Shopping :)

Went shopping today, and it was great! We got up a little early this morning to be at Big Lots (down the mountain) when they opened. We only took Shelby with us, since the rest of the kids were still asleep anyway. Big Lots was selling Android Tablets for $80 (today only), and we wanted to grab one for Booga's birthday next week (maybe then she'll quit stealing my iPad). I bought a new rug for the kitchen and some candles while we were there. Jer bought this large shelf/cabinet thing to house his baby geckos (when they hatch...he only has 2 eggs so far).

We also went to Target, the mall, and Marshall's. I bought two pairs of pants at Target (tan and grey). At the mall, I bought about a half dozen shirts from Wet Seal and Pac Sun (and another pair of pants). At Marshall's, I bought three new pairs of jeans. Jer bought himself (after I forced him) some new pants, shorts, a few shirts, and a new pair of shoes.

I think the best part of this shopping trip was not HAVING to buy from the sale racks. I am still naturally drawn to a good deal anyway (Pac Sun had some amazing bargains, and I got 5 tanks for $20 at Wet Seal!), but I just purchased what I liked. The last couple of years that I have been in school, we were on a tighter budget, so I did most of my shopping at Ross. If I did go to the stores in the mall, I stuck to the clearance racks. Largely because I had me and 4 kids to shop for, which added up fast. Now, with Jer's recent raise, and me working full time, we have more discretionary income. It is so refreshing to shop and not be anxiously maintaining a mental tally. I could get used to this!

No Comment

I don't think anybody reads this besides my sister and the occasional online straggler, and that's okay. I had a few regular readers of my prior blog, but I have changed my URL since then. As far as I know, only my sister and one friend in Texas have this new URL.

When I first started my blog, it was supposed to be for me. I mean, it was supposed to be like my online journal, something to help me keep track of my days, and something I could reread later to relive those memories. And in the beginning it was, when only my sister was reading it.

The comments kinda messed me up. The problem was, I liked the comments too much. I would write a post, then feel eager to see if I received any comments. If I didn't receive any comments, I would feel disappointed, and start questioning my post. Was it not interesting enough? Did anyone even read it? Could I have made it more entertaining? I realized I wasn't writing for me anymore, but for the people who might be reading it.

That is why I have removed the comment option on this blog. I feel a sense of relief (although Jojo isn't too pleased!).

Week Condensed

My sister helped me change my blogger theme because she is trying to keep me motivated enough to continue writing. I love this new theme! I think it is beautiful. It may just motivate me for another few weeks or so...

I went to Jo and Clint's house today to get my hair done. Every 2 months or so, Clinton highlights my hair, which gives me a great excuse to visit with them. Instead of sitting there for hours in an uncomfortable chair flipping through an old "Vogue" magazine while the hairdresser awkwardly attempts to make small talk, I get to hang out with my sis & Clint, eat lunch, listen to great music, and just have fun in general.

This will be short because the kids keep torturing me. I did have a great week though! Jer and I celebrated Valentine's Day last weekend with a dinner and movie. On Valentine's Day, he dug my car out of the snow and filled my car up with chocolates. I received IRB approval earlier this week, so I can start collecting my data for my dissertation. I received employee of the month yesterday, which includes $60 and my photo on the wall. And I won a $15 I-Tunes gift card in an employee raffle, so I'm going to download a new book tonight. Seriously, this week could only get better if I won the lotto.

I wanted to write more, but there are too many distractions! I'll end with two recent quotes from my 14 year old daughter:

"I've noticed that Ambercrombie & Fitch are always by each other."

"Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder."

Not a Fluke

Here is Post # 2 just to prove to myself that my post earlier this week wasn't a fluke. That, and my sister is guilting me into writing in my blog again. If I don't write, she gets antsy about not knowing what is going on in my life, because she is too lazy to call and her twin intuition doesn't work.
I don't know here to start or what to focus on because it has been so long...I thought I would just list a few things that have changed in my life since I last wrote. So here goes...

1) My 13 year old sister in law moved in with us (back in October). CPS has ordered that she live with us for at least the rest of the school year. She has her own bed and space, but most nights I find her curled up with my 14 year old daughter. I love having the girl around, but DAMN, she can EAT. We're going through a loaf of bread a day.
2) My father in law went to jail a couple more times (I have actually lost count). He has lost all of his retirement and life savings paying bail, and he isn't allowed in his own house because his psycho wife has a restraining order against him. He has now lost all of his kids, and I believe he has totally gone off the deep end.
3) I was hired as a full time employee at my work...finally! I have full benefits now. I'm still getting my intern hours, and should be done interning in July or August.
4) My husband is obsessed with leapord geckos now. He has six, but a couple of them look pregnant. He converted a wine cooler into an incubator for the eggs.
5) I paid $80 for a frog that I named Polly. She decided to hibernate a week later, so now I have a frog that sits there with her eyes closed doing absolutely nothing.
6) I got an iPad from "Santa" on Christmas. I was initially resistant, but now I love this thing! I absolutely LOVE downloading books, and I have even discovered quite a few free ones. I have also discovered how dangerous it can be to have access to unlimited titles, especially when all it takes is a simple 6 character password to receive instant gratification.
7) I am still trying to get IRB approval for my dissertation proposal. I have submitted three times with revisions, and I just received an official IRB letter stating my application is almost approved. This has been an absolutely painstaking process, but I am hoping for IRB approval within the next week or two, so I can collect my data.
8) We are experiencing the warmest winter since I have moved here. We have only gotten about 2 inches of snow, and that was back in Fall. It is bizarre. However, I have heard that Europe is experiencing a "deep freeze."
9) I met Siri, and I love her.
10) I'm pregnant. Haha, just kidding.

Of course I am certain that there have been more changes than that, but this is all my tired brain could generate right now.

Starting Over

You know how sometimes you give in to a sudden, overwhelming impulse without considering the consequences? I just deleted all the entries in this blog, without hesitating (haha, now THAT was rather anticlimactic!). I didn't even know I was going to do it until I clicked the button. And now I am left wondering if perhaps there were a handful of entries I would have LIKED to save?
I want to get back into writing in this thing, and I think trashing all my other entries was the only way to propel me forward. I still haven't quite figured out why I stopped writing in the first place, when I used to be so consistent.
This entry will be short, because this is my get-back-in-the-writing-mode post. That, and apparently my current template went to crap during my 6th month absence, so I have to motivate my lazy ass to fix it. (That is if blogger even lets me in. They said my email address was no longer valid or something).
So yeah, this writing in my blog again? No guarantees.