Mommy of Many®

Once a month, fabulous, local business owners and  entrepreneurs meet up at a local business (venue changes monthly) to meet, share ideas and help to grow and support all the wonderful ventures happening in our area.

This month’s Tweetup (we all try to be connected through the convenience and ease of Twitter and/or Facebook) will be held at The Place, a locally owned and operated Italian Restaurant in Old Roseville (221 Vernon St).

A friend and I headed over there yesterday to have some lunch and get a feel for the vibe of the place. Our plan was to be able to bring you a little of the goodness that we’ve heard they offer. We were hungry and ready! There was just one problem-the door was locked tight! Had we done a little homework, we would’ve known that The Place is open for business Wed-Sun. Do like we did, show up on a Tues afternoon for lunch, and you’ll end up an Outsider. We were stuck drooling over the menu posted in the window.

Wanna be an Insider?! RSVP for the Placer Business Tweetup by clicking here and registering. Once that’s done, head on over to “like” The Place on their Facebook page. Then show up on Tuesday, February 21st at 6pm (they’re opening just for the event) and voila…Insider!

I can’t wait to finally try out some of the delish sounding items I read on their window-posted menu! See you there~

You know I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for cool, FREE, fun for the kids. Being new to the area, I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears open and in the last week I kept hearing about the lights on Pebble Creek Dr. Last night, when there was nothing but boredom and bickering at my house, I told the kids to load up and be ready for something great. I managed to convince even the teens to get in the van (a sure sign that extreme boredom had been reached!). Off we went to find the lights. On the way we found some great houses in our own neighborhood and a house not too far away that modeled itself after the famous internet video of a light display playing to Trans Siberian Orchestra’s Wizards of Winter. Good Stuff! Then we found Pebble Creek Dr. Oh MY GOODNESS!!!! House after house of themed light displays. We were in a long line of cars that drove very slowly through the loop. It took us about 20 minutes to creep through the neighborhood and the kids were constantly finding something to shout out about-”Look! Frosty! It’s Charlie…”. We saw many, many favorite characters and amazing decorative feats! There’s even a red wishing well in front of one house that’s playing a video and is a drop-off point for canned food to benefit the hungry. If you’ve never been over there and are local, GO! And if you HAVE gone, go again! We will.

The only problem I can see is that when we were on our way home, we were saying our night prayers and Lex had this prayer, “Dear God, please let my house look like those houses for Christmas.” Yeah, I whole-heartedly believe in the power of prayer, but I am no Christmas light’s genius!

Doing the Dance of the Children to Other People’s Talents~

Oh what a weekend!

So here’s my story. Feel free to feel all the appropriate feelings as you read and don’t be afraid to laugh. I’m giving you this one, on me.

Many of you know that my life has changed quite a bit in the last 6 months (well, really in the last few years). I’ve moved from Pacific Beach, Ca. to Rocklin, Ca. and with that move came lots of other life changes. Divorce/single-parenting/money issues…

After finding this great house, getting my kids enrolled in school and embarking on my new routine and budget, I found out that the support I thought I was going to be raising the kids on was in serious jeopardy because their dad was no longer working. I decided to become a Silpada Designs Rep to help keep us afloat. It was the one company I knew I could get behind since I’d been wearing their jewelry and watching the effect it has on people for the last 5 years. So I sent out emails and FB messages to let people know that this was what I was doing and why and I started booking parties. Yea!

This weekend I had my first 2 parties. I studied up, asked questions, attended some training and was ready to bring some fabulous jewelry to some awesome ladies!

