scatter brain....

My life is so scattered. I really need to real it in, but not too far or I'll be bored. There is a fine line there.
On top of the routine (or NOT-SO-ROUTINE) job of raising 6 kids and taking care of the domicile in which they and I live, I have a part-time job with another 16-ish teenagers there. I am contracted to work 16 hours per week with/for these precious teenagers, whom I adore. There are very few weeks that I keep it to 16 hours or less. There is alot of planning that goes into making these kids put their moral compasses to work. It is very rewarding, overall.
On top of that, I do a bit of volunteer work for all the Episcopalian teens of NH. There are several retreats, overnights, lock-ins that go along with these jobs... and lots of paperwork, insurance things to keep in mind, Safer Church items, etc.
Did I mention that I am also trying to raise 6 well-adjusted kids? Well, as I type this, my youngest screamed because she wasn't able to eat the gum out of the trash. My 13-year old has a tutor coming over any minute, my 15-year old hasn't called and he is 3 hours late getting home (I should probably look into that sooner rather than later), my 8-year old is at Girl Scouts learning to read her moral compass, and my 16-year old and I just dropped spaghetti and meatball dinner off at the local soup kitchen for dinner to feed the 80 or so that visit there every night (the dinner was prepared by the youth group). NOW, I need to consider dinner for the people who I have here.... and plan the final parts of the Youth Retreat this weekend, and figure out how to fit 7 people in a sedan, legally.
In addition, I was up for about 2 1/2 hours last night (2am-4:30am) and my brain just wouldn't stop thinking about things! I hate that.
Now on that note, I read about a major aftershock in Haiti. *sigh* This time, 35 miles north of Port-Au-Prince. Which means, whatever buildings didn't crumble last week, probably did yesterday. The poor children down there.... the orphanges.... the new orphans....I can't even seem to wrap my brain around it all. And of course, the feeling that we can't do anything to help, and even if we could, the bottle necks of help down there are too tight and we couldn't get in.
OK.... my life is ok. I have food, water and a roof. Keep it simple, stupid... right?

KJ

blabber....

Ok...... Back in track with my Weight Watchers program. Seriously, I could NOT keep up the momentum without my WW Thursday girls, Kim, Deb, Dawn, Raven, Linda K, Joan and Alan and ESPECIALLY PAM! Pam is the leader and she rocks the house! Love her to pieces.
I am doing well. I bought a new cookbook by Hungry Girl and it's mostly awesome. I DIDN'T enjoy adding pumpkin to my oatmeal so now I just don't do that. I am not sure pumpkin and oatmeal should go together. I love both individually but together? eh-eh.
I rocked some deals at Shaw's this week. FOUR free toothbrushes (GUM brand) and lots of other fabulous deals on things I use alot so I scored alot for the stockpile. I need to go back again because I received a few more coupons that I will "play" this week for my favorite yogurt, free tissues and free pasta. The pasta is great because this Sunday the youth group will be making spaghetti/meatball dinner for the Friendly Kitchen (the local soup kitchen in Concord) and dinner is made for about 75 people every night. That just helps with the bottom line cost wise for me! :)
I am very proud of my friend, Corey this week! She ran the Walt Disney Marathon on Sunday and finished! I was tired just thinking about running to the bathroom, much less for 26 miles! YAY, Corey!
My sister inlaw is ENGAGED! That is good news and it's about freakin' time!! :)

Time to sort coupons and get a snack ready for the savages. They'll be home soon....

I lied...

