Happy New Year!

2012 was all around a wonderful year for myself and my family. I started 2012 with a little bitty baby, a 3 year old struggling with communication, and a 5 year old having a hard time in kindergarten. My mom was living with us, and as much as I loved having her the two Sagittariuses (mom and husband) were starting to bump heads. She moved out in March to the L.A area and almost immediately fell in love with an old friend,  she had been looking for a true connection for ummm...lets just say a long time, and I am beyond happy for her! My Sister started a blog  early in the year which has blossomed and grown into a hugely successful passion for her, I cant say enough how proud of her I am, and how amazing she truly is! My husband after working at one store for almost 5 years switched to a new store, where he is much happier. We also celebrated our 10 year anniversary this year, and got spoiled with a trip to Las Vegas! We took a week long road trip vacation to California which was so much fun and a wonderful family experience! Also this past summer I met my little brother who is now permanently living with my Dad and Step mom, which is the best thing for everyone, and I am so happy to have him back with us! My dear friend and her husband started the long and still ongoing process of divorce, this year has been very enlightening for her and she has made a huge transformation, and I am so proud of her!I ended this year with a busy busy toddler a 4 year old exploding with new words, and a 6 year old loving Kindergarten the second time around; I end this post and year with lots of optimism for the new year ahead, as well as gratefulness for the wonderful year behind me. Wishing all of you a happy New year and an awesome 2013!

MoM Dictionary...Holiday Edition

How about another round of definitions we all know and love as Stay at Home Bitches, but this time lets get into the holiday spirit.

Christmas: 1. Candy, hot chocolate, lots and lots of activities, crafts, housework, cooking, and a very long break from sanity school.

Holiday party: A party(more like nightmare) you volunteer to put together, cook for, and otherwise take time out of your life to put together, that in ten minutes is demolished,  resulting in sugar highed kindergartners.

New Years: Once this was a magical night full of midnight kisses and champagne, but now consists of fireworks viewed on the flat screen and apple cider.

Presents: A couple of expensive housewares you don't normally buy, come on Kuerig!!

Santa: The best thing about December unless your kid is old then I am sorry but I hope the ride was good while it lasted.

December:  The month of madness.

**Disclaimer**These definitions are intended for humor although based in reality.

I actually love this time of year more than any other, the magic and sparkle in my kids eyes when they visit Santa or when they spot a huge light display while we are running errands is why I love being a mom. Happy Holidays from Stay at Home Bitch!

~Retro Housewife Monday~ Thanks!

Week3: Thank you's

This week I am bringing thank you back. I am a fan of thank you cards, in any form, e-cards, Facebook, and paper, yes people paper! I wish I sent more people thank you cards, and just cards in general, and I wished more people did also. There is something about seeing a pretty envelope with your name handwritten on it, and a pretty card with any sentiment in it, that warms my heart. So I am challenging myself to send a handmade card every week to someone in my life for some reason for 3 months, and I challenge you to send some paper cuteness in the mail to someone that isn't a bill this month, and no Christmas cards don't count, but maybe if you made them ;)

Banners.... I'm Obsessed!

So I am Obsessed with banners! I love them so much I find any excuse to make them for every occasion! I even want to make them for other people when they are having an occasion at their home. I just love them!! I love coming up with different ideas and colors and ways to put them together!! Recently I made a burlap banner for Jaxsen's birthday, I originally wanted to do his name on it but decided not to, I thought it looked cute plain. I also made three for Roberts birthday that I love loved! His was a Lego themed birthday and it was so easy to make!! Banners are so easy and add so much character to decorations you should try it sometime!!!

Making a Banner

Step 1: Decide on a theme

Before you can make it you have to think about what you want to make, what you want it to look like, and what the occasion is. Banners consist of a series of "flags" attached together.  I like to go on pinterest and get some inspiration!

Step 2: Plan it out

Once you have an idea in your head of what you want, figure out the supplies you will need to make your banner. The materials I use are usually paper, fabric, ribbon, or string. Don't let that limit you, be creative and think about what would best go with the theme.

