So long without writing

Well, life got quite hectic with our foster Dane who was sick, so I didn't get anytime to write over the past few days.  Things should slow down now!  Albie had a serious stomach issue causing massive pure liquid diarhea all over my rugs.  I have hardwood floors, but area rugs covering most of them to help the dogs with traction.  After the few accidents Albie had in the house I scrubbede and scrubbed, but the carpets just would come clean.  Finally on Monday I felt we were safe from more attacks and took the dining room area rug out into the garage and steam cleaned it.  When it was dry I brought it back in and had Ed help me get the living room rug out there.  I didn't have time to steam clean it yesterday, but it got done first thing this AM.  I feel so much better about the house now.  While the rugs were up I steamed mopped and polished the hardwood floors.  Between my kids and my dogs, they take a beating! 
We always have Wednesday night dinner with my family, normally at my parents house.  During the summer we have been having dinner at my sisters by the pool.  We swim for a little while, then fix dinner while the kids finish swimming.  I think my kids would stay int he pool all day and night if I let them.  They are loving it this year and are both doing so well!  I am so proud of them. 
Tomorrow my parents and I are taking my boys and my nephew to see Cars 2.  Hopefully it won't be too crowded if we go to the first show and it's on a Thursday.  Friday night a local shopping center is having a free event, movie under the stars.  They are showing How to train Your Dragon and 5 Below is giving away goody bags and popcorn to all the kids.  I think we are going to try to go to that as well.  I am up gor anything free to do with the kids.  We went to the library today to check in for our summer reading program.  There was an event, but the older boys weren't interested in staying for it.  It was singing and they said they don't like singing.  Ty and I wanted to stay, but I knew the older two would make it miserable for us, so we had lunch out and then went grocery shopping. 
I think I am all caught up now.  Hopefully I will have more time to write over the next couple of days.  I love writing and getting all of my thoughts out of my head!  Just in case I don't touch base over the weekend, Happy 4th!!!!

Feeling very accomplished today

Well, I tried some Tart Cherry Juice last night to see if it would help me sleep.  My mom saw it on Dr. Oz and told me to drink and 8 oz glass at dinner time.  I did and by 10:00 I was ready for bed.  Of course we had been at my sisters all night swimming and when the boys got home they got a second wind.  They wanted to play Wii with Ed since they hadn't seen him all day.  I went in and layed down. By the time they were done I had a headache - I was so tired and needed to close my eyes.  I think I would have had a great nights sleep if Tyler wouldn't have cried all night.  His life jacket rubbed his back giving him carpet burn like marks on him.  Everytime he moved and the covers or his pajama's rubbed up against the marks he would cry.  We have to remember a swim shirt under the life jacket from now on!  The kids are doing great in the pool now.  They are both so brave this year and are both jumping off of the diving rock.  We didn't take a camera last night.  Next time I will get some pictures. 
I have gotten so much done today.  I went grovery shopping, changed the sheets on my bed, and came home and prepared all of our dinner and the dogs dinner by 3 PM.  Now all I have to do is cook our chicken when Ed gets home.  The dogs chicken is in the crock pot - it won't be ready for tonight's dinner, but they are going to love tomorrow nights dinner.  When I cook chicken for the family for dinner, I take all of my trimmings (I trim the heck out of my chicken breasts) and throw them in the crock pot with a little water.  I cook it on high for 6 hours and then cook it down and feed it to the dogs with their dog food.  They love it and I don't waste all of that chicken. 
Tonight we are having an easy summer dinner.  I made up a fruit salad and a raw veggie tray and a green salad.  Now all I have to do is cook the chicken when Ed is on his way home and I will be done! 
Our dinner had lots of scraps for the compost bin.  I already added all of the fruit and veggie trimmings. I need to water it down and turn it tonight.  It's working out much better than I thought it would.  I had a make your own compost bin that I made out of an old trash can with holes drilled in it last year and it did not work well at all.  It smelled awful and the flies were unbearable. We bought this one at Home Depot for $99 and all I do is add garden, yard and fresh food scraps and turn it.  I also add a compost accelerator to speed up the process.  We should have some nice compost for the gardens! 

What was I thinking

I have no idea what I was thinking today.  It is so hot here and I decided it was a good day to take the boys to the park to practice playing baseball and play on the playground.  We made it for almost an hour and I couldn't handle the heat anymore! We packed up and they were all quite thankful for the air conditioner in the van!  I hate being inside when it is sunny out, so we are heading over to my sisters house this evening for dinner by the pool and some swimming.  So rain, stay away!  Don't ruin our evening plans! 

What a Night

Well, the night started off well.  I took all three dogs for separate walks hoping to tire us all out.  We came home, got showers and were all settled into bed.  I decided to come back down stairs because I had heard Albie walking around.  Albie is my great dane foster.  He is deaf and has Wobbler's (compression of the spinal cord) which causes him to have issues walking and getting up and down steps.  He sleeps downstairs and normally is very quiet once we all go upstairs.  As soon as I hit the steps I knew it was bad.  The smell hit me.  I turned the hallway light on which brightened up the living room and there was diarhea everywhere.  It was up the walls, on the TV, on the front door, and on every piece of carpet we have on the main floor.  Poor thing was laying on his bed looking at me like, I couldn't help it mom.  I called Ed down to help and we got it all cleaned up, walls washed, carpets scrubbed.  After that I couldn't fall asleep, so I came back downstairs around midnight.  I have been having a really tough time with insomnia lately.  I am tired, but can't fall asleep.  I was down int he basement searching for some paperwork we need for the insurance company about the flood we had in our basement last week.  It was about 2 am and I heard Ed yelling.  Ryan had to go potty and wouldn't go with Ed.  By the time I got up there he had dribbled in his PJ's, so we had to change him.  I figured it was really late, I should try really hard to get to sleep.  I layed back down, but was still up at 3am.  I must have finally fell asleep sometime between 3 and 3:30.  I am so tired this AM.  I have to figure out a way to get to sleep at night.  So far I have had several suggestions from friends - melatonin, an over the counter sleeping pill that doesn't cause addiction (Simply Sleep I think it is called), and tart cherry juice.  I think I will pick up something today just in case I am awake again tonight.  My only concern is not being ready to wake up when the kids get up if I take something.  We'll see what happens.  We are going swimming tonight, so maybe it will really tire me out! 

Hello Everyone!  I have decided to start blogging!  I think it will be a great way for me to get all of my thoughts out and hopefully help myself in the process.  Basically I am your everyday stay at home Mom!  I have two wonderful sons and I watch my nephew three days a week.  I also volunteer with Mid-Atlanic Great Dane Rescue League, such a wonderful organization!  One of the ways I volunteer is by fostering Danes who are waiting for their forever homes.  It is such a rewarding experience to help these Danes during a tough transition.  Some of the things I'd like to blog about here are my kids, my fosters, my pets, my struggle with weight loss, and anything else that happens to pop into my head!  I love getting stuff for free, so I will try to post when I recieve freebies as well.  I am also attempting to start doing a better job couponing.  I am sure I will post about that as well!  If you are at all interested in my life, feel free to follow me!