A Candid Guide to Childbirth: The Truth About Having A Baby

Hey, courageous readers! If you're not afraid of a little real talk, buckle up because we're diving into the untold truths of childbirth. Warning: it's not your average bedtime story. So, if you're faint of heart, consider this your exit pass.

Expect the Unexpected Blood Show:

Everyone skirts around it, but let’s lay it out there – there will be blood. Not just any blood, but clots. Think fruit-sized. Lemons, limes, kiwis – you get the idea. It might look like your insides are staging a grand escape, but fear not. It’s normal. Consider yourself forewarned.

Unleash the Uncontrollable:

Brace yourself for a symphony of bodily mayhem. Puking? Check. Teeth chattering? Double-check. Alternating between freezing and burning up? Absolutely. Post-birth contractions that rival the ones before? You bet. The birthing journey kicks off with surprises; I found myself introducing my newborn to the world with a side of nausea. Talk about a memorable entrance!

Hospital Stay Reality Check:

Forget the notion of peaceful post-birth recovery. The hospital stay is a whirlwind of examinations, visitors, and zero moments of silence. Rest? A myth. Even with a supposed "quiet time," you're signing papers, answering questions, and getting poked and prodded. Sleep is a luxury. Trust me; it's a wild ride.

Nurses: Unsung Heroes and Stomach Poke Masters:

Nurses will become your intimate companions, checking stitches, poking your belly, and discussing bowel movements like it's an art form. Don't be surprised if they become your saviors. Shoutout to those nurses who, upon hearing my hunger woes, delivered a treasure trove of takeout menus. Absolute angels!

The Occasional Scare:

Oxygen masks, mysterious monitors – childbirth has its suspenseful moments. I found myself hooked up to machines, worried we were starring in a medical drama. Little did I know, these experiences were all part of the norm in the labor and delivery ward.

Embrace the Awesome Chaos:

Amidst the chaos, find the awesomeness. Childbirth is nothing short of miraculous. With Tater, fear held me captive, but with Bean, I was present. I even cut the cord! Feeling your body do its thing, something primal and beyond your control, is bizarrely exhilarating. Pain, yes. Suckiness, absolutely. But April 24, 2006, and May 30, 2010 – hands down, the two best days of my life.

So, here's to the messy, unfiltered truth of childbirth – it's wild, it's crazy, but it's undeniably extraordinary. Embrace it, remember it, and relish in the sheer wonder of bringing life into this world.

Kid Friendly Day Trips In Central Kentucky. (Part 1) #Vacay #TravelBlogger #Kentucky #Kids #TravelWithKids

This is so sad to admit, but we have never been on a family vacation. EVER.

We took Tater camping for ONE night when he was two.

That was almost three years ago!

We never have any extra money, and we work separate shifts in order to keep the boys out of daycare, so we are hardly ever home at the same time as it is.

But I feel so guilty that we have never even stayed the night in a hotel.

So, I have been trying to think of things nearby that we could do as a family, kind of like a "staycation", or a day trip at the very least.

So, I have been researching, and I found a few kid friendly things in the Central Kentucky area that we might try to do soon:

Day Trips:

Explorium of Lexington- This is an awesome children's museum in Lexington. We have been a few times when Tater was younger, but I think we need to go back!There are tons of interactive exhibits for kids, and it is a really fun place!

Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort- This is one of my favorite places ever. I remember it from when I was a child. It is sponsored by the Dept of Fish and Wildlife, and is kind of like a "zoo", all with animals that are native to Kentucky. There are bears, buffalo, snakes, deer, etc. Tons and tons of great educational stuff about fish and wildlife in Kentucky, including a giant fishing area! This place also includes tons of great hiking!  And the best part of all, it's FREE!

Kentucky Horse Park- We go here every year at Christmas for Southern Lights, but we have never been any other time. I really want to take the boys here, there is so much great stuff! They have so much educational stuff about horses, and even a campground, if camping is your thing!  This would be an awesome staycation just a few minutes from our house!

Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge in Nicholasville- I am ashamed to say that we have never been here, and it is literally less than five minutes away from our house. It's a fabulous no-kill animal sanctuary that houses tons of animals that have been neglected, abused, abandoned, etc. These people have some of the biggest hearts in the world. And, my boys can get to see some awesome animals like this one: 

Old Fort Harrod State Park- One of the fondest memories of my childhood. My parents brought me here when I was a kid, and we went on TONS of field trips there when I was in school. I really think Tater would enjoy this, since it is kind of "cowboyish".

Fort Boonesborough State Park- Kentucky's second settlement, settled by Daniel Boone in 1775.  I really liked this one when I was a kid because it has a sand beach. I thought I was at the ocean LOL! This is probably one of my favorite things about living in Kentucky, is the fact that we have all of these wonderful state parks and things to do that are free or cheap!

These things will at least be a start, and we won't even have to stay in a hotel for them! We can just leave in the morning, and visit them, and then come back home.

I have a few more places that I would like to go, but they will all require at least a one night hotel stay, so I am going to save those for another post!

Anybody in the Lexington, Kentucky area, can you think of any place I forgot?

Anybody have tips for a great staycation? Leave them for us in the comments! 

Raising My Kids Without Grandparents #Parenting #Kids #Blogger #ParentingWithoutParents #ParentlessParents

How can I raise my kids without any grandparents? Is it possible for them to become well-adjusted, happy, successful young men without these relationships in their lives?
These are the questions that I ask myself over and over. I still have yet to find the answers.

My mom died in 2000, when I was just 14 years old. My dad passed in 2004, a month after my high school graduation. My husbands father died in 2005, and afterward, his mother moved to Texas, some 16 odd hours away. My oldest son is now 4 years old, and he has never got to meet her. So, pretty much, my babies don't know their grandparents, and quite possibly never will. They do have my husband's grandparents (their great-grandparents), which I am eternally grateful for, but they certainly don't get to see them as much as they should.

This certainly is not what I had envisioned when I was young and I thought about having babies. My babies would take their place behind their cousins at my parent's house, staying the weekend, eating popsicles and playing in the yard. They would bring home tons of unneeded toys and clothes, and stuff their bellies with cookies and chips and pop. I would buy tacky little "world's best grandma" mugs and tee shirts for holidays, and my parent's Christmas tree would be filled with popsicle stick reindeer and cotton ball snowmen. However, this is not how things turned out.

Instead, my boys have their aunts & uncles, who they love to no end, especially their aunt "Nanny", who I am pretty sure they would move in with if they could! "Nanny" has become kind of their surrogate grandparent, and Tater clings to her like no one else. I still can't help but feel that I'm giving my kids a raw deal. My brothers and sisters have lives, and kids, of their own, and we are all just too busy to see each other as much as I wish we could. I also hate to burden my brothers and sisters with my children, even though I know they don't mind. It's not their job to be my kid's grandparents.

I feel so guilty that my kids will have no memory of my parents. My nieces and nephews, they all were born before the deaths of my parents. Even the youngest one, was an infant when my mom died. She will have pictures of them together, and memories of her grandpa when she was a toddler. My kids will have none of that, not even a picture for me to show them and say "this is your grandma holding you when you were born." Sure, I can show them pictures, tell them stories, but really, will that be enough? Will their be a hole in their little hearts where their grandparents should be?

I feel in some way, that everything I do is overcompensating for the lack of family in my children's lives. Yes, I had my first baby when I was 20. I wanted to have my babies young, so they would have a better chance of growing up without anything happening to me. I don't want to leave them without their parents. We're all they have.I try to take them as many places, give them as many experiences as I can, things that my parents would have done. Birthday parties? they are a huge deal to me. Christmas? the presents are ridiculous. I'm subconsciously making up for them not having grandparents to buy them things and do things with them. I don't want them to feel like they are missing out on anything, but I know they really are.

Is there a way for me to make peace with this? I'm not really sure. I would love any suggestions or ideas that anyone may have to help me. I know that things could be much much worse for my boys, and that two parents, and aunts and uncles and cousins that love them are more than many kids have, and that's what I have to remember.

Switch Up Your Homeschool Routine With Oriental Trading Company! #Homeschool #Teacher #PR #Blogger #Review #MomLife #OTC

I received a sample product in exchange for this review, however, all opinions and views are my own. 

