Things have been busy in our household this week.  The summer is winding down and that means dealing with back-to-school shopping.  I bought most of their school supplies already so now its just a matter of CLOTHES.

Princess Nibbles is easy.  Because her closet is full (mainly through hand-me-downs) all she needed before next week are new sneakers and new jeans.  I picked up the sneakers at Payless’ BOGO sale and at Fashion Bug I picked up a pair of capri length jeans (for $4) and a pair of full length jeans.  I also picked her up a couple of new tops because they came with fingerless gloves and she “loved them”.  Other than getting a haircut on Sunday (and maybe picking up some socks) she is ready for school.

Miss Artistic is another story entirely.  I had already purchased her 3 pairs of sneakers.  I bought one at the end of last year and 2 pairs thru Payless’ website where I was able to buy both for a total of $15.  Last night we picked her up a pair of hightops for gym class as it requires lace-up shoes and precludes slip ons.  Shoes are easy.  She doesn’t care about price or brand – she just likes to wear cute colorful sneaks and other slip-on style shoes.

But, due to her bosom (and weight gain from meds she is on) finding clothes that are stylistically appropriate for her age that actually fit is a true nightmare.  We went through about a dozen pairs of jeans to find one that fit “right” – no puckering, no gathering, not too tight, not too baggy – and complemented her figure.  Unfortunately they were not on sale ($25) but as she desperately needs new clothes I had to just suck it up, break one of my primary shopping rules, and buy it anyway.

We also tried on more tops than you can shake a stick at and I came away with the realization that while PrincessNibbles might have gone up a shoe size this summer, Miss Artistic went up a cup size.

I bought one top at FashionBug that she really liked, that fit her.  Again, it was full price ($30 – ouch) but frankly her mood was so depressed after trying on so many things that didn’t fit and having to put back so many things she liked (off the clearance rack) that I wasn’t going home without SOMETHING she could wear proudly.

I came home and as I nibbled on a late dinner I went online and bought some graphic tees thru walmart.com and kmart.com that ranged in price from $6-$12.  She liked what I found and hopefully with just a few more purchases she will be done as well.

Tonight the plan is to go to the Mall (Gods I hate going there) and get some bras from Lane Bryant.  We are at the point where her “old bras” no longer fit and because her size is not one I’d commonly find on the shelf its going to involve ordering them special.

Here’s hoping tonight’s outing doesn’t depress her as much as last night’s did.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:kids, shopping

I know I know.  We’ve been unusually quiet the last couple of days.  Here in Mama Kelly’s house it was a rough work week.  Nothing horrible happened (like when they messed up my paycheck 2 weeks in a row) it was just one of those weeks where I hated my job more than I usually do and found it hard to be grateful for it, even with the state of the national economy. 

I had to leave early on Thursday so that I and GamerDude could attend a meeting with the Child Study team at Miss Artistic’s school.  Seventh grade was so bad for her in regards to her depression that it was decided to give her some extra assistance this year so that Eighth grade can wind up being happier and more successful.  This support will vary from learning study skills and organizational habits, having an open door policy with the school counselor, and fostering an environment where she can simply get the support she needs (socially, academically and emotionally) when she needs it.

Afterwards we all went to the local health food section of my Foodtown where we purchased more TVP and various beands, grains and whatnot and hit Sam’s Club as well.  I spent more than I wanted to, but we were in need of a bunch of “higher ticket items” – paper goods, dishwasher tabs, garbage bags, etc.  Hopefully I wont have to go back to Sam’s for a big shopping for a coule of months.

We came home and I put up a pot of meat sauce, not something I usually start at 4pm.  I wanted to have it here in the house for my goddess-daughter AngelGirl’s visit and as I had to work Friday from 8-1 (to make up for leaving early) there was no other time to get it done.  Everyone had a hand in the meatballs – I threw all the ingredients together, GamerDude mixed it up and the girls rolled up the meatballs.  They have so much love in them I’m surprised they don’t glow.

Yesterday I took PrincessNibbles and AngelGirl over to the local Paint Your Own Pottery place.  We were there for about 2 hours.  AngelGirl made something lovely which I won’t share because I don’t know if she made it for herself or potentially for someone else.  PrincessNibbles made a bunny – a PINK bunny.  And I made an ice cream bowl as a gift for GamerDude – his birthday is only about 3 weeks after Xmas so I’m not sure which occassion I’ll be giving it to him for.

We came home and had dinner and the rest of the evening found the kids simply hanging out – running around in the yard, watching a movie, and snacking.  Showers were had and they were in bed by about 10pm – though we heard them talking and such till much later.  They were up by 8:30 and they had frozen waffles, sausage and canned peaches for breakfast.  My morning was spent working on a pot of mushroom-barley soup (also known as Krupnik) which is filling my kitchen with some lovely aromas.

