Finishing my degree at 30. What fun.

What the hell am I thinking?

I'm gonna quit my job, pull my baby out of day care, become a homemaker, and finish my degree. What's my problem?

School starts in a week-ish and I'm freaking out. If I cancel these classes, I pay out of pocket for them. NOT doing that.

I might as well use my veteran benefits and get my G.I. Bill to pay for my degree. Plus, in the future when I tell the kids how important college is, they can't look at me and ask why I don't have my degree. I'm thinking ahead here. Saving myself some embarrassment I guess.

But I think I should have settled into a routine before I threw another wrench into the situation.

And a degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Finance? I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew.

Vent Session.

My armpits stink.

That is all.

She's an angel.

Madi asked me if she could volunteer for the local zoo.

I want so badly to say yes, but I know she's not allowed to. So I explained to her why.

She asked if I could find something for her to volunteer for? HELP! What volunteering opportunities are out there for a 7 year old?

I'm gonna have to get creative with this one.

But she's so kind it makes my heart happy. I love that little girl.

Boys will be boys

I can't have Starbucks everyday.

I'm not a coffee person. But there is 1 drink that I LOVE. It's a grande, white chocolate mocha, half caff, no whip, no foam from Starbucks. I've tried to order similar drinks from other places. Nothing ever comes close. Ever. I was in the habit of going to Starbucks every day when I worked. I made good money, so $4 for a little piece of heaven didn't seem like too much. I feel VERY spoiled when I say this, but I can't have "my coffee" every day now. *sigh*

On a better note, I got a warm and fuzzy feeling this morning while Colt was dribbling his basketball down the hallway. Normally that would make me go stir crazy because mornings have always been so hectic. But without the stress of getting myself ready for work, I don't feel so uptight. I'm not sure of the last time I shrugged my shoulders and thought, "boys will be boys."

I could get used to a cup of tea every morning instead.

Staying organized.

My goal is to be an organized housewife. It's only day 2 and I have a notebook that someone will lose a hand over if I find it tampered with. I've decided to plan dinners ahead of time. Creating a grocery list at the time of planning, so I only have to make 1 grocery trip per week. I will also keep my to do list on the same page and make sure that I have a few "productive" things to assign myself each day.

I wrote my first page yesterday. As I looked at it just now, I realized...someone's about to lose a hand. You can probably guess who.

Anyways.

I need to make sure that a shower is considered productive. I thought I would be enjoying long, warm showers since I have an unlimited amount of time at home. I was wrong. I've gone 2 1/2 days without a shower. This bothers me.

First day without an income.

I can do this. I can be okay with Hans "bringin' home the bacon" while I manage the household. I am independent and stubborn, but I can do this. I have always seen myself with a career. One that requires me to wear pencil skirts, suit jackets, and killer heels on a daily basis. I have this image of myself coming home after a fast paced day of work, ripping my crisp white collared shirt open to reveal my super mom t-shirt underneath and my kids beaming with joy as I set the table and serve a homemade meal. I can be happy with just the super mom t-shirt though. And to show that I am okay with this, I will start my first day of having no income by making the kids an amazing breakfast before school. Pancakes, eggs, and fresh fruit.

At least, that's what I was considering doing as I laid in bed while my alarm clock was going off and I was honestly dreading my first day of being a stay at home Mom. "Don't get ahead of yourself Rachael. If you do it your first day, they'll expect it ALL the time and I am NOT a morning person, so slow down killer." 

So the kids had cereal and I got them off to school. It was actually nice not to be so rushed in the morning. Hans was able to concentrate on getting himself ready for work, while my primary focus was getting the 2 older ones ready for school. The baby didn't fuss once because she stayed on my hip the entire time. 

I am planning an amazing dinner. I actually peeled potatoes and carrots. I can't lie though...I didn't slave too much. I just threw the pot roast and veggies in a mixture of water and Lipton's Onion Soup mix in the slow cooker and it does the cooking for me. "Think smarter, not harder", I tell myself though. "Just because I'm home all day, doesn't mean I have to waste it over the stove." I did however, find time to mix up a batch of puppy chow. I sort of feel like a trophy wife at this point.

I am finding that Tenley prefers to be on my hip all day. This could turn into a problem. She fusses every time I leave the room. She even lays on the bathroom floor while I "conduct my business".

At one point, she was laying on the floor while I was using the bathroom and passing gas like CRAZY! So I started singing: "Pooooping party. We're having a pooping paaaarty. Poopin' on the potty. YEAH!"

Oh dear god, someone help me. It's only day one and I might already be losing my mind.