Happy New Year 2016-Catching up

Ok.  Here I go again.  It has been a crazy year.

Eldest Daughter bought her first car (with a co-signer for the loan).

Youngest Daughter had six DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) episodes, five of which ended up with hospitalization and one in the ICU, all in a seven month period.

Eldest Son turned 18 and is a Senior this year.  Went to Italy with his AP class last spring, and just got back from Texas for his grandparents 50th Wedding anniversary.

Middle Son turned 15 just before Christmas.  How did THAT happen?!  His issue this year was his growth/teen hormones and a freakishly hot summer here, that had his seizure meds increased because he was having more seizures than normal.  It's so hard to watch, because I have NO idea if he even knows what is happening. Other than that, his is still his happy-go-lucky self.

Youngest Son is just getting bigger, and as with most children in this day and age, we are concentrating on getting him "disconnected" from electronics. It was rough at first, but it is getting easier-ish.

Me? Trying to hold it all together.  Not always succeeding, but trying. The BEST news for me this year was my sister and her husband moving back home from Arizona.  YAY ME!  her baddest (yes I know the grammar is bad) news, was HER mom passing within the week of her returning home.  At least we have that to support each other now.  I KNOW what it is like to lose your mom, when she is one of your best friends.  All I can do is hug her and tell her, her actions and feelings are normal.

I raised me some chickens.  I LOVE MY CHICKENS.  I have become that crazy chicken lady.  They are so funny, fun and wonderful.  The Ladies greet me every day, and will actually sit and let me and my family pet them.

I did go back to work for the last half of the year. I so love the ladies I work(ed) with.  They are the best crew in the world, as far as I am concerned.  BUT it isn't just me who thinks it either.  We have customers who have to check our data packages that we send them, most of them DO NOT travel to any of their other suppliers, BUT DO come here to Washington, simply to be in the department, to partake of the camaraderie, true helpfulness and Thai Thursday's.  These ladies are an amazing group. And it shows.

My Hubby? Good.  Loves his new job, He's been there a year now.  It is SO nice to see him animated about work and not dreading the trek in, much less the work involved.  He is VERY happy that we started playing our role playing games again.  Friday Night Dungeons and Dragons is an absolute must with us and our friends now, Hubby is the DM (Dungeon Master).  We sometimes revert to our 14 year old selves (ok most times) and the group is wonderful.

So this year I am no longer doing Facebook.  I am trying to get away from Social Media.  I am still on Pintrest (it is a good organizing tool), but NO FB.  It sucks my time like no ones business.  It isn't so much the looking at peoples profiles or anything like that, I have liked certain pages and end up looking at the links and articles.  I can do that in a reading/blog program.  Not to mention, the posts that just keep reappearing.  After almost 10 years on FB, I think I have seen almost all of the fabulousness and idiocy I can handle at the moment.

I am going to go back to a simpler time in my life.  Before all the media input outlets, and information overload.  The constant bombardment takes a toll.  I remember growing up on the farm.  There was always something to do, time to rest and relax, read a good book, lay in the grass with the dog (or horse).  Planting a garden. Talking to the animals.

The rhythm of farm life is slow and regimented to a degree.  The animals NEED to be fed, watered, tended, looked at and loved.  It's a quiet predictable life.  I miss that deep in my soul.  The Urban Chickens in my life have reminded me of that need.

2016
This is the year of ME.  I am concentrating on myself this year.  Getting my groove back.  I am a caretaker by design, and I forgot someone I need to take care of.  Myself.  I am fat, anxious, depressed, unhealthy, unhappy and unfocused.  I am no longer going to tolerate it.  I cannot help anyone if I am in the hospital.  I cannot change anything except myself, my responses and my situations.  So if I don't like something, I am either going to accept it for what it is (my response) or accept my beliefs and be true to myself (my situation) and walk away.

The younger me was happier and healthier and less involved in world connections (media).  I didn't realize how MUCH I liked the old me.

That's it for the crazy right now.
Have a wonderful and crazy fun New Year.

New Year 2015 - New start on Simplifying

So first on my list of things to accomplish.  Blog.  Done!

One of the things I also wanted to do is get my Youngest Daughter started on her goal of acquiring a DAD.  What do you mean by that you ask? WELL...DAD stands for Diabetic Alert Dog in this instance, so I have created a crowd funding campaign for her.

http://www.gofundme.com/DADforMorgan

Organizing - Yup. Doing it.  I love this new site that is helping me get there.

Household Management 101

I am doing fairly well on the Declutter Your Home in 15 Minutes a Day.  The Facebook page is REALLY fun with all the things that get posted with before and after pictures, and the organizing ideas.

I have completed all the days on the calendar the site put out for 2015 EXCEPT for making the Household Binder.  There are so many things to consider in my life, what with all the crazy going on, that I have at least printed it, gotten a binder, and created the sections.  Now, I just have to notate it.

With our crazy family, and my being a relatively new stay-at-home mom, being organized is near critical.  Mostly for MY sanity.

MY Cheats and helps so far?

The Roomba - My husband and I decided to get a Roomba for Christmas.  The 880 is WONDERFUL!  I have it set to run at 4:30 am.  My alarm is set for 6:00 am, so if there is an issue (full bin), I can deal with it and send it back on its way.  How is it a cheat or help?  With Willow the woolly wildebeest service dog, I am having to vacuum every day to just keep up with the shedding, the Roomba 880 doesn't even blink an eye at it.  LOVE!

Yes I still have to clean out the mechanics of it every other day, but this one is TEN times easier than the last one we had.

AmazonFresh.com - How does this help?

1.  I can list all of my family's favorite meals as a list.  I then can simply click "add all available items" and it all shows up together.  I have contacted the web team with some suggested tweaks, like being able to add multiples of an item to the list, currently you can only add a unit of 1(one), so I must make use of the description area to remind me that I need 2 of this or 3 of that.  I also suggested that they give the option of a List or a Recipe.  They stated that they would forward the suggestions.

2.  It helps me stay on budget for meals/food.

3.  I am SUPER picky about my fruits and veggies, and they have really good quality.

AND
4.  Delivery is free, since I never get out of the grocery store for less than $50 anyway.

Amazon.com - I admit it.  Hello, my name is Cherilyn, and I am an Amazon addict.

Organization/Ease
1.  Bread Machine - I bake and use it for dough or for a really tasty loaf of bread.
2.  Cleaning Caddie/Spray Bottles - I got all of my cleaning supplies together in one place and its PORTABLE.  I mix my own cleaning supplies (natural AND concentrates), so I take my Sharpie and mark it with the name AND mixing information.
3.  Bought a huge supply (36 pack) of microfiber cleaning towels.  I can clean up, use them as spoon rests, throw it on the floor for whatever messes happen down there, and they all just get tossed into a bucket in the laundry room after use.

I have tons more to expound on, however I would like to have more than one post. :)

So, here we are...a new year with the same ol' crazy.  Here's to holding on and making my 8 seconds.

Have a great day.