BUSY BUSY BUSY - EXPLODE!

Do you ever have so much to do that you think you might explode? And there is an order that things should be done in, but you don't want to do them in that order?  Yeah, that's me right now.  There is so much to be done with my book coming out in June, a short story coming out in June, working on a book with my daughter to be released in August (or maybe sooner), doing at home preschool with my son, being sick, a super secret project with The Hubs,

and doing the blog three days a week. I just feel like I am  going to combust, I know it doesn't seem like there is a lot to do, but the job of getting my book ready for publication in June still has about twelve steps and I have about a week to do them in.  

I would much rather play around making a cover for the book that doesn't come out until August, ummm maybe I should just concentrate on finishing it first. Right?  But doing the cover is so much more fun! Doing pre school with my son is like pulling teeth. Not that he doesn't want to learn new things, but my kids just don't like it when I'm the one teaching them. :/

I know I need to set a schedule, in order of importance and stick to it, but I DON'T WANNA!!! I know in the end I will get it done, but sometimes I just get overwhelmed and want to stop what I'm doing and have some fun. Sometimes I tell myself not to sweat it, because it all needs to get done and as long as I keep busy working I will be fine.  Sometimes that works, but when I have projects spread out so far, that doesn't work so much.

On the other hand, I love, love, love being busy.  It is so rewarding when I cross multiple tasks off my list every day. And I guess, deep down inside I wouldn't change a thing. Is it possible that I actually thrive on feeling like I'm about to combust?  Yeah, I think it is. I'm crazy like that. ;)  So I will just take it one step at a time and get it done.  I can't ask for more, my fans can't ask for more and my family can't ask for more.

Until Next Time... Work hard and do your best. That is all anyone should ask from you.  That is what I am going to do and I know, in the end, it will all work out perfectly. :)

THE CRUD - IT CAUGHT ME!

Ugh! We have had a creeping crud going on around her for over a month. We were told the cough could last for weeks but to watch out for signs of an infection.  Well The Hubs and Gwen got the
infection but I had only a mild cough for a few days and thought I'd gotten off lucky because after all, I am the mom and I am needed to take care of everyone else. And then all of a sudden the cough comes back.

Cough is not good when you have bad hips. (Unless by some miracle it were to pop them back into proper place). Right now my hips feel like they have been stabbed with a million knives, but luckily it doesn't hurt worse to walk so that's good.  Then there are my ribs.  I have to hold my body just so, as to not knock my hips out so my ribs take the brunt of the force for my coughs.  OMG I feel like I've been kicked in the ribs a hundred times.

Should I even mention that I am the mother of five and my bladder is weak?  No, I won't go into detail, but I'm pretty sure  you get the idea. I am so ready for this cough to be done and I thought I was getting better, but nope, I was up most of the night last night coughing.  You know, just doze off and hack hack hack. Then calm down and just doze off and hack hack hack and repeat. It has been years since I've had a cough this bad. The last time I remember was shortly after we moved here to this town almost five years ago.  Back then I still had the chronic pain, but not the constant feeling of being out of whack and stiffness so it wasn't so bad.

I think I just have to not ever get sick again. After all the stiffness in my hips started after a bout of the stomach flu caused me to wretch almost continuously for two days.  That's it, that is my plan, do not ever get sick again....and then I remember that I will have 4 kids in 4 different schools bringing home many different viruses...Sigh. I think I will be sick for the rest of my damn life. But at least I have my blog and my novels to keep me busy in times of sickness (Unless I'm coughing too much to keep my pen straight on the paper or the laptop on my lap!)

Until Next Time...Beware of the crud! I hear it is going around everywhere. If you do get it, I recommend heating pads, pain pills and a good sturdy back.  Take care and stay healthy this summer! <3

WHAT'S HAPPENING? JUST STUFF!

My kids actually made liars out of me this morning.  In my last blog I said they wouldn't let me sleep in and that they would wake up between 7 and 8 every morning. Well, this morning they didn't wake up until 8:35 and that is only because the trash trucks came and woke them up.  Damn trash trucks!!!

