"Friends" That Need to Be Unfriended

How many of you stay friends with people on social media even though you KNOW these "friends" are going to say things that just erk you?
I do.
Hi, my name is Kacie and I find it impossible to click the "unfriend" button.

One of these "friends", who is actually an acquaintance that is friends with my friends and our husbands work together and we see each other on random occasions and our sons have the same name, so these are all valid reason to not unfriend her. Well...she seems, in general, a very negative person. She complains about everything. She also is a working mom who makes passive aggressive comments about stay at home moms. These comments always irritate me because usually it comes out of nowhere and I can only assume they come from an insecure place where maybe she struggles with the working mom guilt. I had working mom guilt. I HAVE SAHM guilt. Mom guilt. If somehow you are a mom and can avoid said guilt, consider yourself lucky. Being a SAHM isn't for everyone, being a working mom isn't for everyone. Some working moms long to be home with their kids. Some SAHM's long to have a sweet job.

Our family dynamic has changed a lot over the past decade. I was the provider while Aaron was a stay-at-home-daddio for the first 3 years of having kids. Then he finished his degree and became an Engineer at Hanford...so we were both working for 2.5 years while we had Sophie and Haylee. THEN I had Keira and I was finally able to be a SAHM. Which was the goal from the get go. It is our family's happiest place. The other 2 options we managed but it wasn't good or best for our family. When I quit my job, I was actually the breadwinner. I don't say this to throw shade at my husband...he is an amazing provider and now makes far more than I would be making. I bring up this fact because it was part of the equation for us deciding to bring me home, where I belonged. My family needed me, physically, MORE than they needed my income. We knew it would have its struggles but have never once regretted it. We function much better this way than the latter 2. I love my role at home and my husband often tells me I have the harder job which is pretty awesome to have such support.

As I was saying about the "friend" comment...

Months ago she made a comment that all the stay at home moms at the preschool judged her because she forgot something at school(I doubt that was the case). As a SAHM I drop the ball on the daily, it's true. Working moms aren't the only ones that forget homework, school projects and packed lunches. She went on to say that she never has dreamed of staying home and living off of her husband like those moms. OYE! So thankful my husband has never said those words to me.
The other day she made another comment complaining (shocker) about having to sell her sons coupons for baseball, she said oh and while I'm at that I will just stay home and sell health products to my friends. I decided to comment about the baseball league she had mentioned because Haylee played in it last year and I gave my opinion on the cost and the rundown of it. Then I decided to add that I wasn't sure why she had to throw mud at stay at home moms in a post that was about baseball. Welp, that didn't go over well. I was nice but just said that I thought it was unnecessary. She put me on "blast" saying how dare I put my insecurities on HER page. I left it alone. If saying something is going to change nothing, then it isn't worth it. I know this lady depends on other moms who stay at home to care for her kids. I am actually friends with one of them, she is one of the sweetest, most nurturing people you could know. I think about those moms when she makes her comments. It seems like she has this anger towards women who stay home and do not contribute "financially" to the household. I can't understand why this bothers her. We all weigh the pros and cons and it comes out differently for all families.  

So what is my point?

When people are mean I think it is because they are unhappy. I feel sad for them. I wonder what they are dealing with to want to be so ugly to others. There are so many decisions when it comes to being a parent and raising kids. I truly believe that most of us are doing the best we can, with the tools we have. I make mistakes all the time, everyday. I am my biggest critic. I carry the most guilt for the choices I make. At the end of the day, I think about what I can do better the next but I do know that I am doing my best with good intentions. I try my hardest not to judge other parents because this isn't easy and there is no guide to follow. I wish moms had more empathy towards each other and we could be each others cheerleaders.

Mommin' Ain't Easy, so let's lift each other up! It takes a village...and in my village, I just wish for more kindness.

