Sunday, December 12, 2010

Just say NO!!

What are we doing with our kids today?  Everything is select ball, competitive dance, private lessons, etc.  Whatever happened to just playing ball?  Just dancing?  Sometimes I just want to go back to June and the Beav, I know things weren't really perfect but they sure looked easier! 

Everyone wants their kid to be the best, to be the star.  It's human nature and quite frankly I believe that anyone who says otherwise is in complete denial.  Don't get me wrong, I'm right there with them.  I sink way to much money into competitive dance so that I can hopefully watch my daughter at the end of an 18 hour day receive a cheap trophy that will clutter her room.  In 20 years will she look back fondly on all those hours we spent together or will she only remember that five minutes before she went on the floor we were both in tears over something as stupid as the right shade of glitter. 

Why does everything have to be bigger and badder?  (You know bad as in the good bad.)  Bigger is not always better.  Why are children receiving iPads as Christmas gifts?  Do we believe that spending thousands of dollars on our children will make them love us more?  Is it guilt because we are so busy we don't actually spend time with our kids?  I watch parents have lunch with their kids at school and they are on the phone the whole time.  Is this the new quality time?  Again, I fully admit I am always plugged into my iPhone and am a textaholic.  So I guess I need to ask myself, "Self, is that costing you a relationship with your kids?  Your husband?  Your friends?"  The answer is most likely, yes.

Why are we as a society putting ourselves either in debt or jeopardy of going into debt for STUFF?  For private dance lessons, pitching lessons, voice lessons, the list just goes on.  Let's face reality people, 95% of our children will not grow up to be any sort of pro athlete or the next American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance winner. 

What if 10 of us banded together and just said No?  Twenty of us?  What if we all decided we want a simple life.  We want backyard BBQ's, pick up football games, marathon games of Monopoly.  Simple dance lessons instead of weekends taken over by hairspray, glitter and tears. 

I realize that in saying all this I am asking myself to stop obsessing over the latest Michael Kors bag (it's so BEAUtiful!) and the suede boots that match my Alma Matter's school colors (cause I really need them right?  But they are SO cute!).  But if we could all just step back for just a minute, maybe a season, what could we accomplish?  Could we hear the stories our grandparents would love to tell us of the good ole days but we are always too busy to sit down and listen?  Could we learn something new about our children, our spouse, ourselves?  The options are endless if we all just say NO!

Did you already say NO?  Post a comment and tell me how.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

What are you THANKFUL for?

Thanksgiving shouldn't be the only day we give thanks but it seems that it is the one day that we all go around saying what we are thankful for.  Why don't we do that more often?  Why, instead of complaining, don't we walk around saying "I'm thankful for...".  I have a few friends that do seem to always be thankful and I'm thankful for them and their cheerful attitude...most of the time.  I admit that sometimes that cheerfulness just sends me over the edge...I kind of want to knock them over.  (Not really, but sort of.  You know who you are!) 

But today, today I want to shout from the rooftops what I'm thankful for! 

I am THANKFUL for a father that is here with us to enjoy another Thanksgiving!  In the midst of his multiple medical issues he is here for another day!
I am THANKFUL for a mother that knows only how to give and give and give!  The most selfless person I have ever met!
I am THANKFUL for a husband who loves me, flaws and all.  Who has stuck by me through the good, bad and ugly.  Who chose me (even though I'm pretty sure I made it impossible for him not to)!
I am THANKFUL for my Jolly Green Giant who has the biggest heart of any kid I have ever known and loves to stop me in the middle of whatever I'm doing and give me a hug.
I am THANKFUL for The Author and his precious tender heart hidden beneath his tough guy attitude.  (Secrets out dude)!
I am THANKFUL for The Princess who makes me smile just looking at her.  Who dances through life with so much joy!
I am THANKFUL for my friends (near and far) who are there to share a drink, a laugh, a shoulder, a prayer, a tear.
I am THANKFUL for the men and women who are fighting so that we can be FREE!
I am THANKFUL for husbands, wives and children who are missing their soldiers on this holiday so we can be FREE!
I am THANKFUL for an awesome God and that I BELIEVE!

I am THANKFUL!!!

Don't be shy, tell me why your THANKFUL!!!

Monday, November 15, 2010

The measure of a man....

How do you define a man?  Is he the provider of your household?  Is he that person that can fix anything and everything?  Is he strong?  Smart?  Funny?  Sexy?  I would say yes to all of the above because that is my sweet husband, each of the things I listed is one of the many reasons why I love him.  WAIT!!!  Don't go away...I promise this isn't a gushy (I love my husband) blog...though I DO!!!  This is a blog about a MAN before he becomes a man.

My teenage son (the Jolly Green Giant aka The Beast) proved to me and his father and hopefully the coaches at his school that he is a MAN!  You see while my eldest son is handsome and smart and artistic.  He isn't necessarily athletic...however he CAN swim like a fish but that's another blog.  So when he tried out for basketball last year  and didn't make it he was bummed!  It was his first time to have to try out for something.  That first is the WORST!  But his friends rallied around him and asked him to be their manager so he could still hang out with them.  So he did and he was great at it (servants heart) and he enjoyed it. 

Cut to a year later and tryouts are once again upon us.  Day one of tryouts comes filled with "Just go for it!"  "Don't over think!"  "React!"  Those were his father's words mine..."I believe in you!"  "You are so great!"  "I love you so much!"  Sound like your house?  Well that sweet boy gets picked up by his father and walks in that door with head hung low and sad brown eyes.  "I didn't do good, ones and twos." (these are evidently bad).  "Day two of tryouts is tomorrow and that's when they'll make first cuts.  Coach said I'm probably not gonna make it.  I think I'm gonna ask to be manager again."  His father and I tell him we support him no matter what he decides.

Next morning we are in the kitchen and I ask what his plans are.  "I'm gonna go to tryouts but just to ask to be manager, I don't see the point in trying out today."  Again I tell him I support him.  We drive to school in semi-silence, both of our hearts are breaking and as he exits the vehicle I again give the words of encouragement and pride and they are true!  I tell him to call me when he is ready for me to pick him up from tryouts.  I drive the 5 minutes to work praying for this sweet gentle giant with the huge heart and tender spirit.  That evening, I wait and wait and wait for the phone to ring, it doesn't so I drive up there when tryouts are over.  He climbs into my car and says, "I didn't make first cut and they already have two managers."  What?

I ask him to start from the beginning and explain.  "So when I walk into the cafeteria this morning I see Coach and I go up to him and tell him that I know I probably wont make the team but I would like to be manager again.  Coach says that they already have two boys who asked to be manager but if one of them quits that he'll let me know.  (Insert a mother's sinking heart here.)  So I think for a second and then tell him that even though I probably wont make the team I would like to show up today and finish tryouts.  He says he thinks that's a great idea."  (Insert a mother's soaring heart here!)  So as this wonderful young MAN tells me this story I can't help but think what an amazing person he is!  I mean here is a boy who realizes he wont make the team but wont give up!  Destined to go back and give it one more shot even though he in his heart knows he has NOTHING to gain!  Well you can imagine how hard it is for me to drive with the tears in my eyes and the lump in my throat.  I tell him I'm so very proud of him and that he is just the most awesome kid in the world and gush gush gush!

