I Just Can't...

I just can't give up my "old blog."

Some could say that I am sentimental. In fact, I am very sentimental. I have a real interest in history, and particularly my own family history. I guess that is what inspired me to start a blog in the first place. With that being said, I am a bit of a...hoarder, for lack of a better word. I keep stuff. I consider them to be keepsakes. Some day, someone may just find the same emotional value in them, as I. Until then, I will keep them as safe as I can.

My blog is no exception.

I had planned on just storing my old blog, and creating a new one on the more trendy blogging site, WordPress. But, it took me all of one week to realize that I wanted my previous blog to continue. I didn't want to just swipe it clean, like it didn't happen or exist. It did.

I have spent the last week editing my previous blog (I Love Lucy Jean) for public viewing. It took me so long because I sifted through over 300 posts, and got completely caught up in memories. Some posts make me shudder, while some still make me smile. Several things were clear to me: I was a new mother, clearly struggling with working full-time and having babies in Day Care. I was very much trying to "figure out motherhood" (ha - still trying!). And, while I have perhaps become a little more articulate, I still have a problem with purging all of my emotions.

So, here we are - on the "old blog." If you are new here, you will see that my design is very inconsistent. Its a bit old and a bit new. I am in the process of updating it. I plan to get my geeky husband involved; he is gonna be thrilled! My header, while cute, isn't relevant any more, which makes me sad. I hope to update it in the coming days/weeks/months. Who really knows?

I will keep the previous title as well, "I Love Lucy Jean." After I had Olive, I had planned to rename it, "Olive Lucy Jean." Get it? Ah-mazing. I was still considering, "Olive Lucy and Henry." But, the lack of punctuation, which seems to be needed, and the kids being listed out of birth order itches that tiny little bit of particularity in my brain.

On another note, I have had several people ask me about subscribing to my blogs. It seriously warms my heart that so many people actually care what I have to say. You guys, I sure love having you in my life. My followers have always been so supportive and encouraging, when I truly needed it most (motherhood, loss, etc.). Therefore, I plan to get my emailing service set-up again, to automatically email my blog posts, as I did before. Please be patient and I will get the info. out soon. I will also continue to post links to my blog on my Facebook page; although, Facebook and I have a very complicated relationship...

It was good to have you visit once again. Please take a look around. It's crazy to read posts from my 23-27 year old self; it seems like forever ago. Just consider the date when reading and I hope you have a good day!

*Also, if you are one of my Facebook friends and stumble across some type of personal information (our last name, my college name, or my hometown info., etc.), please let me know. I am trying to remove that type of specificity from the blog. Thanks!

Bloggin' Again

Once upon a time, I had a blog. In fact, I had a blog with over 350 stories that abruptly ended in February of 2014. This was after I spewed some random "advice" about mothering two children, while working full-time and going to graduate school. The idea kind of makes me chuckle now. Not only has our family, our home, and my employment changed, but I am truly a different person as well. So, here we are in the changes, with many more to come, I'm sure. I'm 32 years into this life, and you are welcome to tag along while I narrate the days, months, and (God-willing) the years to come.

 Ironically, my last post was about the inability to "do it all," and it was the last thing I wrote and published. Obviously, my blog was one of the things I gave up. Isn't that the way it goes? When you are mommin', something for yourself is always the first to go. I really did love it. I miss it - which, leads me back here.

I think about writing a lot. Our changes have resulted in me being in my own head for several hours a day. I have little interaction with adults, unless I seek it out or you count social media "likes" as interactions. That means that I have random thoughts just bouncing around my mind all day, every day - some are worth saying aloud, and many are not. Nevertheless, I miss "talking." I miss journaling, and archiving. I miss the deep thought, and the laughs. I miss writing a blog.

Please understand that a new blog does not mean that I suddenly have a whole bunch of time on my hands. It doesn't, and I'm not sure how much of a commitment I can make to it yet. As I type this, I am avoiding three "to-do" list items, sitting directly in front of me. But, I believe in balance more than ever these days. This, this blog, it is for me. And, someday, maybe it will be for my kids. Either way, as wife, a mom, and a decent person living in today's society, I am still struggling, still contemplating, and still almost bang my head against the wall daily.

I have decided to post this blog publicly, unlike my previous blog that was marked as private for the last year or so. With this change, I will not likely post my children's photos or personal information/locations, etc. anymore. But, I hope you will still come by for visits, once I start writing more often.

 Hello again, everyone. I hope to write you again soon.

