Running From the Little People

Mama's Got a New Look

2012-01-13T09:12:00.006-05:00

Not really Mama so much as Mama's blog.

If you are on a feed reader, click on over and tell me what you think. I
was ready for something newer, brighter and more me. The old look was me....um,
three years ago? Yikes. I need to keep up.

Since it's Friday, let's do some catching up, shall we?

1} We are gearing up for a long weekend here. We have our kids in an
American school here and one of the biggest reasons we picked that over putting
them in the local British schools was because we wanted them to have the same
holidays that J. would have. That way, when we have US only holidays like MLK
and Columbus Day, we can take a long weekend to travel as a family. That said,
I have no idea yet if we will go anywhere this weekend. Because.....

2} Our family has been passing around a stomach virus this week and bless
his heart, it's Keller's turn today. I'm praying (HARD) that Caroline doesn't
get it. I'd rather have it twice than have her get it. There's nothing worse
than a baby having a stomach virus. It's just pitiful.

3} I need my hair colored in the worst way. I actually found a salon here
that I love but to get my basic highlights done there, it's a minimum of a three
hour appointment. Boys and girls, I just don't have that kind of time on my
hands. Therefore, I'm going to be completely gray headed by approximately
6:30PM EST.

4} I might have mentioned a time or twelve that I miss Target. I'm sorry
to repeat myself but y'all, what I wouldn't give to shop some orange sticker
clearance at the Big Red Bullseye. To add insult to injury, they don't ship to
APO (that's US military postal service for you non-mil types) so I can't even
shop online. Bah.

5} I don't really have a number five but it seems better to end on 5 than
4. Kind of like David Letterman never does a Top 9 list. Just doesn't have the
same ring.

Oh wait, I do have something else. I am thinking I might give Ms.
Mel another chance because today, I can actually walk without tears. I'll
let you know if we make up.

Scary Spice. Living Up to Her Name.

2012-01-12T16:03:00.006-05:00

I got this for Christmas:

Photo From Google

Y'all. Scary Spice is kicking my tail. I started one of her workouts yesterday and halfway through, I quit. I didn't say goodbye or thank you for your help, I just straight up turned off the game and ~~limped~~ walked away.

Once my heart rate slowed to that of a person being chased by a rabid dog, I thought, "Dang. That girl is good."

Today, as I got out of bed and realized that I'd be taking baby steps all day due to an inability to bend my legs, I thought, "Dang. I hate that girl."

I know I tend to lean towards the dramatic side when I tell stories but I'm toning down the drama when I tell you that as I tried to shave my legs in the shower, I had to all but skip my calves because the pressure of a Venus Embrace was equivelent to rolling around naked on a bed of broken glass. With tiny sharp rocks sprinkled on top.

All this from half a work out. I'm a special kind of out of shape. The kind that may just be beyond hope.

J. has been doing the workouts since I got the game and after the first day, he had the same problems even though he's in significantly better shape than I am.

First, let me say, I'm sorry I made fun of him for the fact that he got whooped by a Spice Girl. However, I'm not as sorry as I was because he now thinks himself an expert and tried to convince me that I needed to do the workout again today to loosen up those sore muscles. As if.

If I could move my leg, I'd kick him. Apparently, he missed my old lady shuffle around the house today and didn't hear me moaning when I tried to sit down. (Or stand up.)

Photo source

I will work out with you again, Mel. I find you so much more tolerable than most women on work out videos and much less frightening than Jilllian Michaels. In fact, when I was working out, I felt like we were friends. Except for the fact that I'm pretty sure friends don't do to each other what you did to me yesterday rendering me unable to move today.

A Trip Down Picture Lane

2012-01-03T15:12:00.013-05:00

I was just browsing some recent pictures before I start a new folder for 2012 (WHAT the WHAT?) and here are a few that I love.

We went to Blenheim Palace back in November and while we were there, our friends introduced us to the awesome world of geocaching. During our hunt, we found this huge tree that has a giant hole in the middle....the perfect size for kids to play and pose.

I thought this sign was hilarious. Apparently, I'm a weirdo because as I was cracking up, everyone else was like, "Yeah, sure...um, it's kinda funny..."

The next couple are from Kenilworth Castle. It's a beautiful ruin that we were able to visit a couple of months ago. Our kids had no idea that there is anything special about them playing tag with their friends in the shadow of a 900 year old castle. You know, just everyday fun.

Here is the most recent picture taken of me.

Ha ha! Just kidding but isn't he cute? We went to a drive through safari park and the monkey section is one wild ride. This guy hopped on our hood and pretty much used us as his way from one side of the park to the other. We got a kick out of him. Thankfully, we don't have an external antennae on our car because the car in front of us did and they left the monkey park with only half of an antennae.

As is any normal two year old, Caroline is obsessed with Elmo. She's all about anything with the little red guy's face on it. Imagine our delight when we heard that USO was doing a Sesame Street Live tour on our base!! We knew how much she would love it so we made sure to get there early.

The tour manager heard how much she loves Elmo and came out to get us before the show. He set up a special meeting for our girl with her favorite fuzzy red monster. We waited backstage while he went to retrieve E-L-M-O. We were all so giddy to see her reaction and because we were so excited, she was excited. Even though looking back, it's clear that she had no idea what she was so excited about because the second he rounded the corner and headed her way, she FREAKED HER FREAK OUT. She was holding on to me for dear life and screaming her head off. Poor Elmo backed away and stood in the corner waiting for her to warm up.

When she was settled, we knew the only way she'd pose with Elmo would be in a group shot. With her posse around her, she felt less threatened by the monster and she seemed calm, yet still very suspicious.

Until he put his arm around me for the picture and his (giant) fuzzy hand touched her. It was over. THE END.

This is the best picture we got and I know this makes me a horrible mom but this picture tickles me to no end.