February is notorious for being a hard month for homeschoolers. It's right smack dab in the middle of the year. It's dark, it's dreary and it's depressing. The days seem very short and gray, and it's hard to keep on track. The weather, especially this year, sucks this time of year, and there are no nature walks, park trips, and even just playing outside in the yard.. February really stinks, and I've heard some great advice to NEVER make school decisions in January or February, because, once Spring arrives, you might feel differently. 

We have been ready to spruce up our homeschool routine for a few weeks, and who better to help us with that than our old friends at Oriental Trading? You already know how much we love them for party decorations and other stuff, but we just discovered what a great resource Oriental Trading is for school supplies and teacher resources! Whether you are a homeschooling mom, a public school teacher, or even have a child care center, I am sure that you could find a TON of resources at Oriental Trading! 

We got the chance to check out a ton of great products this time around! The boys favorite, by far, were our NINE new paints and a huge set of paintbrushes! What little boy doesn't love to make a mess with paint??? We are now painting almost every day, and they could not be happier! I love that the paint is easy to clean up too! We are definitely going to be using these paints all the time! 

Another great item we picked up were these dry erase sleeves, and a new set of dry erase markers! These sleeves are really really great for writing practice! My little guy now uses these everyday for his tracing sheets, and I love the fact that I can just wipe them off and go! No more wasting paper! We also picked up some carnival tracing cards, which are perfect for little fingers and working on fine motor skills! I thought these would seem like a chore to my little guy, but he LOVES them! He seriously wants to do "sewing" every day now! I love it! 

I also got this great hanging file organizer! This has been a great addition to our homeschool routine, and it has really helped me to get more organized with our paperwork! I have been able to label a folder for each day, and put all of our paperwork in there, so it's not all over my desk! These file folder organizers are great, and I use this every single day! 

We have used Oriental Trading Company for SO many different things in the past, from party supplies to homeschool supplies,to holiday party stuff, etc... They have absolutely everything that you could ever want, and the prices are so affordable! We have always been fans of OTC, even back before our blogging days, and they continue to be our go-to company when we need something! To visit their awesome site and make an order for yourself, just click here! Don't forget to follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well so you can keep up with all the latest and greatest products and deals! 

Review: Time4Learning For Homeschoolers! #Homeschool #Review #MomLife #OnlineSchool

We recently got the chance to try out Time4Learning for our homeschool lessons for an entire month! I have read a lot about Time4Learning and have seen lots of reviews on it over the past few months. It seems that lots of families are using Time4Learning for their homeschool, after school, and summertime supplement lessons, and we were excited to see what all the fuss was about! 

We have been homeschooling since August, and, while that isn't very long at all, it is long enough for me to realize that books and paperwork and worksheets alone is not the way to go for my boys. They really love working on the computer, it gives them a change of pace and a different perspective, and it is a good skill for them to learn. 

Signing up for Time4Learning was super easy, and took no time at all! Above is a look at what the dashboard looks like. There are five different categories: Language Arts, Language Arts Extensions, Math, Science and Social Studies. Time4Learning also has a great parent's section, where parents can check out the lessons before they are assigned, determine which lessons kids should do on which days, and generate reports about your child's progress! 

The lessons themselves are quick, fun, and focused! My second grader has really gotten into the lessons, and many of the characters are "regulars", so he likes that he gets to see them every day. The lessons are really fun, with videos and songs and games, it really doesn't feel like you are "doing school" when you are working with Time4Learning. Kids can work at their own pace, and do the work as fast or as slow as they want. Parents can use the lesson planner to decide how many lessons to do each day or each week!

The price is also right for Time4Learning! At only $19.95 a month, it is a great deal, and much cheaper than many other online curriculum! I really do feel like you get your money's worth with this program, which is important. I really liked Time4Learning,and we decided to continue paying for the curriculum after our free trial ended. It's a great addition to our homeschool routine! I know that many parents use T4L as their sole curriculum, and that is cool, too. I do feel like I need to supplement, but I think I would feel the need to supplement with any curriculum that we do. I don't like relying solely on one kind of learning, online learning, or workbooks, or videos, or textbooks.. I like a variety, and for us, T4L has proven to be the perfect variety! If you would like to check out Time4Learning, their website is HERE! We're sure that you will love it just as much as we have!  

