As our kids grow, we allow and get them involved in many different activities. We want them to find their niche; a place where they feel comfortable and feel like they belong. We become chauffeurs and our lives revolve around transporting from one place to another. Sometimes we urge our children to go in the directions we went. Sometimes we push too hard. We justify our feelings of stress by telling ourselves that it is for their benefit. We want our children to be active, to be diverse, to express all of their interests. We keep telling ourselves that we do it for our kids.
As they enter middle school, we spend small fortunes sending them to summer camps, sports camps or specialty camps. We want them to experience diversity and hone their skills. At some point, you must ask yourself – is this too much? Are you spending more money on gas to and from activities than you are making each payday? Are you the drill sergeant saying, “OK you have 10 minutes to eat and get ready for basketball, but make sure you bring your shoes for dance class. You have dance after basketball and did you get your homework done after school?” If you are spending more time running down the timeline for after school, then it might be time to scale back. The biggest sign that our kids are over scheduled and stressed is when they start to snap back at you. Sometimes, it is simply pre-teen and teen moods. You know when it is “normal” behavior and when it’s not.
Become an activity vigilante; know when to say when! Your kids may be angry for several minutes, maybe a day or two, but they WILL get over it. Everyone will be able to relax and enjoy each other again.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
About Me
I am a married mother of 4 (2 teens and 2 dogs). I have been married to Ryan since 1996 and it has definitely been an adventure right out of the gate. I wouldn't trade it or him for anything, though. My step-son, Brad, is 17 and my daughter, Arielle, is almost 13. My German Shorthair Pointers are almost 6.
I am a rather busy woman. I work full-time outside the home, have a home-based business, teach CPR & First aid to local dental practices, attend as many school functions/games that I can and am finishing my Bachelor's in Psychology. I have had a love of writing since I was young. I was the geeky girl that when she was bored would write "books" or at least, I started several. Lately, I have been writing more research papers and short essays for my various classes, rather than stories. Next year, I plan on attending grad school for clinical psychology. My cuppeth does runneth over; isn't it better to run over than be empty?
If you ever want to know more, just ask!
I am a rather busy woman. I work full-time outside the home, have a home-based business, teach CPR & First aid to local dental practices, attend as many school functions/games that I can and am finishing my Bachelor's in Psychology. I have had a love of writing since I was young. I was the geeky girl that when she was bored would write "books" or at least, I started several. Lately, I have been writing more research papers and short essays for my various classes, rather than stories. Next year, I plan on attending grad school for clinical psychology. My cuppeth does runneth over; isn't it better to run over than be empty?
If you ever want to know more, just ask!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Lessons learned from vacation!
Things I Learned on my trip up to the Northwoods of Wisconsin!
1. Check trailer tires for worn spots/warped areas. If you find such an issue, replace before leaving (Explanation will follow).
2. Renew your registration at least 6 weeks in advance, so that they can MAIL you your new plates (seriously??? When did they start doing this)
3. If an eagle is anywhere near the freeway, avoid it!!
4. Watch for crossing deer
5. When you are low on gas, stop at the next exit—don’t try to push OR Clean out your ears Ryan, I told you to get off at the last 3 exits!
6. Check to make sure you have emergency roadside equipment, you know how to use it and that it fits the items in question.
7. Have no problems telling your husband NO when it comes to buying several items that you can get up there, poss. at the same price.
8. Start a vacation fund or keep it in the savings without spending it….
At least, we left only 20 minutes later then we wanted. Realizing that we only had hundred dollar bills left, we decided that we needed to break it at the nearest Wal-Mart. We don’t use credit cards and prefer to use cash. We bought $6.00 worth of chips and ice! Finally, we got on the road. Traveling was a breeze, but not the tolls. One would think that adding just ONE axle wouldn’t increase the tolls that much. You are WRONG, my friend. To use the Skyway, it cost almost $8.00. I really hope that Chicago is getting their fair share of that. After paying nearly $15.00 in tolls in just 4 booths, we decided that we would try to avoid toll roads. We found an alternate route and began cruising along again.
