The Battle We Face

The saying goes "choose your battles wisely" when it comes to a lot of things, especially kids...

But some battles you know you have to fight, and even though it's devastating and breaking your heart, you have to keep going. Who knew when I started a blog because I though my life was comical and I wanted to share it, so much more would come of it?
This week we have an appointment with Developmental Pediatrics to find out if all the signs are true; does he have Asperger's? We have been waiting over six months for this appointment, and now that it's just two days away, I am on edge. There are so many things going through my mind on all this.
More importantly, is that I don't know how to help Bubba(formerly Bug).
This picture was a fight to get him to take a nap. We were on day three of puffy, dark, vicious purple rings around bloodshot eyes. He was cranky. He was whining. Gnat was upset because Bubba was upset. It was just awful. The only thing I could think to do for either of them is swaddle them and put the down for naps. Yes. Swaddle.
As an infant, Gnat gave in and went with it, and passed out no problem.
As a "big boy", Bubba fought, screamed, kicked, flailed, all of it. I know as a five-year-old you expect them to know better. He mentally does know better, but he gets so upset and worked up there's no reasoning. I finally got the physical actions under control, and he was just so overwhelmed by everything he was feeling he eventually wedged his head under my chin and just cried until he went to sleep.
To say this has been a hard process would be putting it lightly.
I will be giving updates soon. I foresee a huge change in our lives. Our entire family's.

Toys for Tots!

Sorry it's been so long since I updated! We're going through some transitions here, and getting into the flow of things has proven a bit difficult. I am working on it! In the meantime, let's hop into what this blog is all about...

I know if my family was in need, or God forbid, something were to happen to me, and my kids weren't in the best of standings, and were in need, I'd want someone to do this for them.

A mere $5 donation will get you an entire collection of stories, running from FanFiction to original works, by several different authors. Including many authors of Renaissance Romance Publishing. I will be doing my best to write something out in the next few days as well to try and contribute, as well as turning in my donation.

What do you say? Skip that Starbucks, fast food, useless item, or whatever it is for the day and donate!

The Unspoken Woes

Let's start with the simple and easy.
I purchased a new set of headphones, and I'm still deciding how I feel about them. They're those over the ear ones that set inside your ear, but not really. I hope that makes sense, I can't post a picture quite yet, but I guess they're pretty cool. They cancel out noise for the most part. Though when my Skype bleeps, it comes through the laptop speakers and not my headphones, which is pretty trippy.
On to the harder things.
I've become a Whovian. Yes, as in I am terribly in love with The Doctor. I admit! Aside from his charming personalities over the years, the character is filled with so much intrigue and excitement, how can you not be attracted to him in some way? That aside, while I am QUITE found of the 10th Doctor as played by David Tennant, it is the 9th Doctor as played by Christopher Eccleston that is breaking this lady's heart tonight.
He has these moments that are so intense, and so heartwrenching. He's this ball of fiery unabashed passion ready to tear apart anything that might threaten to hurt the things he loves. While in this show, it pertains to Earth and the humans that reside on it, particularly Rose Tyler as portrayed by Billie Piper, it's this look he gets. His face becomes stone, his body becomes still, and those blue, blue eyes pierce through my chest, causing my heart to skip a beat.
Today I realize it's because that's the same look my husband got in his eyes when he set his sights on me, after months and months of my waiting. Insert sob fest and tears here.
I like to consider myself a strong person, I really do, but every now again, I just have to have a break down. One person can only take so much, and I know that's okay.
Most days are fine. All day, everyday, one foot in front of another, take one day at a time, keep pushing through, another day closer. These are things that run through my head on a regular basis. They have to. With Bug and Gnat beside me, we push through the days one at a time, but those are the days, and these are the nights. The house is still. Even the cats are curled up sleeping, and here I am, sitting at the kitchen table where I've taken up shop, with every light in the surrounding area on, repeating to myself that it's all going to be okay.
I know everything will be okay. I'm a rational and logical person, but there are nights like tonight when I just wish I could lean up against my husband, have him wrap his arms around me, and reassure me with a simple kiss that things really, truly are going to be okay. These are the unspoken woes. The moments I generally keep to myself. I have family and friends who just see that woman that stands strong, shrugs her shoulders when there's yet another change of schedule; once more there's not an e-mail waiting in my inbox for me like there is in theirs, and having to make all the responsible decisions on my own.
I started this post off with the Doctor, not just because he looks like my husband, but because those times between the Doctor's companions, where you see his face completely fall, and the fangirl hearts go out to him in protest that he's lost yet another person; these are things I experience as a military wife. It's another time of saying "talk to you later", and while I may have known this was the life before I got into it, that doesn't make it any easier.
For the most part, this is the end of this post. I'm going to recompose myself, and go back to one breath at a time, another moment ticking down to when I'll be able to hear from my husband once again, and prepare for the next adventure life will be throwing this way. More to come about that tomorrow.
Remember to hug the ones you love extra tight tonight, and hug them an extra time for those of us sitting in fully lit houses for comfort.

