Bucket List Revelation

As I'm sure most people have at least once, last night, I found myself thinking about my "bucket list". I could have made a list that rival's Haley Christmas list but the more I thought about things, the more I realized that things I thought were important for me to do, arent so important after all. Yes, I would love to walk the galleries at the Louvre or ride a gondola down the Grand Canal. But not accomplishing those thing wont make my think my life was crap.

I realize now that my list truly consists of things I want to do with and for my daughters. Sure, all the other things would be great to do but those will just be icing on the cake if I can cross everything off the list:

~Disneyland!!!!
~introduce them to Cinderella, Belle and Ariel
~let them get their heart broken (goes against all the protective mom instincts I have)
~teach them to get up after they fall (literally and figuratively)
~let them paint their room any color they want
~give them the strength to be who ever they want to be
~give them to tools to be whatever they want when they grow up
~take them to swim with the dolphins
~let them pick a pet just for them
~then let them pick a name (somehow I think we might end up with a dog named Puppy)
~let them scream into the Grand Canyon so they can hear their echoes
~show them the awesomeness of the Giant Redwoods
~teach them to fish (ok, so this one might fall to Bucko or one of the uncles. Curtis and I are patient enough to fish)
~give them the wedding of their dreams
~let them have the freedom to make their own choices
~teach them how to make fried chicken, meatloaf and mac-n-cheese (the last one will fall to Grams since I dont make homemade mac-n-cheese)
~make sure they know Daddy's cuddles are just as good as Mommy's (work in progress on that one)


I'm sure there will a ton more that I add to this list but Anda is waking up so Mommyhood calls.

One more helping, please

So, I finished the first part of orientation for school this morning. I have 2 more days of that, then my first class starts on the 30th. As much as I'm excited to go back to school, I'm incredibly worried. I'm worried that I took too much on. I dont know if I'll be able to get everything done during the day. School is all online so that makes it so much easier. And the girls go to bed kinda early, again, making it a little easier.

My issue lies in the housework. With 3 kids, we average about 3 loads of laundry a day. And thats just the kids stuff, clothes, towels, blankets, etc. You add mine and Curtis' and we're looking at about 25 loads a week. (And now you see why I'm grateful for military housing and no utility bills) The downstairs of my house is mostly laminate floors, and with the kids, sweeping is an every day occurrence and mopping (ok, using the Swiffer wet) happens about once a week. But, I cant take credit for that since hubs does it 95% of the time.

Oh, and let not forget the Girl Scout stuff. I'm not regretting getting involved in GS by any means. I love it and it gives Haley and I some time to ourselves. With her being in school all day, its something we need. But with cookie sales coming up, and me being the cookie mom, that will take up a good chunk of time.

So, now my dilemma comes into play. How much do I ask the hubs to help out? With me being a SAHM, I feel like he does too much sometimes already. He works so I feel like laundry, cleaning, etc., should be my part of the deal. He's never been one to tell me no when I ask him to throw a load in the washer or vacuum. But, I feel like asking him to help is the same as saying "I cant hold up my end of the deal". I already feel like we dont have enough time together and I might have just made it worse. Oye.......what to do? what to do?

I got tagged....thanks, Kelli!

So the rules for Kreativ Blogger are:
1. List 7 things about myself others might not know.
2. Award 7 people with the award.

Ok, so I'm doing the second part cause I'm not sure how many people actually read this. But, here goes....


1. I love, and I mean LOVE, potatoes in just about any way, shape or form.

2. My favorite days are the ones that keep me constantly busy and force me to pass out before 9.

3. I'll lay in bed at night just listening to hubby sleep. (Spending the better part of 3 years apart, I love not having to sleep alone)

4. The smell of jet fuel and hydraulic fluid make me feel like I'm 6 years old.

5. I secretly love it when hubs comes home smelling like gun powder. It means he's had a good day.

6. I have total OCD when it comes to my clothes hanging in the closet. And its rubbed off on the hubs. hehe!!

7. I tell my girls that they need to marry someone who loves them more the Curtis loves me. I just pray they are able to do that.

Additives not required

I wanted to post about this the other day, but ended up dealing a sick kid then getting sick myself. Gotta love being Mommy!!

Anyway....Haley and I were watching tv the other day and a commercial for a new Strawberry Shortcake doll came on. I didnt think anything of it and (honestly) wasnt paying much attention. That is, until I heard the doll say, "Do my makeup so I can be pretty!" I was so shocked that I didnt think I heard it right. Right as I was about to dimiss the commercial, Haley turns to me and ask why she needs makeup because Strawberry Shortcake is pretty without it. So, I end sitting on the couch explaining to my 6 year old that EVERYONE is pretty without make up. I found myself in a position I didnt think I would be in for another few years but, I forogt Haley isnt growing up in the same world I did. I didnt grow up with dolls that came with make up. Sure, Barbie had make up, and boobs, and fancy clothes. But she was Barbie, I never thought she was real or that I wanted to be just like her. Well, aside from the pink 57 Chevy but that WAS a cool car!!

As I was telling Curtis about the doll, I saw this look come over his face and he tells me that that doll will NEVER be in this house. Funny part is he used the same tone that he has when the bathing suits come out every year and he sees some of the stuff made for girls. Everything got me thinking about what socitey tells girls, starting at suck a young age. Almost all of the dolls are skinny, have boobs, make up on their faces. wearing high heels, all that shit. So, I asked Haley about it. She said that "Dolls wear those clothes but everyone else wear jeans". Then it doned on me that most of the other women Haley deals with are moms, just like me. She sees me first thing in the morning, with no make up(which I hardly wear anyway), hair all messy, looking very unglamerous. And, while I'm looking so unflattering, she sees Curtis come up behind me, wrap his arms around my waist and tell me I'm beautiful. I dont know what I'm more grateful for, the fact that my husband thinks I'm beautiful at 6am or that my daughters see that just about every day.