Well, we had a lot happen over the last week some good, some bad. Of course you all know that the oldest graduated a week ago, on Thursday The Hubs had to go to the doctor - the man who never gets sick was sick as hell, on Friday the other kids had their last day of school for the year and on Saturday, I developed the coughing crud that everyone else has had over the last month and a half and something else exciting happened and I can't remember what...Crap, what was that?...hmmm, it's coming back to me...I completed something I think....oh yeah, I FINISHED MY SECOND BOOK!  Book 2 in my series is done (except for editing of course)  I read through it yesterday and loved it.  I have a couple of small additions to make and then it is sent off to editing. When that is done, well it will be on 'shelves' for you to'grab' and read.

This is book two and I still feel as accomplished as I did with book one. I wonder if it will always be this way. I sure hope so, I love this feeling! It is so addicting.  I just wish the hubs hadn't been so sick.  It is hard to be excited about something when the one you love is so sick they can't rejoice with you. Really guys, I have never seen his so sick - Severe sinus infection, cough, high fever, body aches, shakes and shivers, sleeping whenever the need hit him. That just isn't how it's supposed to be for my love. He is healthy and strong a majority of the time.  He was so bad they made him take three days off work.  He is back there now and I hope he is doing well, I think he should have had another two days or so to rest, but I'm not a doctor.  He is gradually getting better and was even joking with me yesterday.  I just hate seeing my romance hero ready to go to sleep at 7 p.m. (How are we supposed to act our my scenes if he's asleep?!) Umm I mean, how is he supposed to help me beta read my book if he's asleep...yeah, yeah, that's what I meant ;)

Until Next Time...When your loved one can't help you celebrate, it really sucks.  You have to learn to live with it and still be happy. It can be done, it's just not as fun!!! :)

PREVIEW OF ALASKAN AMBUSH

Check out 11 excerpts on http://www.writerjjellis.com

“…I still love you.”

A two year relationship that ended because of a difference in lifestyle left Olivia Mannon and Alex Paige missing each other. Though they still loved each other, they lost all contact.

A sprinkling of matchmaking dust, a cruise to Alaska, and a floatplane tour of Misty Fjord National Monument brings them back into each other’s lives; for better or for worse.

Can Olivia change her ‘suite at a five star resort’ lifestyle to agree with Alex’s ‘camping outdoors’ way of life, or will they lose each other again? This time forever…

ON SALE JUNE 2013

SUMMER BREAK!

The day every mother dreads is here, except I don't dread it. I actually look forward to it.  The last day of school.

To me, the last day of school means not having to get the little one dressed (wrestling match) to get into the car (wrestling match, have to carry her on bad weather days, sprains my hips pulling her chest clip up to her chest) anymore. It means the possibility of being able to let my hips heal a bit. It means not having to interrupt naptime (when she actually naps) to go get the kids from school. And best of all, it means less pain overall.

I am weird, I look forward to summer break! I can't wait to have my kids home. But then again, by the end of summer I will probably pay you to send them back to school for a day or two because they have started to irritate each other beyond belief and I spend my day as a referee, but then I remember that I have to drive them to and from Every Day and I almost want to put up with their fighting again.

I once had someone tell me that the only reason I loved having the kids home for summer was so I could sleep in.  haha Have you ever met my kids?  The teenagers would definitely sleep all day, as would the toddler. The elementary schoolers on the other hand...not so much.  They will wake up every day between 7 and 8 a.m. I can pretty much guarantee it. During the school year, I wake up between 7 and 7:30.  Yeah, so probably no sleeping in for me.  They won't be quiet even if I pay them with ice cream and candy. I don't think they know how. I will give you one thing though, I am a night owl and will love staying up late.  I might have to wake up early still, but I don't have to be anywhere so I can enjoy my night owlness. ;)

We don't have any fun plans this summer like we did last - Alaskan Cruise :'( - so I don't have that to look forward to, but I do love having my kids home and not having to get the little one in and out of the car a million (or 2) times a day. If I want to run to the store, I just leave the littles with the bigs and my hips rejoice!

When August 19th rolls around I will definitely be crying in my soup. I will have two littles to take to two different schools every day and that is going to kill me.  I guess I should prepare now to be in even more pain next school year, but damn it I want to enjoy a summer with my kids first! (Can use some good vibes that the boy will be transferred off the waiting list to his sister's school or vice versa).

