To The Extreme

Many of my blog titles are either names of songs or albums. If it wasn't that, it would be names of books. There's this little section at our local chain bookstore that is, shall we say, for mature audiences only. I could pull titles from there, but you might get the wrong idea if I titled a blog Big, Spankable Butts. That would get your attention wouldn't it? See, I get all distracted. That's not really what this blog is about.

I watch way too much reality TV. I blame MTV. It all started with "The Real World". I really enjoyed maybe the first 7 or 8 seasons of that show. Then all TV went into a frenzy and decided that the majority of programming should be reality based. That's not why I watch TV. I watch TV to get away from reality. I have to say, though, that some of those people are seriously whacked out. It makes me realize how "real" my life is. And how happy I am about it.

I am very disappointed in "Extreme Couponers". Not all of the people on that show are looney, but the majority are. They make the rest of us couponers look crazy, too. See here's the way I coupon. I don't stockpile things we don't eat or use. Why? We eat a much healthier diet than most people on that show. I don't stock up on "healthy" waters or frozen pizzas or laundry soap. Well, I got stuck with laundry soap, but I'll use it and I probably won't have to buy it for another 6 months, but that's a different story. I stockpile, toilet paper, paper towels, toothbrushes (but not paste. We use a natural toothpaste, too). I used to stockpile deodorant, but we switched that. I stockpile things I know go fast in our home. I don't stockpile Koolaid because I could get it free. I don't buy many canned or boxed items. I won't use those for overage because there is always one more step. Donating what we don't use or eat. I don't need to add one more stop in my day, if you know what I mean. And if I'm not buying it because we don't eat it, I'm certainly not buying it so I can feed other people junk. I think the people on that show have some issues and need professional help. They are one step away from hoarding. 

I refuse to watch "Sister Wives". Are you serious?!? I love Big Sis, but if she ever wanted to marry my husband, too (which she wouldn't because she is so much smarter than we give her credit for), I would have to bitch slap her to death. I am the baby. I never really had to share. And I do not share my man with anybody for any reason. Period. Now if he wants to marry someone else, I have no problem with that. After he signs the divorce papers and I get 3/4 of everything. I'm nothing if not fair. And since I know for a fact that God brought hubby to me and me to hubby, I ain't sharing my treat with nobody. I don't even turn the TV to that channel when that show is on.

"Real Housewives" they ain't. The way they live their lives and raise their kids just makes me angry. Come back to the real world. Not that show on MTV, but the really real world. They are so far removed from right and wrong, good and bad. Selfish, selfish people they are and raising another generation of people just like them. I watch that show as an affirmation of what we are doing is right.

I've tried to watch shows like the current "Real World" or (God forbid) "Jersey Shore". I've even tried to watch shows like "Big Brother" and "Amazing Race". Just so done with boozing it up, fighting, back stabbing. Tired of man and women trying to find the right someone and kissing and dating 25 people at one time. I would never and my man better not. But until I get my own reality show, there just isn't much to watch. Must be why we're getting rid of satellite when we move.

I'm Still Here

Sometimes, I find myself focusing more on one blog than the other. Some days, I'm lucky to blog at all. Who am I kidding? Some days I just fall into bed after everyone else and am grateful I got through it. I've had a lot to do on the other blog, but mamashublog was starting to feel left out.