Saturday morning I got the kids all packed up and ready to go with their dad, as I would be away and busy for the weekend. When he showed up, we switched vehicles (whichever parent has the kiddos needs the van to accommodate them) and I quickly realized I was left with NO gas. Off to the gas station I went. And here’s where the real story begins…

I slid my card and it was declined. I slid my other card and again, declined. I rummaged through my purse, came up with $10 and a $5 Safeway gift card. On $15 of gas and a prayer, I embarked on the journey from Rocklin to Oakland to try to make some money. I took off and was hopeful. No, I take that back-I was confident I would make it! I turned on the music and started driving. All was good for the 1st hour then I realized I was getting L-O-W. I was driving and older vehicle and began to wonder if it had a gas light or if I would simply run out of gas without warning. I started brainstorming. The best I could come up with was that I have roadside assistance and if/when I truly ran out of gas, I could call them. After a few moments I decided that if this was my BEST plan that I better decide I had NO plan! Who wants to run out of gas, pray your way to the side of the freeway and wait for an hour or so for help?! No good! It was about this time that I got my answer to the light question. Yep! It had a gas light and that light was now on. I stayed as calm as I could and realized I had no option (other than the roadside one) but to call my hostess and tell her what was happening. Ugh! Thank goodness she’s one of my oldest friends and while I’m sure she was annoyed, she would have an idea or a solution.

I dialed, she said “hello?” and I lost it! LOST IT! She asked where I was and told me what exit to try to make it to and that she’d meet me. That FABULOUS friend drove 20 minutes to meet me, put some gas in my car and give me the hug I needed.

She ended up having a GREAT party and earning nearly $300 in FREE jewelry! Thank goodness! I did, in fact make a little money and had no trouble getting home. But wow! What a beginning! I was so shook up that I gave every person the wrong part of their receipt and had to make phone calls letting them know I’d had an “off” day and needed their card info again. Geesh!

So, here’s to humble beginnings, being able to laugh at yourself and to being thankful for the beautiful people in my life.

To Life~

Yesterday Lex and I headed over to Big Spoon Yogurt to watch Max enjoy the rewards of selling LOTS of cookie dough. After all the yogurt fun was over, I saw a sign announcing Craft Time from 1-2 on the first Thursday of the month. Hey! That was right then! So we decided to stay and check it out.

The day’s craft was a Turkey Cookie

Look how happy his is!

So, for all you local Mommies and Daddies with lil ones, who are constantly on the look out for free fun, make a note that Big Spoon Yogurt on Sunset hosts Craft Time from 1-2 the first Thursday of each month. The craft is free and so is a 4 oz. yogurt for any lil fun seekers who are 6 yr old and younger. And that’s not all! On the 3rd Thursday of each month, also from 1-2, they host Story Time! I LOVE Story Time! I love it SO much, that’s I’m going to be this month’s reader! Whoo Hoo! Come on out and join me!

I hope to see you there!

And until then, I’ll be here, as always, Doing the Dance of the Children~

My last couple of days have sure been a roller coaster full of icky, angry teenage angst/A fun day in SF/Some Great Pump-Me-Up Silpada Training/Happiness at Seeing Max be proud of an accomplishment/Fun Kid-Time Crafts and, of course some house cleaning.

2 nights ago, there was lots of angry time in my house. I hate it when that happens and I’m suddenly nominated for The Worst Mommy’s Club. It totally sucks the life out of me and does a number on the little ones. I then have to spend time getting my head back on straight and remembering that just because a teen is angry at me, doesn’t mean the words they’re spewing are true. This can, sometimes, take days to undo. Ugh! But at the same time, I have to ease the little ones’ minds after all the guck they’ve heard. It’s a tough, energy sucking job. This episode ended in a teen staying away from home for the last 2 days. This is UNACCEPTABLE! I haven’t received a call or visit from the parents where my teen is staying and I don’t have any contact info for them. So this morn I let my teen know (through text) that if I didn’t have the info by noon, the school and the police would be called. I’ve been told that my teen will be coming home after school. If not, well, I’ll go back to the plan.

On a lighter note, I got to have my mind soothed by heading into San Francisco, yesterday. I was treated to a fabulous lunch and a tour of a friend’s floral studio before heading over to a Silpada Designs training session. Perfect timing because I have a string of parties coming up and I needed some fresh energy! I got it! I’m excited to get out there, show off this fabulous jewelry, meet some great people, have some fun and make some money. All Good Stuff!