The plan today is to hang with Lady Rose and work on the future home of 2WitchesBlog.  GamerDude is planning on taking the kids to the community pool and at some point a trip to the local ice cream parlor is definately called for.  Tomorrow I have to work (as I do nearly every Sunday) and my week begins anew.

Hope you are all having a lovely day

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama Kelly

I am grateful for the changes I am seeing in Miss Artistic. I am getting the sense, that she may be coming to a true sense of self and some level of acceptance along with it. She seems more comfortable in her own skin and we are having an easier time communicating of late.

I am grateful for good friends. Lady Rose, it goes without saying. But, also my friend “E” who is having such a hard time of it. I truly adore her and wish for her nothing but the one thing she wants for herself and can’t seem to find – a deep lasting love.

I am grateful for new friends, like Fox of Shades of Midnight who is currently working on a piece of jewelry for “E”’s next birthday. Which is just gorgeous by the way.

I am grateful for the nights that I sleep through the night, as few and infrequent as they are.

I am grateful for my job, although I hate it so, because without it I’d lose the health insurance I need so desperately.

I am grateful for having enough food to feed my family in an economy that hints that this will only get harder to achieve.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude, prayer

Yes, I know, I’ve been quiet of late.  Some of it is due to being caught up in the throes of depression and anxiety again.  Some of it is due to all of my emotional energy being used up by my job and leaving me with nothing left in the evening.  Most of it though is due to my weeding through all of our old posts and deciding what to move over to the new blog.

Obviously I want to move enough that a new reader can go back and get a picture of my family, my friendship with Lady Rose, and the journey we’ve taken here on the blog.  But, I don’t want to move every last bit of fluff and filler, either.  So I am taking my time and only moving posts that relate directly to family life.  Some of the smaller filler posts will eventually come back to life as a new post or will find themselves as page content.

I am eternally grateful to have until Samhain to get it all done!!!

I spent much of today cooking.  I made a pot of clam sauce, a pot of onion soup (which we ate tonight topped with cheese leaded toast), and a batch of my “famous” hot onions.  Tomorrow I have a few more things to cook and a lot of tidying to do.

The soup came out really good and met up to Mr. Grumpy’s judgment as well.  My mushroom stock came out pretty bland and I wound up rummaging in my pantry and using some beef bouillon cubes.  Next time I will put a little more effort into my stock and hopefully be able to forgo any beef in my soup at all.

I mailed out 7 books that I’ve sold via Amazon, bringing my grand total to 24 books sent off to new homes where they will hopefully be loved and treated kindly.  I’ve “made” about $90.00 and once I hit $100.00 I am withdrawing th emoney and tucking it aside in a little “vacation fund” jar I bought at the dollar store.  Of course wether it will be spent on Yule shopping or saved for Womongathering has yet to be determined.

The rest of the day wound up wasted as my intestines were acting up and I was feeling rather miserable.  Here’s hoping I can get more done tomorrow.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama Kelly

The title is at GamerDude’s suggestion and frankly how could I resist?

Monday while I was at work Miss Artistic had one of her best friends over.  Now “N” is a great girl, I really like her, and most importantly she is a good and true friend to my daughter.

While they were hanging out in the backyard they caught a glimpse of something small and gray darting across the grass and somehow “N” managed to catch it, unfortunately she also got bit, hard enough to draw blood.

From what I’ve been told they caught a common shrew, “N” volunteers at a vet office so we will trust her judgment on this.  Now I always thought that shrews were related to mice but I learned today that although they look much like mice, shrews are not members of the rodent family at all.

Hubby cleaned it out immediately with hydrogen peroxide and we made sure her mother was aware of the bite.

That was our excitement!

What was yours?

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama Kelly

Do you need Me?
I am there.

You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.
You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.

…

Though you fail to find Me, I do not fail you.
Though your faith in Me is unsure,
My faith in you never wavers,
because I know you, because I love you.

Beloved, I AM there.

Excerpted from “I Am There”

James Dillet Freeman – 1947

I am grateful that my employer finally fixed all the problems with my paychecks and that this past Friday passed without further incident.

I am grateful for the cooler temperatures of the past couple of days that have made me so much more physically comfortable and allowed me to actually sleep Friday into Saturday, even if it didn’t help me sleep last night.

I am grateful for Miss Artistic’s group of friends who are all, at least as far as I know and can tell, truly good kids.

I am grateful for Lady Rose getting the chance to get away, even though I know how hard it will be on her physically – the fun she has will carry her far.

I am grateful for good friends and good books and good food.

I am grateful that in spite of my anxiety and depression, that I am managing to keep putting one foot in front of the other and do what needs to be done.

