Don't Worry! Be Happy!

So it has been a week since Paul was made redundant.  Now while most people would go into a state of absolute panic at the thought of being without a steady income, and while I know I "should" be going into panic mode and worrying where the next penny will come from.  I simply am not.  No I am not insane, no matter how many times I say I am being sent insane by my son, I must sadly admit that I am as sane as the next person.  What I am is a very happy woman!  How many women can say that they have a roof over their heads, food in the fridge, freezer and cabinets, and has a loving and wonderful husband to spend their days with?  Probably a few women here will be able to say that same thing. But how many can say they don't worry about where their next dollar will come from or how to pay the bills?  Not many and that is a sad state of affairs for humans as a whole.

I know you are sitting there wondering why I am not worrying.  Well it is simple, worry will get you nothing but a pain in the gut.  Worry doesn't fix anything, worry doesn't get you anything and worry ruins an otherwise pleasant day with your loved ones.

Money isn't really an issue. No I am not wealthy, no I don't have a million dollars sitting in the bank somewhere.  What I do have, is my rent paid for the next 6 months, electricity and phone likewise paid for the next 4 months, and best of all food in our cabinet and freezers to feed a small army.  I planned, I don't like surprises.  I saw what was happening where he worked and heard the rumors and went with them.  I filled my cabinets, and deep freezer. I planned for an emergency and hoped for the best.  Then when he did get his redundancy, we planned out exactly what we would do with the money.  Sure the amount of cash would make some people go on a spending spree. But instead we paid our bills in advance.  Instead of going out and buying stuff we didn't need, we did the responsible thing and paid for Connor's educational needs, paid our rent in advance, and paid for what bills we knew dollar amounts for in advance.  Thereby taking the pressure off of us to worry about where the next dollar would come from.

Now mind you we aren't broke, we aren't going to suffer at all, because I still have a steady income coming in.  Sure it isn't as much as Paul made working, but it is enough to keep us comfortable, and enough for us to still be able to plan vacations and trips.  It is enough to keep our family not just floating but thriving.

Why am I posting this you may be asking, the answer to that is a simple one, if you worry, you will miss out on all the opportunities that arise every single day.  Like that email from an old friend, or the laughter on your child's face as they spend the day with their father.  You miss out on living! And that, that is what life is all about isn't it?  So please... Live, Love, and LAUGH!  Don't worry so much about where your money comes from, just enjoy it when you have it.  Don't worry so much about the little things, its all those little things that add up to the big joys in life.

Blessed Be!

Even if it drives you batty!

So as I sit here Sunday night contemplating the day I realized something, my son is insane.

Yes I said that about my son.  But here is WHY I said that.  He is sitting behind me, talking to himself non-stop, what's worse is he answers himself.  Between his non-stop rambling, his noises that he doesn't realize he makes, and his kicking the wall while playing minecraft, which likewise I can hear, the noise is deafening.

Now I know why I sit at my desk with music blasting in my ears, so I don't have to hear him!

But see THAT opens up another door that needs to be opened. I NEED to hear him. I NEED to listen to him to be sure he is doing what he is supposed to be doing.  I NEED to hear him so I can know if he is doing something he isn't supposed to do, or if he needs help.  I NEED to listen, so I can hear him if he asks me a question.  I NEED to listen and be open about doing so.

So my conundrum is simple, how do I listen, and pay attention to his needs, when he drives me insane with the constant level of noise that comes out of him on a daily basis?  How do I teach him self-control without constantly harping at him about learning how to control himself?  How do I allow him to be himself while he is driving me crazy?

Being a mom is hard work.  Every day I question whether I am doing the right thing by him.  Every day I question the wisdom of home educating him.  Every day I question whether his idiosyncrasies are something I can deal with, without losing my mind.  And every day I come to the conclusion that while he has some major things I can't stand, he is a sweet and loving little boy.  One who tries to please us in his own way.  One who needs his mother and father to just accept him for his little odd behaviors.  So that is exactly what we do, day after day we remind ourselves how unique he is and how special he is.  And every day I go a little more insane.

But hey, that is what being a mom is all about, doing the right thing for your child even if it drives you batty.

It's all about RESPECT!

