Beauty

[rnmom]

@just bee 

@aprilskies 

@Brisky - Thank you ladies for your kind words and support. It really does mean a lot.

When the kids were younger, before they were in school, I worked one 12hr shift a week on the weekend, (sometimes more in the summer) otherwise I was home with them all week while hubby was working so that they didn't have to go to daycare. I really enjoyed it and was so grateful that I was able to do it. It was tiring, but I was younger (in my 30's) and it wasn't exhausting.

Now, I'm older, 48, and working 3 days a week where I'm up at 5am and I don't get home til 5:30pm and honestly, I just feel a lot more tired than I used to. Once I'm home the idea of leaving again is such a turn off. It's not as bad if I didn't work all day.

I definitely don't sleep as well at night, so that doesn't help I'm sure. I've had my thyroid checked and that's fine. I know I don't eat right or exercise, I'm sure that doesn't help either. 

I'm getting older and the kids are just starting high school/middle school so I need to figure out a way to survive this. I guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet for the next few years and do this, just like I did when they were little. Some things might have to slide around the house a bit, but that's hard too because it seems like there's always SO much that needs to be done. 

But thanks for listening to me rant, I do really appreciate it!

[just bee]

---

@Brisky wrote:
@rnmom, I did raise my two children alone for almost ten years. I had to change my thinking.
My daughter was younger with special needs. Physical therapy twice a week. Occupational therapy once a week.
My son had to delay school for one year because I was running to therapy or Doctors appointments for her. There was nobody home to watch my son but me.
I had to put her first.I had to get her help all the time.

My son was so young, he was actually quite a trooper.
He had to go to her therapy sessions and Dr appt's too.
It worked out because without therapy my daughter would not have walked, eaten or anything. It was crucial. She never crawled. No strength. The first time she took her first steps she was going on close to 3.

Take the time you need for yourself too. Don't feel guilty. Take it a step at a time. Remember to say NO, when you have to. Saying No is the greatest gift to yourself. Try to cut back and give yourself some slack.
If you push yourself to hard you will be overwhelmed.
Hope this helps. Remember the word NO, I can't do it.

---

@Brisky 

I'm always amazed at how much some human beings can accomplish and how resilient they can be when they're faced with something they're convinced is too much for them to handle.

I guess you get to the point where you realize that someone has to do it and it might as well be you.  Not everyone is able to take on the responsibility or willing to make the sacrifices required.

But your kids witnessed it all.  They must know how much they are loved.  Not all kids are as lucky.

[just bee]

---

@aprilskies wrote:

My Kohls order is finally coming in.  The jeans surprisingly enough fit, too tight, but I will keep them.  The 3 tops are all going back. I ordered two of the same top in different colors and they are both different fabrics. What? I dont understand. I would of kept them but they are really off. The only thing I dont understand about jeans these days no matter what brand I try is that they are all tight in the knee area.  Who and how in the world cant we make a good pair of jeans. Even the expensive ones seem to fit me the same way.  I was surprised  though because I fully expected the pants not to fit right. 

Well, as much as I try and control my bottled water purchasing, I have to just resign I will always buy them. The chlorine in our water was low because the machine broke down. They are advising not to ingest the water and that we all need to boil it and all. I cant even imagine how long that was going on before they even noticed.  We cant even brush our teeth with it. This morning I didnt not take a shower, instead I used baby wipes to wash down. I was not going to keep these on hand either once I was done, but these situations just prove that we all need to keep something on hand for emergencies. Honestly, you just never know what will happen - does anyone care about heath anymore. Our facility has been aging and no one thinks to update it. I just wonder what these people are thinking and what they are doing with our tax dollars. Certainly not minding the store. 

I will say though, what a PITA!!  I am at least happy to happy running water but not being able to wash your hands or wash dishes, etc etc is quite eye opening. I dont like it.

Have a nice weekend, Everyone. 

---

@aprilskies 

Man, the things we take for granted!  Turn a handle and we have water, push a button and our car starts.  Push another button and our corn pops.  Well, not for @geezerette -- she has to push sixteen of them.