Blessings
Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude, prayer

As always the weekend goes by too quickly. There never seems to be enough time to get done everything that needs doing.

Between Thurs evening and Friday morning Miss Artistic and I ran quite a number of errands which included doing the week’s food shopping, picking up some school supplies, and purchasing a few items of clothing for the new school year. All told we hit 7 stops in 2 outings.  The things I do to save a few dollars!!

My best deal at the supermarket this week was buying 6 packages of bacon (yes I know we’re supposed to be transitioning toward vegetarianism) that were originally $5 a package but, due to a sale and a it’s-almost-past-its-sell-date coupon were picked up for $1 each.  All 6 packages were immediately put in my freezer and will probably be used more as enhancements to other meals (ie bean soup) than as a side dish.

I also did well at Fashion Bug, which was an unplanned stop but they were having a Sidewalk Sale.  I picked up 5 items (3 for Miss Artistic and 2 for Princess Nibbles) which at full price would’ve totalled $102 and only paid a little over $40.  I also found 2 Tshirts at the dollar store for my youngest – for $1 each I couldn’t rationalize not buying them.

I spent a few hours on Saturday cooking – I made a vegetarian chili (w/ TVP) that everyone enjoyed and that Mr. Grumpy thought had meat in it.  I also made a pot of pasta sauce and tuna & chicken salads for lunches. It may not have been a formal ritual, but filling my fridge with food seemed a perfectly suitable way to acknowledge the first harvest of the year.

I did some light de-cluttering (filled a bag of garbage) and really need to get more done this week.  Im just so darn tired all the time its hard to get anything done.

But I also managed to spend some good time with the girls.  Mr. Grumpy was out for the day on Saturday, so we all took bowls of chili into the living room (weren’t we naughty!) and watched Mrs. Doubtfire on TV, we horsed around and acted quite silly, and my home briefly glowed with laughter.

In other news … as a family we have agreed to not buy take-out or go out to eat for the whole month of August.  I am going to be eliminating my morning expenditures at Wa-Wa (other than my coffee which actually works out cheaper there I think because of how much creamer and sweetener I use).

That’s about it in a nut-shell. I am off to work (until 4:30) and hopefully I will have a paycheck in my hot little hands before the days end since they once again messed up my pay causing me to not receive any. Tonight Miss Artistic has a Dr. appointment from which we won’t get home until 8:30 or so. So there won’t be much in the way of fun tonight.

But, tomorrow is National Night Out, so we are attending an event in our community. We will be “cheating” a bit as we will be buying hot dogs there for dinner – but last year they were inexpensive and all the proceeds go to support our local police, fire dept., and ambulance company.

Here’s hoping we have a fun time.

Blessings,

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:family

A Psalm for Gaia

The Earth is my mother, I shall not want.
She nurtures me in green pastures;
she freshens me with flowing waters.
She restores my body and awakens my soul.
Although I walk in the shadow
of changing seasons and passing time,
I will not fear death,
for the essence of life is within me,
the peace and beauty of Earth comfort me.
She teaches me to harvest her abundant gifts,
she fills my heart with compassion,
I drink from the cup of simple pleasures.
As I look to the skies with wonder
at the immensity of the universe,
I know I am blessed beyond measure
to live all the days of my life
in the bountiful house of Gaia.

Dolores Stewart Riccio

author of:
Circle Of Five, Charmed Circle, The Divine Circle Of Ladies Making Mischief,
and The Divine Circle of Ladies Courting Trouble

It has been a rough week at work, including and not limited to them messing up my pay 2 weeks in a row (last week I wasn’t paid at all and this week I was only paid $30). There have been other issues at work as well, one which had me in tears by the end of day Thursday. But, in this economy I am grateful that I have a job, even if it does suck the life right out of my soul.

And, while I have to pay through the proverbial nose for the privilege (we’re talking about $15K a year in premiums alone for less than spectacular coverage), I am grateful that I have health insurance. Granted I am not using it for myself – though I should probably try and get a couple of visits in before we roll-over i nto a new insurance in December.

I am grateful for my family and for my friends. For “E” who came up last weekend and for Lady Rose who has been doing so much work on our new digs. For Miss Artistic’s continuing good spirits in spite of a new school year looming not far ahead. For Princess Nibbles easy-going nature which takes one less pressure off my back.

I am grateful for reaching summer’s peak and the knowledge that comes with it that soon the air will turn cool and crisp and the leaves will change their hue. Even though I tend to dread October for all the bad memories it brings, Fall is my favorite season of the bunch. This year more that any I can remember I am looking forward to turning inward with the growing darkness and doing work on clearing the clutter in my soul as I clear out the clutter in my home.

Be blessed

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude, prayer