Weekend Project Rundown 1/30

Weekends without kids mean a list of items to check off. Not sure I checked off a single thing that was actually on my list but I did get some things accomplished.

We finally put shelves in the closet. We have a long closet with doors on either side. The middle was basically useless. It had become this pile of stuff I didn't feel like I would need anytime soon so I threw it it the middle. This was originally Batman's project but due to my need to control everything I ended up in the cramped closet with him. It probably went a lot faster because of I helped so hopefully he appreciated it. While they aren't exactly pretty (who is going to see them), they are functional and cost under $30. During a quick trip to Home Depot we bought a 4'x8' and had them cut it down into 4-2'x4' boards (love that Lowe's or Home Depot will do this for you). Then bought 4-2"x2"s and cut them each in half. Drilled them to either side of the wall. Then put the 2'x4' boards over them. Voila! Storage! Wonder Woman has a place to put her boots.

Two quick random projects this weekend. I was tired of my plugs getting tangled on the floor beside my bed so I screwed the powerstrip. I now don't have to fumble around in the dark on the floor when I need to plug my phone in either. Then we bought Light Angel as in impulse buy standing in line at Hancock fabrics. I have to get up at 6:00 to get the kids read and tend to the animals. I don't want to wake up Batman (he was out late fighting crime the night before) so this works perfect. It only comes on when it is dark, it relies on motion to turn on, and it is dim enough that I can see what is in my closet but doesn't disturb the person laying in bed. We will see how long the batteries last but so far it works well. I was pleasantly surprised since I think most of the "As seen on TV products are good ideas but poorly executed and it didn't get great reviews on Amazon.

Another project I had not planned on completing was my filing cabinet. Since we moved I haven't had one that was easy accessible. I was in desperate need because my to be filed piles are all over the place! We also needed a second side table so I decided I would just use the filing cabinet as my side table since we don't have an office space. I have some odd OCD tendencies. My house is usually a wreck, my car is worse, but hand me a filing cabinet and some file folders and I go crazy. They have to be "pretty" and in order by color, ROYGB is the only way to go. Weird I know. Based on this guess which My Little Pony is my favorite.

What didn't I get done? The damn chairs! They are all over the place. Three kinds of chairs. I did buy the vinyl but then decided once I tore off the old vinyl that maybe I wanted to do something a little different than I originally thought. Thanks youtube!

Fresh Start

I have been interested in blogging again. I started using my old blog but realized that I am not the same person I was when I first started that blog so it is time to start a new one so here it goes. A couple warnings. I am not a great writer. This is more for me than anyone else. If someone gets some good information from this blog then that is great. If not then I have at least had a place to document my everyday stories of kids, our hobby farm, a craft obsession, business ventures, ADD misshapes, and whatever else I feel like writing about. I also can't spell, my grammar (I can even spell this word) is shoddy (this word either) and my mind thinks much faster than my fingers type so this may all sound like a bunch of jumbled mess.

A little about us. We are a blended family. My husband and I married three years ago joining together not only ourselves but our 4 awesome but very different children. I have given them each nicknames partly because as they get older they are due their privacy and partly because it goes along with the theme of this blog and my life. These are characters that each of them identify with in one way or another. 

First came "Harley Quinn" or "HQ" who is my oldest. She is 15, almost 16. She is creative, gorgeous, kindhearted, and very emotional (what teenager isn't). As I was writing this I realized she is only a year away from the age I was when I got pregnant with her. Scary thought! She came along when I was 17 and she was my life saver. I went from a surly teenager to a mother in love with this perfect little thing I couldn't take my eyes off of. She went everywhere with me. I talked to her from the time we got up till the time I put her in bed. I think this is the reason she started talking at 9 months and hasn't shut up since.

Then came "Catwoman" claws and all, she was born a middle child. She just turned 13 and so far her entry to teens hasn't been nearly as rough as her first eight years. In ways my hardest child has become my easiest. As a child this strong willed child was more than difficult. She challenged me at every turn. Now the strong will child has turned it to a young woman that knows what she wants and goes after it. She is not too fond of most people but she loves animals. She has her own rabbitry called Geeky Bunny Rabbitry. She is also incredibly beautiful!

"Sheldon" came into my life when he was 6, he is now 12. Prior to his dad and I he was an only child. Coming in to a house that is this full is always an adjustment but he has done pretty well. He is creative, funny, and stubborn, he always has to be right. Right now his obsession, and I mean obsession is Nerf Guns. If I never heard another thing about nerf guns I would be good. Check out  The Ominous Nerf Gun.

Then there is "Deadpool", not quite as mean or insane as the character that his nickname derived from but definitely as funny and obnoxious (and he knows it). It may have something to do with his age, he is 11. He is also the most kindhearted boy I have ever met, always ready to pick up one of the babies in my daycare, give you a hug, or a great shoulder massage. He is brilliant when it comes to engineering things. One of my favorite things he created was this apparatus to turn off his light from his bunk bed. Using Wall Coasters  he made it so if you dropped a marble down the run it would hit the switch and turn his light off. He was only 8 at the time. This also means there are no battery hatches on any of our electronics or remotes!

Then there is my partner in crime (fighting), "Batman". He was the missing piece to my puzzle. My best friend in every way. I gush but I finally realized after we met that I really was okay being who I was, flaws and all. He can live with my ADD and my brain that doesn't always function the way it should. We enjoy doing geeky things together which most people just don't get. I can have a totally off the wall conversation with him and he keeps up. He doesn't make fun of my crazy ideas (ok sometimes he does but it is in the most lovey way). He gives me time to work on what ever project I happen to be obsessing about and doesn't make me feel guilty that I forgot dinner because I was too busy crocheting 25 Christmas presents. I restarted my blog because my previous blog was "The Way I Am" and while I still am who I am I don't feel the need to make as much of a stand on it as I once did. It was a difficult time in my life and I often felt like someone was always expecting me to be better than I was. Sometimes I still do need to apologize for the way I am because I can be a pain but my apology is enough. And sometimes he needs to apologize to me because he can be a pain too but his apology is enough. We are who we are and that is okay. Some will ask why I needed a man to make me feel better about who I was but it isn't the man but the best friend that help me be okay with the way I am.

Along with our 4 kids we have somewhere between 18-22 animals. It varies based on the number of baby bunnies we have in the bunny barn. They range from a Chinese Water Dragon (lizard) to a small herd of goats.

On top of all that is the additional 2-3 children in my daycare. I watch two 1-year-olds and occasionally have a three year old or a five year old. I love what I do. My day is full of snuggles, giggles, and learning. It is also full of poop, snot and sometimes crying but all the other stuff makes up for it. I also get to be home with my kids in the afternoon and during the summer while still making an income.

To say our house is crazy sometimes is an understatement. Our house is always in motion, I love it and I think for the most part the kids do to. Except when they don't. A couple weeks ago I had two goats in the back of my Honda Pilot. I was dropping HQ off at a friends on the way home. She said please don't park too close. I don't want my girlfriend to see that there are goats in the back of the car. Then she said "Why can't our family just be normal?"

"Because what fun would that be?"