OK.... I forgot to blog the following day but cut me some slack! New Routines are hard!!!
So, here I am. Back to the Weight Watchers grind. I used my Borders gift card that I got for Christmas and bought myself a couple of books; One of them is called Hungry Girl. Now, there is a Hungry Girl website that I have not visited yet because I have had my nose buried in this cookbook. It's awesome. Low points, Low calorie, low fat, lots of flavor and EASY TO PREPARE!! Also, the things that I have made so far, the family actually ENJOYS!!! That is a win win!
So, Thursday is weigh-in day for me at WW. I LOVE my meetings. I LOVE my leader, Pam. I LOVE my friends there. However, yesterday's weigh-in was +4.4lbs! I don't LOVE that. THAT IS THE WRONG DIRECTION! I can't blame anyone (except maybe my mom!). All the crap food that has been brought over in the past month has been SO tempting and just sits there and I can't waste it. But, now I am sick of the crap food. I tossed out full, unopened boxes of candy and cookies a couple of days ago. I kept one large unopened box of Granite State Candies that I will bring with me to a party tonight. And, I think they are soft-centered candies which are not my favs so I am not tempted. (Unless there is a caramel filled one in there.... then I will umm.... no no no.... I won't. not worth it. I'd rather have a glass of wine.) I will be losing weight before I head to Orlando in March.
Now, I am also a coupon queen. Yesterday I messed up a couple of deals but was too overwhelmed with my life to fix them so I'll just let it roll. However, I did score 4 boxes of free tissues and 20 more boxes of tissues at .49/each. Why so many?? Well, we are a family of 8 and it's winter.... I have a college daughter who needs to bring a stockpile of stuff back with her next week... and the school district in Concord apparently doesn't budget in facial tissue so I sent several boxes that way. I also sent a few boxes to my neighbor who was home with a sniffly 3 year old and challenged me. She was kidding but hell, I was running out of storage for all the tissues. :)
Today is the day that I will fix the Little's (my 4 and 8 year old girls) closet and organize their room a bit better.
So, I swear I am will be a better blogger. Not sure why. I guess it helps to get this stuff out of my head.
Now, I have a 4 year old crawling all over me so I guess my time here is done. :)

Kel

NEW YEAR! NEW BLOG!

Ok..... not really a "new" blog. It's the same old blog: I am just going to TRY to be more purposeful in my blogging. I am not sure WHY, I just am. :)

So, another holiday season has come and gone. It was not as crazy and insane as past seasons, I must admit. EVEN with the addition of another child. I had my wrapping done more than one week BEFORE Christmas! I had made a few make-ahead meals and froze them so that I could enjoy the holidays and in the event that I had a potluck to head off too, I just pulled something from the freezer and popped it in the over (thanks for the tip, Robin!). I think I will do this more often. That is, when I am making something for dinner (soup, casseroles, sauces, etc) I will make double or triple the amount and freeze it for future use.

Also, I am getting back on the Weight Watchers train that I have seemingly fallen off of! I LOVE Weight Watchers. I LOVE my meetings. The best leader, the best group of people but seriously, I have gained weight this year instead of losing. MOST of it in the past 4 weeks but still....

I am in the midst of making plans to head to Orlando in March for a Supermom Weekend. The one other mom that I know in real life, I haven't seen in 20 years but I don't care. I am going and I am going to sit by the pool and do nothing for 3 days. :) Nirvana. Oh... I think I am the official Margarita holder for my friend, Corey, but other than that, I am doing nothing. :)
I am also in the middle of planning several mission trips/retreats for the youth group. I am the Minister to High School Youth at St. Paul's Church and also the co-chair for the NH Episcopal Diocese Youth and Young Adults so alot of planning needs to happen now that it is January!

Today is Monday. The kids are all back in school. It is quiet. I should be cleaning. I will. Eventually. That's what Mondays are for; cleaning and laundry. Not that I don't do those things every freakin' day.... Mondays are just the days that all the kids go away and I can clean without a mess being made right behind me so it stays clean for 5 minutes. So, I am off to do that.

Appointment later to see if the 8 year old broke her finger or not. I PROMISE TO BLOG TOMORROW!

Kellie

I wish I was, but I'm not!

OK, so I truly wish that I was one of those bloggers who blogged everyday, or at least every OTHER day. Not for people to read, necessarily, but for me to put my thoughts in order and sit down and process the everyday happenings of this life. I DEFINITELY have enough to blog about, TRUST ME ON THAT!
Today happens to be one of those days that I have a TON of stuff to do and it keeps on "raining shoes" here so I am making no headway with my to-do list. AND this stuff has to be done.
Yesterday, my 16 year old had knee surgery. He has a condition called multiple hereditary osteochondromas and he had a few extra bump strumming some tendons on his knee. Pretty painful. SO, we did that yesterday... also, Parent/Teacher conference with Kara (8 y/o). She is perfect and focussed and everything is good there.... thank God!