C'mon. It's straight up Sesame Street in Crazy Town. Brother's bank robber bandanna, Sister hiding behind something because she's stuck with a sit-com family, J's crazed "take the picture and run" look and me laughing so hard I can't stand it. Two people (one people, one monster) not laughing? Caroline and Elmo. I think both will be needing therapy after this encounter.

Friday Confessions

2011-12-30T16:22:00.008-05:00

I love reading Blonde Ambition's Confessional Friday posts and I always think about participating and then before I know it, it's Saturday and I'd feel lame showing up so late to the party.

Since it's still actually Friday, I'm down with the confessing, friends.

1) I am so not ready for my kids to go back to school. Or my husband to go back to work. (He took this week off.) I ran into three different people at the grocery store today who said they couldn't wait for their kids to go back and I was all, "Really? 'Cuz I need at least another week!" What can I say? I love having my people with me.

2) England is taking some getting used to. I've come a long way in the four months we've been here but it's not the easy breezy I thought it would be. This is coming from someone who moves every two years and usually adjusts pretty quickly. I think it's because we loved LA so much but I miss my friends. I miss the south. By golly, I miss Chick-Fil-A. Amen.

3) Over this holiday I have become addicted to playing Rock Band. I'm the singer. Always. I can belt some tunes like nobody's business. Rock Band: Making people who can't carry a tune feel like a Rock Star since 2011.

4) I need to exercise. Oh, the jiggle in my rear.

5) I will eat these words very soon but right now, I'm loving Caroline at two years old. She's talking more and loves her Mama like nothing else. She even gives me an unprompted "I love you" lately. I'm head over heels. I'm wrapped around that little finger and she knows it.

6) We took down our Christmas decorations today. I would have had them down on the 26th but J. talked me down. We are in a small house and I needed our space back in order. We had them down and put away in about ten minutes flat.

Whew. That was fun! Now, if Friday will stop sneaking away before I get a chance to post, I'll do this again!

How Did This Happen?

2011-12-07T07:09:00.005-05:00

Alternate title: Please Pass the Tissue.

My baby. My little baby. She once looked like this:

Now, she looks like this:

My baby is two. She talks, she dances, she runs. She's always up to something. Her sense of humor is awesome. That little grin gets me every time. I've got a feeling it's going to get her out of a lot of trouble.

I love everything about her.

You Can't Take Us Anywhere

2011-12-03T16:43:00.003-05:00

We unlock our car with a fancy key fob rather than an actual key. Just have the fob on you and stand close enough to the car and you can push a button on the door to unlock. Same goes for driving. No key needed, as long as the fancy fob is inside of the car. There is an actual key, of course. We've just never needed it.

A couple of weeks ago, we were about to leave home when we got a warning (LARGE FLASHING ORANGE WARNING!!) that J.'s fancy fob battery was getting low.

Have I mentioned that we live in a new country and that we have no idea where to get regular stuff here like fancy fob batteries? We thought we'd need to find a dealership for our brand of car and ask them to wave their magic bank emptying wand over our fancy fob and bring it back to life.

So, we delayed. After all, we have two fancy fobs. We also rarely drive. We live on base, our school is a block away and J's office is right across the street from school. No need for driving most days.

We asked around and found out that there was an appropriate dealership about half an hour away. We knew we had a very busy week so we decided that Saturday would be our day to drive up there and get Fancy magically recharged. This fob being as fancy as it is, of course this process won't be easy so we need to set aside the appropriate time to get the job done.

In the mean time, Fancy had decided that the flashing! orange! warning! was no longer needed and, lo we may not have to take a day to get it fixed after all!

Yesterday (the day before we are going to get FF fixed) was the busiest day on record since we've moved here. Early release at school, friends over in the afternoon and base Christmas tree lighting in the early evening. Following that, we were to pick up pizza and meet a babysitter at our house because J.'s office party was last night. We drove over to the tree lighting because it was super cold out and we didn't want to freeze.

After we finished up, we headed to the pizza place and ordered. Our friends offered to stay until our pizza was ready and then bring it to our house so we could head out and start getting ready for the party. Coming out of the pizza place, I marveled at how well we were doing on time and how I'd have plenty of time to get gussied up for the party. (Seriously? Will I ever learn?)

Click the unlock button on the outside of our door and NOTHING. Try to manually push the button on front of Fancy Fob. After all, it just worked an hour ago to LOCK the doors. NOTHING. No problem. We pull out the secret key tucked inside of Fancy and stick in the very old fashioned lock on the door.

This is not a good time to find out that when the dealership (the one in another country) sold us this car, they forgot to actually, you know, cut the key to fit the car they were selling it with. We have a blank key. And a very Fancy Fob.

Fancy Fob feels decidedly less fancy right now.

Remember how we have another one and we live just down the street? Well stop remembering it because spare keys aren't really considered spare when they are locked inside of the car in my purse.

So, Fancy Fob #2 is tucked safely inside of the (locked) car while Fancy Fob #1 died a slow death somewhere between singing Jingle Bells and ordering a large cheese pizza.

We walked home in the freezing cold to find our babysitter (this was her first time sitting for us...first impressions are our strong suit) standing outside of our house thinking we've stood her up like a bad prom date. She offers her car and J. says we'll be fine since the party is on base, just a few blocks away.

I reminded him that I'd be wearing heels so unless he wanted to carry me those few blocks or hear me whine about my poor feet the whole time, we might want to re-think his response. You've never seen a man grab a set of keys so fast.

All wasn't lost. We made it to the party with nary a second to spare and had a good story to tell our new friends.

Today, J. realized there was an actual battery compartment on the back of Fancy. Upon opening, we see that Fancy just needs a simple battery from the auto parts store five minutes away.

The moral of this story? Even half way across the world, we're still those people.

