Time...

Will we ever sleep again....

It has been 9 months now since my husband and I have slept through the night. No wait... I take that back, there was a brief period when E was around 4 months old that we got one week to sleep 8 hours a night! We have been racking our brain with what could be wrong. His diet, his napping patterns, his bedtime, him being in the same room... the list goes on. We asked the doctor and we were told that he is going through an insecure stage and a bad-habit of feeding in the middle of the night. We tried water instead of formula for a couple of nights and he was not impressed and screamed until we caved with the formula again. We tried co-sleeping, which seemed to work when he was younger and couldn't sleep, but now we just get kicked in the stomach all night by a restless baby. The rocking chair always worked beautifully, but now he struggles with even that- waking up the second you move him from rocking to his bed. It has been so aggravating (and exhausting) as my husband and I have managed about 4-5 hours of sleep a night for the past couple of months. The "cry it out" method has been recommended to us, but I am not comfortable with letting him cry for however long it takes for him to give up and fall asleep. I just think that is cruel. For his nap times all I have to do is lay him in the bed with his bottle and he goes to sleep. Sometimes he whines a little before falling a sleep, but rarely will he ever really cry... just falls asleep. So why can't he do this at bedtime? And why can't he sleep all night (or just most of the night)? Well, this week I have really been scouring over the Internet to try and find some advice from pediatricians, experts, and other parents going through the same thing. I have found some interesting information that I think we will try... but no definite answers, of course. Every baby is different and what works with some doesn't work for all. One really useful site I found was Ask Moxie. There is an article on the cry it out method that talks about some babies release tension by crying while others increase energy by crying. That would explain why letting your baby cry at bedtime works for some and not others. It made me think if E is a release tension crier, then maybe letting him cry for 5-10 minutes when we put him down to bed will help him virus hurt him. I guess this will be the first step in trying to figure out his sleep habits, or lack there of. I don't think this is a cure, as it is not usually difficult to get him to fall sleep, its the 'staying' asleep part that we struggle with... but maybe the "releasing tension" part (if this is the type of crier he is) will also help him sleep better. I do think that him being in the same room as us is also part of the problem, so we will also be sleeping out of his room for a few nights to see what happens. We will be trying these two things this holiday weekend to see what, if anything, changes. I do know that at 9 months, babies usually go through developmental and physical changes that will affect their sleep patterns, known as "Sleep Regressions". So, I know that we will have stages of changing patterns. But I hope that figuring out why my little guy wakes up 3, 4, 5 times a night (sometimes staying up for 2 hours at a time) will be the tool to getting through the stages a little easier. Wish us luck.

Beautiful Family

I sat back today and really watched my family... Corey has changed so much over the past couple of years. He is still a pain in the ass and likes to see how far he can push you before you fly off the handle and want to kill him... but he has his sweet moments too... When he gets up early and attempts to make you a cup of coffee or make you breakfast. When he offers to help you with the dishes or offers to go get E when he wakes up. Or plays with E, making him laugh at his rude noises. When you tell him goodnight and every once in a while he gets up and gives you an awkward hug and says "sleep well, love you". And Taylor with all the help she gives babysitting on a whim when Ollie and I need to run to the store or an appointment, or just want to break away for 10 minutes by ourselves. How she works really hard on her school work for a month, just so she can slack off for a week. How she is determined to move away to a small town up north and write novels and poetry. How she sticks up for or worries about her brother one moment, but could kill him a second later. Then there is Ethan with all of his newness... his amazing milestones and infectious laughter. How he smiles all the time at the smallest of things and talks to him self in his baby language. How he throws things over the baby gates and out of the crib just to get excited when you fetch them for him. And how he smiles when you call him stinky. His smells, even the morning breath and sweaty feet. And last but not least my husband... who I adore just because he is my husband and a wonderful husband. Our cookouts and time together on the weekends, talking and laughing over some beer and chips and a fire. Eating at 11 at night because we lost track of time. Nudging each other when E wakes up hoping the other will rise to the occasion... or faking asleep until the other one does! How he does bath time every single night and then rocks E to sleep. How he always greets me before anyone else and calls on his way home to let me know he is leaving work. How he makes my coffee when he gets up before me.

All of these things I adore about my family. I get so caught up in the negative, everyday crap that I forget to pay attention to all the beautiful things about my family. I am glad I was able to do that today.

Been a while...

Been a while since my last post. Been busy with tying up all the loose ends with this move. Things are ironing out nicely and falling into place but there is so much still left to do and work out. Like we still don't know how we are going to get up to Jacksonville from Fort Lauderdale with all our luggage and family. We can't really hitch a ride due to all of our luggage... We maybe could ask our friend to take just our luggage up for us and maybe Corey... and then O and I hop on a train up to Jacksonville... I don't know. We are still trying to work out that part. I guess that will be the last piece of the puzzle. Train tickets to Jacksonville from Fort Lauderdale are $100 for 2 adults ($50. each) and E would be free, but it is an 8 hour train ride (ewww)... So I guess we will see what we can work out. If that is what we need to do then so be it. We are also still trying to get boxes to SA. Still have not sent the first one :( It cost $56 for a small flat-rate box) so I am struggling with trying to figure out what we really want to take with us. Photos, CD's, excess shoes, winter clothing, some toys... I am struggling with this... O's parents have really been working their magic where the furnishings and stuff are concerned. So, we don't HAVE to bring anything, not even pots and pans... but I would like to bring stuff... I don't know. As you can tell I am confused over the entire thing! I hate parting with everything I own... But, maybe that is what new beginnings are all about... I should just roll with it.

