Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Who Needs Excerise When You've Got 6 Kids

Today's Wednesday, and it's the first day since Sunday that I didn't feel like I had done a triathlon. Hey the Ironman has nothing on my day Sunday. My third grade daughter, who turned 9 on Monday, had a basketball tournament this weekend. I think because they were the #1 seed they only had one game on Saturday. After their win, some of her team mates came back to our house for a Birthday party. It was low key, but it was nice.

Nice except the part where I didn't work at all on Friday and cleaned my house like a mad woman. Plenty of Energy Kicker spray that day for sure. I was even on my hands and knees cleaning the hard woods! Uggh no fun. I remember why we usually have parties away from home!

So on Sunday, we spent all day at the tournament which was good and bad. Good because our team won the League Championship and finished the season with a winning 27 and 0 record!! But bad because I spent all day caring for the little kids in the midst of total chaos, and I mean total chaos.

Picture it. I've got my children ages 13, 6, 4, 3 and 1 in a basketball gym filled with at least 2000 spectators. My 9 year old is playing and my husband is on the bench helping coach so he can't help at all. There are 6 courts, 3 on each side, with a small walk way in between. Her games were at 2, 3 and 5 pm.

During the first game, it wasn't too bad because we were at an end court that actually had seating. The courts are a step up onto a platform; well my one year old didn't figure out she could go up on the platform until the fourth quarter. Then all heck broke lose because she was bound and determined to get out on that court. So me and my oldest are doing our best to keep her down, and she is flailing around. Every time I let her down she would crawl up and go spread eagle on the edge; I think she liked the cold of the court. Aside from dealing with her, I'm trying do hand out snacks and drinks to keep the other kids content and keep the peace. They had their DSs, but of course the needed cheese crackers and juice boxes.

The second game was delayed, and by the time it started, the 1 year old is totally over it! We were at a middle court this time with barely any seating so I stood at the end walkway while the other kids played, and I held the baby and tried to rock her and keep her calm. Then my basketball obsessed 3 year old daughter gets out her ball and starts dribbling. Ugggh I'm trying to quiet the baby, keep track of the others and make sure she doesn't let her ball go flying into another court. Thank goodness for my 13 year old. She helped enough to keep me from going insane! A woman brought me a chair toward the end of the game so I sitting up on the platform trying to rock a squirming worm.

In the break time before the last game, I ran an errand and that at least gave the little one some time to sleep. When we get back, we are on another end court which I thought would be good be good because it was the end of the day, and there was finally a little room for the kids to move. My 1 year old was almost content. She was walking around, but there was another little girl who kept trying to pick her up. Everytime the girl tried she would throw a complete fit, and the girl wouldn't stop! Unfortunately the top seat of the bleacher was lose and my son found it completely humorous to bang it up and down. I kept telling him to stop, but a few minutes later he'd start doing it again.

Finally, the buzzer sounds, and the game is over! A few pics and we can go home, right? Well just as they are about to present the trophies, bang, bang, bang. My son slams the bleacher seat again only this time his baby sister's finger is there. Her thumb turns purples and bloods pouring out. I am losing it on my son in the most calm, angry voice I can muster while I'm holding the baby and trying to snap a few pictures. I get my husbands attention, hand him the baby and run to the office to get a bandaid. I had the bandaid on for all of 10 seconds before she managed to pull it off with her teeth. A couple of minutes later, we round up all the kids and head back home!

I was exhausted, but that was nothing compared to how I felt on Monday! I literally felt like I went through a marathon and someone was beating me the entire way! It was rough but I am a very proud mom who stuck it out to watch her daughter's shing moment! Afterwards my husband innocently asked me what was wrong, I shot him the look, and said, "I just had all the kids in there all day." He quickly dropped that subject, ENOUGH SAID!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Where Did the Week Go?

I can't believe that it's Saturday night. This week has been a totally blur! So much so that Chris and I were organizing one of our daughter's birthday parties on Thursday. There was no time for invites or making elaborate plans because the party had to happen on Saturday. Yep a whole 2 day notice, and thankfully we still had people show up and she had a great day! Her team is in the league tournament in basketball; after today's game, they are 25-0!!

It's not that we procrastinated about the party. The time just got away from me. With the launch of Blossom SPA Parties on the 2nd of this month, February has literally flown by me. I have spent this week focusing on Social Media and trying to find the right advertising for the company. I always hated the term Social Media. Maybe because I didn't get it, but I've come to see that it can be very beneficial for brand awareness and for making great connections.

Trying to find the right advertising and/or press opportunities is very tricky when you're a mom of many. I try my best to be professional, but that's pretty hard when you have kids beating down your door as you're talking ad prices or when you are talking to an editor about writing a piece for their publication and your 3 year old bust in screaming, "I've got to go POTTY!!!!" Really professional.

