I'm back

 

Hi everyone,

I know, I haven’t been on in a long time. I don’t have any good reasons. Just stress and not the time in my life. I’m going to go back to making my blog about my life journey and more like a journal. I will still talk about what I do to stay moving forward. I will post about garden, have a college student, and daycare. I will add some other stuff like my new hobby Cricut and how that is going. This is going to be my space.

What is going on here, well we are recovering for the pandemic. I was out of work for 3 months. That was a very stressful time for me. I am self employed and most of my income is write off of the house. Even though people think child care make so much money, it really doesn’t. My personal income never really mattered, because hubby and I agree that most stuff will be in hubby’s name. He has a great job, and it’s easier because his income doesn’t fluctuate, where mine can. Even though this was a super stressful and sad time, because it was my daughter’s senior year, and we missed all the big thing that we were looking forward too. It was also a nice time. We were in quarantine rules for 3 months, mean my daughter was home with us for 3 months. I had so much more time with her, then I have ever had. (If God ever bless us with another child, I will homeschool) This time was so special, because I wouldn’t have had it. It would have gone by so fast. Also, hubby was home! He worked from home until October. That was such a blessing! It saved us gas money, which was nice because I didn’t get any income until end of May. (talk about stress my business was making over $4,000 a month to nothing) I am so thankful we life below our income levels and had a savings.  I am so thankful, my daughter headed to college and the have class! I started a garden, and back to work, but only 50% because daycare parents are still being affected by governor Wolfs crazy lockdowns. We are working hard pay off all debts, and replace the money in the saving. Our goal is to only have the house payment by next year. I don’t want to have a huge debt, and be worrying about it, if this ever happens again.

Gardening

 I’m so excited to say we spend money and got the gardening up and going! That was so exciting! I had a lot of time throughout the pandemic, because I had no daycare kids. Yes, I missed my littles so much and talk to them weekly it wasn’t the same. I did have my nephew and niece. I am the only one really in the family that could work with the crazy homeschool stuff. Therefore, they were with me 3-4 days a week. Together we planted a garden. I love the garden and set it up as another spacious area for the daycare kids. I never sprayed anything on the garden other than water, it was 100% organic, because kids always eat right then and there. When my daycare kids came back, they loved it. Everyday we went to the garden harvest food. It was such a great investment. Plus, we harvest so much food out of it this year.

College student, This is a hard one for this mommy. I miss you daughter more than anything. But I’m so proud of her and the hard work she is doing! I’m so proud of her school and the hard work they are doing with keep the kids safe. It’s not a normal college experience, we want for her. It is though so much better than being home and doing online classes. She is doing amazing! She trying for Dean’s list, made the cheerleading, and join 3 clubs. She is making friends and having fun. Which is all this mommy want for her!

Daycare

Daycare is back up and running. It has been more stressful, because I’m working the normal hours, but with less then 50% pay. I lost 3 kids, one parent is working from home, one lost her job. Then I have 4 kids, that didn’t come back to their normal schedule. At some point they are suppose to, I pray it happens soon. Then 3 came back as normal. I have added my nephew to the daycare to help him with home schooling. Though that made the day very stressful, until the change the format. Now it makes the days a little easier.

New hobby

 Hubby bought me the cricut, during the pandemic. We made my daughter’s room into our craft room. (not done yet, still working on it) I took a course on cricut. The point of the cricut is to help me make fun daycare stuff for the kids! Hubby and I have also been making shirts for friends. We also start making wooden projects. We are hoping to be able to make some to sell, to help us with cost of the hobby, and we have people offering to pay for the stuff for us to try to make them. But now I have an area for me.

This has been my life right now. How are you doing?

Split Custody

Last night at Girl Scouts, my daughter's stepmom and I made a few moms feel weird.We had a mom say to us, "this is not normal". Do you want to know what we were doing and why people thought we were 'not normal'? When she walked in we greeted each other with a smile. We were talking, smiling and getting along.

Why is it so out of the normal that parents learning how to co-parent? I will be honest. It did take some time to get to this point. This point is the best place for my daughter, so we all work hard on being there!

Now I do not always get along with her dad, but we have over 10 years of fighting, disagreements and hurt feeling. Therefore working together with her stepmom really helps. We are both mothers and love our children.

What I have learn though God? That no matter what Cass is my daughter! She is my life and I love her. I know she knows this because I tell her all the time. I have also come to learn that my daughter's stepmom and dad both love her and want the best for her. Just like my hubby and I want for her. My husband came from a split family and had a horrible childhood of being in the middle. He told me that’s not what he want for Cass and to put things aside and work toward what is best for her.

We don't always agree. Why would we there are reasons why my ex and I decide not to raise our daughter together and there are 4 of us raising her. There are bound to be disagreements. We have all learn to agree to disagree. To know that we all love Cass and want what is best for her.

What is better for her than 2 sets of parents working together and getting along?

How do we do it? Understand and manners, honestly they are the ways we do it. We understand we aren't going to always agree and that each person loves Cass and wants what is best for her. Please and thank you, they go a very long way. We also get to together weekly and talk about what is going on in each other homes that week, how school went and trade stuff off. My daughter is not in charge of bring her stuff back in forth. We as parents are and the people in charge of this situation my daughter is in. She did not choose this, we did as the parents.

This works for my family, and has made this easier on everyone. My daughter has learning by seeing in every bad situation you have to learn to do the best!

Plus last night, us talking and getting along made my daughter at be able to play with her friends without being stressed out. That is honestly the best thing for her. Even though we freaked out other parents.  

(This works for my family, we believe that God has helped is through it. I know it won't work with everyone, and I am not judging you and your family situation)

Sorry for the long post had to get this out! Have a wonderful day!

My crazy life doesn't have time to be sick.

I am feeling better, I'm up and moving. You won't really know I was sick if I didn't have X-rays. I went back to work on Thursday. I nanny so we were inside. They aren't feeling good there either. My poor babies. I'm working a half day on Monday to make up my sick days. This helps me not have to use, my sick days.

I am still on many medicines. I am take a nebulizer. I feel that making the most difference and my beating up my right lung, is really breaking it up. I am also drinking my tea as well. Hubby is on tea with echinacea too. He is not feeling that well, so we are helping his system get better before he is like me.

I'm not one to sit to began with, and the medicines give me energy, but I'm putting all the energy to go use to clean my house. It is scary here, the wash took over the living-room. I still have one I think, and dishes took over the sink. But easy fixes. I got my wash mostly cleaned up and hubby has two basket to put away. Hoping to have it cleaned up before Lukas comes over this afternoon to hang out a little while my brother runs around. That way he is staying in doors.

I also have two people picking up eggs today, I am selling them for a $1.00. I have to many eggs. I will use the extra money toward their feed and bedding. Yes I could get more, but way over charge for something I might have to throw out, if they aren't used and help someone else out wt the same time. At least they are paying a little for themselves. Lol Hubby loves that. He said I can get 3 more this spring! I'm so happy.

Then after that Cass will be home! We are having ham, mash potatoes for dinner, then she is off to dance. Then movie night.