Hello stranger

Johnathon and Xaviars School Pictures

Here lately I have been really busy. I have a lot going on for instance today I had to get the bous ready cir school wake clayton up get ry dressed then myself, take the boys to school, go to walmart searched for 30 for costumes for the boys found one for johnny but nothing for xavie, so we went to the dollar store nothing, we hit top shelf thrift, again nothing we went to another walmart and another thrift store and not a single skeleton toddler costume...so I logged on to.  Amazon (my - lifesaver/weakness) & I find one. I order next day shipping so it should (better) be here tomorrow. Then once I got home I layed the baby down while clayton played on the computer abd went to my policy counsel meeting after that I came home put up some decorations fed the baby layed him back down and went to pick up the older boys had a brief meeting with xavies teacher and then came home. Cleaned up the living room and started dinner. Fed the baby and the other boys got clayton up for work cleaned up. Layed ry down for a nap and then started making the pinata for the halloween party, got the kids in bed fed ry a snack then put him back to bed. Made almond bark spiders and finally relaxing. I am so worn out and tired however with clayton working nights I find it hard to sleep. Guess im gonna check the pinata and then read my kindle. Hopefully it may put me to sleep.

Stage 1 of the pinata

Banning children from public

We all have been out to eat and a child is screaming or just acting out. I will admit it my oldest son has acted up before however we took charge of the situation and got him to act right. Alot of resturants have started banning children. In a way I can agree however it isn't fair for all. My children are very well behaved when we go out to eat the worse thing they may do is not eat. However they don't scream or cry or run around they sit there and talk quietly to us. I have a 5 yr old 3 yr old and a 5 month old. My older two know how to act and when we do go out to eat we plan it around his nap time. Honestly I don't think it is fair to blame the child its the parents! Im watching Dr. Phil and he is covering this topic and let me say this one of the audience members make the point of not banning children but have a noise ban. I have to agree with her entirely why should my quiet child be banned but adults talking loudly on their cell phone be permitted. Also, I have noticed a lot of these people that are for the ban do NOT have children. If u want to ban children fine however it should be based on the individual child's behavior but don't punish all children if they behave. One of the ban notices is about screaming children and this I feel is more fair vs. banning all children under a certain age. Please feel free to comment below.

Big Daddy's Pizza Pockets

I really need to get some batteries for my camera so I can take better pics. Anyways tonight like many weekends Clayton cooks dinner. Tonight he asked me what I wanted and we brainstormed and decided on meat pies, however we felt like experimenting with it. After he searched the internet and shot some ideas we decided on making pizza pockets. So he went to the store and got all the ingredients.

Ingredients:
Fry Bread:
flour
baking powder
salt
milk (powdered or regular)
My husband wasn't taught with measuring cups he was taught by seeing, and since I haven't ever gotten to watch him do it I don't know how much he uses.
Filling:
Sausage
Italian Seasoning
Onions
Bell Peppers
Mushrooms
Cheese
Olives
Pasta Sauce

Oil

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients for the fry bread. Kneed the dough for about 30 mins. then form individual balls (tennis ball size) flatten out the balls. Set aside. In a skillet add the sausage,Italian seasoning, mushrooms and onions and brown the meat. Add the sauce to the dough with a shallow spoon (don't over do it.) then sprinkle the cheese, meat mixture, and veggies of choice. Fold the dough in half (kinda like you would do with a taco.) then press the edges (or fold the edges over) together with the end of a fork. Set aside. In your skillet add cooking oil (make sure us have enough to cover half of your pocket) turn your burner on med hi until your oil is hot. Then turn it down to medium (or med lo) and add your pizza pockets to the oil after a few seconds turn it over. keep doing this until its golden brown. Let cool on paper towels and serve. These are so so so yummy.
My husband usually makes a lot so that way we can eat some the next day. You can check out fry bread recipes online at :
http://www.manataka.org/page180.html#Old%20Fashioned (we use the traditional Seminole version)
If you decide to try this feel free to leave your comments or even your own little twists.
A little treat we like to have from time to time is warm fried bread with melted peanut butter. YUM YUM. What do you think would taste yummy in it?

