While embarking on this adventure called life somewhere along the way I got lost. So, I had to sit back, ponder and regroup. I decided that the best way for me to get back on top was simple, a blog. My blog. So, I found my old one and I tweaked it to be "new." This is the next chapter of my life. BAM....here we are, and here we go........The Spunky Seven VS. El Mundo blog.

While looking up words, meanings, adjectives, synonyms, I can across the work spunky and like that I knew it was the "one." Below you will find some of the synonyms of the word "spunky," as found online at thersaurus.com

courageous

energetic

fearless

high-spirited

active

brave

eager

enthusiastic

bold

full of life

full of spirit

fiery

gutsy

snappy

tough

AND probably the one that stood out the MOST to me.. GRITTY

Isn't it great that I have my own blog and don't need a disclaimer to say sorry for anything offensive? That was your warning by the way, I may just offend you with this one, and truthfully I don't care if I do. Here are some things I hate about people. The biggest thing that pisses me off is people who get to work because they don't have to worry about paying for childcare BECAUSE they have their mothers or mother-in-laws doing it! Of course you and your spouse can both work and have baby after baby if you don't pay childcare. Have you actually ever had to pay childcare for two infants/toddlers?? It wouldn't be worth the hassle of working. No it is true. Unless of course you have a great job making like $68/hour then you wouldn't worry because you can afford whatever you want and childcare. I don't think its fair that our military men and women spend so much time away from their families and barely get paid enough to make it from one payday to the next. Do you think its just poor budgeting on their part? Because I sure as hell don't think so. I think too often people look at military families and image we get paid top dollar. We get paid whether the service members works 4 or 80 hours a week, whether we see them or we don't and whether they get to see their babies born or  they are home for four years, and that is all good. But lets not forget the price we pay for moving, both with cash and our emotions. Moving isn't easy or cheap, and we don't always get paid to move. Shit my family had to move over the summer, and if it wasn't for my family we wouldn't have been able to do it all. I have had people ask me about when I'm getting a job. And truthfully it used to bother me, but now I just laugh at that question. Why would I work to pay for daycare when I could be here for my children? I get to put the boys on the bus, watch Gabe grow and learn everyday, be here when the boys get off the bus and not miss a part of their lives. Who would want to work all the time and miss out? I will work one day, when all my boys our in school and if it is the right time for MY family. It isn't anyone else's business if I work or stay home. PERIOD. Another thing that annoys me is that people who get to be with their family every morning, noon and night get paid more than my husband does. That sucks. Yeah he chose his career and I chose him. BUT no one knows what is like to have a loved one serving overseas in harms way UNLESS they have been there and have had a loved one serving. How in the hell does people pretend to know about the military way of life or even judge it when they haven't lived it! I will never move down to where my husband is from, and he does know this, and we do agree. We wont retire where I am from either. We have agreed upon, if everything works out in our future, to move to Oklahoma. Maybe not the city, probably in the outskirts. AND I cannot wait until that time comes. Less than three years left, okay 2 and a half but I'm excited. Well, with all that said I guess I better say goodbye for now. Until next time, keep flying butterfly!!

Just got off the phone with my mom. She called to tell me my grandma is in the hospital, doctors really don't know whats going on but things don't look great. Two weekends ago my family and I went down, from VA to NC, its about a five hour drive, just for a quick visit. It was my moms birthday so we surprised her. I just seen my grandma for maybe 30 minutes while we were there. Sad now thinking we were all in such a hurry to rush out to do our own things. Here we are were having fun and laughing together when my grandma hasn't been herself since having knee surgery last month. Why in the hell didn't we hang out more with her, just be there and talk to her, share some our fond memories, just be there? That's a good question now that I'm five hours away without the chance of going down there this weekend. I hate being here waiting when I could be there with my family waiting, at least I wouldn't be waiting for the phone to ring, wondering the hell is going on. Now, I'm sitting here with all these thoughts rushing my mind, horrible thoughts if truth be told, thoughts I wouldn't dare say out loud at this point. BUT really who does know when the end is near? I certainly do not. I wish I did, I would call more often, send more letters and cards and pictures of my kids. I'd try to visit more because hey I am only five hours away, that's two tanks of gas (one there and one back). Why haven't we went more? My grandma has been through so much, she needs to get better, hurry up and get back to herself. My grandma has four children (one resting in heaven), nine grandkids and six greatgrandkids. I remember her being there for me throughout my life, helping me, listening, and just being there. She was there holding me the first day I was born, she stood by my side the day I graduated kindergarten and high school, she was the one buying my cake for my 16th birthday, when I thought everyone had forgotten. She was there to take pictures and give compliments when I went to my junior prom. It was at her house I celebrated marrying the man of my dreams, she held my children when they were born, she cried when I moved away the first and second time. The three years we were stationed back in NC, we had Sunday family day, she'd make banana pudding, and let me tell you NO ONE makes it like grandma does. She will be the first one to buy a present, the first one to brag about her grandkids and greatgrandkids, the first one to offer her shirt off her back and she's the last one to get anything in return. She has battled and survived breast cancer, all the while never once stopping to take pity upon herself. She has witnessed the changing of the world through the changing seasons. She has never stopped, never slowed down and never missed a beat. Her best piece of advice, "Hold your head up high, even if you ass drags the ground." She is not just my grandma but shes a super woman!!! While I do want to go see her, at the same time I don't want to see her in a fragile state simply because that's not who MY grandma is. Here is to my grandma getting well soon, keep fighting and get better soon. I love you more than words could describe!

