Learning to say NO!

I am a "yes girl" always have been, but I am trying to draw the line at "always will be". I find myself getting so frustrated with so many people lately. I am not one that "gives to get" by any means. I have always considered myself a pretty giving person. However, with that being said, being this way has sometimes caused me great emotional/mental and even physical pain. I have always just "chugged along" and not thought about myself.

Maybe it is because I am getting older, or because I have Children, I don't know, but here recently I have been trying to get better at saying NO. There are a few people in my life that, for whatever reason (probably because I have always been that Yes person), like to use, use, use me up, but when I need something in return? Well, it just never seems to be reciprocated. I am starting to become more and more annoyed with this. I am getting really tired of being taken advantage of. Of course it isn't easy to tell these people no. I have got to try though, I have got to start thinking about myself, my family, what is important. By doing this I won't get myself so stressed out...and I am sure I will be an even nicer person...well other than to the ones I say NO to because I am sure my name will be MUD with them.

Not cut out...

...to be a single parent. I have become very, very painfully aware that it is sooo not in my DNA to be a single parent. David is on week 2 of working out of town, he had a WAY TO SHORT fulough over the weekend, but is back in MD 6 hours away working. In the mean time so much has gone on that my head is pretty much spinning! Last week was a very emotional week for me, the day before David left my Granny ended up in the hospital after falling and breaking her hip and thumb...she required surgery and a hospital stay. I stayed with her on the 2nd night and let's just say there is a reason that I am not in the nursing field. I would do it again in a heartbeat for a loved one, but it is not something that I ever want to do for sure. I never quite got my mind wrapped around my emotions last week and even after several of my AWESOME friends helped me out with the kids I still had a very tough week. I think if I were not such an emotional person the week would have gone a lot better. There was just tooooo much to deal with and I am ashamed to say that I did not "deal" the best.
This week the kids are in VBS for 2.5 hours every night, this is really good for them and for ME! It gives me a break to look forward to and it gives them something to do. Summer is rapidly flying out of the window and before I know it school will be back in. I readily admit that I was ready for summer vacation and a break from all the schedules and constant running around, but I am all admitting that I am ready to get back to "normal"...normal wake up and go to sleep times, normal dinner times and nap times, scheduled activities etc. I am sort of "done" with flying by the seat of my pants.
I think I am going to SERIOUSLY consider making a schedule for next summer...I think the kids and I will both really benefit from it.
I know I have been a bad blogger, but I haven't found many "free" moments to have time enought to actually "think" about what I was going to write. I like to come here and write things that will at the very least entertain ME when I go back and read them weeks/months etc. later. I hope to be better at it, now that I have been "called" on it ;)
Until next time (and please don't hold your breath)