I guess that is all for now. Just waiting on the kids passports to get here so I can send off for our visa's and cross my fingers that everything is good to go with our paperwork so we don't have to stress that we will have everything in time. I am still worried about that. I feel like we have given our self plenty of time but in the back of my mind I am still like "OM Gosh.. what if ...?"

Until next time...

Lists Lists and more Lists...

I have lists for lists. Small lists. Big lists. A list for next month and a list for tomorrow. A list that is relocation related and a list to just get through my normal days activities. Is this what my life has become? I have to say that there is some really remarkable satisfaction when I get to draw that 'done' line across the completed items on one of my list. "Yes! Another one down... only 200 more to go"! Hallelujah!!!

Emotions

So many emotions... exhausting! But I think I am doing pretty well. Been trying to stay positive and busy with the details. Part of me is ready to just get the hell out of dodge, and the other part of me is willing to hang on for a little while longer. I am excited about leaving... but I am also worried that my expectations will differ from what will be reality. I guess every big move is like that. I give myself a little talk everyday with what I know I will struggle with and what I know will be difficult. And then I tell myself we will be ok and list the reasons we decided to go. I think it keeps a good balance... in my head anyway. Life is funny.

Sometimes I get so caught up in my daily drama and tasks and 'to-do' lists that I forget to take the time to talk to my kids, spend quality time with my husband, take care of the mental well-being of my family. My wish for myself is that I can learn to start doing that. Somehow, just remember to take time out every day to communicate and make sure that my family knows how much I do love them and care about them and that I hear them. That I really hear them.

ponder...

Why do people look up when they think?

dinner creativity

Just to share a yummy dinner idea... Ollie and I tried to be creative with dinner and it actually worked! Here's the dish on the dish....

Ingredients:

1 onion- chopped
smoked turkey sausage- sliced in round slices
2 cans delmonte tomatoes with mild green peppers
Rice- cooked

Saute chopped onion and sausage in small amount of oil, when onions are clear add 2 cans of delmonte tomatoes, simmer on low covered for 15-20 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

Was a very very yummy dish, we served with a side of mixed veggies.

Next time we will try the dish with the medium rotel tomatoes and green peppers because this dish wasn't as spicy as we would have liked but it had a little zing and was good none-the-less!

Enjoy!

Time goes by... faster than expected

Well... it is official... Looks like the plan is going to be to fly out in March. Lots to do. Paperwork to get done. Garage sale to be held. Plane tickets to be bought. Arrangements to be made. Boxes to be shipped. Panic attacks to be had.

Wonderful Weekend

Our weekend was wonderful! The weather was absolutely perfect for time spent out doors. Friday night we sat around the grill and hung out and enjoyed the cool evening. Saturday we ran errands and came back and let E play outside and sat out there enjoying yet another cool, beautiful day.... BBQing that evening, of course. Sunday we got the garage cleaned and tossed some hamburgers on the grill for an early dinner and watched a movie and enjoyed the day. It was a perfect weekend spent mostly outside, which I loved.

clip the wings or let her soar

T came to me last night and asked if my feelings would be hurt if she moved back to Jacksonville. She misses her friends and is at that age that she needs to be around her friends. We talked a few weeks ago about the benefits of her going to public school because that is how you make friends... but she wouldn't be able to graduate early and she is doing really well in FLVS, taking several honors courses and making all A's, so she doesn't want to go back to school. We also looked into group activities but there are not many options down here non-sports related... and she is not a sports girl, and doesn't want to start anything new (like dance or karate or any of my suggestions). So, I told her that I understood why she wanted to go back and that I was ok with her choice... she did live there her entire life and as a teenager I can only imagine how hard being down here is... even as an adult it is difficult. I ultimately just told her that if she wants to go and can stay with Danielle or Mom, that I would be ok with her choice... and I really am, but it made me sad because I have less than a year left here with her, and then I will be over 8000 air-miles away. I guess we will see what happens. I am torn. I know she is unhappy here and I want her to be happy and enjoy her life... selfishly I want my time with her. I don't want her to 'leave the nest' too soon. I want her to be a happy functioning adult. And my delima is.. will this help her or hurt her in the end.

Garage Cleaned!

Got up this morning and with the weather fantastically cool we managed to get the entire garage cleaned out. 3 piles... (1)keep, going to SA with us (2)garage sale and (3)donation. Our garage sale pile is huge... lets hope we make some decent money to put into savings for our trip. We will ultimately have 2 garage sales I think. One in the next few weeks just to get rid of the stuff and open up the garage and then what doesn't sell we will hold on to and save for the garage sale when we put everything (our bed, crib, furniture, etc.) up for sale. I think our furniture will just be paid off at that point which is a relief!

More later... back to cleaning...