What a Difference a Year Makes

2011-11-30T10:46:00.005-05:00

Recently, Sister and I were talking about our favorite things to do in autumn.

Hers: jump in leaf piles. Mine: drink warm beverages and watch her jump in leaf piles.

Our discussion lead to reminiscing about last Thanksgiving. J. deployed just a few weeks before so we were still in a bit of a fog. I call it the "Survival Fog". Just do what you have to do to make it through the day in one piece.

We were so thankful when his Mom and older sister said they would like to come and celebrate Thanksgiving with us.

Despite the fact that we missed him terribly, last Thanksgiving will always be one of my favorites. We jumped in the leaves for hours at a time, played Bananagrams until the wee hours, ate amazing food and just spent time loving on each other. Having them there made me feel less alone for my favorite holiday.

(Come on....a holiday where you basically eat and hang out with your favorites all day while watching TV? Why isn't this everyone's favorite?)

My sister in law even ate fried alligator. When in Louisiana....

Last Thanksgiving, we were pretty sure we knew what the next year held. At least the gist of it. We'd be in LA for another year. We'd live in the same house, on the same street and attend the same school. We would get to love on our church friends for another year, watching their children grow and play with ours.

J. got home at the very end of May and we took an extended road trip. Back home in late June, he had another couple of weeks off before going back to work after Independence Day. A couple of days before he went back to work, he got a phone call that changed all of those things we thought we were sure of for another year.

We were moving. To England. Very Soon.

There was so much to be done in such a short time. This was the beginning of July and we needed to be there by late August. None of us had current passports. We would need Visas. We would need to seriously downsize because the house we would be moving into was almost half the size of the one we were currently living in. The one we were sure we'd be in for another year.

I hope to share soon about how God so perfectly worked out every single detail for this move and how He blew our minds with how the timing was more perfect than we knew possible.

The job was one that J. had worked been preparing for since the beginning of his career and this was a chance of a lifetime! Not to mention, he was getting to do it in ENGLAND!

Castles, palaces, accents, CS Lewis, royalty, history.....ENGLAND.

If I'd been trying to plan this, I would have messed it up beyond repair. We'd all be sitting in an airport in LA wondering where we went wrong. Thankfully, we have been here for three months and have almost settled into our (tiny) house.

When we were told it was impossible to get passports and visas for five people in less than six weeks, God did it. When we didn't know how official paperwork would get filed, furniture would be sold, kids would get enrolled from across the ocean and we would say goodbye to a place we truly loved, God did it.

The life I'm living this year is not even in the same hemisphere as I was sure it would be. A year later, I look back and laugh (and sometimes cry) at how little I knew.

What a difference a year makes.

Coming Back

2011-11-29T16:29:00.004-05:00

I left my blog hanging rather abruptly last fall just after we found out that Big Daddy was deploying again. Sorry about that. To be honest, I felt like I was juggling a thousand balls that had set on fire and the thought of just one more thing to keep up with was overwhelming.

So, I walked away.

It wasn't a conscious decision so much as a "no time to blog today" followed by a "gosh, I'm just so tired, I'll do it tomorrow" which led to opening up my blog and not knowing how to begin again with so much time between us.

Like an old friend you haven't seen in ages, this blog was never far from my mind and heart. So often, I'd compose a post in my head but couldn't move past the awkward stage to make it real. I'm praying that just like that old friend, I can jump back in here as if no time has passed and catch up on all the things I've missed while I was away. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED, you guys! Small things, big things. The updates are coming very soon. I'm determined not to let this space go to waste.

Well Done, Son. Well done.

2010-09-29T22:26:00.002-04:00

I don't have road rage.

No, really. I don't.

I do, however, think that stupid people should not be allowed to drive. Oh, I'm kidding. Everyone should be allowed to drive. As long as they follow my rules.

I have a habit of mumbling rude things under my breath at other drivers as I deem necessary. I try to keep it as much on the down low as possible because I'm rarely alone in the car and I don't want the Little People repeating something they've heard from me while I'm instructing folks on the proper use of the left lane. Or perhaps the turn signal. I'm just saying, people. It's there for a reason.

Recently, someone pulled out in front of me on a busy road, causing me to stop suddenly.

"Idiot."

Oops. All three kids were with me. Thank goodness no one seemed to notice my name calling and they all remained silent.

For about twenty two seconds, at least.

Then, Brother piped up. "Uh, Mom?"

"Yes, buddy?"

"Have you ever wondered if the people in the other cars sometimes call you an idiot?"

Ah, my boy. You hold my heart in your hands. Your innocence is beautiful. You are grounded until you're twenty.

Again and Again

2010-09-08T21:30:00.002-04:00

Really, just one again.

We just found out that Big Daddy has to deploy for six months. Again. This time to a location significantly less desirable than last time.

Wanna know what's the same as last time? He's missing a lot of very important holidays. As a matter of fact, all of them.

He's going to miss Baby C's first birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Brother's birthday, Valentine's Day, President's Day, our anniversary and I'm sure there are a few more that I'll think of between now and then.

It's pretty short notice so we have very little time to prepare and a lot to do.

In short, this sucks.

However, I've come to terms with it. For the moment. Five minutes ago? Not so much. Five minutes from now? No guarantees.

Please and Thank You

2010-08-17T22:14:00.002-04:00

The baby woke up last night before I even got the chance to get to bed. As I was rocking her in the semi-darkness of her room, my heart begged God to let her stay tiny and to always let me rock her.

I continued to rock and hold on tight knowing that my heart's request cannot be granted.

I felt an urging to pray for my babies. All three of them. As I started to pray, my heart paused.

"Lord, please..." was all that I could muster before a lump formed in my throat.

No matter, He knows my heart. He knows that I desire so much for these treasures that He's given to me. I don't have to beg him for their safety or wellbeing. He knows even better than me what they need.