So a day goes by and of course EVERYONE at work has had to hear this story (sorry bout that guys) and still my heart is just breaking for this kid and yet its bursting with pride for this MAN!  Jump to Thursday and that sweet boy once again folds himself into my car after a long day and says (with a huge grin) "Well your gonna have to pick me up from school late starting tomorrow!" 
"What's goin' on buddy?"  I ask.
"Well, I saw coach in the hallway carrying two Sonic cups and I jokingly said 'Awe Coach, you shouldn't have!'  And Coach laughs and says 'How's it going?' and I say 'Good!' and he says 'We have an opening for manager, you interested?' and I say 'Yea!' and he says, 'Great, you can start tomorrow!'" 
Well you can imagine that again I can't drive for the tears in the eyes and the lump in the throat, as I choke out, "You excited Bub?"
"Yea!"

And that my friends is what you call a MAN!!!  He may only have to shave once a week, he may not be able to vote or even drive but he is a MAN! 

So what is my definition of a MAN?  One that doesn't give up even when he has every reason to, one that gives it his all even when all looks lost, one that wants to be a part of the team even if he won't be the star!

What's your measure of a MAN?

But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  Joshua 22:5

Post script to this story.  The Beast comes home from his first day of being a manager this year and he says, "Mom, remember so-in-so from last year?"  And I do an inward "ugh" cause he was the jerkiest of jerky players on the team.  But out loud I say "yup". 
"Well he came up to me when practice starts and asked if I was manager again."  (Oh my heart just stopped, what would this kid say to hurt this sweet boy)  "And?"  "And I said 'Yup' and he said 'Yea!'"  (So that 'jerk' from last year just won points with this mama bear!)  Who knows, maybe he is a MAN too? 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wandering Words Wednesday...

"Hey Mom, dogs are really lucky! Know why? After they fart they get to wave it away...with their tail!"
Dare you not to giggle!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Conversations with my dad...

Me: "You want a smoothie?"
Him:" I want ice cream."
Me: "No ice cream, how 'bout a smoothie?"
Him: "Why can't I have ice cream?"
Me: "It's 9:30 am you don't need ice cream how 'bout a smoothie?"
Him: "It's almost 10:00am and I want ice cream"
Me: "I'll get you a smoothie".

These are the conversations you have with a man who had a stroke 18 years ago.  These are the conversations you have with a man that has Parkinson's, Congestive Heart Failure, Pulmonary Hypertension, Sjogrens...
These are the conversations I have with my dad! 
These are the conversations that one day I will play over and over and over in my mind and they will make me smile and laugh and cry.  These are the conversations that one day will be just one of the many memories I have left when I can no longer go over and kiss his forehead.  These are the conversations that will live in my heart and in my mind forever and I will treasure each and every one.
These are the beautiful conversations with my dad!
This is my dad!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Laughter through tears, tears through laughter?

Longest, most draining, emotionally ravaged week ever.  Do you ever have those?  Where you're just emotionally drained?  When the tears come so easy and the smiles are forced?  When you look in the mirror and you try to smile and notice that your only smiling with your mouth and it looks strange?  When you know you put makeup on in the morning and for some unbeknownst reason your face has soaked it up?  How does that happen by the way? 

That's this week and when I opened my eyes at 5:15 this SATURDAY (what?) morning I realized it was Saturday and laid my emotionally drained head back down on the soft pillow and tried desperately to go back to sleep.  No luck.  I laid there with my mind going crazy and the tears starting to fall until I could no longer stand it and got up for my coffee.  When the sleepy eyed brood stumbled from their rooms I allowed one to eat their cereal on the den floor, (carpet and milk a big no no in my house!  And another to eat Rice Krispie treats for the morning nourishment (usually reserved for only me).  I listened to the hacking and coughing and sniffling from the other room and remembered with a bowed head that I forgot to give my children their medicine before bed.  Shameful mother I am...letting my emotionally wrecked week keep me from doing what I love most, taking care of my offspring.  Thinking that this day would be a downer and I would spend it in my jammies with my head hung and the to do list never crossed off, the Author came in and in one small moment changed my outlook!

Author:  *sniff sniff, cough cough* "You know what I'm thinking would be good tonight, mom?"
Me: *preoccupied* "What?"
Author:  *sniff sniff, cough cough* "Medicine!"
Me: *blank stare on my face*
Author:  "Because just now I coughed and looked down and I think I saw my lung on the floor!"

Just when I think I can't make it one more second they make me laugh!  So while my day may still consist of a never ending to-do list that will stay crossed off and the jammies will remain I will laugh maybe through tears but I will laugh!  I hope you laugh too!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Quality family time, dadgummit!

When I was growing up we rented a beach house every year, the same beach house.  It became 'ours', I loved it!  My dad was a workaholic banker who didn't know the meaning of 'banker's hours'.  So this was heaven to him, to take his girls and run away for a week.  As soon as we got there mom had to clean, forget that it had already been cleaned, she had to clean again!  And we had to unload the two car fulls of (excuse my language) CRAP that we toted up.  We would finally be ready to "vacation" just in time for dinner and no quickie dinner for this family it was full out dinner complete with dishes.  Finally, finally we were done and my sister and I would put on our suits and get ready to run out the door and down to the beach when dad would yell from the other room.  "Are we ready for a family walk on the beach?"    Don't get me wrong, we appreciated that our parents took us to the beach each year but neither of us wanted to walk on the beach with our parental units.  We wanted to walk on the beach looking cool scoping out cute boys.  But nooooo we had to wait for the dishes to be done and then we all had to walk out on the beach for some "Quality family time, dadgummit!"  Now I know that this phrase is not in the dictionary due to the fact that as far as I know my dad basically invented it but if it was I believe this is how it would be listed.

Quality Family Time, Dadgummit! - Time spent with one's family albeit under duress and huge embarrassment to the children.  Most often heard yelled by the parental units while on vacation (see Disney World) and Sunday afternoon walks.

The latter is what brought about today's post.  I, being the rebellious daughter I was, hated, hated  quality family time!  It was always, always  a big huge hot mess!  It started with good intentions but always ended up with frustrations, tears, embarrassments and guilt.  But, like all good parents we forget what we swore "we would NEVER do" and I frequently torture, guilt and bribe my children to spend quality family time with me.  Well today it was decided by someone (though the instigator chooses to remain silent and no it was not me!) that a family walk with dogs would be good fun on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.  So while the Jolly Green Giant and the Princess hopped on their bikes, my sweet husband took one of the puppies and the...hmmm...has he been named yet?  I don't think so.  Well henceforth the middle child shall be known as the Author.  The Author  took the other puppy (again I am well aware that these 70 lb. beasts are no longer puppies but that is what they were grouped as when they were brought home and shall be named that forever.)  I hooked up the last leash to my sweet  furry hysterectomy baby (story for another time) and off we went.

All started out a little rocky in that the Author has a broken arm and puppy #1 was not behaving as well as she should have which made her hard to handle with two good hands forget having one in a cast.  So sweet husband takes both puppies and we are now walking along like a proper family.  Picture it will you?  A beautiful family (it's my dream we can be beautiful) walking/riding along on a sunny Sunday afternoon with their faithful furry friends in tow.  Let's sit on that butterfly moment for just a second shall we? 