Rayning Roses Accessories

Ok so my good friend Stephanie and I are trying to put out creative skills to good use and are trying to start up our own little business.
It's on facebook and it's called Rayning Roses Accessories. We make all kinds of stuff like little bows and you can't have bows without a bow holder, we have a couple of these on our page with many more to come. We also offer fleece blankets in all kinds of different designs, there are 3 sizes the baby (small) is 1 yrd. And thats $16+sh. The kid (medium) 2 yards $25+sh. The large (adult) is 3yards and that is $35+sh. These are all custom, you pick 1 design and 1 solid color. From time to time I will make a special holiday themed blanket for discounted price. I also do fleece pillows you can have you choice of sm/child($8),med/standard ($12), or large/body pillow ($16) you can choose between 1 or 2 different designs/colors. If you order both a blanket and pillow we will throw in a matching tote for $1. We also make paci clips in you choice of design for  $4 (shipping included). everything we send out has conformation shipping for your peace of mind. As we grow we will be adding more items, and if there is anything you would like to see or comment on feel free to let us know.
Www.facebook.com/RayningRoseAccessories

Long time no post

So its been awhile. I've been busy doing school work and working on some side stuff. But I am back and am going to post more often.

Toddler Snacks/Meals

Apple Breakfast Bars
1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded

Combine all ingredients. Let stand 10 minutes. Press mixture into 8" x 8" baking dish.  Bake at 375? until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Loosen with spatula, and cut into bars while warm. Serve hot for breakfast or snack **Freezes Well**


***My Boys love this*****
PUPS IN A BLANKET

One pack of all-beef, or turkey all-natural (or tofu) hot dogs
Puff pastry dough or Ready-to-Bake Crescent Rolls or Lavash or Wraps
Veggies & Cheese

Directions:
In a skillet, cook the (tofu) dogs until they brown and blister- may boil if using meat dogs, while the dough sits out defrosting.
Wrap the dogs in a square of the dough and roll them up like a cigar with veggies & cheese.
Cut into smaller pieces to desired Toddler-friendly size.
In an oven preheated to 375-400 degrees F, bake the rolled dogs for about 25min. or until they are fluffy and golden brown.

Serve with Sweet Potato Fries or Veggie Sticks and Dipping Sauce

APPLESAUCE GRAHAM CRACKERS

Graham Crackers
Natural Applesauce
Cinnamon
Raisins
Wheat Germ

Mix cinnamon, wheat germ and raisins into the applesauce. Spread over the graham crackers. Use any type of fruit purée you wish!
Using low salt saltines, low-salt Ritz, pita bread slices, or plain rice cakes as your cracker base is just as good!!


YOGURT CEREAL BARS

2 cups corn flakes - 3/4 flour - 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - 1/2cup butter or margarine
1 cup flavoured yogurt (banana/strawberry etc..) - 1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 350F

Combine cereal, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Cut in butter or margarine until coarse crumbs form.
Press 1/2 the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 8inch square pan.
Mix yogurt, egg and 2 tablespoons flour in another small bowl.
Spread over cereal mixture in pan and then sprinkle the remaining cereal mixture on top
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cut into bars when cooled.
Courtesy of Stonyfield Farms Yogurt 


FROZEN BAN-OLA

1 medium sized banana - peeled
1/2 cup crushed granola
plain or vanilla yogurt (blueberry yogurt is yummy too!)

Dip banana in your choice of yogurt
Roll banana in crushed granola
Place in freezer bag and freeze. May be eaten without being frozen also


Check these and other toddler meal ideas at: 
http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlersnacks.htm

Battle with T-Mobile: And the winner is.....Yours Truely

So those of you that have been following my blog know that I have been having this ongoing battle with T-Mobile. Well I called them back today and after 10 mins of me telling the representative I wanted to speak to a supervisor he finally transferred me. After telling her everything that has been going on, and about how lying to your customers isn't good customer service,and how I have paid all my bills on time and don't appreciate all this hassle I have been going through. She then told me that sometimes with extreme circumstances they can make adjustments so she put me on hold. After about 10 mins she comes back and says that she made all the necessary adjustments and my new bill is going to be 154 a month. Now thats what I'm talking about, I just don't understand why they didn't just do this in the first place. Oh well it's done and taken care of. Moral of the story just because they are a big company doesn't mean they can push you around.

t-mobile=Worse customer service EVER!!!!

