In the toilet????

Ok remember last week I told you that Nicholas accused me of eating his hair gel??? I mean really, I know I have problems with food because I just can't diet, BUT I have not resorted to eating weird stuff like that. LOL

This morning being the Designated Willy Shaker that I am, I was called into the bathroom because he was done. Great, now picture me with this annoyed look on my face and repeatedly telling him that this is NOT going to go on for much longer. He gets up and is standing there getting his underwear back on. I say to myself (yes I talk to myself at times lol) "I need to wash my hair this morning". Out of the corner of my eye I see him quickly look at me and then he says "IN THE TOILET?????". LOL
Oh come on now, this is getting out of hand.....I'm terrified of this kid talking to any strangers about his mommy. I can just see it now....

Stranger - Where's your mommy?
Nicholas - At home, eating hair gel and washing her hair in the toilet.

That's what I have to look forward to. Great isn't it??? LOL
You know I realized yesterday that when kids are born they must have this memo handed out, with all these little things that should be done to annoy parents. Like:

1. If you see your parent pick up the toys, wait until they leave the room and then dump it all out, watch their faces, it's priceless.

2. When handed a juice box, repeatedly tell them you will be very good and keep it in the kitchen, and then again, wait until they turn their backs, run into the living room and proceed to use the juice box as a sprinkler. Remember to turn in circles really fast, and squeeze the box hard.

3. Only hear what they say if it's convenient for you, don't answer if it means doing chores or going to bed, ESPECIALLY going to bed, again, watch their faces, it's priceless.

See, this list just goes on and on. Or is it just my kids that got this memo? I love them to death, but boy can they push me to the limits.

They're being really good this morning, which some people would say "Yay that's wonderful", yes it is, but I always get worried. Why are they being so good right now? Do they have something major planned for later? They know I'm going to the store this afternoon....oh NO, are they waiting for that to act out? I think I watch too much tv, really. It's crazy what your mind will think of if you just let it run for a bit. lol

Blogger is being sensitive today (for lack of a nicer way to say it). I can't get on anyone's blogs and can't comment. Hopefully they will get their act together soon, I'm having blogging withdrawals, need.to.read.my.favorite.blogs..... I'm actually lucky to be posting this right now, it wouldn't even let me in my account earlier, something about they know what the problem is and their engineers are working on it. HA!!!!

ONE DAY AT A TIME, that's what my 15 Minutes Alone with God was about today. The author talks about how we always ask God for guidance for tomorrow or next week or next year, and we forget to ask him for that same guidance just for today. Well I'm guilty of that, I'm usually asking God for help with major things (you know I've mentioned this before), something happening in the future etc. But there's days that I get into bed at night and realize that my TO DO list for that day just didn't get done. I was too busy worrying about tomorrow or the following day.

She suggests making a TO DO list for today and only listing those things that NEED to be done. After a few weeks of doing this you start ranking the activities by priority, start with the most important thing and then let the least important items settle for last, she even says that by the end of the day some of those things will probably even drop off the list.
I'm all for that, and I think I'm going to try that today, I mean really let's get realistic, do I need to sweep and mop everyday, vacuum everyday, scrub and dust and spend so much time on housework??? I am all for a clean house, but I think things should be in moderation.

Father God, I pray for my schedules. I ask for wise discernment in order to gain control of my life. Give me the courage to say "no" to the time wasters and say "yes" to the things that have eternal value. Amen.

I'm having a good day, I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. I can't remember what I dreamed about so I guess it could be attributed to that??? No??? MY hope is that it's still this great feeling of contentement that I mentioned in yesterday's post. Could God be letting me feel this way for longer than a day, maybe to shake things up and make me realize what I've been missing by worrying so much, and by NOT putting things in his hands???
I've been trying so hard for the past few months, and I've gotten a lot better but I still tend to do the controlling thing.....I give Him something to help me with with and then I put him on a timer.

Me - You not done yet Lord? I was really hoping for today.
Lord - No Sandra, I'm not done, remember things are done on MY timing not yours.
Me - yes yes I know, but could you maybe hurry it along a little, just a bit?
Lord - You're not paying attention to a single word I've said.
Me - Oh just give it back to me, I'll get it done faster.
Lord - (shaking his head), my sweet dear daughter, when are you going to learn?