Play-Date Gone Selfish

Last night we had a play date. My friend, Crystal, and her son, Ty, came over for dinner. It's been ages since we've seen them and really got to sit and talk. So, we invited them over for supper (chicken alfredo with garlic cheese bread - yum!) and to try out the new playroom.

When they were littler, they basically just tried to eat each other. Ty would try to bite on Lucy's shoulder and she would try to poke him in the eye. They were a mess. haha. Therefore, we tried to keep them at a pretty good distance, just sharing toys and/or food.

Now, I was excited! Ty and Lucy were old enough now that they could just roam the playroom. They could just go crazy. Sure, they might poke each other a little bit; but, after seeing Lucy run over by a plastic car, I thought she could handle it. Plus, Lucy is a product of Daycare! She plays with other children all the time and usually lights up around them! She would be super social.

Or, so I thought...

When Ty and Crystal first arrived, Lucy and Ty were super shy. They just looked at each other.  It only took a few seconds after I turned off Elmo's World, for them to warm up. Lucy walked up to Ty, hit him on the shoulder, he turned around, and she said, "Hi!"

I was so proud! Yay! She was being sweet and social.

When it was time for dinner, they sat across the table from each other. They didn't really "talk" to each other; but, they giggled back and forth a lot. A lot! It was like it was contagious.

Again, yay! She is being social and smiley!

Then, we went to the playroom.

She got so upset with almost everything Ty played with. She specifically clung onto a doll stroller and a blow-up ball, trying to hold onto them both at the same time. If Ty would even put his hand on them, Lucy would squeal at the top of her lungs, very high pitched. Then, she would try to pull it away or hit his hand off.

I was seriously shocked. I had never seen her do that before! Of course I have seen the familiar fit, when we take something away from her. But, I had never witnessed jealousy like this! All I could do was apologize. I just could not believe her behavior.

Then it dawned on us. Perhaps she is like that at Daycare! She just might have turned into a selfish, fit-thrower. We made sure to ask Daycare first thing this morning.

"Does Lucy share?"

"Does she take other childrens' toys away?"

Thank goodness they answered, "Yeah, she shares," and, "No, not really."

We realized that it was all about her own toys - toys that we didn't realize at all that she had an, apparently deep, affinity for! Well, she hasn't ever really had another child in her playroom. She hasn't really ever had to share her toys at home, except with us. So, I guess we wouldn't have known until now.

Who would have known Lucy was a little selfish and was in need of a lesson about sharing?

Heath told her, "Elmo wouldn't be very proud of you right now, Lucy."

Hopefully we can work on it and invite Ty over again some time, if he wants to! We'll see how it goes!

Side note:
I got a new blog design, obviously! Our friend Justin did it for us! And, my wonderful husband helped with incorporating it. Didn't they do a great job? What do you think?  

Also, I got a new button! If you have taken the previous one (the very few of you out there), please replace it with the new one! :) It's a lot cuter! Thanks for the support!

Email subscribers: You will have to stop by and see the new look!

Email Subscription!

I was recently given a link to Feed Burner, hosted by Google (who also hosts my email and blog). It offers the opportunity for my readers to email subscribe to my posts!

I know I only have a handful of followers. However, my stats, comments, and Facebook 'Likes' indicate that many more people read my blog. And, you may be wondering what the perks are of "Following"' my blog, besides making my day! To be honest, if you don't have a Google or Blogger Account, there aren't many (but, I love it anyway!!). :) 

Also, if you are linking to my blog from Facebook, you may not always see the newest posts on the newsfeed. So, here is your chance to stay connected or up-to-date! (If you want to, that is...)

Subscribing couldn't be more simple! I just did it and it worked great! The only annoyance is one of those squiggly word boxes...sorry! Those are tough sometimes!

All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the page, to the Subscribe Via Email section, enter your email, and click 'Subscribe'. 

Google will then walk you through the entire process. Any email account will work: hotmail, yahoo, msn, etc.

And, as you know, Google is a safe and trusted Internet source.  The only person who will be able to see your email address is me. If at any time you change your mind and want removed from the emailing list, you can take yourself off immediately.

I would enjoy having subscribers and I hope you like the 'instant' updates too.  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Otherwise, you can email ilovelucyjean(at)gmail(dot)com.

More About Me

If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?Well, as my profile suggests, they are totally members of our family. The Chihuahuas are my fur-children. :) They were an even bigger part of our lives before we had Lucy. Santa would bring them gifts, as did the Easter Bunny, and so on. Santa still brings them gifts; but, Lucy is now the center of our universe. We try to make sure we give them special time and attention when Lucy is sleeping. They are still very special and close to my heart.

