struggle

We all struggle.  ALL OF US.  Dan calls me on pretty much a daily basis the "one man wolfpack" because 6+ days out of the week I hold down our fort by myself.  (Well, with the help of our neighbors who all seem to love my kids as their own! Can NEVER thank them enough for that!)  I used to complain.  Oh yes.  A LOT!  However, I can't really tell you the last time I complained.  You know why?  Because one day I took a break and stepped backwards and looked into my situation and thought this is my job!  It is Dan's job to be away from us for days at a time.  Doesn't mean he loves us any less or is any less involved with our kids as the ones who's children's dads come home on a nightly basis from work.  People don't mean to I'm sure, I hope, but there are times I get so sad because I feel like I am made to feel like my kids dad doesn't "love" them as much as their kids dad does because they are home every night.  Yes, my kids are missing out on their dad but their dad is missing out as well.  However, I stop feeling sad and smile when I think about how he is doing this for us!  So I can be a stay at home mom and can homeschool.  We can keep a roof over our head.  In my opinion, this is just our life and I do what I have to do and it's the best I can do.  Your opinion simply shouldn't and doesn't matter.  Pretty sure 90% of us get to choose our careers.  Almost 10 years ago I chose my job of Stay At Home Mom.  Dan 2 1/2 years ago CHOSE to become a truck driver in such a shot economy.  I never, not once, have heard him complain about his job and the things he has to do.  Yes, as I stated above, I used to complain all the time.  And not just about the things I had to do but about the people who let me down it seems, the weather, etc etc.  But stepping back and focusing on what I have to do really helped.  I had to suck it up and just do it and just ignore the people who only want you on their terms, when they are bored and lonely because their SO isn't around at that particular moment.  I have slowly outgrown these friendships because it is what I had to do to make myself happy!  It turns out THEY were sucking the life out of me, not the fact the kids need me, this zoo needs me, the house needs cleaned but can never stay cleaned.  It was them.  Good riddance!  Pretty much, I love you, friend, if I talk to you on almost a daily basis! MUAH!  And the weather?  Can't do much to change that!

So why is it too many people complain?   If you don't like something then CHANGE it!  What set me off on this rant is because of earlier I saw someone who CHOSE their career act all cocky, as usual, and pretty much put down others because we think our jobs are so hard when we pretty much have no idea what hard is because we didn't chose the career they did! Oh please!  You have never been a SAHM or a truck driver or worked in HVAC or performed brain surgery, worked in a factory.  You have no idea how hard someone else's job is until you spend a day in their shoes.  A whole day.  We're all oblivious.  We all have hard jobs!  (well unless of course you are unemployed, lol!)


 Be the job great or small do it well or not at all.

Just do!  Do your job, hard or not, and don't let people brainwash you into thinking they have it "so hard" in the same manor they were evidently brainwashed in.  Remember, even when you don't ask, someone will always throw their opinion your way.  It is your choice to ignore it or voice an opinion back.  It took me a while but I just simply ignore opinions that I didn't ask for and I try to always see the positive in a situation.  Took me a while to get to this point without struggle I admit but I worked hard for it.

So again, just do.  Do your job, hard or not, and don't let people brainwash you into thinking they have it "so hard" in the same manor they were evidently brainwashed in.  Because, I have no doubt, that whatever career it is you chose or possibly didn't choose at all, only one person can do it and that person is YOU!

4

4:  The number of kids I have.

4:  The number of years it's been since I was last pregnant as of yesterday.

4:  The age my youngest turned said yesterday.

4:  Is a bittersweet number to me now.


My babies are growing up.  All 4 of them!  Yesterday, as mentioned above, my youngest whom I always have and always will call my baby baby turned 4 years old.  Never in a billion years did I understand that time would start flying the second my oldest child came into this world.  How do you freeze time?  Has anyone invented that yet?  LOL! I think yesterday was the most excited ever Lauren has been to celebrate a birthday...heck, it actually started Halloween 2011 when she finally "got" holidays and other special occasions and her excitement to me is something I just adore!  She woke up and exclaimed "It's my birthday!"  Got showered with presents, went out with friends for a special birthday lunch, picked her birthday dinner of baked chicken and french fries. Topped it off with making a wish and struggling to blow out the candles because they simply would not blow out.  Her favorite present you ask?  A pack of gum!  Simplicity at its finest.  We had an absolute blast celebrating with our baby baby yesterday.

This morning it's back to the school routine because weekends fly.

4:  The number of school days in our week this week!


We start studying plants this week and we are going to start our flower and veggie gardens.  We love all things nature.  Love to be outside!  We LIVE to be outside actually!  So glad tomorrow is the first day of Spring!

I must get going now but I leave you with one more.

4:  As my husband believes "fourth time is the charm" and I truly think he's on point!  4 IS pretty lucky and not such a bad number afterall!  As bittersweet as it is, I would never have it any other way!

to blog or not to blog...

...that WAS the question!  The answer is I need to be.  I was a whole different and less-stressed momma when I blogged on a daily basis over 4 years ago.  Thanks to another person I admire tons that is also crazy enough to have 4 kids...I took the plunge and signed up!

Time to introduce (re-introduce to a  few of you!) my kids!

My first girl is Kaitlyn who is 9.  She goes to public school and is in the 3rd grade.  Landon is my only son and he's 7 years old.  Our biggest shocker ever is another daughter, Kendall, who is 5.  Lauren is my youngest child, my baby baby, and she turns 4 years old tomorrow.  I homeschool my 3 youngest.  Don't judge!

Whatelse?  Life is chaotic but that's all I know and I am content and would not have it any other way!  Thanks for following my journey from today on out!

Cheers to a first post and a Happy St. Patrick's Day!