I can tell you that this is how our conversations go. I say I'll leave it up to Him, and then snatch it away real fast, then I sit back and cry and wonder why it didn't work. DUH!!!! But yet, I keep doing it, am I really that dumb or thick headed??? LOL
I'm hoping to really nip this bad habit in the behind.....I know one day I will be able to let Him take my problems without so much as a second thought from me. One day!!!

Well I better get my day started, got a big basket of laundry to iron. Did I tell you how much I LOVE ironing??? Really I do, I get excited just thinking about it :)
I also want to go jump in the shower real quick and wash my hair, NO, not in the toilet....the shower.

Have a wonderful day everyone,

Boy what a day............

for the first time yesterday, both my kids did not get to bed before midnight. That's a huge thing for me.....I'm one of those moms that believes in sticking to a schedule, BUT I'm also the mom that let's them stay up late on friday and saturday nights.

Still, late usually does NOT mean midnight. They finally passed out and didn't get up until 9 am, which meant that I got to sleep in, oh in what's been months (mother's day actually now that I think about it). It felt so good to wobble out of bed at that time, but then panic strikes me. Oh NO, half the morning is gone. Yeah, all you late sleepers are probably pointing and laughing at the nutty one. What does she mean half the morning is gone??? I don't even get up before 11am. Lucky Lucky you!!!! LOL

Got up and did all my laundry, emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the living room and made breakfast, while hubby mowed the back and front yards and then steam cleaned my carpets. (Yes Emily, AGAIN lol). Maybe I'm just weird like that, but I can't go a week without cleaning mine, there's always a juice box or a popsicle that secretly make it into the living room and then leave nasty spots all over. And have you ever noticed that you have a certain area with all these tiny blobs on it??? It's like, what exactly caused it? A very little person, or some sort of snack that drips in a sprinkler like fashion??? I just don't get it, it's definitely going down in the Mommy's Book of Mysteries.

Spent the rest of the day just hanging out with the hubby and kids. They got to play outside in the sprinklers again.....No, no the hubby, the kids. Although I would have paid to watch him out there playing too LOL
I'm usually on a blogger first thing in the morning and then everything else later, routine, but today I drifted from it and you know what??? The sky didn't fall and the world didn't come to an end. Only thing I missed was reading all my favorite bloggers, but I'll leave that for the morning, it will be the perfect thing to go with my coffee.

Really don't have much left to say today, just been happy and content with everything around me, even the toys on the living room floor. I'm not freaking out or trying desperately to pick them all up. I'm just letting things be right now.
Ever felt that way??? It doesn't seem to happen very often with me, but when it does, it's this overwhelming sense of calmness and happiness. All the worries just slip away and nothing said or seen or heard could get me down. I could attribute that to maybe being in some sort of bubble right now, or I could be honest and realistic and give credit where credit is due. To the Lord, yes, it's Him showing me yet again that if I just stop.....stop the thinking, the worrying, the what if's.....life can be so joyful and so peaceful.

I'm going to relax and to continue enjoying this feeling, and if by tomorrow it's gone, well, then I'm just happy that I got to enjoy it today and will eagerly wait for the next big moment, sort of like a kid anticipating the next big ride at the fair....oh come on you know the feeling right??? Just can't wait for it to happen :)

Hope you are all having a beautiful night and I will see you here bright and early tomorrow morning, cup of coffee in hand and a huge smile on my face.

God Bless,

Ooohhhhhh.......

I'm sitting here eating an Enormous Omelet Sandwich from Burger King. I had never tried them before, it's my first time, and let me tell you "IT'S GOOD". BUT, there's a down side to it, the enormous calories involved. Needless to say, my calorie limit for today has been enormously cut down LOL So much enormous talk, I'm actually feeling sick just saying it.

Thank you all for the great comments and insights on yesterday's post. The reason I brought up the whole psychic subject, is because I have mixed feelings when it comes to it.
I think my main skepticism comes from Psychics who tell you about your future or stuff in your lives, because that to me doesn't really prove that they "know stuff", how do I know that maybe they didn't talk to someone or find out stuff about my life from another source???