Step 3: Get it together

Go purchase the supplies you need, or use what is around you, and get creative. When working with paper the easiest way to attach each flag together is to punch a hole in each corner and secure with string, ribbon, or even wire. When making a fabric banner it is easiest to glue all the flags to a single piece of ribbon, etc.

Step 4: Attach Letters (optional)

If you are going to use letters I do this at the end after the banner is all attached, I use to put the letters on first but I have assembled enough to know you can't assemble the letters out of order if you put them on at the end.

Step 5: Admire :)

Step back and check out your gorgeous new banner!

~Modern Housewife Monday~ Pin some?

Week 2: Pinterest

Oh Pinterest how I love you! I use pinterest for everything I have stopped searching google or bing, and search anything and everything on pinterest. I use it to find recipes, crafts, DIY projects, advice,and of course new blogs. Pinterest does exactly what it is supposed to do makes my life easier, and I love using it, so there for I love making my life easier by using pinterest? It is an extremely useful tool for wives and mothers, I recommend getting on there and get pinning, start with a recipe board, and craft board and go from there, believe me you won't be disappointed, and make sure to follow Stayathomeb on pinterest!!

Bow-Ties..... I'm Obsessed!

              I am so and I do mean SO obsessed with bow ties! 

 Same bowtie.....                                                                                                         ......used differently

I love them, I love when my boys wear them, I love them on other little boys, they are awesome and are making a comeback! I buy them wherever I see them, but I also have a lot custom made for holidays and events. You can make your own, I found this great tutorial on Pinterest, or if you are like me, and sewing is not your thing, I have bow-tie                                                lady you can check out her Facebook

         page here. I have about 20 now and 

       I keep getting more and more! 

          What are you Obsessed with?

~Modern Housewife Monday~ Meal Planning

SO I am going to try, and try being the key word, to post a modern housewife tip every Monday. My sister told me about a book she loves, I dont exactly remember the book but it was like the modern girl's guide to everything or something. It got me thinking about the modern housewife; so I started coming up with a few things to help all those Stay at home bitches get it together, and kick moderns ass.

Week 1: Meal planning

I have tried countless times to be a flawless and efficient meal planner, I have failed each time, until I found an app. Yes a freaking app has finally brought me around to being an awesome meal planner!! I was searching for a grocery list app and I wasn't finding what I wanted so I searched meal planning, in which only a few apps came up, I got the free ones LOL, hey I'm frugal, not cheap. I tried them both and settled on Food Planner. It is amazing and everything I wanted plus some! You sign up so that you can sync it with your other mobile devices and your partner's. It is very easy and user friendly It not only let's you plan your meals but you can add the ingredients to a grocery list, and unlike some grocery list apps I have tried it doesn't duplicate ingredients, it just says how many of that ingredient you need. Also the plus some I was referring to is that is has an inventory portion so you can also keep a pantry and freezer inventory!! Awesome right?! I love love LOVE this app and I reccommend it to all moms and wives who like to save money and time by meal planning and want a more technological way of doing it. It does take a little while to get started, inputting all your recipes and such, but In my view it was well worth it!

Do you meal plan? 

Boy fashion...make it work

Any mom who has boys will tell you what a limited selection you have to choose from when dressing boys. I like my kids to look cute and more often than not i dress them in a color scheme and/or overall theme. I dont do characters and i like a good skull and bones as well as the next stay at home bitch, but I wish boys fashion went beyond that.

Three things I do to keep my kids lookin fly is:
1. Each child has a signature look.
 Robert-looks great in neutral colors and classic lines, plaids, stripes and an overall professer look, so I dress him in lots of blue jeans and flannels, or collared shirts. Signature colors blue and brown. Asher-looks great in bright bold colors and pattern, skulls, guitars and an overall rockstar vibe, so i dress him in skinny jeans, corduroy, and bold t shirts. Signature colors turquoise and grey.
Jaxsen wears a lot of trendy clothes, vibrant prints and i like to mix patterns on him, so i dress him in lots of layers, and unexpected accessories. Signature colors black and neon green.

