Here it is almost Christmas again, and here I am not feeling much in the spirit. I mean, I am excited for the kids, I am looking forward to Christmas Eve with my side of the family, and Christmas day with my husband's side, but I really want Christmas morning at our house to be something to look forward to. We usually get up, open gifts, scarf down some food and we all need to be dressed and out the door to pick up my bonus kids and its off we go from there! So that is my plan this year, taking it slow and making Christmas morning our own special time.
I tend to feel a little down around the holidays and we usually don't have much money to put into it. I really don't care about the money and the gifts. I'm feeling a much deeper appreciation this year for the little things. As long as I can get some things for the kids, I'm good.
I am excited about a few last minute plans that I think will make the biggest impressions. My kids will be spending some time with my mom and step dad tomorrow while my husband and I finish up shopping and having an anniversary dinner. I'm bringing the dough ornaments the kids made so that they can decorate them with paint and glitter with the help of Grammy and Pappi. Grammy's going to make sugar cookies and they will decorate those and I'm sure eat way more than enough. THAT is what they will remember, not whatever toy they opened. It will create excitement WITH memories, not just empty excitement.
I'm going to start making biscuits and gravy every Christmas morning (a favorite from my dad's side of the family) and have some time to just hang out in our jammies and enjoy each other as a family before our travels for the day. We can create our own traditions as we go. I want to have a fire in the fireplace, I want to watch my kids play with their new toys. I want to relax and enjoy the moment. I am not a fan of rushing around anymore. I feel that is what I have done for years, I just want to slow down and smell the flowers (or maybe sip the hot chocolate).
I want the kids to grow up and have special traditions to remember or even carry on with their own families in later years.
Once I put some thought into this, I've felt a little more in the spirit of things. I was really hoping for a tree this year and it didn't work out, I think that's what put a damper on my Christmas mood. We didn't get to look through all the ornaments that hold their own meanings and make the tree all pretty, lighting it up every night. There's always next year for that, but I must say it bummed me out way more than I thought it would.
So here is looking forward to a relaxing, loving Christmas.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Liebster Award Nominee!
My blog was nominated by my wonderful new cousin Lili! I need to answer her questions below, then I can nominate 11 blogs as well, throwing them 11 questions to answer.
Check out her blog! http://theverynewvegan.wordpress.com
2. What inspired you to start your blog? I felt I needed an outlet. I have random things to write and share and had been encouraged by friends and family.
3. What’s on your Christmas list? I just want a new pair of slippers, the dog ate mine months ago.
4. What is the fear that stops or slows you down? Judgement
5. You just won an all expenses paid vacation anywhere in the USA, where are you going? I want to see a pretty southern state...I'd head to NY
6. You just won an all expenses paid vacation anywhere in the world, where are you going? I'd have to see France.
7. What movie never fails to make you cry? I seem to cry at everything these days. I'd have to say Fried Green Tomatoes.
8. Have you ever considered going vegan? If you’re already vegan, tell us why. If you’re not, tell us why. I have considered becoming vegatarian. I don't eat much meat as it is and sometimes go without for periods of time when it tends to gross me out. Vegan has crossed my mind. I sure would miss eggs and cheese. I'm willing to look into it though.
9. Do you have any companion animals? Dolly, my red headed pit bull. She is my sweet girl, my jogging partner, my body gaurd, my cuddle bug, and my love. She's a great dog, sweet demeanor, and is protective over the kids. She is inside all day, hanging out on the couch, watching the kids play and following me around.
10. Last really good laugh you had, what was so funny? For some reason I can't remember, I remember it was recent, and between catching breaths I said "I think I just peed a little"....it was that funny, but its gone I guess.
11. Favorite soda? I'm not a big fan of soda, but I would say a good cream soda.
Thanks Lili!
Just Jenny's questions to the next nominees:
1. What got you blogging?
2. Tell us something about yourself that we probably don't know.
3. What event in your life has changed you the most?
4. What is your favorite meal?
5. What position do you sleep in?
6. What language are you interested in learning?
7. If you were going to start a business, what would it be?
8. If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be?
9. What was your favorite field trip as a kid?
10. If you were going to change your name, what would you choose?
11. Do you snore?
Check out her blog! http://theverynewvegan.wordpress.com
My questions for my nominees:
1. What’s your favorite food? Yikes! I love food in general, but lately my favorite is homemade soups (mostly veggie) and roasted white sweet potatoes. I've recently fallen in love with quinoa.2. What inspired you to start your blog? I felt I needed an outlet. I have random things to write and share and had been encouraged by friends and family.
3. What’s on your Christmas list? I just want a new pair of slippers, the dog ate mine months ago.
4. What is the fear that stops or slows you down? Judgement
5. You just won an all expenses paid vacation anywhere in the USA, where are you going? I want to see a pretty southern state...I'd head to NY
6. You just won an all expenses paid vacation anywhere in the world, where are you going? I'd have to see France.
7. What movie never fails to make you cry? I seem to cry at everything these days. I'd have to say Fried Green Tomatoes.
8. Have you ever considered going vegan? If you’re already vegan, tell us why. If you’re not, tell us why. I have considered becoming vegatarian. I don't eat much meat as it is and sometimes go without for periods of time when it tends to gross me out. Vegan has crossed my mind. I sure would miss eggs and cheese. I'm willing to look into it though.
9. Do you have any companion animals? Dolly, my red headed pit bull. She is my sweet girl, my jogging partner, my body gaurd, my cuddle bug, and my love. She's a great dog, sweet demeanor, and is protective over the kids. She is inside all day, hanging out on the couch, watching the kids play and following me around.
10. Last really good laugh you had, what was so funny? For some reason I can't remember, I remember it was recent, and between catching breaths I said "I think I just peed a little"....it was that funny, but its gone I guess.
11. Favorite soda? I'm not a big fan of soda, but I would say a good cream soda.
Thanks Lili!
Just Jenny's questions to the next nominees:
1. What got you blogging?
2. Tell us something about yourself that we probably don't know.
3. What event in your life has changed you the most?
4. What is your favorite meal?
5. What position do you sleep in?
6. What language are you interested in learning?
7. If you were going to start a business, what would it be?
8. If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be?
9. What was your favorite field trip as a kid?
10. If you were going to change your name, what would you choose?
11. Do you snore?
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Anger
I tend to hold back a bit when I write. It it intimidating to expose myself so raw, so I always hold back. I pretty much wrote this same blog about ten different times in the past four years and then deleted it just before I was going to hit "publish". This is what will keep me from being a better writer. I know I need to write more freely, it will make me feel better and I can grow with it.
