Operation Motherhood

Perfectly Ordinary

2010-01-26T15:14:00.003-05:00

My friend often compares the everyday routine to the movie Groundhog Day and sometimes I feel the same. Breakfast, carpools, homework, dinner, dishes, laundry, bedtime routines. Sometimes it's hard to see the beauty in the everyday tasks and often even dread.

Take a minute (or 7) and watch this video.....May I never complain again about tangles in curly-unruly hair, or the Barbies scattered all over the floors. I hope I can cherish the dirty handprints on my walls and muddy shoes brought through my house instead of getting angry. More importantly, I hope I can see the beauty and the memories in the "perfectly ordinary" days.

Next time I will cut my celery smaller

2010-01-21T08:42:00.006-05:00

Isn't it funny how God will use one circumstance in your life to prepare you for another. I never in a million years thought that the time I stuck the blue bead up my nose would somehow prepare me for an experience 31 years later.

As Sophia would begin,....Picture it. Small town, yellow house, 1978, a young girl and her big sister....There I was in my sister's room, about 5 years old, going through her sewing basket. She had the neatest sewing basket with all kinds of little scraps of fabric, colored thread and tiny beads. She was very creative. She made most of our Barbie clothes and furniture just by using household items. I'll never forget that. I'll also never forget this particular day. So, I was going through her sewing basket and I found a tee-tiny blue bead. I decided to be funny. I stuck the bead right at my nostril and called for my sister to look. She did. She laughed. I laughed. I sucked the bead (accidentally) up my nose. Far. I panicked. My sister's eyes were as big as saucers looking at me. She was quick thinking though and told me to put one finger on the other nostril to close it and blow really hard. I did. Hard. That blue bead shot right out of my nose and hit the opposite wall of her bedroom. I'm not sure what we did after that..laugh or cry. Can't remember that part, but I'll never forget shooting that blue bead out of my nose that day.

How did this prepare me for later?...Picture it. Small town, white house, mom and her 2 year old son eating lunch. I gave J some chicken salad, tomatoes, and grapes for lunch yesterday. (Isn't this weird that he likes food like this?) I stuck him in his chair to eat and I went back to work on the computer to finish my last file for the day. All of a sudden, I hear a cry from J. An "I'm hurt" cry. I run into the room and his little eyes are watering. I see chicken salad coming from his nose. "Oh no he didn't," I thought. I got a paper towel, held the opposite nostril and said, "Blow J". He did. I retrieved a little chicken. "Blow again J. Hard." He did, and when he did a big piece of celery descended down his passage to his nostril. "Oh no he didn't," I thought again. In fear that he would get upset, cry and suck it back up again, I quickly told him to "Blow" again. This time I was able to get my fingernails and grasp the piece of celery and wedge it out of his nostril.
Whew! No trips to the ER to retrieve celery from the nose!

Not exactly the same story because the celery didn't shoot across the room like my blue bead did, but it did help me to remain calm and know what to do. (I'm sure any moron could have figured out what to do as well, but it makes for a story)

There are so many stories I could tell about J. Every single day, many times a day, this little curious boy does something crazy. I am not prepared for most of them that's for sure, but I can say that life is always exciting (sometimes frustrating) with this little guy around! It's an adventure every day.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-08T16:57:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas here at our house. It might be my favorite Christmas so far. The 3 kids seem to be at great ages (9,6, and 2) and it just made for a very fun Christmas morning. I wish I could capture the magic and the joy and have that every Christmas.

Both girls got American Girls and some other requests. J got his few items and more on his wish list as well. The weeks leading up to Christmas if you asked J if Santa was going to come see him, he would say, "Yes," and then just start repeating over and over the same few things,"Choo-choo, twuck, boat." It was the most precious thing!

A few Christmas memories:

SNOW !

2010-01-07T17:02:00.004-05:00

I have a lot to catch up on here including our Christmas. Pictures and posts will follow, but I couldn't help but share in our joy today. Here in Northwest Ga we are experiencing the rare snow flurries and we actually have had a little (teeny tiny) bit of accumulation. My kids are thrilled and we are enjoying it so much. I couldn't help but snap a few pictures of my kids as well as neighbors that were enjoying the scenery this afternoon. Poor K attempted a snow angel on the little bit of snow that had collected in our driveway. It actually looked like an angel. I have no idea what they would do if they had the opportunity to play in actual INCHES of snow!

My Dad and step-mother are feeling sorry for us I am sure, as they have over 2 feet of snow currently in Vermont. I think it's time I take my kids for some frolic in VT snow soon!

Pointy

2009-12-17T18:28:00.007-05:00

So apparently our Elf, "Pointy", is a blog reader. He got this idea from "Otto" over at Lotts of Scotts.

I was slightly disappointed that our elf was influenced by his peers. For you see our elf was not a mischievous elf, the kind that makes messes and plays tricks. We didn't read that in our Elf On The Shelf book. However, all the other kids, or elves rather, are doing it, so ours felt led to fit in. Peer pressure is a real thing I tell you.

I think that might be the one and only "trick" he will play this Christmas season. I can at least allow one ever season I guess, but I would much rather see him just find a cute spot to land after he returns home from the night before and my kids try to find him.

Let's Play A Little Catch Up

2009-12-08T19:21:00.004-05:00

This year has been challenging on so many different levels.

First, my oldest daughter, M was diagnosed in February with a type of epilepsy. We are thankful that it is nothing more serious, but we still wish we could take it away.

Also affecting M, was the loss of her assistant principal, and best friend's mother, Jill, in the summer. That brought along a lot of changes for the school year. Her best friend no longer attends the same school and quite frankly within the past 2 years she has lost several really good friends because they moved away. This was a big blow, though, and it's been a hard first half of the school year because of it.

Earlier in the year I learned that I have some kidney problems. Actually, not really problems, but a type of kidney disease. Once again, we are thankful that it isn't anything more serious. The doctor said that usually people aren't ever even diagnosed with this because they never know they have it. She also said that usually nobody with it ever loses kidney function and they live a normal life. The doctor will monitor me every year making sure everything is still working properly.

Recently, we learned that my mother in law had breast cancer. Thankfully it was self detected very early. She has had a lumpectomy about a week ago and will begin radiation very soon. The doctors are very optimistic that she won't even need chemotherapy for treatment. We are all relieved with the good news, but still trying to settle down from the dreaded "C" word.

Again, we are so very thankful that all of these things have turned out to be ok and that we are all (relatively) healthy. It just seems as if worry has been a big part of my life this year waiting for news for all of these things. I know that God is in control and that I shouldn't worry, but that is very hard for me. God is good, and He has helped carry us through all of these things this year. I am being optimistic that 2010 will be a better year, with less worry and more good news.

The holidays are upon us, my shopping is just about done and my Christmas decorations are hung. I am sitting tonight feeling very overwhelmed with thankfulness and looking forward to this Christmas season with my family.

Halloween

2009-11-06T13:40:00.010-05:00

I guess I need to try to better about staying caught up with my blog especially with the holidays approaching. It's sort of like the scrapbook I need to finish and the scrapbook that I haven't even started yet for my son and he's two! It's also like the closet I need to clean and the junk drawer that needs to be dumped. I often find myself wishing I had just one more day a week that I could devote only to these things. I guess I'll catch up....eventually.

Halloween has come and gone and we had a lot of fun. This year M wanted to be something scary instead of something cute. I remember getting to that age myself so I obliged, although I much rather see a clown or princess over a goth girl ANY day.

K was my Supergirl. I thought she looked adorable. I also wish I had her legs!

and J, he was my Superman. I couldn't get him to stand still long enough to get his face in the picture. He was too busy trying to get to the next house because this year he figured out what Halloween was all about...CANDY! He has been thrilled ever since and wanting candy for breakfast every morning.

Here is this picture, though, of J's face a day or so before Halloween. I think he was thinking about a costume change at the last minute. I love this picture:

We had over our friends for dinner on Halloween and their kids went Trick Or Treating with us, which has become an annual tradition for our families. It is really nice to share fun times with good friends.

I made the dinner for the kids. We had monster toes:

Witches Fingers:

And monster mouths:

The kids had fun eating it and I had fun making it all for them.

Now...on to the next holiday. I'm going to slow down and enjoy it!

Fall Break

2009-10-20T09:43:00.018-04:00

I am a little behind posting this and I have no excuse except that it's really chilly here and I would prefer to stay on the sofa curled up in my Snuggie rather than doing my work or chores around the house. But the world keeps turning and apparently 4 people that live with me need my assistance with keeping their world turning as well so I oblige.

It was nice to have a Fall Break a couple of weeks ago with the kids out of school and my hubby off work. We took a little trip to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee aka PCB of the high country. Literally, there was something on every corner and in every crevice of that place. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are filled with places to spend plenty of money on all sorts of things from Daniel Boone caps to Indian headdresses, a magnet for just about anything you can think of to a Dolly sucker. I am not even teasing about the later. There was actually a sucker made out of white chocolate of Dolly Parton from the chest up. I'll leave that to your imagination, rather than explaining further.

Our friend M and her daughter HR went along on our adventure to the mountains. It was so nice to have a playmate for my girls and it was even nicer to have 2 Moms on vacation. I've always needed another Mom around to help. I lived my dream for 3 days.

There is so much there to do in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg that it's hard to decide what to actually do. Do we go to the comedy barn, which looks like Hee-Haw made over, do we go see part monkey/part fish at Ripley's Believe It Or Not, or do we choose to eat giant turkey legs while watching a lot of horses run around at the Dixie Stampede? Decisions, decisions. We chose Dollywood for a day which proved to be very nice. We rode a lot of rides, some of them riding more than once. It wasn't crowded and the weather was nice. Some of the roller coasters were the best that I have ever ridden!

On our second day there we just strolled downtown Gatlinburg taking our time going in and out of stores and finally making our way to Ripley's Believe It Or Not. That place had me hook line and sinker when I saw the mannequin boy with the horn coming out of the back of his head going up and down on a rope. I just had to see more. And I could have spent all day looking in the funny mirror in that place. That was hysterical and in some angles very nice. By the way, I look pretty good at 6 foot and 90 pounds.

We also just had some good times at our cabin. The scenery was nice, the hot tub was relaxing and the game room was fun. Oh, and the beds there were so very comfortable and cozy.

It was a nice trip and a great opportunity to get away from it all.

Oh, and apparently my kids are much smaller in the mountains than they are here....BELIEVE IT.....OR NOT!

The Sweetest Six Year Old In The World!

2009-10-16T15:19:00.007-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated K's 6th birthday! It was a great day and filled with fun. We celebrated with her at a local jumping establishment and many of her friends came for her party. We (well,..THEY) jumped, giggled, ate pizza and cake, and opened presents. Fun was had by all.

She still holds her claim to sweetest and prettiest six year old in the world. (I am her mom so I can say that). That and the fact that it's my blog....and the fact that it is true.

Happy Birthday sweet K. You are master snuggler, queen of kindness, entertainer of young brother, friend to older sister, and princess of the family. We love you so very much.

Slowing Down To Enjoy The Scenery

2009-10-13T13:05:00.015-04:00

Do you ever just feel like you are running on auto-pilot? I know I talk often about time passing too quickly and my kids growing up faster than I would like.

My mother was telling me about a conversation she had with my brother the other night. He was recalling a very scary event in his life when his 6 year old daughter had to have an emergency brain surgery because of an aneurysm that had occurred. M, his daughter is doing great and it has been about 6 years since that very frightening night. He was telling my mom that he stopped and looked at her lying on the sofa, sick with the flu, and it all came rushing back...the emotions of that time. He said that during that time he was so busy with surgeries, therapies, etc., all while still preaching every Sunday to his congregation, that he never really had time to feel the grief and the sadness while it was occurring.

I remember having newborns. I remember feeling desperate, tired and emotionally drained. I remember feeling like I wished the "newborn stage" would hurry up and be over. I was ready to get some sleep. I don't know how well that I relished the opportunity to hold and rock my babies because quite frankly, I wanted them to sleep..in a bed..in their bed..all night long. I was even too afraid to go in their rooms and watch them peacefully sleeping after they finally fell asleep, in fear that the creak of the door might wake them. Did I let those moments slip by me or did they just go by too quickly?

Do you ever just feel like your life is full of calendars, to do lists, schedules, and routines that you are always living life a few days ahead of yourself? It's like vacation. You have to plan and prepare to go on vacation, while on vacation there is so much you want to fit in, and before you know it your on your way back home.

I this post by Ann yesterday and it all fit in with what I was thinking. You should read it, but my favorite quote from that post is this:

"When I fully enter into now, the weight of being fully in the moment slows time down. Full attentiveness is the only thing that does."

I love that and I couldn't agree more with that statement. When you are truly "in the moment", being fully attentive, you do seem to relish in it more. Your paying attention, you've slowed down to enjoy it. I remember being on vacation this past summer with my family and while swimming the pool with my daughter, both of us looking silly in our goggles and mask, we were looking at each other under the water and laughing in the moment. I remember thinking to myself REMEMBER THIS. It is like those days when I had those sweet babies resting in my arms and would stop to smell their little heads...REMEMBER THIS I would think. Or lately, when I catch a glimpse of my son and hear him counting "one, two, free, go" and jumping off the chair then rolling with laughter....REMEMBER THIS.

I want to have more REMEMBER THIS moments and less panic over what "has" to be done. I want to slow down and be more attentive. I want to experience the joy of a moment and stay there a minute to savor it and be thankful for it. Pay attention. Be IN the moment, not just OF the moment.

(I guess I did actually go in and sneak a picture of a little one sleeping.)
REMEMBER THIS:

(K helping make cobbler a couple of years ago)
REMEMBER THIS:

(A beautiful smile on a chilly day)
REMEMBER THIS:

Thank Heaven For Little Boys

2009-09-30T15:19:00.017-04:00

From This:

To This:

I will never forget the day that my husband and I went in for our ultrasound, pregnant with our 3rd child. We were excited and anxious to learn if we would have a boy or a girl. Naturally, having 2 daughters already I really wanted a boy. Of course we would have been happy either way, either way we were blessed to be carrying a healthy baby after 2 miscarriages.

The warmed up jelly was put on my belly and the lady took a look at our growing child safe inside my womb. "Do you want to know what it is?", she asked us with a smile. I just knew she would announce the coming of our 3rd girl.
"Yes," we both answered simultaneously.

"Ok, you see that little thing that looks like a turtle head?" (What? My mind was racing, confused.) "It's a boy," she said grinning. At that first "b-" that came out of her mouth T and I both gasped and the tears came. We embraced and kissed. We were so excited. Cloud Nine.

I felt like I needed to explain myself to her somehow so I said, "I promise we would have been happy with a girl too. I mean..ugh...," the words wouldn't come.

"Happens all the time," she said. "I am really happy for you."

Just a few months later, after painting everything baby blue our baby boy arrived and I remember being so amazed that he even looked like a boy. Something about his waist, his build. It was different. Actually he has proven to be different in everything, in a way that I'm not quite sure I was prepared for.

I know you have heard many stories on here of my boy eating glass Christmas balls, mascara, toothpaste, Windex, and even Excedrin, playing in the potty, and climbing on furniture. I think that he took me by such surprise and that he is so full-throttle that my days are filled with things like these. However, they are also filled with sweet and precious moments from him....moments that make my heart melt. I love my boy, my "buddy" and I am so grateful for him.

J's birthday was this past Monday, September 28th. My boy is TWO!

To My Birthday Boy:

Here are some things about you now:
-you love to be outside.
-you love balls: footballs, baseballs, golf balls, basketballs
-you love trains, and call them "choo-choo"
-you love your new pet cat, "mow mow" and you named her/you pick her up and carry her everywhere.
-you love to run
-you love to go in the car
-you are talking up a storm and putting 2 and 3 words together.
-you like to climb. anything.
-you like to jump off things.
-you like to collect things in your pockets, like rocks or jellybeans.
-you like to laugh
-you like to be startled (like when someone says "Boo") you think it is so funny
-you like to watch Stuart Little, Thomas the Train, and Winnie the Pooh, but you won't sit for long.
-you like to try every one's food. surprisingly, in doing so, I have discovered that you like tuna salad, chicken salad and even BBQ.
-you like to smell your food before you eat it. If it doesn't smell good to you, you won't try it.
-you saying "Hi" and "Bye" to everyone you see in passing.
-you love your family
-and we love you

Just a Few of the Things that I love about you:
-your toes
-your long eyelashes
-your big smile
-the smell of you
-your adventurous spirit
-your determination
-your sense of humor
-your laugh
-your playfulness
-your energy
-your friendliness
-your spunk
-your hugs
-your kisses
-your "night-nights"

I miss your newborn stage, when I could sit and smell your head and bathe you in kisses. Those times aren't as often now, because you have so much you would rather be doing. I miss those times, but I love seeing you grow into a strong little boy too. You've certainly got me on my toes Buddy and keep me busy. It is an adventure and I am so lucky, even if I have to stop and remind myself of that on occasions. I love you with ALL my heart. I am so thankful your my son. Happy 2nd Birthday.

Love,

Mommy

Can't We Just All Get Along

2009-09-23T16:58:00.009-04:00

I am on my soapbox today, and unfortunately you get to here about it.

There have been so many examples lately in the news of people forgetting their manners. We have tennis professionals losing their cool, senators yelling out inappropriately, even singers not waiting their turns in lines. Isn't this everything we learned to do correctly in elementary school? Didn't our parents teach us to be respectful and courteous to others? Why have we forgotten this? Are we too stressed out that we "crack" under pressure or have we become too full of self so we don't care about others anymore? Good question.

I'm only getting started here....

Supposedly, because I didn't see it, but Barbara Walters insulted Paula Deen on the view insinuating that she helps contribute to childhood obesity. Puh-leeze! Does Walters bother calling all the grocery stores and food manufacturers who make doughnuts, oreos, sugar filled cereals that are all marketed for children? No. She does not. Can't WE, as normal people with capable minds, choose for ourselves to eat things, or do things in moderation? People make choices. Bad choices come with consequences. These consequences have to be handled by the person who made the decision in the first place. I say if you want to eat cheese cake with butter on top..then go ahead!

Another incidence in the news that caused a lot of controversy is the mom that drug her kid around the Verizon store on a leash. I feel bad for the lady. Clearly, she might not have made the best decision, but come on... What if she would have instead, picked the child up and spanked him a couple of times to discipline the child? Would people have felt the need to intervene and call the authorities on her? ...YES, they would...it has happened before. Who are we to tell someone they can or cannot spank or discipline their own children?

I admit, when I first heard the news of Michelle Duggar being pregnant with #19, my first reaction was to be very judgmental. Why? It is not my place to tell her how many children she should have. As long as they are providing for them on their own then I do not have a say in that. In fact, it is down right rude that I even entertained the idea in my head to judge her.

Finally, (because I could probably go on and on with examples)who are these people that feel the need to ridicule a mom that blogs about her family? There are actual people that have started their own blogs to poke fun, accuse and humiliate another blogger. They have accused her of lying, taking money and tried to dig up dirt on her and her family. I am appalled. Who cares if someone gets money for putting ads on their blog? I say, "Good for you" and sign me up! We all have our shortcomings and make many mistakes in life. Some people blog about them. Some people keep them private. I'm no genius, but I think if you don't like someones blog, simply STOP reading it.

When someone is eating a Krispy Kreme doughnut, it is not your duty to tell them that it is going straight to their hips. If someone is spanking their child because they ran out in front of a car in the parking lot, it is not your place to think they are not a good parent. If someone wants to have 48 children they should be able to do so without getting criticism from everyone else.

With all this being said, I am not advocating to NEVER step in. It's a matter of good judgement. If a loved one needs confronting because of an addiction, if a complete stranger is in need of help, if you see a child getting bullied, or someone being attacked...by all means I think you should intervene and do what you can. I am (not so) simply saying that we might have become people so full of themselves that we see it our right, even our "duty" to but in and try to help at any time WE think we can. Why don't we just do a better job of taking care of our own children and loved ones and stop criticizing everyone else for being lousy at it. Let's stop being so prideful and righteous. Quite honestly, it's making me sick! (and I include me in this as I have been very guilty of these acts myself)

"And that's all I have to say about that"---Forrest Gump

Trash to Treasure

2009-09-17T14:17:00.006-04:00

The other day on my way out of my neighborhood I noticed someone had put some furniture out for garbage day. It caught my eye because it was a lot of wooden pieces. Most of the pieces were broken or in terrible shape, but then I saw this:

I quickly put it in the back of my car and brought it home, knowing I could make this chair look better and give it a good home. I painted it white and sand papered the edges to give it that shabby chic look. I have not yet replaced the brown leather seat on it, but it might be growing on me just the way it is. I have not found the perfect place for it in my home, but currently I have it in our family room so that I can marvel over my repurposed ,FREE chair. Don't you just love things that are free?

(I realize that this is not a close up, but I was actually taking a picture of my room after I rearanged the furniture the other day. Still, you might be able to catch a glimpse of my free chair.) And please, no nasty comments about my large, drab brown and very filthy couches that are in the picture. Now those are two pieces that NEED to go to the garbage!

Now my eyes are peeled to everyone's garbage every week. You never know when someone's trash will become your treasure. The littlest things can make my day.

I Heart Patty.

2009-09-17T14:10:00.004-04:00

After much persistance on my part I finally got my husband to agree to have someone hired to clean our house. I have been spinning my wheels forever just trying to maintain the laundry and the toys picked up, let alone keep J occupied, run carpools and do bankruptcy petitions. I never have time to actually CLEAN anything..you know like dust, mop, clean bathtubs, etc.

A couple of months ago Patty came to my rescue and I am delighted! She does a fantastic job and is very reasonable. We only have her every other week, but that seems to help out a lot. Patty came this morning and J and I ran some errands. As we returned home the overwhelming smell of cleanliness infiltrated our nose. Ahhhh...so pleasant. Apparently I wasn't the only one with that feeling, because as I turned around to look at J behind me, he was down on the floor and his nose was buried in the carpet smelling it! Funny, funny boy.

First Kiss

2009-09-10T16:50:00.012-04:00

They grow up too fast. Plain and simple. While I feel like I am on auto pilot most days, I think my kids are on fast forward. My sweet K, who is in kindergarten this year, proved my theory correct the other day.

When the kids got into my car after school they were saying, "Teller kissed K! Teller kissed K!" K had a sheepish grin on her face, but held her chin low as so not to make real eye contact with me. Later that night my husband and I questioned her about THE KISS. We asked, "In the mouth?" K replied, "Ugh, No. ON the mouth." Ok, good. I think I asked that wrong in the first place. Good to know it wasn't IN the mouth, just ON. I then asked, "You didn't like it did you?" She looked at her Daddy looking at her and she shook her head No. With that her Daddy gave her a big hug. She looked at me while peering over his shoulder, still in the embrace, and with a huge grin she mouthed to me, "I really did though".

Fast forward I tell ya. Could someone grab that remote and put us in slow motion for just a while? Mainly so that her Daddy can have time to get prepared!

Slumber Party

2009-08-24T13:16:00.004-04:00

I don't know how she manages to do it every year, but M always seems to stretch her birthday celebration for days. On her actual birthday I took cupcakes to her class. Later that night we met my in-laws for dinner at a Japanese restaurant where the kids were truly entertained with the chef's tricks. They didn't particularly LOVE the food, but they certainly enjoyed the entertainment and it was a memory made. After dinner M opened up her present from her Gran-re and Grandaddy. They gave her two outfits and as she opened them she squealed with delight and said with a lot of sass, "Oooohhhh...I am SO wearing this one to school tomorrow!"

On Friday night I allowed her to have a couple of girls over to sleep over. Everything went great. We ate pizza, made pillowcases and friendship bracelets, played American Girl, had a dress up party, and ate birthday cake. After they all finished up their cake they washed up and got on their pj's. I popped on the new Hannah Montana movie for their 1st flick of the night around 8:30 or so. About 10 minutes into the movie and once everybody had their choice of topping on their popcorn, the power went out. Joy! No electricity. 3 movies to watch and we can't. A possible minute or two where this mommy could take a breather, but NO, didn't happen. Instead I became entertainer of the year, leading games of charades and pictionary by candlelight. Ghost stories might have come in handy, although I don't know any and UNFORTUNATELY I couldn't Google it because the POWER WAS OUT. All in all, we had a lot of fun playing those games in the dark. The girls settled down and decided to go to bed after getting bored with all of my games, I guess. They went to sleep fine, despite a lot of worry and concern, not to mention the rising temperature in the house. Luckily the next morning we had power, so we all sat around and finished the movie together.

M's birthday officially ended on Saturday around lunchtime when our company found their way home. It was a fun couple of days, I have to admit.

9 Years Ago My Life Would Be Changed Forever

2009-08-19T19:52:00.004-04:00

It seems like only yesterday, that two very young and nervous people were on their way to the hospital to have their first child.

After only 4 days of teaching the new school year in 2000, I awoke on that Friday morning in August knowing that I wasn't going to make it to work that day to teach many small children, instead I would become a mom that day. Though I struggled through 20 hours of labor, over an hour of pushing, and eventually an emergency c-section, it was all worth it. At 12:14 am our 1st child entered the world...a beautiful baby girl. Weighing in at 8 lbs and 6 oz, she was a healthy and hungry little girl, right from the start. We were finally a FAMILY.

My 1st child, that precious baby girl, is NINE today. I am sitting her trying to wrap my brain around the idea that nine years has gone by in the blink of any eye and hoping that life will slow down somehow.

I now enter a new state of life with my daughter. It's the tween years. The time has come to start growing up a little, learning a little more. It's also a time of insecurities and self-consciousness that we are embarking on. I hope that I will be able to maintain a good relationship with my tween (and teen soon enough). I know that I will often be embarassing, talking too loud, saying the wrong things, not wearing the coolest clothes or shoes. I will be looked at many times that I am mean or unfair through these times, but it will be all out of love for my daughter.

And Mom, if you are reading, let me take the time to apologize for telling you that you chewed to loudly back when I was a young girl. And sorry for walking 25 feet behind you and Dad in the mall because I was too embarrassed of my parents. I am sure I will be paid back very shortly for all of my eye rolling and smart comments. Thanks for sticking with me and loving me anyway during those times, as I will with my daughter.

Happy 9th Birthday M! You are a beautiful girl who is loved so very much!

For Your Blogging Pleasure

2009-08-18T13:01:00.008-04:00

I am a little delayed in this post, but I wanted to introduce two new blogs that I am following.

After months of persuasion by many of her friends, my neighbor and friend Michelle started a blog and she is too darn funny! She is a mom to four, two of which spend a whole lot of time over here at my house. Her daughter, A, and K play together every single afternoon. They can play Barbies, house, and dress up for hours together. Her experiences with her older two children, that are both in high school, are to my advantage..getting to see what's ahead of me is nice and how she handles the situation. I am taking notes. Check her out over at Lassoing The Chaos.

After months of ME persuading my Dad, who is an excellent writer, to start a blog he finally did with a little help from me. When my Dad moved to Vermont this summer I was even more eager for him to do the blog so that family could keep up with all his adventures. So, I set up is blog spot and told him exactly how to use it. Every day I would check to see if he had yet written anything and was disappointed most days, until one day there was this post and it was the sweetest post about me. I cried and cried reading it. His next post had me in tears laughing! I don't know how often he will write, but I hope more and more. You can find him at Seize The Day.

Hope you'll check them out!

3 Women, A Mattress and a Kitty

2009-08-17T14:01:00.009-04:00

Last week did not disappoint in the craziness factor. Just as the week before had drama with the road rash event, this week had to find it's own random and completely crazy events, however it all happened on one day...Thursday.

My sister has recently relocated here from Texas. She has spent time cleaning and fixing up a little rental house and she was sleeping on an air mattress until last Thursday. On that day, she and I borrowed our uncles truck, a huge Ford F250 and drove about an hour away to my mother in law's house to retrieve a mattress and box springs for her. After my sister and I had a nice lunch with my mother in law we loaded up our goods onto the truck. Because my uncles truck had a tool box on the back, the mattress wouldn't lay flat so we had to prop it up a little on the box. This meant no visibility through my rear view mirror and to top it off his side view mirror on the passenger's side was already missing. This left me with my one driver's side view mirror. As we left the neighborhood and my mother in law was following behind in her car, I suddenly got nervous. I asked my sister if she thought the mattress would be ok and not fly out. She assured me that it was too heavy and I trusted that, but I did warn my mother in law behind me to watch for any movement. Not too long of being on a busy highway at lunch hour, I looked out my one and only side view mirror and there behind me, in the middle of the road was our big pink mattress. My mother in law had stopped about 3 inches behind it. PANIC! TRAFFIC! MATTRESS! As I backed up the truck my (very sophisticated and well dressed) mother in law was pulling that mattress to the side of the road all by herself with traffic rushing by. We hopped out and helped her, loaded back up the mattress and much to our surprise a good Samaritan stopped (WITH BUNGEE CORDS) and proceeded to secure our mattress to our truck. This man even put himself in harms way, standing on the side of the truck closest to the other lane and the traffic. He didn't let us pay him or anything, he just accepted our gratitude and we were on our way. It's really nice to know that there are still many kind people in the world, willing to help someone in need. We are still laughing at ourselves for this, thinking that's what we get...3 women doing a man's job.

Later that evening, after arriving safely home, my kids heard a strange noise outside around our cars. It was obvious it was coming from my husband's Cherokee, but what was it? After some careful listening, my husband says, "I know EXACTLY what it is! It's a cat!" He explained that earlier that morning he was driving through town and he saw this little black puddle in the road, but upon getting closer he noticed it was a cat that wasn't moving. He swerved around it carefully, got out of his car and went to check on it, but it wasn't there anymore. He looked to the sides of the road but he saw no cat running away. He recalls getting out of his car he heard a small "thump" but thought nothing of it. Apparently, cat had hitched a ride and rode around with my husband all day and eventually home with him that evening. We finally located the cat underneath his car. You could see the little cat by looking above his rear wheel and it was sitting on his gas tank underneath. We tried to lure the cat out with tuna, cheese and many "Here kitty, kitties" but nothing worked. Finally, my husband brought out the MAGIC GLOVE, that has been known to help abandoned animals in the past. With the glove my husband, the hero, was able to get the cat..only, it was a kitty. A tiny, solid black kitty with little green eyes. Needless to say, my girls were absolutely thrilled at this hitch-hiker kitty telling their Daddy that "We have to keep her because she obviously wanted to come home with you."

The next morning I took "kitty" to the vet to get checked and she is in great health, not a flea on her, not hurt and she weighs about 1.5 lbs. She is just about 6 weeks old. We are letting the kitty stay for a while, until she can take up residence with another family member. She sure is cute and I think all of us are quickly becoming more and more attached to her.

Our main concern and why we don't want to keep her permanently is because of J, our 2 yr old. He has given the kitty the name, "Mau Mau" (pronounced like now, but with an M instead of an N) That's his version of Meow, Meow. J is wanting to play in the kitty litter and carry her by the neck.

Pretty soon, Mau Mau herself might look into getting out and start hitch-hiking again, just to get away from him. In the meantime we are enjoying our new little friend.

I wonder what this week has in store for me!

One Week Down

2009-08-10T14:55:00.009-04:00

Last week it was back to school and back to routine. Everything went pretty good, although there were some occasional resistance to going to bed before it was even dark and having to come in early from playing to get baths. It was an adjustment for all of us.

Toward the end of the week sweet K didn't want to get out of bed in the mornings. As a matter of fact on Friday morning as I woke her up she declared that she didn't want to go to school and she had decided she didn't like it anymore. She proceeded to pull the covers back over her head and I told her she must, in fact, go to school.
"Why?" she asked in a very cranky tone.
In which I replied, "So that you can learn things, be smart, and grow up to be anthing that you want to be."
"I don't WANT to be ANYTHING," she came back with quickly.
Brief Silence/Pause
and then she said, "On second thought, I do want to be something. I want to be a SLEEPER!" With that she once again pulled the comforter back over her head as I laughed out loud at her response.
If only you got paid for sleeping, because I want to change jobs if that's the case!

On Wednesday afternoon we visited cousins in their new neighborhood. M and her cousin were playing on the scooters outside and M took a dive on the pavement and has a pretty serious injury from it. She basically has road rash and the top layer of skin peeled away from her leg. Ewwwww...I KNOW! After a trip (or four) to CVS and about $75 later I now could run a small infirmary. Not really, because I have to use all that to clean her wound and change her bandage twice a day!
(A small diversion here....Why in the world when I was at Ga Southern preparing for nursing school did I have to take Field Biology? Seriously...No amount of bird watching or bug collecting prepared me for anything nurse related! And I must say that I am so glad that I decided to go in to teaching instead of nursing because if this wasn't my daughter then I would pass out at the sight of this leg! )
The wound seems to be healing rather nicely, but having to change the bandage on it in the mornings before school means we have to wake up 10 minutes earlier and I'm not a big fan of losing my one and only snooze!

Hopefully this week, the second week of school, will be free from injuries and we will get a better sense of our new sleeping routine. Here's to being a mommy!

And here are pictures of the road rash
(I have to say that it looks a lot better on this picture than in person!)

And my excellent bandage..Aren't you proud?

Everytime I have changed M's bandage, she has looked at me and said, "Mommy, I love you."
It's always nice to know someone is there to care for you, isn't it?

Little Devil

2009-08-05T09:38:00.011-04:00

I should have known when he looked so good wearing this outfit at 1 month old:

Little boys should come with a warning label! All but one of these my son has done in less than 24 hours:

-Gotten into big sister's book bag, opened a brand new pack of markers,colored his hands and tried to eat the tips off of them.

-Gotten into my mascara (this was a few weeks ago):

-Gotten a pot from big sister's play kitchen, retrieved water in it FROM THE POTTY, and proceeded to drink it before I caught him.

(No picture for this one...I was so grossed out by that event and in a desperate attempt to wash his hands and his mouth out with dial soap, I didn't bother to get my camera for any documentation..you'll just have to trust me on that one.)

-Gotten my coffee creamer from my kitchen counter and did this:

(And I had only had ONE cup of coffee before he dumped the entire container out on my rug, which forced me to use milk in my second cup and I hate that!)

I promise I do try to watch my son and take necessary precautions so that he does not get into these items. For example we close every door to all bathrooms and bedrooms so that he can't be destructive, but it is inevitable that someone forgets to do it and we all suffer the consequences. He has dumped out cans of fish food multiple times in K's room, dumped out M's container with all of her little-bitty earrings, has eaten our toothpaste, soap, chap stick and so much more!

Now that the girls are back in school I am left with only my set of eyes and my two hands to contain little J and that's a full time job!

Any suggestions, short of a leash or a cage?

And a Fourth Grader

2009-08-04T18:42:00.006-04:00

Not only can I not believe that I have sweet K in kindergarten, but my precious M started her FOURTH GRADE year! How insane is that!? I am not old enough to have a 4th grader, am I? On second thought, don't answer that.

Here is M on her 1st day of Fourth Grade:

My mother-in-law is infamous for giving the girls stylish clothes, or as they call it, "Fashionable". Yesterday she surprised the girls with a few new clothes and this was Madelyn's favorite:

4th grade, but looks like her senior year! Really scary!

Kindergarten!

2009-08-03T14:21:00.006-04:00

Today I will choke back my tears all day. Today I will miss my chance to sit and hug on you whenever I feel like it. Today I will miss fixing your lunch. Today I will miss hearing you and your little brother play. Today I will miss being asked 1.000 totally random questions. Today I will miss the frequent interruptions while I work. Today I will miss my sweet, black-haired angel. Today is your first day of kindergarten.

I left you so excited at school this morning ready to take on the world, make new friends, and learn so much. You have become so very independent lately and have seem to have grown a foot over the summer alone! I am so happy that you are so excited about going to kindergarten, even though I will miss you being here with me all day.

Today you will be missed, but I am excited about your new adventure sweet K!

Summer's End

2009-07-28T17:09:00.001-04:00

I guess it's safe to say that I have been on a little break from blogging. Summer came fast and it's almost over already. I have 4 more days with my sweet girls before they venture off to school and we are all forced to get back into the routine of alarms, piano lessons, ballet class, and homework. I cannot say that I am looking forward to it, but it's coming none the less, and some part of me is a little giddy buying new pencils, notebooks, markers, and all the other school supplies. There is something nice about starting fresh with all new supplies and clothes, ready to tackle yet another year. It's the alarm clock, homework and carpools that I'm not very excited about.

We have enjoyed our summer so much by doing not much of anything. When we felt like going to the pool, we went and when we felt like sleeping late, we did. We have played with neighbors past dark, ridden our bikes with friends, caught lighting bugs, grilled out too many times too count. We have eaten our fair share of hot dogs, pbj's, hamburgers, corndogs, Popsicles, and capri suns. We have played barbies, school, work, pet store, dress up, hide-n-go seek and Wii. We have kept many of our local places in business this summer, like Blockbuster, our country club's pool hut, and the snow-cone place on Broad Street (It's our little way of helping out this economy crisis...it's the least we could do).

So in 4 short days I will give up my hectic pool and nap schedule and trade it in for a new school schedule and routine. Our tanned bodies will fade and our carefree spirit and attitude will disappear, but not for long...Next summer will be here before you know it!

Beware of the Water

2009-07-28T17:09:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned before, we had a great beach vacation. One great thing that someone clued me in on several years ago was to take a small baby pool for the beach. This has been handy with all of my kids at the beach while they are really too little to enjoy the ocean and the sand. Of course we took that small 1 ring inflatable baby pool to the beach again this year for J and he loved it. On the 2nd day there he wouldn't do anything but sit in it the whole time. We never get to actually spend more than about 2 hours total at the beach before we have kids ready to go in for lunch or ready to go to the pool, but nevertheless, it is a saving grace to have that baby pool for that 2 hours to buy me a little time on the beach with my family. J was really comfortable in that pool...loved it! When he would get a little cranky, I would just hand him a juice box or a cracker, which inevitably ended up soggy floating around him in his little pool. After about the 2 hour mark, when we were ready to head it in for lunch I noticed that his pool water was a little dingy, but it didn't really shock me with as much food, juice and sand as he was getting in it while playing. My girls came up and washed their hands in his pool to remove the sand off them, I did the same myself. After giving each other a bath in his baby pool water, trying to get the sand off of us, I grabbed J out of the pool to empty it and take him in. When I emptied the pool and picked him up the smell was awful..and some what familiar....OH NO!! J had pooped in his swim diaper and we have been washing ourselves off with poopy water this whole time! Time to get the vaccinations up to date, don't ya think?

A Dozen

2009-06-12T22:34:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to congratulate my sweet friend, Wendymom on her 4th biological child, which gives her a DOZEN total children!!! I am so impressed with this woman on so many levels and jealous that she has a new sweet newborn baby's head to smell and love on! Sweet Ann Claire was born this week to a wonderful family who I am proud to know personally. Congrats W & J on your new sweet bundle of joy....SHE IS SO PRETTY! ......Now you should go for a baker's dozen!

Beauty At the Beach

2009-06-10T10:53:00.008-04:00

We had a fabulous time at the beach. The weather forecast looked pretty bad for the week we were to be there, but it actually turned out to be perfect. In fact it was rather pleasant going early in the summer like that because it wasn't that very humid and sticky kind of hot. The last day we were there the gulf water was the best I had ever seen it. It was literally like a huge pool, with almost no waves, and you could be up to your neck and still see your toes on the ocean bottom. It was breathtakingly beautiful and a nice way to end our relaxing week at the beach. Here are a few pictures of our trip to Sunshine Cottage in Destin, FL.

Sunshine Cottage Here We Come!

2009-05-21T17:06:00.005-04:00

I think that half the fun of going on vacation is preparing to leave. I enjoy making lists of things to pack, things to buy, and things to do before we leave. To me it adds in the fun and anticipation of the trip itself. The past couple of years I have not been able to do those things. I have to work so hard to do everything for work so I can be off for a week that I find myself stressed to the max trying to get the work done and then forced to pack under pressure. That's probably why on our last weekend getaway I forgot to pack my underwear and my toothbrush! Those things are pretty important items and not easy to forget, but somehow I did just that! Luckily those are also items that you can buy anywhere, so no worries, I did purchase those necessities while on our trip!

This week has been the same as usual. Rushing, stressed, leaving only a small window of time to pack my family of five and be on our way by Saturday morning. I have one more day left and so many things to still do. Should I be blogging...no. I should be doing laundry, getting toiletries together, packing sand toys and bathing suits. I could be getting a pedicure or going to get my license renewed. (WHY OH WHY didn't I listen to my husband and do it over the Internet before it was too late!?) Instead, I find myself behind the computer catching up on favorite blogs and writing a post, somehow hoping to decompress and get my second wind.

With all that being said, in less than 2 days I will have my toes tickled by white sandy beaches and my skin soaking in the sun (HOPEFULLY!). Time to relax. Time to get away. Time to have fun. Time to recognize the beauty. Time to be still. Time to make memories with my kids. Time for the beach! (Oh...and somehow time to keep up with my 20 month old son on the beach!)

Mustang Memories

2009-05-19T11:54:00.007-04:00

May 19, 1990. What wasn't to like?: tall, dark hair, slender build, beautiful eyes, a great smile, and a cool car. Nineteen years ago today I met my husband, set up on a blind date by some friends of ours. We were two kids meeting for the first time, not knowing where God would take us. This journey and life with T has been wonderful, but not always blissful. We have had our share of heart-aches, head-aches, sorrows and fights, but we have had so much more of laughter, love, joy, and excitement. It's amazing to think that God knew on that very first night that we would be embarking on a road together that would take us this far, and that he even had 3 little people in mind that we were to bring into this world together.

I am so happy that God had plans for us and a future together. We are much different people than we were back then, but the memories aren't far away....2 teenagers with the top down, wind in the hair, good music, on a country road with a whole lot of time on our hands. Those were good times then and great memories, but life is even sweeter now. I love you T!

A Mother's Love

2009-05-07T10:03:00.003-04:00

(Don't forget to turn off my music player at the bottom of the page)

Steeplechase Fun

2009-04-27T14:06:00.021-04:00

We try to go to the Steeplechase when we can. I always have fun making the girls hats and they have a great day spent in the spring weather (which felt more like summer this year) watching all the people and events on this fun day. They love having free cokes, sprites, waters and an endless table full of goodies and sweets. They also love spending time with their grandparents while we are there.

This year proved to be just as fun and memorable. We had 2 beautiful girls in cute hats:

We watched as sky divers plummeted to Earth and landed safely.

We enjoyed many cokes (and perhaps a few other beverages by the adults).

We posed for a few pictures and forced a smile, even though we were hot and worn out:

Oh, and we did see some horses and some horse races!

Next year maybe little J will be able to attend the horse races, but for this year, I left him safely behind with a babysitter knowing that if I hadn't HE would have somehow climbed the fence and ended up on the race track just as the horses were making the turn!

Where Did My Baby Go?

2009-04-22T13:59:00.012-04:00

J is 18 months old, actually he will be 19 months old next Tuesday so I am behind in posting this, but I would like to document him at this age. And what's better than a list when you have writer's block?!

J, this is what you are up to at 18 Months Old:

-You can open up anything...doors, cups, bottles. You use your teeth to get caps and tops off of things. You are very determined.

-You now have forced your mom to call poison control a total of 4 times already, TWICE (2 days in a row!) this past weekend. You drank Windex (vinegar formula thank goodness) and the next day you drank my astringent for my face. Yes, I have child proof locks on cabinets, but things get left out and you find it immediately.

-You still aren't talking very much, but you do have these words, even if you choose not to use them often: Momma, Dada, bottle, dog, cracker, cookie, juice, Casey (our dog), bye-bye, see, baby, light, ball, car (the last two being your favorite!) I'm sure I am leaving out some as well. I am hoping for a word explosion soon from you.

-You can tell us what a "dog says", a "cow says", a "rooster says", a "pig says", and what a "fish says" (with this one you don't make a sound but you purse your lips and move your mouth up and down...just like a little fishy making bubbles!)

-You can "choo-choo" like a train and go "vroom vroom" like a car.

-You love toy cars. You also like balls. Those are about the only toys you will play with although I have 3 baskets full of toys for you in our den.

- You LOVE it outside.(See pictures below!) Everything is an adventure outside for you and everything is a treasure. You try to put rocks and sticks and other things in your pockets when outside. If you don't have pockets, I usually find some of these things in your diaper when I go to change you.

-You love to eat, but you don't like eggs or peanut butter.

-Your favorite food is probably bananas, but you like pizza a lot too.

-You love to make people laugh at you. I think you enjoy the attention.

-You still have that little "purr" and when you laugh I can hear that little vibration in the back of your throat that sounds just like a "purr". You've been doing that since birth. I love the "purr".

-Your favorite thing to do in a normal day is get dressed and go down to the office with Mommy. I think I could drop you off in the parking lot and you would find your way to the right office which is up an elevator to the 3rd floor, two doors to open and 3 office doors to pass until your there. The main reason you know exactly where to go is that there is a lady in your Grandfather's office (Mrs. "B") that gives you candy. You love candy.

-You then like to visit your Grandfather in his office and look at his Georgia Bulldog, his toy car, and his ball that he keeps in his cabinet there. Then you are ready to head home and wait until your sister's come home.

-You get a lot of attention from your sisters. You love to scream at them and they scream back. (Mommy doesn't like it so much when you 3 do this in the car though)

-Your sister's don't like it when you try to take their Barbie they are playing with away from them. You don't want to take it to play with, you mainly want to just grab it, throw it down, and make them yell at you (again, I think you like attention).

-You love to lay your head on your Daddy's shoulder and give him a hug.

-You give hugs and kisses, but only when YOU want to.

-You can't stand to have on socks and shoes. Every time we go somewhere in the car that is the first thing you do is take them off (You get this from your mommy...I can't stand socks!)

-You love to take baths and you don't mind water being in your face. As a matter of fact, you will dump cup fulls over your head and laugh.

-You sleep with your "buddy" every night ,which is a little stuffed blue mouse. You like to bite his nose. I have to give "buddy" a bath in the washing machine often.

-I like to call you "Buddy" and I have since you were born. Daddy and your sisters have also picked this up. I only want this to be a pet name for you...PLEASE don't decide you want to go by this name when you grow up.

-You love to read books and turn the pages yourself.

-You like to do everything yourself, as a matter of fact. You are definitely in that, "I'll do it" stage. It makes me a little sad that you are becoming so independent, but proud at the same time.

-You weigh 24 lbs and you wear a size 24 months. You are growing so big and way too quickly for Mommy!

-You are a handful, but an absolute JOY!

-You are so loved.

You playing outside yesterday:

My Head and Heart..All Over the Place

2009-04-20T13:29:00.003-04:00

I'm not quite sure what my problem is, but I find myself wanting to write here on this blog often, however I can't seem to get a coherent thought much less an entire post out of me lately.

First of all, I am busy, literally covered up with work. There are so many files to process every day, along with the simple daily routines like breakfasts, , lunches, carpools, ballet practices, etc. Notice I didn't say, mop the floors, dust the furniture...that is just temporarily on hold for the moment. I NEED a Maid!

Second, and more to the root of why I am unable to process my thoughts, is that I keep hearing of bad news. The most recent of which is M's best friend's mom who was diagnosed on Easter Sunday with pancreatic cancer and apparently the prognosis is not good. She also happens to be M's assistant principal at her school. This news is devastating not only as a friend, but as a mom. I just can't imagine. My heart is breaking for the mom herself...for the husband...for the nine year old little girl who loves her mom so dearly. I have offered my assistance in helping in any way I can, but this just doesn't seem like enough.

I am trying to process all of this information, figure out a way I can help, and trying to get my words together to just explain it all to my daughter. To be honest, I am having a hard time digesting it myself, especially with this big lump in my throat and my heart aching, let alone explain it to a (almost) nine year old.

Maybe We Have Watched The Wizard Of Oz One Too Many Times!

2009-04-15T16:14:00.005-04:00

Last Friday we had bad weather in our area along with some tornadoes. Since we live in a typical brick ranch house with no basement, our "tornado place" is in my daughter's closet that happens to be in the center of our house. Luckily, that Friday my husband had come home early from work because he was sick. I was thankful, and so were the kids, that he was there. It just made us feel safer somehow.

As the storm got worse the kids and I got into my daughter's room/closet and listened to the radio. J, oblivious to the situation, couldn't care less. As a matter of fact he thought it was fun being all together in a tiny space like that. M was a drama queen that just kept saying, " I KNOW we are going to have a tornado! I just KNOW it!," then she would add, "I'm totally freakin' out, Mom...totally freakin' out here." K was very quiet for the most part but you could just tell that her wheels were spinning in her head. After a while, K asked me in a soft, quiet voice (and quite calmly), "Mom, will other people land where I land?"

"What K?" I asked back, confused.

"You know mom, when the tornado picks me up and drops me, will I land where anyone else lands." she explained carefully.

I explained to her that although technically a tornado has done that and is capable of doing that, that hopefully that would not be our situation and that we were safe inside our house and people could rescue us here if in fact a tornado hit our house.

I just couldn't get over the differences in my girls thought processes. My oldest "freakin' out" and my youngest worried if she would "land where anyone else landed." She is such a deep thinker, but what's more amazing than that is that she has such a calm spirit. And if anyone is wondering which personality type I am...Well, that would be daughter #1. I was "FREAKIN' OUT" myself.. I have just learned to stay quiet in front of my kids so I don't make matters worse. It's hard though, REAL hard!

Different

2009-03-31T14:13:00.006-04:00

As often as I remind myself that my kids are growing up entirely too fast, and that one day all these things I will miss dearly, I still find myself having a bad attitude about the littlest things, like reading a book for the 1,000th time, giving baths at night, "one more drink of waters" at bedtime, or toys not put away. It is very hard to remain focused on the pure joy of those moments when you are in the middle of them. However, this past week I have thought differently.

Last week when I read about baby Stellan in the hospital and seeing his sweet, baby boy face it just put things in perspective for me. I couldn't imagine what "MckMama" is going through. Yet, just a month ago I found myself in a situation with my daughter, praying over her in the Emergency Room, having MRI's, CT Scans, EEG's, and in an instant you begin to see things differently. In my case, M appears to be a healthy 8 year old little girl who happens to have a form of adolescent epilepsy. Stellan, however, is still struggling in the hospital with heart problems at only 5 months old.

When you think of how short life is, how very precious life is, how very fragile life is....it makes you see things different no matter what they are.

I choose to see things different this week...the good and the bad. I choose to see them as gifts instead of frustrations. I choose the joy in them. I'm reminding myself how dearly I would miss any of these things.

Smudges on the cabinets...I see different.

Snotty noses...I see different.

Wet beds, dirty laundry....I see different.

Bath time splashes that get the whole bathroom wet...I see different.

Reading the same book over and over...I see different.

Bedtime rituals...I see different.

Carpool rushes...I see different.

Homework challenges...I see different.

Five plates, five forks, five cups to clean every night after supper....I see different.

Smiles...I appreciate more

Giggles...I listen harder.

Giant hugs and wet kisses...I savour them.

Snuggles...I treasure them.

Tiny Toes...I gaze longer.

The smell of my baby boys neck....I sniff deeper.

The precious "morning hug" from K...I squeeze tighter.

The flash of a beautiful smile, now adorned with silver from M...I make a mental picture and smile back.

MckMuffin Needs Our Prayers

2009-03-25T13:18:00.004-04:00

Get on your knees and pray for baby Stellan, his mommy and his family. Oh, I can't even imagine... My heart is breaking for this sweet family and this sweet boy.

Go here for Mckmama's blog:

Pray! Pray! Pray!

Growing Up

2009-03-25T10:32:00.006-04:00

Ok, I want to know what happened to my baby girl. The one that cried a whole bunch, keeping her momma up all hours of the night. The little girl that's hair didn't really come in until she was 3 years old. The one that loved to sit and watch Baby Einstein videos over and over, and the one that I just sent off to kindergarten yesterday! ( Well, it seems that way to me.) I can't seem to find her... I think she has been replaced, all too quickly, with a big girl.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BRACES!!!

Oh, my, how time does fly by!

Gotta Wear Shades

2009-03-23T13:47:00.014-04:00

We seriously need to think about investing in J some new sunglasses. He loves to try on mine and his sister's and it's quite funny how he will purse his little lips to help keep my big ones on his face. Gotta love it! He cracks me up!

His teacher look:

His Bono look:

His mommy look (I guess??):

Oh, he is just so much fun when he isn't eating something poisonious or anything glass! :) The future is bright, isn't it?

A Friday Funny

2009-03-13T08:55:00.000-04:00

Tim Hawkins is hilarious. I think it was my brother and his family that introduced me to him. There are a bunch of videos on you tube of his "spoof" songs or stand up routine. All are funny. These two were new to me today, so I decided to post here anyone that might need a laugh today. (The first one is longer than the second.)

(DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE MY MUSIC PLAYER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE)

And this one is for Wendymom. It would have been much more appropriate on your blog:

Have a great weekend.

Proud Momma

2009-03-13T08:50:00.000-04:00

In the kid interview that I did with my girls, I couldn't help but get stuck on the questions that asked, "How are you and your mom alike?" and "How are you and your mom different?" It made me think of what my answer would be to how they are or are not like me really examining it in my own mind. So here are my answers to my girls as to how we are alike and different:

My beautiful M, We are both alike and different , both of which make me very happy and proud of you. We are similar in that we are both passionate, outspoken, argumentative, yet kind, loving and caring. Physically we both have brown hair, freckles and a warm smile. We both like to laugh, and to make people laugh. We are also different in some ways, and in the ways that make you uniquely YOU. You enjoy being the center of attention, you stand out in a crowd, you will initiate conversations with anyone. I on the other hand, like to blend in to the crowd, and although I love to talk, I don't necessarily have the confidence that you do to initiate it with someone I don't even know. You are the first born, and I am the baby in my family. We look different too in some ways. You have this curly, curly, ringlet hair and mine is neither curly or straight..just slightly wavy (enough to get on my nerves, actually). You have beautiful eyes that are twice the size of mine and they are set off with long black eyelashes. I on the other hand do everything I can to make my eyes look bigger and my eyelashes longer. I am so proud of how you are like me, but I am equally as proud of our differences because they make you who you are. I am proud of you and who you are becoming.

My sweet baby K, we too, have our similarities and differences as mother and daughter. Even at only 6 years old I can already see some of these things. I can see a lot of physical likeness with you. You have my shape face, green eyes, and smile however, your black hair and olive complexion make you more like Daddy. Your personality is extremely special. You are so content with everything, very even keel, never one to get restless or agitated. You always seem calm and reserved, careful in your actions and words. This my dear child, is a very valuable quality to have, and one I wish I possessed myself. I tend to get easily irritated in situations, restless and often wish I could take back something I said, not really ever being STILL enough to be calmed, soothed, at peace the way you do. I have a lot to learn from you in this way. You are like me in that you too do not love to be the center of attention, but you always polite and secure with your surroundings, always willing to talk to someone if spoken to. I hope you continue to grow with these wonderful qualities and characteristics which make you very unique. I am so proud of you.

Of course I am biased about my girls, but I have the right to be, don't I? A few months ago it was really nice to get an email from a new friend that recently met my daughters as they were the flower girls in her son's wedding (who was marrying our cousin) and after only being with them a few times over the weekend I think she did a really good job of summing up their personalities. I have printed and saved the email that she sent because I think it would be nice for the girls to read as they get older. Here is what she said about my girls:

"M-such confidence -such presence-a darling "Diva" who quickly adapts to "center stage" with such grace. Beautiful manners, in no way bold or cheeky but with that indescribable, incredible, confidence of a wee person who just "does" because she "can" and has been called to "do"! Long may that stay with her, the upcoming teen years can be cruel and confidence is a marvelous shield...

K--you and T are lucky that you got to taker her home!! I'd have scooped her up in a heartbeat! I swear if you look up "sweet" in the dictionary, K's picture would be beside the word. Certainly quieter than her big sister but very "centered" with a serenity beyond her years-NO shrinking violet-very willing to engage in conversation and by the end of the weekend was quite willing to initiate the conversation... "

Now, that is a big compliment and one I treasure. (Thanks PW if you're reading!)

Interesting to see your children grow up and develop these unique personalities. I perhaps should come back and read this blog entry several times during their teenage years when I'm sure to not feel quite as warm and fuzzy about their personalities or their looks.

Interview

2009-03-12T09:31:00.003-04:00

Here is an interview with my two girls, M (8 yrs old) and K (6 yrs old). This was originally posted on Facebook, but thought it would be fun to also document it here. It's amazing to hear what they actually think of me!

1. What is something mom always says to you:
M: No
K: I love you

2. What makes mom happy?
M: Being good
K: Umm, hugging.

3. What makes Mom sad?
M: Not being good
K: Being mean

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
M: Tickling me
K: Tickling me

5. What was your mom like as a child?
M: I don't know
K: Play a lot

6. How old is your mom?
M: I don't know
K: Wait, how old are you?...Maybe forty something.

7. How tall is your mom?
M: About 5 feet
K: About 5 inches

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
M: Love on her children
K: love on me a lot

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
M: Nothing
K: she works every time

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
M: Love
K: I don't know

11. What is your mom really good at?
M: Files
K: She's good at working

12. What is your mom not very good at?
M: Taking care of the dog
K: babysitting us

13. What does your mom do for a job?
M: Files
K: works all the time

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
M: Spaghetti
K: steak..that's my favorite

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
M: I love her and she is the best mom I have ever had
K: she makes me proud about hugging me a lot

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
M: Minnie Mouse
K: Daisy

17. What do you and your mom do together?
M: Love on each other
K: sometimes we play games with each other

18. How are you and your mom the same?
M: We both have freckles
K: we both have a little bit of..umm..wait...I don't know...I just don't know

19. How are you and your mom different?
M: We don't have the same hair color
K: We don't have the same eyes

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
M: Because she is always nice to me
K: By kissing me

21. What does your mom like most about your Dad?
M: Kissing each other
K: Kissing

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
M: Disney World
K: Wendy's

Welcome Spring!

2009-03-10T16:38:00.012-04:00

We have been enjoying temperatures reaching 80 degrees and it is so welcomed. The grass has started to come up, flowers are budding and the birds are chirping. My toes are painted red and feeling free in their flip flops, saying "Goodbye" to the socks and the fuzz between toes. I absolutely love spring and the newness of everything it brings with it.

My girls enjoyed a picnic in the front yard with their dolls this weekend.

I hope they always remember and cherish these sweet sister, "girly" moments...

My little guy in his shorts! Awwww...I could just eat him up.

Here is J inside in his tent eating french fries. I have this tent in my living room. Although an eyesore for visitors, it sure does help keep him occupied while I do my work on the computer.

He has a nice little pad, huh..complete with animal print fur blanket.

Unfortunately, it will get cold again this weekend. Spring is always a big tease, but it's always well worth the wait. And I'll tell you one thing--my toes aren't willing to give up the freedom that they have recently discovered...cold or not!

