Pour me something strong and lets get this weekend over with...

Only 4:30 PM and I’m ready for bed. No… ready for a strong drink and a movie. Yeah…. Just 4 more hours until the kids go to bed. 
This is my thought line about now. I’ve spent the entire day since breakfast cleaning the apartment.

Two and a half bathrooms, kids’ bedroom, kitchen, dining room, swept and vacuumed the floors…. I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss anything. And the smell of bleach was like welcoming an old friend over. Tried playing some video games after I was done to cool down. Somehow it just doesn’t work when you have kids running around screaming or tattling on each other. 
What led to my day going this way? How about living with your ex as a roommate who doesn’t help clean anymore? He takes the trash out and babysits. Makes sure bills get paid and occasionally washes laundry (especially when he needs something clean). But that’s where it ends. Lately I find that every time I’m off for a day, I’m cleaning. At first I believed it was because he was incompetent as a stay at home dad on disability. I mean honestly… how hard is it to wash the dishes before I get home? How hard is it to see the trash is full and take it out before I have to say something or do it myself? But this is part of what led to our divorce. I’m tired of having a grown man that has the mentality of a teenage boy for a husband. Of all the jokes that I don’t just have 3 kids, I have 4. But after today…. I’m thinking he’s doing it on purpose. Maybe I’m giving him too much credit, but it seems like he is actually leaving the heavy cleaning for me to do on my days off. My days off are when he goes out with his friends from morning until night. He typically takes the van so I have no way of leaving the house with the kids. What else am I to do then? Clean! Plus he knows I’m OCD about cleanliness.

I hit the ground running every day when I get home from work. Washing dishes, folding laundry that was left in the basket, changing a diaper, sweeping the floor. I see something didn’t get done, I get to work on it. Or how about his half-done jobs? You ever hear the saying, don’t do a half-ass job? I’ve grown up with that mentality. You can’t do the whole job, don’t bother trying. Don’t sweep the floor and leave the pile in the corner. You have three kids running around. Especially in a high traffic walkway. How stupid can you be?! I digress… I feel used. Taking advantage of someone's mental strain to get something done is awful. Being OCD means I can't fight the urge to clean. To have order amongst the chaos. It makes me feel disoriented. I'm lost. I feel like I'm living in a dirty old barn. 
So I get to work and don’t stop until everything is spotless. Headphones in and ponytail tight. This is practice for the day when I live alone as a single mom of 3 after all. Do you know it sucks? Like really… how you single moms do this daily I will never know. My respect only grows stronger for them. I just want to run away from it. The thought of leaving it all behind has hit me more than once. And lately, more so. 

My mind had a chance to think about all those things I try to tuck away and ignore. All the things that I will need to deal with, but I really want to just ignore until they go away. That’s when I realized that I spend my days off cleaning. Every single week. Thoughts then drift to my divorce. What’s left to complete it? How can I speed it up so my ex can officially start dating these girls he’s been asking out? After all, I’m not the psychotic ex-wife that slashes tires, cleans the toilet with his toothbrush, and spreads rumors about his personal habits. Nope. I want him to find someone who makes him truly happy. I doubt he will. After all, he married a modern day Wonder Woman and she wasn’t good/smart/pretty enough for him for 7 ½ years, but still. Having someone in his life will keep him off my case and out of my business. Total win-win if you ask me. The frustration keeps my energy on high until the job is done. I even packed away stuff that sits on shelves collecting dust to make extra space for his Lego mess which has taken over half the dining room. Now I'm ready to cook dinner and pop in a movie with the kids. Once they are in bed though.... Bring on the alcohol. Granted I'm not a drinker. Matter of fact, I had my first drink at the ripe age of 27 years old. And even then, it was only a Smirnoff. Or two... But tonight, I think I'll take it up a notch. Its the weekend, I'm off, children will be asleep. What else would I do to relax? I'd go back to Krispy Kreme for another doughnut... yesterdays free doughnut was awesome!

So here's to drinking to forget how crappy the day was... 

Boredom sends me searching....

