About Me

Hi! I’m Tina, a human. I thought I’d say that right off the bat, because it seems people always want to introduce themselves with their job title, parent status, dietary preference, or whatever they feel explains them best. There’s no explaining me – just ask my husband. But, I thought pointing out that I’m human might be a good start. I am a mom, but don’t claim to be a perfect parent. I’m human. I am a wife, but I don’t claim to be perfect there either. Well, maybe. I try to be a good person, friend, and speller, so I hope that meets most people’s needs that visit me here. And just because I may come across as a terrible person in some of my posts doesn’t mean I’m a liar about the previous. I really do try! I can just be a little rough around the edges. And I find I now write the way I now speak. Sleep-deprived and terrible. My sentences either run on and on or trail off, and they start and end ALL WRONG! Anyway…

  I have some background information that may be useful when reading my posts:

  I have the four children I always wanted, but thought for years I couldn’t have, with my awesome husband (2nd time was a charm!). So, we got a late start, but they were worth the wait. 🙂  

Marco 14, Vida 12, Dax 10, Viggo 8                      

        I think I’ll refer to my husband as Jackpot. Giving him an alias seems kinda hot. He’s worked at the same job for 25 yrs. Used to be a drummer in a band. Very handy. Very hilarious. Yep, Jackpot it is.

  I have an adorable 12 yr old dog that we rescued off of the street when she was about a month old. Her name is Stella Blue, she is a total attention whore, and she eats poop. But, she’s a sweetheart. I’ve lost a few of my dear dogs in the last few years, so I’ll deal with her poop tongue for as long as I’m allowed!

UPDATE: Stella has passed since the last time I updated this page, but I couldn’t bring myself to delete her from it.

We’ve added Chester and Liotta to our family over the last couple of years. Chester is fat and lazy, and Liotta is huge and crazy. They are both so cute, though, so I’m keeping them. Like the kids, now that I think about it.

Chester Cornell

Liotta Mirembe

The kids and I have a wonderful relationship that I’m sure they’ll love to tell you all about themselves someday. Well, you and their therapist. I’m one of those over-the-top-protective-of-my-schmoopies-swearing-at-them-always-followed-by-cuddles kind of mom. I know there are others out there, and our kids are fine. 

  I work at home (See above). I have a degree in interior design, and a passion (going to freak without, need to have me some) for organization. I also homeschooled Dax for preschool for 2 years, and am now homeschooling all of them. I’ve designed a lot of printables for school, so I decided to venture into the digital download business by selling my own creations.

  I am a Type 1 diabetic, diagnosed at age 9. Insulin dependent, as all Type 1s are, but with the Type 2 epidemic I always feel the need to specify. Everyone knows a Type 2, so people are sometimes confused as to what may be different for me. I’ll have a post about that one day. 🙂  For now, in case I reference the “Betes” as I call it, I will say that I’m on an insulin pump, struggle daily, but try not to let it get in my way when possible! Add in a splattering of some other health issues, episodic Cushings, PTSD causing an anxiety disorder, depression, and a touch of OCD (kinda joking, except for real), I’m a hot mess.

   I don’t think it’s cool to just be a b*tch because I’m a woman. That doesn’t make sense to me. Unfortunately, I may come across otherwise sometimes because my filter isn’t always working. And fake people tick me off, so I always try not to go that route!

 I used to be at least a little bit smart. Now I get out of the shower and realize I only shaved one leg, because two were too many to keep track of, apparently.

  I know it’s a “thing” now to be a coffee and wine guzzling mom, rushing my kids around to soccer practice. I drink decaf coffee and thrive on its placebo effect. When I order it at Starbucks (because of a gift card, usually) they say they don’t have it brewed so they’ll have to do a pour-over. I have no idea what that is. I like wine occasionally, but love the taste of a good, dark beer. My limit is three. Three to six. And my kids don’t play soccer. I hid it from them for as long as possible, and when they came home telling me about their friends playing it – well, I told them their friends were liars and there’s no such thing. I mean, I’m already driving a minivan, and I used to get thrown in mosh pits, for the love of!!

UPDATE: After struggles with meds and health, I do indulge in a for-real coffee every morning. But at home. Hardly ever Starbucks. I still think of it as too fancy for me.

 There are some days that are made up entirely of movie quotes in my head. Usually Tommy Boy, The Jerk, or Raising Arizona. Are you starting to get that I’m really just a meat head?

  I can’t pick a music genre as a favorite to save my life. While Jackpot appreciates many types of music, even he called my mixed cds offensive in their randomness when we started dating. 

 Yes, this blog hopefully generates some more income for our family, and ads are a way to do that. That’s still separate from the fact that I’m an Amazon junkie. I hate to shop, especially with 4 kids in tow, so Amazon is my jam!

  I like long walks. Well, I would. If I could take one alone, in quiet, for once.