I continue to rock, holding on to my precious baby as she pats my arm.

I'm so thankful for my family. Including my sweet husband, these four people are more of a blessing to me than I could have ever known possible.

"Lord, thank you so, so much..." Again, my words are caught in my throat and I can't continue.

Sometimes, I feel as though my offerings to Him are inadequate. My words always fall short. Tonight I'm reminded that my words are not most important.

The attitude of my heart tonight is simply, "Lord, please. And, thank You."

*After I finished typing this post, I saw Angie's update pop up on my reader. If she updates, I'm reading, y'all. She always speaks right to me. She didn't let me down. Please, read her post from tonight if you haven't already...our hearts are on the same page but her words are much more eloquent than mine.

Thank You Lord for Health Insurance

2010-08-03T23:09:00.004-04:00

This summer will forever be known to us as The Summer Of Appointments.

We started off our summer by taking the older two in to have some warts removed. Sister has a couple of large ones on her hands and Brother has a cluster of smaller ones on his knee. The pediatrician sent Sister to a dermatologist to have hers taken care of but because Brother's were smaller, she felt like they could freeze them in her office. I'll sum this up for you quickly. They both still have the same amount of warts that they had in the beginning of the summer. They've each had them frozen multiple times and we have been putting a strong ointment (given by the dermatologist) on them in between appointments. Most recently, he suggested we put duct tape on them on alternating days. Still, we have warts. Any advice?

Next, Baby C got a slight fever in the beginning of the summer. We figured it was a virus since it wasn't very high, we were going to let it run it's course. Four days later, it was still there with no other symptoms so we took her in. Turns out, she had a UTI. Because she was only six months at the time and no baby that young has any business with a UTI, it signaled a red flag for the pediatrician. We told him that Sister is prone to UTI's and he was really concerned. Again, I'll give you the really short version. Several catheters (for Baby C, Sister only had to have one) and visits to both the pedi and urologist later, we know that both of our girls have a genetic condition called Vesicoureteral Reflux. We are praying that the condition heals on it's own over time. Sister's already appears to be getting better though she has had a UTI at each check up, despite being on daily antibiotics. Baby C goes back in another month to be checked and to say that I'm dreading it would be an understatement since the only way to get a urine sample from a baby her age is to do yet ANOTHER catheter.

NEXT, (Oh yes, there's more!) Baby C had a small allergic reaction to something that she ate. This was followed by another slightly more severe but still not terrible reaction to something else. The following week, I was feeding her and two bites in, she started breaking out in hives. Within a few minutes, she was covered in hives and her eyes started to swell shut. She was rubbing and scratching at her face and eyes and we were scared out of our minds. We gave her a dose of allergy meds and just watched her. It took over an hour for the hives to even start going away. The next day we were back at the pediatrician (by now, I think they expect to see us at least once a week) and a day after that in the allergist's office. He thought it was probably an allergy to milk products since two of the three times, she was eating something that was yogurt based. I was hoping that it was the berries that were also present those two times because berries are easier to stay away from than milk products. He sent us in for blood tests to determine the allergen.

I'm going to pause right here and tell you that if you think watching your six month old baby get a catheter is heart breaking, let me assure you that watching her two months later have to get blood drawn from her tiny little veins while being held down by two people and sitting on your lap begging you with her big blue eyes to help her is so much worse.

Back to the allergist. Today he told us that the tests came back that she was clear for milk products and berries. Yes, folks. Both of the things he tested her for, she is not actually allergic to.

If this weren't happening to us, I'd think this part was funny. Just before we went in, I told Big Daddy that my biggest fear for the appointment today would be that the things he tested her for were not what she was allergic to and that we would have to go through this all again.

Ha. Ha.

He now wants us to bring in a sample of whole milk, strawberry and blueberry to do a skin prick test on her. On Friday. Three days from now. Which also happens to be my birthday.

School starts next week here and we still have warts, we still have kidney reflux and we still don't know what the baby is allergic to. We do know how to administer epinephrine if she has another reaction. We do know that she is not allergic to breast milk and cheerios so she's basically having those and nothing else because I live in fear of another reaction. We do know that no matter what, no matter how many appointments we've had (and it's a lot, I'm going to look over our calendar and count them soon), no matter how many answers we don't have, there is One who knows all of the answers.

I'm praying every single day that He holds my babies tight and keeps them healthy. I also beg Him to give me a peace that passes all understanding and to make next summer way more fun and healthy than this one was.

Meeting Blog Friends = LOVE!

2010-08-01T22:30:00.006-04:00

I've been reading Elaine's blog for a long time and she's one of my favorites. Last year, when we found out that we were moving to LA, she announced right around that same time that they were moving here, too! We were also both pregnant with our third baby at the time! Even though her new home was going to be a few hours from mine, I loved that she'd be in the same state! (Apparently, meeting new blog friends also brings out my over-use of the exclamation mark! Who knew?)

Fast forward to last Friday, we finally got together with all of our adorable kiddos and went to the zoo!

(This poor tiger was so pitiful! It was SO HOT that day and she (he?) just laid there panting and barely even noticed that we were there.)

Our older kids (babies were in the stroller) L to R: Brother, Sister, B Man, Little G

See? Baby C in the stroller. She did so well that day despite the crazy heat! Baby K did awesome, too and I can't for the life of me figure out how I didn't get a picture of that sweetie!

After the zoo, we headed to lunch and then to the most delicious cupcake shop in the state of LA. Well, their shop isn't delicious (although it may be, I just haven't tasted it) but their cupcakes are AMAZING. Seriously.

We all had so much fun meeting Elaine and her sweet kids! On the way home, Sister kept telling me just how sweet Mrs. Elaine was and how we really need to get together again with her. I couldn't agree more!

If you have a chance to meet a blog friend in person, I highly recommend it!

