The pain is real. I was diagnosed with Gastroperises last year, If you don’t know what that is its basically the way my stomach process food. Most the time when I eat it sits in my intestines and takes a long time to digest fully. Every so often it becomes a “flare up” when this happens the pain is bad. It starts out like tiny contraction like pains. Then it starts to get a little stronger. I have been hospitalized for pain control many times. So many it almost becomes like a burden on my family. Its been about 2months since my last flare up. Since last night I have been having the little bit of pain feeling, but its slowly getting worse. Its hard to deal with because there really is not much anybody can do. I just have to deal with the pain. Litterly this time I HAVE to. I cant go to the freaking ER again. Its too much on me, my family and my job. I am on the verge of cleaning out my system to see if that helps. So lets hope it does because right now I just want to be in a ball and left alone.
Speaking of wanting to be alone, it’s the week of my moms visit. She came today instead of Tuesday because I was off today. She is my mother and I love her. Of course but she is very, very hard to be around for long periods at a time. Its nothing she did to me or anything its just her personality is BIG. She goes from 0 to 60 and is like a tornado coming into the house. She’s loud, opinionated and seems to feel because she is the mother I owe her respect, over her needing to give me any. Well, I am a mother too You are visiting MY home. You can still be my mother and show me the same respect. Does anyone else deal with their moms this way? I was advised by a good friend to let her say her peace and just breathe. Currently she wen to the bedroom so it’s a little better, minus her turning her TV so loud I cant hear mine, and when I ask her to turn it down she says well yours is loud. Seriously I feel like I am dealing with a teenager at times. When you’re a kid you think when I get older I cant wait to be the one who gets to do whatever I want…I had no idea this meant dealing with your parents like they are now the kids. I know I don’t feel good and this could be part of the reason I am on edge, but I also know it’s the visit as well. I wish I didn’t let her habits get the best of me, but it does and probably always will.
I might go see my grandmother tomorrow. I miss her and do want to see her but I also don’t know if I am up to it. Going with my mom all day and not feeling well is bad situation. Plus, Jose took off for a house closing and I am off so it would be nice to be home with him. Even if just for a hang out and snuggle on the couch day. I feel like we are so busy its hard to spend time together. This Saturday should be nice though. A hotel and a nice dinner with our friends. Looking forward to that and to see them. Friends that are like family. Jessie and Scott. Jessie has been my friend since kindergarten. We got very close around 6th grade when she lost her father. I lost my dad a few years before. The tragic situation brought us closer together and since then it has not been broken. Her sister is also mine. Her mom I call her mama. Well Jessie got married to a wonderful man who had 2 kids of his own. So I gained a brother and a niece and nephew. Jess, Scott, Jose and I always have a nice time together. Last time we hung out was back in October. We went to the Poconos. We had a BLAST. So I am def. looking forward to some laughs and the company of family. Sunday we are going to a baby shower for my “sister” , I cant believe she is having a baby, I feel like it was just yesterday Jess and I were shooing her out of the room. Now she is pregnant and married. Time flies!
Share a story with me about your relationship with parents, is it hard like I feel it is? Do you have a lifelong friend too? Share below and keep it SimPLe.

Today at work I let a customer get to me. She was not rude to me, or even mean, but she scammed the store and it got to me because as a manager I am not just there for work. I do care about the company and truly want to move up. When she “hurt” the store it hurt me. I went to back and cried a little. The stress was getting to me. Maybe it was just a long week. I am happy that one of my fellow employees I have come to respect and enjoy working with understood how I felt and was able to talk me down. She is a sweet woman. Kind. Caring. Always looking out. So shout out to her. You know who you are! I do miss my poop though!!! Never can replace her, but this new friend at this job is most def. helping the transition much better.
Saturday was our Re grand opening but it was also a big disappointment. I feel we could have made a bigger deal of it. I mean we bust our arsis for 2 weeks re building and re branding the store, and once opened fully it was nothing. No give always, no candy, no flags, no big deal made. Customers did appreciate the look and difference. Some were highly impressed others were not taking kindly to self checkout. I even got an attitude or 2 from some. I did get off before 5 on Saturday so I was thrilled to come home at a normal hour, however I was called like 7 times about closing questions. It’s a brand new system so us managers are re learning things. I have not had an issue so I picked it pretty quick. A fellow manager was a little unsure and he called me a lot lol. It felt nice to be needed though. Respected enough to call and ask me. Other than the phone calls it was a nice night. We had friends over for dinner and a card game. We have not seen them in some time so it was nice to catch up.
This morning I was able to sleep in, however I don’t think Jose was too happy with me. I slept in because I feel like I have not slept in, well in a long time, but he wanted to spend some time with me. I am all for that but unless I know I need to be awake my body will sleep in. haha. Sorry babe I really am. Sleep did feel good though.
I am off tomorrow and my mother is coming into town again this week. She is bringing my brother this time. I have not seen him a bit. So will be nice.
So how about you readers, ever get so invested in your job that when something happens it hurts you too? I also am looking for suggestions on motivating some teenager employees. Get them into a habit of working, and still having fun. How would you balance being a boss verse a hard ass? I don’t consider me a hard person to work with, and I def. do not feel I am “bossy” but I am also not a pushover. Any suggestions would be nice, just ya know the drill keep it SiMpLe.