One Week And Counting! Planning Our Homeschool Year!

Well, folks, after weeks and weeks of build up and planning, we officially start our first year of homeschool in one week! I am excited and nervous, and terrified and happy, all at the same time. I think I have finally figured out what we are using, and how, and when. I still have to sit down one night this week and start some "real" lesson plans, instead of just having things sprawled out everywhere, but I am working on it! 

We're going to be starting out with Life Of Fred for math, and supplementing with some great workbooks from Flash Kids.  I have heard so many good things about LOF, and reading through the first book, it really looks like something that Tater is going to enjoy a lot. For social studies, we are doing Road Trip USA from the fabulous Erica at Confessions of A Homeschooler. Spelling we will be using some Flash Kids workbooks,and some stuff I have pieced together from free online resources. Reading, we have a huge list of books to cover, we are actually going to try to hit 100 books this school year! We'll read together, and take turns reading aloud, and then Tater will also do lots of silent reading time as well. Science is one that we are really excited about, we are going to be using Mr. Q's Classic Science Life Science Curriculum, it looks like so much fun, and best of all, it's FREE!!! Lots of experiments in there too, so we are gonna love that! Art we are using another great curriculum piece from Confessions of A Homeschooler and lots of great arts and crafts projects that we got off of Pinterest, where else!? I am also looking into some resources for typing and logic too, but I haven't made up my mind yet. 

For our schedule, I think we are going to do things a little bit differently than most people. I mean, this might ALL change within a few weeks or months, but for now, we are taking Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. That's right, we are going to do school on the weekends. Tuesday and Wednesday will be our weekends. This is because my hubby works in food service, and he ALWAYS works weekends, so we are stuck at home without daddy anyway. He is off on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that will be our weekends. Plus, less people are out and about on those days, so yay, easier for us to go and do fun stuff! So, our school week will be Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Tuesday will be grocery day, doctor appointment day, etc. Wednesday will be library day, field trips, park play dates, etc.. We also have to fit in Cub Scouts, Library Homeschool Groups and Drum Lessons in there somewhere... Shew... 

All in all, I am super excited to start our first year and can't wait to begin! 

Am I Crazy?

No, wait. Don't answer that. I already know the answer. 

But, really now... I need advice, I need opinions, I need someone to either talk me out of what I'm about to do, or stand in my corner and cheer me on, and make me feel better about the situation. Either one is fine, really.. Just pick a side, and let's go with it.

I think I'm going to go back to school. 

For real this time. I tried my hand at college once before, right out of high school. (And, by tried my hand, I mean, slept a few nights a week at an all-girls college, while running around, blowing money and drinking lots of bourbon for the other nights)......... But it didn't work out. I decided I wanted to come home, I wanted my own apartment, and I wanted to move in with my boyfriend (now my hubby). But, I knew it was the wrong choice.. even as I was doing it I knew it was the wrong choice.. I mean, I still could have moved back home, gotten my own apartment, moved in with the hubs, but I didn't have to leave school too. I know that now. I knew it would be hard to go back, I knew it, and I left anyway. It was one of those decisions that I was vividly aware was the wrong decision, but I kept making it anyway. Back then, I didn't trust my gut well enough I guess... 

Anyhow, nine, almost ten short years later... here I am... I've tried to go back a few times before, but it's never worked out.. and now, two babies later, I'm ready. 

However, I've kinda got my feet wet with a few other things right now... Like these two kids I'm taking care of, for the next 17 years... you know, my kids... I don't have a mom or a dad, or an extended family who can take care of them. We don't do babysitters, either.. I don't trust anyone else with my babies but me. So, yeah, there's that.. But, I am going to do online classes, so I can still be at home.. Easy peasy, right? 

But what about this blog? The thing that I love, the thing that is my passion, the thing that now pays the bills and keeps us going, and allows us to go and do things that we otherwise wouldn't be able to? Can I go to school, take care of the boys,and keep up this blog? 

What about my house? Can I keep it (relatively) clean, cook dinner, go to the grocery, run errands? Oh yeah, and then there's that other thing... 

We're homeschooling now. Remember? I've been looking forward to the chance to home school my boys for years now. And now ,it's finally time. I am not willing to give that up for me to go back to school. So, it looks like I am going to have to juggle. A lot. 