I enjoy so much of life, I am not an unhappy person by any means, but I hold onto a lot of anger. Instead of it getting better with time, it grows as my life changes. I am angry that my dad is gone. I am hurt and I am angry. I know that I am not the only person in the world who ever lost a parent, but it felt personally tragic and cruel. He wasn't old, he wasn't mean, he was my person. I looked like him, I talked like him, I confided in him and sought his advice. He was my dad and he was a dear friend. He knew me so very, very well. Even at the age of 29, with a family of my own, I felt orphaned by his death. He was a single father and his girls were always priority, we were closely knit.
I became a single mother to my first born son, and he stepped right in to be more than just a grandpa, he was his male role model, his best buddy, his teacher, they also, were closely knit.
The last eight months of my pregnancy were the eight months he spent dying of cancer. In which that time I also got married. We tried chemo therapy, but the giant tumor outsmarted everyone. It was too large and rare, and no one knew what to do. The whole eight months were an emotional roller coaster, it was scary, and angry, and sad. Just when hope busted through the door, it would slip out through the back door. It all felt unreal. I could not believe how strong he was through all of it. My sister and I practically quit our jobs so that we could help him, be with him, support him emotionally as best we could.
I always tried not to break down in front of him, figured he had enough on his mind and I didn't want to upset him further. One day we had been spending time together, I couldn't hold it in any longer, I needed to cry to daddy, I needed to him to hold me while I sobbed about all the fear and pain I was going through. As the wonderful dad he was, he did just that. He held me tight and let me sob, he was strong, he let me cry like a little girl and he comforted me while tears raced down my cheeks and snot made its way down my face. My belly full to the max with a beautiful baby girl bounced up and down as my breathing was out of control. He then said "Nice visit we're having" and I started to laugh. He had said this to me about 5 times in the last hour we had been running errands together following each time we bickered about something. Then he made my aunt and sister come carry the groceries in "Jenny is too upset". I could have handled the groceries, but I felt so "taken care of by dad", I let them carry the groceries in.
The man who could do anything in my eyes was becoming sicker and weak. He was not always 100% put together in the mind at times when the sickness took that turn. It was unnatural to see.
The day before he left he told me he was sorry he didn't make it to see the babies, I tried to run away and cry, it was too much to hear that he knew the time was coming. My plan was to go cry in the bathroom (my usual crying hideout). He yelled at me to "Get back here Jenny! Stay with me! I held on this long for you, you stay here." I think that is the most emotional moment of my life. I will never forget it.
I held his hand as he slipped away the very next day. I was sobbing and telling him to make sure he is watching when the babies were born. Myself and my little sister were due in just weeks to have babies, babies he was hoping to meet. The last eight months had led up to this day, this death. It didn't matter, I wasn't ready for it, it hurt too bad. It didn't seem right. He was my DAD. No matter what kind of dumb shit I did, or what I didn't do, he was always my DAD. Every day and every night. He had never every left me, and he was leaving! I didn't know when or where I'd see him again and I couldn't stand it.
It has been over four years now. I was told that after time it gets a little easier. It still hurts, but you start to get used to the fact that they are not here. It's true, but boy is the world I knew different. I don't think I could even describe it. That morning, as I said goodbye and then walked to the parking lot of the hospital to meet my husband who was on his way, the world was different. As I walked through the hospital doors, the air was not the same, everyone around seemed artificial. Were they here visiting a patient? Did they just lose someone. Did this someone mean as much to them as my dad meant to me? Could they tell I had just lost someone? I stood by my car feeling very alone, I felt scared, I felt so angry, like someone had stole something very precious to me. When Louie pulled up, it felt like forever watching him walk up to me. I could not wait to fall into his firm, loving embrace. I knew he would hold me there for as long as I wanted, and he did. He loved my dad dearly and that day he was a strong, supportive husband. He was there for me. To cry, to look across the room at, and I felt like he knew by my look that I needed to hide in the bathroom and cry.
We were all meeting at my dad's house. I drove down the road and called my best friend who lived clear in Grass Valley. I called her work and told her dad was gone. She left work that hour and drove to be with me. She said she knew she couldn't do much, but felt she should be there. It was more than I could ask for in a friend. She was there, for whatever I needed, she was there.
My dad's sister came to the house. She made us all breakfast. That breakfast meant so much to me. Would I have eaten if not for her cooking for us? When would I eat again? I wanted to be there for her, she just lost her big brother. I didn't know how to be there, I still was in shock that I was going to be living this life that my dad was not in for the first time in my life. I think it was good for us all just being together that day. We didn't talk about a whole lot, but we were all there, together.
The next few weeks were a blur. I know we prepared for his funeral service. I rewrote a speech for the service over and over again until I decided to write bullet points and just speak more freely. It went well.
Two weeks after the service I had a blond haired-blue eyed (just like Papa) baby girl. I think the act of grieving and caring for a newborn is a whole other blog entry.
I am angry that he was only 54 years old. I am angry that my person is not here for me to spend time with. I am angry that he didn't get to hold and know my little girl and my baby boy, he would have adored them! That I can't talk to him about my "thirties", that he didn't get to see my first home. I am angry that he hasn't got to meet the friends I have made in the last few years that mean so much to me, or to see the amazing friends that I have held onto for so long. I sometimes break into tears when I watch Logan riding his dirt bike. I think about how excited my dad would be to see him doing something like that, and then think about how nervous my dad would be for him and giggle. Every time we do something fun I think about how he probably would have came with us. I'm angry that I will never here his voice calling me "Girl" again. I am angry that we won't listen to music together and fine tune everything until it sounds like angels, not speakers. He never saw me as a stay at home mom, he never saw me being involved with organizations, he never saw me as a mother of five, he will never see anything I do, and I can't do anything else with HIM. I get sad and then I get so angry!
I think my dad felt good that I had found Louie, he loved him right away and knew I was taken care of, I was safe. Louie would love me and protect me, always. My dad was there to walk me down the isle. Dad on one side and my son on the other, they walked me to Louie and gave their blessing. It was a beautiful day and my dad had a huge smile the whole time.
My wish is that being a little more raw about my emotions will help get them out and I may free my soul a bit.
I'm not in a dark place as I was the first two years he was gone. I didn't like this new world that my dad wasn't in, it was lonely, it was dark, it didn't make any sense at all. I had to build a new world, work on improving it. It's a work in progress and it's coming along nicely.
Holidays are creeping up, which are always difficult, but a few good cries should help :)
Thanks for listening, I feel lighter already.
I love you dad. It's nice to get a glimpse of you in my children, what a special treat.
Thanks for being so wonderful.
