Turning It Around

DISCLAIMER:  I didn't proof read this b/c while typing it my little man kept asking me to play.  I kept putting him off and then realized I should just stop and enjoy him.  So you get what you get with this one!

 

It has been a long short summer at our house.  This is my first year working from home on a business that actually needs a lot of my attention daily while having both kids at home bored out of their minds.  It is so hard to get them to understand that I'm not just chilling at the computer updating my blog...obviously!

Teg has been bored.  I mean really bored.  Rylee has transformed in to a tween that never ever wants to leave her room.  The problem is, Teg wants to be in her room too which is resulting in to all day everyday screaming matches and a few throw down fights.  There has been whining, crying, and all out screaming by both the kids and myself.  There have been little to no groceries all summer b/c going to the grocery store with Teg is like trying to control a wild animal inside an unfamiliar space.  He goes wild!  So, I would rather scrape for food everyday or do hit or miss shopping than to have to go with both of them.  In all honesty, they are 5 (almost 6) and 10 so there is no reason I should feel this way.  The problem is that I got spoiled during the school year last year.  I would take them to school, go do all my grocery and essential shopping in peace all by my self!  Now that right there is amazing!

I have worked so hard all summer that stopping to take a minute with my kids has only been when I have took a break to take them to the pool to burn off energy while I watch them from the side in an overwhelming exhausted state of mind.  The problem is at the pool there are other kids for Teg to torture so that results in me saying his name at least 83 times an hour and not being able to get my hands on him b/c the judgmental looks I am getting are already enough to put me in the "You are an awful Mom" category.

The thing is I have just felt overwhelmed, negative and at the end of every single day, plagued with guilt of my lack of daily involvement with my kiddos that didn't involve breaking up a fight between them.  It has been a long hard summer!

I, being the mother of the year that I am, may have said more than once in front of my kids that "I can't wait for school to start back so I can get a break".  The reality is that I don't mean that I want a break from them b/c I don't like them, I just want my time back to work so that I'm not doing it at 2:00 am in the morning or having to try to work while listening to them scream at each other.  I know it sucks to work outside the home, I've done it, but working from home running my own business means everything depends on me...there is not a single minute that I don't think about my business.  I never get to just leave it at the office.  It consumes me!

My husband being the sweet soul that he is, brought to my attention last night that I should not say that I am ready for them to go to school in front of them anymore.  I asked why not and he said that Ry had told him that she wasn't ready for summer to end but she knew that I sure would be glad when I could get rid of them for the day by dropping them off at school.  It broke my heart.  I cried....like really cried.  I was mad at my husband for even telling me that b/c I thought he was calling me a bad mother (of course that isn't what he was saying).

The thing is I'm not ready for summer to end.  I love having no routine but I also need my routine.  I wish that all day everyday through the summer was spent entertaining and just enjoying my kids.  In my case, that just doesn't happen.  I am running a business that has taken off but I can't figure out how to delegate and hire help just yet.  I am not working a 40 hour a week job....I am working between 60 to 80 hours a week.  I work here and there all day everyday late in to the night....every. single. day!!!  I push myself to stay up later and later every night just to feel semi caught up.  I work hard but I am realizing that by pushing myself so hard, I am letting my kiddos just sit here and feel clueless as to what to do with themselves all summer long.  Teg is driving me and Ry nuts b/c he has nothing to do.  No schedule, no playmate, no fun.  Ry is barely coming out of her room b/c I'm not geared with something fun for her to do on a constant basis.

The problem here is that I still have to work.  There is no way around that.  I love my business and want it to do nothing more but to continue to thrive but I have 9 weekdays left to enjoy these kids. If I can take a one hour break everyday to have all my attention on them, that has got to mean something to them.  

Nine more days before they become 1st and 5th graders.  Nine days to show them that they may drive me crazy from time to time but if I didn't have that crazy in my life, I don't know what I would do with myself.  Nine days to reconnect with the daughter that has almost completely drifted away from me (more on that later).  Nine days to let Teg know that all b/c he has lots of energy, doesn't mean he is a bad kid....he really is a very sweet boy....very sweet ENERGETIC little boy.  I haven't met a 5 year old boy yet that doesn't have his energy but I have met some pretty mean ones and Teg is not one of those so at least I have that going for me:)

I have nine weekdays left to show these kids that they really do mean the world to me!  My only fear is if nine days is enough to remind them that they are the most important things in the whole world to me before diving back in to the busy school year:(

Summer Sure Does Fly

I can't believe that it has been a month since I last updated.  I guess it is obvious that the blog gets put on the back burner these days and if you seen my house, you would know it isn't getting much love either:) 

 My business, Cohen Lane, is busier than it has ever been and I am having a hard time keeping up since the kids are out of school for the summer.  I am having to work in to the wee hours of the morning just to stay caught up enough to take them out of the house from time to time.  I am pretty sure this is the last summer I will have this much free time b/c I intend on my business being so big by next summer that I will have employees and everything:)

So instead of cleaning or blogging when I take work breaks, I am spending my summer with these two little munchkins.....

