Oh how excited I am that Christmas is over.  I am not happy that my hours got cut at work but I am happy that the hustle and bustle of the month is over.  I felt really overwhelmed.  Now this week’s check will be nice but still….not sure I could have done that another month.

Many parents out there spent tons of money on the latest and greatest of toys.  Went to the store with a list in hand and stressed about getting THE right toy.  Tony and I played the game a little different.  With 4 kids we certainly could not afford to go hog wild on gifts.  I know what my kids like and I got what we could afford.  The best part is the toys they loved the most are these $3.50 flashlights and some $5 book bags.

Tony and I have discussed on numerous occasions that we don’t want our kids to be raised thinking Christmas is about the gifts.  We want them to understand the holidays are a time to be with family.  To spend quality time together.  If we start them off young not getting in to the hype of all the expensive gifts then it won’t be so bad as they get older. 

My kids are just at that age that they need to be able to wash their hands but too big to be held while they do it but too short to do it without assistance from something.  I think I am going to buy a unfinished wood step stool from Michaels and paint it all cute for the kids to use.  Tony wanted to make one but we are just so darn busy we just don’t have time.  Plus I get a discount so it shouldn’t cost that much.

WOW, the last two weeks have been crazy.  I just can’t believe it is September.  I can’t believe Christmas is less than 4 months away.  Before I know it we will be celebrating the new year.

The holidays are totally going to come and go.  I already see Halloween decorations and candy in stores.  I asked Lil Tony what he wanted to be for Halloween and he said Mario.  He told me what he wanted the rest of the family to be.  Daddy will be Luigi.  Nicki will be Kuupa, Isabel will be a Princess, and Max will be the Mushroom.  AND mommy will be taking the pictures.  LOL!

If we lived somewhere that we had friends or something I could send out Halloween invitations.  I would probably make them, I hardly ever make those kinds of cards but I know it would be fun. 

The next couple weeks will probably be pretty busy with school work and such.  I will try to be back tomorrow. 

I finally figured out why I am so stressed and overwhelmed about school.  It’s because I have no more chances to complete school.  I have to pass and understand what I am doing.  I can’t drop a class, I can’t afford a bad grade and I am not 18yrs old again.  I have responsibility, my kids and my house.  First and foremost they come first and with kids, ya just never know if something unexpected will come up.  When I was 18 my main responsibility would have been school and working.  Easy peasy, I could have done that with no problems.  Now I have myself to worry about and 4 others.  I worry, will I have enough time in the day to get things done.  AND I have to do well.  In less than one year from now I WILL be employed.  I HAVE to be employed.  Within the next year I have to complete school, organize my house, pack, find a new place for my family to live (in a new state), find a job, and move my family across the country.  On top of that, find a safe and friendly place for my kids to go to daycare after we move and both Tony and I are working.  I am a wreck about having to put my kids in daycare!!!  I have to do ALL of this while keeping my sanity!  LOL!!

I can’t even wrap my brain around the idea that my kids will be cared for by someone else.  Will it be traumatic for them?  Will they adjust easily?  Will it be more traumatic for me than them?  Will we be able to afford daycare?  I mean that was the whole reason I didn’t work for the last 4 years is it is just too expensive to have 3 kids in daycare.  The only difference is Lil Tony will be in school part time.  Maybe we can find a kindergarten that’s all day.  That would be good because then I would only have to worry about 2 kids.  Ahhh, I am just a wreck.  There is just so much that has to be put in order before we move. I know one year may seem like a long time but really it isn’t.  LOL! I hope I can make it through. 

I was doing so good blogging a little something everyday for about a week.  LOL!  Then Tony went on vacation last week and threw me all off track.  Plus Tony and I start school on Monday and Nicki starts school on Thursday.  Yikes, what a crazy week coming up.  Nothing much has been going on here.  I did go pick up some last minute books and the school book school.  What a joke, I bought two books and a small workbook and it cost me $540.  Seriously???  I took five classes this fall and I bought three books that totally $100 and two books that cost $540.  What an expensive semester.  LOL!

I am just ready to get it started.  I have five classes but one is a Math class that should be “easy.”  Heck I think Nicki could teach the class.  Plus I have Tony to help me along if I need it.

