The Outspoken Mom Blog

Merry F-ing Christmas!

Good Evening Everyone!

Can you tell I am a bit stressed out about Christmas and it is still/only 12 days away?!

I find myself angry, upset, even crying!  Yes, today I actually weeped so hard I cried myself to sleep and missed the whole first half of the Vikings game.  What is going on here?!  Christmas. 

Christmas this year seems to be more of a 4 letter word than the joyous occasion of Christ's birth.  I officially envy all those people that don't do gifts on Christmas.  As the time ticks down, I find myself angry and yelling at my children constantly.  Why?!  Because I am already stressed out about all the crap they are going to start bringing into my house that they won't clean up.

My basement looks like a bomb went off everyday and everyday I ask the children to clean it up and everyday they whine and pout and stomp off or cry.  So everyday I get angry, I scream, I yell and nothing gets cleaned up.  Or, if I do pick it all up, they come down, pull everything out and play with it all and not 2 days later you can't even tell I have cleaned up.

I can't tell you how many times I have told them over the 8 years we have lived here, NO FOOD IN THE BASEMENT!  Yet, every time I go down there, there are food wrappers, bowls, silverware, glasses thrown into the corner between the 2 couches.  We have this great square cube that I bought last year to store all of the Wii games and remotes in it PLUS, the TV/VCR remotes.  There is NOTHING in that thing and the top is thrown across the room.

I have a really nice bookshelf for movies and DVD's, nothing is in its case, the movies/DVD's are strewn all over the floor down there.  We have a great IKEA shelving unit with doors to and each child has their own entire unit to themselves.  They are mostly empty as the toys are all over the floor.  The baby can't play in the basement without tripping over something, especially the laundry pile at the bottom of the basement steps.  Why?  Well, because some f-ing genius put the laundry chute in the hall in the basement and made a laundry room the size of a small closet.  Then, my darling children have decided it is just SO much fun to play in the laundry pile and throw it all over.  OR my favorite thing is when they don't want to put away their folded laundry and they just throw it back on top of the dirty pile and I don't notice it until I am sorting laundry and realize half of the stuff I just threw in the washer was clean!

Also, you add that my darling husband has his closet and bathroom down there and he very similar to my children can't seem to understand cleaning up or putting things away as I often find his clothes from the day before strewn over various couches and chairs throughout the house.  Not to mention his numerous jackets he hangs on the banister at the top of the stairs so, it makes it not only impossible not to step on them when trying to go down the basement stairs but, you can't grab onto the banister and it makes very scary when my baby is climbing up and down those stairs over coats.

Yes, I am frustrated, I am stressed out and I am overwhelmed by Christmas already.  I DO NOT want my children to get any more gifts!  I could care less if they ever had anything new again.  They are selfish and refuse to help me in anyway around the house.  I would give my children the world if only they would help me clean the house just once in a while!  Money doesn't work, they could care less about allowances because we have this stupid thing in our house that they shouldn't have to earn things, they are children.  BS!

Listen, I am stressed, I am NOT thinking nice, warm and fluffy thought about Christmas.  I an NOT thinking joyfully about the birth of Jesus and I do NOT have sugarplums dancing in my head!  My house is messy, disorganized, bursting at the seams with crap and I am sick of it!  I am busy too people!  Yes, I know I don't work, I know it is MY job to organize the schedules, to cook all the meals, to clean all the clothes, to do ALL the Christmas shopping, to volunteer at the schools, to make sure the children are in sports, to buy all the birthday party gifts, to bake all the cookies and snacks, and to make sure everyone is happy and healthy.  I get that.  That IS my job but, sometimes, my job, my schedule and my life gets TOO hectic and I get overwhelmed and it would be nice if my family could see that happening or take some of the load off sometimes.

Granted, I totally suck at being Martha Stewart, listen, I am not even Rachel Ray!  But, crap, I try, I really do.  Maybe I try too hard at somethings and not the right things?  I know my husband wants me to make HOT appetizers for parties, especially hot dips.  But, honey, I SUCK at making those things!  Especially dips!  I can make so many other good apps.  Isn't that enough?  Can't we start focusing on what I am good at instead of trying to get me to do more! 

I will never be an ironer, I will never be a seamstress, I can't make homemade stockings, I don't know how to knit more than a scarf and a hat, I don't know how to make a good artichoke, crab or spinach dip.  I just don't. 

My girls won't wear bows in there hair no matter how much I try, my son won't wear a tie, and my husband doesn't wear socks(actually none of us do, sorting socks is exhausting to me!).  I will never have gleaming floors, clean windows, or dustless blinds and ceiling fans.  My dogs will always smell and my cats will always need to be brushed. 

But, my children are healthy, my children are fed well, I am a great cook, I can bake pretty well too.  I adore watching my children involved in sports and activities and very rarely miss ANYTHING they are in.  I will ALWAYS cry when I see them on stage or when they score a goal because I am so happy for them!  I try to make sure their teachers have gifts, their friends have gifts and they have all the jeans, hats, and whatever else they need for their plays, recitals, and shows. 

I may freak out every once in a while but, I will always love my family and they will always come first.  I just want a LITTLE in return once in a while.  Just a little appreciation for the stuff I DO do around the house.  I don't always want the focus to be on what I don't do, what you don't have, what I don't have, and what I/you want. 

Life is so much more than this, it has to be.  Christmas is about the birth of our Saviour nothing else.  Next year, I pray it will be different, I pray there will be less gifts, less running around, less selfishness.  I know with 4 children ages 18 months, 6, 7, and 8 it is hard but, someday, some year I KNOW it will all pay off.  I know this, it is the ONLY way I can keep going some days.

So, as I sit here feeling so much better for just getting all of that off my chest, don't live your Christmas like me this year!  Relax, take a breath, breathe it all in and smell the smells, hear the sounds, and see the lights.  Remember the reason for this time of year as truly it really is only all about Jesus and we all need to get back to that.

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Stimulus? Confusion!

Good Afternoon Everyone!

So, I read a blurb online today and then heard more about it on the radio and it just didn't seem to make sense.  So, I guess the state of Minnesota is set to receive about $4.6 BILLION in stimulus money and the good news(this is the part I heard on the radio) much of it is being used to keep or create jobs here in Minnesota.  Ok, sounds good, in fact sounds really good as I love my state of Minnesota.  Then, I hear how many jobs it has saved and/or created...just under 12,000.  Ok, now 12,000 jobs saved and/or created is a great number!  However, I am wondering, really?  $4.6 BILLION to save 12,000 jobs?  Now, I know not all of the money is being used for jobs however, both the internet and the radio said either 'most' or 'a lot' of the money is being used to keep and create jobs here in Minnesota. 