Just to set the record straight as soon as I can find a way out I'm switching companies. I am so sick and tired of t-mobile. So back in May I got me a T-mobile account started w/ a free phone. I signed up with flex pay so my bill would be the same every month without any surprise charges. So in order to get this I had to pay the 1st month up front. Okay no problem. I then received my phone 3 days later and for some reason had a 425 area code (this is for Washington, I live in Oklahoma) so I call them. First thing off the bat they tell me that I owe money and until I make my payment my account is suspended and so they can't make any changes...WTF!!! So they transfer me to accounting after being passed around they realized their mistake and fix it. I am then told I have to wait 3 days before I can make any changes on the account. (score me 1 tmobile 1) 3 days pass and I call them back to have my number fixed, they inform me that in order for them to change the number the have to charge me $15...I think not so I keep the stupid number (me 1- t-mobile 2). Well my monthly payments are suppose to be under $100 each month however each month I have been charged $100.46 whatever (me 1 t-mobile 3) Last week I added another line however they had to set it up as an individual plan and told me as soon as I received the phone call tmobile and have them change it to a family plan no problem. (me 1 t-mobile 4) We get the phone in the mail and it too is a 425 area code (me 1 t-mobile 5) I call t-mobile to get the plan switched to a family plan they said I had to wait 3 days (where have i heard this before) and then to just call back and there wont be a problem (me 1 them 6) I wait 3 days and call back on sunday like the lady said... and at this point I am informed they CAN'T change it to a family plan because they don't offer Flex Pay anymore. WTF!!!! Now I'm pissed because not only have I gotten the run around in the past but now I have been lied to. So after being passed around and around I am finally talking to a supervisor who says he's sorry but there isn't anything they can do. I'm not letting it go as nice as possible I tell him that I have been as patient and nice as possible and bring to his attention that most people that have been put through this would have been yelling and cussing. Also that lying to your customers is not good customer service. He then puts me on hold and comes back saying that he thinks he found a way to add me to a family plan but I would have to pay $85 up front...WTF um no. So then he said there isn't anything else he can do, but he would join the 2 accounts onto one bill. If I had the family plan my monthly bill after taxes would be about $150(give or take a dollar) however since they can't do the family plan I have to pay $170 (give or take  a dollar). That's $20 more. (me 1 them 7 well 8 if you count the lying) well today I log onto the account and they have yet to be joined. So I call them and find out that our new account has been suspended for non-payment. I provide the conformation number and everything they ask to verify the payment. After all that they join the two accounts and the bill now reads $281!!! WTF!!!!!!! So tomorrow I am calling them back and I don't care how many supervisors I have to talk to I am getting what was promised me or else I will use the loophole to get out of my contract and then I am switching to another company. This is bull, it should not be this difficult. I have always paid my bills on time and early at that. When I am told something I expect them to follow through. T-Mobile needs to work on their customer service, because this is ridiculous!!!!

Freebies and Coupons: Back to School

Ok so most of us have kiddos that are heading back to school this month. So most of us have to spend a lot of money on back to school products with todays economy it would be nice to get some of the stuff for free. In today's post I am going to list some of the freebies and savings that have been brought to my attention by other blogs. (Most of these pages you can like on facebook and get the deal updates yourself)
Free Sample Post-it Super Sticky Notes-http://www.freesamples2fillupyourmailbox.com/apps/blog/show/7910180-free-sample-post-it-super-sticky-notes
Save on kids Unders,Short Johns,Dresses Tees and More From Hanna Andersson 
http://cleverhousewife.com/2011/08/save-on-kids-unders-short-johns-dresses-tees-more-from-hanna-andersson/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cleverhousewife+%28Clever+Housewife%29&utm_content=FaceBook
Free Sample of Bic Pens
http://couponinoncoffee.com/2011/08/bic-pen-pal-free-sample/
Check out Happy Lil Homemaker's store for all your back to school schedule charts
http://www.thehappylilhomemaker.com/p/happy-lil-homemaker-store.html
Walmart Deals
https://www.facebook.com/notes/girls-with-coupons/walmart-deals-matchups-731-86/261984287160630
Kids Backpacks w/ Lunch Bags $13
http://www.bradsdeals.com/deals/kids-backpacks-with-lunch-bags-13-p75948.html?tid=243682
Here is a list of some of the sites that I get my freebies:
Hey It's Free
http://www.heyitsfree.net/about-hey-its-free/
Sample Agent
http://www.freesampleagent.com/
Here are Some facebook pages you should "Like" to get updates on the latest Freebies and Samples:

• https://www.facebook.com/simplystacieblog
• https://www.facebook.com/WishfulThinking247
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frugal-Mom-Rocks/132950646742524
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Samples-2-Fill-Up-Your-Mailbox/117286354980752
• https://www.facebook.com/LuxuryLivingFrugalStyle
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gone-Klippin-Krazy/148130561926857
• https://www.facebook.com/MelissasBargains
• https://www.facebook.com/HeavenlySavings
• https://www.facebook.com/CleverHousewife