Until Next Time...Don't dread the summer, enjoy every moment with your kids even if most of it is spent playing referee and being irritated beyond belief!

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY - YOU MADE ME A LIAR ;)

Well, since I am so extremely angry at most of my family at the moment I thought I would write about something other than them.

The relatives were here over the weekend and we wanted to show them some of the cool things here in Casper but what happened?  It rained ALL DAMN WEEKEND! There are a couple of historical sites we wanted to show them, but they were all outdoors so that plan got changed to hanging out inside. Even hanging out inside museums wouldn't have worked because we would get soaked just walking to the car.

Our relatives like good weather, they live in Southern Nevada after all and they are lucky if they see a few inches of rain a year. It was finally getting warm here (we even had a couple of days close to 90) and we were excited we could show them great weather (many relatives wondered why on earth after living in the heat so long, we wanted to move to cold country)  And what happens the day they get here? Rain, rain and more rain and temps in the 40's and 50's. I think they believe we were lying to them when we said it does actually get nice here. We weren't, really, I promise.  Yeah, we don't get into the 100's, 110's, but we get into the high 90's and spring is absolutely beautiful here (once it hits) and we have told the relatives that time and time again, hoping they would come visit.  And then mother nature plays a nasty trick on them/us when they finally get here.

I feel like such a liar. I know I'm not, but I still feel like one.  I hate it when people act selfishly, and put themselves before the greater good, and lie, but I have been living with it daily so I guess I should be used to it. But the fact that the relatives could think I might be lying really, really bothers me. A lot

Oh well, maybe if they come back to visit in another eight years we will actually be able to show them a good time and some great weather! Or maybe we will be living somewhere else. But hopefully it won't be that long!

Until Next Time...Things aren't always going to be perfect, period end of story. No matter how much we hope they will be.  But when it turns out they are, run with it and have a great time! :)

GRADUATION DAY! BUSY BUSY BUSY!

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I wasn't even sure I would be able to do a blog today. (But I couldn't stay away because I'm addicted to y'all!) The last few days have been so busy and today will be too. We had a graduation lunch and party for family yesterday.  It was fun but kept us busy and going all day.  Today will be no different.

Gwen just left, headed for a three hour long mandatory Graduation practice. (Boy am I glad I only had 78 people in my graduating class, our mandatory practice took under an hour!) When the practice is over, we all meet the grandparents at the car lot to pick up Gwen's car.  She is so excited and can't wait to go out in it with her father and get the rest of the practice she needs to get her license!

After that will be lunch and possibly a trip to the thrift store in hopes that the 'chair from heaven' is there so I can work in comfort and my hips won't yell at me quite so much. Gwen gets to head

home and try to sleep so she can make it through the night at the school sponsored all night grad party.

The Freshman and Miss Crazy still have to go to school today so after a stop home that will probably involve some cleaning, they will have to be picked up from school and then we will all have to get gussied up (do people use that expression anymore, or am I showing my age?) for graduation and then we will meet the in-laws for dinner.  The next step is the scary one. We will be taking our first baby girl to her high school graduation ceremony!

Her school has 400+ students in this graduating class so the ceremony will be loooooooooonnnnnnngggggg! And of course, The Freshman and Miss Crazy will have school tomorrow. (Have I already told you guys how much I love hate this school district, I do believe I have!) Should be a fun night/morning in our house. :/ I also wonder how loud my hips will be screaming when I wake up!

The good news is, my house was clean when the relatives and friends showed up, the kids behaved

and the dog didn't piddle on them. (Although he almost peed on Gwen's boyfriend, I wonder if The Hubs has been training him in the fine art of protecting his baby girls from boys)

I hope that now that the relatives have finally (after 8 years) had a glimpse of our lives, they realize that we are indeed safe, happy and healthy, and that moving away from Nevada was in fact the best thing we could have done for our family.

Until Next Time...When your child graduates High School either wear waterproof mascara or none at all. I know for sure I am going to be a giant, crying basket case.  My new nickname would probably be 'The Weeper' ;)

CONGRATULATIONS GWEN, WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU AND LOVE YOU VERY MUCH. MAY YOUR FUTURE BE HAPPY, HEALTHY AND FULL OF LOVE!

