The Life of a Single Mom!

Wake up at 6am. Stretch, check on kids, and shower. Set up ironing board; turn lights on in kids’ bedroom. 7am wake up sleepyhead kids. Between 7am and 7:40am is the mad dash. I must get three people dressed and presentable for the world. Make sure they’ve have breakfast and make sure all homework has been completed. Whew…the life of a single mom!




For the last two years I commuted to and from work eighty miles a day! Thankfully, I have moved much closer and that part of my day is no longer a strain. If you’ve ever experienced Los Angeles traffic, hug yourself or anyone that drives in it every day. It’s a war zone!



I work for a bank in Southern California and my job is different every day and I never know what I am going to come across. It definitely keeps my day moving along. In between that I enjoy time with other adults and sharing stories that don’t involve much of the 4-6 year old conversation I have at home.



6pm….quitting time! I listen to music before I pick up the kids because as soon as they see me, I’M ON! My oldest son is in kindergarten and has a flurry of stories to tell me and tell me the things he’s learned during the day. My younger son is in pre-school and has equally entertaining stories to tell. Bugs, boys and girls, new friends, mini fights, yucky lunches, bathroom jokes, sports stories, new library books, and the list goes on!



We are home by 7pm and my second job begins. Kids complete any homework and reading assignments; they eat dinner, take a bath, and bed time! I can honestly say I do not know how I get thru the whirlwind from 7-8:45pm. It’s one of those perks in the life of a single mom that you just master. Now I am not saying I have it all down to a science, but I’ve definitely found my groove.



Now you may ask yourself, when do you have time for yourself?! Well this is the time, my friends….when the kids go to bed! Mommy can read books and magazines, paint my nails, talk on the phone, or enjoy one of the kids’ snacks!



It can definitely take its toll on a person to be the sole parent in the household. In any given day you are Mommy, Daddy, Friend, Nurse, Dentist, Police, Judge, Jury, and anything else children may need at any given time. It helps to have family support and the other parents support as well. Unfortunately, not everyone has those to help them. I find it most important to find time to decompress my mind and have a good balance in life. I make sure my children have me when they need me but I also make sure I make time for myself. Because I cannot be the best Mommy to them if I am stressed out and overworked!



Okay, my free time is over….back to the wonderful life of a single mom! Thanks for reading!

August 2011...

Good night weekend...

It was a calm and relaxing Easter Sunday….okay it wasn’t calm or relaxing, but that sure did sound good! I was up until 5am this morning talking on the phone like a teenager. Those are the moments that I miss the most about adolescence. No cares in the world, with time to chat with friends. Now why on earth would I do such a thing with an almost two year old and almost four year old home with me?! I have no idea! By 8am they were up and raring to GO! I was no match for the J’s…so I turned on a movie and invited them to hang out in my room while I caught few more zzz’s! *Patting self on back* after a couple of hours of rest, I was able to get up and get going before 11am. To make up for my lazy Mommy morning, I made Belgian waffles and bacon! I then made an attempt to clean the house. Ahhh, those children really have it out for me when cleaning time comes around. I am convinced they move from room to room to either a) make a bigger mess, or b) mess up what I’ve just cleaned. Is just something my rambunctious children do? Please tell me this isn’t some DNA issue that I’m stuck with?! LoL. As lunch time and nap time approached they seemed to wind down a bit. Thank goodness! I was able to catch up on news and television in peace and quiet. And before you know it….THEY ARE AWAKE! Since it is Easter, we decided to make an Easter Bunny cake. We didn’t brave outside because my youngest is battling a virus and I know his immune system couldn’t handle catching anything else. He is already a glob of snot…ewww! As I was saying, we made a bunny cake. The J’s loved it and helped me whisk out all the lumps. After it was done cooling we iced the cake and used candy to decorate Mr. Bunny (is what they named him). Then it was time for me to cook dinner. This is the beauty and the curse of this whole single parent life. I have moved away from my family, and this is my first holiday being on my own. So with no dinner prospects, I was in charge of making dinner. And just because I was not cooking for a ton of people, I went for a fancy dinner. Filet mignon, macaroni and cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, and goat cheese), and roasted red potatoes. Yes, I know….no veggies! But this is the beauty part of being single…I don’t have to eat veggies if I don’t want.  The rest of the night was a blur of reality television, cartoons, cleaning house, and getting ready for the work week ahead! I am sad to weekend behind me, but I am blessed that I was able to spend time with my kids and thankful to have a job to start the week off with. With that…Good night!

Until tomorrow….

~jk

A New venture...

A few years ago I had a dream that I was delivering backpacks full of school supplies to children that needed them.  At the time I was pregnant and did not put my plan into action.  Yesterday it came back to me and I got to work!  I did some research and I have decided to donate 100 backpacks to low-income children in San Diego.  There are plenty of programs, churches, and individuals like myself that have similar programs in place.  However, there are so many children that need those school supplies.  Right now schools print up a list of supplies that are needed each school year.  With one child it may not be so difficult, but when you imagine parents that have two or more children in school and are just making ends meet, this would be a lifesaver.  I hope to have my family and friends donate backpacks and school supplies to "A Backpack Movement" to help the children in San Diego!  Here is my goal for the 2011 school year.

