We hope for a far better outcome for Stay-at-Home-Mayhem. We really do. I promise to give it the attention it deserves (or for now, at least enough attention that it doesn't die).

Life has been ramping up rather than calming down. While there's a lot less financial and emotional stress piling up on my shoulders, it's left room for other things, like work: lots and lots of work. Writing and editing contracts, to be exact. 

Don't get me wrong: I like working. It means my frazzled in a different way, doing something other than caring for gremlins. And, best of all, I get paid for it. This, in turn, means I can spend more money on the necessities; things like getting take-out food because I don't have time to cook as often, or renting movies for my kids so they're too placated by the flashy box thingy to ask me for stuff, thus allowing me to finish the contract in the first place. 

I know, I know... I'm a walking example of "when you make more, you spend more." But let's pretend I'm not.

Contracts also buy Christmas. I have 1.2 children bought for right now thanks to my contract work, and I haven't even had to use a credit card. Eat your heart out, Santa. When you come down the chimney on the night of the 24th with your last-minute elven-made toys, I'll be waiting by the tree to show you how much better I am at your job. You're too slow, old man.

Oh, don't cry, Santa. I didn't mean it. It's not your fault. You need to get up pretty early in the morning to be as awesome as I am, that's all. 

Another thing I've been doing more of is volunteering. I've become a career volunteer. And, while it doesn't pay, it's still rewarding in that giving, warm and fuzzy way. So that everyone can talk about how egotistical what a good person I am, I will provide a rundown of where I volunteer:

- I sit on my neighbourhood association board (when I manage to make the meetings)

- I sit on Gutsy's school's governing board

- I'm a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee for the local school board and attend their meetings (when I manage to make them - are we noticing a pattern yet?)

- I read with Gutsy's classmates every Friday morning

- I now volunteer at the school's library

Three kids, four pets, a part-time job, a busy social calendar, a house to clean, food to buy, and five volunteer positions. 

Yes, it's true: I am a damn superhero. Fear me and things. 

In actuality, I wrote out the list because I want everyone to think about how they can help out in their community. If there's one thing that annoys me more than anything else about my generation, it's that we're too complacent and selfish. We complain, but we don't do anything about it. We wish things would be different and that someone should do something about it, but we're too wrapped up in ourselves and our excuses of "My life is busy enough" to help make those changes. 

Well, I'm here to say that I'm insanely busy, and yet I still help out. If I can do it, you can do it. So quit giving me that defensive, bitchy look and get out there and make a difference, already. Don't make me tell you twice.

I yawned all day today and wondered why on earth I was so tired. Then I remembered how I'm a stay-at-home, work-at-home, volunteer-everywhere-but-at-home mom. Even superheroes like me need to put their feet up sometimes. 

With that in mind, I'm going to go watch some Grey's Anatomy with crock pot leftovers from yesterday (did I mention I love my crock pot these days? It makes me seem like I spent all day in the kitchen when I just threw random things into a hole and turned the heat up for 7 hours). I just wanted to give my blog some attention. You know, some food, water, a little nose rub with my index finger. And now, I shall make sure the latch is secure so the little bugger doesn't run off in search of greener pastures - or a dingy basement.