Now I am really thinking, first of all, 12,000 jobs for the entire state of Minnesota is really not that much and yet $4.6 BILLION in stimulus money, that seems like an obscene amount to be getting for stimulus money to begin with but, after making my husband do the math, he figured (if I am wrong with figures...HE did it not me) that is around $500,000 per job spent.  Huh.  So, considering the average American only makes around $24,000 a year and the average Minnesotan is around $28,000 a year....hmmmm.  Does that math make sense?  Am I missing something here?

Wouldn't we have just been better off sending each Minnesotan a $1000 check in the mail?  Or even a $100 check?  Or how about cutting property taxes that have gone up double digets every year in many cities for the past few years(mine included).  Or could we use some of the money to cut our sales tax for a couple years or to lower heating costs for a few years here in Minnesota?  My list could go on and on.  Or, why do we really need stimulus money to begin with?  Really?

I am still floored by the 'Let's spend our way out of the recession' too.  Really?  Because I wonder what the government would say about my husband and I spending our way out of debt.  Would they praise us?  Would they be so pleased with how we spent our way out of debt?  Can you really spend your way out of debt?  If you have no money and you spend more money, don't you just have even less money than before?
Then you add interest and penalties and such and aren't you worse off than ever before?  Doesn't the government tell us we need to save for retirement?  Haven't they been telling us to go back to having savings accounts to create a stronger banking system?  Well, what about our government?  Are they saving for 'retirement'?  Are they saving for a 'rainy day'?  Has the government opened up a savings account to 'save banks'? 

Am I crazy or does it seem like the government is doing very similar things with their (MINE/YOURS) money that they criticized big businesses for doing?  Didn't the government tell banks how irresponsible they were for lending out loads of money and doing sub-prime lending yet, if you think about it, isn't the government doing many of the same things?

I am confused, I am in disbelief, and I am frustrated.

If this makes more sense to you than me, please comment and let me know so I can understand.

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Hectic Schedules

Good Morning Everyone!

I can't believe I am taking the time to write this blog but, I do love writing so yes, I am taking the time!

I never knew how busy I would be as a stay at home mom, truly busy.  Back to school is usually the hardest part because everything starts at the same time.  So, I am not only making sure my children all have their backpack, lunch box, and school supplies but, I am also writing insane amount of checks, blowing through even more cash than at Christmas or vacation and I still am forgetting some things.  I think I am going to keep our baby out of any activity until her older brother can drive to help out!  That is only 7 1/2 more years so, she can do her first activity of any kind when she is 9.  Yeah right!

I just laugh looking at our family calendar and how some of the days are so full I have run out of space to right!  Even my Outlook Calendar can't take it all in!  I think it thinks there is some error with how busy some of the days are. 
I admit, I completely overbook myself and my children on a couple days a week but, that is because we try to book most if not all of their activities in the middle of the week so that Mondays, Fridays and weekends we have very little scheduled.  I know that will have to change as they get older but, for now, we barely see each other Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Our schedule is actually manageable with the amount of activities they have but, then you add in birthday parties, birthdays, my book club, our dinner club, date night, doctor/dentist appointments, and Bible study and WOW things get really hectic fast.  Our craziest time of year is usually September and October too which I would love to be the least hectic with school and everything getting going again but, in Minnesota you can only play summer soccer or fall soccer and for the little ones, fall soccer ends 2nd week of October due to cold temps.

Yes, many of our schedules are forced by our seasons here in Minnesota and others are forced by working parents and other over scheduled families.  So, I guess we all do it to ourselves.  Really, how much is too much?  See I had no siblings so, I did a lot of activities because there also weren't children in my neighborhood to play with and my mom worked a lot.  So, I did dance, gymnastics, softball, soccer, and basketball.  Granted, I didn't do any sports until 4th grade which is when most of the children started sports...not like now when if you don't have your child proficient in a sport by age 5 forget it! 

So, my 8 year old is playing soccer right now but, only 1 or 2 days a week and next week he starts church choir(which he hates, I will admit).  He will start Cub Scouts again next month and we are forcing him to play hockey again this year.
My 6 year old(will be 7 on Sunday) is doing dance, gymnastics, and ice skating(only in winter) and thinks she will be playing basketball again this year(so painful to watch!  She just sits on the floor unless she is bringing the ball down) and Daisy's(baby girl scouts) will start up again for her in October and church choir will start for her again next week too.  Plus, she wants to play softball next spring..add to that her social calendar of birthday parties(which she LOVES as friends are her life) and that she makes us sign her up for after school care because to her it is social hour :-)  I do truly love that girl!
Then, my 5 year old who is finally a big girl in Kindergarten, she is our most active and gets most joy from sports and activities along with friends.  She is in dance, gymnastics, soccer, ice skating(in winter only), and new this year swim team(2-3 days a week).  She also wants us to sign her up for tennis and hockey..we are waiting a bit. 

I only have so many hours in a day/week but, I am also flat broke some months by all the activities fees!  This month of September has been so expensive I blew through my entire months grocery budget(on activity fees) in less than 2 weeks.  Sorry family, it is beans and rice for the next 2 weeks!  Just kidding honey, I know you read my blog daily.

It does crack me up though.  Because after adding in the meetings about all the sports and activities, the volunteer hours, the working at the 3 different schools to help out, trying to have lunch with all three of the children AT LEAST once a month if not more and fundraisers, social gatherings, conferences, school pictures, buying things for teacher wish lists(which I NEVER will complain about because I believe it is SO important).  Then, add in my husband and my activities, we have a standing date night every Monday night(why our children don't do anything on Mondays), me in the process of planning my 20th high school reunion, my book club, my new Beth Moore study at church, and my husband and I belonging to a dinner club, well life is busy.

It is a good busy though!  Truly it is.  I think it is a good problem to have trying to figure out a time when Grandma can take your almost 7 year old to American Girl to get her first American Girl doll.  YES...don't tell our almost 7 year old but, she is finally getting one and she will flip out!  I also think it is a good problem trying to figure out how to get my daughter to a birthday party and the other daughter to gymnastics plus, feed everyone dinner.  Or how and when to give my almost 7 year old her bike from Grandma and Grandpa (yes...don't tell her!)  See, these are good problems to have, really good problems.

We are busy and I frankly don't know how we are going to manage some of our nights this year but, we always have figured it out in the past so, we can do it again this year.  God has blessed us with so much!  We have been blessed with great friends, great communities, great children, great schools and a great church, of course we want to be as involved in all of those things as possible!

I do have to say though, I do not know how working moms do it.  Seriously, how on Earth do they do doctors appointments, dentist appointments and not just for their children but, them too!  Then, conferences, sports, and social time.  I am exhausted at the end of my days, I couldn't imagine how tired I would be trying to do all this and work at the same time.