I got to take this beautiful wreath home. It’s draped over my dining table, waiting for me to find the right thing to do with it.

This afternoon Lex and I went over to a local yogurt shop to join Max, who was arriving with classmates in a Hummer limo for selling a certain amount of cookie dough. He was so happy! Afterward, we stayed for a craft time they were hosting (this is getting it’s own blog tomorrow, b/c there’s some Good Stuff to share for all my local mommies! Come back tomorrow to check it out!).

Heading back to school.

So, it’s just about time to start the afternoon pick ups and I’m feeling ready for it!

Doing the Dance of the Children Through it All~

I’ve been spending time each day exploring all the new places around me and this is by far, one of my VERY BEST finds! There are global issues that make us all feel so small and helpless and Human Trafficking is at the top of that list for me. As a mom it’s one of those things that absolutely hurts my soul and I’ve never known what to do, except pray for the victims.

A couple of days ago, Lex and I were on the hunt for a new place to grab some iced tea or coffee and I saw the sign for Origins Coffee & Tea. It intrigued me because it said something about making a difference. A coffee house making a difference? I had to go in and see what it was about. I’m sure glad I did!

Origins Coffee and Tea was started by dads who couldn’t let this issue go without a fight. You can read Chad Salstrom’s blog here. Arianna, Maddi and I went in today to find out about volunteering and we were able to meet Chad, get a tour and hear a little of his personal perspective. The shop is run by volunteers who are asked to give a minimum of 4 hours a week for 3 months. These are people working for free to help this important cause. You can easily sign up to give a little time, but if that won’t work for your schedule, you can simply patronize the shop. It’s spacious and comfortable, offering free wifi and is open from 6:30am-11pm each day. Chad showed us the meeting room they have available for groups looking for a place to hold a meeting or a gathering. There’s no charge for this room! Think about holding your next meeting there and let the coffeehouse provide your drinks and refreshments.

I’m so excited about this shop and what they’re doing! The girls and I are signing up to donate our time and plan on visiting the coffeehouse often. I’m drinking coffee anyway, my caffeine addiction might as well help out those in need!

This is seriously Good Stuff! If you’re local to the Rocklin/Roseville area, consider visiting the shop, bring your laptop, your friends and your goodwill!

Doing the Dance of the Children With the Hope of Helping a Little~

So here it is-40.

Today is the 1st Monday of my 40′s. I spent last week planning what great strides I would make when today arrived. I would let myself go through the weekend not worrying about much, but when Monday arrived, I’d be on it! All the things I let trip me up each day would be faced and overcome! I would be bolder, more on task and certainly more self-assured.

On my actual birthday I visited with two of my sisters, had coffee with one of them and a friend, went to dinner with one sister and two friends and came home to a cake that Maddi had made for me. The next day the house was full of extended family. One of my sisters shares my EXACT same birthday, so we had a celebration together and invited all the relatives in the area to join us. It was really nice to see that moving here, with the intent to get to know my family better and give my kids the sense that they’re part of a big, extended family wasn’t in vain!

Dinner out

Maddi’s loving creation

Me with 3 of my sisters

Opening presents with a lap full o’ kiddos

My back yard, properly filled with guests

My dad telling a joke

My parents and my aunt

I LOVE this picture! Tristan and Uncle Mike are playing foosball. This is Good Stuff!

I may not have gotten Monday off to the start I’d hoped for (it took me till 9 am to shower and get dressed), but I AM determined to look ahead, embrace all that’s before and see the beginning of my 40′s as a positive and bold stepping stone into the future. New town with lots of great new people to meet. New house to be filled with family and friends and lots of love. New business to be passionate about (Silpada Designs for this girl!) and the rest of my life in front of me! This is only the beginning!

Thanks to all those that helped my celebrate the next step in this life. The love and support I’m receiving make all the difference.

To Life!

