The Colors of Winter

Hola!!! Hope that everyone is recovering from Christmas and getting ready for New Year's. The temperatures have finally risen to the upper 30's and low 40's, and the snow is rapidly melting. Yay!!!! That means that my husband was home last night for the first time in over two weeks. (I don't know though...I was kind of starting to like having the bed to myself...lol!!!) The downside to the snow melting, is that it reveals the bleak colors of winter. Winters in WA are not colorful (are they anywhere??), and this is because the sun never shines. And I don't care how immune you think you are to the weather, the total lack of sunshine makes you feel crabby and somewhat depressed. Some people even suffer from a disorder called "Seasonal Affective Disorder," or SAD, and let me tell you, WA is not the place for them; at least this side of the mountains...lol!!!!
Above is artist Patrick St. Germain's Winter Solace, and I thought that it was a good depiction of the dreary colors of winter, Below is another painting by an artist named Ray Hendershot, rightly named New Moon. (Have I ever mentioned that I am an art fanatic?? Well I am, and I have spent way to much money on artwork in the past. There is nothing like a beautiful painting, especially if it is by an old master, to get my spirits up! Though of course, I only own replicas, not originals!!)

Do you happen to notice the common color scheme in both pictures??? Yeah, I thought so...lol!!! It may seem that I am never happy with the weather, but if you remember, I never complained about the heat/sunshine during the summer. I think that means I need to move to a place where the sun shines at least 300 out of the 365 days per year, don't you??? I even know some blogging buddies who would like to join me (wink, wink!!)

Oh well...a girl can wish, can't she??? Kind of like the girl in the lovely painting above by Hans Dahl, titled Springtime In The Fields. (Fields?? What fields??? It looks like an inlet/fjord to me!!!) So, I am trying to be positive, and think of spring/summer, even though the skies are bruised looking, and it is raining sideways due to the wind. And hey, at least my hubby is home, right??? LOL!!!! I am also looking forward to riding a couple of times this week, so things are definitely looking up!! Have a great Monday you guys!! I am off to the grocery store in the wind and rain. At least there is not a foot of snow on the ground though. :)

Photo Meme...

Well, Christmas is officially over! Now if I could just talk Mother Nature into warming up a bit so the snow could melt....

How was every one's Christmas??? (Good, I hope!!!)

Eric said that it was the worst Christmas he has ever had because his daddy wasn't there. (I had a little talk with him about being thankful that his daddy was alive, and that his daddy wasn't away at war, but I don't think his nine year old mind quite grasped what I was saying)

Moving right along...Natarojo (not her real name!), over at Just Horsin' Around, tagged me for for a photo meme before Christmas, and I figured that now was a good time to get it done.

The rules are:

1) Go to your picture folder, or wherever you store your photos on your computer

2) Go to the sixth folder and pick the sixth picture

3) Post it on your blog and tell the story that goes along with the picture

4) Tag five friends to do the same thing, and leave a message on their blog that they have been tagged

Here is my picture....Ah yes...memories of a warmer day....This is a picture of Katie taking a lesson on Elmer back in July. If I remember correctly, it was about 80 degrees out, and Eric and I were sweating to death while watching Katie get to ride. Speaking of riding, I have not been able to ride at all during the past two weeks, because of the snow and because I have been too busy. After being stuck at home with the kidlets for three weeks, I really need a ride too! LOL!!!So...I will not officially tag anyone, but if you read this and want to play along, then tag, your it!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Well, here we are!. It is officially Christmas Eve, and I wanted to get on and say that I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!! Thankfully all of the Christmas parties/festivities that we have to attend are close by (because of the snow), but Kevin has to work, so he won't be able to be with for much of Christmas/Christmas Eve. (I know, I am pathetic!)
Although I have been incessantly whining about the snow, it is kind of neat that we will have a white Christmas. That is almost unheard of in Western WA, and I have to admit that it is kind of pretty. (Oh bah-humbug...lol!!!)
Well, I am off to cook and bake, wrap presents, and clean my bathrooms. Doesn't that sound like a blast??? LOL!!!
Seriously though, from my family to yours....
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

SNOW!!!