I've got a ton to tell you guys about. Stay tuned for tales of our Summer of Medical Anomalies. I promise, it's a doozy. I mean, if you're into that sort of thing. And, really? Who doesn't like to hear about someone else's family medical issues that causes them to spend an entire summer vacation running from specialist to specialist all over town? Wait. Don't answer that.

Someone Should Tell That Girl on The Bachelorette That This is What Love Really Looks Like

2010-07-21T23:04:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, everyone in our house got up on the wrong side of the bed. We were all walking around with our crabby pants on and sneering at one another in passing.

I finally announced to the kids that enough was enough and doggone it, we were going to have a good day. I then trotted into the kitchen where Big Daddy was getting coffee for us (because he is a very good and smart man, even on his crabby days!) and placed my hands on his shoulders. I turned him to look at me and drew him close. Leaning in, I looked deep into his eyes and said, "This will be a good day. You will be in a good mood."

Without hesitating, he placed his hands on my shoulders and took a step back.

With love in his eyes, he said, "And, you will go use some mouthwash."

Local Fare

2010-07-13T21:52:00.006-04:00

Since we married ten years ago, Big Daddy and I have lived in six states. One of the fun things about moving so often is getting to see all of the local foods and traditions in each area. Each place we've lived has had something that spoke uniquely of that state or region.

North Carolina is famous for their BBQ. The region of South Carolina where we lived was known for their yearly Okra Festival (known locally as the Okra Strut!) Maryland, of course, is well known for their crabs. We all know about Maine and their lobstahs.

I hesitate to mention this one because it's a little on the um, disgusting side. In Montana, they had a yearly Rocky Mountain Oyster festival. They advertised on billboards. If you don't know what that is, google at your own risk. Just heed this warning, they are not of the sea.

Photo Credit

Before we ever moved to Louisiana, I'd heard that they had some pretty hearty culinary traditions. Their love of crawfish is known worldwide. The beignets are to die for. Seeing alligator on the menu doesn't even cause me to gag anymore. I guess you could say I've gotten used to the foods they love in this great state.

At least that's what I thought until this past weekend.

We headed out to a beautiful local park that stretches along a bayou. There are tons of turtles and ducks that gather when they see kids coming with a bag of stale bread and since we had a cabinet full (I blame our lack of carb eating on the insane HEAT), we were easy targets for the park dwellers. As we were standing there feeding the ducks, I caught a glimpse of something about three feet to our right. It hopped in the water and swam over to where the ducks were and took part in the breaking of the (stale) bread.

I turned quickly and yelped, "Kids!! Look at that....um, that....that thing right there!" (One of my finer moments, indeed.)

There was a sweet local lady nearby who casually stated, "Oh, that's a nutria rat! They eat those down in south Louisiana." With that, she went back to her book and left me with my jaw on the ground. The dirty gigantic rat poo infested ground.

Photo Credit

Look at that thing. Don't you want a bite? If you do, google Nutria Rat Recipes, again at your own risk. Not that I did that. I'm just sayin'.

Feel free to share your own local delicacies. Even the really gross ones.

Warning: You May Get a Cavity

2010-07-08T23:37:00.005-04:00

Baby C has a new trick! She's doing the inch worm crawl these days and can pretty much get anywhere she wants. What this really means is there's a lot of turning off the surround sound and eating random objects off of the floor with a little banging her forehead on the leg of the coffee table thrown in for good measure.

But, seriously? If she threw the TV out the front door and ate the coffee table, would I care? No way, man. She's way too cute. I'm useless when she flashes me that gummy smile. Eight months next week and still no teeth. She's still nursing around the clock so I'm pretty much good with her toothlessness.

My three monkeys. I realize that this post is heavy on the baby but that doesn't mean that the other two are not equally as cute and fun. As a matter of fact, they are more so than ever. Brother starts Kindergarten next month and Sister moves on to Second grade. I don't want to talk about this right now. No, I'm not crying. It's allergies. I swear.

Again, could you resist this smile? She's the boss of every single person in this house. We are all wrapped around her tiny little dimpled pinky. Just the way we like it.

Fulfilled

2010-07-07T22:30:00.004-04:00

There is a wonderful place in my heart for this blog. Well over a year before I actually began Running From the Little People, it was there, in that wonderful place. I would dream of what I wanted it to look like. I'd think of the things that I wanted to share and compose posts in my heart and pray that I'd have a place to share them one day.

I've always loved to write. In high school and college, when one of my teachers would assign a paper, I was secretly giddy while all of my classmates groaned. The chance to get my thoughts down on paper was enough to propel me to research any assignment to the fullest. I'm also an avid reader and a chatterbox. Apparently, words are my thing.

I wish I could tell you why I took such a long break from this space. This space that I dreamt of for so long and have loved so much. I started to question my direction when I attended a blogging conference last year. I had a great time at the conference hugging the necks of the amazing women I've grown to love through this world of blogging. The thing that surprised me was the intense evaluation that happened in my own heart after I left the conference. There was so much talk of finding your niche and using the right words to insure that your blog was successful that my head was spinning. Listen, there's a place for that and there are bloggers out there who are great at it but I left thinking that if I wasn't going to be one of those bloggers, then maybe I should just stick to my pen and pad journal on my nightstand.

Have I mentioned that I'm also a tad of an over-analyzer?

What followed was me struggling with my purpose for blogging. Then, I got pregnant! Yay! I was way too tired and too sick to blog with any regularity. Boo! Then we found out that we were moving. Yay! With less than a month's notice! Boo! We got to our new home and settled and before we knew it, baby was here! Yay! Again with the tired. Yoo! (That's a yay! and a boo! because the reason for the tired? She's really cute.)

