Yay! I love Stealing (erhm...shopping!)

First of all, I get to share a picture of what I got my friend Shasta for her birthday. I really liked this item, but had to not talk about it until she got it. Luckily, that was yesterday! So yay!

I got her these super cute Robot salt and pepper shakers from Thinkgeek.com but to give her credit, she had added them to her Amazon wishlist so I already knew what sorts of awesomeness she was into. 

I went to a website much like this one Coupons

and found a coupon code for $5 off of a $30 purchase at Think Geek. The salt and pepper shakers were only $25 so I decided to get something else that was $5. After looking around and not finding much I needed I finally settled on this awesome Zombie Wrapping Paper. Since it was technically free, it was well worth the (nothing) it cost me to get the fun reaction of Shasta seeing her birthday present wrapped in it.

And speaking of things that cost nothing, as of today I am finished with all of my birthday shopping for my nieces and nephews for the rest of the year. I bought my last gift at Toys R Us. It was on clearance for $9.99 and I had $10 in cash back rewards coupons left (I have already used the rest for some of my other nieces gifts) so I got this game for nothing - they just put it in a bag for me - that is fun times!

I also got my drink at Chipotle free because they didn't hear me ask for it.That was an awesome dollar I saved. :D  So technically, you could just mumble when you ask for your drink in order to save money, but that is immoral. If the idea sounded awesome to you and not at all sketchy, please consult your nearest religious authority and ask for guidance. Or your mom. Something.  

A year of Absence

 I don't even know where to start. It has been a long year without posting. I originally started this blog to talk about the adventures our family had in homeschooling. The  joys of our life, the crafts, fun, games, cooking, and general love our family gets to share. We still have all of those elements. There are still crafts, cooking, love, and even education at home, but I enrolled my children in public school at the beginning of this school year. I am in college full time, they are in activities, and most of the time I feel like I am lucky if I am even treading water, because some days the temptation to just give in, stop moving, and let the water rush over my head is tempting.

My whole life was centered around the fact that I homeschooled, and when we decided not to do it we also moved to a better school district 20 minutes away. I haven't seen any of my former homeschool mama friends in a social way since I made that decision. It has been a long, year. A year where I feel that I have no friends, that no one cares what happens.

Two months ago my son Alex, who is 4 and a half started seeing a behavioral therapist for problems he is having in school. They say they are 99% sure he will receive an Asperger's diagnosis. I spend my days making visual calenders, putting headphones on, asking for eye contact, and googling ways to create my own weighted blankets. I do this with a smile and an air of excitement as though I were preparing for a new baby and not a long road of difficulty with a son who has needs that I often cannot even understand let alone satisfy.

Today I woke up and I felt alone. I have made a couple of new friends, but since all of my relationships are new I feel there is no one I can bother on a day like today. I spent an hour in the shower. I trudged through homework, laundry, dishes. I told myself at least a hundred times today that laying down and pulling a blanket over my head is not an option. It is just one of those days, I will survive, I will soldier on. Tomorrow will be better. 

So now I guess this is a blog about motherhood and being human. Love, cooking, crafts, and the joys and sorrows that come in all forms no matter where your kid goes to school. Nothing ever prepares us for all of the twists and turns we are going to face, and some days all we can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other. Today is one of those days.