Have a blessed day!
Jacqueline

I think I've finally found my groove!

I actually can't believe the weekend has come and gone. This week went by so fast I didn't have time to catch up! Monday's are always interesting for me and the kids. We are usually exhausted from the weekend and Monday we can find some time to relax. But it's also a time for any business that came about over the weekend needs to be taken care of. But that's all I remember?! Next thing I know I'm in the middle of Sunday!


However, I did learn a few things this week. I learned that my 2 year old son is extremely SMART!!! Yes, I know this is standard Mommy talk. But he really surprised me this week. We choose a subject every week for him to learn from and try new things. This includes words, games, and foods. This week we were learning about foods. I bought a three new Sesame Street books that focused on foods and matching items. The very first time we read the first book he could identify or say all of the foods!!! I guess I have been teaching him something over the last few years! Needless to say I was beyond stoked about that!

We also implemented a new weekday schedule. I have read many times over, that schedule is the key to success with children. I'm not opposed to it, but it seems like I was behind the schedule ALL DAY! I think I will use it as a blueprint for the day, but with two young children; I find it stressful to stay on an exact time schedule. We've also added a three time a week park visit in the schedule. It was actually quite fun. We usually spend time in the backyard, but the park allows us to be around our peers. This is a total plus! We also did not have a meltdown about leaving the park!  This is also a huge deal in my book!

So here is to another week ahead.  To good children, completed workouts, no tantrums, conversations with Dad, and no drama at all!!!

Until Later,
~Jacqueline~

Mommy Overload!

I'm 29 years old, I am a Mother, A Daughter, and a Sister.  But if someone were to really ask me "Who are you?"  I'm not quite sure I would be able to give them an accurate answer?  This is my last year in the 20's.....the last year that I should be finding myself and what I'm all about, right?  I feel like my interests are scattered all over the map.  I am interested in Real Estate, Accounting, Web Design, and most recently Blogging.   So how do I find the time to pursue all of my interests?  I don't want to take away from raising my children, but at the same time I want to find my niche in life.  Is that selfish of me to want to pursue a life outside from just being a Mom?  I don't think so at all!  I actually feel it's the best way to bring the best of both to your children.  Mommy is being fulfilled by what drives her in life, and your children reap the benefits of a happy Mommy!  It's a win, win situation in my book!

Thanks for listening!

Until Later,
~Jacqueline~

Whew!!!

Whew! That is all I have to say about the last few days. If my children weren't two years old and two months old, I'd be quite certain they have been trying to get rid of me!

Let me explain. As you may know, I am now the "Head Honcho" in this house. My spouse is away on deployment. And as proud of him that I am, there is also a part of me when my children are screaming I think to myself; Lucky Bastard! No, I haven't lost my mind, yet. But over the last few days I have lost complete control of my bedroom, if that's what it is anymore. My day seems to be full of putting out small fires ie: poop blow-out on Kid #2, Kid #1 sliding on printer paper across the tile floors, and Kids #1 and #2 simultaneously CRYING!

So with all that being said, I am dedicating my weekend to organizing our home and our schedule. I NEVER imagined staying home with MY OWN children every day could be so exhausting! Mind you, I'm not completely naive. But I was thinking it won't be easy, but I can do it. I'll play with them, feed, them, we'll read books, and they'll be GENIUSES!! Uh, yeah..I just want them to be alive at this point. LoL!

I also want to spend next week on ME TIME! Even though I'm a rookie at this Mommy gig. I know that I must maintain some sort of sanity for myself and my children. So next week I'll blog about my favorite products and new products I want to try and share.

Thanks for listening....Whew!!!!

~Jacqueline~

Day 1 of Deployment :(

Well it's official; I am a single Mom of two children until April 2010. We took him to the ship this morning. All around are the wives, girlfriends, husbands, and boyfriends, mothers, and fathers. All sad to say see you later to their loved ones. Some women even had to say good bye to their children and leave Dad to be the caretaker. It was sad, and I shed a tear for them, but not for myself? I know what you're thinking, but it's a simple answer. I love him dearly, but I'll be honest, he's not exactly Molly homemaker, or he isn't exactly who the kids run to when they need something. Most Moms know, if the kids need something, they will run to you. Dad can be sitting there begging to make them a sandwich or tie their shoe, but oh noooooo, "I want Mommy to do it!" So of course I will miss my best friend and movie buddy, I will miss receiving his phone calls to ask if I need anything from the store before he comes home, I will miss when he wants to hog the TV (wait no I won't miss that!), but you get the point. I will miss him terribly! This is the longest we will be apart in five years. :( But I want him to know, I can hold down the home front and we'll be here for you when you return! Thank you for sacrificing time with your family to protect Our Country and Our Freedom! We love you!!!