Brooke Blogs This

Follow my blog with Bloglovin So if you remember, last month I wrote about my  child care  issues, and well how I have none.  I should say, had none.  Shortly after that post, I accepted a position (an assistant) at a local school here in Portland.  I spent 2 weeks working crazy overtime at my previous employer to get things in order for my responsibilities to be transitioned to someone new, and then I've spent the last two weeks getting acclimated to my new schedule.  As of Friday afternoon, my hours changed (for the better!). With this new job, I'll have more time to devote to my family, my church, my photography, BLOGGING, and other hobbies.  So I've been giving more and more thoughts to what I want this blog to be, and I need your input.  As much as this blog is a form of therapy and record for me, I want it to be something of substance, something that people want.  With this new job, I've taken a substantial pay cut, so I'll definitel...

First let me start by saying, I understand that ÿelling" isn't the most preferable way to speak to my children, or anyone for that matter.  But, occasionally, I find it necessary.  And I don't plan to apologize. Why do I yell?  Most often, because I've tried the speak clearly, calmly, sternly...and my kids are still talking over me.  Whining. Being loud.  Doing exactly what I am trying to tell them to not do. Sometimes I yell because the situation calls for it, like when my 6 year old is about to touch a hot stove, or my eleven year old is about to ride his bike into the back of my car. Occasionally, I yell because I'm at the end of my rope. And I NEED to get that point across. I can here some of you parenting experts out there listing all kinds of other options.  Get their attention, get on their eye level, speak calmly but sternly.  Give them natural consequences.  Divert their attention. I do these, I really do.  I am the QUEEN of ...

I hope everyone had an awesome Easter. We sure did! The Easter Bunny came and the dogs didn't chase him away or eat him or anything (at least as far as I can tell.) The kids were very excited about thier baskets. Other than the traditional baskets, we for went any other traditions on Easter. There were no egg hunts, there were no huge dinners. We ate candy (ok, so maybe that IS traditional), cinnamon rolls, fish sticks and fries and Mexican food. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM...Mexican. I am eating the left overs now. Overall it was a pretty fantastic (and the fantasticness was much needed) weekend. Now I just hope I haven't set my sights too high for the upcoming week and weekend!

The last 6 months have been turbulent, to say the least. There have been all kinds of ups, downs, and stresses both at work and at home. I thought the end of 2010 was going to kill me. But, what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. I believe I have become a better wife, mother, friend, employee and Christian. I have had to examine my own flaws, forgive others, and take more of an interest in the emotional well being of every one around me. I have found truth in the Bible, that I had never found before (and if you know my background, that is a biggy). Yes, the past 6 months have been rough, and yes, I would gladly trade them, but, I have learned some very important things about myself, others, the world and life. Top Ten Things I Have Learned: 1. Life is a balance of God's will, man's free will and prayer to change either. 2. I am still a work in progress. 3. If you feel the need to hide or lie, then you know what you are doing is wrong, no matter how many ways...

Getting Shiloh out at daycare this morning: Shiloh points to the vehicle next to us and says: "I am gonna buy that truck." Me: "You like that truck?" Shiloh: "Yeah." Me: "Why do you like that truck?" Shiloh: "It goes vroom vroom like a motorcylce!" Me: "Oh, you like motorcylces too?" Shiloh vigurously nods her head. =)

Call it being busy, call it the winter blues, I just haven't felt like blogging lately. But that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it, or you! I have a HUGE coupon project in the works, that will be much like my Coupon Mania post in early 2010, only MUCH MUCH bigger. =) With that being said, I've thought about moving my couponing/money saving posts to their own blog and just using this blog for personal posts. What do you think? Are you interested in just one or the other and rather have them seperated? Or is it easier to get all my info and thoughts in one place? Leave a Comment letting me know! As for an update on our lives: October We had Zachary for fall break and generally had a good time. Football season came to an end. Shiloh loved trick or treating this year, I still think we have halloween candy at the house! November We had friends over to celebrate my 29th birthday. I have decided I have to make the most of this last year before I enter my 30's....