Saturday agenda

On the agenda for today... made turkey bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits for breakfast. yummm. Taking T to find 'cat ears' for her Halloween costume. Hitting the thrift store to see if we can find some night clothes for E. Coming home and cleaning out the garage (ewwww) ...Separating trash items from garage sale/craigslist items. Pitching the big tent to see the damage and if it is worth keeping/selling. Golf on TV all day. Cleaning the house after we found a missing battery in the remote... hoping E didn't get it and that it is just misplaced!! BBQ this evening.

ac360

Love this news blog... a daily must read for me... Anderson Cooper is not half bad either! LOL

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/blog/

Wednesday Woes...

I wanted to go through all of my photo CD's and pull out the ones that are most memorable that I would like to have in print to put in a photo album and when I inserted the disk I found that my CD/DVD drive is not working. The computer is not recognizing the drive. :( Man, I have sooooo many photos and documents and programs on CD that this is really crap! And now the photos I have already saved on my laptop I can't even burn to disk. I am really hoping nothing happens to my computer before I can come up with an alternate way of saving photos and videos. Arggghhhhh! I guess I will see if I can find something like a free driver fix online, if not, maybe an external CD Drive? I am not sure how that all works but I need to figure something out. Very aggravating!! Not a great way to start my morning! And t top that off... both of my children wake up this morning with serious chips on their sholders. Beautiful.

Pierre is coming over for a braai tonight. Maybe that will bring a nice end to the day... now to get the in-between improved :) E is still smiling... the sunshine through the dark clouds... that's what he is. Sweet baby! Although, the kid has got to start sleeping at night! I am at a loss. Waking up 4-5 times a night does not seem normal to me! O' insurance kicks in November 1... I see a trip to the pediatrician to rule out any possible issues and then it's going to have to be tough-love. LOL Yea, right... E has probably spent a combined total of 1 hour crying his entire 7 3/4 months on this planet! haha.

What I am doing today: Another cup of coffee. Laundry. Daily chores. Gathering all the documents I need to start getting passports, birth certificates, social security cards... sending off for documents I need and copying documents I have. Creating one binder of important documents so I can stop loosing documents (ha). Contacting C's virtual school (what is with these idiots!!!). Start taking photos of baby items to post on Ebay/Craiglist. Playtime with E. Sits ups. Push ups.

A Friend

You really know who your true friends are when you open yourself up and give them a window to be that friend. Shame on me for not seeing that sooner. The flood gates have opened and I am happy to share my life and know that I have people supporting me, regardless of rather they agree with my choices or not. A supportive conversation with a good friend is just what my soul needed today.

falling into place...

Had a nice weekend. Golf. Football. Beach. Braai. Tried not to think about missing the party and friends in Jax. Still bummed we missed it, but such is life.

I am so sun burnt right now that I want to cry! I hope this heals quickly. Got close to zero sleep last night and poor E, every time he wants me to pick him up I about die. Uggghhhh!

O talked to his parents yesterday... looks like his father is going to front the money for the plane tickets so we can just concentrate on saving living costs. His parents wants us to go over in June.. which I guess we could, but O and I talked and have decided to wait until September, after T's 18th birthday. Gives us an extra two months to save and we will be here to see T into adult-hood. :) His parents are very excited! They have been very busy preparing for us... I guess they have been gathering furniture from friends/family and their own garage and at this point the only thing we are going to need when we get there is a house and a bed! Sounds good to me! And O's dad has secured him the job interning under him and checked his credit history and it is clean and running. So, looks like things are slowly (or not so slowly) falling into place. We still don't know about C (staying or going) but I think I will just take O's parents advice and not stress or worry and hopefully things will just work out how they are supposed to in the end.
O's dad did say that they have a home school program over there, mainly for English students. You go to school but you sit in front of a computer all day and do your work online (kind of like they did at Gains when C went there). It's all in English and you work at your own pace... so, in the event C does go with, I think that might be a good way to ease into life over there for him. Not too far out of his element.

So, we still have a lot to do and paperwork to file and money to save... but things are progressing and we are feeling good about our decision. One thing that O and I talked about and that his dad also mentioned was this is a BIG move. For O and I to go over there and start long-term careers and saving for retirement and such, this will be a permanent move. We can't return in 5 or 10 years because then we would be starting all over again in our early to late 40's. So we have to really be prepared to say this is it. We will return to visit... but SA is where we are going to live for the rest of our lives.

Kids say the darndest things... even when they are 14!

My sister called me to tell me about her visit with Corey while he was visiting his father last weekend in Jacksonville. She said she took him to the flea market so he could spend some of his money (he was looking for a skateboard) and that they found a shop that sold used skateboards. She said Corey was kind of talking the owners ear off, but she didn't think much of it until the end of their conversation, when she said she almost climbed under the table in embarrassment... Corey and the owner were talking about the skateboards when Corey said "Man, you should open your own shop". The guy looked at Corey and said "Dude, what do you think I am doing here" and Corey replied, "No, a real shop, not a flea market shop". Danielle said she just about died! I don't blame her... but hahahahaha... Glad it was her not me! You just never know what that kid is gonna say!

South Florida in October...

Current conditions as of 1:53 pm EDT :

Partly Cloudy
Currently: 89°
Feels Like: 102°
Barometer: 30.05 in and falling
Humidity: 67%
Visibility: 10 mi
Dewpoint: 77°
Wind: ESE 8 mph
Sunrise: 7:15 am
Sunset: 7:00 pm

"Breakdowns can create breakthroughs. Things fall apart so things can fall together."