PS- here I am a couple of hours later, still thinking of my grandma, listening to Reba and this song just made me want to be there next to my grandma like she was always there for me :)
http://youtu.be/8Q9S3cT18Fs

Friday 13th free for all to laugh or not to laugh

Its one of those days that I am proud to have access to this blog. Some think its a day for bad luck, for black cats and broken mirrors. BUT for me I just think that its days like this that I need to blog about or I am going to explode. And have you noticed a lot people on Facebook don't want to hear about other people's rants? Well, hello isn't that what Facebook is all about, updating statics, adding new pictures, trying to keep up with friends or get back in touch with some, and yes to rant! Anyways, today was supposed to be done by "the list." That's when I have everything written down that I MUST do in one day. I have from 9-3 to do it. BUT here in northern Virginia traffic counts for half of that allotted time. So, I did the first couple of things BAM done. That was easy and fast. Then, oh then it gets fun, or annoying if I were someone else, I get lost trying to find this great awesome kids consignment sale. It was posted on Facebook by a friend and I was like sure why not try it out. I do even shopping, no not a shopaholic  but enough that I can tell if something is a reasonable sale, if its really on sale or if someone is just plain damn crazy. Because our GPS got stolen some time back, I asked my husband for directions. Hmmm yes there is the first clue. When in the hell does a woman ask a man for directions? I followed his directions or so I thought, until I called him and told him where I was and hmmm yep I was way out there in the wrong direction. I was going along with my business while my two-year-old slept. I didn't mind really because it is a beautiful country setting, some cows and barns, wide open spaces. And I found two wineries that I didn't know where around! Yes, that is always a bonus. Finally, after two hours setting out, I parked my truck in the consignment sales parking lot. OMG are you effin kidding me??? My friend who lives 25 miles north of me, was pulling in while I was getting my son out! And she had two kids two pack for, get ready and load up. I couldn't believe it. No I'm not a blonde, I even drove myself and my sons cross the country from OKC to Cali and then OKC to North Carolina in 2006 without a GPS. But I couldn't make it down my OWN road today. Thank you Friday the 13th. THEN, yep keep reading. Then, my school stuff was messed up again. They send me an email about a problem but fix the problem themselves. Sooooooo I worry, stay on the phone 20 minutes to fix a problem that has been fixed WTF no way. Yep thats my luck huh? Oh and by the way, the consignment sale wasn't all that. The pictures that were posted were probably from some other time, place and location because this one kinda sucked. My two-year-old is a master bargain shopper though, thank you Aunt Jacinda!!! He bought 10 little firetrucks, buses  EMS trucks, and sure all for four bucks!!!!!! Beat that Cinda haha :) All in all it was a pretty good day! Now I gotta go wash some clothes because my family realized we stayed out and about all day, again today lol!!! 

