Merry Christmas and Why I Won't Be Shamed Into Not Posting Pics Of Our Presents Under Our Tree.

Another Christmas is in the books. And it was a pretty damn good day filled with family, smiles, love, and laughter. And of course the kiddies loved their presents and they got along with minimal fighting, which is all that really matters to me.

A couple of years ago, I saw a Facebook post about not posting pics of your tree loaded with presents. It basically said that it's not cool to do that because not everyone can afford to get a bunch of presents for their kids and that it makes others feel bad. Ever since then, I found myself hesitating  to take and post that picture. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm not a materialistic person in any way, shape, or form, I'm not one to gloat about shit, and I certainly don't like making anyone feel bad. 

But here's the thing... While I totally understand the "why" behind that, Mike works his ass off even harder than usual in the weeks before Christmas. (We are broke as shit 90% of the year, so we go without- a lot. And we have had our fair share of lean Christmases because we had no money.) He does everything he can so that we can make sure the kiddies have a great Christmas. Between him busting his ass so hard, us cutting back on frivolous purchases in the months before the holiday, his generous holiday bonus, and me working hard to find some damn good deals on stuff to make that money stretch even further, we manage to make it work. And we even make sure to buy and donate gifts to those that are less fortunate, too. So no, I will not feel bad about what we put under the tree for our kiddies. In fact, being ashamed of being able to give our kids what we give them would be a gigantic middle finger right in my husband's face. Cuz believe me when I tell you that he worked his fingers to the bone for every single cent that we spend.

Thanks for all you do, babe.

Some may see the presents under our tree and think there are too many. Others may see them and think there aren't enough. But in the end, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. What matters is that this is my family and we do what works for us just like you do what works for you and yours. We need to stop worrying about trying to keep up with each other and/or out doing one another. Of course we need to be mindful of those less fortunate and help them out as much as we can but we also should be happy for those that "have". Because you just don't know what they went through to get what they have.

Go home, Santa.. You're drunk. Mamas got this.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday full of love and light and that you have nothing but gratefulness in your hearts for all that you do have. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

We all know who the center of attention is, uh? lol

I had to ask if she was ok cuz she wouldn't look up. Speechless is rare for her.

Her very first phone. And so it begins..

These gag gift boxes were just too awesome.

Laughing, cuz he had really believed it was an
"extra pocket" in a box.

I think Mike was actually disappointed that his
gag gift box wasn't real. LOL!!

That smile just melts my heart.

Facebook Survey Saaays...

As I said before in a previous post, I really love those Facebook questionnaire thingies. I love reading my friend responses because it offers you a glimpse of them through questions you might not normally think to ask them.

So I like to bring these questionnaires over to my blog. Cuz why not?

Q: What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
A: Hehehe... ummm.. roasted green beans.

Q: Where was your Facebook profile picture taken?
A: Roller Derby practice.

Q: Do you play Pokemon Go?
A: NOOO.

Q: Name someone who made you laugh today?
A: My Josie.

Q: How late did you stay up last night? 

A: 2:00 am.

Q: If you could move somewhere else where would it be?
A: Probably some random small town down south. Like, out in the country where the nearest neighbors are miles away.

Q: Ever been kissed under the fireworks?
A: Ohhh yessss. And more. lol Fantastical, I tell you.

Q: Do you believe ex's can be friends? 

A: Sometimes.

Q: How do you feel about Dr. Pepper?
A: I I used to love it.

Q: When was the last time you cried? 

A: Yesterday.

Q: Who was the last person you took a picture/video of?
A: My Josie.

Q: Was yesterday better than today? 

A: No.

Q: Can you live a day without TV?
A: Absolutely!! I could go forever without TV.

Q: Are you upset about anything? 
A: Yes

Q: Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
A: Some of them, absolutely.

Q: If you could have any job/career, which would you choose?
A: I would own my own Bistro.

Q: Are you a bad influence?
A: On occasion.

Q: Can you tag three friends you think will do this?
A: Uhhh, nope.

Poor Barbie...

Sooo... I think I'm beginning to notice a trend with Josie and her Barbies...

She likes to hang them by their hair... naked.

Seriously, I walked into her room to see this:

And then a few days later, I walk into the kitchen to see her hung 

by magnets. Yes, my fridge is dirty. We live here. 

Shit gets dirty. Apparently, even Barbie. 

That time I Met Otis Driftwood and Lived To Tell...