Moving on...cut to "let's go (through the stretch of overgrowth that hasn't been properly maintained but always makes for a fun and interesting walk) tourist route home.  And that would be when "Quality Family Time, Dadgummit" started: 
  • Issue #1: The Princess can't get her bike to move properly across the cracked sidewalk with tufts of grass sticking up. 
  • Issue #2: The Jolly Green Giant  is behind the Princess and is annoyed by her slow pace for bike riding. 
  • Issue #3:  The Author is once again losing control of Puppy #1 due to her excitement over the tall grass. 
  • Issue #4:  The Queen (yup that's right I get a name too!) was not aware that the walk was going to take such a turn and is wearing cute sparkly flip flops that are not meant for traipsing through knee high grass with goodness knows what lurking just inchs from her feet. 
  • Issue #5:  The furry hysterectomy baby was trying to hop through the grass like she does (I believe she's part bunny) and was having such a hard time she decided to just cop a squat. 
So we pass the huge patch of overgrowth and the Princess takes off at which time the Jolly Green Giant  aka Dudley Doo Right is yelling at her to slow down for us.  My frustrated husband tells him to just go catch up with her and for them to head home.  And just as we are settling in to a nice calm walk...we hear a thump and the Author is down, crumpled on the ground holding his knee, blood oozing from his bottom lip, broken arm protected by a huge cast and the culprit that brought upon such horror...sitting beside him panting, drooling, licking her pet and feeling rather pleased I would assume.  My defeated husband takes back control of both puppies, I wrap my arm around the author and we limp home. 

And that my faithful friends is how this family has "Quality Family Time, Dadgummit!" 
Now don't just sit there...go out and create your own memories!  Or better yet...I'd love to hear your very own "Quality Family Time, Dadgummit!" stories!  Don't be shy...you know you wanna share...post a comment!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Letting go...

Oh how I loved her!  She wasn't a sports car...she was a sedan...(but shhhh don't tell her that...she had no idea!)  She took corners on a dime, she had a turn radius like no ones business.  She had dark tinted windows that hid me when I hadn't done my makeup or was singing along with Nickelback.  She had a sunroof that slid all the way back to let that glorious light shine in on me warming me to my bones.  Her pedals were sleek and smooth.  She had a stereo system...*sob* forgive me. 

But she had (problems), my sweet husband calls it a gremlin in the electrical system.  I called it her uniqueness.  Always keeping me on my toes...would the speedometer work today or not?  Would the radio come on or would it make me drive in silence to work with my own thoughts but then mysteriously start working the minute I sank down into her soft leather seats after a long day.  ahhhhhhh
My girlfriend asked what her name was?  Name?  Name?  She was too cool for a name, she was like Prince just a sign (artist formerly known as).  Oh she was beautiful and she was mine! 

But the problems with her and the fact that the "beast", as we have come to refer to the oldest child who seems to be growing like the Jolly Green Giant, could hardly fit in the back seat anymore meant that my sweet husband started telling me that "it was time".  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! 

So as we drive that Sunday he points out cars that he thinks are appropriate while I sit in the front of his truck arms firmly folded across my chest, brows furrowed, I mean all you have to do is picture a 3 year old trying to be forced to eat brussel sprouts and there you have me!!!  I hated everything, it made me nauseous to think of sitting behind the wheel.  I'd done the "big car thing" no thank you!  Not going back!  But as we are at a stop light, I look over and see a beautiful black car shining in the sunlight, it has such sleek lines, oh it is wondrous looking!  As I point out this beauty I would be happy to own, my frustrating husband laughs and tells me that it's the same car I currently own yet in a different color.  "Well, at least I'm consistent!"  After a good laugh at my expense, he points out another car, a bigger car.  At which I make the tragic mistake of saying, "Well, that one doesn't make me want to throw up in my mouth."  Big mistake, huge!!  Before I can say another word we are off to the dealership (which thankfully was closed) to take a look at this thing

The one we look at isn't bad, it's actually very pretty, nicely loaded and doesn't seem that large.  So...a day off is planned and we head to the dealership (a different dealership because we found a better deal) two days later.  I climb behind the wheel and OMG it's HUGE!!!  And I feel old, and since I'm nearing 40, I don't need help feeling old.  My kids do that all too well!  My stubborn husband convinces me that this IS the best option right now and that if I'll do this now in a couple of years I can go back to a car car.  Well now, this poor salesman has no idea how to handle this situation.  A woman is about to get a new (used) car and she is sitting in the seat crying and praying that they wont make the deal.  I'm not sure but I think he canceled his engagement that night thinking women are CRAZY!!! 

But we do make the deal and we drive away leaving my baby back at the dealership where I pray that she will go to a good home (knowing full well she will really go to auction...thank you mean husband for putting that in my head!). 

Now, in defense of Bessie (yes I let my girlfriend name this one) she is a very smooth ride, she is luxurious, she has enough seating that none of my 3 children have to so much as touch each other while in the car.  She has a sunroof (though the placement doesn't allow the sun to really warm me to my bones), and she has a good sound system (though I feel a little foolish jammin' with no tint on the front windows).  But she seems to be a good car so far.  Though while driving in it I do feel less than young and sporty. 

Let me also admit this...I used to get looks in my fabulous car...I mean stares!  Seriously!!!  I must be one hot looking momma!!!  I loved it...when I didn't feel great about myself I'd hop in her smooth seats, let the sunroof open, turn up the radio and fly!  Man, I would feel AHHHMAZING!!!  Well I know now the sad sad truth...everyone was staring not at me but at her...but I don't blame them...I would too!

Good bye old friend...it was a good ride!!  You will not be forgotten...*sob*sob*sob*

Sunday, September 12, 2010

"Lines, Vines, and Trying Times"

So for my daughter's birthday we decided to surprise her with tickets to...wait for it...The Jonas Brothers!  Yup, her first concert and she would be seeing none other than Nick Jonas!  Can't you just hear little girls screams all over the world?  Well, me being the pitiful mom that I am first of all didn't know they were even in town until the Monday before the concert .  But I've been to this venue before and when your on the lawn it's relaxing, feels like a picnic...ummm...not for a kids concert! 

Okay so first of all between Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers we had almost 45 minutes of downtime! (What?)  Yup!  First they showed commercials for the Disney channel...um I can watch those at home!  Then for the next 30 minutes it was an empty stage!  Seriously?  Seriously! 

So finally the Jo Bros come out on stage to a slew of screaming teenagers...one of which was about to stand on my head she was so close to me!  But here's the bummer part...the adults were all standing up so guess what (big tall adult people who shouldn't care anything at all about this boy band), yep the sweet little girls standing behind you CAN'T SEE!  My sweet girl and her friend were getting frustrated, not only could they not see the stage but they couldn't even see the screens.  So off my husband goes to get some popcorn because at least maybe they can sit down and listen to the music and have a snack.  Getting popcorn shouldn't be a huge deal but he had already stood in line for 45 minutes to get four water bottles (oh and no lids?  What?)  So he trudges up the hill to get popcorn for the princesses only to be told that THE WHOLE ENTIRE VENUE IS SOLD OUT OF POPCORN!  Yes I'm serious!  So he comes back and wanting to be the hero he decided he will take turns putting the girls on his shoulders so they can see.  Usually I would feel bad about such a thing but since 18 thousand other people were doing it in front of us...what the heck.  Just as my hero of a sweet husband raises his birthday girl princess up a teeny bopper directly behind my back starts screaming "Put your daughter down!"  Oh no you didn't!!!
I turn around, look directly up (because I'm a good adult and sitting) into her face and say "I don't think so!!"  She says nothing and I could tell even in the dark that she is blushing....not such a big cool girl now are we? 