I CRIED LIKE A BABY

So, we've been having a lot of milestones and exciting changes around here lately. It's been crazy emotional.  Gwen (previously, The Senior) is out of high school now and graduates officially on Monday. Mr. Insane is officially registered for Kindergarten in the Fall, and Gwen is getting her first car on Monday.

The other day, after the car purchase decision was made, I realized something. We had my old van sitting in the driveway and undrivable for the last year waiting for someone (yeah, ended up being mom) to call and have it towed away to the junkyard. Where in the heck were we going to put Gwen's car? So yesterday was the day...The big old tow truck backed up to her (Sally) in my driveway, pulled her up on the flatbed, handed me some cash and drove away. And I cried like a baby.  I haven't been able to drive her in a year, but at least she was sitting there and she was still part of our lives.

We bought her when Gwen was almost a year old. We moved to Oregon soon after and of course, she was there with us. A few months later, we moved back to Nevada and of course, the van came with us. She literally saw us through four moves, one road trip vacation, one training session for The Hubs that required him to drive from southwestern WY to South Dakota every week, driving home to Nevada every Thanksgiving for the first few years we lived in Wyoming, and driving five kids anywhere and everywhere they went. This van was the scene of hugs and kisses, puke and poop, and fights and make ups. Toys and shoes were lost in this vehicle, never to be seen again.

Is it possible for one vehicle to see so much of a person's life.  It doesn't seem possible, but it is.  Many people trade in cars every few years, but we try to use em til they are dead! And that is exactly what we did with Sally. Just think about it, we got rid of her a few days before Gwen graduated High School, the car and Gwen were a year apart in age. That is a lot of life lived right there and Sally was there the whole time.

Now what?  Well, I don't think the mourning will last long although I will ALWAYS have piles of memories. Now a new vehicle will take her place in the driveway. Come Monday, Gwen's car will be jockeying for position with mine. I only have one word to describe this time in our lives. Bittersweet, but then again, much of life is bittersweet.

Until Next Time...Remember that the objects that represent or symbolize our lives may leave us, but the memories live on in our hearts forever.

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ADVENTURES OF BUYING THE GRADUATE A CAR

Gwen and Michael - Scholarship smarties :)

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Sorry the blog is so late today, but we were out car shopping for The Senior, who will no longer be known as The Senior because yesterday was her last day of High School!  She will now be known as Gwen. :)  The picture to the right is of her and the boyfriend after they received their scholarships!  So Proud!

So I'm sure you were wondering what kind of adventure the car shopping experience was.  I was ready for it to be awful with everyone fighting and getting on each other's nerves and each person thinking a different car would be perfect (and safe) for her to drive. But in all actuality it was pretty drama free and fun.

I, The Hubs, Gwen, Mr. Insane and Little Butt took off at about 9 a.m and had a quick breakfast at our favorite place.  Then we drove across town to look at cars. Nothing really appealed to us as far as the safety/price/overall feel went.  So we visited a couple more lots that we knew had good reputations and found nothing.  (Did you know that used cars have suddenly gotten way too flippin expensive!) So we went back to the place that The Hubs and I visited yesterday and decided to let Gwen look at the cars we'd seen the day before and really liked. We let her explore the lot and look at all of the cars and the minute she got into the GMC Jimmy that we (and her grandparents) figured would be the best for snow travel, size and safety,) she fell in love. Sorry boyfriend, Gwen has a new love - okay not really but you know I love to tease. :)  She and her dad took it out for a test drive and liked what they experienced so then it was time to get it checked by the mechanic.  All was okay and we decided that this one was THE ONE.  We called our financial helpers and they agreed it was perfect.  So on Monday, we pick up Gwen's new ride while she is at graduation practice.

Gwen's new ride - just needs a little bath :)

Now we just have to get her a license.  Yeah, she still doesn't have it, but you know how life gets in the way sometimes.  She should have her license very soon though and until then she just needs an adult with her and she can enjoy her new ride.

What shocks me the most is that there were no ego's involved, there was no fighting, there were no tantrums (Mr. Insane had a fit the previous day because he was tired of car shopping) and Little Butt didn't freak out when her Gennie left to take the test drive.

