Home Management and Company Girl Coffee!

Welcome and thanks for stopping by to any of you Company Girls who amble over! Hunker down and grab some chamomile tea. The coffee is on hiatus from the Castle right now, I am trying to wean off of caffeine! Plus, you know, chamomile.... all comforting and soothing and stuff. With the way things have been around here lately, that is just what I need!

The kids are being typical kids, one of them acting out in school, one playing with poop and the eldest having moments of true anxiety. "Gah! Senior next year! Gah! College! Gah! Senior project! Gah! OMG! Gah!" And other teenagerly angsty type pronouncements abound here lately! LOL For more from that quarter, feel free to check out either one of The Girl's blogs. She writes over at The Delusional and at As The Plot Thickens. She also owns and moderates a writer's forum at Quill and Ink. She rocks pretty hardcore, really. Even if I do complain about the teenage crap. She just needs some time to get past all of the hormonal and horrible 15 - 21 year old horror. I'm sure you all remember that time!

I have spent my day today doing typical household chores, In between the dirty clothes, dishes and changing diapers, I have been working on setting up a Home Management Binder. I really hope that I can train myself to use it because I think it will be a real help in getting me organized. If I use it. Big if. I always have big plans and usually end up having problems with the follow through. Any of y'all use a binder/ planner to stay organized and on task? Any advice on setting it up and remembering to use it?

I have plans to try to plant some fall crops in my garden... since we stay warm here for so long, I am hoping I might get some actual veggies to grow! The garden was eaten by bugs and killed by horrendously hot weather this Summer. Right now, the only things living in there are some red and yellow peppers, some cucumber plants I planted (again) a few weeks ago and some butternut squash that I planted a few weeks ago. I have some spinach seeds and I may have some green beans up in my gardening cabinet.... I hope they produce something before we get frost here! The weather does not usually get to freezing until December, sometimes close to Christmas around here. Fingers crossed! I certainly want cooler weather, but i also want some actual food to be produced from my garden this year!!

The Girl just got home and informed me that she got a 71 on her 9 weeks test in AP US History. That means she is bringing home a C for the 9 weeks. We had told her that if she brought home a C that she would be grounded. But, she did work hard to bring her grade up from earlier in the 9 weeks. I really am not sure if I should ground her or not. Perhaps just some slight restrictions? Or maybe having her stay after for one day each week and do extra work in class. Her teacher is available every day for extra help/ extra credit work. I will have to discuss with my husband exactly how we should handle this. Her on restrictions from her laptop is basically punishing ME since I will have to listen to her complaining! LOL

Seriously, if this is the worst I have to deal with from her this year, I will be a happy camper. But don't tell her that, 'kay? (Jenna, you did not read that!)

I hope everyone has had a fabulous week and is healthy and happy. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you stop by again soon!!

The Soundtrack of My Life

I have been very intensely into music lately. And as I have found new artists and revisited old favorites I have noticed a trend. All of these songs that I have been obsessing over lately seem to be reflecting some of the best and worst times of my life. It made me feel like I must be writing a screenplay for the movie of my life! So, for any who feel like exploring my life through music.... click on any of the below links to be taken to a song that reflects a time and place in my life. Let me know what you think.....

Miss Invisible by Marie Digby
Dream by Priscilla Ahn
32 Flavors by Ani DiFranco
Girlfriend by Marie Digby
Not A Pretty Girl by Ani DiFranco
Hand In My Pocket by Alanis Morissette
Daddy I'm Fine by Sinead O'Connor
You outta know by Alanis Morrissette
Survive by Lacuna Coil
Just The Two Of Us by Wil Smith
Where I stood by Missy Higgins
Near to You by A Fine Frenzy
Heavens A Lie by Lacuna Coil
No More Drama by Mary J. Blige
Unfold by Marie Digby
Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
Tri Me by Abby Ahmad
The Healing Room by Sinead O'Connor
Exactly by Amy Steinberg

Turd Crayons of Doom

It has certainly been a craptastic couple of weeks here at the Castle! We all have been sick, Jenna more than anyone else. When I took her to the doctor, they tested her for strp and for the swine flu. Both tests came back negative. Then, 6 days later, they called me and told me they had overlooked her test results and she was positive for strep. So, both boys went in for tests. All showing negative at this time. But I am not sure how much I trust their lab right now! AND, I am pretty sure the swine flu test was not accurate. We had classic symptoms.... and now hubby is sick. Yuck.