School started yesterday around  my neck of the woods. And off went my two oldest sons. One is in middle school, the other in elementary school, and still at home bouncing off the walls is my ever so energy filled 2 1/2 year old. I was patiently (or impatiently on some days) waiting for the school year to begin. Having three boys at home is like living in a frat house, no one picks up after themselves, they're always wanting to be eating and being outside is more like a mission rather than for fun. BUT yesterday when I drove them to school (hey I've drove them to every first day of school) it hit me that they are growing up. My oldest son is attending his fifth school of his school career, and this school is by far the largest of them all. My middle son is on his third school and is only in the 3rd grade. Most of this moving and new school stuff is due to the fact that we are a military family. I just feel bad sometimes, I don't want my boys to be too far away from me. In today's society, even school isn't a stay place. I wonder if one day home schooling will be the only option  Yesterday morning I wasn't allowed to walk neither of my sons to their classrooms, which I guess is okay because they are older. But it did suck a little turning away and just walking out of the schools, leaving my babies in the hands of people I don't know, surrounded by other kids that they don't know. My middle son will be okay, he's tough and don't take shit from anyone. However, my oldest son is reserved, he's quiet and doesn't speak up. Wonder if the bus rides suck too?? Yesterday afternoon, the elementary buses were an hour late! Yes one whole hour. Why? That's what I wanted to know, so I called the school to find out where my kid was. Turns out some transportation information got mixed up, so they school was rechecking every students transportation information  hmmm yeah that's only about 900 kids they spent an hour rechecking. All the while, most of these poor elementary kids were sitting on hot as hell buses waiting, wondering what was going on and in a hurry to get home. After both of my boys got home, we went to Sonic to celebrate the first day of school. We did all their paperwork (gotta love the first day of the new school year), got everything ready for the next day, watched some tv, played some computer games, and relaxed as a family until bedtime (which came early for the whole house). This morning, day two of school, first morning on the buses for both boys, went smoothly enough, no tears or arguing  Hugs and kisses were passed out and off to school they went. Now the littlest guy is learning to glue stuff (with mommy's supervision) and watching his shows. Breakfast is done, snack time over, lunch on the mind already, music playing, fresh air blowing through the opened windows, all quiet on the home front, and a much needed peaceful morning.

Thinking about what we are made of.......

I'm sitting here thinking of the posts I read now a days, about fathers or boyfriends beating babies to death or close to it. I see mothers hurting their own children or leaving them somewhere. What the hell is wrong with people, why do people even want kids if they are just going to hurt them? When Gabe was born, he was sick, not deathly sick but sick, something Gus and I had never experienced with the other two so it was something new and horrible too. Ten days after Gabe was born, Gus deployed for 7 months, and let me tell you it sucked. My parents did so much during the first few weeks, I don't know that the boys or I would have ate if not for my parents. Gabe didn't get better, he got worse. He couldn't keep food down, couldn't get food out. He'd cry no he'd SCREAM hours and yes I do mean HOURS on end. I remember one day I just met my mom at the front door and held out Gabe for her to take. I would cry along with Gabe, wishing I could make him better just not knowing what else I could do. Gus would call, he's Skype with us (wasn't like his first 10 month deployment where we got maybe one call, no computers just snail mail that always seemed to arrive out of order) but not having Gus there sucked. It wasn't our first deployment so I knew what to expect but once our sick newborn was added in, it was so hard and unpredictable. Some people talk about how great their baby eats or sleeps and I just wish I could share some of those stories, not my horrible stories of the first days. Truth is people don't like hearing about the sick kids, they don't care it seems, maybe its because today's society is so fast track, so busy going and going that if it doesn't pertain to their personal lives than it doesn't happen or exist. Sad truth but still the truth. At five months old, after months of going to the doctors office (sometimes three times a week) I switched Gabe to soy and it fixed his feeding problem, maybe it didn't completely fix his other problem but one was fixed and that's what mattered to me. Gabe went to specialist, to new doctors, to people who thought "this" would work because it had on other kids or "this" shouldn't have happened, well I still don't know the most professional way of talking back to people because hello "this" didn't work for my child and "this" did happen. Want me to put it another way? Hmm no that's the way it is plain and simple. Gabes doctor told me long ago that he probably doesn't sleep because he was so used to the pain that kept him up at night during the first several months of his life. We have tried different things to get him to sleep but nothing helps. And crying it out, hmmm yeah that aint happening. Gabe isn't Gus or Gimo, he isn't the child you let cry it out, hes different. How can I let my child cry it out when I don't know if hes in pain or not? I don't know why he doesn't sleep, maybe his mind is like mine or yours and just keeps going, it doesn't turn itself off. I do complain he doesn't sleep but I wouldn't trade him for anything. We have learned to sleep around Gabe, literally too since hes in our bed, but I know one night he'll be in his own bed and I'll miss having my snuggle buddy close. 

Glasses up.....

So, another online blogger, yep that's exactly what this world needs. I guess the point isn't what the world needs but that this is what I need, to be able to sit here and type the thoughts that all running through my mind. The thoughts that are sometimes trapped in my head all hours of the day and night. I will admit that some of the things you will read are stupid, just flat out dumb as shit, and I wouldn't be writing 'em down if it wasn't for the sake of just getting it them there. So, go get your glass, whatever you're drinking right now, whether its coffee or water, maybe a glass of soda, probably a little too early for a glass of wine or a beer but hey go for it, and lift it up in a toast to yet another online blogger ME!! Here we go my friend.......