Julie's Journal

I’m back for another weekly update. Things have just been so crazy around here, and rather life-changing. I’ve been pretty quiet about this for months hoping that things would work out but apparently that’s not going to happen. Michael and I are separated and he moved out. It doesn’t look to be reconcilable, as I would like to try counseling, but at this time he doesn’t want to.

It’s quite overwhelming as I don’t have a job to support myself and the kids (or even a car), so I’m in a bad scary place of not knowing what I am going to do for them. The thoughts are running through my head a million miles a minute and I feel exhausted, but I can’t sleep. I’m just in a very bad place right now and I am scared to death.

Since I don’t seem to have the time to get here as often as I should, I guess a weekly update is better than no update at all.

My mom got into town at the beginning of last week and we hung out everyday. We were either shopping, getting the catering ordered for J.R.’s graduation, swimming at the Green Valley Ranch pool, or drinking margaritas. It was a busy on-the-go type of week. Exactly the kind of week I need to keep my mind off the less important things in life I seem to dwell on all the time. We had a really nice time together, and I miss her already. Thanks for coming out mom, and I can’t wait until you can do it again! (Her margarita is the smaller one to the right. She was just posing with Michael’s mammoth mango marg!)

Thursday was Johnathan’s high school graduation and it was such a nice ceremony, and an absolute gorgeous day outside. I only cried twice which I think is some kind of world record for me, but I did have quite a few weepy moments leading up to the day. Maybe it was just all out of my system by the time the actual ceremony rolled around. I am very proud of him, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the things he will accomplish in his life from here on out. I know he will be great at whatever he decides to do.

Michael and I spent the whole weekend in the yard, fixing sprinklers and planting some fun things like catnip and a watermelon patch! We cut back the roses and the enormous deer grass that has taken over the front planters, and everything looks nice and “landscaped” up there now. We also did some herb pots with thyme, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, chives, and basil, and we bought a dwarf peach tree with two little green peaches that will hopefully ripen soon. Fruit trees in the desert, HA! I guess you can’t take that So Cal mentality out of us huh? We’ll do our best to keep it alive.

So that’s about it. I’ve been updating daily on my Facebook, but that’s only because I can do it so easily from my phone. If I could figure out a way to post said updates to my blog also then everything would be perfect I guess. Until next time…cheers!

I think we’ve all been in the situation where you’re trying to unload your groceries into your car, and you turn to find your shopping cart rolling away from you. Has it ever happened when your child was in the shopping cart also? Well it happened to Dyanne and Kevin Houlihan, and it scared them so much they decided to create the Cart-Stopper.

It’s a handy little gadget that attaches to the shopping cart on one end, and a suction cup that attaches to your car, to prevent “run-away” shopping carts. If you’re a mom or dad with young children, this is a handy safety item to own. Currently they are available in retail stores in Sacramento, or directly on their website for just $9.99, or you can try to win one here on my blog just by commenting.

Cart-Stopper Giveaway Rules

1. Leave a comment on my blog with your opinion about the Cart-Stopper
2. I will choose one random winner from all the comments received
3. Contest ends Thursday May 7, 2009 at 12:00PM Pacific time

Good luck, and don’t forget to tell your friends to enter also.

Thanks to Family Review Network and Cart-Stopper for this review and giveaway.

J.R.’s senior prom ended up really great. I had a fun week getting ready for it with him, and they had a great time at the dance and at the after party. I slept on the couch so I could hear when they got home. 5AM…not bad.

Parents Just Don’t Understand – We’re Not Perfect. We’re Parents. And We Mean It.

That’s the motto for ParentsConnect.com and I couldn’t agree with them more. As most of you know I’ve got two teenage boys. A 17 year old (18 in May) and a 15 year old, and let me tell you! I’ve made plenty mistakes over the years when it comes to parenting them. As parents, we’ve all heard the old saying that they don’t come with instructional manuals, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t help out there for us who struggle with making parenting decisions.

Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions? I think that hair pulling one is probably my top question on a daily basis, HA!

• How do I discipline without being too harsh?
• Why should I let my children fail at things?
• How do I teach my child to be a safe driver?
• When will I stop pulling my hair out?

ParentsConnect.com seems to be a great place to help you with your daily questions on parenting, and get feedback or support from other parents just like yourselves. They cover all stages of parenting including pregnancy, babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kids, preteens, and teens. There is something for everyone, so go connect with other parents and stop feeling so alone when it comes to parenting.

We’re Not Perfect. We’re Parents.