstone Creamery.  There is something about that place that just makes me smile.  I was in the car ready to venture there.  Then I thought about it- with gas prices I didn't want to make a trip all the way over there.  The nearest one is about 7 miles one way according to Mapquest.  (For some reason I always thought it was a little further than that.  I guess I could be wrong.)  So 14 miles roundtrip.  I didn't want to drive and was feeling rather lazy.  I decided to hit up Albertsons and see what we could find. 

We searched high and low.  All the different brands, flavors, visual character pictures (so conveniently at a child's eye level), and all the numerous, sweet looking ice cream.  Mmmmmmmmm  :)  Well, we decided on this:

Let me just say how freaking great it was!  It was $3.00 and was plenty to feed all three of us with plenty of leftovers.  Had I gone to Coldstone, it would have been much more. We all agreed that this ice cream is a new favorite for our home.  Chocolate, peanut butter and peanut butter cups all combined = YUMMMMMY!

In the future, I am just going to stick with this stuff the next time I have a yearning to go to Coldstone.   I would have bought two ice creams at Coldstone plus gas and tax.  I definitely saved money going this route.  Even if I hadn't saved any money, I honestly have to admit that this ice cream tasted better to me than what I would have gotten at Coldstone.  Well worth purchasing this stuff if you are having an ice cream craving.  With summer around the corner, who isn't going to be craving ice cream?

Keeping Them Happy

The sound of my children laughing in the distance always makes me smile.  " 'Mere Pepper", I hear my son call to one of our dogs.  They are outside enjoying the dogs on the nice, sunny weather.  When my kids asked if they could go out in the back to play with the dogs I said sure.  Never did I imagine how excited they would be.  After their reactions, I realized why they were so excited.  They hardly ever get to play with them.  On top of me going to work and rushing us out the doors in the morning (after my daughter feeds and waters the dogs), we come home in the evenings to make dinner, clean up, shower, and then off to bed.  Of course we get an hour in between, but not very much.

Going outside to play with the dogs is a huge, fulfilling enjoyment to them.  They love them and the opportunity to be outside.  I'll be honest and say that up until recently I was debating whether to give the dogs away.  It was that whole "New Toy Concept".   You know how kids love playing with a new toy and then they just neglect and not play with it.  Well, I was feeling like it was the same with the dogs. 

However, upon further logic, I realized that it is my fault.  On the weekends and other times, I have so much planned for us to do.  I haven't been letting the kids really enjoy the weekends being at home.  We seem to always be running from one place to another.  As you know being a single mommy, I have to do all the errands and everything in between.  I can't just let the kids stay home as they please.  I have to bring them with me, resulting in less time for them enjoying themselves at home. 

Last night I thought we would watch a movie together after dinner.  My son asked if he could go play with the dogs instead.  At first I felt a little rejected to a point, but I said he could.  His sister immediately wanted to go play as well.  But I realized something.  They are MUCH happier playing outside and with each other than being cooped up in the house.  And what better fun can they have than playing with the dogs? 

This is my son wreaking havoc in the back yard when we first moved in (over 2 years ago).

As I sat on the couch hearing their laughter being louder than the tv, it made me smile.  I thought back to before we moved into this house.  We were cooped up in an apartment quite often.  My daughter was bored and would get into trouble.  Being in an upstairs condo, there were sound restraints and my children couldn't be children.  I remember security coming and almost writing us up for the noise due to a neighbor calling on noise control.  I was always getting after my daughter for running or playing too loudly.  The neighbor would get upset over any little noise, even though she also had a child around the same age as my daughter and you would have thought she could understand.  Getting after a child for being a child and being noisey is so sad. 

Hearing my children's laughter interrupt my thoughts to our past place of residency, I smiled.  I am so thankful that I was able to purchase a house and that my kids can be kids.  They can enjoy themselves and the simple things.  They have more room to run and play.  We have more space to be a family and much love.  It is so fun hearing two little kids playing with their dogs. 

My kids' best pals, Pepper and Zoey.