I enjoy so much of life, I am not an unhappy person by any means, but I hold onto a lot of anger. Instead of it getting better with time, it grows as my life changes. I am angry that my dad is gone. I am hurt and I am angry. I know that I am not the only person in the world who ever lost a parent, but it felt personally tragic and cruel. He wasn't old, he wasn't mean, he was my person. I looked like him, I talked like him, I confided in him and sought his advice. He was my dad and he was a dear friend. He knew me so very, very well. Even at the age of 29, with a family of my own, I felt orphaned by his death. He was a single father and his girls were always priority, we were closely knit.
I became a single mother to my first born son, and he stepped right in to be more than just a grandpa, he was his male role model, his best buddy, his teacher, they also, were closely knit.
The last eight months of my pregnancy were the eight months he spent dying of cancer. In which that time I also got married. We tried chemo therapy, but the giant tumor outsmarted everyone. It was too large and rare, and no one knew what to do. The whole eight months were an emotional roller coaster, it was scary, and angry, and sad. Just when hope busted through the door, it would slip out through the back door. It all felt unreal. I could not believe how strong he was through all of it. My sister and I practically quit our jobs so that we could help him, be with him, support him emotionally as best we could.
I always tried not to break down in front of him, figured he had enough on his mind and I didn't want to upset him further. One day we had been spending time together, I couldn't hold it in any longer, I needed to cry to daddy, I needed to him to hold me while I sobbed about all the fear and pain I was going through. As the wonderful dad he was, he did just that. He held me tight and let me sob, he was strong, he let me cry like a little girl and he comforted me while tears raced down my cheeks and snot made its way down my face. My belly full to the max with a beautiful baby girl bounced up and down as my breathing was out of control. He then said "Nice visit we're having" and I started to laugh. He had said this to me about 5 times in the last hour we had been running errands together following each time we bickered about something. Then he made my aunt and sister come carry the groceries in "Jenny is too upset". I could have handled the groceries, but I felt so "taken care of by dad", I let them carry the groceries in.
The man who could do anything in my eyes was becoming sicker and weak. He was not always 100% put together in the mind at times when the sickness took that turn. It was unnatural to see.
The day before he left he told me he was sorry he didn't make it to see the babies, I tried to run away and cry, it was too much to hear that he knew the time was coming. My plan was to go cry in the bathroom (my usual crying hideout). He yelled at me to "Get back here Jenny! Stay with me! I held on this long for you, you stay here." I think that is the most emotional moment of my life. I will never forget it.
I held his hand as he slipped away the very next day. I was sobbing and telling him to make sure he is watching when the babies were born. Myself and my little sister were due in just weeks to have babies, babies he was hoping to meet. The last eight months had led up to this day, this death. It didn't matter, I wasn't ready for it, it hurt too bad. It didn't seem right. He was my DAD. No matter what kind of dumb shit I did, or what I didn't do, he was always my DAD. Every day and every night. He had never every left me, and he was leaving! I didn't know when or where I'd see him again and I couldn't stand it.
It has been over four years now. I was told that after time it gets a little easier. It still hurts, but you start to get used to the fact that they are not here. It's true, but boy is the world I knew different. I don't think I could even describe it. That morning, as I said goodbye and then walked to the parking lot of the hospital to meet my husband who was on his way, the world was different. As I walked through the hospital doors, the air was not the same, everyone around seemed artificial. Were they here visiting a patient? Did they just lose someone. Did this someone mean as much to them as my dad meant to me? Could they tell I had just lost someone? I stood by my car feeling very alone, I felt scared, I felt so angry, like someone had stole something very precious to me. When Louie pulled up, it felt like forever watching him walk up to me. I could not wait to fall into his firm, loving embrace. I knew he would hold me there for as long as I wanted, and he did. He loved my dad dearly and that day he was a strong, supportive husband. He was there for me. To cry, to look across the room at, and I felt like he knew by my look that I needed to hide in the bathroom and cry.
We were all meeting at my dad's house. I drove down the road and called my best friend who lived clear in Grass Valley. I called her work and told her dad was gone. She left work that hour and drove to be with me. She said she knew she couldn't do much, but felt she should be there. It was more than I could ask for in a friend. She was there, for whatever I needed, she was there.
My dad's sister came to the house. She made us all breakfast. That breakfast meant so much to me. Would I have eaten if not for her cooking for us? When would I eat again? I wanted to be there for her, she just lost her big brother. I didn't know how to be there, I still was in shock that I was going to be living this life that my dad was not in for the first time in my life. I think it was good for us all just being together that day. We didn't talk about a whole lot, but we were all there, together.
The next few weeks were a blur. I know we prepared for his funeral service. I rewrote a speech for the service over and over again until I decided to write bullet points and just speak more freely. It went well.
Two weeks after the service I had a blond haired-blue eyed (just like Papa) baby girl. I think the act of grieving and caring for a newborn is a whole other blog entry.
I am angry that he was only 54 years old. I am angry that my person is not here for me to spend time with. I am angry that he didn't get to hold and know my little girl and my baby boy, he would have adored them! That I can't talk to him about my "thirties", that he didn't get to see my first home. I am angry that he hasn't got to meet the friends I have made in the last few years that mean so much to me, or to see the amazing friends that I have held onto for so long. I sometimes break into tears when I watch Logan riding his dirt bike. I think about how excited my dad would be to see him doing something like that, and then think about how nervous my dad would be for him and giggle. Every time we do something fun I think about how he probably would have came with us. I'm angry that I will never here his voice calling me "Girl" again. I am angry that we won't listen to music together and fine tune everything until it sounds like angels, not speakers. He never saw me as a stay at home mom, he never saw me being involved with organizations, he never saw me as a mother of five, he will never see anything I do, and I can't do anything else with HIM. I get sad and then I get so angry!
I think my dad felt good that I had found Louie, he loved him right away and knew I was taken care of, I was safe. Louie would love me and protect me, always. My dad was there to walk me down the isle. Dad on one side and my son on the other, they walked me to Louie and gave their blessing. It was a beautiful day and my dad had a huge smile the whole time.
My wish is that being a little more raw about my emotions will help get them out and I may free my soul a bit.
I'm not in a dark place as I was the first two years he was gone. I didn't like this new world that my dad wasn't in, it was lonely, it was dark, it didn't make any sense at all. I had to build a new world, work on improving it. It's a work in progress and it's coming along nicely.
Holidays are creeping up, which are always difficult, but a few good cries should help :)
Thanks for listening, I feel lighter already.
I love you dad. It's nice to get a glimpse of you in my children, what a special treat.
Thanks for being so wonderful.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The grass is greener
An update on our path to greener ways:
We have now been without paper towels for a while. It's much less scary than I had thought. I have to admit, we did have a some napkins laying around, but those are gone now too. I have plenty of hand towels, old receiving blankets, burp rags, and cloth diapers that were never used for that purpose to replace them.