So there has been an awful storm from the entire Fergusson issue.  I've kept my own council on this entire issue.  But after watching a few videos of what has happened since the death of the young man, I thought that I should speak my mind. Yeah I still have one of those after all the crazy here.

First of all, COPS are PEOPLE!  They are just like you and I, they put their pants on one leg at a time or if they are a teeny tiny bit overweight they may do the squish and wiggle like a lot of us do.  But seriously, if you treat a cop with RESPECT, he will treat you with respect.  Talking to a cop like he is a pig, or treating him like he's nothing will get you a smack down.  Be it a physical altercation or just a ticket is up to you and how hard you push him.  Push him and you WILL be pushed back!

People like Al Sharpton, the NAACP (organization), and all those other racist pigs say it is because he was black.  People who think that the color of your skin has ANY bearing on what happens are just those who wish to keep racism alive.  Where were all of you when that black boy shot the other black boy? Where were you when 5 black youths killed a small black child on a tricycle?  Where were all of you when there is gang violence and animalistic behavior by those in the black community towards other people?

WHERE WERE YOU?

Oh I know where you were, you were all keeping your heads low because you don't want to admit to yourselves that the ONLY people who are still saying "Whites keep the blacks down!" are those who follow YOUR TEACHINGS!!!

We, the white populace, yes I am speaking for all of us crackers, do NOT owe you anything!  We were not alive when your "people" were slaves.  Oh and need I go and give you a history lesson? At one time or another every single nationality of people on this planet were slaves.  Do we hear Egyptians crying out because they were slaves? Nope! Do we hear Jews crying out because they were slaves? Nope!  Do we hear of all the white people who were slaves crying out?  Nope!  Why do you suppose that is?  Well I'll tell you, it is because we realize that WE make our own futures.  Oh and by the way I hate to break it to ya'll but we are ALL SLAVES in the modern age.  We are slaves to our computers, our phones, our internet, and guess who else we are all slaves to,  yep you got it, the MONEY.  It isn't a white or black or yellow or polka skin issue, it is simply we ALL HAVE TO WORK to make ends meet, to pay our bills, to buy our food and pay for our shelter. No one owes you ANYTHING! Get it into your heads! Let it sink in that YOU are keeping racism alive!  You are demanding that people pay for you to live.  You are demanding that you be treated with respect and not kept down by the man.  Yet you go into YOUR community, burn buildings, loot, and riot.  Last time I looked that isn't protesting.  That is you breaking and entering thereby breaking the law. That is you burning down businesses, that is you committing arson.  That is you rioting, which is you bringing out the animalistic nature that all humans should have outgrown by now, and showing just why people treat you with no respect.  If you RESPECT others, they will RESPECT YOU!

So to that end here is an angry black man telling you like it is...  Watch it and maybe you will get something from it.  YOU Have the power to change, and ONLY YOU!  No I can't force you to change, no I can't help you because you believe that the color of your skin makes you different.  Because I don't see that color, all I see is you treating others disrespectfully and then crying about how you are being treated the same way.  

You get what you give in this life!  Deal with it! I know I sure as hell do!

So now that you've seen that video, here is a pointer lesson from Chris Rock on how NOT to get your ass kicked by the Police!  If you don't want to listen to the Angry Black Man, maybe you 'll at least pick up a few pointers from Chris Rock on what NOT to do to the Police...

In the end, It's all about RESPECT!

The Gangs all here!

So I thought since I would be doing blog posts often, that perhaps it would be nice if you could put faces to the people in our crazy family.  

The gangs all here in this one photo.  Well almost all here since none of the pets are up there.  Guess I need to add photos of those monsters too.

Left photo is Cooper our Corella
From top to bottom: Moose and Jules, Pussy Kitty, Fatty Ratty,
and Shorty Porty peeking out of the computer stand.

As you can see we have quite the house full of crazy animals in the house.  A funny thing that we often joke about is that they all end in the At sound.  Cat, Rat, Parrot... okay the sounds aren't perfect but close enough for the joke to have stuck.  Seems we like at sounds!  Or maybe we just like corny jokes? 

