Up for air.

I am staring down at Friday and wondering where the heck the rest of the week went.

Seriously?

I have been swamped with work.  Housework, mainly laundry and work for the HOA.
I even spent a portion of today helping a friend with her blog and having lunch.

It takes a lot of supplies to accomplish what I am doing this week.  Haha

Computer #1

It take s a total of two computers working simultaneously to get it all done.

This is the busy time for me.  Billing and newsletter.  Seems like so little when I put it down here, but I know the truth.  I had to creative new invoices and statements that had a tear off on the bottom.  Had to create recurrent billing so I didn't have to input these 275 invoices again next year.  (I know your thinking how smart I am right now, huh?)  Well, if I had known what I was doing it would have been a piece of cake but what I have learned is that it takes an an average of 3 times to get it right.

You do the math.  I am tired of counting.

But, the billing is done.  Now I just need someone that wants to stuff all those envelopes.

Sheesh.

This year, err... week almost killed me.

Really, it did.

Not buying it?

Me neither.

But, it was tiring.

And tomorrow.

My Mr. Finn arrives home from the frozen tundra.

Whoop!


Because this weekend I plan on spending some time here.

Pay no attention to the discarded tissues.  I shed many a tear today.

I do want to give a big shout out to the Finn kids for "letting" me work, and I use that term loosely.  But when they were giving me space, they were were doing a lot of this.

My TV Zombies for the day.  I am not even going to accept any feelings of guilt with it either.

See, I am healthier already.

A New Day, A New Attitude

Ok.  So I totally freaked out my husband yesterday.
I get this call from him that went like this.

Hi... how are you?

I'm fine.

Realllly?

Yes.  I am o.k.

Are you sure about that?

Why?

I just read your blog and you don't sound o.k.

I told him I had just got my b*%@ kicked by our children.

He said he understood.  That it is hard when you are trying to implement rules and boundaries with the kids that it can be really hard.

It was a really hard week.  The first week that he is gone to Minnesota is usually difficult for the children anyways, but they have started completely ignoring me and that had to dealt with.  It was hard.  I wanted to cave many times, which made me feel useless.  I didn't cave, but it was hard.  Did I mention it was hard?

We survived.  No one was harmed in the making of these boundaries although my skin is a bit thicker.

I love my children.  I am grateful that they are so strong in their wills.  Someday I will be more grateful than I am now when they are in front of really hard temptations and decisions.  Then I will be extremely grateful.

Church was canceled yesterday for snow.  I really needed to go to church if only for the break from the children.  About 5 p.m. I got a text from a friend stating that she was going to be baptized that night at 8 p.m.

I struggled with that news.  It was late, the kids go to bed earlier than that and the roads weren't particularly ideal.  And... I looked terrible.
No church = no makeup, etc.

I battled until 6:30 and then asked Heavenly Father what I should do.  I asked the children and then we got ready.  We arrived just in time and I am so glad for this experience.

Miss Boo was anxious to see a real baptism as she is getting baptized when she is eight and is already planning it.  The Dude... not so much.  He was tired and cranky.

 After 5 attempts due to not enough water in the font, she was baptized.  This caused some concern for Miss Boo.  I assured her that on her day we would find her some pants to wear instead of the sixties dress they had for Kenna.

The children were good for the first half hour, but the yawns were abundant and they were having a hard time concentrating.  I laughed at the Dude when we were going to sing a song.  He declared quite loudly that it was horrible.  (his favorite adjective these days)  After listening for a bit he declares even more loudly that this is a song from Primary and starts singing, humming loudly.  I loved it.

I am proud of them for "behaving".

It turned out to be a good day.

And... a good samaritan shoveled the snow off our driveway.  What a great thing to do.  I was just grumbling to myself that I didn't want to go out in the cold to do it and Voile!, it was done.

I am better today.  Thank you all for your support, love and advice.
No need to pull out the straight jacket just yet.

Face Off

I feel like my life is a Hockey Game every day.
It starts with the Face Off.
Me vs Day.
Me vs Kids.
Me vs ?

The truth is that this Face Off determines my day.

Most of the time I end up in a "scrap" with whatever has had the misfortune of getting in my way.  Sometimes that is a good thing if it was something bad.

But sometimes it is my children.

I struggle with patience on a daily basis and unfortunately my children bear the brunt of that weakness in me.  I feel cornered and trapped with a feeling that all things are going to implode.

They can tune it out, but I know it damages their spirits.  

Who wants to be yelled at by the person they love the most?

In a blessing I received a while back I was counseled to make sure my children knew they were loved on a daily basis.

I love them on a daily basis.  It's the showing and making them feel safe that I battle with.

They are really good children.  A bit headstrong, but who am I kidding?  Look at their parents.  Mr. Finn and I can certainly hold our own.

I need to find a balance of showing love and being a strong parent. 

I find it a difficult balance.  Mainly because I feel so out of control.  I feel that the kids are stronger willed than me and won't back down when I need them to do something.

They will.

I just have to practice patience and strength together.

I always feel so relieved when they do as they are asked.  Like a big wave of relief.

I shouldn't feel that way.  I am just grateful that they have not put me through the ringer.

I have so much work to do as a Mother.  But, I want to be the kind of mother that is fair, kind and immensely loving.
I truly believe a child cannot be spoiled by too much love.

At the end of this journey I want to have my children on my team because we have mutual love and respect for each other.

That begins with me.

(photos from annual New Years Eve Hockey Game)

Snow Day

I used to believe that I wouldn't be able to handle the day when my last baby went to Kindergarten because he would be gone all day.

And then God gave me snow days.  Like today.

I wanted some peace and quiet so I could watch some TV.  Not anything productive, but I had worked all morning getting things ready for the annual billing I do for the HOA.

What I got was this.

And this.

And of course, just one more time Mom!

And all because of this I will be looking forward to 6 1/2 hours of SILENCE when they are both in school next year.

I got to plow the six inches off our driveway.  Thank you Mr. Finn for the snowblower.  Much easier than the shovel, but still cold and tiring, especially with the wind.  Can't tell you how many times I got a face full of snow.  Brrrrrrrrrr!

What you don't see in this picture is the fighting and me breaking down.  It wasn't pretty!

I did end up 50 cents richer because of a little someone running their mouth at me last night. (NO)

Today I ended up with $1.00 for the other little person that couldn't control his outbursts of his favorite bad word.  (hate)

Where is the instruction manual that should have come with these children?

I need to check with the manufacturer about some insight.  Because I don't have a clue most days.

p.s.  I didn't mind the cheerleading.  Don't get me wrong.  It was sweet!  It's just sometimes I want 5 minutes of absolute quiet.

Four Eyes are better than...

Miss Boo has had her glasses for over a month and most of the time they can be found here.

Not here.

She tends to get headaches when she doesn't wear them to school and especially for reading.  Besides, I think she looks adorable in them.  I wish I could have had pink glasses when I was a kid.  Maybe I would have looked happier in this picture.

Seriously!  I am the only one in this photo not smiling.  

Maybe that is where Miss Boo gets it from.  

She isn't a big smiler.  

Well, actually she isn't big on showing her teeth when she smiles.  

She is subtle.

Like her Mom.

(maybe it is because of the "beautiful" dress I am wearing.  Why am I in a long dress?)

So, after careful consideration I made this sign for the back door...

Miss Boo,

Do you have

your glasses?


Let's see if it helps.