I never realized just how often I was laying down a paper towel to prepare peanut butter sandwiches on...almost daily! Now they get a plate instead. We have a dishwasher, so it's not like I have all this extra work to do with more more dirty dishes.
My homemade cleaner is working out well. The vinegar smell exits quickly and the lemon scent replaces it. My goal is to get rid of all the household chemicals by the end of next week, replacing them with either homemade non-toxic remedies, or store bought natural products. Looking forward to it!
The next step will making sure our hygiene products are paraben free. I've done this in the past, but fell off the wagon due to how expensive it can be. This time around I'll be looking into some recipes to make our own for some things.
I've been using my bags at the grocery store! Thanks to Devon's suggestion of putting them by the little one in the vehicle so that I can grab them when I grab him...it's working, thanks Dev!
I'll keep you posted on our greener path!
We have now been without paper towels for a while. It's much less scary than I had thought. I have to admit, we did have a some napkins laying around, but those are gone now too. I have plenty of hand towels, old receiving blankets, burp rags, and cloth diapers that were never used for that purpose to replace them.
I never realized just how often I was laying down a paper towel to prepare peanut butter sandwiches on...almost daily! Now they get a plate instead. We have a dishwasher, so it's not like I have all this extra work to do with more more dirty dishes.
My homemade cleaner is working out well. The vinegar smell exits quickly and the lemon scent replaces it. My goal is to get rid of all the household chemicals by the end of next week, replacing them with either homemade non-toxic remedies, or store bought natural products. Looking forward to it!
The next step will making sure our hygiene products are paraben free. I've done this in the past, but fell off the wagon due to how expensive it can be. This time around I'll be looking into some recipes to make our own for some things.
I've been using my bags at the grocery store! Thanks to Devon's suggestion of putting them by the little one in the vehicle so that I can grab them when I grab him...it's working, thanks Dev!
I'll keep you posted on our greener path!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Getting Greener
I've been intending to "green" up our lives for quite some time. It was kind of in that back of your mind to do list. It became time to put it on the real to do list so that it would actually start to take place. I want to make sure my kids know what I am doing and why, so they can hopefully follow along.
The first thing I did (thanks for the suggestion/idea Melissa Zanni) was to clean and keep any jars. I had been keeping jars here and there, figuring I might find some use for them at some point. Well now they are my drinking glasses! I save the lids so that I can also store certain left overs as well. I have tiny mason jars that the kids seem to find fun to drink out of. So now we use a "water jar" as my daughter calls it. I'm forming a strange attachement to my "water jar", that will probably be a whole other blog, but I'm just throwing that out there.
Second, I made my own cleaner (degreaser, counter spray). I have heard for years about the many, many uses of vinegar, so I decided to put it to use! I filled spray bottles with half water and half vinegar, plus I added some fragrant oils to mask that nasty vinegar smell. I used lemon verbena this first time around. I am in love! It is non-toxic, smells great (any trace of vinegar is gone quickly), it cleans beautifully, and is very inexpensive to make! It will do your countertops, toilets, walls, floors, bathrooms, appliances, and so on and so on. The funnest part is that I can add whatever fragrance I wish! Plus, I can put the kids to work, no chemicals!
I have many paper towel rolls to finish off from our last Costco trip, but once those babies are gone I am going to give it go without them. I'm not sure yet how this would effect my laundry, but we shall see.
I need to get into the habit of bringing my reusable bags to the store with me. They are in my trunk, they are ready to rock, but I always seem to forget to grab them after getting baby out, making sure the big girl stays out of the street, and being sure I bring the wallet, diaper, and wipies just in case.
Next on my list is to try some homemade laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. This intent has been here for about two years, just never happend. The laundry soap I currently use is all natural and derived from plants, it smells amazing and I love it, but I think we could save some plastic in the packaging and some money at the same time.
After that, I think we can give up toilet paper and just use leaves from the yard. Okay I'm totally joking. I like my toilet paper and my clean behind.
I REALLY want to start a garden. Our yard needs lots of work, but it will get there. Even if I have to start with veggies in pots, it's a start.
Due to have a family of seven, we have a vehicle that fits us all. This vehicle is not shy to gulping up tons of gas. I've limited driving to when only necessary. If I need to shop out of town, I try to plan it all around a day that I can knock out a few birds with one gas guzzling day.
To get the kids involved and aware, I'll be showing them the book "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, from the EarthWorks Group. This way they can each pick a "new" way to help save our planet and feel it is their very own.
That's all for now, thought I would share what green goodness is going on with the Augerlavoie family.
RottenRed
The first thing I did (thanks for the suggestion/idea Melissa Zanni) was to clean and keep any jars. I had been keeping jars here and there, figuring I might find some use for them at some point. Well now they are my drinking glasses! I save the lids so that I can also store certain left overs as well. I have tiny mason jars that the kids seem to find fun to drink out of. So now we use a "water jar" as my daughter calls it. I'm forming a strange attachement to my "water jar", that will probably be a whole other blog, but I'm just throwing that out there.
Second, I made my own cleaner (degreaser, counter spray). I have heard for years about the many, many uses of vinegar, so I decided to put it to use! I filled spray bottles with half water and half vinegar, plus I added some fragrant oils to mask that nasty vinegar smell. I used lemon verbena this first time around. I am in love! It is non-toxic, smells great (any trace of vinegar is gone quickly), it cleans beautifully, and is very inexpensive to make! It will do your countertops, toilets, walls, floors, bathrooms, appliances, and so on and so on. The funnest part is that I can add whatever fragrance I wish! Plus, I can put the kids to work, no chemicals!
I have many paper towel rolls to finish off from our last Costco trip, but once those babies are gone I am going to give it go without them. I'm not sure yet how this would effect my laundry, but we shall see.
I need to get into the habit of bringing my reusable bags to the store with me. They are in my trunk, they are ready to rock, but I always seem to forget to grab them after getting baby out, making sure the big girl stays out of the street, and being sure I bring the wallet, diaper, and wipies just in case.
Next on my list is to try some homemade laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. This intent has been here for about two years, just never happend. The laundry soap I currently use is all natural and derived from plants, it smells amazing and I love it, but I think we could save some plastic in the packaging and some money at the same time.
After that, I think we can give up toilet paper and just use leaves from the yard. Okay I'm totally joking. I like my toilet paper and my clean behind.
I REALLY want to start a garden. Our yard needs lots of work, but it will get there. Even if I have to start with veggies in pots, it's a start.
Due to have a family of seven, we have a vehicle that fits us all. This vehicle is not shy to gulping up tons of gas. I've limited driving to when only necessary. If I need to shop out of town, I try to plan it all around a day that I can knock out a few birds with one gas guzzling day.
To get the kids involved and aware, I'll be showing them the book "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, from the EarthWorks Group. This way they can each pick a "new" way to help save our planet and feel it is their very own.