So we sit for two more songs and I watch my daughter who was so very excited for her for concert want nothing more than to just go home.  My heart is breaking, just rip it out of my chest breaking! 
So we load up our stuff with promises of a Sonic midnight ice cream trip.  Well they made it out of the parking lot before they were sound asleep.  So much for the fabulous "night to remember". 

So "Hey You", next time you take "Your Biggest Fan" to a kids concert, "Keep It Real" and sit down so that all the kids behind you can see.  Because really, at this type of show, it's not about us, it's about the "Kids Of The Future".  "That's Just How We Roll"!

Monday, September 6, 2010

It's the most wonderful time of the year...almost...

Have you missed me?  No?  So sad, I've missed you.  But school has started, which means that the chaos has begun.  My house is never fully cleaned (like it was during the summer, ha!).  No one has the clothes clean that they want when they want, and I'm exhausted and shut down by 9:00 p.m.  But I can feel fall coming closer and closer and it is the most wonderful time of the year! 
Not this most wonderful time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwcYbo7pjto  However, this is a ridiculously funny video and before I went back to work (for a school) I'm sure I felt this way too! 
No, the most wonderful time of the year is when the days are short and the nights are cool.  I love driving home from the kids activities and seeing lights burning behind the open shades of houses.  I like to imagine a very June Cleaver image behind those lamp lit windows.  Don't get me wrong I love the lazy days of summer.  But the warmth of fall, it's just too much!
I'll try to be better at keeping up, I know you care!  And you know you care too, it's okay, you don't have to admit it, it'll be our secret.  ;0)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Here we go again...

I started back to work this week.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind working, some days I even like it.  What don't I like about working?  My house seems to fall apart.  The laundry is always behind, I usually leave in the morning with dishes in the sink and there are "to do" piles EVERYWHERE!  There just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done (or that I want to do).  And the kids will start back to school soon, so we will add on homework and after school activities.  Geez I sound whiny huh? 

Oh well, if your a "stay at home" or "work from home" mom enjoy the few precious hours that will be coming your way soon!  And if your a "work outside of home" mom like me...enjoy that your kids will soon be stuck inside a building like you, instead of off doing fun things with their grandma!  *insert evil laugh here* 

Saturday, August 7, 2010

I think 37 is gonna rock...

So the first day of my 37th year on this beautiful Earth, was one of my best beginning's of all birthday's.  The day before my sweet husband loaded all of us up in the truck and drove to New Braunfels for a little tubing, a little shopping, a little sight seeing, a little eating.  But the first item on the agenda , after Bucee's of course, was to stop and buy this...

Um, hello??? Can you say tuber heaven!  This is the granddaddy of the tubes, double tube with a headrest and cooler in the middle.  Me and my girl were floatin' in style!!!

Of course, the Princess is a daddy's girl and was a little fearful so she made him ride in the double tube first which gave me the opportunity to ride solo down the shoot, yeehaw!!!

Of course directly after my "Yeehaw's!" and "Whoopee's!" of this shoot came another shoot, a shoot that held large rocks, and as I rode over the rocks yelling back to my family, "Lift your butts up!" I mistakenly didn't 'lift' high enough and endured a rather large, really nasty looking bruise on my left gluteus maximus!  Nice!!!  See what a good mom I am, always looking out for them!  I was told that other members of my family also hit rocks though I see no physical evidence so I assume they are just trying to make me feel better. 

I spent 2 1/2 hours on that river enjoying watching my children ride the river for the first time each  and thinking back to the last time my sweet husband and I rode the river together.  We tent camped with another couple, it was miserably hot but oh so fun.  Of course I was very young (early 20's) and not sure how much I actually remember.  There are pictures somewhere, hopefully they will never surface!

This would be me trying to figure out how I can do this on a daily basis, being paid to float the river, sounds like a good job to me...hmmm

Beautiful, wonderful, day full of fabulous memories but it wasn't done.  After my bath, where my daughter insisted on sitting on the stool and talking with me (who wants to relax and read in the bath anyway?).  I came out to find the house on fire.... 
not really but geez all those candles really lit up the kitchen.  Yes my sweet husband made the cake and decorated it with pink hearts and XX's and OO's!  I feel loved!

37 just might be the best year yet!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Cutting it close...

My daughter is on a dance team, this you may already know, and each year they have dance camps where they get cute dance t-shirts and learn their team dances.  At the end of each camp they have a 'show off' to show the parents what they have been learning and to ensure us our well earned money is being put to good use.  (Still waiting for that.)  So my daughter comes home and shows us her cute new shirt and says, "I want to make it into a halter!"  Now here is where my sweet husband shakes his head wondering why we are willing to cut up a brand new t-shirt.  But ever willing to do this for my daughter I grab a pair of scissors, a few old t-shirts and get to cutting, it doesn't turn out so well. 

So here is where you come in...if you know how to take a perfectly good, brand new t-shirt and cut it up in an "appropriate" style for a girl to turn it into something "all the girls are wearing" could you let me know how?  Send me a link, give me step by steps, show me pictures!  Help a girl out!  Thanks ever so much!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Did you hear, it's my birthday?

Today is my birthday... ;0). 

But seriously, here is the thing about having a birthday in the time of social networking, you feel so so loved!  To wake up and have 27 emails before nine o'clock in the morning wishing YOU a happy birthday, I mean WOW!  Now some of you may be saying, "Ummm, didn't that always happen to you?".  The answer is NO!!! 

Okay so here's my world of birthday's.  First I'm an August, but you knew that when I so blatantly announced it was my birthday TODAY! (Over it?  okay?)  Well when your an August birthday, there is no school.  Should be a good thing right?  But imagine, all year long everyday hearing on the announcements "Happy birthday so and so!" and then having to sing to so and so or having people tell them ALL DAY LONG.  And then the mom comes in with pizza for lunch and a special treat, blah blah blah.  Don't get me wrong, my mom did it up RIGHT for our birthday's.  Spoiled rotten we were but she's your mom, she's supposed to!  On your Summer birthday you wake up to only your mom being excited for you, dad's already left for work and sister could care less.  No excitement until your actually party which let's admit is only fun for a few years then your over the whole party thing. 

Jump forward about 30ish years and your a mom with three kids, do you really think anyone remembers your birthday?  Ummm, not unless you write it on the board with the schedules in the kitchen were they are sure to see it cause they are hunting for snacks and seeing what fun things we are doing on this hot summer day.  (Now would be the time for me to tell everyone that I made my OWN birthday cake last year but we won't get into that will we sweet husband?  hehe) 

So, your kids see it on the board and they quickly write happy birthday on a piece of paper and present it to you with love and affection.  And you oooh and awe over it like it's a masterpiece, when what you want to say is, "That's so sweet honey!  How long did that take you?  Five seconds?".  Okay so I sound a bit bitter huh?  I'm not, seriously I'm not.  I'm blessed beyond belief.  I cherish the quickly written cards, and the hugs and kisses just cause I wrote 'MOM'S BIRTHDAY' in big block letters on the calendar and the subtle hints that "I sure did enjoy the cake I MADE FOR MYSELF LAST YEAR!" 