I realize that as we raise our three daughters, we will be trying to fight the pressures the society will put on them. I WILL NOT raise my daughters to think that they have to be a certain way. My daughters, just like EVERY woman, is beautiful without any "additives". I just wish every one understood that. But until that happens, Curtis and I, along with every other parent, must fight the tide on this one.

I dont have girly girls

Before anything, I am fully aware that I do NOT have a boy. However, I have been around enough little boys to form an opinion and thus, we begin.

I am in love with my 3 girls!!! I've been asked by a few people that if Curtis and I could be sure we would have a boy, would we have another. NO!!!! I like little girls. Little girls are good for me. Boys.......hmm......I like to be able to give them back to their parents. In no way am I saying that I dont like little boys because I do, just not for hours on end. Could I have a little boy in my house from sun up to sundown? Sure. I could even handle a couple of days but not forever. I believe I was given girls for a reason. One of them being payback for all the things I did growing up. I have apologized to my parents more in the last 6 1/2 years than I ever did before. And I take great comfort in the fact that my daughters will call me after they have kids and apologize for things they will do as they grow up. I see it as part of the circle of life.

So, anyway.....I was talking to a friend the other day and she heard Laura going "bang bang" in the background. She asked what Laura was doing and I said "hunting bears". My friend about hit the roof and starting yelling at me about teaching my 2 1/2 year old about guns. I told her that guns are an every day topic in my house and she said "Well, I could understand that if you had boys". Ok, so because I have girls, everything is supposed to be pink with ruffles? Whatever!! Curtis works with guns every day and my kids know this. I take them out to the range and they see the pistol strapped to Daddy's leg. Do they touch it? No. Haley and Laura love picking up the brass on the ground. Do they play with live rounds? No. Curtis and I have taken a proactive approach to the gun topic. We had no choice but to do that. Considering Curtis' job and the amount of hunting that goes on on his side of the family, we HAD to. It wouldnt have been any different if we had boys. Our daughters know they dont touch any gun (real or fake) without asking. If its a real gun, we tell them no. I would do the same if we had boys. Why should it be any different with girls?

I will not tell my daughters they cant do something because they are a girl. Just about anything a boy can do, my girls will be able to do. And anyone who has met my kids, knows they aren't "girly girls" anyway. I'm not like that. My girls are going to grow up getting tossed around by their uncles. They're sturdy and I trust my brothers not to hurt the kids. Will bruises happen? Yes. Will one of the kids do something stupid and get stitches? Yes, and I'm quite shocked it hasnt happened yet. I dont understand why these things shouldnt happen because I have girls. I will NEVER put gender based limits on my children!!!! I dont think anyone should. Yes, my house has an abundance of pink and purple and tons of Barbies.....but the Barbies get run over by the dump trucks every day. The Barbies go hunting for My Little Ponies. The Barbies jump off the table. The last thing the Barbies do is sit down for a tea party. Its just how it is in my house. And I love it!!!

Opinions are like.......

Correct if I'm wrong here, but opinions ARE supposed to be different, right? Everyone has them and no one is forced to agree. If everyone had the same opinion, would it not be a fact? And any sentence that starts with "I believe....." would be an opinion, correct? Please clarify any of this for me if I am wrong.

Now, with that being said, if I started a sentence with "I believe", no matter what I said after, why would someone tell me I am wrong. They could have said "I dont agree with you". How can my opinion be wrong? Why would someone call me ignorant because I do not agree with them and say that they are open minded? I truly believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I do not have to agree with them. And I dont expect everyone to agree with me. But I will never tell anyone they are wrong for disagreeing with me.

It drives me crazy that people can be so rude sometimes. I'm not asking anyone to agree with me, but dont shove your opinion down my throat. Thats just disrespectful...only my OPINION though.

Finally...time to blog

I have come to the conclusion that people who have their kids really close together might have the right idea. They might be in diapers at the same time but you'll also get them out of diapers around the same time too. I'm jealous of those people at this point in time. Our house some how manages to contain a 6 year old, a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn. I swear, those are the worst ages to have in the same house at the same time. Haley has discovered a love for talking back and not listening. Laura is full throttle in the "terrible twos" and has no issue letting know how she feels about everything. And Miranda....well, lets just say that I havent had a hot meal in the last 3 days. But, seeing as how its not my first time at the "newborn rodeo", I totally knew that was going to happen. Hubby, though, doesnt find it as amusing when she starts to cry right as he has just finished fixing his lunch.

Speaking of the hubby, he has been AWESOME!!!!! On the weekends, he'll get up with the kids and let me sleep in. During the week, he takes Miranda til about midnight so I can get a decent chunk of sleep. He never complains (out loud, at least) when I say I need a nap or if I ask him (for the um-teenth night in a row) if he can handle bath time. Granted, we've butted heads a few times but we're both perpetually tired at this point it time. Honestly, I'm surprised it hasnt happened more often. So, I figure we're doing pretty good at this point. We still find time to talk, just the 2 of us. Granted, its nomally about 830pm when that happens and I'm half asleep sometimes, but it happens.

In conclusion, I've decided that as long as I have the energy to climb the stairs and fall into bed at night, it was a good day. If I start falling asleep on the couch, then I'll worry.

All in one stop

As much as I love Facebook, I cant stand that there is no place to post blogs there. So, here we are. Between both sides of the family, trying to keep everyone updated is just impossible. Thats where the blog comes in. My goal is to make as many things as possible easier on me now that Miranda has shown up and (as of tomorrow) I'll be home with 3 kids (until Haley is back in school) while hubby gets to go to work and play with guns. Maybe one day I can talk him into switching jobs for a week.........