Hi Ho Hi Ho ....It's Off to Work I GO!

Coming this fall, all my kids will be in school all day. Yowsers!! I can't believe it!! I am so excited to have the whole day ahead of me.....except that now I need to look for a job to pay for all the tuition! A job? Like in an office? With other adults? I haven't had an office job since....oh....almost 14 years ago! I was expecting my oldest, and as soon as I gave birth, I stopped working. I have had some very interesting and very different jobs.
My very first job was babysitting, I was a teenager and it made pretty good money. My last year of high school I worked at a Hallmark card store. That had to be my most favorite place to work! I loved helping people, I was allowed to decorate the front window for all the holidays(which I absolutely loved)and I got an awesome discount to which I used to get gifts for people. During college I worked at an optical store, where I helped with bookkeeping. Then I had the office job before I had my daughter.
Once I had my daughter, I stayed home with her until she was about a year old. A friend of mine convinced me to work at a nursery school as an aide, they offered free babysitting, how could I say no? I was already pregnant with my son and so later that spring I left. When he was six months old, the same friend (she always has good ideas)told me about another aide job, also with free babysitting! That worked out well for that school year, then the school closed down. I didn't work outside the home again until my third child was a toddler. I worked evenings and Sundays at a hat store. It was a little hectic because I would literally fly out the door as soon as my husband came home from work. This saved us on paying for babysitting, but it was kinda insane! That worked for us for about a year and then I changed venues completely. I wanted to be able to work at home and make my own hours. I worked for a company that you had to have parties to sell your product. At first I thought I would be able to do this, not really! It takes a certain person to be able to sell themselves and their product...I'm not that certain person. I tried, I really, really tried. I kept at it for about 5 years, then the company, out of the blue, shut down! I was relieved, because I didn't want to quit, I just couldn't admit that I wasn't successful!
So, now here I am looking for a job. What kind of job do I even look for? What skills do I have? Can I handle the stress of it all? My college degree is basically useless. How am I going to get a job in this job market?
If you have any advice, send it over!!

Shop and Save

I love shopping. But, I love getting a good deal EVEN more! I get so excited when I see a sale rack, or if I know that there is a sale going on before I get there. I seriously get a high from saving money! Better than drugs, much cheaper...well maybe. I also get a nervous stomach...I know isn't that crazy? My body reacts to the excitement in that way!
I go to all the clearance aisles first like a hound dog sniffing out their prey! I am like a rabid beast foaming at the mouth snarling at anyone who is near me(maybe that is why people back away)grabbing at whatever I can find.
I used to like grocery shopping because our store let their customers use expired coupons. Two months ago they put up a sign saying that they were NOT going to accept expired coupons. I was devastated. I'm not kidding, I was so upset. I had to throw out so many coupons! I was used to saving up to $20.00 with all my coupons. I have to start over and now watch all the expiration dates...that is a chore in itself.
They expire so soon...I have pressure now to spend more to use the coupon before it expires! I am spending more money using coupons! What a concept!
Now I am very into Freecycle (freecycle.org)! Everything is free! I love this site, I can get rid of stuff and buy MORE stuff!! Hubby can't complain...cuz it's FREE baby!!

Am I a bad mom if I don't really miss my son while he is away at summer camp? The truth is he is not that far away...only 15 minutes. It's a sleep away camp that happens to not be far from our house. He left last Tuesday (so in my defense he hasn't been away even a week yet)and my husband came on Friday to take his dirty laundry. He called on Friday afternoon, I was very excited to talk to him and he sounded so happy! That makes me happy that he is content. I guess that is what it is....he's happy so I am not worried about him and I know that if I need to see him I can. He will be away a total of 4 weeks...just long enough I think. His sisters won't admit it, but they miss him and they were mad that when he called on Friday he didn't ask about them! It is definitely a different dynamic without him...the girls can't blame him for all the stuff that they do!
The other thing is, a few weeks before he left, my mom moved in to our house, and into his room. It made the most sense because he has a bathroom in there (I know! Lucky right? It's too small for a master bedroom..we don't have our own bathroom!)and it's more private. So, he had to move into the basement for a few weeks before camp. He wasn't happy to leave his room but he was ok. The reason I am explaining all this is because I am not walking into his room thinking that it's empty and I miss him. I only see my mom's things everywhere and don't identify that room as my son's.
Last week I was in the basement,and passed his room down there with all his stuff strewn all over the place.... I got kinda sad (almost weepy). I can't go in there yet to clean it up. OK, I feel better now, I do kinda miss him...kinda.