That's all for now, thought I would share what green goodness is going on with the Augerlavoie family.
RottenRed
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Appropriate Dress Required
Just a few decades back, most of the population had an understanding of appropriate dress for certain occasion. Yes, the world has become a more casual place in general, people used to get dressed up to go to the airport, now the thought is that if you are going to sit in an airplane for several hours, you should be comfortable, I agree. However, I think schools (but mostly parents) should start teaching our children when it is time to dress up a bit. Most kids actually love it!
I do NOT agree that people need to be brand name whores and need to dress in whatever is popular at the moment. If you like that, great. If you don't, that does not mean you are less cool than the people that do. This is not an opinion, this is fact.
Anyway, I think if we brought our kids up with the idea that we dress nice on holiday get togethers (unless of course your family does it totally casual, that is awesome too), that we dress up for church, for ceremonies, and for special occasions, they will bring this to adulthood with them, and then teach their children the same.
Unfortunately, my husband and I go to family law court often for visitation issues. The morning of my husband puts on some slacks and a nice shirt accompanied by some dress shoes and a belt. I put on dress pants and a nice shirt, or perhaps a skirt, basically an outfit I would consider wearing to work in a business casual environment.
We show up to be surrounded by men with jeans twice the appropriate size with extremely large t-shirts and tennis shoes. Really? You are in here to either fight for time with your child or settle a divorce. I would think you would want to have the respect of the judge, and even the lawyers.
Don't let me get started on the women. Ladies, you might have a REALLY cute dress in your closet. You might think it makes your behind look amazing. This dress is NOT for court appearances! Getting dressed up for court or other important meetings is never the same as getting dressed up to go to the club, ever! Then to make matters worse, the 4 inch unprofessional heels you added to your ensemble only make you look like one particular profession, which is illegal and frowned upon in the court house.
It actually says on the hand out the family law court gives you to "dress how you want to be treated". Not that that always happens, because let me tell you, that is a whole other blog post.
I want to make sure my kids know when it is necessary to dress up a bit. They don't need to go through life looking like slobs and not being taken seriously.
I do NOT agree that people need to be brand name whores and need to dress in whatever is popular at the moment. If you like that, great. If you don't, that does not mean you are less cool than the people that do. This is not an opinion, this is fact.
Anyway, I think if we brought our kids up with the idea that we dress nice on holiday get togethers (unless of course your family does it totally casual, that is awesome too), that we dress up for church, for ceremonies, and for special occasions, they will bring this to adulthood with them, and then teach their children the same.
Unfortunately, my husband and I go to family law court often for visitation issues. The morning of my husband puts on some slacks and a nice shirt accompanied by some dress shoes and a belt. I put on dress pants and a nice shirt, or perhaps a skirt, basically an outfit I would consider wearing to work in a business casual environment.
We show up to be surrounded by men with jeans twice the appropriate size with extremely large t-shirts and tennis shoes. Really? You are in here to either fight for time with your child or settle a divorce. I would think you would want to have the respect of the judge, and even the lawyers.
Don't let me get started on the women. Ladies, you might have a REALLY cute dress in your closet. You might think it makes your behind look amazing. This dress is NOT for court appearances! Getting dressed up for court or other important meetings is never the same as getting dressed up to go to the club, ever! Then to make matters worse, the 4 inch unprofessional heels you added to your ensemble only make you look like one particular profession, which is illegal and frowned upon in the court house.
It actually says on the hand out the family law court gives you to "dress how you want to be treated". Not that that always happens, because let me tell you, that is a whole other blog post.
I want to make sure my kids know when it is necessary to dress up a bit. They don't need to go through life looking like slobs and not being taken seriously.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Repinned!
Becoming a stay at home mom was a huge change in life. Raising children is difficult, worth it, but lets be honest, it's difficult. I worked 40 or more hours a week, commuted home, picked up my kid, rushed to get dinner made, then it's bath time and almost bed time. Not a lot of quality time with my boy.
Staying at home added unbeleivable amounts of tasks to that list. I also added more children to the list, and lets not forget the two hyper dogs.
I dived head first into my children. I want them raised with manners, passion, confidence, I want them to question the world and everything in it. Most of all I want them to know themselves, really know who they are and what they love and what they do not want in their life, what makes them happy, what hobbies drive them, and how they like to relax. By knowing yourself better than you know anything else is the best way to get what you want out of life and live it to the fullest degree.
I want that so bad that I started to loose that in myself. At least I recognized it and tried to focus on me a bit more. I am so busy it's hard to find time for things for just me. If I'm not doing things for the kids I am spending time with my husband or getting things done.
I finally found something that has shown me some grace.....Pinterest!
Okay, so I complain about my husband playing video games and I guess Pinterest would be similar, but I have it and it is mine! I can look at pretty things, I can learn things, I can show them to other people, I can just sit, relax, and browse "stuff". Last night as I lay in bed listening to my husband play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 in the backround on his PS3, I lay there with my iPad, browsing my search for "vintage dishes". I cannot beleive the calming happiness that came over me. Looking at these pretty dishes made me smile, I felt at peace as I repinned several of my favorites onto a new board I titled "dishes". It was like I was walking through an antique shop, but I was cozy in bed.
Then I thought of more "stuff" that I like and the searches began....french vintage, vintage tins, I repinned as much as I possibly could before I knew I had to get to bed, since I have to get up early with the baby, and Dominique would be sneaking in to my bed at early morning hours making it impossible for me to roll over or even adjust my position in any way. I had to get my sleep.
Pinterest does not take me from my family either. I sit and indulge in quality pinning with my daughter, she loves to click pretty stuff and search for cakes and cupcakes. Even my husband will check out pins of DIY projects. It's a family thing, but still, it is mine.
There is nothing on Pinterest to frustrate me or piss me off, I haven't yet found one pin on Pinterest that made me even think about rolling my eyes.
I have a hard time doing much of anything for longer than maybe 15 minutes, so it doesn't take over my life, it is the perfect time slot of repinning and browsing of the pretties to remember there is stuff I like, that does not involve my children (besides my kid boards I pin to of course).
I feel like I have been REPINNED!
Happy Pinning!
Staying at home added unbeleivable amounts of tasks to that list. I also added more children to the list, and lets not forget the two hyper dogs.
I dived head first into my children. I want them raised with manners, passion, confidence, I want them to question the world and everything in it. Most of all I want them to know themselves, really know who they are and what they love and what they do not want in their life, what makes them happy, what hobbies drive them, and how they like to relax. By knowing yourself better than you know anything else is the best way to get what you want out of life and live it to the fullest degree.
I want that so bad that I started to loose that in myself. At least I recognized it and tried to focus on me a bit more. I am so busy it's hard to find time for things for just me. If I'm not doing things for the kids I am spending time with my husband or getting things done.