I'm back, for realzies

I want to blog again!!! I feel like I have a lot to say soooooo I am going to share it here:

I started this blog back when I was working a full time job and we were just a family of 4. I am now a SAHM of 4 amazing babies!
Family Rundown:

Me: Kacie. Mom. Wife. It Works Distributor.

Aaron: husband. Dad. Engineer. Studmuffin ;)

Sophie: Oldest daughter (9) 3rd grader, gymnast, hoop queen, crafty crafter

Haylee: Middle daughter (5) Kindergartener, gymnast, leader smarty pants

Keira: Youngest daughter (4) gymnast, future beauty queen with mad makeup skills

Cash: Baby boy (1), has all of his sisters wrapped around his finger and runs this place


I plan to share pictures, stories, and things that I feel compelled to talk about. This blog isn't going to be well structured and it is not intended to make anyone happy...but myself :) I am using this as a virtual journal. I do hope that sharing some of the things that my family and I go through will either put a smile on someone else's face or bring up things that others can relate too. My husband tells me he enjoys reading what I write, so that's cool ☼

Family Portrait

Conversation between Aaron and me the other day:

Me: I am so exhausted; I look like I have cross-eyes.

Aaron: We are never getting family portraits again.

Me: I can wear shades from now on I guess?!?!

Aaron: No, I don't care if your eyes are crossed. I just don't want to deal with that crazy day ever again! You have to photo shop me in the picture or bring a card board cut out next year.

Me: (angry face)

Aaron: Oh and your eyes don't look cross-eyed.

I really couldn't blame Aaron for never wanting to have our pictures taken again...


I have put this off for 4 months now and made plans for us to go last Thursday. By making plans I don't mean calling to schedule, I just reminded Aaron everyday and figured out what we would wear. Sears ended up being booked up all day so we decided to walk down to JCPenny's. They had an opening at 12:20, so we walked around the mall for an hour and went back to Penny's. Sophie was getting restless due to it being her nap time and Aaron and I could see that a storm was about to unfold. Aaron asked if we should just go home and do this, another day. I told him it would be over soon so let's just get this over with and be done with it.

They called our name and we went back to the "studio." They told us to take off our shoes and come in...I said, "Can I just wear my shoes...they are clean and my feet are embarrassingly hideous?" Photog lady relied, "No, we don't want our white back drop to be ruined." I took off my shoes and walked in. The room smelled like foot and the back drop was 5 shades of stained...I am not sure how my slip ons would hurt this room at all. The photog lady positioned us with me sitting with my legs together and straight out, she told Aaron to sit right on top of my knees and Sophie to get in there too. I felt like I was in a Pilate’s class and the lady kept telling me to lean forward more. I was in so much pain that I was holding my breath and making myself have 5 chins. Sophie was angry and crying while everyone was yelling at her to smile in high pitch voices. The photog lady took about 5 shots and called it good. I asked her if there were any keepers, she smiled and said, "Oh yeah, great shots!" We tried to take pictures of Sophie by herself and she wasn't having it. The lady was yelling at her to stay on the stained back drop, Aaron was throwing Jelly Beans at her, and a little boy was standing at the door flirting with her. The photog lady kept asking me if we would like to just reschedule. I was like...listen here; it isn't everyday I get out of my sweat pants, put on make up and keep Sophie's clothes clean for more than an hour.

When we were scrolling through the pictures, the photog lady was laughing along with Aaron about the gross faces I was making that made me look like I have Down syndrome and 5 chins. There were only two decent pictures (understatement of the century) of the three of us to choose from and a grand total of 1 picture of Sophie. On a positive note, this made our selection very easy. I dished out the money and we will be able to pick up our portraits in 2 days to share with friends and family.

I really want to ask for our money back and redo the pictures. Does anyone know of a stunt man to stand in as Aaron? The pictures are awful and I really don't want them to be the memory of how we looked in 2010. I have some insight as to why, in all of our family pictures growing up, at least one of us kids looks like a homeless child.