I am a WOH! (Work Outside the Home) Mom. I don’t have a choice. My Husband and I both have to work to afford a 1200 sq. ft. house in a small town 45 minutes out of Nashville. We both have to work to afford two older vehicles (2002 and 2003). We both have to work to pay the electric bill, water bill and car insurance. We don’t have cable or satellite, we don’t have internet and we don’t spend money eating out. Most months we barely get by. If one of us decided to stay home and we got rid of one vehicle, we could only afford to pay $200.00 in rent. We would still make too much to qualify for any kind of state or federal assistance. So we both work. But, if I had the choice, I would still be a WOH! Mom. Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to not HAVE to work, but I would still work. I would still send my daughter to preschool five days a week. For me, Preschool is a God-send. The group of teachers at her preschool are brave. They let the one year olds finger paint!! Preschool has taught my d...

The night the Easter Bunny was to visit our house, Zachary asked me: “Don’t you think the Easter Bunny is with Santa Clause and has Santa give him a ride on Easter?” Well you know, I don’t know. I remember asking Santa how he made it to all those houses in one night. I don’t think I’ve ever asked the Easter Bunny….anything! Now that Easter has come and gone, the Easter Bunny agreed to answer some essential questions. Me: “Do you live at the North Pole with Santa? EB: “No No, it is much too cold there for a bunny. I live in a hole in the ground.” Me: “Is this hole in the ground on Easter Island?” EB: “The location of my home is classified. Santa can give out his location since it is hard to travel to the North Pole, and the weather is frightful. My home is actually much more accessible and the weather is pretty nice.” Me: “Are you and Santa friends?” EB: “Oh yes! I am friends with the Tooth Fairy too!” Me: “How do you get all the candy for Easter?” EB: “Well, I started out making all t...

I am a bad mommy because... ....I let my daughter eat M&M's before dinner because she was good at the store. ....I've told my toddler that something was her's so she would quit saying "mine" when in reality it was mine...or her brothers...or some other childs...or etc. ....I have answered yes to a question when I was not paying attention and have no idea what I answered yes to. I am really hoping I haven't promised to buy my step son a motorcycle when he turns 14. ....I have let my daughter fall asleep and stay on the couch with me because I did not want to miss any of NCIS Los Angeles. ....I sneak snack food behind my kids back...constantly. Yep folks, I am a bad mommy. If you have ever thought about telling your son that the boogey man lives under your bed to keep him from snooping for Christmas presents, you just might be a bad mommy (or brilliant) too!

Yes, I know this post is three weeks late, but... Christmas is a time for tradition. Growing up our tradition included me waking up the WHOLE house on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought and “Last gift of the night” where we had one last gift Christmas night when we went to bed. This year I decided I wanted to start my own family tradition for Christmas. The Husband and I decided our Christmas tradition would be to give each of the kids something that WE had to put work into, not just buy at the store. Of course we decided this in December so we had to scramble. For my daughter, I gave her all the stuff to make a cute scrap book/picture album that is all her own. She is about to turn two and loves pictures, but frequently gets in trouble for trying to handle mine. I gave her all the stuff, but we still haven’t actually made it yet. But we will…as soon as I get pictures developed!!! (uploading now) For big man, he got his Daddy’s hunting rifle (No I have no idea what kind it is...

I have been a bad bad blogger. I haven't written in well over a week now and therefor do not know which cute story to share. I could share Zachary's wisdom of the difference between a girlfriend and a girl friend.... Or his wisdom of "thin as a peice of glass"... Or how proud he was after he changed his first tire. I could share the story as I sat nervously watching Shiloh suck on her first peice of hard candy.... Or how cute it was when I asked her to pick out a toy to take and she instead started puting all of her toys back in the toy box. I could share stories of how to heal a doll from my three year old neice... Or the fact that she would rather dance with someone watching. There have been so many good times these past couple of weeks, looking back I realize how blessed I have been. I think sometimes we focus on the negative, on everything that goes wrong in life...and we try to learn from it. This week I am choosing to do the opposit. I am focusing on the good ...

Saturday night was the first time in a long time that I have been trick or treating. We got the kids all dressed up as bikers (see the pictures here )and set out on our Halloween adventure. I learned alot about Halloween this year: 1. Halloween now starts before nightfall. I thought we would be "early" at 6PM, nope...we were running late. 2. Most people no longer go all out for halloween. In fact a great number of houses just had bowls of cand on the porch for youngsters to come up and get. What is the fun in that? 3. You now have to cover much more ground to get a decent (sack full) amount of candy. A portion of a subdivision and a trunk or treat and the bags were not even half full! 4. Why trunk or treat??? That just seems like the lazy way. 5. Halloween now ends earlier, probably because it starts earlier. By 8PM we could not find any more candy =( So next year I will be prepared. We will start trick or treating before nightfall, and we will cover the ENTIRE subdivison.....