With all of the crap that has been going on in our house the last few months (come on, I have two hormonal teenagers, a stressed out graduate, and three little ones, there are bound to be bad times.) I thought for sure this would be the worst event of all.  It wasn't.  I think I'm still in shock.  We found a great car for our hormonal, stressed out teenaged daughter with NO DRAMA!!! Phew...Now on to the next hurdle - Graduation and family visit!

Until Next Time... If you think something is going to be a disaster, it might not be. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I do that pretty much every day of my life and boy does it feel good when 'the best' happens!

6 QUALITIES I WANT MY KIDS TO HAVE AS THEY GROW

Now that my first child is graduating from High School, I figure it is time that I write down life lessons that I hope they learn.

• 1st: Have a mind of your own, do what needs to be done and not what outsiders/trends/or takers push you to do 
• 2nd: Listen to authority, always. Whether it is teachers bosses or parents. Even if you feel grown  up or better than someone, always do what is expected of you.
• 3rd: Have the ability to admit when you are wrong. Being wrong doesn't mean you are stupid or unworthy. If you are wrong, admit and and move on. In the end you will be a better person and others will notice that.
• 4th: Don't lie because it is what you think others will want to hear, or just to get attention. Always tell the truth and anyone who truly loves you won't care that you are honest. Bottom line is, lies alienate the people who love you the most and you don't want to drive away your support system by lying to or about them.
• 5th: Don't be ashamed of the people you love. They do what they do and can't or won't change it. If you are proud of them, others will be too.
• 6th: Be as nice to family and friends as you are to strangers because in times of need, if you've treated them right, your family WILL pull you through, strangers won't because they don't know you.

These are all things I've seen teens and young adults struggling with and I hope that by putting them in a list, others can use them and maybe teach kids some good life lessons to make their lives easier. I know my kids can learn from some (or all) of these lessons. 

Until Next Time...I know growing up is hard, but it can be done with grace and kindness, we just need to give our children a push in the right direction.  I have yet to find out if my parenting will be a success or a failure, but within a few years, I will know and I just hope that everyone will be happy healthy and well rounded.

KINDERGARTEN - MY KIDS ARE DROPPING LIKE FLIES ;)

Today I am happy. Today I am sad. Today I signed my son, my one and only boy, up for Kindergarten. :'( 

We usually do online enrollment here in this open district but I forgot. Then I had them send me the paperwork, then  it got lost, then I called and asked them to send it again, then they never returned my call. So, we trudged across town and filled out the paperwork.  The good news?  It's an easy thing to do. The bad news? The school we wanted him to go to is full so he will be going alone, without his sister. This is the one thing that I was afraid of, he is a shy boy and doesn't like people very much and now he won't have his sister there to back him up...yet.

We signed him up for a different school relatively close to our house and put him on the waiting list for the one his sister goes to. 

We thought about transferring his sister to the school he is going to, but their second grade is full.  Not only is this a pain in the ass because they will be receiving two totally different educations, but now I have to drive to two different schools and I HATE DRIVING KIDS TO SCHOOL DAMN IT!!!!!. I love school busses. ;)

He can be bussed, but I would have to drive him to the nearest bus hub which is about as far away as his school is.  So there goes that idea.

So here is what we know:

 Mr. Insane will be going to school A but is on the waiting list for school B

Miss Crazy will be going to school B but is on the waiting list for school A

One way or the other the kids will be going to the same school eventually!!!! 

And this is important not only because I want older sister to help younger brother to acclimate  but because both schools start at and end at the exact same time so one will always be left waiting.  So annoying! 

I need to put all of this aside and focus on the fact that my baby boy is GOING TO SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME SOON!!! Oh my, it is one of those mommy moments that brings tears to the eyes, especially since he is my only boy. I will stop the proud tears from The Senior's graduation just in time for the proud tears for Mr. Insane going to Kindergarten to start.  My head is going to be stuffy a lot this year. :/

We have so much to do. Make sure he knows his ABC's properly and his first 15 numbers and make sure he can write his name and know his address and phone number.  Dang!  This will be a busy but fun summer I think.  Come August I will only have one child still at home, it will be bittersweet. I will get to have alone time with my last baby, which will be great, but I'm going to miss my son. We've had some great times together the last five years!