Doing the Dance of the Children into My Future~

Now that the house is unpacked, school’s in full swing and we’re settling into a routine, it’s time to start getting out and exploring our new surroundings. We’re learning what’s out there and figuring out what to fill our days with that fits M.O.M.’s criteria of-Entertaining for multiple ages, doesn’t require special equipment and is inexpensive. Today we explored Old Town Sacramento with my sister. It fit all the criteria. We ate lunch at home, packed our drinks and snacks and headed out.

I was worried about finding parking for my van, but was lucky enough to find a convenient spot, right away. Whoo Hoo! Our lil visit to Old Town was starting off on the right foot! Our first stop was a candy store. Everyone got to pick out a couple of pieces each. There was much negotiation, but they eventually got the message that they really REALLY were only getting to pick out 2 pieces each.

Then we spent a bunch of time in Evangeline’s. There aren’t any pictures because I was too full of busy worry that I was going to either lose a child or end up with an accidental shoplifter. They enjoyed the shop and I was happy when we were regrouped outside.

I love this pic of Lex! When everyone else was looking out over the water, he was chillin with his drink and his candy. He was just so content.

There was plenty of walking around and seeing what we’d like to come back to do another time. We want to make a trip to the railroad museum in the near future. We’ve always enjoyed the one in Balboa Park and I think it will be fun to see what this one has to offer.

We found some shade and relaxed for awhile. We’re still getting acclimated to the heat and being outside and wandering around tends to leave us hot and sweaty…which we’re just not all that used to.

Gabi took pictures of some old train engines.

The kids had fun with this gold panning station that’s in front of the History Museum.

We checked out a family adventure store and the kids each picked out a few pretty, polished stones to bring home.

We ended our outing with samples at Danny’s Mini Donuts. The kids have always enjoyed going to Krispy Kreme to be able to see the donuts being made and  here, the experience was recreated-in mini. The owner was super friendly and didn’t seem overwhelmed with his tiny store suddenly being filled with kids who wanted to take advantage of his sign that read-”Free Sample”. Don’t worry, I made a purchase for me and my sister. I wasn’t going to let the him hand out all those samples and not buy something yummy!

We had a 2 hour adventure in Old Town, spent about $20 and had a great time. A perfect afternoon adventure!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Sometimes the solution to a problem is so simple that it’s hard to believe we haven’t seen it.

Here’s a solution to 2 common household problems;

Problem #1) How many hundreds of times have you picked up and dumped water bottles that have been partially enjoyed and then left sitting around?

Problem #2) Do your ice packs seems to disappear as often as the match to almost all your children’s socks?

Solution!- Fill those 1/2 full water bottles with tap water, mark an X on the top (this is how my kids know not to defrost and drink them), throw them in your freezer & BAM! No more searching for ice packs (though these are a little large for lunch boxes, if you DO choose to use them that way, I’d suggest putting them in a plastic zipper bag to keep everything else from getting wet) and no more frustration over dumping all that water!

Doing the Dance of the Children & Finding Practical Solutions Along the Way~

It’s 9am and I’m starting to tiptoe around this day because it’s already thrown a couple of curve balls my way.

I normally get up at 4:15 and get the day rolling. I wake the little ones up at 6 so they have plenty of time to eat, dress, etc. But when my alarm went off this morning, Lex sleepily stumbled into my room saying he was hungry. I scooped him up and put him in my bed, but he was having no part of lying there alone. So I laid down, careful not to fall back asleep. He was doing the same. I finally handed him crackers and went to take my shower. He never fell back asleep! It’s gonna be ugly when I get him from school. Nap time!

After I got everyone to school, I came home looking for something to eat. If you’ve ever been around me at breakfast time, you know I’m not a lover of traditional breakfast foods. I’d much rather enjoy last night’s leftovers than scrambled eggs or a “breakfast pastry”! I looked through the fridge and found some leftover pot roast with baby carrots and rice. Yum! I heated it up and sat down to enjoy. Clearly, I’ve lived in this house longer than I think because when I took my first bite I was instantly reminded of the scene in O Brother, Where Art Thou? where Pete’s cousin, Wash Hogwallop (I had to type his name for the smirk factor), declares, “I slaughtered this horse last Tuesday. I believe it’s startin to turn” (or something close to that). This is NEVER a good scene to be reminded of when you’re eating! I daintily placed a napkin over my mouth and removed the piece of roast. Just kiddin! I ran to the kitchen and spit it into the sink, making all sorts of super attractive noises and then dumped the rest of it. Then I ate a yogurt because I’m pretty sure that’s gonna take care of any ick that’s happening inside me right now. Blech!!!!!

