Stick to your plan!

We had been doing our homework for a couple weeks on dealerships for cars in our area. We had a budget, we had financing, we had a trade-in, and we had the time to do the running around and chatting that it would take to make sure we got what we wanted for the price we had planned....but, dealers don't like the word "budget" it makes them a little dizzy because they don't seem to hear it very often.

Our budget was exactly what we could AFFORD! Again, not a poplular concept when your plan does not include a dealer's idea of what you should be able to afford. This "should" is based on your credit score, and lucky (or unlucky, we haven't decided just yet) my husband and I have very good credit.

So, again, stick to your plan!

We went to this dealership here, and laid it out flat! We wanted used, under "this many" miles, it had to be a Chrysler Town and country Touring edition...we are going to have some 6 foot boys that need the leg room, and we plan on running this car into the ground...we wanted a back up camera, and we wanted a DVD player. The back up camera is so that my husband and myslef can see all the wonderful people who sneak up on us, this has been a problem in the cobalt we had and we knew that adding some footage to the vehicle would only augment it. The DVD is because we have made some long trips as a family in the last 2 years, and they can feel even longer with stir crazy kiddos!

So, we negotiated. We looked at this car and that car, came back and looked again. The dealer found a car, not used and without some of the options we wanted...and it was RED! I really didn't want a red car, I had heard this was a killer with car insurance!

He had an idea of what we were going to pay, and I made sure that he had no doubt that I was not kidding when I said the word BUDGET! He got upset with me over $5 bucks a month...yes I haggled over 5 bucks! He wouldn't budge, and neither would I, so he brought in his other "help"...you know, the guys that say the same exact thing a thousand different ways just to get to you change your other mind? It only served to annoy me, and my husband and I walked away with no car 4 days ago. He tried one last speech about a "mere 5 bucks" and I told him that I didn't feel bad for sticking to the budget that takes care of my family and our needs....he said nothing more!

We decided to wait until tax season, and try again with another dealership. And today we a got a phone call....

It was that man! They had "benevolently" decided to drop the payment those stinking 5 bucks a month if we would get this car. My husband being the haggler he is countered and told him the price we would be getting with the other dealership we had looked at, and all the extra stuff that they didn't have available on the vehicle they wanted us to buy. He told my husband that they couldn't beat that price....and five minutes after he got off the phone he called back...They would MATCH the other dealership's price and install the DVD system on their own dime!

HAPPY DANCE, HAPPY DANCE!!!! This new price was UNDER our budgeted price! We had accomplished what we intended! We were going to get a vehicle that fit the needs of our family until our children are grown, and we did it at the price we could afford! We stuck to the plan!

My advice to you would be to not feel guilty at all when you make a plan! My husband and I heard more than a few side comments about how they were "losing money on this deal" tonight....I DON'T FEEL BAD! Go sell yourself another charger or challenger and then you can "earn" your commission off of some other person!

This was for my family, and we knew what was possible, and we achieved it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2:17 am- can't sleep so I'm just passing the time until I can, and it dawned on me that it's actually Thanksgiving day already!

So, from me to you, "Happy Thanksgiving!" I hope you have a marvelous day filled with joy and fun. I would say family and friends, but I know that may not be the case for everyone. Our families are east and west of us, and our friends have their own celebrating they are doing...so it will be the 4 of us this year.

I have a lot of blessings in my life! I have a husband, who has a job, and two handsome little men with him. In march we have another little blessing, our daughter will make her appearance, and turn all my men into even bigger protectors of the ladies in their lives! How lucky for her that she has 3 men looking out for her in her future...she may not appreciate it sometimes, but someday she will! We have a house, a car, food, and little luxuries...like netflix! Blue's clues is on our little man's list of things he's thankful for this year!

With all the things that we have, I am sad to say we always long for more, so instead of a new year's resolution, I think a Thanksgiving resolution may be more appropriate this year...To be content in what we have TODAY! To appreciate the things that we often overlook, to enjoy the little victories and ignore the setbacks. To have more faith, in all things, and less worry....worrying is a big thing for me!

I want to live a life of appreciation! Looking in my own little circle, I see things that others long for, and I have! I guess that once you don't have to long for something, the longing you used to have is just forgotten. I don't want to be like that. I need to start saying "thank you LORD" the way I used to..even for the things that seem ordinary...I was a much happier person then. I have been described as miserable recently and I don't like it at all!

So, Thanksgiving resolution it is this year, not New year's! Have a happy and blessed day!