But June, July and August birthday people I have good news that I would like to shout from the rooftops!  Summer birthday members we can now be one of 'those' people!  The ones that have tons of people saying "Happy Birthday!" over and over!  And do you know why?  Because you were smart enough to put it on the wall of your Facebook page and you know that this will happen because the other 364 days of the year you write "Happy Birthday so and so!" on your 400 friends walls.  But still when it happens, when you wake up and groggily check your phone (which you don't do holding coffee but that's a post for another time) and you see 27 emails and none of them are Spam, they are all for you!  I mean Wow!  Summer birthday's, this is OUR time to shine, no longer do we have to be sad because no one celebrates our day, we can join in the mass celebration of school year birthdays!  Thank you Facebook for giving us, the Summer birthday's, the chance to be like everyone else!  "sob"  And to my Facebook friends, thank you for taking the time to write on my wall...Oh...there's another ding!  Yea me!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Wonder Mom? Wonder Kids?...

So today at 7:00 a.m. my boys went out to the garage (where we keep the dog food) to feed the puppies (again...I realize they are full grown labs but they will ALWAYS be the puppies).  It is now 8:28 a.m. and the puppies have just now been fed.  Why do you ask did it take an hour and a half to feed the dogs?  Well that would be because there was a "GIANT ROACH IN THE DOG FOOD BIN MOM!".  Okay, now here's the thing, I don't like roaches, who does right?  But these are two boys, two growing boys, they are supposed to take over the "man" role when they're dad's not home right?  Well, clearly my man children are also fearful of roaches and didn't want to stick their hand in the bucket to scoop out the dog food.  (I really don't blame them.)  So after countless phone calls and texts to their father who basically told them to man up and an hour and a half of discussion and finger pointing over who's job it really was I intervened....no I didn't stick my hand in the bucket (that would've been so cool though!)  I actually just instructed them on how to tip the bucket (from a safe distance with a shovel) until the roach scurried out then they could proceed.  I feel very Earth friendly with that suggestions, no dead insects (are they insects?) and full puppies.  Anyway, so after the triumph of finally getting the dogs fed, I thought back to something I wrote forever ago.  Enjoy...or don't...

Wonder Mom


I have a confession. I want to be Wonder Woman! It’s true, I had the costume growing up, complete with head and wrist bands. I was so cool, I would spin around in circles until I got completely dizzy and then run off to conquer the World with my cape flying in the wind!

Now I am just a mom. I no longer have the cape or the headband, and spinning around in circles is something I do daily while trying to dress my children and get them off to school. As for conquering the world, I would be more than happy just to conquer having the whole house cleaned in the same day.

So that brings me to the question; what makes someone a hero? Is it Spiderman, Superman and Wonder Woman, fictional characters who take on a whole new look before they conquer evil? Is it Bible Man who uses the sword of truth to fight sin? Is it the real life firefighters and policeman risking their lives to keep us safe? Is it the child growing up in a violent home and deciding that as a parent they will break that cycle of abuse? Is it the single mom, raising three children and wondering if she will ever have a man to share her life with again?

My youngest son loves the Rescue Hero line of toys, and I am excited about this. I love that these toys are based on real life people who live their lives to do good every day! I love that this is who my children believe in as heroes. However, I must admit, I am a little sad also, because as mom, I want to be the hero in my children’s eyes.

But I am just a mom, a mom of two little boys and one little girl. And, although I do put out fires every day by deciding who gets to pick the movie, and I keep the peace by not letting sister put makeup on her brothers’ dinosaurs. I must wonder if they see me as a hero. Do they look at me and see the cape tucked under my stained sweatshirt and worn out jeans? Is the jeweled headband peeking out from under the hair I haven’t even had the chance to brush yet? Probably not, but I remember the one day I was a hero. One day the crowd roared and yelled my name so loudly the windows shook, the animals hid and I stood with my hands on my hips and my cape flying proudly behind me!

You see I don’t like bugs, but with children you must pretend and so I point out long squiggly worms on the driveway and call their attention to the tree frogs stuck on our back windows, the geckos hanging by our front porch and the armadillos that run by our back patio every morning. But even a superhero loses their cool every once in a while I am sure, so when it comes to snakes and roaches, I am anything but super.

But this one day while getting my children quickly dressed to run out the door, my oldest comes in whining that there is a roach in his bedroom. As I go in to bravely conquer this creature, I see my daughter crawling quickly behind me. I know that she would probably be able to catch it quicker than I could, and with the lack of fear that babies have it would be the baby edition of Fear Factor. Not that I was worried about her eating the roach but we couldn’t have HER being the hero, now could we? So, I block the entrance of the room with the baby gate and grab the first aerosol can I find in the cupboard. As I spray this very determined bug, I realize that Lysol is not going to kill him, although he does now smell good and is slightly less germy. Not wanting to crush him on our brand new carpet, I go back to the cabinet and grab the only other aerosol can in there. I climb up on the bed and bravely aim the can toward the roach and wish the spray would go farther. In the background I hear chanting. They are saying something, something I recognize, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” It’s my name! The crowd is chanting my name! All of a sudden I am in a coliseum full of people with my red cape held out before me battling a huge snarling bull. I see the bull scratch his foot back sending the dust flying making me cough (or was that the smell of the Off?). I hear the stomping of the crowd. I raise my hand and roar, “We will, we will rock you!”

Okay, so maybe it didn’t happen like that, but the roach rolled belly up and my three little fans screamed and cheered and jumped up and down because their hero battled a beast that day. As I shook hands and signed autographs, I kissed the baby and finished getting my kids ready for school. I beamed all day. The laundry folded itself, and the dishes reflected my smiling face. Then I picked them up from school, and they recounted the cool new things they learned that day. I tried to recall the goodness of the morning by reminding them of their fearless mother but to my sadness I was met with, “Mom, it was just a roach!”

My fifteen minutes of fame were up. So after dinner and baths, I went to my closet and hung up my cape and donned my warm robe. As my freckled face babies laid their weary heads against the worn out fabric that had been through pregnancies, all-night nursing and various illnesses, they looked up at me with sleepy eyes and said, “Thanks for getting the roach out of our room mom.”

So maybe I am not Wonder Woman but for a brief shining moment, I was a hero in the eyes of my children!

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NKJV)
 
© Kimberly www.coffeeandfaith.blogspot.com 2010

Friday, July 30, 2010

Have you laughed today?

So a friend of mine upon hearing that I had started a blog sends me a link to a friend of hers that has a blog.  I read through it and it's pretty funny but today, today she had me laughing out loud (or LOL if I was texting this).  Pop on over and get a laugh for the day! 
http://snarkyinthesuburbs.com/

If it doesn't make you LOL then you have never vacationed like the "rest of us"!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

He will do that for us...

Today my husband got like 6 shots so that he could travel to India for business, I don't want him to go, he doesn't want to go, not really.  But he will because he loves this family so much that he will do anything for us even things he doesn't want to do.  He's my hero and I will miss him desperately while he's gone and love him even more when he comes back. 
He's her hero too!
                                                                                                        

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Buying school supplies used to be fun...

I spent my day yesterday combining three children's school supply lists, then going through the "leftover" school supplies that came home last year and marking off the list.  Today I will take my three children and our combined list (that is only on my phone because my stupid printer only prints when it wants to) and purchase said school supplies.  I know what your thinking..."Kimberly, they offer those neat little packages and all you have to do is write a check!"  And you know what your right...I could write three checks totaling a combined $180(ish) dollars and be done with it.  But here's the thing:
1.  I loved picking out school supplies when I was growing up...it was so fun to choose the things I wanted to use while at school.  (Of course now they don't let you use just any folder, it has to be a "blue, vinyl, three hole punched, brad and pocket folder"...boring!!!  And don't even get me started on why one kid has to have 300 sheets of filler paper and the other two have to have 260.  Or why the Kleenex for one kid is 100 count and the other two is 60 count.  Seriously?  Does it matter???
2.  I'm determined that I can save money buy buying these things in bulk and splitting it up between my children. 
Am I delusional?  Yup probably but oh well...off we go!