Have I said that I am sick of the snow yet??? Well I am !!! The main reason I wish it would go away, is so my husband can come home. He is still working midnight to noon, and he is going on two weeks of it. And it looks like he will be on this schedule over Christmas, which really sucks! Anyway, the kids were asking why I hadn't put any pictures of the snow up yet (Hmmmm...maybe because I wish it would go away???) and I figured that I better oblige. On a good note, I finished my Christmas shopping today... thanks to all of the help I have had from my parents, Auntie Mary, and Marilyn. I could not have gotten it done without you guys watching my kidlets for me, so thank you!!!!
So, are you ready for a brief run down of our life the last week??? Here goes....
Above is a picture of Jinx in the snow. I took it last Monday, and if he were to sit in that exact spot today, it would be about as high as he is. Ok, so maybe I am exaggerating a little...it would be up to his shoulders!! Below is a picture of Waska in the snow. Yes, I said the snow...lol!!! Did I mention that we have had snow around here lately??? (insert sarcasm)Oh look! He is as sick of it as I am. He is running over to tell about it right now.

Below we have Bo Bo eating his yummy orchard grass from Wenatchee. He had just finished racing around like a lulu, and his blankies were a little disheveled. Katie and I fixed them shortly after this picture was taken. In the snow. Did I tell you about the snow yet??? LOL!!!
Ah...what do we have here??? Aliens perhaps?? Nope, just two little rednecks being pulled on their sleds behind a quad. In. The. Snow.

Here they are again after they took a tumble. Not so scary looking now, are they??? They kind of look like snowmen rolling around. In the snow!!!!

Not to be outdone by the boys, here is Katie. On a sled. In the snow...teeheehee!!! ( I think that I am slowly cheering myself up!)
Yes folks, this is what we hillbillies do for fun when it snows outside. We pull kid's around on sleds behind ATV's. Please don't try this at home!!! Unless of course, there is lot's of SNOW...lol!!!!

And last but not least, we have Sienna the SNOW pony. She thinks that I am pretty pathetic too. She told me that she has never seen me so crabby about the weather in all of the 16 years she has known me...lol!!! Oh, and before you go and feel all sorry for her, because she doesn't have her blankie on, just know that she has one, and that she escapes from it in about one hour...always has!!! She is like a blanket Houdini!!

Anyway...sorry to be so boring, but I am wallowing in self pity right now. Not to worry though!!! I will be back to my old self once this SNOW leaves, and my husband comes back!!!

Have a great Monday you guys!!!

Preoccupied....

Hello to everyone out there in blogland!!!!! I swear it feels like it has been months since I took my finals, and that is only because we have been so busy!! Thankfully, I have been able to get a lot my Christmas shopping done, but I have been doing it in the snow and ice with everyone else! The crowds are horrendous, and the roads are terrible. It took me two hours to get home from my parent's house last night, and it usually takes about 50 minutes! My husband is still working midnight to noon, and I just want this whole snow storm stuff to be done!!! I am so sick of the snow, and the cold, and the crowds, and the wind and ....GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!
In other news, I have started reading Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer (I think that I am like that last person on earth to read this book...lol!!!) and I am completely hooked!!! I have read about 3/4's of the book in one and a half days, and the only reason I am not done with it is because I have not been home. Amazing! Spectacular!! Fabulous!!!! And let me tell you...I had my doubts. I have read all of Ann Rule's and Laurel K. Hamilton's "R" and "X" rated vampire novels, so I figured that a "G" rated vampire story would put me to sleep in no time! Huh-uh...No such thing!!! The author gives you just enough info, that if you have a good imagination (or a dirty mind...teeheehee!!) you can fill in all of the blanks. :) Anywho...if you have not already read this book, please go do so now. I will be buying the next one tomorrow!!!

I Am Done!!!!