However, just outside Milwaukee and after a discussion about needing to replace the trailer tires, a tire decided to stay in Milwaukee. It shredded like I have never seen a tire shred before. After pulling off to the side of the road, removing several pieces of luggage to get to the SUV’s jack, Ryan realized that the lug nuts on the trailer were bigger than the wrench. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Good thing he remembered that he had some tools in the boat…..that had rusted because the dry bag was left opened! We used a crescent wrench and feet to loosen those nuts. I did help! I cannot sit by and watch. We extended the jack to the highest point and couldn’t get the spare on. It appeared too large for the trailer. Then, the jack was lowered and put in a lower spot-success. However, after the tire was on, the lug nuts were finger tightened, lines for A Christmas Story were exchanged – “FFFFF…UUU….DDD..GGG….EEE, only I didn’t say fudge, I said the F - - - - word. . . .” It was my successful attempt at lightening the mood. Ryan decided to take the wrench and tighten those lug nuts…while still on the jack in a truly unsafe spot. You guessed it! The jack moved and the trailer dropped down, good thing the tire was on and it only “fell” about 6”. Keep in mind, this whole time NO ONE stopped to offer their assistance, it had been about an hour. Just as we were securing the boat cover, a county sheriff pulled up behind us. Remembering that we had just renewed our trailer registration on Friday (3 days earlier) and they told us that they were going to SEND us our new plate. Our plates technically expired in February, but who goes boating in Indiana in February?? We thought for sure the officer was going to say something about the plate. He so casually asked if we were just securing the boat. We brought him up to speed then he saw the tire….He chuckled and never mentioned the plate. I believe that he thought we had enough excitement for one day. The cute officer made sure we got on our way. This fun occurred approximately 2 ½ hours after we got on the road. We hoped that this was not a sign of things to come.
Trip proceeded fairly smoothly after that. We were approximately 200 miles from our destination, we started to see many deer who took a chance crossing a major freeway and lost. Next thing we notice, a small truck that looked like a steel I-beam was dropped on the front end. The air bad deployed, thankfully, the driver was out of the vehicle. The poor deer lay approximately 200 feet or so behind the officer’s vehicle. I became much more vigilant on my deer patrol. All of a sudden, Ryan gasped and pointed out a car that had its windshield smashed (spidered). Several hundred feet behind that car was an eagle with its wing, obviously injured or dead. Something very tasty must have been on the ground; too good to pass up and worth risking its life. We all like a good meal, but I don’t think I would ever jump in front of a moving vehicle for one!
Trip proceeded: about 100 miles or so from destination, Ryan notices that we were running low on gas. I duly take note of this statement and proceed to point out the next 3 exits that had gas stations. He PROMPTLY ignored me, on every exit. He must have a plan. We turned off the freeway onto a nice county road…nicely empty. I started to panic, watching the needle go further in the southward direction. The panic started to turn to praying, after about 30 miles or so. The praying got much louder, I felt as if I was shouting to the Man Upstairs. Finally, a gas station, after we passed about 3 bars! After using the restroom and putting in gas, we felt so much relief!
Using our guiding voice (VZ Navigator), we were close and THEN nothing. We had lost service. About 2 miles before Musky Waters rental home, our voice came back. We pulled into the driveway and our breath was taken from our bodies. The house was beautiful. Near the driveway was a deer bedding area. It is fully landscaped with a dock about 300 feet from the back steps. The house is only a few years old and on Lake Winter. It was definitely worth the excitement we had coming up here.
Next year, I will be better prepared for handling the emergency expenses that could occur after joining the most amazing team.
1. Check trailer tires for worn spots/warped areas. If you find such an issue, replace before leaving (Explanation will follow).
2. Renew your registration at least 6 weeks in advance, so that they can MAIL you your new plates (seriously??? When did they start doing this)
3. If an eagle is anywhere near the freeway, avoid it!!
4. Watch for crossing deer
5. When you are low on gas, stop at the next exit—don’t try to push OR Clean out your ears Ryan, I told you to get off at the last 3 exits!
6. Check to make sure you have emergency roadside equipment, you know how to use it and that it fits the items in question.
7. Have no problems telling your husband NO when it comes to buying several items that you can get up there, poss. at the same price.
8. Start a vacation fund or keep it in the savings without spending it….
At least, we left only 20 minutes later then we wanted. Realizing that we only had hundred dollar bills left, we decided that we needed to break it at the nearest Wal-Mart. We don’t use credit cards and prefer to use cash. We bought $6.00 worth of chips and ice! Finally, we got on the road. Traveling was a breeze, but not the tolls. One would think that adding just ONE axle wouldn’t increase the tolls that much. You are WRONG, my friend. To use the Skyway, it cost almost $8.00. I really hope that Chicago is getting their fair share of that. After paying nearly $15.00 in tolls in just 4 booths, we decided that we would try to avoid toll roads. We found an alternate route and began cruising along again.