(sorry for the blurry picture....my phone seems to be my main picture taker these days)

Father's Day 2013

We had another great low key holiday.  My dad was sweet enough to go to lunch with me and my family along with my sister and her daughter on Saturday.  We had a great stress free lunch where we had plenty of time to talk.  My daddy is crazy and a lot of fun but he does send me in to some panic attacks from time to time.  I am the grown up in this relationship.  He still likes to have fun and maybe party a little bit and no matter what....he will never admit how old his kids are b/c then that would be letting people know how old he is.

Here we are over 12 years ago on my wedding day....

Me and the kiddos hope that our #1 guy had the best father's day ever!  It is not the best day for my husband b/c his dad was his best friend and since he passed, he just isn't that interested in doing big family gatherings on this day b/c it just reminds him that someone is missing:(  

We got up early and forced him out of bed to take him to breakfast.  Came back home to get ready and go to church.  Then we had the whole day cleared and wide open for him.  The only problem was, neither of us could think of a single thing to do.  So we went to lunch and to his beloved Academy.  He can look around in Academy for hours but it is torture for me  b/c Tegan is like a wild animal in there.  He then had a friend call him to see if he wanted to play golf.  At first he said no but as soon as I gave him my blessing, he was quickly setting up a tee time:)  Of course Tegan tagged along for his golf game so that left me and Rylee alone for some quiet time.  Can I get a praise the LORD!!!

We took full advantage of that by going to the pool alone where we had a very relaxing couple of hours before Tegan got tired of watching daddy play golf and daddy literally drove off the cart path and threw Teg over the pool fence to me.  Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.....

Since my husband's new love is golf, we showered him with golf related items this year....lots of golf balls and a membership to the driving range.  I scored some brownie points this year:) 

I couldn't ask for a better daddy for my babies.  I am so glad this man was hand picked for me and to walk this journey with me.  He is a great dad and is very involved with the kids.  He almost always has one of them or both of them with him if he is not working.  I am definitely not in this parenting thing alone!  He gives of his time a lot and it drives him crazy when someone ask if he is babysitting....it isn't babysitting when it is your own kids!  He works hard for us and for that I love him so much more.  The preacher said something this morning that I had never really thought much about...What a woman wants is security and that is exactly what I have with my husband in every way.  I have never thought about that much but it is definitely a must in my life and I am so glad I don't have to doubt the days that lay ahead of me with my husband and family!

 

I hope you all had a blessed father's day!  

Oh and I seem to update instagram a little more these days than I do anything else.  

Follow me there..... tabatham8

Myrtle Manor

Have you ever watched the show Myrtle Manor on TLC?  Well I have and I love that show.  It is a pretty simple little show but very entertaining at the same time.

When we were at the beach, I was determined to find the place where this show is filmed.  Luckily my sister-in-law had done her research and new exactly where it was.  

It was literally only 2 or 3 minutes from our hotel!

 

I was a little bit beside myself when my husband insisted on going in the beauty shop.  I knew that they welcomed visitors and that it didn't bother them but I had no idea what in the world I would say.

Here is the outside of the beauty shop!

Becky is my favorite person on the show.  I was so excited to see that she was inside getting a hair cut.  Also in there was Roy and Gina.  Gina was super nice and just talked and talked to us!  She was sweet to the kids and took time to talk to them too!

In this picture is Roy cutting Becky's hair and then Gina in the other chair!

Since I couldn't get my picture taken with Becky b/c 1. she was busy and 2. I was scared to ask, I did see her golf cart outside the door and got a picture of that....

And then I couldn't resist and jumped inside for a picture:)  Oh and I promise I didn't wear the same shirt the whole time at the beach....it just so happens that this was the only day I took my big camera out to take pictures!

It was just really neat to actually see people in person that I watch on TV.  The trailer park looks nothing like what it does on the show.  There are lots more people in that park than what they show on TV.  I wonder if all those people are mad that they didn't get in on the show???

They said that they will start filming a new season in July!  I can't wait to watch it....especially now that I know what the place actually looks like!

Kids Beach Photo Session or Whatever You Want To Call It!

I have no idea why I put myself or these kids through a beach photo session.  Every year someone cries, jumps in the water and/or yells.  There is really no way to make it through a photo session with these kids peacefully!  To make matters worse this year, my dear husband had just had his first ever Monster drink and was wilder than usual.  So he sure didn't help matters by standing behind me dancing or acting crazy while the kids looked past me and at him.  I'm pretty sure every one else on the beach was looking at him too!