Good evening fellow readers! Sorry it’s been awhile, this gal has been working! As I might have mentioned in a previous post my store is being redone. Tomorrow is opening day. I am excited for this new start. I like my team so far, but I do miss my other co workers.
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. I worked a 5am shift, then came home with some yummy steaks for my man to cook us lol. He got me a new Fitbit. I was super excited about this gift. He def. spoiled me this year. I noticed on Facebook how some parents get their kids many things, like its their birthdays. When did V day become more than a simple box of chocolates for your kids? Now you see them getting candy, and toys or tech things. I get we love our kids too but isn’t that why we have birthdays and Christmas? Hell even Easter is one where we parents tend to over buy. When I was little we got a tiny box of chocolates and cards to bring into class. Now kids bring cards with candy attached or baked goods. I am not one to talk. I made my son’s class homemade strawberry rice krispies. He also got a chocolate flower for a girl in his class. My other son is in middle school so he didn’t get treats but he did get a flower from a girl. I think its safe to say I am in trouble when it comes to the boys in this house. They are all fine looking gentleman. God help us!
So Tuesday is coming again and know what that means? A visit from my mother. I love my mom but can any one ales relate to the anxiety of having your mom stay with you? I get very stressed. But after next weeks work week then Jose and I are heading to DE for my sister’s baby shower. I am so excited to see her and her husband along with my other mom and my sister/bff , and her husband. We always have a nice time together. Not to mentioned a night out of the house and in a nice hotel room with Jose. Hard to get away just us so it will be a much needed night out.
I cant believe its almost March already! My first born will be 13 next month! He wants friends over, both boys and girls and then I have to not be a smother..what does that even mean? Do you think I would smother my kids? Rude! Lol. OK well folks not too much to write about tonight, but wanted to catch you up on my week. Work. Work. Work. Drop a comment and let me know how your V day went, Did you over spend on your kids? Did your significant other spoil you?

Keep it SiMple

Today was my I think 4th day of work in my new location. I am sure I mentioned it but if not, I moved to a new store and at first I was not happy about it. I found a job I am happy with, I am moving up into the right direction. I just honestly didn’t want to leave the people I’ve come to see as more than just co-workers, but as family. My manager ended up making the move a bit more worth it when he told me he would be going to same store. I would be his “right hand man”. I am very happy I agreed to this. Not only is the store being completely re-done, but I am also getting more hours an more hours means more pay. So WIN. The point I was originally trying to make is, although I miss certain people I have come to see my boss for once be happy, silly and he is becoming like family and a friend. Not many people can say this about their superior but that’s what I love about this company its not like most jobs. It can be fun. My last location was very hard to work at because of the DRAMA! I know most places of work have some form of drama but this was more of a threatening type of drama. I wont be getting into this too much, my point is I am starting to really like that I moved to a new store.
So I did hang out with Nemo and it was like time never passed. I knew I missed her in my life but I never realized how much, when she dropped the “she’s my best friend” line I was touched. I have lots of close friends but very few I really consider my absolute BEST and Nemo was always one of them. During our time we discussed things in the last few years we missed, and one of the main subjects were about my Ex and his wife and how the kids are not treated very well. They don’t hit them or anything but the emotional abuse they get is almost as bad. Nemo works for family law and she mentioned speaking to her boss about what else can be done. During this talk mom mom called to tell me how distraught she was. The boys were with her and evil stepmom got there to get the kids for parenting time. Hunter, who generally is more go with the flow type was very upset. Physically carried and forced into the car. When we went to mediation at the end of the year we were told that we should always encourage going on scheduled days HOWEVER there will be days when the boys will not want to go, and we do not need to force them. It hurt to know this happened and to make it worse Hunter got lectured for it by her. It just baffles me how anyone can be so rude to a child. She makes my blood boil. So that is in my head when I get an email from my ex today directing me to explain to him why our kids were picked up early from school and I needed to tell him why.. 1. HOW THE HELL did he find out so quick? 2. NOT that I owe him anything but it was not “early” it was end of day. 3. To top it off he wants reasons but cant tell me how he can force his son to come to him even though he is CLEARLY upset? Oh but no please question MY parenting!! HA! What a joke.
Ben came home today in quite the moody teenage mood. He is going to be 13 next month and lately he is rather smelly. You know typical puberty. When he gets home his feet STINK! I mean STINK. So he needs to take his shoes off in garage then wash his feet, and I know he can not help it but its bad. Anyway when he got home today Jose and I were kind of all over him about it and he felt bombarded. Then I was all over him ( seriously cant blame me giving his history) about his homework. Do you have any? No, Are you sure? YES…same answers. GENERLLY same result. This time he was telling the truth and the more that happens the less I will be on him. He cried, and broke down and admitted he didn’t even know why he was so upset. I explained to him its life dude. You will be this way for a bit. It doesn’t help ether that he was seeing a therapist but since they are now under my ex’s plan I have yet to be able to take him because I am not on the card and blah blah blah. Its just well, difficult to deal with my ex at all. Its sad. Truly is.
So besides Ben getting upset, night ended well. We went to dinner and laughed and had a nice time. I was informed my little man has a “gf” My DOPEY has a GF lol. Its so sweet. He is actually going to her house tomorrow while I am at work. He will be 11 in April. So its about the age this stuff happens. The innocent “ BF, GF” thing lol. I had one from like first grade to middle of 4th. NO LIE. Same kid. I was telling the boys about my first “ kiss” with him We were in a clubhouse and reenacting a scene from “The Little Rascals’. You know the movie, I know you do. Well he sang “you are so beautiful to me” and his little sister made his hair stick up like Alfalfa and then gave me an innocent kiss. Memorable. I am friends with his family and him still on FB so hey Alfalfa if your reading this, thanks for the sweet memory.
This was the longest blog I have written and so with that I am going to finish watching “Americas Got Talent; Champions” with my man. Hope you enjoyed, I most defiantly did not keep it Simple tonight!