For the last couple of months, the fog of craziness has been lifting and I find myself writing in my head again. If that doesn't make sense to you, just pretend that it does. Before last year's season of over-analyzing, pregnancy, moving, a new baby, I wrote in my head all the time. I was always thinking of things that I wanted to write and then suddenly, the voices in my head went quiet.

Stay with me here.

Big Daddy has been saying to me for months that he wishes I would blog again. I have ignored him completely until one night a couple of months back, I woke up in the middle of the night with a heart full of words. I had a full post written in my head before I could fall asleep again. I couldn't wait to share it with my blog friends. Doubt and fear crept in and I wondered if maybe I'd left this space quiet for too long and I should just leave it that way. I convinced myself that my love to write and my desire to journal this amazing time in my life with three adorable kids would be best kept to the (also dusty!) notebook on my nightstand.

However, my heart still longed to put my words here. Friends, the writing in my head has proven to be a very important part of who I am and I just can't abandon that longing in my soul to write, to share, to put words down that show my heart and then leap with joy when a kindred spirit says they understand!

This blog provides me with so much and I am ready to dust it off and get it running again. The voices in my head are too loud and too eager to ignore.

The Haves and The Have Nots

2010-03-17T23:31:00.003-04:00

Here is a list of things I do not currently have:
1. A clean house.
2. A small laundry pile.
3. Friends that live close enough to me to go out for coffee.
4. Family that lives close enough to stop by for dinner or play with the kids.
5. A ton of money that would allow me to get all of those things on my ever growing wish list. (Because when I think about numbers three and four too much, I just want to shop. Hey, it's better than drugs so don't judge.)
6. A very tone body and a love of running.
7. Eyes that don't have bags under them from a lack of sleep. A severe lack of sleep.

That seems like a pretty pitiful list doesn't it? It makes me sound like a spoiled brat in the worst way. I know these things yet I have had so many days lately when that ding dang list is the only thing I can focus on. I'll cry because I miss my coffee girls and I just plead with God to make another coffee night possible. With those same girls because let's face it, I haven't found any that can compare to them. I'll whine because the house is never picked up to my liking. Wah, wah, wah, my butt jiggles when I jump rope with the kids. Boo hoo, I am so tired.

Friends, I'm trying tonight to focus on a different list. I'm trying to readjust my thinking. Trying. Walk with me, will you?

1. I have a house. It's comfortable and it is a place that my kids love to play and run. Their toys and art work may litter every available surface and their fingerprints may be smeared on every mirror and window. Guess what? It let's me know that they love their home. It reminds me that my time as a mommy to these little people is fleeting and one day, I'll wish for those fingerprints to reappear on my mirrors just so I may catch a glimpse of their childhood again.

2. Sorry but even at my best, I can't make good out of a mountain of laundry. How about this? We have clothes to wear. That's the best I can do.

3. God has given me the greatest friends I could ever have imagined. To have had the honor of meeting them for coffee for two years straight is blessing enough to carry me through for the rest of my life. Those ladies are that awesome. Plus, I get to have phone conversations now with each of them that leave me refreshed and thankful that they are my people. I know I'll have people here soon (I'm trying!) but for now, this is enough.

4. I get to skip out on most of the family drama. That's a bonus, right? Sure, I may get the occasional phone call about what's going on but it almost never involves me directly and for that I'm thankful because I like life nice and boring. Plus, the time I do get with my family is so precious to me. I don't take for granted the time we have together and if I lived closer, I know I would.

5. Number five on the above list is just silly so I'm going to take this opportunity to just say that I'm blessed beyond measure and have more than I've ever dreamed of having.

6. Come on, now. We all have this one, right? If you don't, please don't tell me. This body has given birth to and nursed three babies. MIRACLE OF MIRACLES. If it jiggles, that's cool. I have come to ~~love~~ like my curves lately. Seriously, I actually looked in the mirror today and thought, "I don't want to lose too much more of this baby weight because these curves are cute." I almost passed out when I heard myself think it. :) As for the stretch marks, let's just pretend those aren't there, mkay?

7. My reason for lack of sleep is the cutest little thing and I firmly believe that the reason she insists on getting up several times every night is just so she can spend a little extra time with me. To be honest, as crazy and not so attractive as this lack of sleep is making me, when she sleeps a little longer, I wake up and miss her so much that I secretly hope she'll wake soon. I'm my own worst enemy.

8. There's no number eight on the above list to go with this one because there isn't anything to complain about for him. Big Daddy is my best friend. I love him and am so thankful for him. I just think about him and I still get butterflies...this after ten years of marriage! (We celebrated ten years just last week and I wrote a beautiful post about our union...in my head. That's as close as I've been able to get to blogging lately. If you could only read some of the good stuff I've written up there lately!) Seriously, this man is amazing and I can't say anything else other than, YAY! He's mine!

See, I look at this new list and realize just how ridiculous the first list is. Also? Just how stupid the word list seems when you use it so many times in one post. I have so much to be thankful for and I just need to remind myself sometimes to shift focus. I need to focus on the haves rather than the have nots because in the end, it's the haves that matter most.

Hello in There! (Echo, Echo)

2010-01-29T10:44:00.008-05:00

Well, would you just take a look at this place! Cobwebs and dust have taken over. Whomever is in charge around here should be fired.

Wait, that's me. On second thought, I'll just clean up a bit and show you some pictures of the sweet person who has recently taken up all of my blogging time.

There, is that better? You're not still cross with me for leaving you hanging, are you?

Let me tell you something. If I were getting paid by the hour for the amount of time I spend staring at that face, I would be a wealthy woman. She's just so cute that I can't take my eyes off of her. She's also sweet. She also is just this week learning to sleep more than a couple of hours at a time at night so there's another reason for you as to why I've been MIA. However, we are turning a corner thanks to a little tip from a couple of bloggy friends. Seriously, it makes me all twitchy to think about how wrapped up she must feel when she's swaddled but she loves it.