Monday, July 26, 2010

The lazy days...

The laundry is piled high in the laundry room, the dishes are piled high in the kitchen sink, the beds are unmade, the kids (and I) are still in our pj's, the house is a total disaster.  But 'dark clouds loom ahead' with a rumble in the distance, there is coffee yet to be drunk, movies yet to be watched and books yet to be read.  I think I just found my agenda for the day.  Ahhhhhhh.....

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The end is near...

Summer is drawing to an end, the kids are about to return to school and I'll be returning to work, *sob*.  Let's all take a moment to recognize the sadness and sorrow that accompanies such a realization.  *double sob* 

Sad little sunflower found here.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Wandering Words Wednesday...(oh the things they say)

Princess:  "Momma, I'm gonna be really wealthy when I'm a teenager!"
Me:  "When your a teenager?"
Princess:  "Yup!  You can be REALLY wealthy when your a teenager!"
Me:  "And how do you do that?"
Princess:  "You get a music agent, I've seen it on TV."
Me:  "So your gonna sing?"  (Please note...we have no musical talent whatsoever in this family...dancing yes...singing...not so much!)
Princess:  "Hello!  One hit wonder!"
Me:  "Do you know what a 'One hit wonder' is?"
Princess:  "Yes! (read: 'duh!') It's when you sing one song, make a ton of money and live off of it forever!"

Alrighty then, I've got my retirement plan, what's yours?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Time flies...

I was digging through old pictures the other day looking for something and came across this, it was taken forever ago, I was probably pregnant with the Princess.  I would give almost anything to go back to that time, sit down beside those sweet little people and to find out what they were talking about before they were so rudely interrupted by their mother wanting to preserve that moment.  Did I take enough time to listen to their sweet little voices and to watch them play or to play with them?  I hope so, though as I listen to their deepening voices now it makes me think I certainly did not take nearly the time I should have.  In those moments you think it will last forever but it won't and before you know it those chubby little arms and faces will be replaced with muscled arms, facial hair and braces.  Don't get me wrong, they are just as beautiful now as they were then, but if these years passed that quickly, imagine how the next ten will go.  I'd rather not...
                                            YOU WALK AWAY
It feels like yesterday when you were in the warm confines of my body. I felt your hiccups, kicks, punches and somersaults. You climbed your way into the world and entered the warm embrace of my arms. I touch you, cuddle and kiss you. I nurse you and then they take you away, off to the nursery to be checked out. It is the first time in 9 months to be away from you. I feel empty as I watch them walk away.

You decide four months later that you want to hold a bottle, not be restricted in my arms while I nurse you. I watch your father carry you and your bottle off to bed as y’all walk away.

Your too attached to me they say. Is there such a thing? I put you in preschool, they have to peel your arms off of my body when I drop you off and you run to me when I pick you up, at first. But you like your teacher and you have new friends and as we enter the classroom I watch you run away.

Kindergarten, your eyes plead to be a baby again and climb up in my arms, but your pride makes you be strong. Tentatively you step into the large school. You see a friend and start to chat. I watch you walk away.

The truck is washed; you look so handsome in your tux. You growl when I take your picture and beg off my kiss. As you leave, to pick up your prom date, I watch you drive away.

You got a football scholarship; you are so excited, good dorm, great friends and lots of parties and girls, in your future. You don’t want your mom to help you move in. You struggle under the weight of the boxes as I watch you stagger away.

“She looks beautiful, wait until you see her” I say. “I hope you will be happy and all your dreams come true. Don’t make me wait too long for grand babies” I say. The pastor pronounces you husband and wife. Through eyes overflowing with tears, I watch you walk down the aisle to your new life and the woman in it, giving her the hugs and kisses that used to be mine. You both run through the shower of birdseed to the truck and at the end you stop and turn around. I watch you walk towards me. “I love you mom” you say, “I’ll call you when we get back”. My heart is full as I watch you walk away.

© Kimberly www.coffeeandfaith.blogspot.com 2010

Monday, July 19, 2010

Looking for luggage...

I am an organizing freak...I love containers and dividers...all things that can make life just a little bit easier, less stressful, more organized.  So after my "escape" last week I felt totally disorganized which frustrated me. 

We went to two different locations in two days and I am a notorious over packer (luckily the girls I traveled with have the same problem so there were no complaints, unlike when I'm with my sweet husband).  But I was trying to organize so at the second location I could only take in the necessities...didn't work...ended up lugging my huge bag in for one night...can you say bummer!  (Okay, I realize this isn't REALLY a problem but stick with me).  Anyway...every year on my birthday (which is coming up please take note) my mother asks me what I want and every year I say I don't NEED anything because let's face it...I don't NEED anything...I WANT many things but am in NEED of nothing.  And my mom is such a giver that if you even mention you like something she's on the hunt to find it, purchase it and give it to you.  (About that new kitchen mom ...just kidding!)  But after this weekend...I've decided...I want luggage...but not just any luggage...I want something that will make me feel like a seasoned, organized, not-a-care-in-the-world traveler...like I'm one of Michael Kors models in his ads. 

Help a girl out...if you have a set of luggage you just love...that makes you feel like you just stepped off a jet..let me know...post a comment...I'm on the hunt!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Something to think about...

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

-Colossians 3:12-13

Poor little guy (girl?)...

So while I was enjoying my time with Michael Bublé (did I mention how ahhhmazing he is?) my sweet husband sends me a text telling me that a baby owl has just flown into our back windows and has knocked itself silly.  This would have been shocking news...had it been the first time...probably more shocking though that it's NOT the first time.  Anyway...both times it's really cool cause we get the chance to see a little owl up close while listening to the momma hoot in the background calling to her baby.  Don't worry both times the baby owl sat for a second then flew away...but this time we got pictures.
I believe he's thinking..."What the heck was that?"
I would like to blame my crystal clear windows but not so much!

I guess my house is just so very warm and inviting...they wanna come in... hehehe

Saturday, July 17, 2010

I haven't met him YET...

Last night we saw Michael Bublé in concert as a combined birthday gift for my mother and nephew. Let me just say that I liked Michael Bublé before we went...I mean he's cute and has a great voice...but after the concert I can honestly say I LOVE him! He put on a great show that spanned multiple generations...I've never seen such a mix of grandparents to young children and everyone in between at one concert before and all of them loving every minute! Seriously...if you've never seen him live and have the opportunity to go...do it!


And here's a hint...spend the big bucks and go for the front row...talk about connecting with his fans! I thought my mother was gonna jump over the railing from here:
To get here: 
Video found here.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Just a little break...

I ran away for a couple of days...loaded up a bag, jumped in the car with three of my girlfriends and off we went.  Sounds carefree right?  Wrong...don't misunderstand me...it was a FABULOUS time full of laughter and silliness.  But we were also calling our families checking in reminding about what needed  to be done or how something needed to be handled or even handling things that quite frankly could have been handled by the spouses and children left at home. 

But that has me thinking?  What would have happened had we not made the countless phone calls and texts back home?  Would everyone have made it to their activities, would they have remembered to take the checks that needed to be paid or to make the phone calls and that needed to be made? 