Websites to earn Free deals (Just last month alone I earned over $45 worth of Amazon gift cards, earn points pick your rewards.)
Swagbucks-
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Mommaof3Boys2011



This is all I have for now. I will be updating this as I come across more school related deals. Feel free to list your deals in the comments box. If you know a site that has good deals feel free to share.  You may have to highlight the link and copy&paste it into your browser.

company review:tmobile

Ok so last week I got my husband a phone and wanted to add it to my flex account. I ordered it however in order to do it I had to set it up as an individual account under my name...okayyyy. I was then told that once I received the phone I would have to call and get it added to my account as a family plan. Alright fine no problem. So we receive the phone and then I call t-mobile to join the two accounts. Then they tell me I have to wait 3 days before I can make any changes to the new account, that it won't be a problem. The lady even said for me to call back the 31st to make the changes (something to do with the billing cycle IDK) So I call back today (the 31st) and am informed that the don't offer flex-pay anymore however my accounts have been grandfathered in, an so can't give me a family account. I am getting pretty frustrated because I was just told a few days ago it wouldn't be a problem. So then they transfer me to another department. I tell them the same situation and she says they can add the other count but they can't offer me a family plan. So after being transferred two more times telling the same situation they say they can do the family plan but I would have to pay $85 today to switch it. WTF!!!! I tell them that that's a bunch of bull. So instead of paying the family cost of $150 a month I'm stuck paying $170 a month. I'm so pissed. So as soon as I can switch the accounts to another company I am. Lying to your customers and trying to hit them with higher charges is not good customer service.

Painting and elephants

So yesterday after picking up Clayton we went to Sherwin Williams to look at paint samples.
So our first prices are $27 a gallon. However we don't know how many gallons we need of each color yet. But I'm excited. we are going to do a little bit each week.
this morning Clayton had to go to work, so that made the boys think they could act like fools I guess. I ate with them and then started working on the laundry when I heard Xavie crying. I went to investigate and discovered johnny had shoved kix cereal up Xavies nose. Grrrr. After 20mins I finally got it out. When I asked johnny why he would do that, he replies with "because" I then tell him "because is not an answer, why did u put cereal in your brothers nose" he then said "because its funny" I did the mad mommy look and said " no its not funny so why would you do that?" He then  pouts says "I wanted bubba be elephant." Trying my best not to laugh I point to his room and as soon he was,  in his room I started laughing. I know its not funny bc Xavie could of gotten hurt but his final answer was nothing I expected. How does cereal in ur nose make u an elephant? Lol. I love my boys, but boy do they keep me on my toes. Lol gotta love it.

I am a Princess

Most girls dream of one day becoming a princess, being rescued by a handsome prince, getting married, having a castle and living happily ever after. For most this is just a dream,however  for me its real. Now mind you I'm not a wealthy princess but I have something more valuable than all the money in the world, I'm loved. My hubby is my prince and before we got together I was headed down a bad path and he rescued me from it. He let me feel true happiness. After we were married for two years he bought me my castle, it may not look like one to you but it is to us. Last year for our 5th year anniversary he bought me something every princess needs, a horse powered carriage, my Tahoe. He spoils our boys and me rotten. Now after years of talking about it we are finally getting rid of our boring decor and repainting the whole interior and exterior of our castle and updating our furniture. I have got to be the happiest princess around. I <3 my handsome prince.

calories laid out for my creamy chicken rice dish

This is the ingredients for my creamy chicken rice dish (this feeds 4 people)
2 chicken breast cut up- 372 calories divide that by 4=93 calories
spicy mango marinade- 10 calories
rice- 1 cup= 205 calories
carrots- 1/2 cup= 27 calories
broccoli- 4 oz= 120 calories
1 can cream of mushroom soup-160 calories divide that by 4= 40 calories 
total calories= 495

Im just trying my best

Ryder is not in the best of moods today. He has been fussing and screamimg all day. He has eaten only about 12-15 pumped oz. today, so I'm sure that has something to do with him being fussy. Everytime we have tried feeding him he will take two sips and push it away screaming (i even tried watered down juice). I got to looking at his gums, bc I noticed when he was screaming he kept chewing on his hands, and sure enough they were red. Poor kiddo is teething so I got out the tylenol and gave him some along with his cold teething ring. This seemed to help, for a little bit. After awhile he was squirming and screaming while looking at his daddy, so I took the hint and passed him over. He stopped crying and at one point ate a little bit. No sooner did he fall asleep daddy laid him down and he woke up crying again. We finally got him settled and layed him in his bassinet where he was fine, until his brothers got in trouble which caused him to scream. Well now B.D. (big daddy a.k.a. Clayton) and I are laying in bed with Ry screaming. I pulled out my phone and started playing the music box app, and of course Ry is content about to fall asleep when, B.D. starts complaining about the music. Then Ry starts crying which makes matters worse. So then I put Ry in his swing (this is also in our room) & turned on the music which B.D. complained about. Finally both of them are asleep and I am honestly thinking about letting him sleep in his swing. Im afraid if I move him he will wake up. I have to get up in 5 hours any ways so I think he maybe fine. I hope.