2. Stick to the same lines when dressing together. I am not a mom who dresses siblings like twins in the exact same outfit. They each have a different personality so i like to show that off. If we are all going out as a group I try to keep similar line, like all wearing no sleeve shirts, or all wearing sweaters, they don't match but they are carrying an overall look.

3. Play with textures. I love dressing my kids in coordinating patterns, and textures. Lots of print play and adding bow ties or vests do a lot for an outfit. I like to think of myself as a designer and they are wearing a collection from the same look.

When dressing boys have fun, add the unexpected, and always take their individual personalities into perspective.

 Happy Styling!

MoM Dictionary

I have been thinking about this for awhile, words have a completely different meaning when you are a Stay at Home Bitch. People without kids use these totally different! Some of these I have seen and some I have come up with. I hope you thoroughly enjoy myself making fun of this crazy lifestyle we SAHB choose to live.

Cartoons: the only thing that saves your sanity and gives you a break

Baby: referring to any child of yours at any age when they are being sweet.

Playdates: A social time for both moms and kids, which includes, chasing, yelling, sitting for as long as possible, and comparing notes.

Cleaning: Something that never ends and is always reversed in a timely manner.

Compliment: Something another mom gives you when she is green with envy about a particular awesome thing you or your child did.

Complaint: Anything you or a fellow mom says about a husband.

The Child/Misery Ratio: The more kids you have the worse I feel for you.

Tantrum: The worst thing that happened in your day

Epic Tantrum: The scariest most embarrassing thing that will ever happen to you.

Moms Night Out: MNO: Very important time you spend doing anything that gets you out of your house and away from your family.

Appointment: A necessary evil which includes taking any combo of your children to a place they are afraid of so they can scream and cry and be deemed healthy.

Single mom: A freaking Saint!

**Disclaimer**These definitions are intended for humor although based in reality. Have any you would like to share???

My first attempt at a dessert bar.

I decided pretty early on that my last child's first birthday was going to be amazing and since I think 1st birthdays are more for the adults in a child's life than the child I wanted it to be very classy not cutesy. I picked Sock monkey theme and I honestly don't know why I have been so obsessed with sock monkeys since mister Jaxsen was born, but I am and had to throw an awesome party everyone would remember. I also had a really tight budget for this party since I really splurged for Asher's 4th Birthday and spent around $600 so needless to say my husband was not pleased and so this party I had to keep it tight. I saw THIS on pinterest and thought "how stinkin cute" I knew at that moment I wanted to do a dessert bar.

 I first thought I would save some money and make all the desserts, well I am not the best baker so after a few cake pop attempts I decided that was going to be a splurge and the decor would be the save. I contacted my baker, yes I have a baker and I know her personally and she is a very neat lady, you can also order from her by visiting her facebook page HERE, and ordered a dessert bar for 25 guests, this included a small 2 tier cake, 20 cake pops, and 20 mini cupcakes, all for $65 which in my opinion is a smokin deal!


 I then decided to make the food more family style so I was able to work that into my weekly food budget, and the other splurge was a housekeeper, to help get my house party ready. I had everything in place and so with the rest of my budget I bought some burlap and red string for a banner, and some puff balls so I could make a cute party hat. I already had a ton of paper and tissue paper to make the medals and big puff balls. I wanted this party to have a more vintage sock monkey feel, so I went with sock monkey colors but didn't actually have sock monkey everywhere. My total party investment was $200 and I had a really great time at the party and planning it, and Mister Jaxsen had a blast!

My MOM list

I was recently introduced via my moms group to a great blog I enjoy reading and have already gained some great tips, and ideas from. I particularly like a post called Everyone has one you can check out that post here. It made me start thinking 1. her list is way better than mine and 2. I can do all of these and my life would be easier if I did. So I started doing a couple things from this list and I can say I am so happy to have found this blog and list so Thank you Randi!! I also wanted to post a different kind of list it is more of an enjoy your kids list so here we go.