• Reading my brains out. I love to read. I have so much on hold at the library, they cut me off. You can only have 30 holds and I'm there. I have 3 things waiting for me, so I need to go pick them up. I'm hoping a bunch will come off my hold list so I can order more. Some of the books I'm reading now or just finished are "Young Adult" books. Way out of my normal reading zone, but I'm liking what I'm reading so far. The big girl has been reading a pretty decent series about a girl that goes to an all girl spy school. It's also a good way for me to know what the she's reading. I did let her read the "Twilight" series. I have no interest in that one. I recently read Lemonade Mouth. Disney made a TV movie based on it and a friend of hers had read it. There were a couple of parts that I'm not ready for her to read, but soon. The kids even recorded the movie for me to watch before they can watch it. I guess I need to get to that. 
• Hubby and I cleaned up parts of the yard yesterday. I didn't go to youth or praise band, but that's ok. We cleaned up piles that have just been laying around, collecting ants and who knows what else. We cleaned up weeds and rocks and the wood pile and burned some scraps that have just been sitting around. We still have much, much work to do outside, but I am grateful for the start. It was hot, that's for sure. Hubby and I knew that we would be outside for a long time, so we actually put sunscreen on. Pretty darn glad, too. At one point, hubby was trying to free fencing from the grass that had grown over it and disturbed a wasps' nest. He got grazed on the eye, so straight into the house we went. He's very sensitive to wasp stings, so I filled him full of Benadryl and plopped him down on the couch. Yeah, he was hating that (NOT!)
• I've been looking at the grocery stores in the area we are moving to. More specifically, I've been looking at their coupon policies. Are you watching the new Extreme Couponers? Most of them are so full of shit. One pair of sisters cleaned out all the dental floss, were given one more coupon, but couldn't get more floss because they had cleaned out the shelf. And then they said they weren't ashamed of it. I think some people get a God complex of sorts. I can go into any store and not pay more than $50 for more than $500 worth of groceries. Ok, but why do you need such a big stock pile? One lady fed all of her teenage son's friends when they came over. That I get. Teenage boys eat ALOT. I don't understand stockpiling diapers when you don't have kids and don't plan on having them anytime soon. I don't understand buying 1,000 boxes of cereal because you have coupons. Sure, you got it for free, but what did you pay for your coupons? What did you pay in paper and ink to print?  Crazy people. Just another show that makes a group look weird. I belong to two groups that always look like freaks: homeschoolers and couponers.
• Looking forward to the summer. The kids and I want a pool where ever we land. Here or Texas, we don't really care. We went swimming with friends the other day and it was lovely. I am more convinced than ever that the baby is taking a refresher swimming course, that's for sure. You don't use it, you can lose it. I've even looked up to see if there's a Y in our new town. There is!
• I am not sad that Oprah is leaving. Bye! Have a great life! She used to make so much sense to me. but the last several years, I just don't care what she has to say. I used to make my kids go play in their room when she came on. Now, she's rarely on in our house. I don't even care for most of the books that she reads. There are a couple that I read before she did. That was weird. She has destoyed as many companies as she's helped. It's called the "Oprah Effect". When she reveals a favorite product, some companies are just not equipped to handle the influx and have to shut the doors. Well, there you go. And really, I have a brain. I don't need her to think for me. Look what a great presidential candidate she backed.

Alright, I guess I'll quit griping now. Ok, I'm ready to get started again. Next time, maybe.

Vindicated, Sort Of

It's no surprise or shocking at all when I say that I love my kids. I'm talking about not only the three that I birthed, but the 20something that come to our youth group. I treat them all like I treat my own kids. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not so much. It dependes on the situation.

It's also no secret or surprise that our new youth director and I don't get along. He seems to think the volunteers are there to undermine him. We're not. We aren't his employees to hire or fire or reprimand, either. We're there for the kids, not him. But we are willing to help him because it helps the kids. But we aren't sheeple that follow along, either. That's where the issues started, at least for me.

After our last youth council meeting, I wrote an email stating some objections to some things that were happening that I didn't feel comfortable with. People tend to forget that most of our kids have been through the confirmation process at our church. At the end of the process, they became full members of the church. They deserve, and rightfully so, to be treated as such and not as a bunch of kids that don't know their heads from their asses. They may not know, but they don't deserve to be treated that way. In response to my email, I was called silly and discontent. Wow, you dumb ass. That means that you didn't read the email, you picked out what you wanted from it and attacked me personally. You know I didn't sit still for long, but at least I didn't attack him personally or his character. I could have...

Sunday was a little discombobulating for me. First time to see him since the email. I wanted to beat him, but I refrained. I actually just didn't speak to him. I walked around him, I kept my mouth shut (shocker) and my head down (even bigger shocker). But what came out of his mouth was the biggest shocker of all. He stood up in front of all those kids and basically changed his stance to mine. What?!? You're asking them instead of telling them? You're asking them to pray about their roles instead of demanding they take one? You could have knocked me over with a feather.

The next shocker was that he gave credit to another volunteer for the change in his opinion. At this point, I don't care. He did the right thing. He also gave credit to the youth council. The youth council consists of the adult volunteers and the youth that have volunteered to represent their peers. It was a very confusing night for me.

So, I was right (duh). I think he couldn't quite admit that. It's alright. One day he'll see me for the genius I am. Keep up, man, keep up.
  

I Stand Alone

I like Godsmack. I have been a rock chick since I heard the first few notes on the album Van Halen. My favorite of theirs is Awake, but Cryin' Like a Bitch runs pretty close. But this blog isn't about music; I digressed. Big surprise there. Hubby and I have been sick this week. Hubby more so than I, poor thing. Anyway, we have been up at all hours of the night. During that time I caught a movie I can't remember the name of and it doesn't really matter. A question got asked in the movie and the answer had me thinking. Yes, we are all in trouble now. It's not as important to know what you stand against, but what you stand for. Well, crap. Get all philosophical on me while I am sleep deprived. That means I'll think about it for days.

