HAPPY FRICKIN' NEW YEAR!!

So I finally have a few minutes to sit and reflect on all the holiday happenings.  Thanksgiving was a little hectic, but oh so awesome since we finally got to do one at the in-laws with the majority of the family.  Of course, we did one at mom's house too with all us sisters!  Kristin is expecting baby number 2....9 years later!!  LOL and she and Austing couldn't be more excited. 

Christmas was absolutely wonderful.  It was a bit rushed and felt like the month flew by, but maybe that's because we were having so much fun!  We got to spend 2 nights at the in-laws, which was so much fun for us and the kids.  All of the family ended up making it and so did Santa!!  Mom's was a full house as usual and I felt really bad that me, Josh and the kids' stockings take up almost the whole front part of the fireplace!!  I was told next year, we're getting one gigantic family stocking....LOL!!  Momma's crazy!  Anyway, we very much got to enjoy all of our family this year, which has been a rare occasion in the past, but hopefully will end up being a yearly tradition from here on out.  I really am blessed to have such wonderful people in my life that I get to call family.

Now, on to the New Year.....duh, duh, duh ;)  Josh has been super nice since we got back from E. Tx.  He's finally working on everything I've ever asked him too.  I'm not sure if it's that he finally realized I deserve better or if he's plotting my death....eithe way, I'm taking it!!  And since I have no life insurance policy at the moment, it would cost him more to kill me than to keep me so YAY!!  LOL!  Things were looking up (and kind of still are) and we thought 2011 was gonna be our year.  We're finally getting the relationship department going, his new job is going great and we've just about recovered from the layoff last summer that put us behind.  Other than needing to get the tags on the van and the truck battery going out (grrrrr), things have run pretty smoothly.  Then I notice that the bank (I have overdraft protection) put 14 charges that were already pending after my cash withdrawl, which they've never done before!!  If something is pending they usually push it through and if you happen to get an overdraft fee, they credit it because the charges were done before the cash was taken out.....now that would be too easy to expect it this time, right?  Can you say serious overdraft charges?!  Called the bank, got some of it worked out.....lesson learned.  DON'T do that shit again!!!  So, on the 3rd (yesterday) Josh goes to look at the battery on the truck.  YESSSSS!  It has a 2 year warranty.  Fingers crossed we haven't passed it-sticker on the battery says Nov. 2008 so we're like just great!!  Calls Auto Zone and it wasn't purchased until January 2009 so it's still under warranty......good luck continues.....yeah right!!  New battery is on and I have a legal vehicle to drive again.  Take the truck to pick up Steven tonight in Arlington off 360 about 30 or so minutes from the house.  Truck dies in Target parking lot, but we have jumper cables.  Anna and I have to jump it twice......not a fan of doing anything like this and terrified I'm gonna blow myself up or something ;)  So we get it going, I tell Steven to hop in so we can get home ASAP!  I get out of the parking lot and coming up to the light to go left and of course it turns red so I got over to go right and circle through the parking lot one more time to let the battery charge a little more.......really didn't want to stop and give the truck any reason to die at this point.  I turn right, the lights start to dim and right as I'm coming to the light to get back into the parking lot, the entire truck locks up.....scariest shit EVER!!!   More so because I had a child in my car.  My good luck continued a little I guess since I broke down right across from NTB ;)  The bad thing is I've been really sick and laid up all day so my hair looked like crap, no makeup and jeans, a papa smurf tee and a green zip up.  Anyone that knows me knows that I DO NOT go out in public without my makeup and hair done!!!  So I get to walk into NTB looking like this to get help.  Call Josh and tell him they're getting it out of the middle of the road and to please come get me.  Josh is also really sick and home with all the kids.  Audrey has thrown up everywhere in my room, including the bed and he had just put her in the tub to wash her off when I called him and then she threw a fit because she didn't want to get out so he has to fight with her, get her dressed, load up the carseat in his truck (thank God I didn't have it with me) and come get me.  All in all, I was gone for 3 hours to make a 1 hour round trip!  Then I got to come home and wash gross baby throw up bedding....YAY ME!!!   Happy New Year......it can only get better from here ;)

October fun

   So, October in the Randall/Lenzer household was a huge success this year.  We took a field trip to a pumpkin patch and had soooo much fun.  Each child got to take home a pumpkin that we later painted with glow in the dark paint.  We, of course, did they typical pumpkin carving, scary movies, Halloween cartoons and weekly trips to look at all the "spookies" at the Halloween shops to start getting ideas for what we're going to add next year to our decorations.  The only thing missing was our class Halloween party, but with everyone being so sick on and off over the last month, that was unavoidable :(  I did take the last two school days of the month off and implemented some special lessons as a break from the regular lesson schedule.  We did the history of Halloween, history of  Jack o' Lanterns and Halloween worksheets.  Trick or Treat was so much fun this year since Audrey was actually into it and the new neighborhood is full of kids and a lot of houses participated in handing out candy.

   On another note.....As much as I love having my kids at home and doing virtual school, there are times that it just seems to be too much school and not enough fun.  I'm going to change things up this year and integrate more seasonal and holiday lessons.  I know if I'm getting bored, so are they.  I did this to enjoy more time with my kids and I feel like a full time teaching tyrant....lol.  I had a girlfriend send me lessons on the Mayflower, pilgrims and Thanksgiving so we'll be doing that for this month and probably making turkeys for art.  Come on Thanksgiving break!!  I need some downtime to plan for December and Christmas lessons ;)

Here goes nothing......

   Well, here I am.  After thinking about doing this for awhile, I finally decided why not?  This just may be the one thing that saves my sanity :)

   So, for those of you that may be reading and don't know me, I'll give a little background.  I am married to a very good man that goes to work and busts it every day so that I may stay home with our children.  We have 5.....2 boys, ages 11 and 8, and 3 daughters, ages 9, 8 & 2.  The eight year olds are NOT twins (thank goodness), one is from my first marriage and one is his.  It's a crazy, thrown together yours, mine and ours.  As of last year, we decided virtual school would be better for our kids and the two oldest came home.  This year, we brought the other two home as well so I now have 3 in virtual school, one traditional homeschool and a very overactive 2 year old at home 24 hours a day.  What was I thinking?!  LOL!  The girls play select softball so that also keeps us all busy.  Luckily, for me, my husband FINALLY is out of retail and at home decent hours so it helps a little. 

   Okay, so there's some background.  This is going to be for my vents, frustrations, celebrations, opinions, milestones, amusement, crazy times, and sometimes just for the sake of saving sanity and not screaming at someone in the house.  Hope you enjoy the ride on the crazy train!


.......Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride