Spreading Yourself Too Thin? Yeah...Me Too

 Do you ever feel like you're spreading yourself too thin? Wish you could be in two or more places at once? Yeah, I know all of those feelings and some. Being a mother of two little girls, one five and the other one, it's quite a chore. I am a stay-at-home mom, and I struggle to keep it that way. I feel it's my job to watch over, teach and take care of my children. Hell, I feel guilty just letting grandma take them for one measly hour. I like staying home with my babies, playing games with them and teaching them everything I know.
 But the time has come, and we need extra income. I work for my websites, and get some pay from there, but it just isn't enough. So to top that off, I make sculptures and jewelry, and I knit and crochet hats and scarfs. Oh, and on top of that, I now babysit four or so times a week. I like making money, and I like being able to do it from the comfort of my home, but it's beginning to feel as if I am doing too much. I even went yesterday, and talked to my apartment manager about possibly cleaning the property daily and doing other odds and ends here and there for yet another job. Granted, this one wouldn't put money in my pocket, but it will decrease my rent, so it works out either way.
 I'm the type of person that won't say no to a good opportunity, even if I have a ton of stuff on my plate already. In the future, I may even possibly be in charge of a couple websites. Awesome sauce, more money for my family and bills, but that results in a stressed and tired Nightingale. But you know what, one must do what they have to do. That's our duty in life. Especially me being a mother, I have that instinct to go and do everything I can to ensure my family is okay financially and so on, even though I know I'm doing too much, and spreading myself way too thin.
 How many of you out there feel this way? You know you're doing way too much, but you keep on at it with a smile on your face even though you're beyond stressed and slowly losing your mind?
 And yes, I know, this is a gamer mommy blog, but sometimes I just want to talk about the day to day struggles that I myself and so many others out there face on the daily. With everything I do, I try so hard to at least game daily. Gaming is my relaxation, my sanctuary, my 'me time'. But there are times when all I get a chance to do it switch on Animal Crossing: New Leaf and catch some fish, then it's off to bed I go here in the real world.
Why can't life be like the video games, and instead of me having all of these jobs to make money, I could just go and cut some patches of grass or break some pots or battle some monsters and BOOM! Money, money everywhere!
Hey...I can dream, right?

Coffee & Video Games

It never seems as though I have enough time in my day to clean, raise children, work, eat, and game... Seriously.

I miss the old days on my non-stop gaming ventures, where I could pop in one of my many Legend of Zelda titles and play endlessly, until my fingers grow numb and I cannot feel the controls and longer! Now when I get a chance to game, I feel torn between a good and much needed nap, or playing a video game. To most mothers out there, their answer would be, "Take the nap, duh"...well, my dear readers...I am not that typical mom. I hold my games very dear, and they are one of the main things that keep me sane. While 'normal' people of the world turn to meds and alcohol to cope with the world around them, I play a video game. Call me immature, or childish if you will, but I believe my methods are a bit healthier than drinking or smoking or popping pills.

Anyways, I digress...

At the moment I have so many games that remain unfinished. I just keep getting games, and playing them all. I like variety, it's hard for me to play the same game over and over...I have to switch off from time to time. The only games that I can literally get lost in, to where 1 hour of playing turns into 5 or 6 hours of gaming are games such as The Sims, Harvest Moon, and Animal Crossing. I love those games. When I want to relax, those are what I play. Those and Skyrim...I adore Skyrim. Just walking throughout the game and taking in the beautiful graphics of the world surrounding me brings me peace.

When I'm raging, upset or angry, I got to fighting games or Resident Evil...What better way to cope with anger than to shoot zombies, or kick another players ass?!

And then there are those days I'm feeling nostalgic, and missing my childhood and everything I loved about it...that being video games. That's when I play all of my old Legend of Zelda games and Mario games. Perhaps I may even bust out some Super Metroid, or Altered Beast!

I love my video games, and I couldn't nor would I ever trade them for anything. I can't quit my games just as I can't quit drinking coffee...Coffee and video games, that is what keeps this mommy sane...coffee and video games.