1. Get down once a day and PLAY!

I love love love playing with my kids and once a day I do my best to stop all the chores and get down on the floor and play. This can be anything from wrestling to building a skyscraper with blocks, but try to get to their level and enjoy them. I have noticed the days I get busy and forget to do this are the days they misbehave the most.

2. Say yes more than No

I have seen in a lot of advice columns to try to never say no, well that just isn't possible for me, discipline is a big part of parenting for me and so is setting boundaries. Also I like my kids to learn life lessons and lets be honest how often are adults told no, you can't do that? Everyday we live within the bounds of laws, so kids should as well. What I try to do is say yes more than no and I always say yes to things that help them learn and grow, if they want to paint or draw or make a huge fort I say Yes!

3. Make room for mistakes

I don't know about you but I didn't get a handbook the day my first child was born, and even if I did I would probably disagree with half of it. I make mistakes as a parent, my kids make mistakes, my husband makes a lot of them :). I always try to remember this is a learning curve and when I do make a mistake I file under, "don't do that again," and move on.

4. Listen

Listening is a big deal in our house, I live with 4 boys and listening is not their strong suit. I lead by example when someone is talking to me, I listen. This can be kind of hard to do, but I try my best, I want them to know I want to hear what they have to say. I truly believe if you listen to the small things when they are small, they talk to you about big things when they are big.

Definitely not as long of a list but this list helps me be a great mom, in my eyes!

Do you have any lists you go by?

Almost Completed..the bucket list

So I posted at the beginning of summer our bucket list, you can find that post here, and while we had a great summer, sadly we didn't get through it all. We did however do some awesome things some on the list and not on the list.


What we actually did:

• washed a car
• made big bubbles
• visited a ranch
• rode horses
• baked cookies
• visited a botanical garden and zoo in one
• made birdfeeders
• had a water balloon fight (actually a couple)
• attended a few parades
• went on nature walks and found pine cones, picked flowers and blackberries, and caught bugs
• had an unbirthday party
• played soccer
• made popsicles
• went fishing
• built a huge blanket fort
• went to the fair
• went to a petting zoo
• had a picnic
• made clay prints
• did a baking soda vinegar volcano
• drove over a thousand miles
• met a family member for the first time
• had an awesome jam packed summer that went by way too fast!

 Hope you had a great Summer did you finish your summer list?

Califonia...an amazing trip part 3

The last few days of our trip started with our last day in LA visiting the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. If you haven't been there I recommend it we had a blast! Lots of great animals and beautiful landscaping as it is also a botanical garden. We had the privilege of being escorted through with my sister Kier and her boyfriend Roger who is full of facts and puns, he made this a very entertaining zoo trip! The boys loved seeing the animals and especially loved the L.A.I.R and the playground complete with animal sculptures.


*Hint: if you forget to pack your own water bottles buy one and refill at the drinking fountains.

After the zoo we made our way back to my moms apartment and packed up, then we headed back to Northern California to stay the night. The next day we packed some sandwiches, filled water bottles, and laid around and watched tv until about 6pm when we loaded into our van and made the 15 hour drive back home with a pit stop in Portland to drop off Grandma Karen. I would call this trip a success we spent a lot of time driving but only ended up spending around $400 in gas for all the driving, which is a huge saving from the $1500 air travel would have cost. It was so great to see where my mom and sister lived and it has helped the boys to know that their Nani moved away and lives in California now. I would do it again in a heartbeat and hopefully will in the next couple years!

California...an amazing trip part 2

After being in Northern California for a few days we headed 5 hours south to Los Angeles and as soon as we got there it was "get ready," and go out on the town. My Husband and I spent the night dining and partying with my sister Kier and her Boyfriend Roger.

It was like we had been transported out of our current life and into a fantasy world full of, short dresses, strong drinks, and loud music. I had a wonderful time and felt like a VIP as i sipped my vodka and pineapple juice and witnessed David Arquette Marionetting in the middle of a crowded nightclub.

