30 Before 30: 24 & 25

24. Go to the second chance prom.

In my area a local radio station does a "prom" for adults. My husband and I were far from together in high-school. (I was home-schooled, he was not.) It would be so awesome to relive that event together. Andrew never went to prom in high-school anyway!

25.  Buy a decent mattress, maybe even a Sleep Number.

I don't get a lot of sleep as it is, it ought to be a good bed I sleep on! Beyond that, I have terrible back problems and I suffer daily with pain. A good bed may reduce some of that and help me be a nicer person during the day.

On a Side Note

I have been working faithfully on number sixteen from my list! Every time the kids have to hula hoop in gym I make great efforts to figure it out. I even practice with them. Although embarrassing, the kids find fascinating.

30 Before 30: Seventeen

17. Return to a somewhat normal sleep pattern.

I. AM. DONE. MISSING. SLEEP. So, will someone give my boys the memo?


As I sat here too tired to remember the good ideas I formulated to write about yesterday, I decided honesty was best. I am tired! Although my husband has gladly taken on many hours a night with our youngest, I can't seem to catch up. The months of missed sleep have caught up with me. Someone tell me this gets better... please.

Thoughts of Zombies, Purgatory, Denial

I cant believe it is the end of Summer.

I don't know if you realize, but Summer is literally coming to an end. School is beginning for most and life if going back to normal. Except for mine. I owe you an apology for my disappearance, but I am am tired and in denial.

Zombies

My nine month old has decided he no longer needs sleep. I am collateral. He wakes every 45 minutes. You may think I am exaggerating, but I kid you not. By about four I have to talk calmly to myself, remind myself I love him, and wake my husband. I am the walking dead. I am the definition of a Zombie. I'd be careful if you decide to come around, because I could choose to eat your brains at any moment.

He thinks not sleeping is pretty darn funny!

Purgatory

My husband and I have been waiting.....waiting for news of jobs, interviews to happen, and life to chance. I don't believe in purgatory myself, but if it exists, it surely feels like this. With no place of your very own in a waiting game. Sort of like the in the book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" I am in the "most useless place. The Waiting Place." I'd like to tell God, "uncle" but  know that would only make it worse. So, whatever he has planned, I let it be and I'll just keep waiting.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

My husband was actually the one who begged me to get back on the horse. I had to agree, this blog keeps me sane and since sleep can't help with that endeavor, something ought to. I was supposed to be talking about going back to school. I work at a school currently, and so that moment will be arriving for me shortly. Over the last few weeks I will try to cover as much as I can. I want to talk about my favorite back to school finds, creating a family routine, and fashionable work wear for teachers. 


I've missed you. I hope you are as happy for my return as I am to be back! Lets get me sane, ok?

A little glimpse of missed life for you!

Things I HATE

There are very few things, especially people that I can say I HATE. However, I do have a few. Since I spent an unusual amount of time looking at useless news articles, I feel like sharing those things with you today. 

10 Things I HATE

First, I hate discussing politics. I hate it more when the person doesn't agree with me.

Second, I hate to sit and watch tv for any length of time.

Third, debt collectors. I don't hate the person so much as the job they do.

Fourth, bank fee. Curses on bank fees!

Fifth, I hate student loans. Lies! They were not the "good" debt I was promised.

Sixth, being awoken every night for 8+ months. Henry, get it together now!

Seventh, dry feet. I especially hate the feeling of dry feet against many fabrics.

Eighth, I hate hard beds. I can't sleep and my back hurts!

Nine, I hate seeing my kids hurt. Truthfully, I hate to see any child hurt. I once told my mother I couldn't go into social work because I would end up in jail.

Ten, ingrown hairs. Along with this I should include hair growing in unfortunate places, pimples, calcium bumps, black heads, and hang nails.

A few things I dislike but I dont feel strongly enough to hate...

 

• Canned mushrooms
• Bad breath
• Being told to calm down when I am angry.
• The silent treatment
• Bad drivers
• Painful shoes
• Uncomfortable bras (this is almost hate worthy)
• Removing nail polish
• Broken nails
• Being alone

I hope you feel like you know me better now! I certainly feel better. 

Day 21: Three Day Catch Up and Contest Winner?!

Should I be offended? Not one person entered my contest. My heart is just a tad broken. However, I am going to over look it and assume everyone was on vacation and try this again! Are you interested in winning a brand-new pair of handmade earrings! Specially picked for you, by me at a local festival!? If you are...

Here are the rules this time:
1. Like Casseruola Dolce Della Vita on Facebook.
2. Share that you entered my contest on either Twitter or Facebook. (make sure to tell them @dolcedellavita) Make sure you give them a link so they can enter too!
3. Comment that you did all three! Be sure to include your email so I can let you know if you won!


The contest ends Sunday, June 30th. You get a week to get in to win these lovely dangle earrings!

Catching Up

Now, we have had a very eventful past three days! Wait to you see how much fun we had!

Fun in the Sun: Friday=Water

The schedule I created to help keep summer boredom away said that Friday's mean water play. We didn't have any plans to GO somewhere so we made our own water fun.

Although my oldest got a bit more sun than I would have liked (even with sunblock), he had a blast! When I made them go in for lunch, Benjamin was really disappointed.

Playland and Catch Up

We took advantage of the playland later that day to get together with a family friend. In the end, Benjamin just ended up pulling them into playing with him and very little adult conversation was allowed. Oh the joys and woes of having munchkins. 

Burger King has $0.50 ice-cream cones of cups all summer, so we got dessert for less than 4 bucks! Add that to play time, we got way more than our monies worth.

Moonlight Delight

My oldest son has suddenly taken a liking to the moon. So we took a few minutes when we got home to look at the moon. He also loved the fact that I let him sit on top of my car. He thought he was hott stuff. After our moon adventure we went on a search for lightening bugs. It was the first time he had ever seen one.

Saturday Surprise Party

On Saturday we went to a surprise party for my dad. Because we celebrated earlier in the week he was so clueless of the very special plans we had made for his 50th birthday. Benjamin and Henry especially like the balloons and watermelon that came with the party!

My mother made my dad a dirt cake because she said that he is now "older than dirt". I attempted to have Ben ask "what were the dinosaurs like?", be couldn't remember it long enough to ask. Grandpa was very surprised. We parked all the cars in a church parking lot and shuttled people over, so even when he arrived there was no evidence. We had plenty of fun, food, and music!

Sunday: A Day At the Park

Today we spent some time with our church family River Church at the park. We did service there and did a huge potluck/BBQ afterward. Benjamin and Henry played their heart out. Everyone ate their heart out. And we pray that others were reached by our hearts being "out".

After church and the events surrounding it, we went to a little event full of local businesses. It was really more of a networking event for my job with Growing Up in the Valley, but it was fun having the family along. Benjamin was very helpful and handed out my card to every booth. I had the chance to sign up for some prizes and get some contacts, so all was good. When we got home we were all wiped out from a day of outdoors and hot weather. (Nowhere we went today was air-conditioned.) At home we cooled down and relaxed until dinner. After dinner the usual bath-time, bed-time craziness ensued.

That leads me to where I am now. All my kids in bed, my husband at the movies and the bed to myself for a while. If I new my youngest Henry wasn't about to wake again in a half hour I might have just hit the sack and left you hanging yet another night. So, you have my sleepless child to thank for a fun post of pictures today!

I've actually missed writing. Its part of what keeps me sane, but then again, so does sleep.

I hope to see lots of entries in the giveaway above! Until tomorrow, I pray that you sleep better than I surely will!