I Just Don't Understand Some Parents Nowadays...

 So as a warning, this latest blog post will be a bit of a rant on my part. It has to do with one of my main pet-peeves...keep in mind, I have many. This one in particular deals with parents.
 There was a time back when I worked at the local GameStop, about 5 or so years back. When I took the job I was taught all about game ratings and how they were similar to that of the rating system used for movies. "E" meaning "Everyone", just like "G" in the movie ratings, "T" for "Teen", similar to that of "PG-13" in the movies, and finally "M", meaning "Mature", for no one under the age of 18, same as "R" in the movies. As a GameStop employee, it was my job to keep kids from buying games that were rated outside of their age group. Say a 12 year old wants an M-rated video game, such Grand Theft Auto, I cannot legally sell it to him without a parent or guardian okaying me to sell it to their child. While working there at GameStop, I came across a multitude of people. Most of them children. Some of them had parents who had no idea about the rating system, and thanked me for informing them on it, while others cussed me out for making their child come get them out of their comfy cars just to okay that I sell them a game, regardless of the game's rating. You better believe that for every child that came up wanting a mature rated game, I busted out our nifty little rating paper, showing the different ratings and why they are rated the way they are. It astounded me how many mothers came in and still allowed their child a game, even after I pointed out that the game contained violence, blood, sex, drugs and whatever else that game may have contained. And people wonder what is wrong with today's youth... tsk, tsk, tsk...
 The reason I bring all of this up today is what I witnessed at another GameStop in my town. While standing in line to buy some games, there was a woman in front of us with a young boy who looked to be about 11 if he was lucky. The little boy was talking about the new Call of Duty game to come out this year, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and the employee waiting on them asked if they'd like to reserve it. **Okay, quick break right here: Being that he was a GameStop employee just as I was those years back, he should know about the rating system and KNOW that the new Call of Duty is a MATURE RATED GAME! He should not have even offered it as a reserve to the child, but then again, people nowadays have no moral value whatsoever -_-** The little boy full of excitement exclaimed "Yes!" The mother then okayed it. As I stood there listening and expressing my feelings to my husband about little kids playing those types of games, my husband pointed at the counter where the lady was paying and said, "Well look, she's buying him Grand Theft Auto right now!" I almost lost it. Why would any parent allow their kids to play these games?! I have nothing against these games, just the fact that they ARE NOT FOR CHILDREN. Plain and simple. Back when I worked at GameStop, I wasn't yet a parent as I am now, and even then had strong feelings against children playing M-rated games...Imagine how I am now that I have two kids of my own! Mama-bear instincts assemble!
 But in all seriousness, I grow tired of today's media and news blaming video games for violence. Perhaps if parents ACTUALLY parented and didn't allow their children to play games they shouldn't, perhaps our children wouldn't be as messed up as they are nowadays. It all boils down to parents giving their kids anything and everything they want to keep them outta the parents' hair, regardless of what these things may be. Children are impressionable, playing games with a M-rating is NOT okay, people! They are rated for a reason... I can guarantee you, you will never see either one of my girls playing GTA or COD until they are the right age to play such games. That's me being a parent, and doing whatever I can do possible to protect my children. I suggest other parents do the same.

Rant End...Now I feel a bit better getting that off of my chest. It just irks me how some people can be so careless when it comes to their kids. Well, that's the world nowadays, folks. It can be a sad, sad thing at times.

Gamer Mom Probs

 I'm feeling the itch to game as of late. Hopefully I can satisfy this need soon. Having two little ones makes it extremely hard to play a video game.
 When I play a video game, I have to submerse myself completely in whatever universe I may be playing in at that moment. Maybe I need to start waking up earlier in order to be able to get some gaming in before the kids wake up, hahaha! In all seriousness though...I need to game! I feel like a drug addict going through withdrawls...it's sad, and almost...pathetic ;_;.
 I need to finish Skyrim...I need to finish Skyward Sword...there are so many I NEED to finish...

 One day...

Well, gamer-rant over...Expect a blog coming up for my trip to Dallas, Tx Comic Con Fan Days!!! :D

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