I finally found something that has shown me some grace.....Pinterest!
Okay, so I complain about my husband playing video games and I guess Pinterest would be similar, but I have it and it is mine! I can look at pretty things, I can learn things, I can show them to other people, I can just sit, relax, and browse "stuff". Last night as I lay in bed listening to my husband play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 in the backround on his PS3, I lay there with my iPad, browsing my search for "vintage dishes". I cannot beleive the calming happiness that came over me. Looking at these pretty dishes made me smile, I felt at peace as I repinned several of my favorites onto a new board I titled "dishes". It was like I was walking through an antique shop, but I was cozy in bed.
Then I thought of more "stuff" that I like and the searches began....french vintage, vintage tins, I repinned as much as I possibly could before I knew I had to get to bed, since I have to get up early with the baby, and Dominique would be sneaking in to my bed at early morning hours making it impossible for me to roll over or even adjust my position in any way. I had to get my sleep.
Pinterest does not take me from my family either. I sit and indulge in quality pinning with my daughter, she loves to click pretty stuff and search for cakes and cupcakes. Even my husband will check out pins of DIY projects. It's a family thing, but still, it is mine.
There is nothing on Pinterest to frustrate me or piss me off, I haven't yet found one pin on Pinterest that made me even think about rolling my eyes.
I have a hard time doing much of anything for longer than maybe 15 minutes, so it doesn't take over my life, it is the perfect time slot of repinning and browsing of the pretties to remember there is stuff I like, that does not involve my children (besides my kid boards I pin to of course).
I feel like I have been REPINNED!
Happy Pinning!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Pull up your panties and act like a big girl!
It is in my opinion that by around age 30 (give or take a few years), you should have a fairly decent sense of self. What you love. What you are and are not willing to tolerate from others. What means the world to you. What you can live without. The kind of person you see yourself as. The things you would like to change about yourself, or work on. I'm not saying it should be completely figured out by this time, because I also believe that soul searching and learning about yourself is never ending. Humans are way too complex for there to be nothing left to learn about yourself. I personally have learned a ton about myself in just the past 2 years. In life you are also confronted by random things that change you or make you think about how you are going to deal with them.
Earlier in life, I was suffering from being a people pleaser. I say suffering because I hated that about myself. Being too "nice" all the time. I had to recognize this and make a conscious effort to change this. I am still a "nice" person, that's who I am. The difference is, I no longer care if someone thinks I'm a bitch just because I didn't do what they want or I stand up for something I feel strongly about. I have way bigger fish to fry. It was a part of growing up. Especially when I had children. I do not want to set this example to my children. I want them to stand up for what they feel strongly about, regardless of what their friends might say or think. They might catch some heat for it, but sooner or later, they will be respected for it. I still have work to do, but for the most part, I have changed this about myself. I want to eliminate the after feeling of "I should have said...." I hate that feeling.
So if you are a grown woman, and especially a mother, for the love of whatever you love....grow up! If you volunteer to do something, don't complain about it! YOU offered to do it! If you do not want to do something, DON'T DO IT! If you disagree on a topic of discussion, say so, it is okay! At this age, most people do not want to be pleased, they simply want to surround themselves with real people. How can you really get to know someone when they only say what they think you want them to say? It is a waste of time and I am done wasting time. I have learned that there are few people you can really trust, just with simple things even. If you complain or talk negatively about other people, more than you have meaningful conversation, get a life.
I cherish the women in my life that are strong and real. I wish there were more of them. One thing is for sure, I will do everything in my power to raise a strong, independent, full of character, female. I will teach her as best as I can to learn about the person she is and the person she wants to be. I will teach her to love life passionately, to surround herself with real people to share life with. I want her to ooze confidence and stand up for what she believes in, even if it doesn't please everyone around her. I ant her to enjoy time alone and love time with loved ones. I will then cross my fingers and watch her grow!
Raise our girls to be wonderful women. Not catty, complaining, whiners. They will be the women of the world sooner than you realize.
Earlier in life, I was suffering from being a people pleaser. I say suffering because I hated that about myself. Being too "nice" all the time. I had to recognize this and make a conscious effort to change this. I am still a "nice" person, that's who I am. The difference is, I no longer care if someone thinks I'm a bitch just because I didn't do what they want or I stand up for something I feel strongly about. I have way bigger fish to fry. It was a part of growing up. Especially when I had children. I do not want to set this example to my children. I want them to stand up for what they feel strongly about, regardless of what their friends might say or think. They might catch some heat for it, but sooner or later, they will be respected for it. I still have work to do, but for the most part, I have changed this about myself. I want to eliminate the after feeling of "I should have said...." I hate that feeling.
So if you are a grown woman, and especially a mother, for the love of whatever you love....grow up! If you volunteer to do something, don't complain about it! YOU offered to do it! If you do not want to do something, DON'T DO IT! If you disagree on a topic of discussion, say so, it is okay! At this age, most people do not want to be pleased, they simply want to surround themselves with real people. How can you really get to know someone when they only say what they think you want them to say? It is a waste of time and I am done wasting time. I have learned that there are few people you can really trust, just with simple things even. If you complain or talk negatively about other people, more than you have meaningful conversation, get a life.
I cherish the women in my life that are strong and real. I wish there were more of them. One thing is for sure, I will do everything in my power to raise a strong, independent, full of character, female. I will teach her as best as I can to learn about the person she is and the person she wants to be. I will teach her to love life passionately, to surround herself with real people to share life with. I want her to ooze confidence and stand up for what she believes in, even if it doesn't please everyone around her. I ant her to enjoy time alone and love time with loved ones. I will then cross my fingers and watch her grow!
Raise our girls to be wonderful women. Not catty, complaining, whiners. They will be the women of the world sooner than you realize.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Dear laundry, let's make ammends
I think this love hate relationship began when we moved to a two story house. The washer and dryer are downstairs, all the bedrooms are upstairs. I don't know if that actually has anything to do with it, but it sounds like a great excuse.
I always have great intentions on keeping the laundry up. I come up with different procedures for laundry. I even got each kid their own different colored laundry bag in hopes this would help.
Keep in mind, there is a lot of laundry in this place. We have two adults and 5 kids. Now, 2 of the kids are not here every day, but one of them seems to dirty lots of clothes somehow. I think what actually happens is he lets clothes fall on the floor, then becoming "dirty" in the dirty pile of clothes. The three year old diva likes to change clothes in the middle of the day, as many times as she can before getting in trouble. The baby is a baby, so he goes through many clothes in a day. Now add baby blankets, towels, and the fact there is a bed wetter in the house to the laundry pile. Twin sheets and comforters take up a lot of room in the washing machine.