GUESS WHAT???!!! I AM DONE!!!!!!
And I didn't even have to go to school to take my finals! There is so much snow around here that the professors decided to post our finals online. So...I woke-up early, got rid of the kidlet's for about five hours (thanks Marilyn!!!), and got to work.
Words cannot describe how relieved I am!!! :) Who wants to join me for a little chips, salsa and a margarita on the rocks??? Hah! I wish!! My hubby is still on the midnight to noon shift, and I still have not had time to shop for Christmas. I am really starting to get panicky now...lol!!! My plan was to head out tomorrow, but the kidlets will once again have no school, and the roads are like sheets of ice. Hmmmmmm....what is a mom to do???

Take it one day at a time, that's what!!! I can do most of my Christmas shopping locally, however, I do need to make an hour long trip to the nearest Cabelas store for quite a few gifts. Once that is done, I will breathe a sigh of relief. This weather is really unusual, in that we never get snow, and if we do get snow, it never lasts. Tomorrow will be one week! What is up with that???

Well...gotta run! Hope that you are all having a happy Friday! :)

Summertime...

Right now, I am lying on the beach, with my my pedicured feet buried deep into the warm sand, and my drink (water of course...wink, wink!!) sitting nearby. It is about 85-90 degrees, with just a hint of a warm wind. I am relaxed and unhurried, and know that if I get too hot, I can cool off in the lake. Wait a second...too hot??? What does that mean??? I can never be too hot!!! Oh, and I am not really on vacation again, I am just hallucinating from being deprived of warmth for too long...lol!!!
Winter has officially hit us in Washington (thanks to air flow/weather from Alaska and Canada) and I am wasting no time whining about it!
It really wouldn't be that bad, if it were only the snow and ice that I had to contend with, but it is windy too...really windy!!! (Ahhhh...the joy's of living in the foothills!) For about three days now, we have had 30-40 mph sustained winds, with gust's of up to 60-70 mph. Unbelievably, our power has managed to not go out, but it is really only a matter of time.

Not to sound like a complete ninny, but it is also really cold for around here. The temps have been running in the teens, and that is before you factor the wind chill in. Right about now, a bunch of you are ready to yell at me and say "You call that cold??? I'll tell you about cold..." but before you do, just remember that I live in Western Washington, and we don't typically get snow. Normal cold weather here is about 40-45 degrees and rain. Trust me, I lived in Illinois until I was 12, so I know all about cold winters, but it doesn't mean that I have to like them!!! LOL!!!

The other sucky thing about the weather is that my hubby is gone. He works for a local county, so when it snows, he is out plowing and de-icing. This year, he was unfortunate enough to get the midnight to noon shift, so we see him for about one hour a day. The overtime is nice, but the long hours take a toll on everyone.

I hope that all of my fellow blogger's are hanging in there too, because it looks like this nasty weather is hitting a lot of us right now.

So, tell me about the weather in your neck of the woods right now. You know...to make me thankful that it is at least -5 degrees outside my house and not -40 degrees...lol!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Today is my dad's birthday! Happy birthday dad!!! You guys probably wonder why I always use wedding pics to show my family, and let me be the first to say that it is NOT because I looked so darn good...lol!!! Well...maybe a little!!!
All joking aside, it's because I don't really have that many pics of him. He was always working or in school (sounds familiar doesn't it??), so he missed a lot of photo opportunities with us.
However, he has always been there for his family and supported each of his children...and he makes a darn good "papa" too!
I love ya man!!!!!
We are all headed over to your house for dinner in about twenty minutes. See you soon!!!

Sienna...The Cheetos Eating Pony!