If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?My wish would be to see Lucy grow up, get married, and have a family of her own. Materialistically, I would love to be able to help design a home, to be custom built. :)

What would you do with a billion dollars?Design a home to be custom built, with all the trimmings!
Buy a huge Cadillac SUV
Buy a truck for Heath
Buy a snow blower
Go to Disney World annually
Go on a European Cruise
Go on a Disney Cruise
Adopt more Chihuahuas
Start my Masters and Doctorate right now
Visit my distant family annually
Go on a clothing shopping spree for the entire family
Pay off our family’s debt/share with our families
Invest/Save
Donate


What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?Lucy, Heath sometimes (if he didn’t put me in the bad mood, haha), good food, the movie theatre, buying a new movie, holidays, the weekend, shopping for pretty much anything, new clothes, a new purse, decorating, organizing, exercising, family, sleep

What is your bedtime routine, with your kids?It changes with teething. She gets her jammies on, she gets her binkie and her sippy cup of water, and we try to read to her on most nights. On others we snuggle until she is sleepy. I always pray and occasionally sing to Lucy.

If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your significant other?We met in high school. :) It really isn’t that interesting. Haha.

What kind of books do you read?I like mysteries. I am super juvenile and have been reading Nancy Drew Mysteries since I got the entire set for Christmas in 2009. It is a quick and fun read. I have also been reading the Pretty Little Liars Series; I am in the beginning of the third book. Otherwise, I am lame and like reading biographies about celebrities. I finished ‘Miles to Go’ about Miley Cyrus and have read the beginning of Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett’s book, ‘Sliding into Home.’

How do you see yourself in 10 years?Oh boy! Well, I hope we are even more financially secure and perhaps I will be making more money ;). I hope we will be shopping around for or moved into a new home. I am still thinking 3 children. I want to have my Masters degree and hopefully either have or am working on a doctorate. Of course I am still happily married and our family is involved in the community.

Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?Umm….no. This isn’t really even something that I had to contemplate.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?Hit snooze as many times as I can. Then when Heath pokes me and says, “You need to get into the shower.” I finally give in. I then gather my undergarments and a brush, then head for the shower.

If you could change one thing about your significant other, what would it be?That he listened more sometimes and that he had the same sleep schedule as me (stay up late and sleep in). :)

If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?I wouldn’t. It is weird to think of a name that fits me. I like my name now too. I used to hate it because it was a boy’s name. But, now that I am older, I like the uniqueness (without the crazy spellings).

If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?I would probably choose sun; but, I sure do love rain! I just love thunderstorms!

If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?Cheeseburger, fries with ranch, and bosco sticks. I have an addiction! Or, Kraft Mac and Cheese!

What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?The journaling – I think it will be so neat for Lucy to see these blogs when she grows up. It is sort of like writing a book about your life, with really short chapters. Plus I love getting followers, ‘Likes’, and comments about the blogs. It makes me feel like people care, which is really nice. :)

Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?
Salty – bring on the chips, crackers and cheese. When I was pregnant it was all sweets though (Oreos, Sour Patch Kids, and Laffy Taffy).

What items are in your purse right now?My wallet, a coupon book, Ibuprofen, Sucrets, a pen, gum, a compact, chap stick, my keys, my cell phone, my iPod Touch, a small brush, tampon case, lipstick, antibacterial, paint samples, lotion, perfume, Dramamine, and a list of daycare children for Lucy’s valentines

If you had to choose between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains where would you go?I have been to both and enjoyed the beach more, I think. I was horrible at skiing!

What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn’t?I don’t think I watch anything that I necessarily shouldn’t. It is more that I shouldn’t watch so much TV! Right now I watch: Pretty Little Liars, Greek, American Idol, American Pickers, Hellcats, Glee, Holly’s World, Saturday Night Live, Tosh.0, and Biggest Loser.

I also watch: Secret Life of the American Teenager, Kendra, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Melissa and Joey, Storm Chasers, the Buried Life, 16 & Pregnant, and Teen Mom.

After some reflection I’ve decided that I probably shouldn’t watch 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom. They are pretty horrible; they are my guilty pleasures. And, Tosh.0 is pretty offensive. Haha. Lucy is definitely banned from these shows!

I am now a Blogger!

Just getting started on my very first blog! This one will not be very interesting. To be honest, I can't promise the rest will be either! However, I hope to keep this updated and share often. We'll see.....it may just be a fad. :)