I will spend three whole days (sometimes with a days break in between) catching up the laundry. I don't mind loading the washer and dryer and I always fold it immediately upon pulling it out of the dryer. I empty the dryer piece by piece and fold it right there. I then separate them all in to piles, adult pile, Beebs pile, Logan's pile, baby's pile, Austin's pile, and Kristian's pile. This takes up the entire couch. I then move these piles into their color coordinated bags and set them a side. Ours go into hampers ready to put them away. They sit, and they sit, and they get items pulled out of them when needed. Every day I walk downstairs and try to ignore the fact that they are there. By the time I get around to putting them away, I have a huge pile of laundry to do again. Another great excuse I thought I would share with you is that my dogs absolutely LOVE to sleep on a pile of dirty clothes, it makes them happy, you can see their soul smiling. I know, I know.
I yell at the kids when they come downstairs with a new clean outfit on and we have no plans to go anywhere. "Now why would you go dirty those clothes for me when we will be home all day?" I know, I totally take it personal, but the laundry and I have a very personal relationship.
I have come to the fact, for the new year, that I need to catch it all up, put it away the moment it is done, and do at least a load every day. I know this is the right thing to do, but at the same time, I want to rebel, it's in my nature. I will not have anyone controlling me, especially dirty clothes and it's process. Are you kidding me?
So this year, the laundry process and I will shake hands and start working together in a professional manner. I am not going to roll my eyes at it anymore and make rude sounds to accompany the eye roll. The laundry is not going to follow me with its eyes as I walk through the room. We will pretend to be friends.
I'm going to make my own laundry detergent as soon as what I have is used, this might make it more exciting (yeah, for like the first 3 loads).
The real deal here is putting the clothes away. Why do I hate it? I don't mind putting the kid's clothes away, but our clothes, I just never feel like doing that. Sometimes, I take it all upstairs with good intentions. I separate mine and Louie's stuff all across our Cal King bed. It's all organized in categories and ready to put away. Then something happens like the baby wakes up, or Dominique is screaming about something, or someone is at the door, or I have to go to the bathroom, or I decide to make another cup of coffee. If I go downstairs I am ruined. I forget about what is going on on that Cal King. Then it gets late, Louie and go upstairs to go to bed. The bed is covered in clothes, in a very organized fashion mind you, but still! So, I nicely set them all back into the hampers and crawl into bed. You can see how this process repeats itself so easily. And my other gripe of an excuse. Is my room and entire upstairs is not baby proof. So I can't really be doing all this putting away stuff while Andrew is awake. He is too big for his chair, so he ends up tipping it over and just screams at me the whole time anyway. He has to be napping, so that needs to be added to my new technique...putting laundry away at nap time.
Thanks for listening, and please, please wish me laundry luck for the new year...this really puts a damper on my life. I hate piles and I hate hampers full of clean laundry.
So, my coffee is ready for me in the coffee pot, I will enjoy that cup and I will then put a load in the wash. I will then give it a little wink, just to be sassy.
I always have great intentions on keeping the laundry up. I come up with different procedures for laundry. I even got each kid their own different colored laundry bag in hopes this would help.
Keep in mind, there is a lot of laundry in this place. We have two adults and 5 kids. Now, 2 of the kids are not here every day, but one of them seems to dirty lots of clothes somehow. I think what actually happens is he lets clothes fall on the floor, then becoming "dirty" in the dirty pile of clothes. The three year old diva likes to change clothes in the middle of the day, as many times as she can before getting in trouble. The baby is a baby, so he goes through many clothes in a day. Now add baby blankets, towels, and the fact there is a bed wetter in the house to the laundry pile. Twin sheets and comforters take up a lot of room in the washing machine.
I will spend three whole days (sometimes with a days break in between) catching up the laundry. I don't mind loading the washer and dryer and I always fold it immediately upon pulling it out of the dryer. I empty the dryer piece by piece and fold it right there. I then separate them all in to piles, adult pile, Beebs pile, Logan's pile, baby's pile, Austin's pile, and Kristian's pile. This takes up the entire couch. I then move these piles into their color coordinated bags and set them a side. Ours go into hampers ready to put them away. They sit, and they sit, and they get items pulled out of them when needed. Every day I walk downstairs and try to ignore the fact that they are there. By the time I get around to putting them away, I have a huge pile of laundry to do again. Another great excuse I thought I would share with you is that my dogs absolutely LOVE to sleep on a pile of dirty clothes, it makes them happy, you can see their soul smiling. I know, I know.
I yell at the kids when they come downstairs with a new clean outfit on and we have no plans to go anywhere. "Now why would you go dirty those clothes for me when we will be home all day?" I know, I totally take it personal, but the laundry and I have a very personal relationship.
I have come to the fact, for the new year, that I need to catch it all up, put it away the moment it is done, and do at least a load every day. I know this is the right thing to do, but at the same time, I want to rebel, it's in my nature. I will not have anyone controlling me, especially dirty clothes and it's process. Are you kidding me?
So this year, the laundry process and I will shake hands and start working together in a professional manner. I am not going to roll my eyes at it anymore and make rude sounds to accompany the eye roll. The laundry is not going to follow me with its eyes as I walk through the room. We will pretend to be friends.
I'm going to make my own laundry detergent as soon as what I have is used, this might make it more exciting (yeah, for like the first 3 loads).
The real deal here is putting the clothes away. Why do I hate it? I don't mind putting the kid's clothes away, but our clothes, I just never feel like doing that. Sometimes, I take it all upstairs with good intentions. I separate mine and Louie's stuff all across our Cal King bed. It's all organized in categories and ready to put away. Then something happens like the baby wakes up, or Dominique is screaming about something, or someone is at the door, or I have to go to the bathroom, or I decide to make another cup of coffee. If I go downstairs I am ruined. I forget about what is going on on that Cal King. Then it gets late, Louie and go upstairs to go to bed. The bed is covered in clothes, in a very organized fashion mind you, but still! So, I nicely set them all back into the hampers and crawl into bed. You can see how this process repeats itself so easily. And my other gripe of an excuse. Is my room and entire upstairs is not baby proof. So I can't really be doing all this putting away stuff while Andrew is awake. He is too big for his chair, so he ends up tipping it over and just screams at me the whole time anyway. He has to be napping, so that needs to be added to my new technique...putting laundry away at nap time.
Thanks for listening, and please, please wish me laundry luck for the new year...this really puts a damper on my life. I hate piles and I hate hampers full of clean laundry.
So, my coffee is ready for me in the coffee pot, I will enjoy that cup and I will then put a load in the wash. I will then give it a little wink, just to be sassy.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Roll of the Eye
The last part of 2011 I have been working on a stress decreaser. It is eye rolling.