Oh...I almost forgot, we are doing all these activities and we have a 15 month old at home too!  She was lucky enough to go to a meeting with me today and by the way, she was perfect!  Thank you baby.  Life is truly very busy and I am sure we are one of those over booked families however, the children LOVE their activities for the most part.  They don't enjoy church choir as much as I believe they should but, that is NOT an option to quit so...smile children :-)

Maybe I am pushing too much on myself too trying to do book club, dinner club, soccer, and a Bible study but, I need activities too and I need to see my friends and have adult time.  Ok, so should we cancel our date nights...no way, our marriage is the pillar of strength to our family and our date nights are extremely important to keeping a strong and happy marriage.  So, looks like the busy schedules will just continue and that is OK.

This is why I don't work, this is my job of sorts.  I have always said I am 'retired' and I have scoffed when mothers say, I work I just do it in the home.  Well, I am finally going to agree with them!  I do work and it is exhausting!!!!  But, it is by far the best job I have ever had even though the vacation time sucks! hahaha.

I will tell you all though, I am taking my first ever time away from my family next weekend!  Yes, I have NEVER been away from my children!  Never.  The longest time I was ever away from any of my children has been around 12 hours.  So, this is truly going to be a new adventure for me and I hope it is just the beginning of my mini vacations from the children.  I am hoping my employer(my family) is finally going to start allowing for more mommy vacation time.  I am not nervous, although...I am worried a bit about the baby as my hubby tends to step on her a lot but, other than that, I am ready.  I think 8 1/2 years of working without a vacation...well, it is just time now.

It is a mini-weekend vacation up to the cabin but, oh how great it will be.  I just hope the weather cooperates and isn't too cold or rainy as I will be driving the convertible up and I love driving up there with the top down.

Anyway, way off subject there, can you tell I am a bit excited?!

So, today, think about your family, think about your schedules and don't forget to schedule time for your spouse and yourself.  It is so important for your children to see you doing things for yourself and you and your spouse doing things without them.  Enjoy your life, no matter how busy or easy going it is, for it will all go by so fast.

I love my life, I love my hectic schedule and I love filling out what seems to be millions of forms a year.  Life is good and these are the days our children will look back on hopefully with fond and funny memories.

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Life is hard / Real Life

Good Morning Everyone!

Well, the clouds have rolled in once again to Minnesota so, those few warm and sunny days we had last week are gone again.  I am not sure we are truly going to have a summer this year.

So, today I am writing about the hard things in life, the unjust things, the bad things, just the things that happen in life.

This morning I sent my older three off to camp again today for the day.  It is the 2nd day of camp, they love it and I do too.  While we were waiting for the bus to leave a mom who was putting her 4 year old on the bus for his 2nd day of camp was worried.   For some reason, the bus left the YMCA 30 minutes late so, this poor little guy had to sit on the bus for 30 minutes.  Just enough time for him to realize he is going to be away from his mommy again all day.  He started crying, wanting his mommy and his mom was trying so hard not to cry too.

The kids that run these buses need to understand, for the little people, you need to get everyone on the bus and just leave!  I remember the same thing happening to our son when he was 4.  Same bus, same camp, same thing, the bus waited over 30 minutes for some kids that never showed up and my son lost it.  He was so upset he actually walked off the bus and I had to convince him camp was fun again and I ended up driving him down to camp.  He did great once he was there but, man alive, he wouldn't get on that bus again to save his life so, I had to drive him to camp every morning that week.

It is hard sending your children off to camp for the first time, even if it is only day camp!  It is still hard.  My people are totally ok with it but, I can bet the first time I send our baby there, OH, the tears!  And it probably won't be from her!

So, my children are off, I have just the baby today, it is supposed to rain so, I am going to try and clean and clear out part of my house today.  The clutter has just piled up in our house and I am not a good thrower.   See, I come from a house where my mother threw EVERYTHING.  Seriously, my entire childhood is in a small 16 QT. Rubbermaid container.  All the photos, keepsakes, everything.  I have very few photos of me growing up, I have even fewer of me from high school, none from jr. high and all of my toys, clothes, everything, is gone.  My mom is a thrower.  So, hence, I am not.

I am probably more on the hoarder side of things.  I never had a lot growing up, I always struggled for what I had and things have an emotional meaning to me.  I can still tell you who gave me what and when I got almost everything in my closet and my house. 

Well, I live in a teeny house, it is time to let go of the hoarding and begin another cycle of purging.  I can always tell when it is time because I get super cranky, nothing fits, nothing makes me happy and everything bothers me.  I snap at everyone and everything.

It isn't good.  I am not sure if I am bugged because of the mess or I am bugged because I know I need to throw things.  I think it might be a combination of things.  All I know is I am miserable, my husband is worse, and my children are all walking on eggshells.

I am hitting the 'master suite' which for those of you who have seen my house, you know that 'master suite' is 10x11 with a closet the size of a doorway.   So, it is easy for it to get out of control but, it is insane now.  So, I am filtering, I am purging, I am throwing, I am dumping. 

Then, if time allows, doing the same thing with my hall closet, which by the way is actually smaller than the size of a door but, I keep towels, toilet paper, toiletries, and stuff in there for 6 people.  That too, one thing  out of place and forget it, it is a huge mess and there is no room for anything else.

Life sucks sometimes and yes, it is very, very hard.

Then you add to that whole emotional piece a story I read on the Drudge Report this morning and wow, am I sour.

I can't write about it even now, I am too charged up about it but, I will post a link to the story.  Can't miss it though.  I would really like to know what has happened to impartial media?  When did media become so liberal and since when is it ok to only report the news from one side?  It is a shame what the media is doing and what we are allowing them to do.  www.drudgereport.com  It is the headline right front and center about ABC.

We are saying it is ok by watching these horribly biased news hours, watching reality TV while the families fall apart, buying trashy gossip magazines, reading about stars, and reality stars on the Internet.

It is time to go back to real news.  Breaking news is NOT about celebrities or celebrity wannabes.  Breaking news is something like 9/11 or the LA Earthquake, or The Oklahoma bombing.

Breaking news, is NOT whether Jon is cheating on Kate or not, what the Octomom is doing, if Heidi or Spencer are real or fake, or if Brad and Angelina are breaking up.  None of that is even news!

I bet most of you reading this blog know who all those people are!  I bet you know more about what celebrities are wearing, who is hot and who is not.  I bet you know more about what athlete is dating what star or what athlete is playing on what team more than you know about what is going on in our country.  Do you even know what is going on in your state, your city?

Who is our Vice President?  Who is your Governor?  Who is your city council rep?  Who is your Senator?

Do you know what is going on in Iran and its elections?  Do you know what is going on with our health care, our welfare, our companies?  Do you know about the kidnappings and murders happening all over our country and in Mexico?  Do you know that parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas are in an almost all out war?

Do you know what is going on with your own family, your own neighborhood, your own job, finances, etc....I believe some of you may know more about Paris Hilton and her romances than you do about your own children and theirs.