I had a great night but was extremely excited to wake up bright and early the next day to head 2 hours south to Carlsbad California, for an epic day at Legoland! If you haven't been there I recommend it, also be sure to buy your tickets on the website 2 days in advance to get 20% off because like any theme park it is pricey. Everything is made from Lego's! Well not everything but a lot of things, we had tons of fun riding rides and playing in the water, before we sat down and ate some food which was delicious pizza!! All their food is "natural" or organic which I love! We had a great time but in retrospect I would have gone a little earlier in the day, we got there at 3pm and it closes at 8pm, I would have brought a backpack instead of a diaper bag, and I would have packed food and WATER instead of buying it. All in all the day was a success. The next day we hung out around the pool at my mom's apartments and had a home cooked healthy meal, which was a nice break from the whirlwind last 4 days!

 Stay tuned for the Last Part :)

Oh and pictures taken by my gorgeous sister check out her blog Fashion Addict

California...an amazing trip part 1

My family and I don't vacation that often having 3 kids is part of that but also we usually never have the funds to go on Vacation more than just a camping trip to the mountains. We decided to head to sunny California for a week to visit my sister and mom. We drove from the Seattle area to Northern California a 15 hour drive, with the kids it was so much easier on them to drive at night while they slept. We arrived in Prundale CA on Sunday July 29 around 4pm we got settled in and let the kids run and play, since they had been cooped up in a car for so long. We were staying with my mom's boyfriend who has a big ranch and a great house. We relaxed Sunday and Monday we had a big BBQ full of fun and riding horses! It was so great seeing my family having a wonderful time and trying something they had never done before. My Husband was a natural and my son Robert thoroughly enjoyed being a cowboy and riding the horses several times. I have ridden before and loved doing it again I took full advantage and rode 3 out of 4 of the horses!! Asher was not impressed and had a really hard time the whole week we were in California. Stay Tuned for Parts 2 and 3!!

Bucket List Update

So it is now the middle of July and in 6 weeks summer is over and school starts! So far we have:

• Made Big Bubbles
• Have attended 2 parades (bonus points!)
• Had a few water balloon fights 
• Made clay prints 
• Built a huge blanket fort.

We still have a lot left on our list hopefully we can knock a few out this week!!


Today 7/16

We washed a car :)

 

Today 8/07

 We were able to knock a few things off our list while on two different trips!

• Gone Fishing
• Visited the LA Zoo and Botanical Garden (two in one!)
• Visited a Water park inside Lego Land!
• made some yummy popscicles!

 Left: Asher looking at a snake
Below: Robert at the Zebra enclosure

Meeting my Brother

So I have a brother, he was a year old when his mom moved him to Texas and started evading my father and in turn myself and my sister. I talked to him on the phone only a handful of times growing up and received one photo when I was 15. Other than that no contact with him, until his mom started on a downward spiral resulting in losing custody of him. He is now living in Texas as a foster child, we are all hopeful he will be joining our family permanently and choosing to live with my dad! I made a special trip to Goldendale for the occasion and I was so happy to see him and introduce him to my kids, his nephews, and get to know this teenage boy i knew nothing about. I caught myself about to cry a few times talking to him, I had missed him so much and had never stopped loving him all these years. We went fishing, which he loves, and he cooked a huge seafood feast for us that was delicious, he wants to be a chef!! I am so happy to have him back in my life, his birthday is next week, he will be 15 years old. It is never too late to start a new life.

Laugh a little..

I have so much fun with my kids. If I could just have fun with them all day everyday and ignore the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and all the other miscelleneous stuff that gets tossed in, my life would be perfect. Children are Amazing. They are so real, they tell it like it is, act how they feel, and want little more than to have an awesome time all the time. It is a mystery how some parents can't see this, some parents don't take joy from spending time with their children, they are always worried about how the house looks, how people see them, the next impressive thing they can do. Parents get caught up in it all and just forget to have a little laugh with the precious beings in their lives. I hope some read this and decide to do just that.