Can I do it? Is it even possible? I think I can do it, but I always think I can do everything..That's my fault, I guess, the impossible perception that I can really conquer the world if I try hard enough, make enough to do lists, and skip out on enough sleep.. But is that logical?
Are there any moms out there who have been down this path? Anybody braved these waters before me? I know someone has to have done this before.. So, I need you... Tell me what to do.. I am hoping I can just buy a big enough planner, schedule my days out in advance, figure everything out as I go, use the crockpot more LOL, and fit everything into my life. There has to be a way, right? 

This is something that I've put off long enough, something that I want so bad I can taste it, and I can't let it go now. So, I am just going to have to juggle... If you have any juggling tips for me, leave them below, because I need all the help I can get! 

Dear Public School....

Dear Public School,

I have some things to say to you.. It has been a long time coming, but now there are 12 days left of first grade, and I just don't care anymore.

I never in a million years thought that I would be saying the things I have to say, or doing the things I am going to do. 

What you have done to my child, are doing to other children, is not okay. It is not. 

Last year, changing my child's teacher six times, it was. not. okay. 

Putting every single one of the "bad" kids in a classroom by themselves, with the new teacher, it was. not. okay. 

Hiring a teacher who had absolutely no way to control those children, it was. not. okay. 

This year, I knew it would be better. I just knew it. 

I was wrong. 

Continuing to allow adults to roam the halls, not even having them sign in. It. is. not. okay. 

When I come to check my child out of school, and you don't ask for ID. Then tell me "he's in a special class, you can just go look for him". It. is. not. okay. What if I was a murderer? 

And, contrary to popular belief, it is not okay to make my kid participate in your flagpole prayer meeting. 

It's not. 

If you would have sent a note home, we would have talked about it at home so he would know what to expect. I have no problem exposing him to things that are different than what we do at home. I have a problem with not finding out about it until it has already happened, and not being able to properly prepare him. 

Also, telling my kid if he doesn't be good, he's going to Hell when he dies? Not okay. 

Taking a show of hands on how many kids have dead grandparents? How many kids pray at night? How many kids go to church? How many kids get spanked? How many kids have parents that are married? Again, not. okay. 

Plus, the constant asking for money and supplies? not. okay. I sent in money for supplies and fees and somewhere around $75 worth of supplies at the beginning of the year. Stop asking for money. Please. Really, the $5 for this activity and $20 for this field trip gets really old really fast. 

The lack of respect for my needs as a parent? Completely unacceptable. The end of the first nine weeks, I email you for a conference. No answer. I call you. You say you'll call me back. You call back (amazingly). We talk and you ask to do a phone conference. I say ok. Two minutes later, you say you have to go, and you'll call me back during your planning. I never hear from you again. All my calls and emails go unanswered. Notes I send in my son's folder, never answered. I feel so disrespected. 

So that's it. I am done. I am finished. It's over. In twelve days, first grade will be over. And we will start a new chapter in our life. We plan to begin homeschooling in the fall. Am I scared? Terrified. 

I am absolutely terrified, and I don't know if I will do a good job. But, I have to do better, right? 

So, ladies, you might be seeing more homeschool related posts here in the future, hope that is okay! 

Wish me luck on this new journey in our lives! 

What I DON'T Want.

Sometimes being the Mom is so damn deep. There is so much to think about, so much to worry about. 

I am responsible for making sure that these precious little boys grow up to be good, decent men. 

That's a lot of pressure.

Do people not realize that their job as parents is not just to feed their kids, put clothes on them, make sure they don't die? 

Being a parent is so much more than that. 

I will be the first to admit, there are  a lot of times I don't have a freaking clue what I am doing. 

But I know many things for a fact.

I know pretty much everything that I do NOT want to do, and everything I do NOT want my boys to be. 

My Wonderful Angels

I do NOT want my boys to be angry, bitter adults. 

I do NOT want them to have a sense of entitlement, or think that the world owes them something. 

I do NOT want them to be bullies, or to purposefully hurt anyone in any way. 

I do NOT want them to see people only for the color of their skin, what they look like, who they love. 

I do NOT want them to be afraid to be who they are, whoever that may be. 