Beat, Burned Out, Dog-tired, Done In, Drowsy...

2009-03-06T11:36:00.005-05:00

....exhausted, overworked, over tired, petered out, played out, pooped, sleepy, spent, tuckered out, weary. (one of them alone, just didn't get the point across)

This week has been crazy and I haven't had much sleep.

Late Tuesday evening, right before I was going to get in my bed, my mother called me and told me she was ill. My mom has a rare disease, Addison's disease, and when she gets a stomach virus it can be life threatening because her body does not produce cortisone. So, I go over to her house and take her to the ER where we stayed until 3:00am. My day starts the next morning at 7:00am getting everyone ready and off for school Wednesday morning. Wednesday night I had to keep M up until 1:00 am because she was having the EEG test the following day and they said that she could get no more than 5 hours of sleep the night before. Needless to say, I was exhausted. I am serious when I say that SHE is the one that kept ME awake, not vice-versa. She said I would start snoring while sitting up and she would come over and clap her hands in front of my face. I don't know if I have EVER been that tired before.

Thursday morning the day began at 6:00 am, but thankfully my husband took that duty and let me get 2 more hours of sleep. Then all of us got ready, packed the car, and headed off for an hour drive to the doctor's office for the EEG test. We get there, despite a traffic jam and running on mere fumes of gasoline. We get back to the lady that will perform the test and she asks why we are repeating the EEG, since we had already had one here at our local hospital. I told her that I was informed that they would want to do their own, so she checked with a doctor and then came back in and told me that we didn't need to do it. Seriously? Are you kidding me? I sat up watching High School Musical 3 until 1:00 in the morning, barely coherent, all for NOTHING!?...And after having only 4 hours of sleep the night before?? Well, apparently, I did. Our next appointment is with the neurologist on the 19th of this month. At least we won't have to be sleep deprived for that visit!

We ended up making a day of it and going to the aquarium which turned out to be a good day and good time spent with the family all together.

I still feel a bit tired, not entirely caught up on my sleep and this weekend we spring forward and lose an hour! I am in desperate need of a hot bubble bath, a massage, a down pillow, comforter and about 10 hours of sleep in a dark and quiet room. I'll just keep on dreaming of that one!

Oink, Oink

2009-03-03T17:48:00.005-05:00

Last night, getting the girls ready for bed, K said to me, "Mommy? This morning when I woke up I heard a pig noise."
"What? In your room?" I asked.
"Yes, it came from my mouth. A pig noise..sounded just like a pig," she replied.
"K, that was you snoring," I informed her.

That just cracked me up!

Embarrassed to say, she takes after her mommy! Maybe K and I should bunk together and saw a few logs together and my husband can get some rest in her bed!

Praise!

2009-02-27T10:27:00.006-05:00

I just noticed that this is my 200th post! I couldn't be more happy to have it be a post about praising my Savior. Praise the Lord! I just received a phone call from my pediatrician and she informed me that M's MRI was completely normal. I think I have been holding my breath for 2 weeks, but was finally able to let out a huge sigh of relief this morning.

It is rainy and dark here today, but my attitude and heart are far from gloomy. I am so thankful today and feel a little energized from the good news! Thank you for all of your prayers!

Another Test

2009-02-25T11:27:00.001-05:00

M will be having an MRI tomorrow (Thursday) at 2:00 pm. Our pediatrician recommended we do this to rule out any major problems that the CT Scan didn't reveal. We are hoping and praying that the MRI scan will reveal only that of the healthy 8 year old brain of my sweet daughter. Would you please pray with us as well?...it would be greatly appreciated.

Snips N Snails

2009-02-23T16:37:00.012-05:00

My little guy is getting to be quite the handful. Not that ingesting Burt's Bees, deodorant and glass ornaments didn't give me a hint or anything! Now the little 'feller has started climbing! He gets on the his sister's bed, the ottoman, the sofa, and just about anything else he can hurl himself up on and he stands, jumps, then throws himself down in the cushions, all with belly laughter. Meanwhile, his mom is a nervous wreck! Here are a few other things he has done in a weeks time:

-fell down 1 step onto tile floor...huge goose egg and bruise on his forehead

-ate a crayon

-pulled over a cup of coffee on himself (thankfully it wasn't hot, so no burns). He had reached up and gotten it off of the kitchen table!

-ate a piece of Valentine chocolate..with the foil wrapping STILL ON IT!

-tried to get a knife out of a drawer

-managed to get a pair of scissors from the kitchen counter top and proceed to run away with them!!

-splashed so hard in the bathtub that I couldn't see to wash him. I had water all in my eyes and was spitting it out of my mouth. I felt like I was being put up against a small hurricane, seriously.

I know I am forgetting something but, whew! I'm tired again just writing about it all!

Thank heaven for little boys.....WHEN THEY ARE SLEEPING!!!

Huge Scare...Thankfully All Is Well

2009-02-17T14:21:00.011-05:00

Why haven't I written in a while?....Well, for a week or so I felt like I had nothing at all to write about...almost feeling like I was living out the Groundhog Day movie myself. Be careful what you complain about, because then you will be so overwhelmed with things that you could write about, but then you just don't have the time to write about them! That is what happened to me last Friday 13th (not that I'm superstitious):

My oldest daughter, M, has had what we called "night terrors" for about 2 years now. They do not happen often, but when they do it is unsettling for sure. You will be right in the middle of a great slumber when you awaken to blood curdling screams from your daughter's bedroom. I remember the first time it ever happened my first thought was that someone was stabbing her (that is how bad the screams are) and I tried to get there as quick as I could, but my socks met the hard wood floor and I looked like someone trying to skate for the first time. I always try to hug her, calm her down, let her know it was just a dream, and eventually the screams and the shaking stops and she looks very glassy eyed, not really aware of what is going on. She then goes back to bed and rests peacefully.

Around 4 am on Friday morning I heard a noise from M's room and for some reason I thought to myself, "This is a night terror and the screams are about to start. Go ahead in there," but when I walked in her room, I noticed her moving in her bed strangely. As I got to her, looked at her, and felt her body, I knew that she was having a seizure. It was very obvious and scary, yet I was completely calm about it, knowing that it would eventually end, which it did about a minute later. That one minute seems so long, though, when you are watching your 8 year old healthy daughter having a seizure in her bed. I waited for the seizure to stop as I stroked her head, telling her everything would be ok. After it was over, she was completely "out of it", couldn't tell us her name, sit up, squeeze my hand...nothing and her eyes were going in two different directions. We decided to call the ambulance to transport her to the hospital and get some answers to why my healthy daughter had a seizure.

It was actually a great decision to take the ambulance because everybody was waiting on our arrival and the moment we got there, they were on top of the situation. At this point, M is aware of everything and if finally like herself, although she could remember nothing up until the paramedics were in her bedroom. The next 2 hours went by very quickly. Sugar test, blood pressure, temperature, blood work, and a CT scan all done by 6 am and by 7 am we knew that everything looked good. Praise the Lord! We were then released with an order for an EEG later that morning.

Twenty-six probes put all over my little girls head and amongst her curly ringlets for the EEG test. An hour later, we were walking out still not knowing anything, but were promised that we would hear from someone by the end of the day. By 5pm we had a preliminary diagnosis from the neurologist that read her EEG. He seems to think that she has some form of adolescent epilepsy, something that she will outgrow around age 14 or so. He also believes that hers are nocturnal, happening only when she is asleep. The next step will be us being referred to a pediatric neurologist to confirm the diagnosis and decide how to treat her for it, if at all. In doing my research on-line, after the guy that performed the EEG mentioned it to me, I have discovered that those night terrors were some form of small seizures.

We have a long road ahead of us, with doctor referrals, insurance phone calls, doctor appointments, and more, but I CAN HANDLE THAT! Just praising the good Lord that my daughter is ok and hoping that this diagnosis is correct. Keep us in your prayers.

The Snuggie

2009-02-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of my sweet girls modeling my new Snuggies that they gave me for Christmas. As with any good product sold on T.V., they were able (with the help of their daddy, obviously) to snag "not one, but TWO snuggies in addition to TWO booklights all for the price of one." And for just a few more dollars they elected to upgrade my Snuggie which meant mine came with "45% thicker material and TWO built in pockets so that you won't ever lose the remote again."
One size fits all. Seriously? Look at my kids in it! So basically the Snuggie is a fleece robe that you wear backwards! So not kidding. Some person one morning probably accidentally put on their robe backwards and thought, "ummm...this is warm AND convienient because it's like a blanket BUT I have the use of my arms." That's most likely when the Snuggie was born....right there in someones bathroom, hungover from the night before.

Let me just tell you one thing about the Snuggie that I personally think should have come with a warning label! That thing produces so much static electricity that after wearing it for maybe one minute, I could go to the nearest doorknob in my house and probably provide enough electricity to power my neighborhood. As you can see in the picture (and WHY I didn't model the Snuggie personally) it adds about 75 pounds on you! But that's ok, it's a blanket...I'm NOT going to wear it to a football game like the crazy family in the commercial. I'm not so sure however, what this does for me in the way of romance though....Can't you just see me now, wrapped up in my Snuggie, 75 lbs bigger and my hair is standing straight up in the air?....Well, let's just say that I know the only electricity happening in my house that day is the crackling and popping between me and my Snuggie.

(Oh, and by the way, I have no idea why M chose a rapper pose for the Snuggie picture. Makes me wonder, though what pose she would have chosen if I would let her wear my 24 karat gold chain with my $$ hangin' on it.)

What was I thinking?

2009-02-02T11:47:00.001-05:00

This one is for W, over at Mom of Eleven!!

W and I have been friends for a long time and fortunatley have seen our families grow and grow (hers much bigger than mine!). She had 2 girls, then a boy just like I did, however hers are each one year older than mine. It has worked out to my advantage numerous times. For one, I have gotten great hand-me-downs for the girls from her since my girls were also 3 years apart. Second, we have passed maternity clothes back and forth since 1999 or so? Well, since she is FAR more energetic than I, she is on baby #4 (Which will actually make #12...If you don't know the story, visit her blog). Precious. Couldn't be more happy for her. So, yet again, I have passed the maternity box back to her.

The box has gotten larger and larger, therefore my husband had to deliver it instead of me because it has gotten so heavy. Let me just tell you that after a DECADE the clothes have become slightly dated. I'm the type of person that can't throw anything away. I might not have ever put it on my body, but couldn't ever throw it away either, so it just remained in the box. W called the other day when she received the box and we laughed and laughed on the phone about how VERY bad some of those clothes were/are...whatever. We had a good laugh at ourselves!

I managed to find only a couple of pictures of me pregnant. (I told her I was going to do this) You know, when you are pregnant, you hardly let a camera near you, let alone someone actually take a picture of you. However, these few were taken in 2000, the year I had M. Just thought I would share some of my bad maternity fashion decisions.

(These came out of M's scrapbook, so bear with the poor quality)

The following I didn't think was all THAT bad. I wore this for a good friend's wedding who got married at my mother's house and T and I were a part of it. But lavender??? Nothing like making you REALLY look like an Easter Egg!:

Now, this dress screams, "Hey, everyone look at me!", which is EXACTLY what I DON'T want people to do when I walk in a room! I don't even think this would have been appropriate for a trip to Hawaii. Put on your sunglasses...here comes the pregnant girl! (Not that I HAVE TO TELL YOU, but I am the one on the left)

And this has to be my all time favorite. I remember thinking I looked huge, but really cute, hence the fact that I am actually allowing someone to take my picture while I strike this pose. (FYI: This was just a few days before delivery)

I was teaching at the time and a fellow teacher/friend yelled down the hall to me, "HEEEEYYY Bubblicious!" Hysterical now, not so funny 4 days before I had a baby! Apparently she knew something then that I did not!

Happy pregnancy W! And just remember, you'll look really cute NOW, but in another decade we will be rolling on the floor about what you were wearing! That's just a part of it!

Mondays Make Me Crazy

2009-02-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

This is how I feel on Mondays:

This is K's drawing. At first, I thought it was a picture of her mommy when she wakes up in the morning, but after looking at the curly hair and the earrings (with the line drawn out sideways from the ear), I knew it was of her sister, M. Too cute and pretty accurate.

Future Astronaunt ??

2009-01-30T14:24:00.005-05:00

J loves getting into our kitchen cabinets and pulling out all of our pots, pans, and Tupperware. (Come think about it, he apparently loves getting into our bathroom cabinets as well hence the poison control phone calls with the Burt's Bees hand salve and my Lady's Speed Stick deodorant within the past few months.) Anyway, this is a Tupperware container that I have for my lettuce. It is a "lettuce crisper", although I really don't know if it keeps lettuce any "crisper" than not using it. J got out the top of it and put it on his head. I laughed, so of course he had to keep doing it because he LOVES to make people laugh. I think he likes being the center of attention. Have no idea where he gets it.

Give Me A Break!

2009-01-29T17:12:00.000-05:00

Does anyone think it's ridiculous to have Kelly Ripa as the spokesperson for the Electrolux washer and dryer?...Have you guys seen that commercial? I find 2 main problems with it:

#1....We ALL KNOW that Kelly Ripa does not do her own laundry! That is just absurd! (Just like she doesn't pick out her own clothes, fix her own hair, run carpools, put on her own make-up, ...the list could probably go on and on)

#2...We all know that you don't look like that when you do laundry! Show me a mom with dark circles around her eyes, dirty yoga pants on, hair in a messy pony-tail, a stained t-shirt and a less than pleasant look on her face, and THAT's a better depiction of an average woman doing laundry.

I better get started on mine!

Just One of Those Days

2009-01-28T17:15:00.005-05:00

I was very busy today, consumed with entirely too many bankruptcies to process and mounds of laundry that has yet to be done. On top of that, K stayed home from school today sick and I had to fit in a doctor's appointment for J, because HE IS SICK TOO! Ughh. You get the point?

As I was working feverishly on the computer today, I was interrupted quite a bit with the usual requests, "Could you please put on another movie?", or "Can you get me some juice?" (I know, I know..."ANOTHER movie"..but give me some leeway, I had a lot to get done!) At some point, the interruptions become a little annoying and they start running circles around me on the computer...tugging at my pants leg, grabbing at the mouse, striking the keyboard.

"Ok, listen guys. Mommy REALLY needs to get this work done. I have a lot of work to do today, Ok?" I pleaded with them as I herded them in the other room.

K responds back (slightly sassy tone) with, "I KNOW MOM, and I have a lot of t.v. to do!"

I think I will have to think of something a little more educational for her to do while I work from now on. On the flip side, because of ALL the t.v. she watches I get great presents, just like my SNUGGIE I got for Christmas this year. Oh, yes I did...I got the SNUGGIE! You know your jealous.