However, just outside Milwaukee and after a discussion about needing to replace the trailer tires, a tire decided to stay in Milwaukee. It shredded like I have never seen a tire shred before. After pulling off to the side of the road, removing several pieces of luggage to get to the SUV’s jack, Ryan realized that the lug nuts on the trailer were bigger than the wrench. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Good thing he remembered that he had some tools in the boat…..that had rusted because the dry bag was left opened! We used a crescent wrench and feet to loosen those nuts. I did help! I cannot sit by and watch. We extended the jack to the highest point and couldn’t get the spare on. It appeared too large for the trailer. Then, the jack was lowered and put in a lower spot-success. However, after the tire was on, the lug nuts were finger tightened, lines for A Christmas Story were exchanged – “FFFFF…UUU….DDD..GGG….EEE, only I didn’t say fudge, I said the F - - - - word. . . .” It was my successful attempt at lightening the mood. Ryan decided to take the wrench and tighten those lug nuts…while still on the jack in a truly unsafe spot. You guessed it! The jack moved and the trailer dropped down, good thing the tire was on and it only “fell” about 6”. Keep in mind, this whole time NO ONE stopped to offer their assistance, it had been about an hour. Just as we were securing the boat cover, a county sheriff pulled up behind us. Remembering that we had just renewed our trailer registration on Friday (3 days earlier) and they told us that they were going to SEND us our new plate. Our plates technically expired in February, but who goes boating in Indiana in February?? We thought for sure the officer was going to say something about the plate. He so casually asked if we were just securing the boat. We brought him up to speed then he saw the tire….He chuckled and never mentioned the plate. I believe that he thought we had enough excitement for one day. The cute officer made sure we got on our way. This fun occurred approximately 2 ½ hours after we got on the road. We hoped that this was not a sign of things to come.
Trip proceeded fairly smoothly after that. We were approximately 200 miles from our destination, we started to see many deer who took a chance crossing a major freeway and lost. Next thing we notice, a small truck that looked like a steel I-beam was dropped on the front end. The air bad deployed, thankfully, the driver was out of the vehicle. The poor deer lay approximately 200 feet or so behind the officer’s vehicle. I became much more vigilant on my deer patrol. All of a sudden, Ryan gasped and pointed out a car that had its windshield smashed (spidered). Several hundred feet behind that car was an eagle with its wing, obviously injured or dead. Something very tasty must have been on the ground; too good to pass up and worth risking its life. We all like a good meal, but I don’t think I would ever jump in front of a moving vehicle for one!
Trip proceeded: about 100 miles or so from destination, Ryan notices that we were running low on gas. I duly take note of this statement and proceed to point out the next 3 exits that had gas stations. He PROMPTLY ignored me, on every exit. He must have a plan. We turned off the freeway onto a nice county road…nicely empty. I started to panic, watching the needle go further in the southward direction. The panic started to turn to praying, after about 30 miles or so. The praying got much louder, I felt as if I was shouting to the Man Upstairs. Finally, a gas station, after we passed about 3 bars! After using the restroom and putting in gas, we felt so much relief!
Using our guiding voice (VZ Navigator), we were close and THEN nothing. We had lost service. About 2 miles before Musky Waters rental home, our voice came back. We pulled into the driveway and our breath was taken from our bodies. The house was beautiful. Near the driveway was a deer bedding area. It is fully landscaped with a dock about 300 feet from the back steps. The house is only a few years old and on Lake Winter. It was definitely worth the excitement we had coming up here.
Next year, I will be better prepared for handling the emergency expenses that could occur after joining the most amazing team.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Get dressed for work
Do you sometimes wonder why nothing gets done when you are working from home? Have you gotten dressed for your job? Get up in the morning, take a shower, put on your face and do your hair! This might sound silly, but when you are ready for work, you will work. Why waste perfectly good makeup watching TV? No one said you had to put on your Sunday's best, but dress up or at least, don't put on sweats.
I get so much more accomplished when I force myself to get in the shower first thing and put my face on! Now, ladies, you know what I mean. However, gentlemen, I am not a robot nor have I had surgery that allows me to disassemble myself at night. I mean to put on my makeup. When I get things around the house accomplished, I have an enormous sense of pride. No one can burst my bubble.
So I encourage ALL of you to get up and put your faces on...no matter what you are doing at home!
I get so much more accomplished when I force myself to get in the shower first thing and put my face on! Now, ladies, you know what I mean. However, gentlemen, I am not a robot nor have I had surgery that allows me to disassemble myself at night. I mean to put on my makeup. When I get things around the house accomplished, I have an enormous sense of pride. No one can burst my bubble.
So I encourage ALL of you to get up and put your faces on...no matter what you are doing at home!
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