Moster Madness

It was a quiet and peaceful Saturday, and I asked my oldest Robert what he wanted to do and he said"I want to be a vampire". So I pulled out my face paint stash and started painting his face, he loved it and even requested bit marks on his neck!

Then he asked me to be a monster too, so I quickly transformed into a mummy, Asher into a sea monster and Baby Jax had to join in since he was adamantly trying to steal the face paint the entire time, he ended up looking like the baby from The Addams Family movie.

This is quite an odd way to spend a Saturday to some people, but I had a lot of fun and so did the boys. Face painting can be a great way to pass the hours, it allows parents to tap into their inner child, and children to use their imagination. I had a blast chasing my little monsters around and they were very sleepy that night.

Summer......Ugh

I have a serious Love/Hate relationship with summer.

I live in the Seattle area, if you have ever lived here you know the only sunny and dry days we see are in the maybe 2 months of summer we get. With that being said it gets quite humid here and so when it does get hot i feel like I'm suffocating, and no why would we have ac we only have a 2 month summer.

Also since my kids started school summer means summer break which means entertaining children a lot more hours out of the day. Some days i want to rip my fucking hair out and curl up in a ball rocking back and forth. Other days I have a blast with my kids they listened really well, they didn't fight a lot, my husband got home early, etc.

I feel like once the weather actually gets the memo supposedly sent to it 2 weeks ago, it will get sunny and warm and I can lock my kids outside.

How do you like summer?

Robert giving summer a thumbs up!

10 years! Can you believe it?!

Wow, I seriously cannot believe my husband and I have made it to this milestone. We started dating when we were 14 and 15 years old. At the time we were just "going out" and having fun being young teenagers. My mom did not approve and tried repeatedly to break us up, and like many teenagers we did several times, we had long drawn out fights about nothing, but we had such a strong love for each other even then.

Here is a picture of us when we were both 16 in 2002

We spent 3 years living free and and in love only worrying about school, work, and having fun. Then 2 days after I turned 18 I found out I was pregnant. It felt like the end of the world, I was so scared and I knew my husband (boyfriend at the time) wasn't going to be happy. I knew I was keeping the baby, I dont personally believe in abortion but I do support the right to choose, and adoption wasn't something i felt I could do. It was with the support of both our families and the strong bond we had cemented over those years we entered a new chapter in life.

Parenthood

Robert Elijah was born via C-section on April 10th 2006, at a whopping 11 pounds 4 ounces and 20.5 inches long, he impressed all the nurses and immediately stole my heart. It was really at that moment I felt like I had a purpose in my life. I had never held a newborn in my life, and holding my son for the first time felt so natural, I immediately knew how to hold him, change his diaper, breastfeed, It was like I was meant to do it my entire life. 

Life started racing by after my son was born and before I knew it he was turning a year old, and while being parents was such an exciting ride, maintaining a relationship was a different story. Our relationship was reaching an end even though we had set a wedding date that was creeping closer every day, I sought shelter and understanding way too often with a mutual male friend of ours and this eventually led to the cancellation of our wedding and our big break up.

It only took a couple weeks for me to realize what a huge mistake I had made, our son was having a very hard time with it, not to mention myself and my husband, we had spent almost every waking moment with each other for the last 5 years. I really missed my best friend and father of my child and went crawling back begging for forgiveness, obviously he took me back since now we are celebrating 10 years. 

Immediately after we got back together we had such a renewed sense of love and commitment we started working on baby number two. I got pregnant fast and we were so happy, until all the walls started crashing down around us, our son Robert who until this point had hit every milestone early and with flying colors started regressing and acting not himself. He had gotten 12 vaccines in one day and within a week started losing words, and without a better way to explain started losing the light in his eyes. The day Asher was born was a very happy and sad day, my new perfect baby had come into the world healthy and my beloved Robert had completely stopped talking. 

Asher Leys

The month Asher was born we also moved, I graduated from college, and my Husband and I finally got married, after 6 years and 2 kids it was long overdue.