Until Next Time...Do not take things for granted when it comes to your kids..  Children  hit milestone after milestone so quickly that we blink and they are grown up, married and have kids of their own. (It seems like just yesterday The senior was starting Kindergarten and now she's graduating!) 

Also, if your kids go to an open school district, if you can't run away screaming, do not ever miss the open registration days or you may be spending your whole life driving your kids to different schools, which when they are involved in activities, is such a pain in the butt.  And bussing will be a nightmare too. On second thought....JUST RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!! ;)

CONFIDENCE, FINALLY!!!

Since everything I start to write about my family (my main subject here on the blog) ends with me trashing one of my children in hopes of getting her to realize she is on the wrong path, I have decided to write about my career (writing, not housewife and mom) today.

As most of you have come to find out, my confidence isn't the greatest. It took so much courage and a huge leap of faith just to start this blog and even more to publish my first book. Well lately, things have been happening to really boost my confidence and I think in the end it will be long term.

I found a wonderful group of supportive authors via facebook and even though we are pretty much strangers, we are all ready, willing and able to help each other out in any way possible. No matter how many tutorials I read about marketing on Twitter, I never really seemed to get it or be good at it.  And after just a very short time in this group I finally have the hang of it.  I am seeing responses, results and retweets! I hope in the long run it will increase my sales and let people know that my books are out there, waiting to be read. I don't feel like such a twit when I tweet!  haha.  This group has also helped me to realize that I am not alone in this struggling, crazy, rewarding, heartbreaking world of writing.  I can't wait to see where this group of authors goes in the future.  Right now, I'm feeling like nothing can stop us!!!! https://www.facebook.com/groups/Anythinggoesauthorsgroup/

Another thing that boosted my confidence is that I received two five star reviews for Virgin Voyage in one day (5 total 5 * and 1 total 4*).  More than just one person is saying they are enjoying what I am doing!!!  That, I must say is one of the best feelings in the world.  I am reaching people, they are listening to what I have to say and most of all they are understanding me!  That is a huge accomplishment for a small town girl who never thought she would amount to anything. I know that in the future there will be people who don't like my work and it will definitely sting, but that will take nothing away from the fact that someone IS enjoying my work.  As long as I have reached, affected, or given joy to one person, I'm good. :)

So now I walk forth with confidence into the next novel and other writing projects I am involved in.  I am talented, I am worthy and I am confident. As long as I have those three things, nothing can stop me!  Look out world, my lack of confidence will no longer get in the way!

Until Next Time...I hope you don't have to suffer from severe lack of self confidence like I have because truthfully it sucks. But if you do, be patient and hang in there. The first step is to find yourself. The second is to find your comfort zone and step out of it. Work hard and don't give up. You are worthy and you will feel worthy and then just run with it! You can be confident too. :)

If you want a good read, please pick up one of my books. Virgin Voyage is available in paperback and on kindle (1.99)  Go up to the top of the blog and find the page that says Buy My Books. Click on it and you will have all of the links you need.  If you do pick it up, please leave a review when you are done.

CLEANING MY HOUSE AND OTHER RANDOM RAMBLINGS

So, we've been trying to get the house done for guests coming up here in about twelve days.  I don't know what the hell we've been working on, but there is only one room that I consider sufficiently clean and that is my bathroom. It looks so good, you could eat off the floors (okay, maybe not - ICK, but you all know I like using those cute little sayings that in all actuality make no flippin sense)

My kitchen is trashed, there is stuff everywhere like laundry and toys and an old Christmas tree. (yes, the laundry is being dumped in a tub in the kitchen instead of being folded. Don't ask, because I have no clue.  You could always call my laundry folders if you are super curious though) And unfortunately our floors, that we are re doing, aren't even done yet. The Christmas tree box needs to go somewhere, but we aren't sure where yet.  It started off as a thin, nicely packaged box and now looks like my muffin top. (Sorry I know, ICK but after five kids, there isn't much about the human body that I'm shy about anymore)

My living room is trashed too, but with such a small house, and no playroom I don't think I will ever really like how my living room looks. It is the room that is cleaned 4-5 times a day and still, when I wake up in the morning,  it is like nightmare walking out there. Sometimes I want to cry (well, I guess not really, but I do feel like screaming sometimes).  I think that will be the last room we do the deep cleaning in too, because it just won't last.