Baby C is over two months now (!!) and over 12lbs. She's growing so, so fast. I feel like I am savoring every single second of her infancy because I realize how quickly it's going. I want to keep her this way forever, is that so wrong?

Closing out this most random post in the whole world, I wanted to tell you that you should go over to Pampers and request a sample of their newly designed Cruisers. My life pretty much revolves around diapers these days and I've already been let down by two other brands when I strayed from our trusty Pampers. I won't be straying again anytime soon! This new design hits shelves in March and will be thinner and more absorbent thanks to their new Dry Max! They aren't even paying me to tell you but you can bet I'll be getting a sample just like you can. By the way, if your sample arrives with the Team USA stamp, you will win a one year supply of Pampers. And then I will officially be jealous and beg you to share. Just kidding. Sort of.

Now that this place is all cleaned up, I'm hoping to get back to regularly scheduled posting. As long as you don't mind the typos since I'll be typing one handed and with my eyes focused on the baby in my arms. I'm telling you, it's so hard to look away.

Rather Than a Pregnancy Update....

2009-11-21T15:35:00.005-05:00

How about a baby update instead? I didn't mean to leave you hanging after the last post but OhMyGoodnessWeHaveABaby!! Baby C is here and she's beautiful and perfect. As soon as I get a little sleep, I'll tell you the whole glorious story of her arrival. Until then, I hope a few pictures will tide you over!

Safe

2009-11-01T20:46:00.002-05:00

One of the first things I fell in love with about our neighborhood was the fact that there were so many beautiful, mature trees.

Ironically, on Thursday afternoon as I huddled with my children in total darkness in our bathtub while a tornado ripped through our neighborhood, those trees caused fear deep within my soul. If any of the ones immediately surrounding our house were to fall, we were in trouble. We've had rain for weeks on end now with very little break for the ground to dry. With the heavy saturation, I knew that the tornado and winds could cause even more havoc in our neighborhood.

What seemed like an eternity passed and I could hear police and fire sirens whizzing past our house. I knew that if they were out, the worst was over. Leaving the kids in our safe place, I snuck out to survey the situation. Our neighborhood was alive with people milling about and police, fire and ambulance workers crowding the streets.

I cried as I looked around and realized just how blessed we were. I called Big Daddy to let him know we were safe and hearing his voice made me cry even harder. We were safe. We have trees down in the yard (none on the house!), shutters and shingles off the house and our fence was down...but we were safe. The worst damage was done by our beautiful old oak tree. The entire thing is now resting on top of our neighbor's car.

One block up from us, is a far more devastating scene. Houses are without their roofs and a few caught on fire from lightening strikes.

We ended up back in our "safe place" for another hour that night praying that the meteorologist was wrong and that another storm wasn't heading our way. Thankfully, we only got severe thunder storms for the rest of the evening. Even better, this time we were all together because Big Daddy was home. Something about his presence and just having all of us together made it all seem less horrible.

Most of us now have electricity back on and the cleaning up process is well underway. In the past few days, we've seen the best of people and the worst. The best is neighbors checking on each other and strangers stopping to help clean up fallen trees. The worst is the non-stop line of people knocking down our door offering to help for a small fortune.

I will post pictures in a couple of days as we have time to sort through them. I also have updates on the baby growing process this week. I know I've been terrible about updating my blog and I really do miss it and I promise to do better. I miss all of my blog friends and this funk I've been in is hopefully ending and I'll be a posting fool in no time.

Faith Like A Child

2009-10-05T09:58:00.003-04:00

We had a huge event around our house last week. It's one that I haven't posted about because I'm just now getting to the point that I can talk about it without crying. (Dang pregnancy hormones!)

Our dog, Hurley, got out of the fence last Sunday morning. I've mentioned before that Hurley is Sister's best friend in the whole world, right? Don't get me wrong, Brother loves him, too. It's just that Sister and Hurley have a connection that I can't even explain. When she gets up in the mornings, she greets him before she does the rest of us. She can't leave for school without saying goodbye to him. In the afternoons, he knows when it's time for her to come home and he waits by the door for her. You get the picture. They LOVE each other.

Back to Sunday morning. Big Daddy noticed that he wasn't hanging around the door staring at the kids begging them to play so he snuck out to check on him without mentioning it to us. He was out for a while and when he came back in, I followed him to the kitchen because he looked upset. Long story short, we have a tricky latch one of our gates in the back yard and Hurley managed to get out.

This would normally not be a huge issue but we haven't updated his tags since we moved here. We've talked about it several times but just haven't done it. Bad, bad dog parents. So, our dog is running around a new neighborhood where no one knows us with a tag around his neck that claims he should be living in Virginia. Awesome.

We decided that Big Daddy would drive around looking for him alone before we told the kids because we knew they would be devastated and honestly, I'm pretty morbid and my first thought was that I didn't want to have them with us if we saw him lying in the middle of the road.

When he couldn't find him, we decided it was time to tell the kids. I had kept them busy with an art project while Big Daddy was out so they didn't notice anything was up. Even when I ran to the bedroom every five minutes to cry my eyes out, they didn't say a word. (Again, thank you hormones!)

We told the kids and were shocked at their reaction. Brother was very matter of fact.

"Oh no. He was such a good dog, it won't be the same without him."

Sister is known for her drama so we braced ourselves for her reaction.

"I'll get my shoes and we'll drive around. He will come when I call him because he knows my voice best."

Ok, then. She was sure we'd find him with her help. As a matter of fact, even after we drove around all day calling for him and asking every person we saw outside if they'd seen him, she didn't give up hope. When we went out again hanging up posters and asking even more people if they'd seen him, she still maintained that he would be back soon.

The only time she got upset was when we came back to take a break for lunch and she thought we were giving up. Once she realized that we were going right back out, she was good. I can't tell you how out of character this is for her. She was positive that he was coming back.