This post is kinda a prequel to my blog yesterday. I had mentioned secound chances and how I may give them too much…hell i even give like three and 5 chances but this time…its not the same as Jose pointed out to me. This time its just realizing my mistakes. Seeing that the things said to me hurt but it hurt becasue it was the truth. So here is the gist of things…

I was friends with this person..Nemo is her nickname for about a year or so. She was like my other half. We always hung out and she was always there for not only me but my boys. She loved them and me so much. Much like my other friendships it ended, mainly due to the shit i dealt with living with my boy’s father and his family. I was in a job i barely worked ( had babies used as my excuse ) I was on and off with the father who treated me not well. So our friendship just ended. It hurt but it happened and I ended up moving out of the house and into another relatives of his. They were amazing to me and my boys and i am still very close to her to this day. Well Nemo and i reconnected. She most likely was thrilled i was out of that house and away from my ex, only this time I was with another person ( lets just call him wheels ) Well It ended up ending again and because to her it was more drama, and this time that situation was very wrong and ended badly. I’ll leave it at that. So it ended again. That time i just acted like its no big deal, her loss, i have wheels and my boys and well that was it. I was still in a no job roll but this time i was in school….so there is my other excuse. Lets jump to the most recent and main reason why i am writing…I am with Jose, about 3 years. Happy. Kids happy. NOT with anyone in my ex’s family home. I had a good job, ( seasonal) but good. I was growing….or thought so. I dropped out of OCC, and worked and leaned once again on my man. Well Nemo thought ok this is good, till the day i was let go from my job. In her mind she was DONE. She said some hurtful things. I cried….a lot. But now 2 years later I see why she said what she said. I see that it hurt so much because it was the truth. She cares about me and my boys and always wished nothing but the best. To her tho, it was same old Kelli, New place, New job, New man..BUT same shit. It wasn’t till recently maybe a year i can see what she meant. I am now in a job i love and can and will move up in. I have friends whom have been in my life for a long time, and some newer ones i met in this past year. I grew up. I am STILL with Jose. My boys are with me and healthy and happy. I even got 2 more boys to love out of it. We are in a house together. I no longer take food stamps and get help from state. I am becoming a woman i am proud to be. Does Jose help me, us? Yes, absoutly. But not in the way where its all i count on. I count on me. So in the end she was giving me the cold hard truth. I owe her an applogy and even a thank you. She was being a friend. I hope when we meet up it will be good and we can slowly get to know one another again. As woman.

Can anyone else relate? Have you been told the truth and it hurt but in the end saw you needed to hear it? This blog wasnt very simpe today but it felt good to say. I am proud of who i am and hope to do nothing but keep growing.