My bedroom is halfway done, which is a good thing, but our timeline was to have it done today.  NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! You see, my room is storage for the house. We have a closet the size of a postage stamp (okay, maybe 1/2 a postage stamp) so our stuff is stored in boxes and storage tubs in the bedroom. They must all be contained and stacked neatly. ( I sometimes wonder if anyone but me knows how to do that though. I am really trying to remember if I took a class like that in college - ORGANIZING A SMALL HOUSE 101?)

The kids rooms should be quick, most of it is just toys and clothes, but keeping them clean until after guests leave will be the hard part. Our next big thing is the kids' bathroom.  I trusted them to keep it clean by teaching them how (and having two older kids who are allowed to use strong cleaners) but I ventured in there one day and....Can I have my own house condemned?  Well anyway, let's just say they have their work cut out for them.  I know they can do it, lets just hope they do.  All I can say is I will now be doing weekly inspections no matter how hard it is for me to maneuver down their hallway (our dressers are in the hall so they have more play room in their rooms, but it makes for a relatively narrow walkway, and with my hips....) And I'm sure I will be in there, sitting in a high backed support chair, with a pumice stone in one hand and a magic eraser in the other for as much as I can handle.

My biggest problem is that I used to be the one to handle most of the big cleanings like this.  But now I just can't do it.  I can do bits and pieces and help out here and there, but I just can't get busy and bust this out in two days like I used to. (If anyone can cure my hips and my sinuses I would appreciate it and then I could have this place spotless in no time at all.)  This is one of those times I post about occasionally, where I feel very inadequate because of my limitations, but I'm not gonna dwell on that so I'm just going to say -

Until Next Time...I don't have anything profound to say today so I will just say that I have enjoyed having you all here for the last 6 months (our anniversary was on the fourth!) and I hope to see you all here for the next six months and longer. :D

 

JJ Ellis: ALASKAN AMBUSH - EXCERPT CHAPTER 6

JJ Ellis: ALASKAN AMBUSH - EXCERPT CHAPTER 6:           Olivia sat on the toilet seat to get her bearings and her phone rang. “Hello,” she answered breathlessly.             “Hey Dol...

BURNOUT - JUST ME? - AND A HEARTFELT THANKS TO MY READERS

Why is everyone burning out?  It seems that everyone I know is on a burnout course right now.  I know I sure am, not with my writing thank goodness, but because everyone around me is burning out.

 The Senior has just about had it with the stress of being a graduating senior (and other stresses she tends to put onto herself). She is losing weight because of it all and she's had it with that. She was perfect the way she was before. She loves school, she always has, but she is ready for it to be done.  I know she will miss her friends and teachers at her school, but she is done with this year.  I hope she is/will soon be excited about the new life she is starting!

The freshman is burning out.  She had a teacher who completely undermined her confidence (and that teacher will be hearing from me.) so now she has pretty much given up on this semester and I am having to play the bad guy to get her back on track for the last three weeks of school.  She is so ready to be done done done.

Miss Crazy loves school and is good at it and has a great time with her classmates, but she is also ready to be done. More often than not she would be totally willing to stay home (and yes i've checked to make sure nothing is going on at school to make her feel that way) 

Mr. Insane is pretty much done with being stuck in the house with his bratty sisters and can't wait until his friends arrive for the summer so he can have male companionship. 

Little Butt thank goodness hasn't burned out on anything, but then again she is only 2.  As long as she has my Kindle Fire and youtube she is happy as can be.  

The hubs is also burning out, on his job and where we live and everything else. Hell, even our friends seem to be burning out.  A lady I know lives for taking her kids to school and driving them anywhere they need to go, and for some reason, this year she just can't wait for summer so she gets a break.  She has even ruled out anything but home play for the first two weeks of Summer Vacation.  She is done this year!