Stop.  Get back to what is true, what is right, and what is real.  Reality TV is not real.  Celebrities and what you see about them, is not real.  The life you are living in Minneapolis, Memphis, Des Moines, Austin, Denver, LA, or wherever you live, that is real.

Off to my real life.  I need to be real and start cleaning out my trash.  What trash do you need to dump out of your life?

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Live on less and be happy.

Good Afternoon Everyone!

So my husband was out of town this weekend.  He had a boys weekend in Wisconsin and I was at home with the babes by myself.  It went well, fast (thank God!) and I was even able to get some housework done.

Most important thing though is the kitchen was clean and the dishes were done when he walked in the door today.  That is hit BIG thing in the house.  The rest of the house could be falling apart but, as long as the kitchen/dining room are clean and picked up, he is happy.  I can do that.

So, I normally try not to write back to back blogs about the same or a similar subject but, I was reading the news online and ugh, it is doom and gloom!  So, I thought I would write about finances again.  Just with a different spin.

Let me tell you all something right now.  There is absolutely NO reason to be so doom and gloom about the economy or your retirement account right now.  Yes, things are not great out there and you may have lost a job or might be losing a job.  You might even be wondering if you will be able to keep your home or car, etc. 

Steve and I have been there done that.  However, we went through it when everyone else was riding the high horse of a great economy.  It was horrible and it sucked and we don't want to have to go through it again.  But, very rarely were we doom and gloom.  Why?  Because life is so much more than money.   We chose to look at the positive parts of our lives and our family and kept the focus there.  We continued to focus on our children and our marriage.  We knew that is our family unit was strong, we would and could make it through anything.  We were right and we did.

It was over 4 years of clinging to our family and really holing up together and just focusing on God, us, and our children.  We were on our knees daily and we were grateful for each moment.  We were all healthy, we had kept our home(it was touch and go many times!), we had to adjust our lifestyles but, our children never knew.  Nor did they care.  They only knew that mom and dad were happy, they were happy and life was good.  It was hard sometimes but, life was good.  We had a love for a God that loved us more than we could ever imagine and he was watching over us, even if we couldn't feel it, we knew he was there.

I believe it was our faith in God that pulled us through those times and in the end, we were a stronger family unit, stronger in our faith, and were happier with life.

Having no money is NOT doom and gloom.  It is NOT the end of the world.  Money does NOT bring happiness.  It doesn't even make life easier sometimes, it makes it harder.  It was a very simple life we led while my husband looked for work or worked odd jobs.  It wasn't filled with overloaded schedules and packed weekends.  We hung out more as a family and as a couple.  We cherished our family game nights, our card playing, our simple BBQ's in the yard.  We grew to love the challenge of finding bargains and coupon clipping.  Our weekly grocery lists became a family affair as everyone listed what they wanted for dinner one night based on the Sunday ads for our local grocery stores.

Life doesn't have to suck because you can't retire when you wanted to or you have to work a 2nd job or, gasp, you can't buy yourself a new outfit!  Life is so much more than shopping, going out to eat, fancy dinners, new furniture, new cars, etc....  Life is what you make of it.  Life is great!  You can choose to be miserable or you can choose to be happy with what you have been dealt and find a way to make it work.

Sometimes you need to re-evaluate your previous thinking on money and what makes you happy.  I read in the Star Tribune (our local paper) today something that really stuck with me.  It was from a life coach with no financial background.  She said that often people need to get rid of old money beliefs because they tend to hold people back.  Oh so true!  She then said for example, 'the belief that with each new job you need to make more money to be successful, even though you could life on less.'  I couldn't agree with her more!

We as American's are told we can't be happy without new shiny cars, new clothes, new kitchens with granite counter-tops, we need bigger and better!  Not true.  We need to minimalize our lives and our lives will be richer and more fulfilled.   We will me more grateful for the things we have and for our family and friends. 

I need to end here, baby woke up from nap.  Blessings to you all!!!

Here is the link to the article I read this morning that inspired this blog:  http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/yourmoney/44188752.html?page=1&c=y

-Liza

Recitals, musicals, Buck Schwab, and RAGOM adoption.

Good Morning Everyone!

Are you all still out there?  No one have the Swine flu yet? 

Wow, I told you all last week I was trying to stay news silent but, then this dumb Swine Flu thing hit and wow, have any of you checked out the Drudge Report?  The world is coming to an end people!  Run for your lives and yet, don't go anywhere!

Common sense people, just flipping wash your hands!  That is it.  Wash your hands before you eat, after you sneeze or cough and after you go to the bathroom.  Oh, and for those of you who haven't figured this one out, cover your coughs and sneezes and DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT cough or sneeze into your hand!!!!  Sneeze or cough into your elbow or shoulder.

Ok, that is my SARS...I mean Swine Flu advice.

So us Schwab's had quite the eventful weekend.  It was non-stop and super busy but, didn't seem too busy and really was just plain fun. 

On Friday night, we had the girls dance recital.  Their former babysitter Jeanette came out to watch our 5 year old  didn't remember her but, our 6 year old did.  It was fun to see her again and it was great she came out for it.

Saturday morning our son had to be at church for 2 1/2 hours practicing for his spring musical at church.  yes, for him to sing in the choir...he had to be there for 2 1/2 hours!  Insanity.  Then, we had to rush out the door and get to the middle school for the girls Saturday afternoon recital.

It was great fun, my real dad Rollo and his 'other' Mona and cousin Shirley came out to see the girls dance.  My mom and Ed were there too...hahahahaha.  Boy it is sad to see my mom squirm when she knows she is even in the same building as my real dad!  It is really sort of pathetic and I feel sorry for her.

Our neighbor Julie and her 2 year old daughter came out too.  It was fun to watch her daughter, she just clapped and clapped the whole time and her eyes never left the stage.  It was a bit chaotic but, oh so much fun and the girls did a great job!

Then, after the Saturday recital we had Rollo, Mona, and Shirley over for some food and visiting time.  It was great to hang out with them and Mona brought her 8 year old grandson to play with our son and those two played the whole day.  It was great to see.

Then that night we had our son's spring musical at church.  All of us headed out to church and watched the musical.  Our boy, quite the comedian, danced his way through most of the songs and really let loose on one of them, it was great to see him up there having a great time and really enjoying his concert.  He really does love that stuff even though he will tell you he hates it.

So our busy weekend continued on Sunday with our boy doing another show at church and then us coming home for a quick nap for the baby and off to get our new dog!  We picked him up in the afternoon and he is wonderful!  After a pretty bad pick up at the foster care home....her dogs jumped on Steve while he was holding our baby and hurt Steve and scared the crap out of the baby.  Then, our son fell down in her yard in a pile of lawn stuff in her yard and was soaking wet and crying.  Wow, it was NOT a good moment so we quickly got our new dog Buck out of there and got our family out of there as quickly as possible.