It's not even 8 PM and I'm ready for bed. But its my turn to watch the kids while their dad is out for the night. So to keep myself occupied, I decided to catch up on little projects that have been tossed to the side in the hectic schedule I keep. One of those projects was to research things that caught my attention but had to be put on hold in the moment. Fashion in particular. I'm not into most fads. I'm not fashionable or up to par with whats hot in today's age. Do I try to dress nice? Of course. But I do so in my own way. 
I heard about a couple things though that I find incredibly hard to believe that anyone would ever buy. Yet could possibly be lucrative to their creators. The first is Fruit Scented Jeans. How would you like pink jeans that smelled like strawberries? For up to 20 washes! I get that women in particular like smelling good, but seriously? Isn't that what perfume is for? 
ABC posted an article and shared the company's website. 

I scratch my head at this one. Would you want to wear jeans that smelled like lemons? Would you pay that much for them? And how could you prolong the scent?

Then there is the Personal Space Dress... I'm from the South. I like my three feet space that surrounds me like a bubble. I don't like you people from up north who like to stand so close that I can smell your breath or that you are practically rubbing shoulders with me. I NEED my SPACE. But at the same time, I don't think I want to go to the extremes of getting the Personal Space Dress to keep people away. Its a dress that was designed to detect the presence of someone nearby and self inflate like an unfolding umbrella to form a protective circle around you that keeps everyone about arms length back. There are even websites that walk you through making one for yourself. 

How about a robotic spider dress? You can look like a character from a sci-fi movie. Sensors on the torso of the dress detect someone or something getting close and spiny leg-like appendages reach out. 

And they come in black or white. 

What happened to dressing classy?

To having true style. To being able to have the right attitude and portray a strong personality. 

When did we switch to the outlandish? 

National Doughnut Day!

June 5th is National Doughnut Day. Krispy Kreme will be celebrating by giving away 1 free doughnut of any variety to each customer! Yummy! Which doughnut flavor is your favorite? 

"We are celebrating one of the sweetest holidays of the year with a free treat for our fans!

On Friday, June 5, 2015, in honor of National Doughnut Day, guests will be treated to one FREE doughnut of any variety at participating Krispy Kreme® US and Canadian store locations. 

National Doughnut Day commemorates The Salvation Army volunteers who provided doughnuts to soldiers in WWI. 

Offer valid for one FREE doughnut of any variety, including the signature Original Glazed® doughnut, at participating Krispy Kreme US and Canadian store locations on Friday, June 5, 2015 only. No purchase necessary. While supplies last. Offer not valid at convenience or grocery stores. Excludes Connecticut and Puerto Rico locations. VisitKrispyKreme.com to locate a store near you."

Find your local Krispy Kreme here. 

Happy Birthday Candle review and giveaway!

Birthdays are supposed to be magical. Growing up, my mother tried to make every birthday I had, a special event that I would remember. These days, there are so many ways to build up those happy memories. I've been to parties with bounce houses, photo booths, dance party themes... There are so many ideas and things out there to make someone's birthday truly special. But the best part of any birthday party? The time for cake! Who cares what Johnny got, Mom! I'm ready for cake. And that wonderfully fun moment of having everyone sing to only you! 
Well, suppose you could make that song even more special? I came across something the other while surfing an app I have. It showed the Happy Birthday Candle. A very unique candle that plays the Happy Birthday song while spinning. Its rather awesome. You light the top candle, it spins and plays, and then the flower bursts open revealing more candles lit up by the main one. 

They come in three colors; Blue 

Pink 

and Yellow 

I took a blue one on my trip to my parents house this past week. My younger brother had his birthday while we were visiting. I thought it would be cool to try out while there. I have to admit, even after the singing ended and he blew out the candles we were still laughing and enjoying the candle. When you light the candle, it shoots up like a sparkler, dazzling and beautiful. The music plays and you can join in with song. As it spins, the flower opens up and reveals all the other candles, neatly lit. I absolutely loved it! 

