Traci's Testimonials

I am not a good multitasker. I know the lifestyle of homeschooling 5 kids might suggest otherwise but take my word for it. I am a decent organizer, not too bad with time management, but multitasker....no. Today, I decided to get a head start on September's church bulletin and was basking in my unusual lack of procrastination when my 9 year-old decided she was bored and wanted to bake a cake. Since I was completely focused on the task at hand I dismissed her with a wave and a nod of (what she thought was) approval. I know I heard her searching for the ingredients. I'm quite positive I told her which mixing bowl to use. I'm sure she informed me she was going to use the electric mixer. I just don't remember being mentally invested in the exchange. I was torn away from my (important) work the first time due to some uncertainty surrounding the smell coming from the preheating oven. I assured the (now 3) girls encircling the mixing bowls that it was perfectly normal and not t...

My friend posted a status the other day stating that she had mopped her kitchen floor before breakfast followed by a statement I have used several times--Sometimes I just wake up stupid. Yes, don't we all. "Stupid" is a swear word in this family. When I hear my children running up the stairs shouting "I'm telling mom you said the S word," I know they mean the six letter one. I still firmly stand by my convictions that this is a foul word when it slips through a child's lips. The problem is, I use it. A lot. Never in reference to people mind you....ok, rarely. Well, when I'm driving it simply doesn't count. Those people really are stupid! I have been caught with my potty mouth on several occasions. Don't you hate it when your kids say something awful and you realize they learned it from you? Being that I'm a homeschooling mom I can't even blame unruly classmates. Well, I can, but it just means they got it from me first. Pardon me, the ...

Today I ventured in to the western "civilized" jungle commonly known as the grocery store. Yes, I took all of the children. I say that because whenever I tell my mother I've gone anywhere her first question is always some variant of "Who watched the kids?" But it doesn't always come out that way. It ranges from "You didn't take all those kids did you?" to "What was Ryan doing, why couldn't he watch the kids?" She means well. I know what she's trying to say. She just couldn't picture herself grocery shopping with 5 children under the age of ten. (Nobody who knows her could picture that either.) ;) My first stop was Weston's bakery aka the cheap bread place. It's a small store that never has more than 2 customers at a time so it never takes more that a minute to make a purchase. I decided to take one kid in to help me carry the bags. I read the other four the riot act, "I'm locking the doors. Don't open...

Ok, so since I quit my contract and went back into homemaker mode I've been a bit of a cleaning nazi. I admit it. For the past week I could have been mistaken for a Season 3 Kate Gosselin (no offense intended, Kate). I've been mopping, dusting, spraying, and washing like my house was about to be declared a bio-hazard. I've been chasing kids with facecloths as if the Popsicle they just let melt all over their hands was made of acid that would eat through any fabric furniture within seconds of touching it. I have become exactly the type person I have egregiously made fun of. And I'm okay with that. I am running around the house whistling while I work. I am in my happy place . I am half-heartedly listening for bickering and/or crying so I can intervene before someone gets really hurt. I have set the 3 little ones loose with Play Dough on the back porch and the 2 big girls are engrossed with Webkins trivia games while I tackle the laundry mountain in my room before the...

A few of my friends have asked me why I don't blog. I have two equally true answers. The acceptable answer is: I don't have time. The unacceptable answer is: I have no idea what I'm doing. Number 1 is no longer true at this moment now that I'm back home full time and school has not started yet. Number 2 is still true. I have no doubt you would come to that conclusion on your own after parusing my posts for a short time. This, I promise you, will be the most drab looking blog you have ever seen. Unless someone takes pity on me and teaches me how to make it pretty. But I digress...... After one (long) year of working full time I am finally back......working full time. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the past year being back at my youth's chosen profession. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to leave the house and do...exactly...the same things I do at home for people who aren't my family. I did. With vigor. I took great pleasure applying my makeup and l...