What's been confusing me is the fact that some people will flat out deny that there is any way to communicate or even acknowledge people who have passed on. I've had many encounters with it, I've seen things that I DON'T want to see, I've seen my greatgrandmother, I've seen shadows or mists, and have had things happen that I can't explain. Does that mean I'm delving into evil or that I'm somehow not a Christian anymore because I admit that it happened to me???

I think that is the only line that I draw when it comes to it. I am by no means psychic, but why do I seem to be the one seeing the ghosts or spirits or whatever? And most importantly, is it because God allows me to or because the devil is playing tricks on my mind?

You all had such wonderful opinions and views on the whole issue, I actually printed them all out so that I can read them again when I have more time and quiet away from the kids :)

Every saturday morning I go to Yard Sales. It's not that I have something specific in mind, and really I don't need anything else, but I find the whole process of driving there, getting out of the car and just browsing around....a lot of fun. There's always something that catches my eye, but I have to tell you that some Yard Sellers are a bit crazy with prices, you might as well just go to the store and buy it new. For the most part though, I've been lucky to find good things for great prices. Remember my Computer Armoire?

This morning I found this beautiful foot rest, ottoman thing that opens up for storage. I think what caught my eye about it is the pattern and design, I'm from Africa so it was something I really wanted. It was only $10, not bad.

Then right as I was leaving, I saw this candle. I'm obsessed with candles, all different shapes and sizes and different smells. My favorite smell though is Gardenia or anything crisp and clean, like Rainfall or Ocean Mist etc.
I told the lady the candle was beautiful and she said "Yes it is, I actually bought it in Ireland", well say no more, I grabbed it LOL I didn't care if it smelled like trash, just because now I can say I have a candle from Ireland, a place I've always wanted to visit. It was just $1, come on, who can pass that up huh?!?!?!

Isn't it beautiful too??? So there you have it, my Yard Sale finds for this Saturday.

Today we're taking it easy. Hubby and I decided to not do anything around the house or the yard, we will leave that for tomorrow. Usually I would be fighting nail and tooth to do it now, you know how it is, "I'll do it tomorrow", turns into the following week, and then the next and then next month etc. But I can't say I'm feeling that great today, I'm cramping (who knows why), and just want to lay on the couch or mess around on my computer.
What do you say we all do that huh??? Mommy's on Strike this saturday, everyone fend for themselves.

It reminds me of one time that......well before I go on let me just say that with hubby being military and working during the day, and me being the SAHM, I spend most of the time with the kids so it's normal that I would be used to their meals and snacks etc. Now keep that in mind.....I had an appointment somewhere (can't remember now), but as I was heading out the door, I told hubby to give the kids lunch to which he replied "what do they usually have? What do I give them?".
I was so annoyed at the time that I said "Oh I don't know, just throw them a piece of lettuce, that should work" LOL
He was not impressed, but I HAVE noticed that my kids LOVE it when daddy gives them breakfast, I mean who else would let them have popcorn, soda or cookies so early in the morning huh??? I love my husband to death, he just cracks me up, and all joking aside, he's a wonderful husband and daddy :)

Well it's time for me to get off here and go say hi to my fellow bloggers. What kinda friend would I be if I didn't drop by and say hello???

I posted my Saturday Surfing just below, so if you want some cool sites to check out or just want to know what my surfing activity has been like this past week, just go on and scroll down....hopefully some of my internet surfing proves handy to someone else :)

See ya tomorrow, and please stay out of the sun, it's way too hot out there.

Sandra's Saturday Surfing!!!!

You know there's weeks that go by without me even getting on the internet once, well other than email and my blog. But then there's those weeks that seem to bring me the best sites around, and I often sit back and wonder, "why didn't I find that before?".

This week was somewhat in between, I didn't do much surfing but I did find some interesting sites.


My Journey - We have so much in common, and I have to tell you, check out her stamping cards....gorgeous, just wish I was THAT crafty :)

Just Add Water - Great blog too, another SAHM of 3. Go on and say hi, she's pretty funny :)

The Electronic Zoo - This was a great find. My kids love zoo animals and animals in general, and in this site you can look up different ones, and even visit some "real" zoo pages and even look up veterinary services if you have a question about a sick pet.