Ok... so I didn't really meet Otis.. I mean, he's only a character. But I did get to meet the gorgeous man that plays him. And the voice is the same. So that totally counts in my book.

My Derby Wife was awesome enough to get me out of the house for a spontaneous day trip to the Days of the Dead Convention for a photo opp with Alice freaking Cooper. Which was beyond awesome. But daaaamn, that shit is expensive. I certainly could never afford what they wanted for an autograph, whether you brought a pic with you to have it signed or bought one there. 

http://www.reactiongifs.us

While we were taking our pic with him, he read the shirt that Melicious was wearing and commented on it which made her giggle and say "Alice Cooper read my fucking t shirt!" throughout the whole rest of the time we were there. It was a pretty freaking awesome shirt.

So anyways, I was excited to have met Alice Cooper but was a bit bummed that we missed the table with Bill Moseley and Sid Haig. Until Melicious and I are wandering through the shop section and I spotted those killer blue eyes from across the room. My heart definitely skipped a beat or two.  "Ooooh Ooooh Ooooh! Look! We gotta go that way! Now!!"

We made our way through the crowd and I got to chat for a minute and take a pic with the amazing and ever awesome Bill Moseley. Definitely a highlight of my LIFE. I could listen to that man talk forever!

It was one helluva great day and we are already looking forward to going next year.

Autumn Love

One of my favorite days out of the year is leaf raking day. We all pack up and head over to the hubster's mama's house and we rake up the leaves in her yard for her and then the girls get to jump in the leaf piles.. Ok, I should really say that the hubster and our son rake up the leaves, the girls jump in the leaf piles. As for me, I can usually be found snapping a million pictures of the action. Cuz... well... that's just what I do.

Today was one of those days, and as usual, I got a ton of pics.

I think that this one is my favorite, by far.

I fell in love with these ones, too.

What's your favorite thing about Fall?  Comment below and let us know!

Derby Wives, Baby!

We came, we conquered, and we're still standing! 

(till we go sit our asses down for some post practice pancakes.) 😁 

A huge thank you to my derby wife for giving me the stink eye and a much 

needed "Bitch, you got this... now let's fucking go!" when she saw me 

getting frustrated and pissed at myself halfway through practice.

Seriously... I have thee best derby wife, ever. 

Recogniiiize,

Public Service Announcement!!

There is a sparkle dog going into people's backyards and shitting sparkle poop. And when you play with the sparkle dog's sparkle poop, you get sparkles on your hands that don't come off. 

Orrrr... that could just be the fucking story that your 4 year old came up with to explain why she's been washing her hands for 10 minutes cuz she played with your sparkly gold nail polish and it won't come off of her hands.

Yeeeeah.... That totally just happened.

Josie's First Day Of "School"..

 Josie had such a great first day of school. She kept yelling at 

me "I LOVE THIS SCHOOL!! IT'S SO MUCH FUN!!" 

Let's see how long that excitement lasts for, uh?

She stuck her finger in the middle and made the colors shift. LOL

Getting To Know Me

I love getting to read these little getting to know you posts that circulate around 

Facebook. Always such random questions and I love getting to read my friends' answers.

So I'm bringing it to my blog. Cuz well, it's my blog and I can do that. 

Getting To Know Me:

1) Are you named after someone? 

Yep, a character from an old soap opera called Ryan's Hope. No Joke.

2) When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday? No, wait, today.

3) Do you like your handwriting?

That would be a nooooope.

4) What is your favorite lunch meat?

I don't know... probably turkey. But the real kind of turkey, ya know?

5) Do you have any kids?

Yup. 3 of the most awesome kiddies around!

6) If you were another person would you be friends with you?

Ummm... hell yesss. 

7) Do you ever use sarcasm?

Me?? Use sarcasm?? Never!!

8) Do you still have your tonsils?

Yes, tho they should have come out years ago.

9) Would you bungee jump?

Sure, why not?

10) What is your favorite cereal?

Ooooh! That Crackle n Oat Bran. Or whatever the hell it's called.

11) Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

Ain't nobody got time fo dat!

12) Do you think you're strong?

I know I am. I'm Derby Girl Strong.

13)What is your favorite ice cream?

Aren't we getting a bit too personal here? Hmmm... chocolate peanut butter. Or Mint Chocolate Chip. Oooh or coffee! (and now we see part of why I'm fucking obese, uh?)

14) What is the first thing you notice about people?

First, the vibes they give off, immediately followed by their eyes.

15) Red or Pink?

Black.

16) What is the least favorite thing you like about yourself?