The ride home was interesting as Buck quickly jumped into our truck but, found himself in the 3rd row over our 6 year olds shoulders eating a cheeseburger she had left in the cup holder next to her.  Hmmm...don't know how long that had been there but, thankfully the dog was smart enough to take the wrapper off.

Then, the baby continued to scream as she was terrified of the dog because of what the foster care lady's dog had done to her and Steve so, it was great.  We were starting to wonder if we were doing the right thing.

But, then when we pulled over because the dog had again climbed over the seats to sniff and eat some jelly beans on the other side of the car.  So, I drove, Steve sat in the 2nd row with the baby and to keep Buck in the way back.  The dog instantly listened to Steve and laid down in the back and the baby started to settle down.

We got home and everything settled down quite a bit.  We quickly realized the reason the dog was such a spaz was because of the horrible environment he was in at the foster care home and the farm he had previously come from. 

Buck jumped out of our truck, jogged around the front yard, sniffed some things, pee'd and then calmly followed our family into the house.  He is great. 

Buck is a nut job.  Still needs to be socialized a bit and taught some manners but, don't we all?  lol.  He knows how to sit but, doesn't understand lay down yet.  He is constantly seeking affection and love.  Poor guy.  He thinks he is a lap dog but, hasn't tried to jump on the furniture and didn't whine at all last night when we gated him in the front hall for bedtime.

I think he is just so relieved to have a family of his own and no other dogs to have to compete for food and attention for.  He snorts when he eats because he is so afraid someone will take it from him so, we have to work on that and he is a hoover.  Seriously, that dog just sucks stuff up off the floor.  So, I guess this is what our family just might have needed to keep the house clean.

He sucks up socks and gloves but, gently carries them to my husband, drops them off and then leaves.  It is pretty cute.  Although, the stuffed animals, different story so, we are really being careful with those!  He has also destroyed a couple of our son's balls that he forgot to pick up.  Our son told me I had to replace the footballs and I said no because he didn't put them away in the first place. 

I like this dog so far!  It will hopefully get those darn (but cute) children of mine to finally clean up their toys.  Between the dog eating their stuff and the baby destroying anything and everything they have made on their Lego table, this is good stuff!  I think we have finally found the motivation the children need to do their chores and I finally have my motivation to keep socks and laundry off the floor.

Yahoo!  lol.

So, all is good in the Schwab house again.  It feels 'full' again and not so empty as it did after Griffey died.  It is amazing how much a dog adds to the family.  I never realized why people liked dogs so much until I didn't have mine around anymore.  They really do complete the family.

Oh....forgot about the cat.  So, the cat is not so excited about the dog but, the dog completely ignores the cat which, I can't tell what pisses the cat off more.  The dog completely ignoring it or the dog just in the house. 

I strongly encourage all of you thinking of getting a dog or a cat to adopt a rescued animal.  They are the best pets because they are so grateful to have a family and you don't have to train them and you know a lot about their personality and bad habits before even getting them. 

We adopted our new boy Buck and our previous big guy Griffey from RAGOM (Retrievers Are Golden Of Minnesota).  Their website is www.ragom.org  they have a lot of great dogs to choose from right now and they are always getting more in.  You can also read the story of our boy Buck.  He is on page 2 of 'available dogs'.

I would also suggest if you aren't ready to adopt to please give to them or sponsor one of their dogs.  It costs RAGOM over $10,000 a month in vet bills (and they get a discount!) to spay/neuter and get all their dogs up to date on shots, get them healthy again, etc. 

This is truly a non-profit and everyone is a volunteer there so, the people working there do it just for the love of the dogs.  Also, if you think you could ever do it, they always need more foster homes for these dogs.

They only adopt dogs to people in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa but, I know there are other rescue organizations around the country and they all do such a great job and I am sure they all need just as much help as ours does.

Blessings to you all and wash your hands :-)

-Liza
Here is a picture of our new guy Buck Schwab:

Paralyzed

Good Morning Everyone! 

So, today is supposed to be 78 degrees!!!!!!!  Oh, I am so thrilled.  I love summer, I love summer, I love summer.  Spring is one step closer to summer.  Have I told you all how much I love summer?

So, today however, I will be spending most of my day inside.  Yes, isn't that great?  It is my punishment though since I didn't get my house cleaned when it was cold out, I now have to do it when it is warm.  But, I will open all the windows and let the warm breezes flow.

I have to clean my house for numerous reasons, first and foremost, it just really needs to be cleaned.  I have noticed I have been slowly shutting down in every aspect of my life.  I get paralyzed by mess.  I don't know how to deal with it so, it paralyzes me.  I become sullen and pretty much useless every where else in my life too.

It is not fair to my children, my husband or myself when I do this but, sometimes, just paralyzed.  Is it fear?  I don't think so, I think it is more just being plain overwhelmed and stuck. 

I find myself in the same pattern a lot.  I long for organization, I thrive with organization however, I am NOT organized.  I have some OCD tendencies but, unfortunately, not enough to be organized.  Although, if you look at my amoire and the children's dressers, VERY organized.  In fact, that is part of my problem...if I don't have enough time to completely empty out all things from the dresser or amoire when I am putting in clean laundry, the clean laundry NEVER gets put away.

Yep, I have laundry baskets all over the house filled with clean clothes that never get put away.  I have a huge pile of dirty clothes in the basement that is never caught up because of the insane amounts of clean laundry not put away.  Or the thought of I won't have time to put it away correctly so, forget it, why even wash it.

Oh, it is pathetic, I know.  But, today I HAVE to clean, I HAVE to do laundry and I HAVE to put it away....ok, well, I at least have to hide the laundry clean or otherwise.  We are having a home visit tonight from RAGOM (Retrievers Are Golden of Minnesota).  As many of you know our beloved and perfect Griffey died a few weeks ago and I, I mean we miss having a dog.  I want MY dog back but, obviously that isn't going to happen so, I am on the search for the next best thing.

We tried steering away from Golden's because I just couldn't bear looking at it and comparing it to Griffey but, then as we looked at dogs, that was the one the children wanted to most.  They didn't like the Great Pyreneese, they liked German Shepherds but, my husband doesn't and Steve said, absolutely NO WAY to a little dog, of any kind.  So, that brings us full circle to a Golden Retriever.

So, my house needs to be ready, it needs to look welcoming, clean, and dog friendly.  I need to make sure I have a place for the dog to sleep, a place for it to eat and a nice fenced in yard.  Check.

However, you can't see the place the dog would sleep, you can't get to the place the dog would eat, and the yard is nice and clean and picked up but, you have to walk over piles of crap in the house to get to the backyard.  (Insert scream here)

I long for a schedule, I long for a program, I long for some sort of pattern in my cleaning and organizing.  I am frustrated, I am sad, I weep, I am paralyzed.  Paralyzed.  I feel myself shutting down.  I could do it very easily.  I could very easily shut myself down completely for it is much easier than dealing with the mess of my house.