I am pretty much a veteren at rolling my eyes. I assume I've been doing it since I was in the womb. I have many family members who roll their eyes several times a day, so it comes with my genes.
Instead of getting really frustrated with people, or letting others offend me, I'm just going to work on rolling my eyes. I think I am comfortable with myself enough to where I don't really care if they see me do it anymore. It is my right to roll my eyes, correct? If they don't like it, they are more than welcome to roll their eyes in return, I have no problem with this. It's much friendlier than flipping the bird.
There are great sounds that you can make to assist your eye roll. Like "tssss" or "psshh". There are some good assisting words as well, "Gawd", "stuuupid", or just a good old sigh. Go ahead, try it out loud, I think you will enjoy it and find what suits you best.
My children also roll their eyes. Never in a disrespecting way (a true eye roller knows how to do this, I'm so proud of them).
Eye rolling can be done in private as well, as you walk away. This is great for when it might be inappropriate to be upfront about it.
There is also those times when you look across the room to a fellow eye roller when someone else says something rediculous. You sometimes get the need to share in eye rolling together about something. The need to share is so strong, that you forget there are other people in the room watching you...this falls under inappropriate eye rolling, try to keep a handle on this. Now a days you can most likely text your friend, then just smile at her when she reads it.
My husband is more of a "lips pressed tight" sort of guy. He has gotten caught up in my eye rolling a few times and tried it on for size, but he mainly sticks to pinching his lips real tight, it makes him look pretty pissed. It works for him.
I do wonder though, if this is why I get headaches so frequently, maybe a strain of the eye.
Thanks for sharing in my eye rolling thoughts. Have a great night!
I am pretty much a veteren at rolling my eyes. I assume I've been doing it since I was in the womb. I have many family members who roll their eyes several times a day, so it comes with my genes.
Instead of getting really frustrated with people, or letting others offend me, I'm just going to work on rolling my eyes. I think I am comfortable with myself enough to where I don't really care if they see me do it anymore. It is my right to roll my eyes, correct? If they don't like it, they are more than welcome to roll their eyes in return, I have no problem with this. It's much friendlier than flipping the bird.
There are great sounds that you can make to assist your eye roll. Like "tssss" or "psshh". There are some good assisting words as well, "Gawd", "stuuupid", or just a good old sigh. Go ahead, try it out loud, I think you will enjoy it and find what suits you best.
My children also roll their eyes. Never in a disrespecting way (a true eye roller knows how to do this, I'm so proud of them).
Eye rolling can be done in private as well, as you walk away. This is great for when it might be inappropriate to be upfront about it.
There is also those times when you look across the room to a fellow eye roller when someone else says something rediculous. You sometimes get the need to share in eye rolling together about something. The need to share is so strong, that you forget there are other people in the room watching you...this falls under inappropriate eye rolling, try to keep a handle on this. Now a days you can most likely text your friend, then just smile at her when she reads it.
My husband is more of a "lips pressed tight" sort of guy. He has gotten caught up in my eye rolling a few times and tried it on for size, but he mainly sticks to pinching his lips real tight, it makes him look pretty pissed. It works for him.
I do wonder though, if this is why I get headaches so frequently, maybe a strain of the eye.
Thanks for sharing in my eye rolling thoughts. Have a great night!
Tree Hugger vs MotoMom
I'm feeling a bit torn here. I have always thought of myself as being a little hippy. Maybe a bit more than a little, but not a full fledged hippie. I have very liberal feelings about the humanity and the world, I respect our planet, I love natural things, I dream of eating only raw foods, I try to be "green", I believe in happiness, yada yada.
I am now the owner of a dirt bike. The dirty smoke blowing 2-stroke kind. She is a beautiful bike, she intimidates me a bit, but we are getting to know each other. My husband and kids all have bikes too. It has become a great family sport. We all go together and have a great time. Everyone there is helpful and you see a ton of family's spending time together.
So I'm at carnegie and I"m talking to fellow riders. They are informing me about the "tree huggers" that are trying to close carnegie down. I was initially I bit offended, as if I had just heard a racial slur, like I little slap on the face. Not hard enough to leave a red mark, just a simple sissy slap, but still. My husband of course cracks up, becomes he knows I'm this strange breed of motocross-tree hugger. I think he actually digs it quite a bit. Anyway, they are telling me why this large portion of the park is now off limits. The "tree huggers" sued, saying the bikes were contaminating the creek. I get it, I do....but there is no water most of the time in the creek....I don't know, I just became very torn, so I went back to have a sit on the trailer to eat my organic whole wheat tortillas filled with veggies and beans to think about it.
I don't have to choose, I can be both I suppose. Motocross is a great family sport. The kids absolutely love it. This will keep them (in my opinion) involved in something for years to come. It is something to say no to drugs and alcohol for. It is something to keep working at to get better and better. It can be competative if you want it to be, or just plain fun.
As I took my new bike for a spin I enjoyed how relaxing it felt (even with the loud bike in second gear blowing smoke all around) The wind was going right through me, the hills were around me, it was just me and the bike. Peaceful and theraputic.
So, I am both. I am a tree hugging motocross mom. I make granola bars from scratch and shred down the road.
I am now the owner of a dirt bike. The dirty smoke blowing 2-stroke kind. She is a beautiful bike, she intimidates me a bit, but we are getting to know each other. My husband and kids all have bikes too. It has become a great family sport. We all go together and have a great time. Everyone there is helpful and you see a ton of family's spending time together.
So I'm at carnegie and I"m talking to fellow riders. They are informing me about the "tree huggers" that are trying to close carnegie down. I was initially I bit offended, as if I had just heard a racial slur, like I little slap on the face. Not hard enough to leave a red mark, just a simple sissy slap, but still. My husband of course cracks up, becomes he knows I'm this strange breed of motocross-tree hugger. I think he actually digs it quite a bit. Anyway, they are telling me why this large portion of the park is now off limits. The "tree huggers" sued, saying the bikes were contaminating the creek. I get it, I do....but there is no water most of the time in the creek....I don't know, I just became very torn, so I went back to have a sit on the trailer to eat my organic whole wheat tortillas filled with veggies and beans to think about it.
I don't have to choose, I can be both I suppose. Motocross is a great family sport. The kids absolutely love it. This will keep them (in my opinion) involved in something for years to come. It is something to say no to drugs and alcohol for. It is something to keep working at to get better and better. It can be competative if you want it to be, or just plain fun.
As I took my new bike for a spin I enjoyed how relaxing it felt (even with the loud bike in second gear blowing smoke all around) The wind was going right through me, the hills were around me, it was just me and the bike. Peaceful and theraputic.
So, I am both. I am a tree hugging motocross mom. I make granola bars from scratch and shred down the road.
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