Marriage

Since my husband and I had been living together and raising a child for the past 2 years marriage wasn't very different from normal life. We did the same things, acted the same, nothing really changed not even my last name ( I was too lazy to change it, so embarrassing). We started the journey of how are we going to fix/help Robert, this is still an ongoing journey, which I will explain more in a later post. Asher was growing and Robert was improving and life was good for a while. We lived in a very small two bedroom apartment just two blocks from my husbands work, so did get to see each other a lot. My husband had started to drink more and more and while I didn't see it as a problem, he wasn't hurting me or my children, he didn't yell or get angry when he was drunk, I was just unaware of the real problem...Lying. One night my husband and I attended a party and he got wasted and even puked in the bushes and I was so upset and hurt that he had ruined a great night by getting out of control. He attended an AA meeting the very next night and started the road to recovery.

Through attending meetings and working the steps a brand new person started emerging, a person who was a complete stranger to me and someone I wasn't extremely sure about. Then it happened one night, we were talking and he couldn't keep it in any longer and confessed to cheating on me 3 times. I wasn't shocked, I had a feeling he had I just never really knew, and now I was forced to confront a truth I didn't even want to deal with. I was upset, angry, hurt, I felt betrayed, decieved, and, for lack of a better word, dirty. I started spending a great deal of time away from my husband, as soon as he would get home from work I would leave and go to my mom's house. I needed space, and time, a lot of time to think and feel and cry and heal. When I wasn't so upset we talked and the first few times we talked it didn't end well, we were seriously considering a divorce.

I never wanted my kids to experience a broken home like I did, and neither did my husband. We decided to give this all we had and really try and the only way we could fix it was to really really try. I started with a list of 5 things he had to complete within 30 days to show me he was seriously committed to making it work, he did. We started really talking and getting to the root of what had happened and to why and how we had ended up where we were. Through lots of talking, understanding, crying, laughing, and love; we ended up on the other side, together, happy, and back in love. 

It wasn't long after we decided to add the 3rd and final child to our family, and started working very hard to get pregnant. This time it was easier said then done it took nearly 6 months but finally Super Sunday 2011 that pee test showed two pink lines and I was over the moon excited. Jaxsen Donahue was a blessing from the moment i knew he was coming and even more so once he finally got here.

Jaxsen Donahue

Our Story started randomly and just never ended. I can honestly say I have never been more in love with my husband, or more happy in my entire life. I love all my children more than I could ever possibly explain, I can't wait for my Husband to get home from work so I can just spend time with him, and I have a strong knit support circle of people I seriously love. Life is good.

Happy 10 years to a wonderful Husband an extraordinary Father and a wonderful human being.

Summer "Bucket" List

Summer Bucket List 2012

I have seen a bunch of summer bucket lists and summer activities to do with kids so i decided to come up with my own summer bucket list and a creative unique way to go through it. This is our bucket list enjoy!

• wash a car
• sensory party
• make some big bubbles
• go to a rodeo
• family game night
• bake cookies
• go to a museum
• visit a botanical garden
• make moon sand
• visit NW Trek
• feed ducks
• water balloon fight
• visit a farmers market
• attend a parade
• make sand paper t-shirts
• scavenger hunt
• flashlight tag
• go on a hike
• have an unbirthday party
• fly a kite
• have a field day
• pick wildflowers
• make popscicles
• go fishing
• make ice cream
• tour a fire station
• go to Wild Waves
• visit a zoo
• camp in our backyard
• build a huge blanket fort
• visit a splash park
• go to a beach and build a sand castle
• U-pick berry picking
• have a picnic
• catch bugs
• pudding paint
• make clay prints
• go on a ferry ride
• go for a nature walk
• ice cube excavation
• KID PICK
• make and give away cookies :)
• visit the Science Center
• visit downtown Seattle do touristy things
• go bowling
• have a lemonade stand

This is our "bucket" list... each item from our list is on a color coded popscicle stick and placed in the bucket.