I do NOT want them to think that family is only blood related. 

I do NOT want them to ever live a life of dependence on drugs or alcohol. 

I do NOT want them to ever think that it is okay to sit  by in their lives and not make a difference in the world.

I do NOT want them to ever feel that they aren't good enough to do anything. 

I do NOT want them to think it's ever okay to STOP. Learning, Loving, Trying, whatever it may be. You don't just STOP.

Well, that's all I've got for now, but I will have more, I am sure. 

I just want so much for them, I don't even know how to put it into words. 

I'm sure you mommies know what I mean ;)

Family Adventure Day! Old Fort Harrod State Park!

If you guys tuned in last week, we talked a little bit about day trips that are close to home (Central Kentucky)... 

So after that post, how could I not take them somewhere??? 

So we chose a place on the list, and that place was Old Fort Harrod State Park. 

After kicking myself in the ass Google Mapping it, and realizing that it was a whopping 22 minutes from our front door, I was shocked that we had never been before! 

Fort Harrod was settled in 1774, by James Harrod, and was the first permanent settlement west of the Alleghenies. 

Tater absolutely loved it!

He was really interested in the "cowboy houses", as he called them! 

We will definitely have to come back when the actors are there so he can see them too! 

(It is also impossible to get a decent picture of our family lol) 

Aside from The Bean being exceptionally heavy, it was fun! 

Well I am out of words for this post, So have some more pics! 

It was much fun for our first family adventure day! 

If you are interested in checking out even more great pictures of the awesome Osage Orange Tree at Old Fort Harrod, (and I know you are!) check out this great post from Sharon over at Hobbies On A Budget!

Have you ever been here with your family? Leave a comment below! I would love to see just how many families enjoy things close to us!

Local Review: Air Time Inflatables

This is a review I have been meaning to do for awhile, but I got sidetracked having babies and what not :)

Tater's 4th birthday was the end of April, and I had been searching for a good and affordable place to have his party. I knew that this would be his last birthday as an only child, so I wanted to do my best to make it an awesome party for him :) I was pretty set on having an inflatables party, so that's where all my research went...

I was shocked to find out how expensive this crap was. All the places I checked out were big, fancy inflatables party places, with parties for 8 kids running in the $300.00 range with no outside food or drink allowed. This, was not going to fly.

Much to my excitement, I came across the website for Air Time by accident. I have never been so happy to see anything in my life! The parties were so cheap, I couldn't believe it! We're talking under $200 for a party of UP TO 24 KIDS! This included 45 minutes in the party room for cake, ice cream, presents, whatever, followed by an hour and 15 minutes in the inflatables room. I was so thrilled to find what I had been looking for, I didn't hesitate to give them a call!

It just kept getting better from there, as I learned that we could bring any outside food or drink that we wanted, not just cake like all the other inflatables places had said. We could bring pizza, drinks, anything! Grown ups were also permitted, (encouraged even!) to play on the inflatables with the kids! I had never had any other place tell me that! The inflatables were top of the line,and they said they have so many, that they constantly switch them out so no party is the same twice! And my personal favorite part, weekend parties were PRIVATE! No hundreds of kids running around like we experienced at Tater's 3rd birthday at Chuck E Cheese! The most you will even see other people who are having parties is a 15 minute interval where one party is leaving/one party is arriving! That's it! I was sold!

Tater's party was great, went off without a hitch! It was by far the best birthday he has ever had! The only downfall to his party was that there were so many adults, we all didn't really fit into the party room, and it was kind of claustrophobic in there with so many people. But I would plan for that next time, and ask for the bigger party room . There were probably 7 or 8 giant inflatables, and everyone loved them! I said more than once that the grown ups had as much fun as the kids!

So, I wholeheartedly recommend Air Time Inflatables for anyone looking for a clean, nice, affordable place to have your kid's birthday party. They are located at 108 Bradley Drive, in Nicholasville. It's across from Kohls, behind the Subaru Dealership. You can contact them at (859) 885-3831 or check out their website at http://www.airtimeindoor.com/ Happy Jumping!

Disclosure: We were given a media discount for choosing to have our party at Air Time Inflatables, however all thoughts and opinons are 100% my own.