My sweet husband hunts and fishes and travels for work and when he calls in he is calling in to say hey, that's it.  When I call in it's to say hey but usually it's a reminder also of who needs to go where and when.  Of course he had it all handled, he remembered every little detail (it might have been the detailed list I left on the table for him) or he might have remembered on his own?  ;0) 

I have no doubt that while I'm gone my children are well taken care of but I have a hard time relinquishing the control that I have when I'm home.  Is it because we don't think they can do it as well as us?  That it wont be done the way we WANT it to be done?  Hmmm...sounds like I need to test a theory?  Road trip anyone? 

Just kidding babe!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Wandering Words Wednesday

"I poo in blue..."
Okay...I freely admit that I am a dork that loves silly commercials.  This one came on the other day and I cant get enough of it!  Is it because I would have LOVED to have these for my kids?  Is it because this little boy is just the most precious thing in the world (other than my three of course!).  Or is it because some marketing genius finally got it right...enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydWMY8cYPUU

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

About that turtle...

Late yesterday evening we drove home after a fun filled day at the beach with three sleepy, sandy, windswept kids in the back seat and as we rounded the corner I pointed out that they (a particular family that NEVER mows their yard) had mowed.  Nobody said anything until my sweet husband said in a low murmur, "Guess it's a good thing we moved the turtle huh?"  The yard that had FINALLY been mowed was the same yard that we had first moved the turtle to for protection.  Luck or divine intervention?  I prefer to think that God looks out for even the smallest, most trivial things in our lives.  Like saving a turtle...

Monday, July 12, 2010

Waiting...

Have I mentioned how impatient I am?  And yet I wait...wait for a phone to ring...knowing full well it may not even ring TODAY...I mean it WILL ring...my husband, my mom...but will it ring for the purpose I really want it to ring for and then when/if it does ring...after I answer will I have REALLY wanted it to ring in the first place?  Hmmm...have I confused you yet?  Me too...Have I mentioned I don't like waiting...

Sunday, July 11, 2010

A really good family of clowns...

It has been a really rough week in this household but the love and caring for one another is always overflowing, even when we may not completely like each other at every single moment.  (Admit it...you don't always LIKE your family members either...LOVE always...LIKE when we are lucky!)

But today, on our way home from church and the (there went a paycheck) grocery store, I saw the teeniest tiniest turtle in the middle of the road.  And as we passed I pointed it out.  We had two options: 1.  Keep driving home to put up the groceries, eat lunch and go about our day.  2.  Stop and help this defenseless little guy (girl?) who probably wouldn't make it much longer. 

Now admit it...what would you do?  Some days you may keep driving and not think twice and quite frankly that is what I expected on this particular day.  But I was wrong, my sweet husband stopped, put the car in reverse and backed up.  And my beautiful family (like the crowd of clowns we are) all clambered to windows to check on the guy.  My oldest hopped out, showed him to his brother and sister then sat it in a neighbors yard and hopped back in the car.  But that wasn't good enough...not for us or maybe just not today...so he hopped back out and held him in the car so we could take him down to the creek.  In the midst of the "I wanna hold it!" and the "eeewww it peed on the seat!" yelling that was going on in the back of the car were my thoughts of how proud I am of this beautiful family who chose to take the time to save something so small and defenseless.
We are never perfect, we ARE a family of clowns and we screw up often.  But they are mine and I am theirs and for that...I'm forever thankful!


Saturday, July 10, 2010

Patience

I am not a patient person.  I admit that freely!  I will shout it from the rooftops...I AM NOT A PATIENT PERSON!!!  I like to imagine that when God was creating me He got distracted.  Maybe as He was adding the ingredients that makes me...well me...some beautiful angel walked up and asked a question like..."What are we gonna do with that Littlest Angel that keeps knocking everyone's halo off?"  (I love that book by the way...if you haven't read it...please do and if you have visit it again...it will renew your spirit...I promise!  But keep a tissue nearby.)
So maybe God goes off to have a talk with the Littlest Angel and comes back and is all..."Now where was I?"  Clearly He had His hand on the patience bottle so He assumes He put it in or maybe just maybe He has to add just a tad of impatience...you know so we wont be too perfect...cause let's face it as much as we try we can never be like God...nor can we ever do what Jesus would do...but that's a blog for another time. 
So maybe He adds two dashes of impatience and leaves out the cups of patience all together.  Who knows! 
This I do know...I hate red lights, I am annoyed by slow drivers, I think that when you text someone they should respond ASAP!  When you have to be somewhere and your dressed and ready to go but can't leave for 30 minutes that is torture for me!  When your appointment is at 1:30 but you aren't called back till 2:00...what is that?  Seriously!  I have a life too people and it doesn't involve sitting in your office watching the fish and having sick children cough on my healthy children just so I can go in and have you tell me that they are doing great.  ummm duh!  Or when they do call you back with your three young children and put you in a room the size of a mailbox and you wait another thirty minutes for the doctor well that right there is my own personal version of Hell! 
But then I think back to certain things and maybe He just goofed and added a dash of patience and a couple of cups of impatience instead of the other way around.  Because there are times when the patience pours out of me like a cup overflowing.  Like when my children wanted to be nursed in the middle of the night...I could sit in that chair holding those sweet warm bodies forever even as my heavy lids refused to stay open.  When my oldest had his tonsils and adenoids removed and he lay in post op moaning until they sat me in a rocking chair and his dad picked him up and laid him in my lap.  I rocked that big boy forever with a grape Popsicle dripping down my chest and onto my clothes while he clung to me and slept.  That right there is my version of Heaven! 
Maybe it's an age thing...maybe my impatience is a sign of an overly busy life.  Would I change it just so I could have patience...no way!  Do I wish I had more patience?  Sometimes but then again...if I did I wouldn't be me...and most days I like me.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Sometimes you just gotta...

Sometimes you just gotta vent. Maybe what's going on isn't a big deal, maybe it's a minor inconvenience like say your dryer going out, your dishwasher breaking, a tree limb falling and crashing your fence. These are not life altering things...these are not big deals in the big scheme of life. They are only a minor inconvenience...but does that mean we shouldn't get to complain about them, should we just say "oh well" and move on...maybe some people do that? Do they? Do you? I don't! I get mad...I get frustrated! I don't like little inconveniences...they annoy me...I like things to work the way they are supposed to work and when they don't I frankly get very annoyed.





Is that a bad thing? Am I a bad person? Is that a flaw in my character trait makeup (is that even a term)? I dunno...but this I do know...when I'm complaining bout some little thing do me a favor...don't tell me it could be worse or to look on the bright side. Just say..."That sucks!" And then we can all move on. K? Thanks.





<----



My minor inconvenience for the day.






--->



And the reason it's inconvenient...I have to keep these two in...

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Angel's on Earth

The other day I picked up my oldest (aka 'The Jolly Green Giant' as he has the best smile and is going to be so much taller than his dad or myself, he however, is not green) up from camp. He was gone for a week! To Kansas! Two states away! It was torture to have him gone! But while I drank in the presence of him as he helped to clean out the 10 hours worth of snacks from the van my eyes wandered over to his sweet blond headed friend. A precious boy who lost his mother too young. When she died so many people grieved. Her husband, her two young children, her parents, her sister, our church family...and me. I was a young mother with young children when we met and even though her youngest and my oldest were the same age I listened to her motherly wisdom like each word she spoke was gold! God took her too soon from us but I truly think her place was never supposed to be with us. She was the epitome of an angel on earth!