I need Motivation...

...to clean my house! It's a mess and I have zero energy. I think sitting outside in the sun while E played in his pool zapped my get-up-and-go! The heat down here is just ridiculous. Ugghh... ok, let me try to get motivated... 1-2-3... and off my ass...

All Dogs Go To Heaven... I thought cartoon movies were supposed to all end happy. That was just sad :(

Sitting outside...pondering

Sitting outside with E. He loves being outside. He observes everything... the wind blowing the leaves, the birds chirping, the squirrel running up the tree limb... If he is grumpy and you bring him outside, he is instantly happy and content. I love that about him. I think today I will fill up his pool again and let him enjoy it. It's hot... i think they said 91 degrees today. Already feels like 100.

We had a great weekend. Enjoyed each other. Well, O and I enjoyed E and enjoyed each other. T didn't feel like joining us on any outings and C was with his father. The kids always complain about doing stuff and then when we do they opt out. If you make them your day is miserable because they moan the entire time. So I gave up along time ago on forcing the issue. Maybe it is the age. I don't know. We stayed home all day Saturday and just relaxed. Sunday we went to the Jazz Festival and to the beach and then to P2's house for a birthday braai. A lot of people were at P2's... It was ok. I had a nice time, but mostly O and I talked and chatted with a few people here and there. Mingling is not my forte I suppose. I have always been that way though. People probably think I am weird... I suppose I am at times. If there are social butterflies... I am the worm.

I woke up in a good mood but as the day goes on I feel my mood becoming less and less jolly and more and more somber. Is that the right word... somber? Just... bla. The stresses of life get to me. And God knows I try so hard to stay upbeat. I tell O that at least we have a roof over our head and food on the table , a healty family and each other... at least we have a plan. But I am lonely. I think that is really the bottom line in all this. Not money. Not where we live or how we live. I just get lonely. I think about if I am lonely here, how will I feel when we move. But he truth is, there will be so many people around us I will probably welcome the times I am alone. I will miss the things that I know, but will be filled by the people and places I don't. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that the O's are in the loop, and there will not be many moments to shut myself off and feel sorry for myself... and that may be my saving grace. Or it will be my nail in the coffin. LMAO. Joke.

O and I had a tiff this weekend. Friday night. He said some hurtful things... but apologized the next day. The stress is taking it's toll on our marriage a little. But we talked a lot the rest of the weekend and I think we are on the same page. We need to communicate better on a regular/daily basis. We both know that and hopefully we will work harder on that in the future. There is no doubt that we love each other very much, and that will be why we will get through the hard shit.

So, that is my rantings for now. I feel better.

That's what she said...

Funny!

mmmm...

I am craving sushi!!! :(

Saturday ...

Didn't make it to the beach... but E made it to the pool... :)

I won!

How exciting! I entered a contest for Travelocity on Twitter and just found out I won! The contest question was : If you could be anywhere in the world where would you be?

My answer was :

I'd be in South Africa introducing my husband's family to their 7 month old grandson for the first time #gnomegiveaways

And then I check the RoamingGnome Twitter today after I saw they started 'following me' and this was what I found:

Congratulations to , winner of yesterday's contest! DM me for your super-duper prize -- a lunchbox featuring yours truly.

Yey... a lunch box with the Travelocity Gnome on it!!! Too bad it wasn't plane tickets but hey... a free lunch box ain't bad! lmao

...

Blah!

TGIF

Another Friday... Yey! Plans for the weekend include some R&R, braai with my family, Beach or park Saturday and The Riverwalk Jazz Festival and P2's birthday party/braai Sunday. P2's birthday will be the first time we go somewhere without E! We have decided to enlist T for babysitting while we go and have some adult time. E would be the only child there so at least this way O and I can mingle and drink and BS with all the adults without (me) entertaining E the whole time. It might just be nice! :)

Thought for the day

"Everything we do is infused with the energy with which we do it. If we're frantic, life will be frantic. If we're peaceful, life will be peaceful."— Marianne Williamson

In Love retraction

Ok, not really a retraction LOL... BUT my husband needs to lighten up! Tired of it being an issue but he has zero patience with C. Pierre came over last night and he and C started wrestling around in the living room (playing obviously) and the next thing I know is O is yelling and cussing at C to get to his room. I am like "what the hell"?? I don't really know how to handle it. I feel sorry for C because as annoying as he can sometimes be, he tries so hard to impress O and O just craps on his head 24/7. But if I bring it up and try to talk to O we end up fighting... I don't know what to do.

Sleepy-time blues

Arggghhhh... We are getting less and less sleep at night. E keeps waking up during the night and never really going back into a deep sleep. Last night I think he was probably up 9 or 10 times. He drank 3 bottles from bedtime to 5am this morning... I am not sure what is going on. He is fine during the day, not fussy or acting sick or uncomfortable... it just seems to be at night. Can't find anything online that suggest anything other than a spoiled baby. Should we just let him cry a few nights and see if he starts sleeping better? I feel horrible about doing that but at the same time, O and I cannot function if things keep going like this. We are living on very little sleep! ( (yawn...))