Here we are again!

And, we are back on the block! Our government, for the third time in this administration, has decided that the military...or rather the "defense budget" is once again expendable financially. I don't know about other military families, but I can say that I am very tired of feeling that our pay is going to be cut every time congress sneezes in our direction!

People say that these people deserve our respect, but how can you do that when all they do is make policies to benefit themselves and hurt the rest of us. I read an interesting comment on a military sympathetic facebook page yesterday. The comment said, " you think that just because your husband is in the military, that you don't have to work!" I have to say that the statement is entirely untrue!

If it came down to it, I would go get a job. I would have to work an opposing shift to my husband, because me working would do us no good if the money was just going to daycare, but I would and have talked to my husband about it. He is very opposed to me getting a job, but it's because this is how our family opperates best.

Where is my faith in our government? At this point I really don't have any. I feel that at every turn the life that my husband and I have carefully scaled down in order to function effectively as a single income family is going to unravel. We don't have all the big "necessities". No cable, no car payment...I was told by a car dealer last week that no car payment is "unamerican"...no credit card debt. We pick and choose our wants, and get our needs met. We are careful, but careful can come tumbling down if our income is taken.

I am waiting for the day when the rest of the country is in our position, maybe then they will be a little more willing to force the hands of the people they put in power when they get into our personal cookie jars!

It's coming fast...

Thanksgiving is three days away. When you picture it what do you see? Lots of family, for the men probably some football, for the women cooking and cleaning up. Thanksgiving really is a rather lazy holiday. But it always seems to sneak up on me, now that we are away from family. Every year that we have been on our own, I have had to look up when it is, as I was always used to just being told when we were expected at our grandparents' house.

Thanksgiving never seemed to come fast enough then, now I feel as if I never have enough time to make the day what I would like it to be. A day full of people, not all related to us, cooking and enjoying company. I want to decorate, and feel like I made it pretty. But, so far it hasn't happened that way.

This is only the second thanksgiving that I am going to do by myself, but I'm going to see if I can make it a little bit more like what I'm looking for. So, decorations...I may need to search a little for things that our boys won't destroy too quickly. Food, I think I've got that covered. People, it will be just the 4 of us this year. And for my husband's benefit...football, but I think he has that one covered too.

So, I have three days...lets see what I can do.

Our Lovin' Boy

See this handsome little man right here? He's my Lovin' Boy! We used to have to ask him to "give us lovins", but as they grow up...they tend to change a little. Now, we can't get him to stop hugging...EVERYONE!

I guess it is our doing that he's so lovey with people. We make sure to hug and kiss him a lot, and give him praise when we think he needs it. And now that baby man is here, we make sure he gives his bubba some lovin' too. We especially do this when he accidentally...or intentionally...takes something from him, or bumps him in some way. Sometimes he "pets" his brother on the head, or gives him a big hug. We are just trying to make sure that hurting is always followed by loving, and so far it works very well. He has only tried to hit his little brother a handful of times.

Today was one instance where he just suprised me! We had to wait a very long time to be seen at our WIC office, and thankfully they were playing Cars 2 which is a movie that we have at home and our little man adores! There was a little boy there who had been hitting, and taking toys from other kids, and had even pushed and taken from our little man and he never tried to retaliate against this boy. In spite of this litte boy and us being there over an hour, and he had been a little cooped up, he saw this 5 or 6 year old boy come in and he just walked right over and started giving him hugs. He followed that poor boy and did it a few more times before I could get him to stop. I am trying to teach him that some people have boundaries...I used to, and still am one of them from time to time....but it's not always successful. I can't believe that after being pushed and bugged by one little boy and not fighting back..he picked a random kid to just start hugging on! I was a proud momma!

The other afternoon he got up from his nap, and spent the first 20 minutes running across the room to the couch so he could run back to me and give me a big hug. If any of you knew me previous to meeting my husband and being a mom, hugging was NOT on my list of favorite things! I went out of my way, and still with certain people this is still the case, to avoid hugging anyone at all! So, the fact that I have been blessed with, not only a very huggable husband, but a also a huggable little boy is God's great big laugh at my expense! I admit that I LOVE hugs from my men!

I am so glad to have such a lovin' boy. I would rather he grow up trying to hug and kiss everyone...he kissed my nurse square on the mouth, and made her afternoon the other day...than have a child who likes no one, and tries to hurt people! Thank God for Lovin' Boys!