So, yogurt and a full 12oz of water ingested and I will spend the rest of the day looking around the corner and tiptoeing quietly, hoping that Monday forgets about me from here!

I hope your Monday is less Mondayish than mine

Doing the Dance of the Children on a Monday~

I LOVE this!!!!

Max came home on the 1st day of school and told me about this system in his classroom. His teacher also explained it to me and let me know that Max was already using the “Compliment Card” and the “Breaking News!” forms. In the last couple of days Max has received Compliment Cards from classmates. He’s LOVING this! Even better are the Breaking News! forms, because it enables a kiddo like Max, who has a really tough time NOT speaking his mind the very moment an idea or story pops into his head, to jot down what he has to say and to feel confident that when the teacher or parent who gets the form, has time, they will give it proper attention.

Max’s teacher let me know that he promptly grabbed a stack of each form, to be ready for when he would need them. Today he brought some home so I could utilize this great system at home.

The third form is “Tattling Turtle” and is to be used when a child feels upset about something or is having a problem with someone or something. GREAT! Now, if I can make a zillion copies, wallpaper the walls of my home in them, hand each kiddo a pencil and listen to their closed mouths and scribbling pencils! If only~

Seriously, I love the idea of this program for all kids, not just my super verbal, “I’ve got an idea”, Asperger’s kiddo. I hope he uses the forms at school AND at home and I’m open to my other kiddos using them too!

Here’s to great ideas that bring the hope of a little peace in the home and classroom!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Always Searching for a Better Way~

When we were driving to kill time before school, we saw a mom and her son walking. We noticed that he had the same lunch box as Max and Lex said he recognized him. When I got Lex to school, sure enough, the mom and boy were there. I introduced myself and shared my little story of Lex recognizing her son by his lunchbox. Then she said this;

Mom-Yes, we walk over here because I requested an inter district transfer because I’m usually pregnant and it’s a shorter walk than to the school he’s supposed to go to.

Me-Wow! That’s something you don’t usually hear. I have 9 kids and I guess I could say I’m “usually” pregnant.

Mom-Well, I’m a surrogate.

Me-Oh! How many babies have you been a surrogate for?

Mom-1. So I’ve had mine and the one other, but I’m planning on more.

Me-*Quizzical look* Oh. Good luck.

Seriously?! “I’m USUALLY pregnant” and she’s had 2?! I thought she was going to tell me she’s been a surrogate for 5 or more babies. I guess being pregnant twice in 4 yrs (her son is 5 and the baby is a year old) constitutes a whole lotta pregnant in some people’s eyes.

Doing the Dance of the Children…Really~

I’m taking a lil break from talking about life changes, moving, house-hunting, divorce, Aspergers, homelessness and being grateful for fabulous friends to point a huge neon arrow over to a lil preview on Itunes that features my eldest daughter, Kateri, singing with a friend of hers. I’ve always enjoyed listening to her sing and one of the things I’ve missed most in the last 5 years, since she left for college, is hearing her move through the house in song. Here’s a bit to share-enjoy the preview and think about downloading the entire song. Seriously, what’s .99¢?!

So Beautiful (feat. Kateri Lang)

Doing the Dance of the Children to the Sweet Sound of My Girl’s Voice~

You just never know when God’s putting a plan in action. He calls us to trust, to let go and to believe that He’s got it-that He’s actively working in our lives each day. It’s SO hard to REALLY REALLY do this! We worry and fret and stress and lose sleep to anxiety. But over and over again, He’s shown me that if I just go, He’ll take over.