I try my best to get my kids situated and entertained before I make calls, but it never fails that they come and find me in my hiding spot. Most people seem understanding of the interruptions, but what I wouldn't give for a peaceful work conversation. My friends are used to it. Maybe that's why I feel the need to constantly explain and forewarn everyone who I work with in advance.

One of those people is a wonderful woman named Linda. She is the Co-owner of a relatively new shop called Main Street Treasures. Boy, she has heard an earful in our few conversations. I always feel so badly, but she has been so kind and understanding, especially this week. Awhile back, Linda contacted me, and last Friday we worked out a deal for her to carry Blossom products in her store. I told her upfront about the SPA Parties, and she was still on board and understand that if the BSP takes off in her area, we both may agree that it no longer makes sense for them to carry the products. Everything was great until Tuesday- well actually Monday.

Monday was the day that I took the kids to see The Cat in the Hat; it was also the day Linda was going to meet Chris to get the products that she had ordered. Well, it was President's Day, and the kid's didn't have school. I totally forgot! I felt awful when I realized. I went from being so excited about my outing to kicking myself about screwing up something really important. Thankfully, she was nice about it, and I had Chris actually drive out to her shop to drop the products of instead her coming to meet him.

Hopefully the week coming up will be a little more calm; I don't really know how it could be, but I can dream!!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Cat in the Hat and The Boy with No Coat

I've heard the saying, "Blog like nobody's watching!" Well that's easier said than done when you've got six children. When I decided to write about my life, I thought I'd just "put it all out there!" In theory that's great, but I never want Children's Services to come swooping in on me! HAHA

I had one of those moments when I thought for sure that at any moment I would be handed the "Bad Mommy Award" and my prize would be a night at County. I am a mom, a working mom with 6 kids and I try to balance it all, but obviously I'm only one person so sometimes (ok who am I fooling- a lot of times) I fall short.

I was so excited because the Cat in the Hat was coming to our local PBK. I really wanted to take the kids, but you have to understand that I really don't jump for joy about outings by myself. I usually lose my cool about 5 times before we make it out the door. Then I feel guilty half the way there until the screaming starts over who knows what and I loose it again, but I cut myself some slack 'cause I didn't see any other ladies in there with 6 kids! LOL

I had planned to leave at 10:45 for an 11:30 book reading, but I couldn't find my camera. I had to have my camera. We actually leave at 11:03 which leaves us just enough time (if I speed a little) to get to PBK, park and rush inside. At roughly 11:07, I look in the rear view mirror and notice my son doesn't have a coat on so I ask where his coat was. He tells me that he didn't wear one. I'm like HELLO, it's February in OHIO and all of 30 degrees out. How did you not bring your coat? And how did I not notice. Hate to say this actually isn't a first.

I'm far enough away from home now that if I turn around, I'll be late for sure so what to do? I reason with myself and just keep truckin'. In my defense my son is always hot and usually is around the house only wearing shorts so that doesn't make it that bad, right? Well according to the little old lady who we passed and who shot me the most evil look ever, I won the award big time!!

By the time we pull up and park, it's about 11:28 so I throw the baby in the back of the double stroller and the 3 year old in the front of it. She's screaming bloody murder because she hasn't been in it in awhile, and I think it was adjusted to the baby's size so it was way to small for her. It's so tight, and I can't get it to budge so I unsnap one side of it and tell the kids, "RUN". The kids and I are hauling it down the side walk to the store and show up late of course. My girlfriend who I invited was already there with her twins sitting amongst all the other kids.

All and all it was a good visit, minus the fact that the batteries were dead on my camera (yeah the camera that made me late) so I had to use my daughter's camera phone because I'm such a hoarder that I refuse to delete the pics on my phone. Now it won't let me take more. The kids had a great time playing at PBK! And most importantly I didn't get a go to you no where FREE pass!

Monday, February 16, 2009

America's Next SPA Models

After church yesterday, I decided the girls and I would all do our facials using our Blossom skin care products. I don't think I'll ever get over the fact that we created these products and they have my girl's names and images all over. I sure am one proud mommy!

So we take turns in their bathroom, me and the little 2 start off and once we get our Face Masks on, the older 2 come in and go through their steps. While we're doing it, it's mostly fun with bits of drama thrown in by my 4 year old drama queen! Of course, the water's too hot, too cold, too high and about to over flow, but I'm not too phased because the girl was born for drama!!!

My 2 oldest girls are fairly laid back compared to her. The oldest is 13, a perfectionist, but usually goes with the flow. #2 is totally into sports and against all things pink and girly. I always told my husband I wanted a girly girl, well I got it 10 times over with the 4 year old. I don't think I got her to wear pants to school without a knock down drag out fight until November.