As I looked over at that sweet tired boy, all I could think was how she would have loved to have been there. She would have been there 30 minutes early (like I was), she would have wrapped him in a bear hug and whispered a prayer of thanksgiving for his life in his ear. She would have smiled the most beautiful smile while their 'so blond it's white' tresses shone in the light of the moon.

As I grabbed my boys bag full of dirty clothes and said my own silent prayer of thanksgiving that he was back home I sent up a prayer wishing she could have been there...but then again...she was.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Wandering Words Wednesday

Have you ever paid attention to the fact that Mr. Krabs lives in Bikini Bottom...hmmm

Oh SpongeBob...


The Pedro's

Yesterday, as I prepared for our 4th of July festivities (celebrated on the 5th...which by the way I didn't like at all!)...I listened to a story in the background. It reached out and literally grabbed my heart...it stopped me in my tracks and I wanted my husband and children to hear it with me...but I couldn't tear my eyes or ears away long enough to call them in. So they had to sit and listen to me tell them about it afterwards...(it's never as good as seeing it live is it?).

The story is about combat paramedics...what touched my heart so much? I never think about the men and women who are taking care of the soldiers...I think often of the soldiers themselves and what they and their families go through but never about the ones behind the scenes, although this group isn't really behind the scenes at all. I listened to them talk and thought about them like mothers I suppose...putting others before themselves no matter the consequences. So maybe that's why I fell in love with this group that called themselves "The Pedros"...they put their lives on the line to save the soldiers that have been wounded by putting themselves on the line. (I want to know these people...I want to shake their hands and hug their necks...these are the real superstars...the people that should make millions of dollars a year!) What an amazing group of young men that choose to do this...do they choose?

So today...on the 6th of July when life goes back to normal and their are no parades or fireworks, the flags are put away and instead of celebrating we are getting back to the daily grind...I'm going to say an extra prayer for not only The Pedros but for their families...I can't imagine knowing my husband or sons were at any given time going to fly into combat to hopefully save the life of a fallen soldier. Join me wont you?

You can see the story here...I dare you not to get goosebumps...
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/38094526#38094526

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Home Church

I love my church...my husband and I started attending it when we were dating (20 years ago) and joined when we dedicated our oldest son to the church (13 years ago). I can't imagine going anywhere else...but on some Sunday mornings, when I feel like we have been running crazy every single day, I don't want to get dressed or go anywhere. That's sounds bad doesn't? God chose to wake me and my beautiful family up...the least I can do is haul my lazy butt to church right? But what if your heart isn't in it? You know those days that the the pastor is up there giving an amazing message and all your doing is writing a grocery list on the back of the bulletin...or thinking of where you want to go to lunch (sorry Pastor David ;0). Those are the days that my husband and I have created home church...we pile in the den in our jammies with a steaming cup of coffee and our Bibles...each of the kids reads a Bible story and tells what it means to them...we have discussions...sometimes lengthy and serious and sometimes short and silly. I love home church...I love to hear what my children think about the Bible verses and stories and why those chose them. I like to think that God smiles down on us during our home church...because after all..."For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

Saturday, June 26, 2010

I'm not ALWAYS right...

I talked to my husband on the phone forever today...he was at Home Depot...I was at home...he was buying a generator and was annoyed with me. While he stood in the aisles wanting to just grab one and get this chore over with I'm sure...he patiently sat on the phone with me while I browsed websites looking for the best one at the best price at the best location. He very nearly went running to another store when I questioned the one he wanted to purchase...evidently I'm the type to say "I told you so" and the fear of the one he chose not working and him having to endure my 'wrath' almost sent him across town.

Last year after Ike while my yard looked like this.

We lived without power for about 14 days. At first it was kind of fun. Our neighbors met us early each morning with steaming cups of coffee (they had a generator...we did not). We would work in the yard while the kids played outside with no electronic devices , we would play board games for hours, we would sit outside in the evenings with those same neighbors enjoying wine and laughter. After dinner cooked on gas grills I would sit in the bathroom holding a flashlight so my kids would have light while they showered. (I learned what true friends looked like...though that's a post for another time.) We bonded and we were blessed. Then it go OLD! I wanted clothes washed in the washer and dried in the drier because no matter what the commercial shows...towels do not stay fluffy soft when hung on a clothes line.

About 7 days into the (no longer fun) power outage we received a loaner generator from a friend that had had power restored...it was such a huge gift just to know I wasn't feeding my children out of an ice chest anymore.

So...not wanting to go through that again and living on the coast means that you pay a butt load of money for this

something you hope you never have to use. Ironic right?

By the way...the husband came home and started the generator and it runs beautifully! He did a great job choosing the correct one! I told you I trusted your judgement! hehehe
P.S...I am not recommending or not not recommending this particular brand of generator...however...if we have another storm and it comes through like it should...I'll be sure and let you know.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Letting them be...

My husband was a football stud, he loved the game and the game loved him. He couldn't wait to get his sons out on the field and see them follow in his footsteps, envisioning them playing on the same high school football field that he had. Unfortunately, neither of our sons are interested in playing football, an issue that crushed him at first but he has now come to accept. Dare I say, he even embraces the activities they choose to participate in, though none of them are things he ever did!

I was a dancer, not an amazing one, average I would call myself, though I did love it and my high school drill team memories are among my fondest! Yet I swore I WOULD NOT force dance on my daughter, and I didn't, I put her in it when she asked and took her out when she asked. A year later she asked again and again I placed her tentatively in the dance room waiting for the crying to start, it didn't. Not only did she love dance, she lived for it. One class was never enough, she wanted to dance non-stop, more classes, more costumes, more shows! However, I find myself in an odd moment, her love of dance seems to have cooled. Is it the summer doledrums of not wanting to do more than hang out in bathing suits with her friends all day? Is it that she has proved she can do it and do it well (better than I ever could) and so now she's over it? I find myself obsessing over this new change in attitude when in all reality I should be rejoicing! Quitting dance would mean a fatter bank account (does it really HAVE to be that expensive?), an emptier calendar (does it really HAVE to take that much time?). But it would also mean a little less joy in my life. I love to watch her dance, when she takes the stage she lights up, she's never afraid, she never questions what she's doing, and she always thinks she did great! I love her self-esteem!


I know people that are living through their children, who knows I may be doing the same. I know people who force their child to do something the child hates just because the parent wants it. You see it in the child's face, in their words and how they treat the parent that is forcing this life on them. I don't want to be THAT parent. And I can honestly say I never have been...yet.

So I ask myself at what point does what our children want for themselves and what we want for them become blurred? How easily can we cross the line of supporting them to pushing them? Do I really want her to dance so that she can follow her dreams? Or is it my pride that wants her on that floor? Because, my heart bursts with it when she's out there...just like it bursts with pride when my boys are doing what they love...just like my heart bursts with pride when I tuck them in at night and see their sweet faces in a quiet slumber.

Am I becoming THAT mom? Gosh I hope not...

Thursday, June 24, 2010

In the beginning...

I love to write...it's my therapy...my safe place. I write letters to my husband when I'm angry so I can filter myself. I write letters to my children each year on their birthday...they are in journals that I will give them one day...or maybe they will find them when I'm gone. I write stories...some have been published...most have not. And now, evidently I will write a blog...you may never see this...in some ways I hope you wont. This blog isn't really for you...it's for me. Just like my coffee...it's for me!