But you get the picture.  All our modern conveniences and we just lose it when something stops working.  What I can't understand is that we were supposed to be living like the Jetsons by now and we're not.  I also don't understand why we have so many time-saving devices and no time.

Are we doing too much or are we just devoting our time to the wrong things?

I still have a Brita pitcher but I suspect it's useless.  And we still buy bottled water at Costco.  The Kirkland 1 liters.  I got tired of buying water bottles that leaked, broke or molded.  I'd wash them out but never felt that they were really getting clean.

I reuse the plastic water bottles (you're not supposed to) -- I just fill them up with Brita water when they're empty.

I was thinking this morning about my "footprint."  BH and I never produced much trash at the end of the week and we recycled most of what we brought into the house.  Now our footprint is HUGE.  I went to the house yesterday and they're tearing it down.  Two dumpsters in my driveway.  All the stuff that was in it in landfill now.

Oh, well.  But we both pruned our family trees, so we didn't produce anyone that would add to the footprint.  So we just contributed to our extinction.  Can't win.

Life was supposed to get easier with all our inventions but it's just more complicated.  We can order items online, then we have to send them back.  We don't have to grow our own food or raise animals, but we go to the grocery store and just stare, wondering what we will eat.

A couple weeks ago we bought cherimoya.

Why?  Because we could.

[just bee]

---

@Oshare-girl wrote:

---

@just bee wrote:

---

@Oshare-girl 

Howdy, stranger!

I think we saw the same episode.  Did you see the matanza?  And the roasted prairie dogs?

Are you going to get any time to yourself now that school has started?  Demand a day!  Smell some roses!  Lift a leg!  Well, you know what I mean.

Speaking of which -- I gotta get this dog out!

---

Haha, after I saw the show was on ABQ and green chilis I logged into this forum so I didn't end up watching the whole thing.

2 days of the weekend done. 2 parades, 1 homecoming half time show, 1 cross country meet and 1 basketball game done. Tomorrow, 1 tournament and 1 more basketball game to go to. This will be the last of basketball, I think. DS realizes that he's a good runner and a mediocre basketball player so we'll finish out the season and that's it. I'm so happy he made that decision. 

It's actually pretty busy now that school has begun. All the school activities are in full swing (band & cross country) but I love to sleep so I sneak in a nap when both kids have practices at the same time. Heavenly. And we couldn't do it without our little carpool crew. 

---

@Oshare-girl 

No wonder we hadn't heard from you!  Your schedule sounds like one of the kids' athletic activities.  A triathlon!

[just bee]

---

@rnmom wrote:

@just bee 

@aprilskies 

@Brisky - Thank you ladies for your kind words and support. It really does mean a lot.

When the kids were younger, before they were in school, I worked one 12hr shift a week on the weekend, (sometimes more in the summer) otherwise I was home with them all week while hubby was working so that they didn't have to go to daycare. I really enjoyed it and was so grateful that I was able to do it. It was tiring, but I was younger (in my 30's) and it wasn't exhausting.

Now, I'm older, 48, and working 3 days a week where I'm up at 5am and I don't get home til 5:30pm and honestly, I just feel a lot more tired than I used to. Once I'm home the idea of leaving again is such a turn off. It's not as bad if I didn't work all day.

I definitely don't sleep as well at night, so that doesn't help I'm sure. I've had my thyroid checked and that's fine. I know I don't eat right or exercise, I'm sure that doesn't help either. 

I'm getting older and the kids are just starting high school/middle school so I need to figure out a way to survive this. I guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet for the next few years and do this, just like I did when they were little. Some things might have to slide around the house a bit, but that's hard too because it seems like there's always SO much that needs to be done. 

But thanks for listening to me rant, I do really appreciate it!

---

@rnmom 

I think kids have trouble with the concept of tired parents.  My mother was a force to be reckoned with but one day I realized that she had slowed down.  She just didn't have the get-up-and-go anymore.  Then I realized that she was old.  It was shocking.  I just didn't see it coming.