In Love

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

Today...

Don't need no five star reservations
I've got spaghetti and a cheap bottle of tequila
Don't need no concert in the city
I've got a stereo and the best of Patsy Cline
Ain't got no caviar no Dom Perignon
But as far as I can see, I've got everything I want
Cause I've got a roof over my head,
the man I love laying in my bed
And it's alright, alright
I've got shoes under my feet
Forever in his eyes staring back at me
And it's alright, alright
And I've got all I need
And it's alright by me
Maybe later on we'll walk down to the beach
Lay on a blanket and stare up at the moon
It may not be no French Riviera
But it's all the same to me as long as i'm with you
It may be a simple life, but that's okay
If you ask me baby, I think I've got it made
When I lay down at night I thank the Lord above
For giving me everything I ever could dream of


---------------------------------------------------


I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand
Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand
Life is good today. Life is good today.




** Well said Darius and Zac! :) **

Back from testing

I am back from my testing for the job I applied for with the City of Oakland Park. I am sure I passed the test with flying colors... no, that is not me tooting my own horn.. the test was just that easy. You used a calculator to do addition and subtraction problems! haha! But, I guess they had over 200 applicants, so they said in 3 weeks if I did well on the test I will come back for another test... but I over heard some lady talking about they will probably not officially fill the position for 2 months because of all the applicants, the testing process and then the interview process... Bummer... but oh well... if it is meant to be it will be! Still hoping and praying for the best!!

A survey that I found interesting

An emigration survey of 600 South Africans has revealed that:

Climate tops the list of reasons to return;
Crime and corruption tops the list of reasons to leave;
Just over half of South Africans say they’ll never leave;
Only 18% are keen to go; and
Half those leaving say they’ll probably return.

Other than climate, people wanted to be back home with family and friends.
One-fifth cited their love for South African people as a primary reason to stay, while 19% were attracted to nature and wildlife.

Of those leaving, more than 80% cited crime, violence and corruption as the main reason — a huge increase from 55% last year. More women than men named crime as the main push to leave; men were primarily motivated by better job opportunities abroad.

Could it be...

I FINALLY got a call back from an application/resume that I submitted! I have to go test tomorrow at 9:15am for a position with The City of Oakland Park. It is a FT 9-5er and if I recall the pay was within the minimum that I could accept and still afford childcare... so here's to keeping my fingers crossed that this is the break I/we need!

Wish me luck...

new discovery on the WWW

I just found this video on youtube that I think I could just watch and get lost in! It's beautiful (the video and the song). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7deClndzQw

Why I love my family

We braai every weekend to the tunes of Bob Marley, Dave Matthews and various Afrikaans artist
Mine and my husband's fights are huge but our love is enormous
When we laugh... we really laugh
My daughter thinks I have a "hippy" mentality
My oldest son never ceases to amaze me
My baby makes me smile just to see him

Coupon Clarity

So after doing a little research, I have a little clarity on how one might grocery shop for free using coupons. I found this info out from an online article by Kathy Spencer, the "Coupon Queen"(http://www.ehow.com/how_5416804_shop-like-kathy-spencer-shop.html).

A few hints were (1) you can use manufacture coupons with store coupons and in-store sales... I didn't know that! (2) In the article she says she doesn't buy anything unless she can get it for free or nearly free using the coupons and in-store coupons/sales - which means she doesn't make list, she just buys those items she has coupons for... and stocks up by buying as many of those items as the coupons allows for or for as many coupons as she has for that item.

I hope that made sense! It made sense to me. There are more tips and tricks... The website says that she spends 1 hour a week coupon clipping/printing and going over store ads... and then 4 hours a week shopping... so there is more to it that you can read about when you pay $1 to join her site. I havn't done that.

I guess I am going to try my hand at this just with my local store this week and see how I fare. My only thing is I am a one-stop-shopper... hate going to multiple stores! But if I get stuff for free... I can adapt, right?!?!

Wish me luck!

Count Down...

We have set our goal.. no later than November 2010...

WWW.

Not that I do any shopping on it right now... but this is one of my favorite sites on the WWW and I thought I would share... http://www.etsy.com/. Check it out!

Random thoughts...

Some random thoughts I found floating around the WWW...

These I selected for their 'YES!' factor:

• Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.





• How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?





• Was learning cursive really necessary?





• I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!





• MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.





• Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.





• Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....





• I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?





• Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...





• I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.





• How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

Slow cooker recipes ...

Looking for an easy yummy dinner idea... try one (or both) of these chicken slow-cooker recipes. They were a hit with my family... so I thought I would share!

Salsa chicken: put 4 boneless/skinless chicken breast in the slow cooker. dump a jar of salsa over the chicken. cook on low for 6-8 hours. serve over rice.

BBQ chicken & corn: put 4 boneless/skinless chicken breast in slow cooker. dump a jar of BBQ sauce over the chicken. wrap fresh or frozen corn on the cob in tin-foil and place over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (you can eat as is or I shredded the chicken and made BBQ chicken sandwiches).

Quitting Smoking

We bought our last pack of cigarettes today... tomorrow we stop smoking! This will also mean no drinking (for me) because I can't drink and not smoke. And it will also mean no more hanging out outside around the grill when we braai because, well, it just sucks! It will get easier, i am sure. But for now... BACK OFF... I MIGHT BITE!