A Mother's Worst Fear

2009-01-26T16:49:00.004-05:00

My best friend and I often discuss our worst fear is that something would happen to one of our children. I know it is pointless to worry because we know that God is in control, but as a mom it is hard not to. My friend has had several good friends in her town struck with bad news lately of sick children. Her, along with my own, heart breaks for these families, these moms, these children. We know all too well how devastating it would be to find out one of our children was extremely ill.

The latest news she has received is of a close friend's seven year old little boy, Brennan, that has just been diagnosed with leukemia. The news comes as an obvious blow to that family and all of their friends. During the course of the next few days they will test to see if it has entered his spine, along with testing his siblings to see if anyone is a match for his bone marrow. They have a long road ahead of them with chemotherapy, illness, discomfort and sadness.

Would you join me in praying for Brennan and his family? I realize that you, along with me, do not know this boy or his family, but I feel I can do my part by praying for them during my quiet time, just as I pray for my own children. I have personally witnessed the camaraderie of Christians here in the blogosphere and I know that the power of prayer works. I also know our great God is still in the business of performing miracles. I also know that he can comfort those that need comforting in a time of sorrow. So, if you would, say a little prayer for this sweet, young boy and his family this week as you thank God for the health of your loved ones.

Granny In the House!

2009-01-21T17:40:00.005-05:00

I have to say, even though I didn't personally vote for our new President, I am optimistic about his run as President. I am especially glad to see young children in the White House. Malia and Sasha couldn't be any cuter! Truth be known, I always wanted to live in the White House myself, and as a child thought it just might be possible since my father was a politician, however I (well, HE) never even made it to the governor's mansion, much to my dismay.

We actually had a good laugh the other day when I called my Dad to say, "I would've looked cute in that pink and orange little coat next to my Dad on inauguration day." And since, my mom's mother lived with us most of my life, I could also see my Granny moving right into that White House with us, just as Sasha and Malia's grandmother is doing. Talk about "Hillbillies come to town"...that would've been that story in my case. My Granny was notorious for calling everyone "Hickey" because she just couldn't recall their names, so I guess the White House Butler would have been referred to as "Hickey" as well. She also, being southern baptist, was opposed to drinking alcohol, so we could assume that she would have informed everyone around, "Well, ya know, hun...we don't need to have any alki-hol around here." I'm also pretty certain she would have been outside in the White House gardens bending down and pulling weeds with her butt up in the air.

(God rest (and bless) her soul. I say all this in good fun, because I certainly loved my Granny. She was a character, though, and embarrassed you easily with her sayings or doings. She was a good woman...she loved her family and loved Jesus.)

Oh well, enough of me and my White House dreams, but ya never know....I might just be that mother or mother-in-law that moves in later with my son or future son-in-law.... And would probably embarrass the heck out of my kids! Looking forward to it!

Can't EVEN think of a title for this post!!

2009-01-20T14:23:00.008-05:00

Last week, in fact, did turn out to be a great week and I was so relieved that I didn't "jinx" myself with my last post. To follow that week up with a long weekend was divine. Today, it is back to the grind with work, laundry, dishes, homework, dinners, baths and bedtimes, but after re-charging my battery, I feel ready to take it on.

I have to admit, this week isn't looking quite as promising for getting ahead and having extra time. First of all, we started off our week on Sunday by calling Poison Control (Again) because J decided it would be good to eat a small chunk of my Lady's Speed Stick deodorant. Luckily, there was no real threat of danger and he didn't seem to have any effects from eating it. Today, I have wasted most of my day watching the news and all the inauguration festivities because I didn't want to miss such a historical moment for our country (and I didn't want to miss Aretha Franklin singing....What was up with THAT HAT!?...Only Aretha can pull off a bow bigger than her head)

So, after watching history take place and the true American Dream being lived out, I have the household chores to tackle this afternoon. But in the words of our new and 44th President, "....challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, (America)-they will be met..." I can relate this to even my work here at home , so in MY words....I'll get it done, but it ain't gonna be easy!

(Better stop blogging and get it done!)

My Five Senses Tell Me This Week Is Going Good (so far)

2009-01-13T13:19:00.009-05:00

I know it is only Tuesday, so I should probably hold my breath, but my week is going so good so far. Yesterday I had 11 bankruptcies to prepare, which normally could take close to 4 or 5 hours, but I completed all of them in 3 hours! The extra hour or so, gave to time to breathe, and therefore be productive in getting laundry done and spend some one on one time with the kids. On top of that, I actually managed to go to bed with no dishes in the sink last night...a big deal in my house because it always seems once I have started the dishwasher, someone comes along and puts a few dirty dishes in the sink.

Today, has also been a good day so far and I even found more extra time so I used it to exercise! (My husband probably just fainted after reading that one!) Honestly, I have been struggling with how to fit in time to exercise during my day without getting up at 5am (because I'd rather just be flabby than to get up in the middle of the night!) or without exercising after 8 pm when the kids go to bed (because, well, that's just to late to get adrenaline flowing!). So, to actually find the time in between today was not only needed but welcomed.

But by far the best part of this week so far would be what K just brought me home from school. She brought home her little book from pre-school titled "My Five Senses" where apparently she just recited her favorites to the teacher. I found each page cute and funny because she picked something pretty off the wall that was her favorite, but the funniest part is that on each page there is a picture cut out of a magazine and glued on it. You would THINK that the picture would correspond with the item she listed, but NO, it didn't AT ALL. I found humor (and a little confusion) in that so I was giggling my way through the book....that is until I came to the last page and that's when my laughter turned into sweet tears. Here is what the book says:

And the last and sweetest page:

That will probably remain the highlight of my week!! She is such a little sweet thing...or maybe she is just buttering me up for a new toy or something. Whatever...it's working!

K Update/Determined Boy

2009-01-08T17:43:00.005-05:00

K's doctor's appointment didn't go exactly the way I had hoped. I had taken the time to write down everything before we went and had planned out in my head how the conversation/appointment to go. Anytime you have expectations, you usually get disappointed with the outcome. Our pediatrician never gives me the "warm and fuzzies", which is fine, however, I would have liked a little more time talking rather than feeling like I was being rushed. Basically, she suggested that we see a pediatric gastroenterologist. Probably a good idea, but now I am just thinking, "Did I make a mountain out of a mole hill?," and I'm going to find out that my child is just constipated!? I'm just second guessing myself now, thinking I tend to be way too overprotected of her and worry most about her because she is my "sweet one"....I mean, really, she is an angel child. I will investigate a little more, but at the same time I am going to try to be level headed about it.

On a different note,(AND COMPLETELY RANDOM) I was shocked, and somewhat amused to be honest, about the six year old little boy in Virginia that drove himself to school after he had missed the bus! First of all, I thought, "Wow, I wish my kids were that motivated to go to school." Second, I can so see that about boys....sheer determination (even though mine is only 15 mths). Lastly, he apparently told the police that he had learned to drive from playing GRAND THEFT AUTO and MONSTER TRUCK video games, and that lead me to think (after we have spent hours playing the new Wii) that all my kids are learning is how to bowl or ride a cow and knock down scarecrows!

I can see that 6 year old right now...cruisin' in the Taurus, hat on side-ways, windows down, music cranked up, with his gangsta lean on!

Bear With Me

2009-01-06T16:30:00.001-05:00

I can't get my background and colors right here on the blog. Nothing is pleasing me lately, so I will probably change often until one suits me. Be patient with my changes and pardon my work in progress.

Tomorrow Will Be Here Soon Enough

2009-01-06T15:49:00.004-05:00

It's raining here again today. There is nothing like a depressing movie on the weekend followed by several days of rain and gloom to keep you down in the dumps. It also didn't help my mood much when I awoke an hour late today, the first day back to school....Not EXACTLY the foot I wanted to get off on this day/this week/ this year! What's done is done. I can't rewind the clock to set a slower pace for the day, and I can't stop God from giving our ground a good drink of water, I can't undo what is already done. I CAN try to do better tomorrow. Tomorrow is it's own day. I also can choose to have a different mood. After all, it might not be the best of days or the prettiest of days, but HE created to be just like this.

Tomorrow I will (hopefully) start my day at the right time, get M to school without rushing, then I will take my sweet K to the doctor. K has had a number of symptoms for 6 months now (all getting more frequent), that could or could not be related. Nevertheless, I am a worried mom and I want to make sure my child is OK.

Just to give a little history, K complains of abdominal pain quite a bit(here lately), she has a loss of appetite and therefore has lost weight, she is tired often. It's funny because all these together in that sentence look so obvious that there is something wrong, but actually it hasn't been so obvious, especially the weight. She has grown so tall lately, that her thinness seemed to be explained. She also has always been a little picky with her eating, and since I have been trying to not feed her chicken fingers and fries every meal, she has been more reluctant to eat what I have made... so the loss of appetite/ weight might be just that. In addition, my husband was very thin, tall, and a picky eater as a child.

I guess I just want to know everything is OK. In other words, I don't want a doctor to tell me it's not a big deal, or everything is fine, when they actually DON'T know if that is true. Let's test for it and then they can tell me it's not that. I realize that a doctor can't order a test for every possible thing it might be, but we certainly can get started and rule out some of the obvious ones like issues with iron or glucose to vitamin deficiencies.(Here is where I am going to leave out all the horrible possiblities that I have already googled and worried myself sick about) I'm going in there tomorrow prepared and I hope to get us started in the right direction. Prayers are welcomed.

Now, enough about tomorrow, because it's still today.

A Family's Best Friend

2009-01-05T14:25:00.014-05:00

We went to see Marley and Me this past weekend and I came home so depressed. Yes, I knew the outcome of the movie before we saw it, but I wasn't expecting to relate to it as well as I did. First of all, T and I look so very much like Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, well, not exactly, but I am a female and he is a male, so we had that in common. All kidding aside, the movie hit really close to home, for you see, we have a Marley here in our house, only her name is Casey.

Casey is our first "child" and has been a loving and loyal dog for 10 years now. Yes, she has stained our carpet a few times and been punished, she's been yelled at a few times as she barked when a baby was napping, and she has been caught more than once getting into the trash. More than that, Casey has spent 27 months laying on my pregnant belly, she has grieved right along side me as I had two miscarriages, she has seen every one of my children brought home from the hospital, and she has had too many days of toddlers pulling her floppy ears and them trying to ride her. I can't say for sure that she has enjoyed all of this, but I do know she knows she is loved. I'm also pretty sure she feels special since she gets to sleep in our bed every night for 10 years now, occasionally even with her head on a pillow and under the covers!

Here are a few pictures of our Casey, a chocolate brown, fuzzy, lovable, cocker spaniel over the years: (I realize the quality of these are not so great, but this was pre-digital camera days)

Baby pictures of Casey:

I think she later got stuck in this pudding cup!

Wrestling with a french fry that is about as big as she. (Clearly, we don't stick to the "no table food" rule)

Casey as a teen:

And here is our pretty girl now, loving us even though we made her pose for this corny picture. Our beloved Casey just might run away if she sees this one:

Doesn't that picture remind you of something?....

Christmas In a Nutshell

2009-01-02T10:31:00.009-05:00

Well, it has come and gone, and even faster than the year before. We had a very busy, exciting and fun holiday spent with lots of family. For the first time in years, everyone was home at the same time. A lot of energy was spent buying presents, cooking food, and traveling from one house to the other. Here are some pictures of our Christmas this year.

M and K hosted a Christmas tea party for 2 cousins and 2 neighbors. It was a lot of fun, and I think might just become and annual tradition.

Then there was cousin time:

There were many presents to be opened and played:

And 2 more pictures of the people that bring me so much joy.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I wish everyone a prosperous and healthy New Year. Happy 2009!

Welcome Holy Child

2008-12-24T16:23:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Welcome To This World" and I don't know about you, but after having a child of your own, it means even more. I look at my sweet baby boy and just imagine. Imagine what it would have been like.

"Tiny fingers sent to heal us...
Tender brow prepared for thorns...
Tiny heart who's blood will save us...
Welcome to this world."I can't even imagine.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Hope

2008-12-18T13:51:00.011-05:00

Lately, the news has been flooded with depressing news. There are the scandals on Wall Street and corrupt politicians, to the uncaring shoppers who trampled a Walmart employee on Black Friday, just to grab that single item at a bargain price. There are also reports on the local news of many bank robberies and even one family held at gun point, in their own home, while the intruders stole all of their wrapped presents under their tree. My own parents' house was broken into last week. Thankfully, they were not there and they didn't get anything of real value.

Hard times. Financial insecurity. Desperate people. Scary thought.
To be in such despair, having no hope, feeling a sense of urgency that would make you do things so careless.

All this amidst the season we are celebrating. The irony of it is amazing. Celebrating the birth of our Savior, our King and by His birth gave us hope and peace, the very opposite of despair.

It doesn't really matter how many pretty packages are under the tree or if we find good bargains at Walmart. It doesn't even matter if your floors don't sparkle for your guests, if your Christmas cookies are just perfect, or if you send out those cute Christmas cards this year. None of it matters.

Some people out their are missing it, missing the meaning of the season. In a desperate attempt to find money for presents for their children, or an attempt to hold on to their social status, they are missing it.

So don't find yourself wishing you had more for yourself or your children this Christmas, although very hard to do sometimes. Don't despair or have a lack of hope for the future, for our KING has come and brought us that very thing. In Him alone we find hope and a future. Him alone.

And for two other great Christmas reminders, one about not "missing it" and the other about the simple things, please check out this from Wendymom and this one from Lotts of Scotts. Two great reads!

Friends

2008-12-16T16:29:00.006-05:00

I am lucky enough to get the spend this Saturday night with my girlfriends from high school. We have had this annual Christmas party every year and it is always so much fun to re-connect with these dear friends and remember old days in the past.

Last Friday night, I went to an annual ornament swapping party with a different set of friends, many of which are in my small bible study group. These women also hold a very special place in my heart. I have shared some of my deepest thoughts with these women, and they with me.

Within the past 10 months I have made new friends via blogging, some of whom I have never even met, but feel like I know them very well. I have enjoyed reading about their lives, their families, their friends, their battles, their disappointements, and their joy.

My life has richly been blessed by friends. One of my dear sweet friends sent me this video today. Please take a moment to watch. I think you will relate.

*(Don't forget to pause my music player at the bottom of the page)*

He's Out of Control

2008-12-12T15:41:00.013-05:00

You would think the combination of these things would be dangerous, wouldn't you?

My boy is a mess. At only 14 months old, he is giving me a run for my money! He completely wears me out. He is into absolutely anything and everything!

A few weeks ago, he managed to open up our linen closet and get out the plunger. I found him with it on HIS FACE!

About a month ago, I had to call the poison control center because I found him with my container of Burt's Bees Hand Salve, the top off, and it all over his hands and mouth. My husband's first reaction was, "It's all natural, so it can't hurt him." I thought about that for a second and then said, "T, there are lots of plants and berries that are poisonous so that just doesn't make sense!" I mean, I think arsenic is found naturally in the Earth's crust, so the "All Natural" thing just didn't add up. After a phone call, Poison Control did confirm that I had nothing to worry about, but he would have very soft lips for a while.