However, I can't completely shut down.  I am a mother of 4 young children that need me to be there for them.  It is selfish to shut down.  Oh, but, I want to.  I can't.  I need to be there for my husband who hasn't had a wife these last couple of really bad house weeks.

I need to be there for everyone including myself.  I desire to have friends over, I desire to let people stop by without being embarrassed.  I long for my children to have play dates.  I long for my children to be able to have a sleepover.

I long to be the house that is welcoming not only to friends and family but, to MY family.

Ok, no more being paralyzed.  I need to work up something, I don't know what.  I need to tackle something, I don't know what but, I have work to do, a lot of it.  I need to finish my blog, get off the computer and get to work.

I can do this!  I can, I know I can.

Ugh, here I go :-/

Please pray for me all my dear friends, I know this is terribly pathetic, I hate it.  To me it is weakness and I am not good with weakness.  I don't like weak people and here, I am weak!  Pathetic.

Anyway, I have the sun, I have the great spring breezes to keep me going.

Blessings to you all and I hope you all can fight your inner paralyzing things today too.

-Liza

Our story and ways to not repeat it.

Good Evening everyone!

So, I have been thinking of more money saving tips I could give to all of you, thinking of more ways to get you all to cut back on your spending and realize how much in our lives is really just 'stuff' that we don't need.

One of my dear friends told me yesterday that she thinks I should put all of the things I did to help our family survive for 4 years with little income and sometimes no income coming in.  For those of you who don't know the back story here is a quick little synopsis.

So, my husband worked for a big firm in Minneapolis as an Institutional Trader.  Well, they decided to move all operations to NY.  We could have chosen to gone there but, yuck, we are NOT New Yorkers and we would have been moving there on a Minnesota salary, no can do there.  So, he did get a very nice severance package.  So, after taking the summer off, he started to look for work and discovered how hard it was finding something in his field.

Finally, he found something and it was a good salary, actually about $20,000 more a year than he had made before!  Which was great since we were expecting our 3rd child.  So, he works there thinking he is going to be there for a long time and such.  Well, when our 3rd baby was about 6 months old, he got laid off.  Yikes.  We knew it was hard just a year earlier, how is this going to work?

Well, it didn't work out well.  At first my husband thought he could trade for himself...apparently, he is MUCH better at trading other people's money than his own...the fear factor comes in to play too much with your own money.  He did that for a while but, never really making more than just enough to pay the mortgage and a handful of other bills but, not all of them.  Plus, we had purchased a desktop and a laptop on credit for his new adventure. 

Then, after figuring out that wasn't working, he tried to start a company with some friends....didn't work, then he did handyman jobs just to get groceries.  We were NOT doing well.  All of our bills were piling up, our babies were growing, things needed to be paid and weren't getting paid.  For a while there, we had absolutely NO money coming in. 

Then, at Christmas time Steve put an ad out and hung Christmas lights for people, that paid enough for us to buy the children Christmas gifts that year, another year past, he did the same thing the next year.  Now he did have a job, it was decent pay however, still 1/2 of what he had made before getting laid off.  But, it was helping to stop the bleeding.  I in the meantime was selling things like mad on eBay and purchasing most of the children's clothing on there too.  Our son was now at a private school for Kindergarten.....bills piling up even more.

We have been going to a food shelf monthly for about 2 years at this point in time.  Our mortgage payments are getting made less and less.  We discover our children all have wheat and dairy allergies, our grocery bills triple just from that alone.  Times are getting dark and desperate. 

We feel that things might be starting to get better, things are going ok at his new job, pay still isn't terrific but, it is a paycheck.  Steve still can't get a 2nd job anywhere as they won't hire him because he is over qualified for everything.  I am working once in a while for a law firm at this point to try and help.  We pawn our watches to pay some bills and to help get us some spending money for our annual family Florida trip(Steve's mom pays for)

Well, we decide it is now or never for the 4th baby, things are stabilizing a bit.  The day we find out we are pregnant with our 4th...is also the day Steve is no longer working at his job.  Wow, now what do we do?   A miracle happened just before that...we get a bit of inheritance....we quickly decide how to split it up.  We quickly start a remodel on the kitchen...if there are going to be 6 people in this house, we can't live in a 9x10 kitchen next to a 10x10 dining room.  Construction starts.  6 weeks later we have a new larger kitchen.  We have paid off some bills, tried to pay some parts of others but, they are still piling up again. 

No money, things are bad...what are we going to do?  We are told we are too poor to file Bankruptcy yet, the notices keep coming for those Sheriff's auctions on our house, we can't lose our house!  We just can't. 

Steve is interviewing everywhere for every kind of job.  He is desperate, we are desperate, wow, this is really getting bad.  Finally Jan 08 Steve gets in touch with someone and they put him in contact with someone else.  Steve battles his way into the interview with shoes that have holes on the bottom in the middle of winter, I think we had to borrow money for him to pay for parking downtown.  Finally, he gets a job.  It is scary again, no benefits, salary is a draw, no guarantees.  This is NOT what I wanted, I wanted insurance, paid vacations, salary, and a bit of stability.  This is too risky, I am afraid.  However, I trust my husband again, I know he can't fail, he knows he can't fail.

Well, here we are 15 months later, he is still there.  Things are going well.  We are still digging our house out of massive debt and ourselves however, there is a light we can see it now!

We have 4 great children, our marriage is strong and close, we have great friends and we even have some money to spare monthly to put into savings.  We aren't out of the woods yet but, we aren't lost in them anymore either.

We still live like we are poor and we still hold our breaths right before each paycheck is supposed to come.  We still can't believe they come on a regular basis.  We still find it hard to believe we aren't going to the food shelf anymore.  I struggle still with spending any money as I am so afraid it will all go away again.  It could, who are we kidding, it could all go away again for sure, I think many of us who felt we were safe are feeling a bit nervous now.

I am telling you all, from first hand experience, be smart, live like you are poor.  Live like you can't afford things.  Think about all of your purchases before you make them, do you really need that new cell phone?  Do you really need that new TV, that new laptop, iPod?

My best advice to all of you is when/if you or your spouse ever gets a new/higher paying job or gets raise, continue to live on your old salary and put the rest away.  Don't live beyond your means and cut up those credit cards!  I am so grateful that we didn't have a lot in credit card debt!  That would have sunk us for sure.

We actually have not ONE credit card and not really sure we ever will.  What is in our checking account/savings account is all we have in our world...when it is out of money, we are out of money.  There is no back up plan on a credit card....that is too dangerous.  We need to balance and manage our money every month/week/day.  We need to make sure it is going to last the entire month and then some.  We need to plan for those car repairs, those household expenses that come up.  We try and put away the same amount of money each month for our family vacations so when it is time to take them, it isn't such a big gulp of money.