Interesting Facts:

Fact #793:
More than 40,000 parasites and 250 types of bacteria are exchanged during a typical French kiss!

Fact #831:
When a person dies, hearing is usually the last sense to go.

Fact #846:
The lungfish can live out of water for three years in a state of suspended animation.


Fact #857:
In Singapore, it is illegal to sell or own chewing gum.

Fact #884:
The Bible is the most-shoplifted book in the world.

Coupon Chaos

There must be an art to coupon clipping... and I don't have the talent. In an effort to save money on groceries, I decided to start cutting coupons... but I don't get it. All the coupons are name brand and most of the time I can get the item cheaper if I buy store brand even with the coupon (or break even at best). I have found that coupons are great when combined with in-store specials. For example, last week Publix was running BOGO-free on toaster strudels and I had a .55 off coupon on them... so I got 2 boxes of toaster strudels for $2.00... saved $2.55! Now that I get... but other than combining in-store sales with the coupons... is it really worth it to coupon-clip? Like I said, maybe there is an art to this that I just don't possess... I will keep at it though, maybe it just takes practice :)

Home Remedies

SO E has had a cold... cough & runny nose for a week now. I read that putting vicks vaporub on his feet and covering with a sock will help his coughing. Dr. Oz even said he has recommended this 'treatment' before... so... I am going to try it. I tried some on the most sensitive spot on my body to make sure it wouldn't burn... because baby skin is so sensitive... I think he will be ok. Will just watch him to make sure he doesn't seem agitated or uncomfortable... I guess we will see... Interesting... if it works I will be kind of amazed.




{Note: It really does work.}

life...

life is about trusting our feelings and taking chances
losing and finding happiness, and appreciating the memories

I am tired of...

being critisized.getting stepped on.feeling sad.caring what other people think.feeling lonely.wondering who cares.wondering why I care.trying to please people.being nice.unsolicited advice.suggestions.false promises.fake people.opinions.negativity.

Crawling & other stuff...

I am so excited that little E is crawling around... although he is now a hand full! I can't wait until Papa gets home and I can show him the video I took. He is going to freak out!!

Been busy... lots going on, decisions being made, plans being executed, life carrying on... Kids schooling... Just as it should be I guess. Ah,life!

decisions

made some life-altering decisions this weekend. let the transition begin.

sick baby blues

feeling so sorry for E. he is sick. has a cold. congested. runny nose. cough. fever. o and i were talking tonight about, even being sick, he plays and smiles and laughs all day. what a sweet baby we have. too bad he doesn't like to cuddle... because thats what i want to do 24/7!

Sippy Cup Score...

I read an article about sippy cup vs. bottle and when to introduce your baby to the sippy cup. It recommended the following:



Introduce Sippy Cup Early



Parents can introduce a baby to a sippy cup as early as six months. The longer a parent waits to introduce a baby to a sippy cup the more resistant the child will be to try and take his or her fluids from it. Introduction to the cup does not have to mean the child has to drink from it right away. Letting the baby play with sippy cup filled with water gets them used to the sight, sound and feel of it and peaks his or her curiosity. Eventually the cup will end up in the mouth and the baby will figure it out from there.


So, O and I, while picking upsome things at Target today, ran across a sippy cup designed for 6 months and older. We got it and tried it out on him with some juice when we got home. We were pretty impressed at how fast he took to it. He knew exactly what to do and drank almost all of his juice! I thought h'd gag on it or drink to fast, but nothing. Yey!

So exactly when can I get rid of these darn bottles???? hahaha

song lyrics for the soul

Most kind of stories


Save the best part for last

And most stories have a hero who finds

You make your past your past

Yeah you make your past your past



It’s a brand new day

The sun is shining

It’s a brand new day

For the first time in such a long long time

I know I’ll be ok



This cycle never ends

You gotta fall in order to mend
 
 
[Joshua Radin]

some good news...

O just called... he got a 25% pay increase. Less than he was promised when he took the job but we didn't think he was getting a raise at all last week. So that is some really good news, at least. Thank you God!

Friday's Ramblings

It's Friday! No matter how crappy life gets and how little we may have-or be able to do- I still very much look forward to the weekend and spending two full days with my husband. We always find a way to enjoy each other and talk and just unwind. Monday will always come too soon!


Unfortunately, I Slept like crap last night. E is getting sick I think... coughing and conjested. No fever though. Next week we have to take him to get his shots. Poor baby :( I hate that... I know it is good for him but I always wonder what he is thinking.. like is he thinking "what did I do? Why are you letting them hurt me Mama"? Thats what I feel like he is thinking! And it makes me cry everytime!

This weekend is T's birthday weekend (her actual b-day is Monday). We are letting her pick her birthday feast (dinner) and getting her a strawberry cake (her cake of choice). And we told her to let us know if she wants to do something... like a park or the beach or whatever... I can't beleive she will be 17! Holy cow.

I have been trying to find social clubs for the kids since they are both homschooling right now and in a new place with no friends. Not alot of teen groups down here like there was in Jax. Shocking... but I will keep looking. I wonder if the library down here holds teen clubs like the library in Jax did...will have to call today and find out. I keep telling Ollie we need to join a church... what better social environment... that is unless my kids get kicked out for their 'shock value' comments! That'd be great! LOL Can kids get kicked out of church?