Yesterday, as I was helping the girls on the computer, he got a glass ornament of the tree and crushed it in his little hands. As I was brushing off the colored glass from his hands I heard a loud...CRUNCHHH. He had gotten a piece in his mouth and chewed it! I did manage to then get it out of his mouth before he swallowed any (I think).

About 5 minutes after the glass ball incident, someone forgot and left the door open to down the hallway. I went looking for him (I swear only about 20 seconds had passed) and found him with his hands in the toilet water splashing it all around.

I am a worrier by nature. I always think and worry about horrible things that can hurt my children, and even though I know God is in control and shouldn't worry so much, I do. I struggle with this issue every day. It's almost laughable that God gave me this little boy that eats glass and hand salve and plays in germ infested toilet water! I know he didn't give me this little boy on accident, and even though you would think that I would worry MORE...I think I am actually worrying less.

Santa's Helper

2008-12-12T08:20:00.010-05:00

M was an elf in the Christmas dance recital, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" a few weeks ago. Here are some pictures of my little elf.

Random Tag About Random Things

2008-12-10T11:31:00.001-05:00

I was tagged from Auburn Girl Always to do a meme about seven random things. Perfect. I love random. It's what most of my posts are all about. Completely random. It sort of is how my mind works I must admit. Ok, so, well, here are seven random things:

1. I embarrassed myself Monday by crying in front of people and friends at my girls ballet class. Why? Well, I'm not sure really WHY I cried,(perhaps PMS) but I was frustrated with the $313 check amount that I was writing to the ballet studio. Don't get me wrong, I love this place as well as the instructor, but was completely overwhelmed with the amount I was having to fork over for ballet, after just spending $ on groceries and school that very same day. It was just overwhelming to spend so much $$ on ballet costumes, recital fees, plus the monthly dues all right here before Christmas. And on top of that you know your spending the money on something they enjoy, but for heavens sake, we know that neither one of them will be a prima ballerina when they grow up or receive any school scholarship for jazz! But the point is..I CRIED. I completely lost it. Feel.Like.A.Fool. (and by the way, thanks dear friend for the hug and words of encouragement, even though you probably thought I would leave there and check myself into some loonie bin immediately!)

2. I have to steal this one from Auburn Gal because I hate it too....SOCK FUZZ between my toes. Can't stand it! I can't wear socks to bed no matter how cold my feet are because my toes have to be FREE....PLUS I hate sock fuzz! The only time sock fuzz is a good thing is when it is in between my son's toes because then I can pick it out from tiny, pudgy toes!

3. I wish that I would have read more blogs before I created my own. I wish I had been more creative. Case in point: a lot of people refer to their children by cute little names. Let's see, there is Stinkerbell & Lucky, and the whole "Mck"Donalds menu...Mcknugget, SmallFry, etc. I mean, how cute! How clever. I feel very uncreative calling my kids, M, K, and J. ....How original!

4. I would have loved to have been born skinny and rich. I know it's completely selfish and vain...but it's my blog and my randomness, so I wish I was skinny and rich.

5. Being a mom truly is the hardest thing I've ever done. I fall short all the time. I forget to send things back to school, I yell too much (mainly in the mornings), I don't stimulate their minds near enough, I even forgot to go pick up one child from school this year already (well, I was 45 minutes late!). Despite all that, it truly is the thing that makes my entire life worth it, meaningful. My children bring me so much joy.

6. I am not good about putting things back in their places. Terrible, in fact. I am as opposite of OCD as you can get. I create piles all over the place and the piles generally stay there for a really long time before I ever actually put them back. My kids are following in my footsteps and I can't stand that. Now I have to put back 4 people's things/stuff! My husband, on the other hand, ALWAYS puts things back. I drive him nuts!

7. Not that I have to inform anyone about this, as they, I'm sure, have noticed, but I am not good with punctuation. I throw commas in wherever or leave them out or just use --- or .... when I feel like it. Again, it's my blog, so who cares? If you care, don't read it.

I know I am supposed to stop at seven, but just to leave you with one to grow on (plus, I have a tendency to talk way too much...especially about random crap...I can't shut up..)

8. I once went to the wrong baby shower. Very embarrassing. Even drank their punch and ATE THEIR NUTS BEFORE I realized I was in the wrong place!! (Different blog, different day...)

More Naughty Than Nice

2008-12-09T08:41:00.001-05:00

We ventured out the other day to do a little Christmas shopping at the mall with the entire family in tow. It sounded like a good enough idea at first, but ended up with two whining girls in the department stores tired of walking, wanting to go home practically 10 minutes after getting there, and J fussing in his stroller because he didn't get his nap in. It's always crazy when you try to take kids shopping, much less 3 of them in the Men's department of Macy's. I mean, I about go crazy myself spending more than about 10 minutes in a Men's section. There is only so many golf shirts, ties and brown shoes that one can stand to look at!

No, it really wasn't that bad. A little whining and complaining, but that was to be expected. What did strike me was that we found ourselves surrounded by huge pictures of Calvin Klein models wearing nothing but their briefs. Bless my two little girls hearts! M looked at me in disgust and said, "Now, that's just inappropriate!" I smiled and agreed and just let it die, only until a half hour later we were cruising down the mall and passed Frederick's of Hollywood. Oh My. What is she going to say about this one And then it came..."Mom, did you see that picture? That was just gross. Her underwear was up her butt."

It's really sad when you can't even take your kids to the mall to Christmas shop without finding yourself exposing them to things you wished you hadn't.

Tis the season of this generation, I guess.

I Don't Just Watch TV All Day, I Promise.

2008-12-08T09:50:00.010-05:00

I have always loved the TV channel that does 25 days until Christmas. They run Christmas shows all month long and I think it's great, but since when is Harry Potter and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a Christmas movie? I think it should be a month long of Frosty, Rudolph and the Heatmizer...all those timeless claymation Christmas movies that I grew up watching.

However, I have noticed that my children do not get as excited as I do (or did, when I was a kid) when they come on. I remember it being such a treat to see Charlie Brown or Santa Claus Is Coming To Town coming on the TV.

They don't feel the same and I'm not sure why. Is it because we have purchased the complete box set of DVD's for Charlie Brown and the timeless Christmas claymation movies so they can watch them anytime they want...so what's the big excitement when it comes on TV?? Or could it be the animation is not nearly as good as the movies that they see today? Nevertheless, I love these movies and sometimes find myself watching them on my TV, while the kids are watching Hannah Montana on theirs.

Above all though, a Christmas movie that brings me so much joy and laughter...

Christmas Vacation. You just gotta love that movie! And you just gotta be thankful you don't have anybody in the family like Eddie....or maybe you do and you can just relate really well to Chevy Chase.

Good Email

2008-12-05T10:40:00.002-05:00

This was in my inbox today. I enjoyed it, so thought I would share:

T'was the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the Politically Correct police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt peopl e's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a " Holiday ".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penney's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our Faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "Winter Break"
Under your "Dream Tree"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

PROUDLY SAY:

"MERRY CHRISTMAS",

Not "Happy Holiday"

Could You Imagine Life Without A Washing Machine!?

2008-12-04T10:51:00.004-05:00

My post from yesterday got me to thinking what kinds of things I couldn't live without, (or wouldn't want to) and those things that I possibly could live without. I am speaking of technology and "things", not family, friends, children, God, because of course that IS life. So here is my list:

Things I wouldn't WANT to live without (not that I couldn't):

washing machine
dryer
dishwasher
telephone
microwave
car
Burt's Bees Lip Balm

Things I COULD (possibly) live without (not that I want to):

t.v.
dvr/teevo(I don't even have this now...is that even what they are called?)
cell phone
computer/Internet (I love it, but I lived without it for 30 years, so I figure I could give it up if I had to)
DVD player in the car (Ooh, but that's a tough call)
hair dryer (although it wouldn't be pretty)
curling iron

That's about all I can think of at the moment. Any other ideas?

Something to Ponder

2008-12-04T10:31:00.005-05:00

What have I missed?? My hard drive crashed and I have been without a computer for a few days. Fortunately, they were able to save all of my stuff! Whew! Anyway, not having a computer for a couple of days was paralyzing. I couldn't read my favorite blogs, couldn't do a quick google reference, and most importantly, couldn't work. Whoever once said, "you don't miss it until it's gone," was so very true, however, I don't think that person was referring the the world wide web.

Seriously, think about it...we have everything literally at the tips of our fingers. It's almost too convenient, too easy. It's no wonder that we have become so lazy. I mean, why call a friend when you could just text them? Why go out and fight crowds at the mall, when you can just sit in your pj's and order all your Christmas presents? You can even find a partner on the Internet...who needs good old fashioned courting? Mmmmmm...says something about our generation, doesn't it? Just imagine what our children's generation will be like.

Oh, but it's so good to have a computer again!! What did I ever do without one?

For Laughs

2008-11-26T16:21:00.003-05:00

Thought I would share this video of comedian,Jim Gaffigan as he talks about holidays, in hopes that it brings some laughter your way today.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Greatest Gift Of All

2008-11-20T14:50:00.006-05:00

The other night the girls and I put up our playroom Christmas tree and of course we pulled out the Christmas music to put us in the mood. I had a ball watching the girls pull out the ornaments and squeal with delight as they found their "favorites" and carefully found a good spot for them on the tree. They laughed and giggled as they did this together and it brought me so much joy to watch.

Later, T and I gave them the Walmart, Target and American Girl catalogs that had come in the mail to look through so that they could begin their wish lists to Santa. Alabama (oh, I'm a fan of some Christmas country!) was playing quietly on the Cd player while my girls were "oooh-ing" and "ahhh-ing" over toys, dolls, and games. I heard a lot of "Ooooh, I REALLY want THAT!," and "Gotta have THIS," but what I heard above it all was the laughter, the smiles, the excitement, the joy, ..the memory that they were making sitting right their on their bean bags. Belly laughter, rolling around on the bean bags, messed up hair, pj's on, making a wish list for Santa along with best friend, sister.

T noticed it too, and we both looked at each other with affection, and I said to him, "You know what? We have already given them one of the biggest gifts that we ever could.....each other. A sister."

Although I do have a brother and a sister, they are 8 and 9 years my senior, so as you can imagine, I was somewhat like an only child growing up. Years have seemed to make the 8 year gap grow smaller somehow and I'm extremely lucky to have both my brother and my sister, yet as I looked at my girls that evening, I couldn't help but feel a slight bit of jealousy because I didn't have the same experience. The joy of growing up together with a sibling is priceless.

I know that most days around my house don't exactly look as nice and "Hallmark-ish", because the reality is that they fight and argue quite a bit. On days like those, I could "sell them for a nickel and get change," as a very, wise lady recently told me. However, on the good days, I'm always overjoyed when I see the two of them bonding, loving each other, and enjoying each other. A great gift. I hope they will always see it that way themselves. I hope that they always see each other as a forever friend.

"A sister...A little bit of childhood that can never be lost."

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know that whatever you do, they'll still be there."

All this being said, I don't think that either one of them would appreciate no gifts on Christmas morning and us informing them that we had already given them the huge gift of "sisterhood", so we'll let them keep writing their wish list, even though the former sure would be a lot easier on the pocketbook.

Different

2008-11-14T17:39:00.005-05:00

All the local shops are gearing up for Christmas. Walmart even had out Chritmas decorations before Halloween I'm pretty sure.(Look..I have even decorated my blog with Christmas colors) The wish lists have begun, spinning from all the toy commercials on t.v. right now. This is the time that most of us start losing control, spending too much money and worrying about what the Christmas dinner will consist of.

I ran across this video at holyexperience today and thought I would also share it here. Take a look.

Let's try to be different this year.

Flower Girls and Dancing Divas

2008-11-11T15:35:00.012-05:00

I love seeing the personalities of my children develop. It's equally as satisfying to see how different their personalities are from one another. I really saw this during the past weekend as they participated as flower girls in their cousin's wedding. The weekend was jammed packed full of events and social gatherings with many people they had never met, or family that they have only seen a handful of times. I had no idea how they would handle those situations, much less how they would handle walking down an aisle with hundreds of eyes on them. They did great..fantastic in fact.

M's personality really showed the day of the wedding. All dressed up in white and flowers in her ringlet hair, she was cutting up laughing and doing "magic tricks" for the bride and the bridesmaid in a tiny room as they waited for wedding time. She didn't show an ounce of shyness, as a matter of fact quite outgoing. After the actual ceremony the bridesmaids were sitting on the first pew of the church and M walked past them all and gave them high-fives, as if her "team" had won a ballgame. At the reception, I couldn't find her and then I saw her in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by all the bridesmaids and bride dancing. She partied hard with them that night and loved every minute of it.

K, was not as outgoing, but she was very polite and sweet (AS ALWAYS!). Every time I glanced at her, her beauty just floored me. She is such a striking little girl. K tends to be a little shy, but this weekend she wasn't. When someone asked her something, she answered loud enough for them to hear and held her head up proud. (Man, I sure was proud) She is gracious and kind, always remembering to say "please" and "thank you".

It was a fun weekend. Weddings are special and even more special when you can be a part of them. I am sure that M & K will now start planning their own weddings. I guess their Dad and I better start saving now.

Here are a few pictures of my little flower girls.

And here is M with a new bridesmaid "friend"(Y&the R star) and another celeb that you might recognize from the movies. (I have removed their names because I have gotten SO MUCH traffic on my website from putting their names on here and that was a little scary)

A Family Wedding

2008-11-10T16:21:00.002-05:00

My girls were in a cousin's wedding this weekend in Ponte Vedra this past Saturday. More to come (and more pictures too). Just wanted to share this sweet one today.

My Trick or Treaters

2008-11-02T14:28:00.002-05:00

God Is So Good

2008-10-31T09:04:00.003-04:00

For an update on MckMama and baby Stellan go to her blog and see her little miracle baby. Truly amazing. God is so good.

Scooping Out the Pulp

2008-10-30T08:18:00.002-04:00

We have a book that we love reading this time of year. A precious aunt gave it to the girls last fall and we have enjoyed reading it so much. It is called, My Happy Pumpkin God's Love Shining Through Me and the author is Crystal Bowman. The book tells the story of a farmer carefully planting his pumpkin seed, watering it, pulling out the weeds, and watching it grow. Then the story tells about scooping away the "pulp and slop", throwing it away, carving the jack-o-lantern and putting in the light.

I found this book to be a great example of the way God nurtures us. How He carefully plants the seed, watches us grow, cleans out the mess and the "slop", and puts his light in us.

I am thankful for the simple reminders of how God loves us, takes care of us, and "scoops out our slop" to make us more like Him. And I am thankful to be able to share this hope with my children as we carve our pumpkins tonight.