Before the stress began, we found someone on the beach to take our picture! One thing that Monster drink did do for me.....a tiny little smile from my husband (the man that never smiles in pictures)!

 Then the fun begins!!!!

 Why are you two not looking at the camera????

 Um what is with Ry's silly smile and Teg once again not looking at me?!?!?!?

 It all goes down hill from here!

 No...I don't want your shorts to be try for the picture!

 Tegan, you are not a superhero so stop standing like that!

 PLEASE ACT RIGHT!!!!!!

 Ry....why are you smiling that way???

 I'm about the kill your daddy who is standing behind me making you laugh!

 Wait...was this a good one before Teg got his shorts soaking wet??

I like it!

 Just when you think all hope is lost, you pull them up on the computer and see that you got a few that make your heart happy and all the grief worth it!

 Love her to pieces!

 I just decided that these wet shorts on this boy are part of his personality!  Being wild is part of who he is....not matter how much it exhaust me:)

 There it is!!!!  That precious melt my heart look!  This look is why he is rotten!

 No one (but their daddy) can make me so mad but yet feel so blessed at the same time!

 She really is this sweet!

I have no idea why I have never taken pictures on the beach under the pier before but I think it is my new favorite spot.  We have a tradition of walking on this same pier at least one night at the beach. So from now on I am going to get a two for one....pictures on the beach and a nice walk (or run if you are with Tegan) on the pier:)

I got to take pictures of memories that I will always keep and I am pretty sure my kids will always remember me as the crazy lady on the beach forcing them to do this!

Don't forget to look below....I have updated the blog twice in less that 24 hours!  That is a record for my pattern lately!

Myrtle Beach Bums 2013!!!

We wasted no time going on summer vacation this year.  Kids were only out of school for a couple of days before we headed to the beach.  I said we were going to go somewhere other than Myrtle Beach this year but in the end, we went with what we are use to.  We love Myrtle.  We know where all the good places to eat are and all the fun stuff to do is. 

I had a few moments where I had to secretly push down some anxiety attacks but that is a different blog post.  We had a great vacation and made lots of great memories!

 

Most of these pictures aren't great quality b/c I took a lot of them on my phone this year.

This is going to be picture overload but here you go....

 

 In the picture below....we saw this sign and had to have a picture.  This is Rylee's motto about life!

She had on her DRAMA hat for the majority of the trip.

Me with my sweetheart! It amazes me how different I look from one picture to the next....one second I look like a kid and the next a grown up.

This is Chrissy, one of my friends.  Her and her husband just happen to be on vacation the same week as us and we stayed at the same place.  Tegan fell in love with her.  He has always known her but for some reason, he decided that she would be the love of his life.  I think he is trying to prepare me to let go of him in the future:)  The funny thing was that after they took this picture below, we got in separate cars to go eat and he said "now Chrissy can always look at that picture on her phone".   Like he was so excited for her b/c she would always be able to look at that picture of them together.

He didn't want anyone walking beside her.  At one point she was having to hold her husband's hand and his....I think the boys were jealous of each other:)  He wanted to go home with her!  It was really sweet.  It takes a lot to connect with Tegan.  He doesn't really have a connection with anyone out side of our house except his friend Kailey but he really connected with Chrissy and thinks she is the best thing ever!

Also on vacation the same week as us and staying at the same place was my older brother, his wife and 2 kids.  The kids loved getting to play with their cousins (and their uncle as you can see from the picture).  It was fun for me to watch them enjoying each other so much!  

 One night Tegan took vacation to a whole different level (insert anxiety) when he wet the bed.  This came out of no where b/c he hasn't wet the bed in forever but he said he was dreaming about peeing:)  Ha!  Anyways, do you know what it is like when a kid wets the bed at the beach at 4:00 in the morning and you have no extra sheets???  I changed him in the dark and we totally got his pajamas all wrong.  Side note....yes I was tired so I may of just threw a towel over the wet spot and made him lay in it.  This picture below is the next morning....he was enjoying the view while eating his cereal with his pajamas on backwards....tops and bottoms!

 Sad attempt at a selfie with my ancient phone!

 We have taken a picture of the kids in this chair for the past three summers.  At some point when it isn't the middle of the night, I am going to find the other two pictures and compare how much they have changed!

 Tegan kept basically trying to overthrow himself off the pier so my husband was in panic mode and just held him like this the whole time.  I was thankful too when we saw a very large shark swimming around the pier....not a baby, a big one!

 I think they got tired???

 My sweet family! 

 I hope we always get to take great family vacations together.  Rylee says that even when they are grown with families, she hopes we always go on vacation together.  Her daddy says no, we are going alone but I know that me and Rylee will find a way to get what we want:)

I am saving the "photo session" pictures for their own post.  All the stress I had getting those pictures makes it deserve its own post.

Happy Friday everyone!!!!