Keep it simple.

Hey readers, been super busy with my new store so haven’t really had a chance to sit and write.

Today was my first day working with my new crew and so far everyone seems nice. I definitely miss my friends and five below family in Toms river, but this change is supposed to be great thing for my future in this company. I am now in the Brick location which is my original store years ago. This brought me to many memories with certain people. One imperticular i became very close to. She was always there for me many years later, then life happened and we were not nice to one another, then parted ways. A few years ago we tempted to reconnect and it still did not end with the friendship we once had. Yesterday we spoke again, and were supposed to meet up for dinner and i am hoping it works out this time. I have a handful of close friends so its not like i am lonely but I do miss her. We were close but some people say i need to not give so many chances. She didn’t hurt me or my kids, just my feelings. I am sure I’ve done this to people in my life and i was given another chance or two. I feel like it will be ok..only time will tell. I’ll keep you posted.

My son is happy his grades are refreshed for new marking period so i might let it be a fresh start for him and its one for me in my job,and well friendships.

So I want opinions. Is it ok to give chances to people more than once? What is something you would do in my position? Keep it simple! ❤

I am having a hard time this year with my oldest. His HW is just not important to him. He is punished, spoken to, helped, and its just not getting done. As a parent who was not a straight A student i do not expect perfection. Hell, I will even settle for Cs..as long as he is trying. Its a simple thing just do your HW! He always says i forget, i forget and I am always asking over and over and over and i get the same answer no, not tonight. Are you sure?? YES HE IS SURE! Then next day i check the portal and BAM missing HW from that night i asked over and over AND over again. When it comes to school I passed. I had a C average. Testing was never something I did well on. I could study all night and still not comprehend the questions, and math forget about it. Its one of the reasons i never finished OCC. Algebra. YUCK. My son is great at math, his memory or lack of effort not so much. What more can a parent do? I am open to any suggestions. I’ve taken away electronics stopped sleepovers, next is early bed. Which will bother him. I wonder to myself does the groundings matter? Is this just what we feel as a parent were supposed to do to show we are the parent not the friend? I for one am at a loss of what to do, so again HELP ME!

Any exciting weekend plans fellow readers? I am working working working and then a dinner date with my man and my friend and her man. We don’t do date night often. Between work, and kids and bills its hard to find time with one another. I am looking forward to being an adult for a night. A simple human lol. Not a key holder, not a mom just me. Can you relate?

Anyone else bothered with this cold weather and now fluffing snow! UGH. I hate it! I am a summer gal. pool and beach all the way. I would love a warm state but I will always be a Jersey Gal!

OK my people, i am going to sign off. Not much to blog about today, but keep checking back…i am hoping to actually keep up with this here blogging thing. Have an awesome Friday, and remember to keep it SImple.

First off let me just give a quick introduction about me. I am a mother of 4 boys. 2 of my own and 2 future step sons. I have been with the same man for almost 5 years now and i am a manger of a retail store. I am starting this blog because sometimes you just have something to say and need to get it off your chest. I am 33, so people my age remember the time we would log onto AOL and pull up our myspace and of course our online journals. We would talk about life, and how hard it is and most likely be mellow dramatic!! 9 times out of 10 we were doing it in hopes our crushes read them and knew it was them we were talking about. Times have changed. Now we just go on youtube and make complete asses out of ourselves, well the kids do. Tide pod challenge?! Really?! Speaking of kids. My almost 13 year old got into a bit of trouble with his father the other week. Apparently he dropped the F bomb at a scout meeting with some of his fellow scout troop friends. My ex was not happy and thought i should know about this ” disgusting” behavior. I took a day to get back to him because honestly, i was not mad. I did however let my son know that the F word was not a nice word and i would prefer he NOT use this word. The reality of it though is he will again. I told him to watch where he says it and who is around. Now i am 33 but i can remember the times i cursed and it was probably younger than 12. Its what we did and kids still do. We act older than we are and think its cool to curse. When i was 12, i was off doing well..lets not go there. Lets just say i had little supervision. If i wanted to go outside with my friends i would go to the woods, or wawa or wherever a parent was not and come home when it was dark out, or for dinner. We had very little communication with our parents once we left the house. No cell phones, no youtube challenges. Just us and our friends and our imagination. I am happy to say my kids are good kids. They may have a mouth but they are present, or shall i say we are present in their lives, much more than our parents were at that age. In the end I told my son to just beware of your surroundings.

Now is where ill ask you all to post a comment. a story of something your kids did or do, or even something you “got away” with in my comments. Hope you enjoyed my first rant. I am just trying to keep it Simple.