Now I look at myself and BH (who is considerably younger) and I think: We're freakin' old.

I tried to get down on the floor to kiss the dog and my knees just wouldn't cooperate.  I tried my best but I just ended up falling over and then I had to crawl to the couch.

One of the Security guards at work commented that I must get a lot of sleep during the day because I'm so energetic at work.  I just laughed.  I don't get sleep during the work week.  I'm energetic because I have to be awake for a 12.5-hour shift and need to be alert because I never know what's going to happen.

It's not that I feel old, but I know my body and my brain are changing -- and changing fast.

I used to wonder why my parents seemed content to sit and read the paper at night and now I know why.  They were tired and just needed a little time to decompress.

I think about retirement and I'm not even considering all the things I can do with that time off from work.  I'm just thinking that one day I might have the chance to decompress.

[just bee]

I am drinking a bad cup of tea.  I picked up some Celestial Seasonings and Bigelow at the grocery store and I'm just not getting any tea flavor here.

BH asked why I bought them and I said it was because the price was right.  Harney & Sons is more expensive.  Then he said, "But you enjoy your tea."

Not this tea.

Oh, well.  I guess I need to stick to H&S.  Life is short.  I require something to look forward to when I wake up.  That used to be coffee and now it's tea.  It better be good tea.

Must brew a mug of Paris now...

[just bee]

Ah... that's better.

[just bee]

I'm done with my new Sunday morning routine: Checking websites for sales on my staple items.  No sales, but also no need for anything.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the Equate version of CeraVe.  It reminds me a little of Elmer's glue, but it seems to be working for me.

If I find myself getting dried out, I may have to reconsider...

Right now we're preoccupied with the expense of rebuilding the house and replacing flooring, window treatments, fixtures, appliances, brick, roof, tile, cabinetry, countertops... I just get overwhelmed thinking about it.

We thought we'd go with Frigidaire Professional for the kitchen but the reviews are not exactly sterling.

Like the ComPact, my goal is to be loyal to one line but that's just impossible, isn't it?

It'll end up a mix of different products.  Anyone happy with a particular appliance maker these days?

PNM picked up our Whirlpool side-by-side yesterday for our $50 rebate.  Whee.

I just want something that works.  Is that too much to ask?

I think we'll look at tile today.  I'm having second thoughts about vinyl flooring in every room of the house.  I think we should replace the tile in the foyer and keep tile in the bathrooms.  (Can you believe the original builder put carpet in the bathrooms?)

And then we have to come home and clean this vinyl floor which shows every spec of dirt and bit of dog hair.

BH is leaning towards selling the house.  I can't say I blame him.

[just bee]

Random thoughts...

How do dogs know to tank up at the water bowl right before they go for a walk?

[FindingMyJoy]

---

@just bee wrote:

I am drinking a bad cup of tea.  I picked up some Celestial Seasonings and Bigelow at the grocery store and I'm just not getting any tea flavor here.

BH asked why I bought them and I said it was because the price was right.  Harney & Sons is more expensive.  Then he said, "But you enjoy your tea."

Not this tea.

Oh, well.  I guess I need to stick to H&S.  Life is short.  I require something to look forward to when I wake up.  That used to be coffee and now it's tea.  It better be good tea.

Must brew a mug of Paris now...

---

I have often fallen for buying a tea due to the price was right. I've found several that are duds...then I'll buy something online that has stellar reviews...try it and don't love it. I think I want my tea to punch me in the mouth with flavor and when it's faint taste, I then try using more bags to increase flavor. Currently trying a new-to-me pumpkin chai tea. 1 bag = such a faint light flavor it's not worth my time to sip it. 2 bags = decent chai taste but don't get anything 'pumpkin' in it. 

I'm trying to drink more water so I like finding herbal fruit teas to cold steep in water. There are some icky ones out there! LOL I have a cabinet filled with random boxes. Told myself I can't buy anymore until I weed out a bunch or maybe try mixing different flavor bags to create a winning cocktail.