So once we get our Masks on, the real fun begins. I am obsessed with getting our picture taken. So my oldest agrees a little grudgingly for fear it will end up on this blog- boy she knows her mom. LOL Then #2 is totally against the pictures, and I'm basically threatening to ground her if she doesn't cooperate. Now to the drama girl herself. She was great with the before pictures, but by the time we get to the after she was furious that her sister gave her the wrong kind of candy, and didn't want to play nice about the pics.

So once again the threats ensue, and finally we get some shots. Please imagine his irritation the entire time while my husband has to take the photos. He knows me by now and knows I'm insane so he doesn't say to much, but I can see his annoyance all over his face.

OK, so here are some of our before and afters. Please understand that yes, I do think I am Tyra Banks in training. haha. Yes, I have been known to make my kids watch me walk a runway a time or two in my living room! LOL A girls gotta dream. I won't even start in on how I still make my family watch me do cheers and the first song dance from high school cheerleading.

Getting pics wasn't easy; I'm sitting there trying to be fierce and striking a pose all the while I'm threatening my girls to cooperate!!





































Thursday, February 12, 2009

My One True Constant

Today has been a crazy day, not so much busy as crazy. I had a difficult time focusing day; maybe it was the 2 and half hours sleep I got. I had to take a little Kicker Energy spay around noon because if not I probably would have zonked out on the couch! For the first time in forever, I'm calling it in early tonight, hopefully by 11. I can't really imagine what 8 hours of sleep will feel like. Last night I forced myself to sleep around 4:30 and back up at 7 to get the kids ready.
As I go about my days shuffling kids back and forth, here and there and working all the way in between, one thing remains constant. The day may change but my constant never does, and I just can't figure it out. Why in the heck can't my kids shut the bathroom door? I mean it's not that hard, really it's not. I'm not kidding. All day long I'm like a broken record, "Shut the bathroom door. Shut the bathroom door. 'Blank' Can you PLEASE shut the bathroom door? SHUT THE BATHROOM DOOR!!! Jeez how many times do I have to repeat myself!"

The day changes, the name changes but the darn door is always open, and the baby, well she's one and all over the house so not really a baby, loves to find the open door! We have 4 bathrooms in our house so this is a full time job to say the least. I try to stay on my post, but recently they caught me slippin'. Proof posted below! Notice the tinge of yellow in the bowl. Yuck!


And being the good mom that I am I ran to get my camera BEFORE swooping her up and rushing her to the tub!! This pic wasn't taken today, but like always we had some close calls.


It's official; I'm a Blogger!

Ok so if you found this blog thinking you might get some business tips from the CEO of an up and coming beauty brand, you might want to keeping looking! If you want to read about the real life dramas of running a company from home while raising 6 children and trying to keep my sanity, then subscribe to my blog because this is bound to be a bumpy ride!

For those of you who don't know me personally, nearly 3 years ago I started a company called Blossom which is the first skin care system for girls ages 5 to 13. What did a SAHM with 5 kids (at the time) know about starting a skin care company? Not a thing, but I had 4 daughters and knew there was a need! Fast forward to today, we recently launched Blossom SPA Parties, a home party business that treats girls to their very own at home SPA experiences!

This blog won't be so much about my business but rather how I manage my kids, my business, my life! If you follow this blog, you'll quickly realize that my life is a non stop furry of craziness, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. The picture isn't always pretty, like the piles of clean laundry covering my couch and the mounds more flowing out of my laundry room. I'm not perfect and have never claimed to be so don't be too shocked as my drama unfolds!

I'll save my daily schedule for another day because that's an entry all by itself, trust me. Today, I was busy trying to focus on getting a video up on YouTube (never got that to work), getting our brand in front of more people (always a work in progress), and starting this blog (finally did it after a year of talking about it).

I was working away, and throughout the day I kept smell something "off". I checked the babies diaper repeatedly during the day. She never did have a bm, but I passed it off that she was passing gas. So about 3 o'clock, the smell is getting a stronger. I check her diaper again, and NOTHING! At this point, I do a little sniff tests to check my pits. I'm still fresh so I keep plugging away trying to build my blog.

By about 6 pm, the stench is about to overtake me. Bailey was home from cheerleading now, and I asked if she could smell it. She could and so the hunt was on!! I look under the mounds of clothes on the couch, nothing. I look under the couch, I found it or so I thought. I reach under and grab at it, well I let out a scream because I felt something squishy and it freaked me out. Bailey then reaches under for the mystery item and pulls out an oven mitt. What? How'd that get under there? Who knows- the hunt continues. After a few other interesting hidden gems, I find the culprit. The stinkiest diaper you don't even want to imagine.

I don't know how it got under there or how long it had been there, and I didn't have time to think about it because I realized that I had forgotten to buy Valentines for the party tomorrow so I was off to the store to rectify that before I had a 4 year old meltdown on my hands!

All in all it was a relatively calm day today. I feel great that I finally started this blog. I have no idea really what the future holds, but I'm sure it won't be boring.

Thanks for viewing my first blog!