My kidlets recently asked why I never blog about Sienna anymore. Huh??? I think that I always include her (when applicable), but they said that they felt that she was not on enough...ho hum!!! Well we can't have that now, can we?? So, I told them that I would do a quick post about Sienna, and how much she has always been loved and treasured. Sienna was born during a 4-H meeting at my parents farm on May 25, 1993, and as you can see from the above picture (yes, that is me!), I was right there to dry her off!
The story goes like this...
Amber had a little pony by the name of Red, who had recently been rescued by his original breeder/owner. Red had been kept, unbeknown to anyone, in a 10x10 dog kennel his whole life, and when his owner passed away, he was discovered. His owners' family contacted Isabelle (his breeder) who quickly came and took him back. Did I mention that Red was about 25??? Shortly after his rescue, he came to live at our house, and he was so debilitated that he could hardly walk. This was not from a lack of food, but from a lack of muscle tone due to his confinement. He was not the best looking, or the best acting little pony, but he quickly won a place in all of our hearts ...especially Amber's. (Below is a picture of Red and Amber)Right about the time Red was rescued, we had bred our little American Shetland mare, Star, to Isabelle's American Shetland stallion, Commander, in hopes of having a young pony foal for Amber to raise as her own. (Amber has always ridden horses, but she also has a love for driving them as well) My mom has all of the good pictures of Star (she was shown by all three of my sisters in riding and driving classes), but I found this one of her and Sienna to show you what she looked like. (Her tail was really long and thick, so I am thinking that the wind was blowing in this picture.!)CD's Commander, Sienna's sire (pictured below at age 22). Not hard to tell who she took after, is it...lol!!??Unfortunately, Red colicked that first winter out of captivity, and had to be put down, but at least he had seven months of knowing what love was, and learning how to be a horse. Amber was devastated (we all were), and we began to anticipate the arrival of Star's foal even more.
When Sienna was born, we were all amazed at how much she resembled Red, and we didn't think that it was just a coincidence either. She was Red's little replacement, and she would lead the life that Red, and every other mistreated pony, should have led. (The End)Please don't get all Fugly on me about the above picture (with Sienna standing on the picnic blanket with my sisters). I put it up to show you just how darn cute she was! Sienna has always been such a character, and she used to frequently come in our house when she was out grazing in the yard. Below is a picture we took of her, when she was two, eating corn off of our plates...and don't worry, she never pottied in the house...lol!!!
Now for a little PSA ( Hi Mrs. Mom!!) about ponies...
A lot of people detest ponies and say that they are nasty, hateful, and mean, but I will not hesitate to tell them that they are wrong. Ponies are not born nasty, hateful, or mean, rather they are made that way by being mistreated by children their whole lives. For some reason, a lot of parents think that ponies are like baby sitters, and let their children do whatever they like to them. Trust me, even the most mild mannered horse would have its patience tested by a bunch of snot nosed brats climbing all over it. (Sorry! Not all kids are awful, and it is really the parents' fault for not monitoring/teaching their kids to respect ponies). We have bred and raised several ponies in the past, and not one of them ever had a horrible disposition...not one!!

The disposition of most ponies, before they are ruined by adults who don't manage their children, resembles that of a big dog, or a goat. They are friendly, inquisitive, and just ask that you treat them with respect. (ADDENDUM...I was just reading this on Sunday morning, and realized that I forgot to mention that as a result of all of their years of surviving on their own in harsh conditions, ponies can be rather stubborn and tenacious.That is why they are not always suitable for children...because kids tend to have the same personalities...lol!!! Honestly, some children are better suited for horses than ponies, because horses will tend to take a lot more flak from a pushy child than a pony will. Ponies are creative and have learned how to shove children off of their backs by running under low-lying tree branches, or scraping them off on an arena post. Seriously!!!)

The other unfortunate thing that happens to ponies, is that people let them founder, often repeatedly. Ponies evolved in very harsh conditions, with very little food sources, so now that they live in the 21st century, they face the risk of over-eating all of the time. Despite what many people think, ponies only need about two hours of grazing per day, or about 1/4 to 1/2 a flake of hay twice a day. This may be adjusted according to the ponies weight and size, but even larger ponies that may look more horse-like, will founder. Ponies have the magic capability of getting fat just by looking at food...lol!!! Gee...I do too, so does that mean I am a pony???
So...if you want a great little pony, you may try to rehabilitate one that has been mistreated, or you may buy a younger one that still has a shot at being raised right. Either way, ponies make great children's mounts...just don't let your child abuse them by pulling on their mouths, kicking their sides, or dragging them around.