So, overall, we have just been so blech that blogging was at the bottom of my list of things to do.

And then today, my youngest child did something so gross that I just had to share it with you!

He made a turd crayon. Really. His older brother decided to shit on the floor. I know. Gross. His potty training is doing great with pee but not so hot in the poop department! Anyway... Malachai picked up the turd, rolled it into a ball and came to find me. He then proceeded to draw on my arm with the turd ball. Yes, I freaked as soon as I realized what he was doing. Yes, I then proceeded to disinfect my arm, his hands and anything else I could reach!

Aren't you glad I shared that with you?

Promise to do better blogging now that I am feeling better!

Melancholy Menu Planning

This week's menu is a little off. I get my money to go grocery shopping on Thursday and I am low on ideas for the food that is left in my home. So, my plan for this week is only through Thursday. And I am working on my monthly plan and shopping list. It's not going well. I found out this morning that my father has been in the hospital for the past 3 days. We have no details but we do know that he is going home today. My father is currently waiting and preparing for a liver transplant. Hopefully in November. What happened now and how it will effect his chances at a transplant are unknown. I am waiting for more details and hoping that all works out for the best. Honestly, I am not sure what the best is or will be at this point. And I am honestly not sure how I am feeling right now. Sad, confused, angry that we only found out now that he is in the hospital, panicked because I have no idea what is going on, stressed that there is no way that I can go see him.... all of it at once.

So, for now, this is my menu plan. And I hope I can concentrate enought o get my plans and shopping list in place before Thursday....

Monday - We had Ravioli Casserole. BUT, I forgot to cook the ravioli before I put the casserole together. And it turned out even better than usual! Yummy.

Tuesday - Beef and Chicken Enchiladas

Wednesday - Hot dogs and fries

Thursday - leftovers

Head over to Organizing Junkie for some better and more comprehensive menu plans!!

Here is hoping for gentle breezes....

Today, Jenna and I spent some time researching which universities in the southern states had good journalism and mass communications colleges. We have narrowed down her choices to about 9 with 7 of these being Mother preferred. LOL Now, she is planning to write to each college and ask for more information regarding their programs and admissions information. Once she has info from all 9 she can start deciding which ones she is really interested in applying to.

When did she get so big? It seems like just yesterday I was potty training her and she was scared of alligators in the toilet.

Now, In about a year and a half she will leave me. She will go off into the gigantic, scary world all on her own to do things I have never done. Have experiences I have never had and meet people as herself. Not as my daughter.

It's a scary time for me, y'all.

When Jenna started getting older, I started to do more backing out of her business. She has learned to make most decisions on her own, with input from me but as a result of her own choices. She has fought her own battles, made her own mistakes and has matured at an unbelievable rate over the past few years. I am as proud of her as it is possible to be.

But, she is very young for her age in some ways. There is a sweetness and a naivete about her that is just waiting to be shattered. I want to wrap her in bubble wrap, cocoon her in cotton and keep her away from the asshats of the world. I want her to stay sweet and innocent. I want her to not have to cry into her pillow at night because some jerk treated her badly. I don't want her to have to feel the unfairness of the world when she gets passed over for promotion or does not get a job she wanted.

But, she is growing out and away from me. She is her own person. Her strengths, her weaknesses and her joys and sorrows will be her own from here on out. I can listen. I can hug. I can cry with her and do the happy dance by her side.... but I cannot live her life. And I cannot protect her.

The best I can do is to try to make sure that she is prepared.

So, she is learning to cook. To clean. To drive. To balance a check book. To shop frugally and use coupons. She will be learning to change a light bulb, a tire and her mind. She will learn everything that I can teach her over the next year and a half. And then I will cut the strings and watch her soar. And I will keep my fingers crossed that the breezes she is flying on are gentle and sweet.

What are some of the things you wish YOUR parents had taught you before you left home? What are the silliest things you had to learn all on your own?