Check out their website and like their Facebook page! That way you can enter the giveaway to win your own pack of Happy Birthday Candles. Since the owner asked there be only one way to enter (liking his Facebook page), I made it count as a 5 point entry to boost your chances. Feel free to share the contest with your friends and check out my Facebook page as well. I'm always eager to hear what you think or what you want to see on here, so comment or message me! https://www.facebook.com/ReviewsByATexasNerd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The end is near

My vacation is coming to a close. I've gotten time with friends and family. My great grandmother being one of the most important ones.

We made memories.

We made Takayoki (sp?) that was certainly interesting.... My 2 1/2 year old sister showed us how to start my dads motorcycle. 

Celebrated my brothers 14 year old birthday. 

Hung out with one of the greatest nerds this world will ever know.

 Enjoyed places both new and old.

Sadly, tomorrow afternoon we will again board the mini van and make the long drive back home. Part of me wishes the trip never ends. The other part of me will happily embrace that regular routine I had. And my bed... And I'll be taking along lotion until my sunburn turns tan! But what are vacations for anyhow? If not to have fun and make memories of all kinds. 

Traveling with children

All children are special. They say the darnedest things. Or see things in a way you don't. My kids do it all the time. I either scratch my head and wonder how that came to light with them or laugh until I could wet myself. On our trip, my oldest definitely had me laughing. 

I hear the seatbelt click as its being taken off. 

Me: Put that seatbelt back on!

Stephen: But mom, I need to fart. 

Me: .... So?! Put it back on. Then fart. 

Stephen: I can't fart if I'm sitting down. 

Me: *facepalm* What...? You have to wear a seatbelt so long as we are driving, son. So find another way to fart or wait until we stop again. 

We drive on and I fall asleep in the front. When we stop for gas, I change into shorts and brush my teeth. My oldest starts waking up and hands me a bottle with yellow liquid inside.

I've made enough long distance trips to know what's in the bottle. 

Stephen: *smiles* Guess what's in the bottle, mom! 

Me: I don't have to guess. I already know. Why did you pee in the bottle instead of asking us to stop? 

Stephen: Because you were taking too long to stop and I couldn't hold it. So I just had to pee in the bottle. 

I'm just going to be proud of him for not wetting himself. 

Later we get out of the car to grab a bite to eat. Immediately after jumping out the side, my middle child whips it out and starts peeing in the lot. I turn around and ask why?! "I had to pee. Oh and I peed while I was sleeping so my clothes are wet." 

In my head I'm thinking, there's a place with lovely restrooms just a few steps away. Nope, just couldn't wait. Had to show off those family jewels to the traffic-filled road and restaurant full of people. Way to go, son. 

Day 1 of my vacation

Already halfway through my first day on the road. We left about 3:30 this morning with 3 sleeping kids and a van filled with bags. iPad, tablet, DS... Yes! All set for the moment they wake up bored. I slept while Bryan drove the first part of the trip. Woke up around the time we hit Louisiana and found the Cajun music station. Cajun may be a dying language, but the music plays on so beautifully. I tried to find the Coushatta Reservation to show my children part of my heritage. Thanks to Google Maps, we ended up on a dead end road with "No Trespassing" signs everywhere. I tried. Instead we pressed on to see my great grandmother. 

This amazing woman has been a key role model throughout my life. Now she is 81 years old. She can barely walk, her mind comes and goes, and she's steadily losing weight. At about 90 pounds currently, I'm pretty sure I could lift her with ease. 

Seeing her as she is, I'm filled with two emotions. On the one hand, I'm so proud of her. She has lived through so much. If she could recall them, she has stories that make adventure books seem lame. But on the other hand, she is alone. She's outlived husbands, her mother, her son. Her sister has just about lost her mind entirely. Her memory comes and goes. My Nana's health has been on the downslope for many years. Falling, arthritis, osteoporosis, and Parkinson's disease. All of her remaining family lives in Florida or Texas. And some don't mind stealing from her if the chance arises. She actually longs for her day to "go". And it pains me to see her this way. But I know there's nothing I could do. I just tell her that God isn't ready to take her away. She brings a little more beauty into this world with everyday she is here. Sadly I couldn't stay as long as I wished. My children got rowdy and begged to leave (to my horror). 

Now we are on the 12 hour leg of our trip on to Florida. I get a little peace as the munchkins pass out. 

Onward we go!