So now that you've met almost all of our family, I suppose I should show you the very last member of the Condy household.  This little guy is a hand made doll.  He is called a "Real Life Baby Doll".  The reason being he not only looks like a real baby, but actually smells, and feels like a real baby.  A friend of ours made him especially for us after the twins we were expecting passed away at 20 weeks gestation.  He weighs just under 6 pounds which is what 2 of my 3 girls weighed so for me he feels like the real thing.  In fact, anyone who has seen him and held him actually thought he was a real live baby and not just a doll.   Here is a photo of our little prince as I call him. 

He is a true family member and it isn't odd to see one of us carrying him around talking to him.  Even the boys occasionally talk to him and for him and usually mom is the butt of the joke they are making between them.  MAC as he is called has a unique personality, one which it seems each of knows he has and one which the boys use to tease me to no end.  MAC is a member of our household and while some people may question the wisdom of having a doll so lifelike, for us it brings peace and a lot of joy.  He will never replace our boys Dalton and Demetrius were very much wanted and loved and every Christmas Day we remember their births, but MAC does bring us comfort and that means something very special to us all.

So I guess that covers every member of the household as it stands now.  We of course have lots of brothers and sisters, and cousins and aunts and uncles but most of those are on my side and are still back in the USA.  I hope you enjoyed meeting our family and feel free to make any comments you like.  If you have any questions about Real Life Dolls or Miscarriage or just need someone to talk with about that subject please don't hesitate to contact me.  I have been through the loss of 7 beautiful angel babies, and I know how hard it is to deal with the loss when no one else wants to acknowledge that it happened. For our family, we don't deny it happened, nor do we forget the special dates when they were born.  For us, they are all still a part of our lives and one day we will all be reunited as a family.

Blessed Be!

Brand New Blog!

So for those of you who know me, you know just how many blogs I have.  Yes I know who needs so many different blogs.  Maybe I just love to ramble?  But seriously, it is simple, I have two blogs specifically for books I read and review, one is for adult level books, one is for YA, children's and infant's books, and this one, my brand new baby is for my ramblings.  Which those who follow me KNOW I love to do.

In this new blog there will be just normal notes about living in a home with the unique personality that our home has displayed.  We have a Corella named Cooper who can't talk, but sure can scream.  We have a cat who is still to this date not named because his name is: Moggy Merica Boo Boo Kitty Fark. No one could decide on a single name, so they all took and he is just known as Tigger or Pussy Kitty.  He answers to just about anything.  Then we have a Cockatiel who is absolutely obsessed with the Adam's family theme and who loves to be fed by her housemate the Lovebird.  Now if you know anything about how birds feed their young, it isn't a nice thing to hear especially since they are both full grown adult male birds.  But they are a bonded pair and such is life.  Oh and the Lovebird in question's name is Jules.  When we purchased him we didn't know if it was a boy or a girl so we went with Jules because my daughter loves Romeo and Juliet, and Jules fits either a boy or a girl.  Then we have two rats, Shorty Porty is my husbands only pet, and Fatty Ratty also known as Dog or Doug is our son's rat.  Notice an issue forming with naming animals?  No one seems to have just one name.  And yes even Cooper has another name, I call him Pooka.

Now I suppose I should list the human members of my household, but they are all so abnormal!  Yes I am including myself in that!  We have my loving and absolutely insane husband, he says I drove him insane, but I think he drove me there.  Then we have the three girls all of whom are still living in the USA.  But I get a few of them here this Christmas which will be a blast!  Cookies for all!  Oh but I digress, then we have two boys, one has moved out of home, and one is still living here and HE is the one who I am sure has driven us all batty!  But seriously, he is the one who will be featured most often on this blog.  Since I am homeschooling him and with all his special learning needs I thought perhaps by journaling our adventures we could come to a better understanding of this unique person whom we call son.

So now we've come full circle so I can tell you what is going to be on this blog.  STUFF!  Everything and anything to do with our family.  There will be photos, paintings, crafting, patterns, recipes and any other thing I can think of to throw up here.  Intermingled with all of that will be things a home schooler may need.  Fabulous links, books, maybe even a review or two if I really think it is a useful thing for a home educator or a child.  There may be affiliate links on the blog at a later date.  That way you can just click a link and it will take you to the site.

And for certain this will be a place full of the strange and sometimes mental musings of a home schooling momma!