I know I stand very firmly for family. My family is very important to me. But family isn't just those people that you share blood with. Family encompasses all those that love you and you love. I have friends that I wish I could bring with me when we move. I love them, their kids, and all their little quirks. More importantly, they love us right back. Family is the people that you love and love you back despite the quirks. People that will be there for you and with you. I love my family.
I love my country. I am not happy with the people that represent us, but I am proud to be American. I was raised during the Cold War, when patriotism was an every day thing. Now it seems that we can't even be proud for fear of hurting the feelings of people from other countries. Get over it, you big bunch of wusses. I cry when I hear The Star Spangled Banner. I love the Pledge of Allegiance. I love the way the Old Glory looks when she waves in the wind. Amazing. I love that in our relatively short life as a country we have accomplished much and helped many.

I think we all need to take responsibility for ourselves. Break the cycle, so to speak. It doesn't matter how you were raised or your circumstances. The only person we can ever really be responsible for is ourselves. Had a crappy childhood? Move on. Get over it. Excuses just keep you down. Use whatever it is to make you better, help you overcome the burden. Or wallow around in your misery and get bitch slapped by me. Either way, I'm good. Our circumstances after the fact are no one's fault but our own. Cowboy up and ride.

I believe that if this country went back to a simpler way of life, we would be much better off. I'm not talking Little House on the Prairie simple. Why is it so important to have the big house, big car, big TV? Why is it so important to have the latest and greatest. I think technology is killing us and making us lazy. I see us riding around in chairs like in Wall-E, dependent on food in a cup we drink with a straw and weighing 800 pounds. This comes from the woman who is typing this blog on her laptop computer, with a wireless connection, and playing Words with Friends on her iPod. Remember, when you point the finger of blame, you have three fingers pointing back at you. I would give it all up. I have been made fun of because I make meals from scratch, feed my family organic food, and homeschool. Who are you? Laura Ingalls? No, bitch, I'm not that sweet. Get in my face again about doing right by my family and I'll knock you in the dirt. What I actually said was "Jealous much?" That shut her up.

I believe that love and compassion are amazing things. I believe that people can and do care about others. I believe that we can turn this country back into something incredibly great. I believe that humility and pride can go hand in hand. I believe that Jesus died for me and you. I believe that there is nothing more wonderful than hearing my kids laugh and seeing them smile. I believe and I have hope and I have dreams.

What do you believe?

Another List Bites the Dust

I think I need to carry a note pad with me and write things down as they come up instead of trying to list them later. I usually sit at the end of a long day and try to remember something from the morning that I thought would be a great blog. Good luck with a tired brain. I do have a list though.

• I have a ton of photos in my computer. I need to get them on a flash drive or something and it would free up so much space. I know that, but it's doing it that I can't seem to get done. It also doesn't help that we have been slammin' busy with field trips and events and the camera has gone to every one of them. I need to get them off my chip, too. See how easy it would be to take care of both? In taking and downloading all these pictures, I have discovered a new appreciation for the software that came with my Kodak. I am not a great photographer, but I like to take pictures. I try to capture some random stuff, but I also like a few posed shots. I try to keep my eye on what's in the background. I have to say that my favorite feature is crop. That helps so much. Now if I could figure out how to make me taller and thinner and make it believable...
• Digging our tower, digging our tower, digging our tower. We have had it a week and a day and we have a little squash. I'll get a pic (see what I mean?) of what the plants look like. That will probably be in the morning since our camera is dead. It's charging as we speak. That bad boy has gotten a ton of use these last couple of weeks. We should hopefully harvest soon. the lettuces are beautiful. I get hungry when I look at it. 
• One of my favorite things about the tower is that it is American made. The big blue box store used to be American made only for many years. When Sam died, they lost their minds and got greedy. Tax cuts for companies to ship work overseas didn't help any either. That wasn't very well thought out if you ask me. Part of the problem is the American worker. When you work on a factory line, turning a screwdriver for 8 hours a day, do you really need $60 an hour? No. But that's where we had gotten with many of the factory jobs. Although many jobs were turned over to mechanical entities and some were shipped over seas, the American worker demanded more money. I think the jobs need to come back, the companies need to pay a decent and fair wage, and we would all benefit. Maybe $20 an hour to turn that screwdriver is a little more acceptable.
• One of my Facebook friends posts these pictures with funny sayings. One she posted was the cover for a fake book. It had Dr. Phil's face and was titled Advice I Pulled From My Ass. When I got done laughing, I thought, Wait a minute. That's where I get all my advice, my ass. I could write a book! I would make millions. And I would be a published writer. Whoowee! That's a good day right there.

That's what I got for now. You know I'm starting a new list as soon as I post this. That's just the way I roll.