What kind of life do you think Sienna has had???

Scribbling Award!

I am feeling a little festive right now, as I am almost done with my monstrous, all-consuming, research proposal. This leaves me one more paper to write, two finals to study for, and then I am done until January. Yay!!!!!!

I changed the colors up a bit for the holidays, and I have already apologized to Pony Girl , for ending up with the same green color that she has, as my own background. The other reds' and greens' were to over powering...well except for one, but then I would be copying Val at Fantastyk Voyage instead. Sometimes you just can't win...lol!!!

As you can see from the cute award above, I have been chosen by Lisa and C-ingspots to be one of the recipients of the "Superior Scribbler Award!" Thanks girls!!! They are both very special women who always leave kind and uplifting comments on my blog. I appreciate it you two...I really do!!!

Now, even though I don't usually pass awards along, I think that I will on this one. (You know, just to mix it up a bit!).

The five Superior Scribblers that I am going to tag are:

1) Chelsi, over at Adventures of a Horse Crazed Mind

2) Stephanie, over at The School of Life With Horses, and the owner of my horse...teeheehee!!!

3) Winter, over at HorseCentric
4) Mrs. Mom, over at Oh Horse Feathers
5)Kacy at AllHorseStuff.

Hope that everyone is having a fabulous Friday!!!

More About Me...The Winter Version

I have once again found myself tagged (thank you Canadian Cowgirl!!!) and have decided to give it a little winter or Christmas-like twist; similar to the new tag I have seen on a couple of blogs lately.
Here goes...

1) As I have mentioned before, I love the snow, but I hate being cold. To me, there is nothing worse than being cold (am I being overly dramatic???) because it hurts... it makes my joints and bones ache (insert more drama...lol!!!).

2) I never believed in Santa Claus as a child. NEVER!!! That is why I am so happy that my kidlets do. There is something to be said about innocence that is not lost too early.

3) I have not bought one Christmas present yet, and I am starting to freak out about it! I just have not had the time to devote to shopping yet. Next week I will be able to start shopping, but until then, I will have momentary panic that surfaces every now and then about it...lol!!!

4) Even though we live in the PNW, we have a fake Christmas tree. (I can hear you all gasping through my computer screen now...lol!!!) It is just easier to have a fake tree when we have a wood stove, and it is also less expensive. I think that I paid around $180 for our fake tree (four years ago) and we used to spend about $100 each year on a real tree. Are Christmas trees expensive where you live too?

5) I love every thing about Christmas (food, gifts, family), but I think that seeing other people happy with their gifts, makes me happier than getting gifts of my own.

6) Oh my gosh!!! I can't think of one more thing right now, and seeing as how I should be--you guessed it!!--working on yet another paper, I think I will stop...lol!!!

PS-anyone who wants to play along can! :)

Let It Snow....

This past weekend we went up to Pyramid Pass ( elevation 4880 feet) for a snow-themed birthday party. There were quite a few of us, and we were all more than a little worried that we would not find any snow, as the snow level has yet to have dropped over here (very unusual). The plan was to meet at the birthday boy's house around 9:00 for donuts, coffee, and presents, and then to head up until we hopefully found snow...something that is not usually difficult to find this time of year!
The large caravan of pick-up trucks and jeeps, which contained our group, headed out into the rain and wind, and it wasn't until we reached the top of the pass, that it suddenly started snowing...thank goodness!!! Once it started however, it transformed the evergreen forest into a winter wonderland in about one hour. The kids all had a blast sledding and playing in the woods, while the grown-ups stood around the fire in an attempt to stay warm. The wind was blowing from all directions up there, and if you were not right up next to the fire, you were cold, wet, and miserable...unless you were a kidlet...lol!!! Below are some of the guys standing around the fire. Amy (the birthday boy's mother), is one of those crafty and clever people who brought a giant propane stove, hot chocolate (with peppermint schnapps in it for the adults!!), a big pot of homemade chili, and hot dogs. Needless to say, we were all well fed!! To give you an idea of just how much snow we don't have over here right now, the area we drove up to is usually closed to vehicles and designated as a snow park only this time of year. The friends that we went with are also all snowmobiler's, and they said that by now the snow is usually higher than the tress in the pictures (about 12-20 feet)!!! Craziness, huh???
Above is a picture of Eric right after he crashed on his sled. It must be nice to sled in only five inches of snow and not be bothered by all of the lumps and bumps on the ground...lol!!! Below we have Miss Katie coming down the hill with the birthday boy. She was all smiles that day... ...Until it was time to go home and she turned into my child again...lol!!!
Drive daddy, drive (below)!!!! Did you notice that Katie and I are surrounded by camouflage inside the truck??? First you had daddy in his camo; then there was Eric in his; and finally there were/are the camo seat covers, that are there to protect the leather from the kidlets! Thankfully the heat from the heated seats penetrates the seat covers too, because I think that we all had cold, wet bums, on the way down!!! All in all it was a fun day, and we can't wait for more snow to fall soon. I should mention here that I love the snow, but I detest being cold. I am fine being out in it unless I get cold and wet, and when that happens, watch out!!! I resemble Katie in the above picture...lol!!!!