Nothing, not one thing of ours goes on a credit card, not ONE thing.  We buy nothing with credit.  We still have only one car and won't buy a 2nd until we can pay cash for it.  We will not add on to our house unless we can pay cash for it.  We won't move to another house until we can put a substantial amount down on it to keep our mortgage around the same as ours already is.

We are afraid, it is good to be fearful.  Nothing is promised.  Nothing is guaranteed.  God does not promise us that life will be easy.  The world doesn't promise us that either. 

Live like you are poor.  Don't live like you are cheap though, there is a difference!  Tithe your 10% or more, give to those who might be struggling, help out your local charities, continue to give the way you have always given unless it will put your family in financial hardship.  But, your tithe and your other giving should be one of the last things you cut back on.  There are many other things in your life you can cut back on first.

Ladies, I have said it before, I will say it again, you don't need designer jeans, you don't need to shop at certain stores or even certain areas...ie 50th and France, you don't need computer upgrades or the latest and greatest phone all your friends have.  We aren't in high school anymore living off our parents dime...this is the real life, most of us have children, most of us have others we are responsible for and most of us have spouses too.  We should be cutting back on our haircuts, our colorings, our waxings, our shoes, oh yes, I said shoes!  We don't need to be going to Starbucks for coffee, make it at home! We don't need to drink wine with dinner or buy gifts for our friends. 

These are tough and very uncertain times we are heading into.  We don't know what the future holds.  But, we can control some of our future by starting to cut back today and save, pay off any bills you can and don't create any new ones!

Lean on your friends and family and most of all God in these times.  We ALL need each other.

Blessings to you all,

Liza

Times are tough...save money

Good Morning everyone!

I am not sure how much time I have before the baby wakes but, hopefully I can get a quick blog off.

So, I was thinking last night and this morning about how many people are struggling and many of them for the first time in their lives.  It sucks to struggle with money, I have done it my whole life.  Although frankly, I am very used to not having money and actually think I would be very uncomfortable having it.

But, these are not great times financially and as I see my parents start to struggle, some of my friends and hear of many others I thought I would try and help out with a few money saving tips I have done my whole life and some new ones I learned in the VERY lean years when Steve didn't have a job.

First of all, it isn't shameful or weak to ask for help or to tell people things are well.  I think a lot of people let their pride get in the way and are embarrassed to let even their closest friends know they can't afford to go to dinner or hire a sitter.

So, that is the first thing, you need support in tough times!

Ok, so here are some tips I have for everyone...even if you aren't having financial issues these might help!

-First thing I cut out when Steve lost his job was spa days.  Yep, those spa days, which don't seem like you do often but, they really add up over the course of a year.  I quit EVERYTHING to do with a spa including my shampoo and conditioner.  No more waxing, no more pedicures, no more manicures, no fake nails, no facials, and no more expensive hair appointments.

It will be hard to feel like these aren't necessities but, ladies, they are not!  I had been a hair model for years for Aveda/Horst and I had been seeing my same hair stylist for about 15 years.  It was hard to not go there anymore and to stop using my Aveda hair products and it was VERY hard to walk into the Cost Cutters across the street the first time but, I did it and I have survived and so has my hair.  Granted, I don't color my hair but, frankly, I liked coloring my hair by the box more anyway, because if I didn't like the color it wasn't going to cost me another $100-200 to fix it.  I liked paying only $7-8 to have a new look.

It took my skin a lot longer to find itself again after not getting facials a couple times a year and using those great salon products on my face and going back to over the counter.  It took a REALLY long time to find a good soap, moisturizer and I did have to buy new make-up because my face changed so much.  However, I will give you all a little 'heads up' on my face stuff now.  Yes, Heather, I am totally giving you a little push in your business :-)  I am a HUGE believer in Arbonne and yes, it is expensive to get your first supply of face products however, my skin hasn't looked this good since I stopped getting regular facials and that was 5 years ago! 

The kit is expensive but, lasts 6-7 months typically and I LOVE the stuff.  The only time I get break-outs now is when I slack off and don't wash my face for a night or two.   But, anyway...I can give you Heather's information if you want to learn more :-)

So, back to saving money, not spending it!  So, I would also say, limit your nights out.  It is going to be hard cutting back your social calendar especially for some of you but, when you add up the sitter costs, the gas used, and the restaurant/bar bills, it gets really expensive.  If you have to go out or need a date night with your spouse, don't drink pop at the restaurant!  Try only drinking water, you won't believe how much lower your restaurant bill will be by just drinking water instead of a pop, juice, or beer/cocktail.  Save the drinking for home when you can buy a bottle of something and it lasts a long time then have your friends come over to your house so you don't have to pay a sitter.

Ask your friends/family to sit!  If you don't have those doting grandparents in town(I can totally relate) don't be afraid to ask your friends!  Or better yet, become the hostess with the mostest and start having people over to your house and have them bring their children.  The children will all play together and you still can socialize with your friends.  Plus, you just have each person bring a bottle of wine, a six-pack of beer, an app, a side dish, what ever and you don't even have to go grocery shopping.

Don't buy new cars.  That is the biggest waste of money ever out there!  I wouldn't really suggest leasing either.  There are so many great used cars out there and I find it is actually easier to find the color, style and make/model you like in a used than a new car since dealerships don't really have all the models on the lots anymore. I will go one step further and tell you to buy from an auction if you can find someone who can do that for you.

For a small 'finders' fee you can get a great used car for much lower than at a dealership and because they are so strict as to the condition of the cars they can have at auction, you know you are getting a good car.  We bought our Yukon XL at auction and paid about $7000-8000 less than we were finding them for at dealerships.  Plus, I gave the guy a list of what I wanted and didn't want in a car and the price I was looking to stay around and he found us the perfect car.  It took a little bit...but, we had our new car in less than a month from beginning to end.  (I was REALLY picky about what I wanted though too)  Plus, many of those guys will take your old car for you too...he bought our old car from us at a much higher price than the dealership would have given us.

If you can, join Sam's or Costco if you have a family of 4 or larger for sure!  The amount of money you can save on meat alone is insane!  For example, last fall, we had dinner club for 14 people and served Beef Brisket.  I paid less than $30 for the meat at Costco and it was a beautiful cut.  It would have been at least double that even at Cub and they often don't even have brisket.  Plus, a word of advice...meat like brisket actually needs to be a bigger cut like that you get at Costco instead of the small ones at Cub for better flavor.  Now, at Costco/Sam's you won't save a lot on toilet paper, paper towels, or even diapers anymore as now Target and Cub carry those big items but, things like milk, eggs, cheese, meat, fruit and frozen items you will save a ton! 

It costs $50 a year to join and on average, I think I pay for my membership in savings by the 3rd time I go there. 