Today, my to-do list is loooooooooooooooooooooong. Mini Wedding cake due for tomorrow for an anniversary party, 60 cookies and 3 dozen boiled eggs for a lunch fundraiser for tomorrow...... drinks with my sister (MUCH needed).....
*ok.... so I started this post 20 hours ago.... it is NOW Saturday morning......ugh*
Today.... must inish the wedding cake, hit the grocery store and be at the church in 2 hours for a fundraiser. I must bring the Littles with me since Phil is at Safer Church training, his FAVORITE way to spend a Saturday (not really).
Hopefully I can treck over to the Bektash Temple or the feztival of trees with the kids.
Maybe Phil will get paid since it's been 5 weeks since his last paycheck....
Maybe I will do laundry....
Maybe I will sit back and watch a movie tonight..... (HAHAHAHAHAAAAAA.... right).

In case anyone is wondering, I <3 Phil. :)

Kellie

No swine flu here! A LONG LOST POST!!

SO yesterday Kaleigh called me from school (111 miles away) crying uncontrollably. It took a few minutes to get her calmed down enough for me to understand anything she was saying.



Hold the phone...... Let me back up a minute. Kaleigh called my cell. I heard it ring but I was cleaning the basement. I did not answer it. A few minutes later it rang again so I ran up the stairs to get the phone. I missed that call as well. It was the church. I was about to listen to the messages when the cell rang AGAIN. THIS time it's Kaleigh. While I was calming down Kaleigh, Robin calls (but I don't answer b/c I am calming down Kaleigh) Why is this part important? Well, they are all connected. Kaleigh called my cell; no answer. So she calls church. Carolyn tells her I am not there. Carolyn calls my cell and leaves a messge to call Kalegh. Carolyn ALSO calls Robin to see if she knows where I am. Robin calls me. I don't answer. Robin calls Phil. All the while I am talking to Kaleigh.

Back to the story.....



Kaleigh finally calms down enough to tell me that she has a sore throat and blacked out on her way to class. I calmly tell her she is going to be fine and she needs to go to the nurse. SO, she and her roommate go to the nurse.... where they are tested or H1N1. Kaleigh tells me it is a LONG swab that goes up your nasal passage and down to your throat.... sounds LOVELY. Her other college friends refuse to go to the nurse now because they do not want to be tested. WHo can blame them!



The nurse tests her and her roommate AND SENDS THEM BOTH HOME! So now I travel 6 hours in the car to spread the germs from Vermont to New Hampshire. The test results come back just as I am getting to SVC and it's negative or H1N1. Does she still need to come home? Yes. Don't get me wrong... we LOVE Kaleigh! Just not her germs. :)

Kellie

MUST check this out...SAVE MONEY!

http://bargainbecky.blogspot.com/

Run.... do NOT walk... to this website if you happen to live in the NH area. I have had repeated requests asking HOW I scored so much food last week and paid a fraction of the shelf price. I REALLY should have taken a pic of it all. Seriously, I paid about 15% of what it was all worth(which ws about $350worth, so I spent about $45), that is working the sales and the coupons and whatever other deals are going on! Of course, there are the people who say "coupons are never for anything I can use!". Here's how I clip coupons.... if I wouldn't mind getting the item for FREE, then I clip it. I make Food Pantry donations regularly of overflow items I have been able to score. Usually that is toothpaste(I had to PAY for toothpste couple of weeks ago for the first time in TWO YEARS and it almost killed me), toothbrushes, cereal and soup. Sometimes other stuff. Today it was diapers. Yes, folks. Diapers. I can't stand to think of the poor babies sitting in dirty diapers because their parents cannot afford them.

There is a good canned veggie deal at Shaw's this week with a printable coupon on the Shaw's website. http://www.shaws.com/ 5 cans for $3.00 and the coupon is $1 of 5 so 5 cans of veggies for $2. This is a great deal if you use canned veggies. I do not BUT that didn't stop me from buying 15 cans for the food pantry and printing of several coupons to share with others to do the same since our local food pantry is in dire need of canned veggies.

Another favorite money saving site for me is http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

Keep your eyes peeled or Thanksgiving deals! Turkeys have been at .48/lb. in years past so stock up if you have a freezer!

Kellie