Under 500 calories

So for dinner we had grilled creamy chicken. First we marinate the chicken in spicy mango marinade.
Then I steam uo some rice broccoli and carrots we add the chicken and finally the cream of chicken soup. Its easy yummy and under 500 calories. Yum yum

The bodypillow

So back in April when I was still in the hospital my granny got me this pink furry body pillow. I love this thing it made the hospital bed comfortable and when I got home it made sleeping a lot easier. If only I had it during pregnancy. It has gotten to the point where I don't sleep with any other pillow. Well whenever I have to get up out of bed it never fails Clayton steals my pillow. It makes me so mad bc he is so strong and had such a grip its a battle getting it back from him. I usually end up waking him up to get it, which makes him cranky. but I dont care. It's my pillow not his. So now I have been on the hunt for another one like this one bc the store where my granny bought this on sold out. I'm hoping that since school is starting soon I'll be able to find him one. If any of you know where I can find one please please please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks

Fairytale beginning

Ok so last night I was talking to some fellow march/April mommas and the topic of how we met our significant others came up. I love mine and Clayton's story it seems like something straight out of the movies or something so here ya go: its was the summer of 05 when I moved onto my parents property down by the lake (lake eufaula). I had graduated the year before and had some issues with my roommate and moved to the lake. At first it was a blast going down to the lake partying all the time it was perfect. But then I started to get bored with it and was running low on money so I got myself a job waitressing at the local truck stop. The pay sucked but the tips were awesome usually about $30 on a dead slow night. Well I started ti notice this guy who was always driving around in a beat up bronco. Well during the day I helped my mom at the leasing type office and the cleaning lady and her were always talking about how I needed to meet her son clay. The way his b.com talked him up in my head I thought here is another mom trying to hook up her loser son. usually when a mom says her son is a nice boy that sends up red flags. So meeting her son was the least of my worries plus I was wanting to meet this "bronco" guy. One day before work I filled in at the security office and I noticed "Mr.Bronco" was up by there doing his laundry. I wanted so bad to go over to talk to him but for some reason I was nervous (which is nothing like me). A week had past and then when I was out walking with a friend of mine we see "Mr. Bronco" at the laundry mat and I ask her who he was, she informs me that its her sister's ex-boyfriend Clay. Then my friend J. pulled up on his 3-wheeler and after talking suggested he would take me over to meet him. So I hopped on and we went over. It was a brief introduction when his ex saw the competition and suggested I got for a walk with her and her friends. The whole walk consisted of them talking down on clay but i mostly ignored them bc I could tell they were jealous. Then the next day I was at work and got invited to a party Clay and his ex-gf sister came up to my work and he asked me out. I tried to pull it off and said that I was going to a party and if he wanted we could hang out there. When I got off work my mom had left a message saying that Clay was going to pick me and  so I rode with him. When we got back to my place I went inside to change came back outside and since it was still early we sat on my porch swing talking. Before we knew it the sun was coming up. We then drove down to the lake shore and watched the sun come up. I remember we were standing side by side I was standing on a big rock so I could be a little taller, we looked at each other and for the first time kissed. He had his arms wrapped around me and they were so big and warm I never wanted him to let me go. Three months later we were married and then 9 months after that
I gave birth to our first son. We have been married now for going on 6 years and next summer we are renewing our vows and having a real wedding ceremony. But those details are for another day.

A bib for Mr. Super Drool (Plus a link to a yummy bogo)

So if your baby is anything like Ryder he/she will soak through a bib like it is nothing. I have gone through all kinds of bibs and yet his wonderful drool ends up soaking right through. This is frustrating bc then he gets his clothes all wet and becomes cranky. No fun. Well with SWAGBUCKS I had earned some Amazon.com gift cards and went and bought a Green Sprouts 3-12 month Zodiac Organic Absorbent Bib for $5. (with my free gift card the bib was free) I got him the Aries bib and the top of the bib is soaked however the back is dry and so are his clothes!!! (here is the link to all the bibs like this offered through amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_17?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=green+sprouts+bib&sprefix=green+sprouts+bib) The zodiac bib also comes with a little card that tells you some zodiac related traits your LO will (might) have. I have to say I love this bib!!!!
On another note: if you follow this link and like their facebook page you can print off a BOGO coupon for Skinny Cow treats yummy http://bogo.skinnycow.com/

grrrr...I love you but....seriousily!!!!!