Prayers for MckMuffin

2008-10-29T09:47:00.005-04:00

I have enjoyed for months reading MckMama's blog. She is one incredible mom of beautiful children, "Big Mac", "MckNugget", and "Small Fry" and soon to be "MckMuffin" that is expected to arrive today. Baby Stellan (aka "MckMuffin) has had his MckMama worried in the womb as he has had some complications with an enlarged heart. So many people are praying for baby Stellan and his family...would you do it to?

There is a prayer vigil throughout the day that another blogger has set up if you wish to do that, otherwise, just whisper a prayer for them this morning if you could.

(And by the way, if you check out MckMamas site, be sure to check out how many people have used clever ways to spell Stellan. Pretty cool idea.)

Wild West Day

2008-10-28T09:57:00.002-04:00

Today is Wild West Day at K's school so she dressed up like a cowgirl. This is one sassy, trendy, princess cowgirl if I ever saw one (complete with tiara)!

Who knew cowgirls wore pink boots, fur trimmed sweaters and cowgirl hats with sparkles and tiaras??

Pumpkin Patch & Dairy Farm

2008-10-28T09:40:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pictures of K's visit to the dairy farm and pumpkin patch, complete with a hay ride, picnic and corn maze. It was a beautiful fall day and K and I spent good quality one on one time together.

Cozy

2008-10-24T18:31:00.004-04:00

Today is a very cold, dark, and rainy day in my area. The kind of day that makes it so difficult to peel yourself out of the bed in the morning and go about your normal routine and daily activities.

Most of the time when the weather is gloomy, like today, my emotions and mood seem to be gloomy as well. Not today. Today, I am thankful to have a day that forces me to be inside, snuggle with my daughter under a warm blanket and read a book to her, or to put on my favorite fuzzy socks that warm my toes. My house just seems so comfortable, cozy today. Today I am thankful for my house, and today, I am thankful for the inclement weather that forces me to slow down and breathe a little, soaking in the warmth of a home, the warmth of a snuggle, and the warmth of God's hands around my little family. Today is cozy.

Happy 5th Birthday K

2008-10-15T11:58:00.002-04:00

(Don't forget to turn off my music player at the bottom of the page)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Not So Berry Sweet Today

2008-10-14T16:13:00.007-04:00

My 2nd child, K, is usually very easy to please. She has a great disposition. She is a people pleaser. She has a sweet nature about her. She is usually so very obedient. I say, "usually" because today she shocked me...

We were just about to head out to get M from school, when K asks if she could have some strawberries for a snack. We were rushed, so I told her that she would have to wait until we came back home from getting her sister. Usually this would have resulted in her saying, "Ok, mommy," but instead it resulted into a little meltdown for her.

K: "I want strawberries!"

Me: K, you will have to wait."

K: Crying, tears, stomping of feet, "I want strawberries now. It will take too long!"

Me: "K, don't talk to Mommy like that. You are not being very nice....Watch Out."

(By now we were on our way, driving to the ever dreaded car pool line.)

K: "But I want strawberries! Turn around the car. I want strawberries!" she continued.

(I am growing very inpatient myself at this point)

Me: "K, do you want me to pull over this car and give you a spanking?"

(Pause)

K: "I wish your Daddy was here right now...I wish Grandfather was with us in this car."

(Oh, I know where she is going with this. She is wishing MY dad were here to give ME the spanking! And he very well might if he reads this post..)

Me: "Why?"

K: "Because I love him, that's why."

I think she realized that the ugliness she had been displaying wasn't getting her anywhere, so she was trying to turn it around to being sweet and loving again. (Finally, my old K back)

So about two whole minutes passed of quietness. No more tears. No more fussing. Ahhhhh...this felt nice. Peace. And then from the backseat...

"I STILL want strawberries."

Time To Vent

2008-10-09T16:05:00.009-04:00

Sometimes I wish that I had one blog that people knew about and read, and another that was a secret one where I didn't have to be nice and polite all the time. (Don't even try to pretend that you don't wish the same thing for yourself!) I have some venting to do, and given the fact that this is NOT a secret to many of my friends and family (including a grandmother) I will remain as sweet and polite as I can. So here goes:

About 4 weeks ago, let me stress that one more time...F O U R WEEKS! ago, we hired a contractor to do some minor home improvements. A new front door, new attic stairs, and what we like to call our "indoor deck" replaced with something other than an "indoor deck" (long story..and not the point). The job started off well. Demolition was a success, front door and attic stairs were replaced within a day or so. Now FOUR WEEKS later, we are still at the same point!

Case in Point #1..Our front door. Here is the door that has not even been painted black yet.

Here is the weather stripping for my front door LAYING ON MY BUSHES!!! I'm sure the neighbors are loving us right now!

Here is why I haven't been able to pull my car under the carport for a whole month! (again, neighbors must think this looks good!)

Here is the kicker: We haven't heard from our contractor in over a week! We have tried to call on several occasions. My husband has gone by his shop many times and nothing...no returned calls, no showing up at my house. We have gone from angry to concerned, and back to angry! Furthermore, the majority of his tools are in my house or in my carport. I guess that's the bright side..we might could sell his tools to finish our job if he doesn't show up in a couple of days. The obvious downside is that I have a really big mess around my house and I'm sick of it!

I vow to you, if I find out this guy has skipped town with a good chunk of my $$ and is now drinking margaritas in Mexico on a sugar sand beach, I will not be polite ANYMORE!

UGHHHHHHH!!!! SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! Thanks for letting me vent!
(I don't feel much better though. Maybe it's because everything is STILL a mess!)

Sensei T

2008-10-05T17:14:00.002-04:00

Big sisters can be so mean sometimes. The other night, apparently, M had been telling her little sister, K, about burglars. As I tucked K in bed, she informed me that she was scared of burglars. She asked if we had burglars in our town. I somewhat dodged the question, so as not to add to her fears, and so I told her that God would protect her and so would her daddy. She seemed comforted enough, so I turned out the lights, gave her a kiss, and was leaving her room when she said, " Mommy?"

me:"Yes, honey?"

K:"Does Daddy know Karate moves?"

me:Smile, giggle...."Yep, he sure does. You have nothing to worry about, I promise."

I know it's wrong to lie, but sometimes you just have to go along with it because it's so darn cute! Especially when they think their Daddy is a strong, karate master, "can do anything" kind of guy. I love it that they see their dad so strong and mighty...and he IS, even IF he doesn't know "karate moves."

25 things to describe my Dad

2008-10-01T22:40:00.005-04:00

intelligent
loving
thoughtful
considerate
funny
loveable
patriotic
forgiving
dominant
loud
proud
compassionate

lawyer
friend
speaker
democrat
bulldog fan
hero
politician
advisor
provider
son
grandfather
husband

..and best of all...FATHER.

I love you Dad. Happy Birthday. You are an not only an inspiration, but also a great contributor of my joy in life. You mean the world to me.

Future Neurosurgeon or Botanist

2008-09-30T17:31:00.006-04:00

The following was told to me today by K's little neighbor friend. Now, she is only five, but this might give us some clue to why our education system is the way it is today. Oh my....these kids are the future of tomorrow:

"Do you know who Johnny Appleseed was? He was, like, the first guy on the planet...ya know,like, when there were only leprechauns and Indians and stuff? And he is the one who made the apple. We got to wear these things on our heads at school to celebrate his birthday....Man..that was so cool."

I think she is a little confused.

J's 1st Year

2008-09-29T19:04:00.002-04:00

Here is a little montage of pictures celebrating J's 1st year
(you will need to go to the bottom of the page to turn off my music player before viewing.)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Birthday Boy!

2008-09-29T17:09:00.007-04:00

I realize that I am a day late posting this, but NO, I did not confuse his birthday for today! We celebrated and had a little party for little J and it was just to hectic to post yesterday, so here are some pictures of my little one year old angel boy. If only you could hear him laughing!

Happy Birthday my sweet boy, my precious gift. You melt my heart!

No Elderly Fish Allowed!

2008-09-25T10:27:00.007-04:00

M found a coupon for a free goldfish the other day and ever since she has been pestering me to go to the pet store to redeem it.

We have never been very successful with goldfish. I think we have had three or four and none of them has lasted more than a couple of weeks. The last one, I think stayed alive maybe about 3 or 4 days. I think a large reason that we couldn't keep one alive is the fact that M was so young that she would stick the little net in the bowl, get out the fish, hold it a minute and then plop it back in the bowl. I don't think she was quite old enough to grasp the fact that a goldfish is not exactly the type of pet you can hold, stroke, and love.

Never the less, here we are, probably about to enbark on another goldfish adventure. We will see how long it last. The funny thing is, when M was telling me to go to the store to get her fish, she said to me, "Mom, make sure that you tell the man that we want a new fish, not an old fish. I'm pretty sure that last time he gave us an old fish that was just 3 days away from dying."

She obviously holds no guilt for killing a few goldfish in the past, because she says it's not our fault at all.....we OBVIOUSLY just had an "old fish."

I assured her that I would indeed ask for a young and new fish when I went......Hilarious!!!

Crow does not taste good

2008-09-25T09:24:00.004-04:00

I'm eating crow this morning and I hate the taste of it!

I argued with my husband yesterday that baby J's birthday is Saturday the 27th, but he insisted that it was Sunday the 28th. I have no idea why, but I keep getting this mixed up! Anyway, the arguement even proceeded into our new small group last night at church. I informed everyone there that I was right, and he was wrong. Well, I get an email from my husband this morning with a copy of my own blog that clearly reveals my son's birthday as, in fact, the 28th. (I even went and pulled out the newspaper clipping of his birth to double check)

Ok, T, I guess I should learn by now that YOU are actually the one that is usually right....as much as I hate to admit that fact.

Humble pie and a little crow this morning leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

As Time Goes By..

2008-09-24T14:27:00.006-04:00

I realize that all of you are probably sick of me whining about my life going by too quickly, or my kids growing up to fast, but try to bear with me over the next few days, because Saturday is a big day...

As we quickly approach our baby boy's first birthday, once again, I am struck with the reality that my children are growing up much too quickly. As I rocked little J back to sleep last night, I was flooded with emotions, mostly guilt.

"I haven't rocked him enough..."

"I didn't smell his tiny forehead enough, soaking in that sweet scent of baby."

"I haven't read enough books to him...haven't sung to him as often as I should."

All these things almost brought me to tears, but I know the reality is that I DID DO all these things, and I certainly TRIED to savor the moments, making mental pictures, trying to absorb in all of it during his first year. Life is just so darn quick. It gets even quicker the more we try to do in a day...carpools, lunches, laundry, work, dinners, baths...all the everyday things we do about our normal lives. But at the end of the day, I don't want to look back at the past years with regret. I want to read the books, sing the songs, take time to kiss and hug, more than I do the other things that don't matter as much. Somebody once said, "Your children will not remember if their kitchen was clean, or that the floors of their home were spotless, but what they will remember is that you took special time with them." Who cares, if at the end of the day, that my sink has dishes in it? Isn't it far more important that they remember me taking the time to sing, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" one more time, while tucking them in at night, or that I stopped mopping my floors when they needed me to read them a story? Isn't that, after all, much more important?

All this being said, I still think, even if I do this, that I would sit and think after all my children are grown, "I didn't do enough...I should have enjoyed it more." In a way, I want them to remain little forever, but then again, I don't. I'm excited about seeing my children grow up because I know God has a special plan and purpose for them. How wonderful it will be to watch all that unfold. I just want to again, stop and remind myself of how very precious this time is. To stop and slow down the pace...stop rushing so much. I'm making memories today for my children, as well as myself, and I want them to be good memories.

Just For Laughs

2008-09-17T17:42:00.012-04:00

If you read Boomama's blog then you have seen her posts about what people google to find her blog, and as always, she leaves you in stitches. Having that in mind, and looking at my live traffic feed, I noticed that it can be quite hilarious! Here are my top five thus far: (These are actually what people typed in google and landed on this blog)

1. "Pinoir Sets"...I wish I could help you, but my mother in law bought those pinoir sets for my girls long ago.

2. "Successful Mother"...Oh my, you have most definitely landed in the wrong place. If you find that website, please be kind enough to email it to me.

3. "Dead Squirrel Smell...When does it go away?" I feel your pain, I feel your pain! And by the way, it goes away, just before you think you will vomit upon smelling it...you know, the kind of smell that you just can't forget about, kind of smell. Hang in there!

4. "Operation Motherhood" I'm probably not what you expected, but I hope you weren't too disappointed.

AND THE BEST ONE OF ALL:

5. "Big and Squishy Girls" From one big and squishy girl to another, welcome friend!..Or maybe I am being a bit too presumptuous here, because you could be some weird guy with a strange fetish for big and squishy girls...and in that case, well, I'm already spoken for.

Wrestler or Banker??

2008-09-15T09:44:00.002-04:00

I have been suffering from a little writer's block lately. I think most of that is to do with the fact that every day seems just like the one before...alarms, getting kids ready for school, running my taxi to both schools twice a day, naps for J, files to process, dinner to cook...blah, blah, blah. Nothing really has seemed worthy enough to document. I really haven't had any great thoughts or moments that I could manage to put into words for this blog. Just call it a slump, if you will.

But since I am feeling guilty today for not writing much lately on my blog, I thought I would throw my husband "under the bus" for this post. (Sorry, babe..please do show up at home tonight despite the fact that I used you for a little laugh on the world wide web)

My daughter M got a brand new pair of roller skates for her birthday. White with purple stripes and purple laces. Almost as cute as the white ones with big green furry balls on them that I had at her age.

My husband picked up one of the new skates the other night and was checking them out, but you could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he looked at them intently. Like me being reminded of my 1980 pair of skates, he was also reminded of his own pair. He said, "I will never forget trying like heck to get the wheels off of my skates."

"Why would you want to do that?" I inquired.

"Because I knew if I could get all the wheels off of them, I would have a real nice pair of wrestling boots!" he said with a giggle.

I bet if he would've been successful in doing so, he might have put the moves on somebody like this:

Although, I guess he would have had to further his attire to truly look professional:

Such lofty dreams for a young boy! All the way from "professional wrestler" to conservative banker. My how things change over time. I'm truly happy that God had a different plan for that little boy.

Sibling Rivalry

2008-09-13T15:30:00.001-04:00

M and K are always antagonizing each other. It truly is sibling rivalry at it's best around my house. K is finally learning to stand up to her big sister and although, maybe not right, sometimes T and I sit back and watch arguments and fights between them unfold just to see what little K will do in defense. I must admit, she has gotten rather good these days at defending herself and it's funny to watch.

Last night after getting the two girls out of the bathtub, an argument arose between the 2 of them. Most of it was really just "funning" around with the other, but as always it usually ends up with someone hurt, or feelings hurt at the least, and this was no different.

After "fighting", "arguing", "funning (for lack of a better word) around" with each other, I finally put an end to it. I then told M to apologize and tell her sister that she loved her. She apologized and that was it. So I encouraged her to let her sister know that she loved her. She then responded, "Love. I hate love! That stuff is just for Mommys and Daddys!"

Well, at the very least, we must really show the kids how very much we love each other as husband and wife.