I only have three more papers and three finals until I am on Christmas break, and I am so excited!!! I can see the light at the end of the fall semester tunnel. I also need to do a meme (tagged by Canadian Cowgirl!) and post a picture of all of our barn boots for Miss Lisa.

Hope you all have a happy Monday!!

Me Time!!!

Wow...I am blogging two times in as many days!!! Can you tell that the bulk of my papers are out of the way??? LOL!!! I still have two huge projects, that I really should be working on, but I am taking a small break right now.
Despite all of the homework-and life in general!-we have been getting some nice three-four hour long trail rides in on my designated riding days. (I don't care how much homework I have, there is nothing that helps to refuel my "me" tank, like being on the back of a horse and chatting with my riding pals!)
The past couple of weeks have been kind of cool and foggy, but we just layer up and go! Doesn't this picture just make you want to shiver? It does me, but maybe that's because I was down in it, and I remember the 37 degree temperature...lol!!!
This week Mr. Curly (below) was wearing a side-pull because last week he was quite chargey when we were all galloping like bats out of hell (there were four of us last week...Hi Kristina!!!) and he really wanted to be in the front. Of course, so did Bo Bo, who can also be really chargey, but I think that there is a huge difference between a 900 pound charging horse, and a 1200+ pound charging horse...there really is...lol!!!

I also tried something different with my pictures yesterday, and took them from a lower angle, to kind of give the view from the horses perspective. We did lots of exploring, both on old and new trails, and as you can see from Bo Bo's perspective, sometimes we didn't get anywhere too fast. (That is Amber and Waska circling back to tell us that we had reached the end of a trail)
Ok...so this one is shot at a higher angle, but I liked the way that it looked. It really accentuates Bo's bulgey eyes...teeheehee!!!Bo is not as adventuresome as he was in his earlier years, and as you can see in the picture below, he was not very happy to be heading in the wrong direction again. We rode on a lot of small trails that were in between, and connected to, larger ones so every time we came out on a main road/trail, Bo would shake his head, flick his tail, and do a little jig to say "Home is this way Mel, and I am ready to go there."
That is something that I have gotten used to with Bo. He is my elder and he thinks that he knows best...lol!!!

Last but not least, I couldn't not show you the T-Rex skull that we found...I mean the smelly deer carcass! There are still quite a few gut piles around, however they have now been reduced to mostly bone piles. They still stink to high heaven though!!!
Well...I am off to work on that assignment and also to get my hair cut and highlighted. I have not had a foil or cut since May, and I am in terrible need of one. I have tons of thick, crazy, curls, and I can't wait to have them chopped off and thinned out!!! All Horse, where are you when I need you??? LOL!!!
Have a great weekend you guys!!

All I Want For Christmas...