Supermarket Smackdown

Seriously, what is wrong with the baggers at my grocery store? Why, why, why must they pack my bags in that moronic way? Why must I have to re-pack my bags once I get to the car? I'll tell you why...it's because their sole purpose in life is to aggravate me!
I'm a little keyed up, I realize that. I'm a little controlling, I realize that as well. I also really enjoy grocery shopping until it's time to check out. As soon as I see THAT bagger, you know who you are, I cringe. Oh no...it's HER! The one who puts the freezer items next to a box of crackers so that the crackers become a wet mess...the one who puts the eggs on the BOTTOM of the bag...the one who makes me insane with anger!!
My problems with baggers all started years ago when we lived in an apartment on the second floor and I had three little ones with me. It was much easier for me when the bags where packed so that the cold items could be together and taken upstairs first with the screaming children and then later either I or my husband(preferably husband)could go and get the non-perishable items.
The grocery store supposedly teaches the baggers to separate the items as to perishable and non-perishable...ummmm...not really! I've had to call the manager more than once to complain because I thought I had brought in the bags that needed refrigeration only to find later that one item was left in the other bags. That item was spoiled. I got a replacement, but I had to go back to the store to get it. Not a happy camper. Each and every time I had this happen I went over the "rules" with the manager and I was told that yes, they are supposed to separate these items.
Then, the store came out with these new recyclable bags. I was thrilled, not because I was helping the environment, but because they had separate bags!! One that was for cold items and one for regular items! They even came in different colors to make it really clear! Clear for everyone except the baggers!!!! I have the same problem even with the new bags!! The baggers still can't get it right!! Morons!! Will they ever get it right? I am destined to a life of idiot baggers who live only to ruin my day! :(

Mad Momma

When I started this blog I picked the title after Tyler Perry's movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman". I did not realise at the time that I would truly become a mad momma. Let me explain. Life has become even more stressful and complicated since starting my new blog. In my bio I wrote that I have a crazy insane life with 4 kids and a sick mom. Well, little did I know that my crazy insane life could get crazier. My mom has become more frail and sick and has now been living with me for the past 3 weeks. The kids are getting older and need attention too. Thus, I have become mad, mad as in crazy mad. Crazy insane.
Don't get in my way crazy insane! I am more focused than ever in what I need to do to get through the day. Some are hard and some are really hard. I have somewhat come to terms with how my life is right now...that this is where I need to be and what I need to be doing now.
Right now things are very unsettled in few areas and hopefully very soon things will be clearer. Life has it's ups and downs, I'm just keeping my seat belt on. I might me mad but I'm holding onto whatever little sanity I have left.

Next Please

I am so overdone with all the appointments I have for my kids. This one needs new glasses, that one needs to go to O.T., not to mention the orthodontist, the dentist, the ear nose and throat, and the pediatrician!
One of my kids needs her tonsils and adenoids out this summer. Two of the four kids are in glasses. They all need to have dental and pediatrician check ups. That is only the tip of the iceberg! That is not including all the appointments for my mom. The oral surgeon, the primary, the podiatrist, the list goes on.....
I am running from one place to another constantly.
I know that I am not the only one who has this insane schedule. What do you do to manage all the people in your life? Comment here and tell me what works for you! I could definitely use some advice!

My Space

My husband says I say too much information...my friend tells me I give too much eye contact to other people.
It's my blog, I'll do what I want.(sorry honey...be careful, I could put you in here) Especially now, with what is going on in my life, I need a place to vent.
My mom has been living with us and while it's been extremely stressful and sad at times I feel very good about it. I am proud of myself. There, I said it. I'm proud of myself for taking care of her. It gets very overwhelming at times. She needs help bathing and getting around. I am preparing all her meals and making sure she is taking the correct medication at the correct time (that in itself is a full time job..17 different medications a day!)
So... this blog is my only space that no one else occupies but me. IT'S MY SPACE!!! Ya think I need therapy?? Oh, it's a long story!! I haven't even had time to sit at the computer in days...I snuck off to write this while my daughter is in a class here at the library.
Sorry to those of you whom I regularly comment on your blogs...I am swamped right now. I am constantly running from mom's appointments (did I mention the infected tooth that needed to be pulled on Friday)to errands and the kids appointments etc..
My oldest daughter had to "babysit" my mom when I leave because mom can't be left alone. I know I will look back on this time wondering how I am managing right now, but I am in this weird "zone" I guess I would call it. Just doing what needs to get done.
This is MY SPACE...I'm just saying what I want.