My anxiety... My size... Uhhh, honestly, the list of what I do like would be much shorter to write.

17) What color pants and shoes are you wearing right now?

Army green pants with black, royal blue, and lime green shoes.

18)What was the last thing you ate?

Tortilla chips

19) What are you listening to right now?

Running Up That Hill by Placebo

20) If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

A mother fucking rainbow crayon with all of the most awesome colors in one,

21) Favorite smell?

Rain. Nothing beats the smell of rain. Except maybe a freshly bathed baby. 

But that shit makes my ovaries hurt. Drakaar Noir is a favorite, too.

22) Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

The hubster. I'm not much for talking on the phone, tho. Seriously... text me.

23) Favorite sport to watch?

Roller Derby

24) Hair Color Real?

Yes, orange is a real color and I use it to dye my hair with.

25) Eye color?

Brown. Sometimes light brown, other times almost black.

26) Do you wear contacts?

Nope.

27: Favorite food?

Watermelon! But it has to be perfectly ripe. Otherwise it can fuck off!

28) Scary movies or happy endings?

Wait... are you asking me if I'd rather watch a scary movie or get laid??? 

How about a scary movie with a happy ending?

29) Last movie you watched?

American Ultra

30) What color shirt are you wearing?

Black, grey, and white.

31) Summer or Winter?

The fuck is wrong with you? Fall!

32) Hugs or kisses?

Long hugs with even longer kisses.

33) Favorite Dessert?

Any cake I bake.

34) What book are you currently reading?

Nothing. I'm lucky I have enough time to wipe my ass. No time to read. 

35) What is on your mouse pad?

Nothing.

36) What did you watch on tv last?

Uggghhh. Team Umi Zoomi.

37) Favorite sound?

A gnarly thunderstorm.

38) Rolling Stones or the Beatles?

Ozzy Fucking Osbourne.

39) What is the farthest you have gone?

Again with the sexual innuendo? No, really tho.. From Cali to Illinois when I was a kid.

40) Do you have a special talent?

I can bake pretty fucking awesome. And I rock one mean air guitar and 

soup ladle microphone. I'm also a pretty stellar doormat!

41) Where were you born?

California.

Your turn!! Post on your blog!!

The Dog Days of Summer

Our pup Mazzy got to take her first dip in the pool and I'm not sure who had 

more fun, her splashing around and swimming and licking everyone or the

 kiddies squealing and laughing in delight.

Getting Braver Every Day..

Today was a huge day for my Josie. While we were enjoing some pool time, 

she decided that she was ready to attempt jumping! And once she did it, 

she loved it and wanted to do nothing but jump to my arms for the next 

hour. That totally qualifies as an arm workout for me, yesss? 😆

Lucy was having a blast jumping, too. For some reason, a long winter and spring 

makes her forget that it's not really scary to jump. So every year it's like the first time.

Way to go, girls!!! 💖

Fighting With Anxiety

For those that are lucky enough to not have to deal with the anxiety or depression, it can be hard to understand what it's really like. If you know someone with anxiety or depression (or both) you may not understand why they say the things they say, do the things they do, or don't do the things they don't do. Please know that it's (usually) nothing you said or did. In fact, it usually has nothing to do with you or how the person feels about you. 

Please understand, it's nothing personal.

All anxiety is not the same. It's different for each person and sometimes each episode is different for one person. We all react to it differently and have different ways of coping with it. I don't claim to speak for everyone, but as someone who has struggled with anxiety attacks and depression for most of her life, this is what some of those moments are like for me:

Most days for me, it's just dealing with endless ridiculous thoughts. Analyzing and agonizing over every single detail of everything. Every conversation I've had. Every decision I've made. Beating myself up over things I've done. Beating myself up over things I haven't done. The simplest decision feels like I'm trying to decode some long lost language and the existence of the entire world is relying on me to get it right.

Some days, I wake up

Whole30 Day 30... Eureka!

This is the face of a very very happy and proud broad:

Why? Well, because I have officially completed my Whole30 Challenge! 30 days of hardcore strict compliance of No sugar, No dairy, No grains/gluten, No soy, No alcohol, and No legumes. And I made those 30 days my biiiitch! I know it's not about weight loss but as someone who is 200+ lbs, seeing a loss would sure be nice. That said, I can't wait til tomorrow morning to weigh in and take measurements, tho my biggest reward is definitely how absolutely AMAZING I feel! Going to enjoy a treat or two this weekend (within moderation) and then I'm going for another 30 days. This time, I'm going to incorporate consistent exercise into the mix. See you all on Tuesday!