This morning I had a conversation with my oldest, Kateri, about money. I told her I was waiting on a check and that I was really hoping that it would show up today. I let her know what my plan would be if it didn’t. I wasn’t particularly stressed over it, I just knew I needed a plan to put gas in the car until Friday if the check didn’t show up today.

When I got to work I parked and took out my make-up bag to finally get my make-up put on before going in. Im notorious for not getting it done before it’s time to leave the house! While I was applying concealer there was a tap on my window and a mom that I’ve seen over the years, but don’t know well, was standing there with a card for me. She told me that she would miss us and that she’d keep us in her prayers and that she just wanted to wish me well.

I was REALLY surprised! I thanked her and when she left I opened the card. It was very, very sweet-telling me that she thought I was doing a great job with my kids and that we would all be missed at the school, that she would see me online and that she was amazed at how I could stretch a dollar. And inside the card was $100!

$100 from a mom that I hardly know! This was the EXACT amount that I had told Kateri I would borrow if I didn’t get my check today.

Now go ahead and try to tell me that God wasn’t at work here!

Tammy, if you read this, know that you were my angel today. To the rest of us, let it be a 2-fold lesson. 1) To trust that we will always have just what we need, even if we have NO IDEA how it will show up and 2) If you ever feel that little pull to do something for someone and you just can’t figure out why such a thought has come to you, just do it! Know that you are being used for a bigger purpose and that the person you show an act of kindness to will know why you were sent.

Good Stuff!

After writing about my fear of new things, I started to think (and be reminded) of other instances where I let fear bind me and how I eventually overcame each thing. I thought I’d write them down. This way when I’m facing another new thing I can come over here and see that I’ve been successful ALL these other times. And maybe my list will help others through their own fears.

I left my iPod in it’s box for a whole year before I tried it out. An ENTIRE year!
When my PC was taken away and my Mac showed up on my desk I shunned it for a month. Once I gave it a try I became a loyal fan. I’ll never go back!
For the 1st 4 months of recording my podcasts I stayed as far away from the process as possible, fearing GarageBand fiercely.
Finding a new Dr.
Going into Tiffany’s (I was so afraid that they’d give me one look and ask me what-the-heck I thought I was doing in there).
Giving my Opinion-Ever.

I stood in my neighbor’s living room and debated with her over a trip I was going to take with my baby. I was going to visit a friend and I was SO paralyzed with the fear of leaving my other children and actually going somewhere. I made up a zillion excuses and like a good and true friend, she shot EVERY ONE of them down. I’ll bet she’s reading this with a smirk on her face, because she knows I took that trip and I had a GREAT time and that it opened the door in me to be able to take other trips. Now THAT’S a friend!

I let a toothache go for more than a YEAR! Resulting in the eventual loss of said tooth!

I FREAKED OUT after a blogging agreement between myself and Kraze Bootcamps. I spent about a week wondering what-in-the-world was wrong with me for even thinking I could do such a thing. Then I went and I kept going and blogging and it got SO Good!!!!! I found out that I was made of some pretty good stuff and didn’t need to be intimidated by push-ups or jumping jacks (though they tried REALLY hard to frighten me).

I cried and explained that I really really didn’t want to have to go through labor and delivery, let’s see…about 8 of the 9 times I did it. Guess what-I still had to. And guess what-I lived to tell the tales.

I’m sure there are plenty of other things I could come up with. I’ll probably publish this post and think of something really great that I forgot to put in here. But bottom line-all these things were HUGE stumbling blocks for me. I spent time agonizing over each thing and when I finally faced them, I found out I was stronger or more capable or actually enjoyed the changes they brought to my life. I know it won’t stop me from having anxiety over new things, but maybe talking about it will ease the fear.

Interestingly enough, I’m noticing that I only become frozen by things that effect just me. When I have to go outside my comfort zone for my kids-Done! A mama’s gotta do what a mama’s gotta do. Hmmm.

Doing the Dance of the Children AND Life and Learning Each Day~