Reported Findings and The Almighty Binders for itlnbrt

First things first!

In regards to the DIY Drain Cleaner/Declogger:

It does and doesn't work. If you just have generalized dirt and grime and grossness in the shower, it works wonders. IF you're like me, and have lengthy hair, you're still going to have to track down a wire hanger, or use a snake, or whatever it is you choose, to yank all that gross hair out that inevitably gets caught in there. Bright side is, if you DO use the Drain Cleaner/Declogger first, it doesn't smell like grime and grossness.

Onwards to The Almighty Binders!

I've been meaning to post these for quite some time, and in order to help out a fellow friend from Renaissance Romance Publishing, I'm FINALLY getting around to posting these!

Jennifer Garcia can be found on her personal website and on Facebook. Jennifer, these are for you!

First of all, I use plain white, 1" binders. They can be found just about ANYWHERE, you just have to shop around to figure out what's cheapest. Unless you don't care about the money spent on it, in which case, go crazy! (Listen, sometimes five bucks on something for you IS crazy around here.)

See? Plain, 1" binder. I'm going to be making slips for the sides of these, or writing on them with dry erase, which actually works relatively well on this, you just may have to rewrite them every few days. The slips are far easier.

Tons of glare, but you get the idea.

For separation purposes, just manilla folders that are three hole punched.

This is my blog planning form.

Blog/Writing Plans
For the week of:
Down the left side are "Do", "Photograph", "Get", and "Also". Pretty self-explanatory.

Blog/Writing Plans
Then there's the days of the weeks, so I can plan out what I'm writing or addressing each day... As you can see, those are currently empty. Hence the empty blog. Hey, I've been busy! Lol.

Income documents. No photos for the inside of here. Just saying. I don't need people laughing at us, whether it be you think we make too much/little, lol.

This is what's behind the income docs. As you can see, it's now labeled "Stuff" in QUITE the official manner.

Tax Related Documents, once more, pretty self-explanatory.

We buy stuff. A lot. Okay, not a lot, but we do go through cameras like nobody's business...

And we're fans of Pampered Chef, and when the vacuum crapped out a few months ago before I had a house full of people coming over the next day, I wanted to make sure I had the paperwork this go in case it happened again.

This is the section I use for the bills. Since obviously I don't want to post our accounts and information, you can find my example insert, which simply goes in the clear plastic inserts you've seen multiple times now, on my Pinterest board here. Keep in mind, you use one insert per bill! At the end of the year, you can easily file all the receipts from your bills, and prepare for the next year.

This is the back binder. These are things that are pending to be sorted, in this case, it's an order for new checks (folded down because I was too lazy to check and see if account info was even listed), and a request of change in our insurance, still pending as well.

 

The front pocket is also pending items. In this case, it's the receipt for the Bumbo recalls to add the straps to the seats. It's not pictured because I just realized our address was listed on it.

Onward to our "Life Binder"!

Once again, plain, 1" binder. The lines on the front are so I can record when I last updated it. I haven't updated recently, because it was created not so long ago.

This is Bear, she's helping to display my letter accepting my short story "Love Something Fierce" to be published by Renaissance Romance Publishing (at the time).
Shameless plug: That's now available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Joseph-Beth, Kobo Books, Smashwords, and Sony. 

This is my wonderful certificate for "winning" NaNoWriMo 2011.

This is from when Gnat (and Bug too!) were dedicated at our church. Quite a proud day.

These are from Bug's Kindergarten graduation. The program and invite for parents, and then all of his superlatives and awards, including smartest of his class. Doubly proud!

This is actually in the WRONG binder, because it should be in the other one--but Take-Out menus, lol. We don't eat out ALL the time, but having them on hand for those nights when we're just running behind on schedule and cooking quick enough to feed Bug is nearly impossible. To the left of the menus, are extra inserts, always good to have on hand for any binders!

And that's about it! It's a lot simpler than you think, you just have to be willing to take the time to do it! It's well worth it in the end. To put all this together really only took me maybe two hours one afternoon after I had all the supplies. Of course, acquiring the supplies is relatively easy too!

At this point, I'll be making another binder as well strictly for writing, not just on my blogs, but for the publishing company as well, since I'm an editor and writer for them. It will just help me keep even more organized, and give my aunt even more reason to harass me.

Jennifer, and anyone else who reads, I hope this helped you out!

Putting Pinterest Finds to the Test!

For those of you who don't know--I have semi-longish hair compared to most people.  For those of you with children--you know as well as I do that one of the many glories of pregnancy, for all its faults, is the fact your hair doesn't shed!  I, unfortunately for this aspect, am no longer pregnant.  Because of this, we're not six months out, and I have a clogged drain due to it.  Good ol' Pinterest led me to the following:

Just Us Girls: DIY: Drain Cleaner/Declogger

Supposedly all you have to do is the following (for those of you too lazy to click the link, let's face it, sometimes I am too):

1/4 Cup of Baking Soda
1/2 Cup of Vinegar (Double bonus if you have the cleaning grade Vinegar, who even knew THAT existed?!)