Roadside America - While looking for some fun things to do when my MIL comes next week, I came across this site. It's pretty much an online guide to tourist attractions and you can even find unusual attractions near your city by using their Map-a-City.


That's it for now, I didn't go to many places and the usual ones I did visit, I already mentioned in my previous posts :) If anything, I'm sure the blogs will entertain you :)

EVER FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE

of a roleplaying game or those MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing games lol), with banshees running around you???
No??? Well lucky you, because that's exactly what I felt like yesterday. It was like being transported from the game I play with my hubby online, DAOC.....to the middle of my living room surrounded by my kids.

What is it with young kids and ear piercing, blood curling screams??? You know the kind right??? You're standing there all happy and smiling, then all of a sudden, out of nowhere (unless there's an imaginary killer or a nuclear bomb that you're unaware of), it starts. It never really begins full force, it just builds up, from one scream to this series of continuous HIGH PITCHED ones. You look at their faces and they have HUGE grins. HOW?!?!?! How is that possible, to let out screams like that while smiling, the only time I've ever screamed like that is when a mouse ran over my foot, it was pure terror!!!

So last night for dinner, I made Bacalhau A Gomes de Sa, it's this really deliscious dish made with Cod Fish. I posted the recipe on my food blog, so you can go take a look if you wish :)
Isn't it amazing how eating a certain food can bring up a memory or make you feel like you're in a certain place or a certain time??? That is what happened yesterday, if I closed my eyes it was as if I was sitting back home, with all my family and especially my greatgrandmother, just enjoying the meal and lively conversation.

Reminds of when Curt first met my family. You all know that I'm portuguese and we tend to talk really loud. We could be telling you the weather and it would seem that we're mad or really upset about something. I guess we're just passionate about everything, no matter how big or small. So we're sitting there eating dinner, and dinners at my house always had no less than 12 or 13 people at one table. Everyone is eating and talking loudly and Curt turns to me and whispers in my ear "why is everyone fighting?" LOL
Oh my poor husband, if only you knew what you're getting into LOL

I have housework to do and I don't feel like it. Is that acceptable??? There's no housework police running around is there???

I love my life and I love my job as a mom, but there are days that I long for the times when I had no responsibility, just laying in bed and sleeping until I felt like it, not having to worry about dinner, or bills or my kids being bathed and ready for bed. But then I quickly realize that apart from that little bit of freedom, I really can't remember what my life was before my children. Yes we all want to just run away at times, and be alone, for me it's more of a "I need to catch my breath" kinda thing. Once that happens I'm ready to go again.

I don't think I could just become one of those lazy moms. It's not in me to be that way, I've learnt to be organized and on TOP of things. Do you know that if I sit on the couch to watch General Hospital, the whole time I'm watching it I'm having this mental struggle. "You're being lazy", "shouldn't you be doing laundry", "look the kitchen counters need to be wiped down". It's a sickness I tell you, and please don't think I'm a neat freak, I'm far from it. But I do struggle with allowing myself some downtime, some time to myself, to relax and not worry so much about the house.
Is there a place that offers treatment for the guilty mommy syndrome??? If so, point me in that direction will ya, I really need to go!!!!

I'm about to bring up a very controversial topic. That's just me, when there's nothing interesting going around, I just throw it on out there and watch LOL No, I'm just kidding, but I AM curious as to what you all think about psychics. Do you believe that some people have these special abilities to communicate with the other side? Do you think it's all evil and not to be trusted?
It's a subject that I've watched and read and researched because there seems to be such controversy around it, and very strong opinions on both sides. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground on it, it's either "IT'S PURE EVIL" or "I TOTALLY BELIEVE IT".
So what do you think???? Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on it.

And I did it again, I just took a sip of cold coffee.....and though I'm a coffee lover, unless it's specifically meant to be cold, like one of those Frappes, there's nothing nastier than a sip of coffee that has been sitting there while you blab away on your blog. SO, with that said, I'm going to grab some fresh hot one, then sitting back down to visit my blogger friends.

Oh, I have my Everyday Things post, just below, so be sure to check it out if you're interested :)

God Bless,