Clayton works for a tree trimming company, they trim away the trees from the power lines to prevent power outages in bad weather, where he is a foreman, he oversees 3-4 different crews plus he is a safety guy, basically he is in charge of making sure all the safety equipment is out and everyone is wearing their safety gear (if not Clayton has to write them up) well since he works outside all day he tends to be pretty crabby when the weather is hot like this. then to top it all off for the 1st time in years they went from working 4 10-hour days to 5 8-hour days in order to do this Clayton has to be at work between 5:30-6am. Which means our alarm goes off at 4 am!!! And who do you think is the one that gets up? Yours truly. I have to make sure his clothes are laid out, make his lunch and if he wakes up on time (usually between 5 and 530). Not to mention during the night if the baby wakes up or one of our older boys has a nightmare or something who do you think is the one that gets up and takes care of it? Me. I'm the one that cooks (when Clayton doesn't grill), I'm the one that does the laundry and takes care of the kids and the house and everything else in this house. He may pay the bills but I'm the one who takes care of everything...One of my biggest problems is that he just leaves his clothes everywhere whether or not he wore them. He has several jeans that don't fit him and yet he still mixes them with his dirty clothes. He then gets pissed off at me if I wash the wrong clothes... grrr.... All he has to do is put his clothes in a laundry basket (we have one outside the hall in front of the bathroom, 9 times out of 10 there is one in the living room, one in our room and of course there is the laundry room. But yet he still leaves his clothes EVERYWHERE!!! Whats sad is our 2 and 4 yr olds both know how to put their dirty clothes in a laundry basket why can't a 27 yr. old? Sometimes he really stresses me out, however on the weekends he lets me sleep in, he helps me around the house and he gives me a break. I love him with all my heart even though there  are days I just want to strangle him but i love him...grrrr.

i dont know why but im feeling defeated (weight loss)

OK so the weekend before the fourth of July Clayton took me shopping to get some new clothes BC mine were getting too big. Well we went and I was all excited BC I had lost 4-5 in in my waist!!! However my weight is still the same. After washing my new shorts a couple of times I went to put them on yesterday and now they are at least 2 in too big if not more and i have yet to lose any lbs. :(  I should be happy but I'm still feeling discouraged. other than my clothes being looser I can't tell any difference. it's really depressing. I have had friends tell me that I'm probably putting on muscle if so where? Next summer Clayton and I plan on having a real wedding ceremony since when we got married we just went down to the courthouse. I would love to look good in my wedding dress. For our honeymoon (we didn't go on one the last time) we plan on going to Myrtle Beach (his favorite place, Ive never been) and i would like to not worry about how i look. I was doing the 30 DS (day shred) but Ive been slacking off lately. Why is it you can do really good with a workout plan but as soon as you miss a day or two its hard to get back on track? Our eating habits have been good, we have been taking advantage of the hot weather and using the grill more, the other night we had grilled chicken (spicy mango marinade) tonight we had grilled pork chops. Tomorrow we are having turkey burgers and grilled corn on the cob. I love it when Clayton grills I don't have to cook or clean up and who doesn't like grilled food. Hopefully in the next upcoming weeks I will notice  a difference. I just want my pre-mommy body back, before our vow renewal.

:(

So last week was the last week of my final freshman term!!! Yay!!!! I was wanting to take a break after I had Ryder but my school told me I couldn't so I went ahead and didn't drop out. However I was on probation from failing my fall term from when I was working nights and staying up all day with my kids. Winter term I barely passed I was over 9 months pregnant and was in and out of the hosp a lot at the end. The beginning of this term i missed some classes when I had my son (I was so devoted to school that while i was in labor I was participating in class,see pic, the 2nd pic was me updating my professors that i had my son) So I checked my grades in class I got a C and my other two there were F's. I am devastated... I checked the notes on every assignment I didn't get full credit on and in my psychology class the documents i had to copy off the website didnt download right so I ended up turning in incomplete assignments...WTF!!!!! In my other class criminal evidence I had 4 0's!!! I know this has to be a mistake bc i know I turned in the papers. They are still saved on my laptop I had stayed up all night for 3 days working on these assignments so I could turn them in on time... So i have emailed my professors and even left messages on their voicemail. They have to submit their grades by 11 pm my time tonight so i seriously hope we can get this fixed b4 the grades are in the system... If i fail I lose my Pell for next term and there is a chance I could be suspended if not expelled...so i am really freaking out. I have tried really hard to pass and to get my degree. On a brighter note so far this month I have won over $35 in Amazon gift cards with SWAGBUCKS (you can sign up too by clicking on the banner above this post). I bought Ry a teething ring and a super absorbent bib, clayton a lunchbox for work, and johnny & xavie a swimming pool. And I should be receiving another $5 gift card any day now. I love FREE THINGS!!!!!