Nicki starts high school next Thursday.  HIGH SCHOOL!!!!  I truly feel old now.  She will be 15 in April.  She will be getting a job soon.  She will be driving soon.  She will be graduating soon.  She will be heading off to college (hopefully).  Seriously where has the time gone.  Lil Tony will start kindergarten next fall.  Ahhhh I feel so sad.

Speaking of sad I fought back some tears last night when I thought about having to put my kids in daycare.  When we move to Arizona, both Tony and I expect to be working.  Lil Tony will be in kindergarten and that leaves Isabel and Max to be put in daycare.  For four years all Isabel has known is momma watching her during the day, Max is very much a momma’s boy and Lil Tony spent five years home with his family.  Now we are moving them across country and sending them off to school and putting them in daycare.  I am trying to convince myself that this is more traumatizing for me than it will be for the kids but I am not very successful.  I think they will have a fun time but I worry they won’t understand what’s going on.

I am excited to start making money of my own, have more things, have more savings, and be able to provide more for the kids.  I am tired of living paycheck to paycheck worrying about money.  I am excited that my dad might be moving to Arizona too.  My kids are finally understanding there is a “grandpa.”  He tries to talk to the kids as much as possible.  When the phone rings they first ask if I am talking to “daddy” but if I say no they ask if I am talking to “grandpa.”  I want my kids to have an opportunity to know their grandpa.  So fingers crossed he moves out there too.

I am just ready to start our life.  The last 4 years has sort of been “not reality.”  It’s not realistic with a family of six to expect I can stay home forever.  Nor would I want to.  The play was, though, that I stayed home until all the kids were in school full time and then I would try and work when they were at school.  But I don’t think Tony and I want to wait that long anymore.  The only way Tony will be ok with moving to Arizona next summer is if I have a job.

A lot of things to take care of before next summer.  Finishing school is first and foremost.  We are planning and budgeting our money.  We are finishing school more quickly than I think we would have liked given our other responsibilities.  I worry things won’t line up as I want them to.  I want to move before the kids start school.  I would prefer to not have Lil Tony go to school for a month or a couple weeks and then have to pull him out.  I guess if I have to then I have to but it wouldn’t be ideal in my mind.

Oh well, I have a year to get everything in order. 

Yesterday was a great day.  We started off with our yummy skillet breakfast, it was delicious.  Then we got the kids dressed and about 10am we headed to the park.  The kids were having a blast well except for Max.  He got really cranky and so we had to leave.  We had been there for about an hour and a half so I guess it was ok.  Then we just hung out at home.  Tony and I made some cool laptop covers so that took about an hour or so to get it all cut out using my Cricut.  I do love that thing and I am really upset I sold my bigger machine.  I thought I needed to stop crafting because it was just getting too expensive so I sold my Cricut Expression.  To only decide a week or so later that I really wanted a Cricut.  I ended up buying a Personal Cricut which only cuts things 6″x12″.  Oh well, one day I will get a big one.

Then we had an awesome dinner that Tony cooked, twice baked potatoes, bourbon chicken, brown rice, and broccoli.  Oh it was delicious.  I was able to craft a bit and I made this super awesome card.    I ended the day watching some TV.  It was an awesome day.  Today we will just be playing outside.  We need to mow the lawn and get the outside cleaned up a bit.  We will fill the kiddie pool up with water and let the kids play.

Here are some of the pictures from yesterday.  I love my kids and I love that Tony has the next couple days off.  It’s so nice to just hang out. 

Tony started his little vacation today.  We are just going to have a stay-cay.  No plans to go anywhere just hang out as a family.  We start school in a week and a half and we don’t get to spend much time together usually.  This morning we are going to head to the park.  Yesterday Tony made some breakfast skillets and he was able to make two so this morning I just need to heat up a skillet and we have breakfast.  We  plan to head to the park first thing this morning before it gets too crowded or too hot.  Then we will come home and spend the rest of the day relaxing with the kids.

In a way I wish we would have done something for his vacay, maybe a small trip somewhere but all in all I will be happy he is just home.  I would much rather save the money and have it next year for our move than go to a water park or something that the lil ones won’t even remember. 

Well off to heat up our morning skillet and then off to the park.  Hopefully I will get some pictures.