So, what is causing this burnout?  I guess it could be anything really, but why so many people experiencing it at the same time. The crazy weather? The economy? Life circumstances? Something in the water? I really just don't know.  I figured for us it is a bit of the crazy weather (just a couple weeks ago we still had a foot of snow and on May 1st we had 3 inches.) a bit life circumstances (We really just want to move away from here! One kid is graduating! Family is visiting! One kid is starting Kindergarten in the fall! Our lives are about to change forever because of ages and milestones!) But that doesn't explain why so many people are experiencing it too.  

So, here is what i've come up with. It is social media. You see, before I started doing this blog and selling my books, I had a very limited view of the world and limited contact with others, but now I am exposed to so many different things and different people that I just notice this stuff more. It's probably always happened off and on, but I never noticed until I became saturated in social media. I will not complain though because I truthfully don't know what I would do without you guys. This is my new life and I love it.  I'm sad that people seem to be burning out but other than being there for them (as a mom, wife, email recipient if any of you would like to chat, blog reader, online friend etc.) there isn't much I can do.  I will continue to keep trying to inspire, humor and relieve everyday pressures for my readers and fans.  I hope you will continue to join me three times a week to get some stress relief!

Until Next Time...If you find yourself burning out hang tight. Find one thing you can do (even if it is only for ten minutes) to relieve some of the monotony in your life. You could also talk to friends or family, or write things down in a private journal or public blog.  It won't last forever if you can just take a short moment to breathe and realize how lucky you are.  That's what i've been doing for years.  Thank goodness I have this blog or I would be a crispy shell of the woman I am now - you all are my stress relief, my way of not staying burned out. THANK YOU ALL!!!

JJ Ellis: ALASKAN AMBUSH - EXCERPT CHAPTER 5

JJ Ellis: ALASKAN AMBUSH - EXCERPT CHAPTER 5:         Olivia made the shower as hot as she could stand it. Stepping under the spray felt so good and so bad at the same time. Her stress...

THEY LIVE ON, IN YOUR HEART

Tomorrow would have been my daddy's 74th birthday.  Some years, I don't think about it until it's over but this year I think it popped up in my mind because of The Senior's graduation.  My daddy actually got to meet her, I remember he held her when she was a baby - her head in his hand and her butt in the crook of his arm, as comfortable and safe as she could be, cradled in his large hands. I really wish he could be there to see it, or at least to receive pictures of it when it is over.  I wish he could know what is going on, but then again maybe he does know and my sadness comes from not being able to be the one to tell him.

I'm sure I will feel the same way when The Freshman graduates too. He was able to see her a few times before he passed. I remember once, after he was already sick and the strength in his arm was really bad.  He was afraid to hold her, but she was old enough to sit on his knee and balance herself. I remember her sitting there giggling as her grandfather's big shaky hand held onto her as best it could. This was a child who wasn't super smiley or giggly and she was very uncomfortable with people she didn't know well, but she was happy as could be sitting on her grandfather's knee.

And when my other kids graduate I'm sure I will think of him too because he never got to meet them and this is one life event where I will wish he could come back long enough to see their big day. Do you ever think about your lost loved ones on special days? I think for me it is the really special ones that bring up the memories.  Things like graduations, engagements and weddings.

I don't have a whole lot of beliefs about spirits and Heaven and Hell, but the one thing I do believe for sure is that my father knows his grandkids.  No matter how many times he saw them in real life, he knows them well.  He knows the struggles, triumphs and pretty much everything else in their lives. I don't know that he would be proud of them, I know that he IS proud of them.  The Senior had an award ceremony the other day the celebrated her being in the top 10 percent of graduating seniors in our district.  Her grandfather knew this and he was so proud of her.  I know that on Grad night, he will be there somewhere, the proudest grandfather ever as his Granddaughter graduates high school in the top ten of her district and as a member of the national honor society and the Japanese honor society, as he will be there and proud of all of his grandkids when they graduate.  And get engaged, and married and have kids of their own.

So on my daddy's birthday I try to feel happy and celebratory because it reminds me that he might be physically gone, but I truly believe he is still here with us, loving us and being a huge part of our lives. I save the sadness at his loss for the anniversary of the day we lost him physically.

Until Next Time...Only you can keep someone alive...in your heart. They might not be here physically, but they can still be a part of you, a part of your life if you open your heart and let them live in a tiny part
of it.  There's plenty of room, the heart is unlimited in every way. <3