You have got to be kidding me

So last night Clayton and I were watching a movie and I was working on my homework the kids were in bed. 10pm rolls around when we hear a knock at the door. Now usually when anyone knocks on our door that late its the cops looking for the neighbor's house. (there is only 3 houses on my side of the street and when ever the cops get called out they always come to our house asking for the correct house.) So Clayton opened the door I had gone in the bedroom to put on a better shirt. When Clayton comes back in the house I ask him whats going on he informs me that his biological mother and his step-dad were here...(now let me fill you in see clayton has 2 sets of parents. his biological father died when he was 9, then his mother remarried and after a lot of drama she gave her rights up to him. Then he was adopted  when he was in high school.) and on top of that they were intoxicated!!! They didn't call before they showed up. They were drunk. And it was 10 o'clock at night!!!! I was so mad!!! So I sat on the computer and worked on my homework. I did my best to keep my mouth shut I swear if I bit my tongue any more it would of fallen off. Then after about an hour his mom talked clayton into letting them stay the night before clayton could even answer her she passed out on the couch!!!! Then he was sitting outside talking with his step-dad his step dad came in to get a drink and got into my beer. Now I don't drink much and when I do drink its just a coupe of beers. Clayton and I don't drink till we get drunk we will drink a few beers and then stop. Not to mention we have kids there is no reason for us to get drunk. So yes we do have beer but a case in our house will last us a couple of months. So I was pretty mad when when his step dad was drinking it. His parents like to drink the cheap "nasty light" we drink bud light or BUDWEISER. So I told Clayton that i was mad and he told him no more beer. When they first came over they were sitting on the other couch and the smell of beer and cigarettes was so strong it made me feel sick. The whole situation made me mad. His Mother kept saying "Well we would of called but your phone wasn't working" (they were calling a number that we no longer have) however that is no excuse for them coming over a 10 o'clock at night sticking drunk. I'm sorry but you need to have more respect than that. It's time like these that I wish we lived farther away!!!!

What a Day

So today started early for us. Usually the kids sleep in until 10. However we had to be at Ryder's Dr. apt at 10:15 so therefore I had to get them up at 8:30. Oh well they need to get use to getting up early since school starts in just a few weeks. (Maybe, I will explain that later) So I got the kids ready and we made it to the dr office by 10:05 (for once we were early!!)After I checked Ry in I took the kids over to the play area and I noticed these women staring at us. I look at them and asked if I could help them and one asked with disbelief "are all those kids yours?" (I only had my 3 kids with me) I said yes and they looked shocked. Since when Is a 25 year old with 3 kids shocking? After waiting for an hour we finally got to see the ARNP the dr. doesnt work fridays. The last time I took Ry in the Dr said i could introduce solids since i was making them myself. Only bc of his development and growth and how much he was eating. And bc i have been breastfeeding. Well like I was saying he saw the ARNP  today and she was looking at his chart and completely contradicted the Dr. GRRRRRR.... As nicely as possible I told her that this was not my first go round and I know how to take care of my child and that I trusted the dr in the past and have no reason not to follow his orders. She then gave me a hand out and said  "I strongly suggest you increase your milk supply" I'm sorry but this isn't my first time as a parent. I have raise 2 other kids who are healthy and I have to agree with the dr. Ryder now weighs 15.9 lbs and is 23 in. He is in the 50% for weight and 10% for height for now he is gonna be short.
After the dr I took the boys to sonic. They get fast food once a week and since they were good I figured why not.
Then we went to enroll the boys in school well headstart. When I went there the director gave me the run around when i asked her if there was any way of knowing if there is room for my kids. She then told me that the person in charge of that was out doing in home visits and would be the one to know that answer. Now this made me frustrated bc when I called Wednesday I was told there were plenty of spots. Then I asked the director if I should enroll my oldest in the school's pre-k program in case they didn't have the space and she said if I did that they would have to withdraw his application. So I asked her if she knew when I might know an answer and she said the latest they would know if he didnt get in in time for school to start then they would know something for sure by the second week of school. um okay. So then I asked her about the school's pre-k program and she said in order to let him start school on time I would have to enroll him the 1st week of august (which i can't do bc I can't have 2 open applications for different schools) then I asked her what about seeing if he could go to the other program in the same county since its the same application forms and she said I would have to fill out the forms all over instead of them just copying them. She noticed my frustration and then asked: Why didn't you enroll them back during the enrollment? (Which was the 3/28-4/8)" I then looked at her and said I planned on coming in however I gave birth on March 31st and for some reason enrolling my kids in school wasn't on the top of my list of things to do. So after that she smiled and said thats understandable and she would make sure the other lady would get it.
I then took the kids home and when clayton came home we ate dinner and then all watched Gnomeo & Juliet.
On the bright side I logged on to Swagbucks  to discover my Amazon gift cards arrived yay!!!! I now have $20 in Gift Cards!!! Thanks Swagbucks click the banner above the post to start getting your FREEBIES!!!!!