Silence...my new motivator

I don't think of myself as a silence type of a person. I don't like quiet, as I have been an identical twin my whole existence, and been around small children in some way or another for a large portion of my life. Silence meant I was alone, which I don't like, or that a child was getting into something...we mommy-type people can attest to this! Silence is really the most frightening sound...or lack of sound...in our little worlds!

But, I guess I'm growing up at the age of 24! I have started to try silence on at points during my day. I usually have the TV going in the background, as my adult "conversation" during the times that Blue's clues, veggie tales, and Go Diego Go! are not being watched by our little man. But, recently I have taken to turning it completely off when the boys are down for their naps, or put it on the music channel when one of their shows is off. Little man loves music, and will randomly start dancing if the beat is to his liking....I love how he dances! No, rhythm at all, just groovin to the beat in his head!

So, silence is growing on me...unless it's dark out and my husband is working. I don't fall asleep with a nightlight, or a bear...I fall asleep with the TV on, usually on the couch, and he wakes me up when he gets home and sends me to my room!

This silence has actually improved my productivity during the day. I seem to get more accomplished, which has been helping my mood significantly. And I find that it really is rather soothing.

I guess growing up can suprise you. You do things you never thought you could, and enjoy things that you don't really understand.

If you were like me, and feeling unmotivated, try silence! I found that the hardest part was breaking my habit of having background noise. Yes, I still need it more often than not, but I am learning to enjoy the times where it is my only companion.

I forgot to knock on wood!

See how empty my kitchen looks? No, we are not moving...this is how I clean! This spur of the moment floor mopping comes as a result of our Little Man.

We started potty training from a different approach two weeks ago today. Things have been going very well, so well in fact that I just had to brag on him on my facebook page yesterday! He was peeing and pooping on the potty with minimal accidents, while we are home. He even stopped himself from having an accident and went and sat to do his business! But, as bragging goes...I forgot to knock on wood, and I was even sitting at the kitchen table, the most convienient wood in the house!

Today has NOT been successful! Three times he needed to pee, and three times he peed right where he was standing! I don't know why he's doing it, all I can figure is that after yesterday it had nowhere else to go but...frustrating! I tell on myself by saying that I almost took the easy way out after the second time, and put a diaper on him, and it took everything I had not to the third time.

I realize accidents and days like this are a part of the process, but I really need some adult support today...and all I have for "older" company is...my chairs!

But I have to say they are probably a little angry with me because the little man christened them two of the three times he didn't pee in the potty today...

We are Having a little girl!

So, being blessed with boys the first two times, my husband and I were a little worried that a girl was just not in our future...unless we adopted. But, God just wanted to make sure that she had plenty of "man power" ahead of her, because I think she may turn out to be a little bit of a handful!

I have felt different from the beginning of this pregnancy. I was sick much faster, was more sick than with the boys, and then it miracoulusly ended. With the boys I was sick until about 25 weeks, with her it was gone by 14 weeks. And, my midwife says that is usually a pretty good indication that there is a different gender in there...and she was right!

So, with all the differences...we would like to introduce our, soon-to-a-crib-near-us, little girl!...in March 2012..."pepper" is her nickname!

Baby girl...we can't wait to meet you!

Hitting Reset

I've been on a break...not really by any real decision on my part, but by the fact that life has gotten in my way. I have come to the conclusion that I really do need to blog. It's not just a place to publish words...it's my online outlet. And, since I am homebound about 90% of the time now...not by my own decision either...this is what I have!

In the time since I haven't blogged we found out the gender of baby #3...to be shown in a later post ;-). I have officially entered the second half of my pregnancy as well.

We also found out that contradiction is the name of the game with my husband's leadership...and that, for doing the right thing, we are going to be punished for an undetermined length of time. This means that my husband has been on night shift for 7 months, and because someone doesn't think that another person in his shop can behave himself if they are on the same shift, my husband gets the crappy shift! Yep, it's stupid!

Our big man is on his way to being a potty-trained boy...but I think our floors shudder every time we take the pull ups off! He's doing very well for day 4!

And our baby man finally learned to clap yesterday! It's amazing to see how many times they repeat an action just so that you will say "yeah!" I think we did it over a hundred times yesterday!

So, I'm hitting the reset button! I'm going to make an effort to blog more, I may complian less...but it's going to depend on the day, and as my blog is really the only other adult to talk to in the room most days...I guess it may just get it! Feel free to disagree, comment, or ask questions. I really do wonder who reads this sometimes!