Pour your Baking Soda into whatever the thing that needs unclogging may be (in this case, my tub).
Pour in the Vinegar.
Let sit for 10-15 Minutes (is what I'm going to do)
Pour hot water down the sink

Well folks, tomorrow I'll let you know how THAT experiment went... And I'll be doing another experiment. As soon as I find empty freaking spray bottles! LOL!

We are worms!

Okay, shame on me! I know. I always promise to update more, and then I forget! Tomorrow will have been two dang months! In my defense though, I've been quite the busy woman! Between kids, FRG, work, kids, husband, and kids (did I mention kids???) things have been hectic! I'm trying to get back in the groove of things once more though!  So thing should be better soon!
Let's start with this: Last Wednesday, Cowboy left for a six month deployment upon a submarine. For those who are not aware, submarines have very limited contact to the real world, and just be happy you hear something at some point. I know deployments are hard on everyone in their own ways; however, submariners do not have the luxury of things such as Facebook and Skype on any sort of semi-regular basis. If they pull in to port they can use them, sometimes, maybe... Don't actually count on it though.
Yesterday, Cowboy returned from said six month deployment.  No, you're not doing the math wrong, he was only gone for seven days.  Due to some issues (everyone is physically safe! Mentally they were all questionable to begin with, lol) they've had to do an emergency return, and are here for an undetermined amount of time.  (Don't worry, once he's gone again, you'll all be well aware.)
I did not cry when he left. As a matter of fact, I received an e-mail from him once he was gone that said, and quote,

"I love you and I miss you. Stay strong for everyone babe, like I know that you are."

As a matter of fact, I have it printed on white cardstock to be framed and placed in our bedroom on the wall so I can have it as a reminder while he's gone.  He was exactly right though, I was staying strong for everyone.  Bug, Gnat, close friends, other wives, etc.; however, when I received word that they would be returning, I was absolutely furious.

Yes, yes, I had a wonderful night with him last night!  I was happy to see him, but who wants to go through a rough goodbye after you just did it a week ago?  Who wants to deal with a child who was already sat down once and told Dad was leaving for a long time, yet, here he is in the house?

Honestly, I didn't want him to come home.  I was furious to the point of tears with a dear friend of mine, Mrs. Parrish, (shameless plug: she is hosting her own blog throughout the deployment, to be found at: http://achiefswife.blogspot.com), telling her that if they were only going to be home for a day, that I absolutely did not want to see him, and did not want him stepping foot into our house.

Again, I love my husband. I waited an extremely uncertain two and a half years to finally be with my husband.  We had an extremely rough run before we ever started, and came out victorious on the other side!  But that didn't change the fact that he would, however unintentionally, be causing a major disruption in our lives, that take about a week to adjust back to him not being here!

Be certain now though, I'm thrilled that he's here again; however long or short that time may be.  In other news...

OH! The blog title... I know SOMEONE out there has had to have seen Hercules.  I've tried searching for just the clip of Pain and Panic doing the, "We are worms!" bit, but I just can't seem to find it!  Lol!  For those of you who don't know, they're the minions to Hades, and they "forgot" to do something, granted it wasn't blog posting, but you catch the drift!

Take care everyone!!!  Posts WILL be coming more often!

New Banner and Cruella De Vil

Okay, so I actually have absolutely nothing to say about Cruella De Vil, other than the fact that's the song I'm currently listening to.
"And if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will."
Really the main point is that "The Recipe of Our Lives" has a new banner!  Photography by me.  That would actually be the contents of my desk right now, though the recipe card was done specifically for the picture, lol.  It includes Bug's calendar for school this summer.  Granted he had is PreK graduation this past Thursday, and I couldn't have been more proud of a momma.  He was awarded so many things, including the High Academics award, which is only given to two students per school year.
Then we have my Studs 'N Spurs calendar.  A Christmas gift from a close friend to "keep me company while Cowboy's gone", lol.  No, I didn't share the pictures of the studs 'n spurs, sorry folks.  That's my main calendar.  It keeps a lot of things coordinated (and in colors)!
My cell phone.  (A Droid RAZR if you're wondering, and yes, I love it, and no, I will not flip to Apple products.)
A pen.  Duh.
Finally, the notebook that contains everything from shopping lists to editing and writing deadlines.  Which I'm proud to announce, I have three days up on my self set editing deadlines.  No where near as good of news on my self set writing deadlines though.
Speaking of writing, though, I am participating in Camp NaNoWriMo... Sorta.  I'm a bit more behind than I would like to be right now; however, I didn't decide that I was going to participate until Friday night, so I guess it's not too bad.  I'm using a piece that started as a private forum RPG between a good friend and myself.  With his permission and acknowledgement, of course.  If you're ever around NaNoWriMo land, take a moment to look me up.  I can be found by using "Serenity Ashley".  Though I may go back to my old penname of "Rena Beausejour", I have no fully decided yet.
Well, it's twenty-three thirty, so I reckon I better put myself to bed as well.  Bug is always up early, and we're trying to move Gnat's schedule back more so that he'll be up earlier as well.
Take care all!