Freebie: Tropical Summer Gift Pack

So Glade is giving away this freebie to the first 3,000 people who registered. I got mine so use the link to get
 yours:

https://www.rightathome.com/Offers/Pages/2011-07-TropicalGiftPack.aspx?sid=offer&cid=rah201107&rid=119490044&om_rid=DmyUZ6&om_mid=_BOFwHGB8cOsDnR

Throwing Dinner Together

So tonight is the last night before payday which means we have next to nothing left in the kitchen for food. I pulled out hamburger meat and intended on making hamburger helper (something we always make sure to have). I cooked the meat and added frozen corn (I always add some form of veggies) and then I added the noodles and sauce mix. I look at the box to see how much water to add and then I discover it calls for milk.(I grabbed the wrong box) This wouldn't be a problem except we had run out of milk and the closest open store is over 15 miles away!!!! So I substituted water. Well by the time the noodles were tender there was still way to much excess water. So I look in the fridge and discover the perfect solution: Instant Potato Flakes. I add these a little bit at a time until all the water is absorbed. I then tried it and it wasn't half bad. I served it up and everyone liked it... total success. Score one for momma!!!! This right here proves a major rule: Always keep staple ingredients in your kitchen...until next time...

Swagbucks

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Freebies and Coupons

So after I started going back to school I signed up with www.heyitsfree.com. It's a freebie site that sends you daily emails about free samples and other free stuff you can get in the mail. I have gotton a lot of stuff from this site like shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, toothpaste, facial cleansers, pet food etc. I have also recently signed up with www.thatfreebiesite.com this site shows you a whole list of different freebies including full size products. I am also a big coupon clipper. I check out every coupon site I can find and print out their coupons. I even go as far as making a spread sheet to keep track of all my coupons. Some good coupon sites are coupons.com smartsource.com and redplum.com. I also subscribe to several couponing sites/blogs. My favorite is Coupon Censation they have lots of coupons and all kids of freebies. My absolute favorite site to use of all though is SWAGBUCKS. This site is awesome. For everything you do online you can get points. The points can then be turned into prizes. I have gotten a lot of cool stuff like amazon gift cards, a Nutragena Wave, and a ProGlide Fusion all FREE!!! And all I did was use the swagbucks search bar. You can sign up with swag bucks following the link below. Good luck and happy surfing.
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Mommaof3Boys2011

Meet our Family

I am Ashley a stay at home mother of 3 boys. I have been married for going on 6 years to my husband Clayton. Together we have Johnny (born in 2006), Xavie (born in 2008) and Ryder {Ry}(born April 2011). Currently I am a college Sophomore taking online classes studying Criminal Psychology. I hope to end up working for the FBI. My older two kids will be starting school in the Fall. So I will start having the house mostly to myself (Ry will be here of course but at his age he doesn't get into much) I am looking forward to it I maybe able to take on an extra class or two next term. I spend my free time checking out freebies and couponing. I hope to one day be as good as the people on Extreme Couponing. It would be nice to leave a store with over $500 worth of stuff and only spending $20 or less. We like to spend a lot of time out doors and working out. We try to make weekends about spending time together. I like to cook and bake. I love trying out new recipes. My main goal right now is to get the most out of our money. It isn't easy but with 3 kids we gotta start cutting corners. Most of the  activities we do have to be low or no cost. And when we figure in cost of stuff we have to consider gas prices as well. But that is for another post.