E is so adorable. What a sweet baby! He is so curious... but why does he insist on grabbing and focusing intently on the few items that is off limits (remotes, computer and anything paper)! :)

Well I am sure there are crap loads of spelling issues on his post (keys still skipping an sticking) but I don't feel like editing!
-----------------------------------------

Joel Osteen: A good thing to remember is somebody's got it a lot worse than we do.

All dressed up and no place to go

So I thought it would be nice to dress up, put on make-up, let my hair down... all for my hubby (as I am sure he gets tired of seeing me looking homely all the time)! So I got all dolled up around 5ish... and waited... and waited.... and fed E... and bathed E... and put E to bed... and waited... it is now 7:46pm and no hubby. He ended up having to work late! Good for the budget ... bad for the hair & make up! Oh well... hopefully he will notice what is left and be surprised! LOL

OK..... WHAT THE F*** IS GOING ON WITH MY KEYBOARD! I AM TYPING AND IT DOESN'T TYPE CERTAIN LETTERS OR SPACE THE FIRST TIME! I HAVE HAD TO EDIT THIS ONE SMALL POST ABOUT 50 FREAKING TIMES!!!!!!!!!!! UGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Oh and I tried on some old clothing (pre-prego clothes) and guess what! Some fit! I was so excited! They are still pretty snug but the fact that they went up over my thighs and ass is a BIG deal! :)Yey!!! Maybe this will be the motivation I need to drop the little extra that I need to 'fit' into all my old clothes...

melt down

Things are getting so hard... and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like a failure as a wife and a mother, not being able to find a job to help support my family. We are concidering our very last option... to move to SA. It is scary that it is coming to this. It is going to take a miracle to turn things around. I keep asking God for guidance and help, but things just keep getting worse. There is no answer.

Loving my Husband

My husband never ceases to amaze me. His love for me is always apparent, and I just hope I provide him with the same sense of love and appreciation that he does me.

new discovery

E discovers the Avocado tree in the back yard. He is so courious.

Starting a self-esteem file...

[09/04/2009]
So I was reading on one of those self-help websites and ran across an article titled "How to start a self-esteem file"... couriosity got the best of me and now here I am to start my file. Here goes...

Step one: Identify 10 strengths in yourself....

1. can be fun/funny when I choose to be
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Wow... ?!?! I may need this "file" more than I think.


Step two: (if you drew a blank) Come up with four people to list your strenghts for you...

Ok, so here are the THREE people I will send this request to (I don't know 4 people that would respond):

1. Michelle
2. Luzaan
3. Carolyn


So now I wait....

[09/04/2009]
From Luzaan:

1. You are a wonderful mother.

2. You are a great wife.
3. You are an awesome friend.
4. You are hard working.
5. You are creative.
6. You are a beautiful person inside and out.
7. You are funny.
8. Bet you are GREAT in bed..........
9. You are a good drinker......
10. You ARE MY BFF.

[09/08/2009]
From Michelle:

1.You listen when I talk

2.You care about me and my family
3.You make me smile with emails and photos
4.You are loving and lovable
5.You laugh easily
6.We have things in common
7.You are a great mom
8.At your funeral I might say that I wish we had spent more time talking – but then I would remember all the special emails.
9.I might say that I wish you were able to acknowledge more of the positive qualities about yourself – but then I would remember that that is part of what makes you you.
10.I return your calls and emails because if I don’t you just keep calling and calling!

From Carolyn:


1.You are friendly
2.You are loving and caring
3.You are a good friend
4.You are thoughtful - always sending little notes or cards just because



Step three: If you couldn't come up with 4 friends to help you with your list... MAKE FOUR FRIENDS


12 way to make new friends:

1. Join a book club
2. Volunteer
3. Go Online
4. Seek out a support group
5. Take a night class
6. Get a dog
7. Steal friends from other friends
8. Knock on doors
9. Carpool to work
10. Attend a conference
11. Talk to strangers
12. Connect with your alumni associations


My  input: I have ALWAYS found it difficult to make friends. I am not outgoing in the friendship/meeting people department. If I do manage to ask someone over for a beer or to meet at the beach and they decline... I feel like they don't want to hang out with me in general and I never ask again. My main source of finding friendship would probably be #7... Steal friends from other friends. All my current friendships (except 2, Michelle and Carolyn) were formed by them being friends of friends... or friends of my husband. Michelle I met at work several years ago and Carolyn I have known since high-school. They are my oldest friends... since them I have been 'stealing' !

My goal: I will try to make new friends using one or some of the suggestions above... I just don't know which one(s) yet... will post that detail as soon as I figure it out...

 

happy birthday?

Happy Birthday to my husband.... Yes, it was two days ago but I felt compelled to acknowledge it at least.

My husbands profession....

Boats like this are what O spends his days working on....

Sleeping baby

So I put E down for nap time without rocking him. Right down in his crib. He moaned (never really crying) for about 30 minutes. I went in and patted his butt and walked back out... and he fell asleep. I wonder if it is a fluke or if I do this during afternoon nap if he will fall asleep on his own. The goal is to be able to put him in bed and he know it is sleepy time and fall asleep on his own (self-sooth as they call it). We will see.