Ahhhh....Christmas...my favorite time of the year!!!! While I totally love the holidays, I never know what to say (as some of you have posted about too!) when people ask me what I want. I can never come up with any ideas. Zip, zilch, zero...lol!!! This year however, I know exactly what I want (and it is only one thing you guys!!!), so all of my family member's who silently read my blog, pay attention!!!!

Are you ready to see what it is??? Are you sure???? Just checking!!!!

Here you go....

Stretch

Stretch

Stretch

...And guess what?? He is located in Eastern Washington, and if you hurry, you can make it over the pass before the snow hits...teeheehee!!!

How could you not love this horse??!! He is absolutely gorgeous and he seems to have a great mind/heart as well. I think that he would fit in with my family quite nicely, don't you???? What's that you said??? He's not an Arab? I think that I could overlook that just this once...lol!!!Anywho...he's it!!! He is what I want to see under the tree (or out in the barn!) on Christmas morning. Pony Girl's family did it for her, so it is possible to do, and I am sure that I could put you all in touch with her family if you would like to work out the logistics...teeheehee!!! (Just joking!!!)

PS- Thanks for letting me do this Stephanie...I owe you one!!!!

Butterfly Kisses...or Not!!!!

So now that you all know how "normal" my life is, it is time to get back to the business of appearing perfect (just kidding) lol!!!! Not one, but two wonderful bloggers have bestowed me with the Butterfly Award, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my perfect little heart...teeheehee!!!
Seriously though, Lisa and Canadian Cowgirl passed this on to me, and I thank you both! I am sure that I am supposed to tag other people, but I think that just about all of you have been tagged already. If you haven't, then consider yourself tagged! Everyone is obviously caught up in the spirit of giving, and I think that it is wonderful! :) I love all of my bloggy friends!!! On a different note...there are a lot of negative vibes out there in blogging land, and I hope that those of you who are having a difficult time, or feeling down, realize that there are lots of us out there who care about you and support you! Hang in there and feel better soon! :)
Now I have to go back to writing my 12 page paper on the effects of divorce on children. That's a cheery topic, eh???

My Patience Wears Thin....

So as not to give anyone a false impression of my kidlets (remember yesterday when I was so shocked by their angelic behavior at school?), I feel that I should expound on their behavior at home lately. Sometimes I read my blog and think "Gee, it kind of sounds like we are all one big happy family who gets along and never has any problems." Let me be the first to tell you that we do have our problems and our life is far from perfect. My husband and I work hard to make our relationship work. It is not one of those "I met my dream man, fell madly in love, and lived happily ever after" scenarios, and I am sure that he feels the same way about me...lol!! Don't get me wrong...we love and care about each other, but having kid's, a mortgage, a mom/wife who is back in school and not working, all cause significant stress to each and every one of us. I guess it is important to me that you all know this, because I have come across several blogs (none that I frequent, so don't worry!!!) where all it seems they write about is how wonderful life is, how uber great their kids are, and how they don't have a care in the world. Just know that because I choose not to bore you with the things in my life that stress me out, doesn't mean that it (stress/life/worry) doesn't occur. :) Trust me...I can bitch with the best of them...lol!!!
Back to the subject at hand...Lately, all my kidlets have been doing is fighting and acting like little beasts at home. No...they are not modeling me and their dad, as we don't fight in front of them (we have minor disagreements in front of them, but we don't fight), so I would sure like to know who gave them a pamphlet on "How to Fight 101."

It starts the moment they wake up ,and it continues until they finally shut their eyes. I know that it is just a phase that they are going through, but it is driving me nuts!!!! I feel that at ages six and nine, they have suddenly regressed to two and three...lol!!! The most frustrating thing about it is that I can't do anything, because all I do is discipline them. Grrrrrrrr......I DETEST having to be on top of them all of the time, and the only thing that keeps me sane is knowing that this is just a stage, and that it will pass.

Anywho...sorry to rant and rave, but I am just trying to keep it real!!! It is important to me that you all realize that the same cute, little kids who ride horses, go hunting, and get good grades, also yell, scream, hit each other, and give me wrinkles!!!
Now...go have a nice soothing bubble bath, or a relaxing glass of wine, and think of me!! ;)