A House Full Of Sick Littles

Every single year without fail, my house is full of sick kids at Christmas. Cranky, coughing, sneezing, nose blowing littles. This year I hoped it would be different. I even PRAYED it would be different. But last week the first sniffs started as my kids tried to sniff their snots back in their noses. I sighed. Then one day, I came home and found that the mail Gods had visited me and gifted me with a box, and in this box was a box of Kleenex with lotion and Kleenex anti-viral. We put those boxes to good use. Trust me. They were amazing. My tiniest one, slept with the Kleenex with lotion in her bed!

This has been an exhausting week for everyone in our house and I doubt I would have survived without Kleenex.
Because I love my Kleenex so much, I am sharing with you this coupon to save you from the cold too!
Kleenex Coupon!


*Disclaimer: I received these boxes of Kleenex through Crowdtap in exchange for my review. The opinions in this blog are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

Snack Heaven

To start off: I am not employed by Lotus Bakeries (I am a Stay At Home Mom) I have received no compensation for my post. and I paid for the product myself.

This stuff is amazing. I can't even describe to you how delicious it is.

Peyton gives it a thumbs up on an apple slice.

And I give it a 9.5 out of 10. Run (don't walk) to Walmart to buy it. I say Walmart because it was $3 more expensive at my local grocery store. I also said run so you can burn off some of the calories you are going to consume when you devour it.

Anticipation

I recently joined Influenster, a great site that will occasionally send you boxes of product to try and review.  I haven't been blessed to receive a box yet, but I did complete two Ebay guides and I received a $10 Ebay card for my first. I am still waiting for the second. I can't wait to get what I bought with my first gift card!
Influenster is fun too. I enjoy unlocking badges by reviewing products I have tried.

Hectic

It seems there is never enough time in the day to complete the millions of little tasks that need to be done. I envy the Moms who are so put together, with their perfect hair, outfits and makeup. The ones who have multiple kids, but still have perfectly clean houses.

That is not me. I am the Mom with the clutter and the playroom that looks like a toy store blew up in it. My bathroom mirror is splattered with toothpaste and my kitchen floor is past the point of needing to be washed. There are crumbs on my dining room table. I am not writing this to brag about my messy house. I just know there are more out there besides me.

Right now, I am in my nightgown. It is 10:05 in the morning. My kids are off to school, beds are made, laundry is washed and hung. There is so much more I will finish by the end of the day, but my house will never look like one of "those houses." I will never be one of "those Moms"

Three Years

It has been almost three years since I last posted. Three long, crazy years. In that time we found an adorable rental house in a small town with an amazing lake view (it may not be perfect. but it is perfect for us) and my kids have grown by leaps and bounds.  Krystal is almost 12. Joey is 9 and my little Peyton will be turning 4 (despite me telling her not to grow up.) It has been crazy. We got a puppy. and we added 5 cats since I last posted about my one dopey, loveable, old kitty. I am probably replacing the future children I will never have with cats, making myself a crazy cat lady.
I never became that crafty Mom that I wished to be and I still chase my children around, cleaning up after them, cringing at the muddy footprints and the crayon scribbles Peyton does on the wall when I am not looking. Everything changes and nothing changes.

My husband still works all the time, still third shift, and sleeping during the day. We struggle at trying to keep a "normal" relationship, but the love is there and we are both willing to plug along at it.

We're approaching the time where I have to decide whether or not to register Peyton for preschool. She is 98% potty trained. Unknown issues with her digestive system lead to severe constipation and she holds her poop until the physical pain is too much for her, and then the pain of passing leaves her covered in a film of sweat and shaking. We have been to specialists, medicated her, changed her diet and nothing has helped yet. I am afraid to put her in school because of it, and unsure if they will even allow her to enter.

I struggle daily with my inner demons. I wonder how many other Mothers feel the same way. Am I good enough as a Mom? Do I keep my home clean enough? Do I yell too much? Do I baby my children too much? When can I find a second to myself? There are many days where I don't bother to change out of my pajamas at all, or even brush my hair. I am embarrassed to admit that honestly, but I need to. I feel like I shouldn't bother if I am not going to leave the house. There is so much going on in my head at all times, mostly doubts about my skills as a Mom.