Green: easy - no money, no planning

Orange: medium - little money, little planning

Blue: hard - a lot of money, a lot of planning

Retention Resmention

I, and by I, I mean myself and my husband, have decided to retain, cough*hold back*cough, our son Robert in kindergarten. This decision was pretty easy, I know my child and he isn't ready. It was difficult in the way I had to have a meeting and deal with bureaucratic bullshit, and several school officials telling me I am making the wrong decision. In the end he is staying in kindergarten another year and I think this time around he will really kick ass at it.

Book Review: The Secret Lives of Wives

The Secret Lives of Wives written by Iris Krasnow was a great book. I enjoyed reading it for the most part, i found her to be a bit staunch in her views sometimes, and a little judgemental of the "out there" lifestyles. All in all though I did like the message and the main point of the book, which is how to stay married long term. My husband and I have been together almost 10 years now, and this book really did change the way i felt about marriage, I have always thought marriage should be a forever thing and I knew I didn't want to get divorced, but it is something about the social climate in America that continues to tell you it is alright to get divorced and in some cases you are badgered into it or even praised for doing it. In this day Marriage is viewed as disposable, Iris comes from a different time when you stuck it out, worked it out, or toughed it out. I have similar views to her, I didnt want a disposable marriage and I didn't realize the key factor in making a marriage last according to Krasnow is finding happiness in yourself, and outside the marriage. Through the chapters in this book in which she interviews many women from all walks of life who have been married a considerable amount of time she weaves a portrait of a healthy marriage designed to go the distance. I would recommend this book to all wives, but especially those from my generation, so younger women can see what it truly takes and means to be married.

Introducing.....THE Boys

SO that everyone will know who I am talking about I thought I would introduce the fellas in my life.

                                                                Bob:Husband

I love him, he is literally the best father in his age group I know or have ever met. He gets home from work and starts wrestling, playing, talking, and just engaging with his kids. We have been together since I was 14 and he was 15, in those years we have both changed and grown so much, and I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else.

Robert:Oldest

This is the sweet boy, who loves to be inside and also loves anything and everything monsters and zombies. He is very high functioning autistic, and does on a daily basis talk my ear off.

                                                                Asher:Middle

The coolest child ever. He doesn't talk very well, because he has Apraxia so saying consonants is very difficult for him. He is super physical, funny, sweet, and he breaks everything. He will go anywhere and do anything I want such an easy kiddo.















Jaxsen:Baby

Um..yea right now you just saw his picture and know that when I say he is the cutest baby to ever live you completely agree. He is so much fun every member of the family enjoys him so much. He is only 8 months old but we can expect great things from this one.

The Boys

Stay at home bitch:defined

Stay at home bitch ~n:
1. traditional housewife
2. young, stylish, stay at home mom
3. tattooed, pierced, rockin mom
4. add your name here 

Lets start by saying hey hello and hows it goin.

I'm not your traditional housewife, but i do do all those traditional chores, cook those traditional meals, and raise my kids with traditional values....with a twist.

 I am Ashley. I am 24 years young and a mother to 3 boys. I am a wife, daughter, sister, and friend. I have tattoos, my house is usually messy, my kids are usually naked if not they are wearing something with skulls on it. I love to cook and hate to clean, I love organization, but relish in chaos, My family eats healthy, but i spoil my kids with sweets, holidays are another reason to change all my decor, dress up with the kids, and do crafts all day long. I love having fun and letting my kids have fun on a daily basis.

 I started to blog because I don't meet a lot of other moms where I live who live the way I do. I don't drive a minivan, I do drive a lifted Jeep. I don't where mom jeans and t-shirts, I do wear tight dresses and high heels. I have never been divorced, I do have an amazing marriage with an amazing man, and we have a lot more sex then most married couples. You could say my life is perfect because in my eyes it is.

By now your like "sheesh so why are you blogging you perfect bitch?"

I want more people to start living happy lives the way they want and not the way society tells them to. I want more young moms to stand up and shout "I had a baby young but I love it and wouldn't change it". I want less marriages falling apart because you are trying to hard to be perfect. I want to give the world a candid look into a non traditional way to live a traditional life.

I am a stay at home bitch....are you?