Whole30 Day 23... Uggghhhhh

Day 23 of my Whole30 Adventure and Day 2 of feeling like complete and utter dog crap.

I couldn't even THINK about making dinner for everyone last night, nor making everyone's lunches for today. So I sent my son with money for school lunch, left the hubster on his own (thinking he'd buy lunch) and got up this morning still very queasy to make a compliant lunch for my daughter.

Spent 90% of the day laying on the couch half ass interacting with my 3 year old. Poor kiddo. I hate not being able to give all of me. But she was such a trooper with her little Doc McStuffins Dr Bag. "Mommy, I make you all better?" Awwwww...

The Hubster came home from work and informed me that he didn't buy his lunch today. Instead, he made himself a healthy lunch before work! Shut! Up! He also informed me that when I'm done with my Whole30, he doesn't want his lunches to go back to the way they were. He wants to keep taking the healthier lunches. Whaaaaat?!? That is HUUUGE! He said he feels so much better throughout the day with what I've been packing him. He's not as tired. He's not going crazy with hunger halfway through the day. That right there is a miracle.

I tried to eat today, because I'm soooo damn hungry, but also because I know that my body NEEDS nutrients. All I managed to get down was 2 sips of chicken broth (then ran my ass to the bathroom), natural applesauce which I thankfully kept down, and some scrambled eggs and apple. Those aren't sitting well. I can feel them rebelling in my stomach.

I'm off to bed now to hopefully sleep the rest of this bug away.

Onto Day 24!!

Whole30 Day 22... Please pass the bucket.

Today started out great. I woke up before my alarm. Then I went back to sleep for a bit. That should've been a warning for me that something wasn't quite right because I've been practically leaping out of bed every morning.

I made myself a delicious breakfast. Enjoyed every bite of my steak with peppers, onions, and eggs. Or should I say "enjoyed" it twice? Cuz a couple hours later I was hit with the gnarly stomach bug that my 3 kiddies passed around the house last week. Uggghhhhh

Being sick sucks. Being sick as a mom double sucks. Being sick as a mom on the Whole30 triple sucks! It's bad enough when you take care of everyone else while they're sick only to have to continue running the household while you're so sick that you can't go to the bathroom without keeping a fucking bucket on your lap. But then you start thinking "ohhh, man, I'll bet some flat 7 up would help my tummy feel better". Oh yeah, no pop. And let me tell you, it's been a couple months since I had any pop but since getting sick, I'm literally salivating over the thought of pop. "Hmmm... crackers. Crackers might help." Nope. Can't have those, either. "How about rice..." nooooope.

So I layed in bed, totally miserable. Both because I was so sick and because I was thinking of all the stuff I couldn't have. Lol

Well, at least I can say that I stayed compliant another day, uh? Onto Day 23...

Whole30 Day 15.. Keeping it real, today can go to hell.

Seriously, straight to hell.

The floor guy had to come back today to finish putting in the kitchen floor. Once again, just as I drop my middle kiddle off at school, come home, and go into the kitchen to start making breakfast, the doorbell rings. Yup, it's Luna. Crap. I grab a small handful of cashews, let him in, and retreat into the living room. Where we sit for the next 6 hours. No way to make breakfast. No way to make lunch. It felt like my stomach was trying to eat itself.

I run to pick the middle kiddle up from school and the guy is finally done. I sign off on the job and he leaves. After cleaning the kitchen for the guy to come install the floor, I'm now left with thick sticky dust EVERYWHERE. No joke, on every single surface in the kitchen, on every single surface in the living room.. All. Over. The. Floor. I had to mop the floor 3 times to get it all up.

On top of dust everywhere, I'm also now left with the job of putting everything back into the cabinets. Everything that I had just taken out yesterday so he could pull the cabinets out to do the floor under them. My mom put her stuff away, but left everything else for me. Yaaaaay me.

I started getting a headache from not eating so I went up to my room to lay down for a bit. Not too long after, I smell Chinese food. I have been craving Chinese food since Day 2. Yup, my mom ordered Chinese food and now the leftovers are in the fridge to taunt me with their deliciousness.

Then the hubby comes home with kettle corn microwave popcorn. Noooooooooo!!! I seriously cannot win today! Luckily for me (and him) he decided not to make it tonight.

I'm so incredibly over today. But I stayed on track and am ready for Day 16. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.