Shop the 'insides' of Target.  Meaning, don't take the well walked routes in Target.  Take the back alleys, the side streets as you will.  That is where you will find all of the clearance items.  You will be amazed at how much stuff is on sale/clearance that you never would have known about.  I was just there yesterday and they had some lamps, side tables and lots of photo frames for 75% off in one of their 'back alleys'.  Same thing with clothes there, tons of tanks, t-shirts, and skirts for 30-75% off in the back of the women's section.

Don't go to Byerly's or Lund's unless there is something very specific they sell you need/want.  They are just way too expensive and frankly, you can get just as good of stuff other places too. 

Try Aldi, it is a crazy store but, for example they are by far the best place to look for the latest greatest toys and books and such for children at Christmas time.  Seriously.  Also, their bouquets of flowers cost $2.99.  They aren't super fancy but, they do last just as long as expensive ones.

Stop shopping for clothes!  You have enough trust me!  You don't have to be totally up to date on the latest and greatest fashions...hello, we live in Minnesota people!  We are behind the rest of the country by miles in fashion anyway...unless we are talking about Iowa and ND and SD.  I think you would all be surprised if you cleaned out your closets, dressers, armoire, etc and took inventory on what you had.  You don't need 10 pair of jeans, 30 sweaters, 30 pairs of shoes, etc...

If you feel like you really do have to shop (which I am telling you now, you don't NEED to) but, if you want to shop...shop 2nd hand.  There are so many great consignment shops around town...especially for you Edina people!  Have you ever been to Nu Look on 50th and Penn?!!!!

All brand name and big brand name stuff and really, really nice things for very good prices.  They even have maternity and children's too.  For example, I got my girls brand new matching Ralph Lauren clogs for $12.  Hello!????  They were brand new/never worn!

I go there for dresses for weddings and events like that.  Great place to shop for company parties and Christmas parties.  They have a great selection of really nice dresses and such. 

Last time I went there, I got myself 2 pair of jeans, 5 shirts, 4 skirts, and 3 dresses for the girls and I paid under $100 for all of it and the brand names ranged from Ralph Lauren to Ann Taylor to J. Crew.

Start walking places.  If you live in a neighborhood that is close to places, start walking instead of driving.  Not only will you save money but, you will get out there in the fresh air and get some exercise too.

Cut back on the cable tv.  Steve and I were paying about $120 a month for cable and Internet which I felt was CRAZY!  We only had basic cable yet our bill for it was over $50 a month.  I did some research and found out that 'basic' isn't really basic and there is the plain Jane plan...I can't remember what it is called but, where you get pretty much just the local channels and a couple cable ones.  You get channels 2-23 and nothing more.  It only costs $13 a month!!!!!!!

Huge savings a year there and frankly, we don't even miss cable channels anymore.  Also, your home phone.  Most of us have cell phones now.  Cut your home plan down or get rid of it all together.  Before we got rid of our home phone we had it down to the lowest plan too.  Yes, just like cable the 'basic' plan isn't the lowest plan they have.  We were paying only $10 a month for our home phone.  Granted it didn't have long distance but, we get free long distance on our cell phones so, who cares?  The deal is, you get as many incoming calls as you want, those are unlimited.  You only get a certain number or minutes of outgoing phone calls a month.  Just like your cell phone!

Well, unlike your cell phone though, those incoming calls are all free so, who cares?  We found after we cut back our plan and looked at our minutes we spent a month making outgoing phone calls, we didn't even use 1/2 of what we were allowed month  and saved ourselves over $20 a month.

Oh I have so many more things but, alas my real job needs my attention.  My 5 year old can't drive herself to school :-)

Blessings to you all,

_Liza

Bathroom Capers

Good afternoon everyone!

Wow, is it chilly here in good ole Minnesota again today.  But, supposed to be in the 40's by the weekend so, I can do it.

So, I have another funny yet, gross story about the Schwab's to tell you.

This morning I was just about to hop in the tub to quickly try and get somewhat clean.  I have to take baths when alone with babies because the shower wakes her up and then I get out of the shower and find my baby that was sleeping, sitting on my bed.  How does she do that you say?  Because my older ones just go in and take her out of her crib and set her on my bed to play with.  So, now, mommy takes baths when hubby isn't home so I can hear what is going on!

Anyway, I was just hopping into the tub and Steve calls.  He tells me every time he goes to take a shower in the basement his towel is on the floor instead of on the towel rack where he hung it up after his last shower.  He proceeds to tell me that this morning when he was hanging it up again he thought of something.

Someone had gone to the bathroom in his bathroom and he doesn't have toilet paper in there.  Then he says to me, "I think 'our 5 year old' is using my towel to wipe herself after peeing.

I start laughing super hard!  Really hard, like I can't breath anymore hard.  I think that is so funny then I think about it.  Wait, she doesn't use that bathroom but, our son does when he has too poop!  Ok, I can barely type as I am starting to laugh again and my daughter is looking at me like I am nuts and wondering what I am laughing about. 

So, I am now sitting in the tub on my cell phone and I can barely breathe I am laughing so hard and Steve can't figure out why I am laughing.  I finally in between laughs and breaths I finally get out..."Our son uses that bathroom when he poops."  I start roaring!

Instantly Steve says, he thinks he is going to be sick and sort of mumbles something like 'my life sucks' or something like that.  I then laugh harder and speak the words he was thinking, "You have been drying yourself off with a poop towel!" LMAO! 

Now, I know this isn't funny at all, it is super gross and sick and disgusting but, oh gosh, how can you not laugh at the grossness?!  Then Steve tells me this has been happening for like 5 months or so.  I laugh so hard now I really can't breathe and tears are streaming down my face.

I keep trying to say I am sorry but, I can't say anything.  I then finally get the question we are all thinking...why don't you have toilet paper down there, we have a bunch in the house.  He tells me he never uses that toilet so, no toilet paper is not an issue......apparently it is though.

Before Steve hangs up he says to me, "I can't wait to read this blog."

So, now that all of you are done gagging I will tell you what I haven't told Steve yet.  I asked the children why dad's towel is always on the floor and my 7 year old just stares at me and my 5 year old looks at me with a big grin on her face and starts giggling.  Ok, I know who to blame now.  I ask her what she has been doing with the towel.

She giggles some more and says, "Sorry Mommy."  I ask her what she has been doing with it and she says......"I just pull it off the towel rack."  I ask her why she does that and here is where I expect to hear, 'to wipe with Mommy.' But instead I hear, "Because I like to hang on it like a trapeze and see is I can swing on it."

PHEW!  Ok, after I sigh a big relief that my poor husband has been drying himself off with a pee or poop towel, I laugh.  Then, I try to calmly explain to her that isn't safe and she can't put Daddy's towel on the floor anymore.

Blessings to you all,

Liza