Sleepless

It's 11:16pm and I can't seem to fall asleep. Going to be a rough day tomorrow if I don't get some zzz's soon. I hate when I can't sleep. Would take a benedryl, they work great for helping me sleep, but we are out thanks to a certain 16 year old in the house. Maybe she should have to stay up tomorrow and watch her little brother while I catch up with a nap... hmmmmmm.

Here's some wacky fact that I just learned from two sources... If you spray Listerine mouthwash on the area surrounding you (grass, chair, etc.) it keeps the mosquito's away! We are going to try this this weekend. I hope it really works because we have a serious biting-bug issue here! Poor E had over 10 bug bites on his legs just from 20 minutes of being outside... poor baby. We didn't even see anything around him, we kept looking to make sure. Sneaky little bastards those bugs are!

{Retraction: (09.04.09) Tried the Listerine- Doesn't work}

Train just went by blaring it's damn horn. Hate that train.

Wow, this is what I am sitting up talking about...

...I am going to make another attempt at sleep.

Good Night.

To do

1. Pay credit card payment

2. Call lady about T's babysitting job

3. Feed E breakfast lunch and dinner (yes, I need to add this to the list)

4. Straighten house

5. Sweep & mop

6. E's laundry

7. Wash bottles

8. What's for dinner?

9. Print flyers

10. Create mailing list

11. Gather info for C's evaluation

12. Play time with E

Saint Augustine bound

I am hoping that things will work out so we can head to Saint Augustine Labor day weekend. If O can get the job in Jacksonville... they wanted him to drive the work van which isn't possible with 2 adults and 4 children :( So I don't know what the outcome will be. I am a little sad because I miss my friends and could use the break. I will just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Living in Fort Lauderdale

I have to say that even though it has been a hard move, financially and emotionally, I think that Fort Lauderdale is growing on me.... just wish I knew some people!

rainy day

It's raining outside... the grass & plants need it that's forsure! What's on the agenda for today? Haven't yet decided. Wanted to do yard work but unless the rain stops and it dries up we will have to scratch that plan. I would love to take a nap... but I don't think that will happen with Little E in the house. I feel like I can never get enough sleep... how I miss the days when I could sleep in! I have a furious headache this morning... sure it was due to the drinking last night! Uggghhhh.... you'd think I would learn. Whatever. Maybe we should watch movies today? Maybe. I hope tomorrow we get to hit the beach. Haven't been in so many weeks it's sad. Here we are surrounded by these beautiful South Florida beaches and we go so little. That needs to change. New goal: get to the beach more!

Local news: (1) pissed off boyfriend gets mad at girlfriend at bar and jumps in a car and runs over 7 people standing on sidewalk outside the bar. (2) miami swat team arrest 150 people in a crime sting. (3) 42 year old woman set herself on fire at mall of america in store where daughter worked, she is in crital care.

Time to pop in some Cd's... pick up the house... play with E... do laundry... and whatever else I can come up with to feel accomplished today!

When did the weekends get so boring?

money woes...

Hopefully things will start turning around soon and these hard times will just be another bump in the road that we call life...

Here's to sucking it up until the storm clouds pass...

wish i were here...

Good Morning

8:05am and i don't think the strongest coffee in the world could wake me up this morning. I slept horribly and had the worst nightmare! More cleaning today... need to get in our bedroom and do what I did throughout the rest of the house (top to bottom). I don't get how someone could be so nasty! This house was so discustingly dirty when we moved in! How could someone live and sleep and eat in such a dirty house? Uggghhhh.

This housework seems to be my life lately, I hope that once complete, I will then be able to refocus on having some fun with the kids during the day and hitting the beach and parks on the weekends... and enjoying some yard work. O and I said we would like to take Saturday mornings and maybe make that yard work day... raking, weed pulling, tending to flowers and trees... just enjoying the backyard... letting E sit in his exersaucer and enjoy being outside with everyone. We should build some bird feeders... we have such beautiful birds here...red birds and bluejays... it would be great to put out a feeder and see them everyday.

We also really need to get back to Sundays beach and brunch. I really do miss doing that...

E is up...

just a couple of some of the beautiful plants in our backyard...

Sunday...

It's 3:30pm and I am opening a beer and sitting down for the first time since I woke up... I am exhausted! Woke up this morning and starting scrubbing the house... baseboards, floors, laundry, dishes... T has really helped with E today... great babysitter! C raked leaves in the back yard... and then that was it for him. Back in his room playing Xbox and watcing movies. O is on the phone with his parents in SA. T is still in with E... is it bad I haven't relieved her of her babysitting? Just five more minutes....

Introducing The Olivier Family

Momma: D (me)
Pappa: O
Big Sister: T (age 17)
Brother: C (age 14)
The Baby: E (age 6 months)

We recently relocated to South Florida, where we currently reside. I am a born and raised Floridian, as are all of our children. My husband is from South Africa and came to live here about 7 years ago. I have two older children from a previous relationship (T and C) and O and I have one son together (E).

We like to spend our time at the beach and around the grill, especially on the weekends. O works in the Marine industry and I am currently unemployed and staying home with the kids.

This blog is a peek into our lives... through my eyes.