Thursday, March 12, 2009

My New Book

I have been super, crazy busy lately. I am trying to do so much and balance my business with my family; people call me a "Super Mom". Every time I hear that I think, "Are they crazy?" I tend to be rather hard on myself. It's tough. It's really tough for me trying to be a good mom and a business woman, but I'm doing my best. I guess that's all I can really do.

I have started reading an amazing book ( yes in all my spare time). It's called Success Principles: How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be by Jack Canfield. This book is so good; it is challenging me to move past where I am. Maybe it will help me stop being so critical of myself.

The beginning of the book talks about how people have to take 100% responsibility for their life and everything that happens in their life. It's deeper than what I can explain here, but basically you have to STOP making excuses for EVERYTHING. OK, so that means I have to take responsibility for my kids going crazy in the Container Store and my son going to see the Cat in the Hat with no coat! What? This would be so much easier if could keep blaming the kids. LOL

I am trying it, and I really believe in these principles. Now my follow through is another story; I guess that needs to be one of the goals that I set! All and all, the book is so wonderful. I want to grow and become all that I am meant to be. I am a dreamer! Always have been and always will be. That's actually one of the things that I like about myself. Without a big dream, you won't accomplish big things!

I'll keep you posted on my progress, and I highly recommend this book to everyone! Wonder if I can get a kick back for this endorsement? haha

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

There go the Ring Pops!

Try as I may and try as I might, sometimes I can't avoid having to take the kids on errands with me. Today was one of those days, and I'm still feeling the effects.

Goals for Today;
  • Go to Verizon to fix my cell phone
  • Go to the Container Store for boxes
  • Go to Staples for printer ink
  • Go to Target for a new planner

I've mentioned repeatedly that I avoid outings by myself at all cost, and I usually feel really badly about that. Then I take them all somewhere and stop feeling guilty really quickly! I started off determined to make it a successful trip so I started planning early; I packed lunches, snacks and water bottles to aviod the whining and begging for MickeyD's all day. After I picked up the kids from Kindergarten and Preschool, I was off to Verizon with my 4 youngest.

On the way there, Brooklyn, 4, was begging for her sandwich, but I wanted them to wait until after the first stop to try and spread out the snacks. When I walked in the Verizon store, I don't know what was better, the look of amazement on the faces of my little ones or the look of terror on the face of the worker. I told the kids in advance that if they behaved during our outing I would get Ring Pops on the way home. I swear if I said "Don't touch that!" once I said it one hundred times, and of course the 3 older ones had to keep touching the baby and pulling at her until I tell her down to roam with them. They weren't too bad, and the Ring Pops were still in play. I ended up leaving with an unrepaired phone because I needed to use my insurance plan to get a replacement phone, and just as we're about to leave the store, Berry, 3, starts doing the peepee dance and screaming, "I've got to go potty!" I had to shuffle all the kids back behind the counter to the employee bathroom as the guy stood there looking all impatient. I really didn't care. I made all 3 of them go because I was not about to hear that someone else had to go the minute we got in the car.

Off to Container Store we go. That was the beginning of the end. The kids all ate their food on the way and were quite content. The problem came inside the store; Brooklyn ran in shouting, "Come on, let's go to the kitchen!" I have a box of Blossom products with me becasue I am looking for better boxes than we've been using. As I am trying out the different sizes, the 3 of them begin playing tag and running around like they're in our back yard. Just as I would get one under control and try to head for the door, another one would give me the slip. Get that one back and another was gone. In my son's (6) defense, he caught on after a few escape attempts that mom was getting pretty mad!

Once I rounded them all up and loaded them all in the van, Brooklyn says (in the sweetest little voice you've ever heard), "Mommmy, when can we get our Ring Pops?" What? My head almost exploded! I mean literally exploded. Of course I calmly, yeah right, explained exactly why she wouldn't be getting one, and the water works came on. All the way to Staples I had to listen to her cry and tell me how hungry she was and how she had to have a Ring Pop. The girl is serious drama!

Staples went ok; I think because they were holding out hope for the RPs. We were only in the store for 5 minutes. I really needed to go to the restroom, but there was no way in heck I was going all the way to the back of the store and risk another disappearing act while I was trying to pee. I decided to hold it. We left, skipped out on Target and headed to pick up Bailey from school. Oh, the moaning and complaining the rest of the way. "Oh, I'm hungry. I'm tired. I'm hot. We've been in the car all day! When will we be home? I want to go home? When can I have my Ring Pop?" I'm exhausted just thinking about it, but hey I got some errands done and we all survived so I'm happy!

I can't decide if I should take them out more or if I should keep avoiding it like the plague! I'm planning a library trip for Friday. Maybe Daddy can come with me for a little while to help with defense! LOL