I would like to tell you that I shared her faith but I, instead, cried like a baby as we drove around calling for him. I was convinced that we'd never see him again.

When Sister left for school on Monday, she assured me that someone would call and say they had found him before she came home. When she bounced off the bus that afternoon, she was beaming.

"Well, did someone bring my Hurley back?"

When I told her that we hadn't had a call yet, she didn't stop smiling.

"Don't worry, Mom. They will call. He'll be back by the time we go to bed!"

Ten minutes later an unknown number showed up on our caller ID and a sweet man a few blocks over said that Hurley was waiting for us in his back yard. We were all so giddy and rushed over to get our puppy from this angel who was holding him for us.

I know this is long and seriously, hormones? I'm crying again. My daughter never lost faith that she was going to have her dog back. I lost faith the second we knew he was missing. I am amazed daily at how much I have to learn from these little people that I love so dearly.

We love TRIO and a GIVEAWAY!

2009-09-21T21:42:00.004-04:00

I recently received this set of Fisher Price Trio Building blocks to review thanks to Mom Select and I have to be honest, my kids haven't stopped playing with them! Brother has built every single thing in the pamphlet that comes with the set at least once and is now coming up with his own creations to build. His current Christmas list has only two items and they are both additional Trio sets.

We have had so many rainy days here lately and I've been so thankful for these blocks! The kids will play with them for over an hour at a stretch and at one point, Brother actually said, "Mom, these are so cool! They are like Lego blocks but way better!" I'd say he's impressed.

Thanks to Mom Select, I have a set to give away to one lucky reader! Christmas is just three (!) months away so these could easily be tucked away for your little one until then. Just leave a comment on this post before Monday, Sept. 28 telling me your favorite fall activity and you are entered to win.

Want extra chances? Subscribe to my blog and tell me in a separate comment and you'll get another chance. (If you already subscribe, let me know that.) You can gain another chance by blogging or tweeting about this contest and leaving me a link in the comment section.

If you can't wait that long, use this link and follow the steps in the top left to receive a $5 off coupon for Trio! They actually have several different sets geared towards several age groups that you can check out! (Hint: Some are actually only $5!)

Good luck!

You Just Never Know What You May Find in Those Boxes

2009-08-31T22:57:00.003-04:00

Remember how I said our movers in VA were pretty awful? Their folly has actually turned into quite the joke around our house. We'll come across a box (No, we're still not completely unpacked. What?) that's labeled "Dishes/Kitchen" only to open it and find that there are three lamps, two extension cords, a pair of shoes, a trash can and a plate inside. Somehow, the plate was the only thing that made the label. For the record, we don't keep shoes, extension cords and lamps in the kitchen but these guys were really creative in their packing skills. At this point, we just laugh and chalk it up to experience.

What I found in a box today was no laughing matter. At least not to me. Best of all? I can't even blame it on the movers.

We have boxes and boxes of books that we haven't unpacked yet because we haven't decided exactly where we want our bookshelves to go. Last night, we figured out a location for one of them and this morning I decided to open up a couple of the boxes and put the books in their new home. Just as I lifted one of my favorite Shel Silverstein books from the box, something scurried across the top of it an hid underneath the paper at the bottom. It was fast. Not so fast that I didn't have time to see what it was. Oh-Em-Gee there was a stinkin' lizard in the box. I won't even resort to my usual love of exaggeration here and tell you that it was big. The thing was tiny. In fact, it's small size has only added to my paranoia all day because something that tiny? IT COULD BE ANYWHERE.

I'd love to tell you that I set the little guy free to find his little lizard family but I can't lie. I dropped that book and ran like a sissy. My heart was beating so fast and I was convinced he was chasing me. I refused to even walk past the room where that box was sitting all afternoon. Poor Brother thought I'd lost my mind when I asked him the third time in an hour if something just ran across the floor.

If you're concerned about the state of the creepy little lizard, don't be. When Big Daddy got home tonight, he went to the box and as he lifted the first book, he let out a big, "Aww, he's cute!" and dutifully carried him outside and set him free...

...so that he can wiggle his way back into my house and torture me tomorrow when Big Daddy isn't here to think him adorable.

Here I Am!

2009-08-25T22:47:00.004-04:00

So sorry! I didn't mean to leave you all to play the game of "Where's Heather?" lately! I dropped the news that we were moving and then just disappeared. No worries, we made it to the great state of Louisiana about three weeks ago and have had our fair share of adventures since then. Since it's been so long and so much has happened, how about I just update you with a list and promise to be a better blogging friend now that we are somewhat settled? Thanks, I knew you'd understand!

*We left VA a little behind schedule because we had the WORST packers in our history of many, many moves. Seriously guys, they were bad. Even worse, they were slow and took so many breaks to smoke and make phone calls that we could have allowed the kids to pack our stuff and they would have been faster.

*For the first leg of our drive out here, we headed to TN to visit Big Daddy's family and meet our beautiful (and I mean GORGEOUS!) new baby nephew. I tried to steal him but my sister-in-law just wouldn't have it. Along the way, our Jeep started acting all crazy so we (the kids, my sister, my nephew and myself) left Big Daddy in TN to get the necessary repairs and we made the rest of the trip on our own. That was an adventure! Remind me to tell you of the hotel with the faulty fire alarm that made the trip one to remember.

*We arrived only a day ahead of Big Daddy and slept on air mattresses until it was time for our stuff to arrive several days later. The day that it came, it was about 101 degrees outside. You may think that's hot but it's not as hot as 101 degrees with 100% humidity. Normally, I'd just hide inside and pretend not to notice people outside melting away. Except. That's the first day our air conditioner in the new house decided to stop working.

*Notice how I said the first day? It took a couple of days for them to get out and take a look at it and all of ten minutes to ~~repair~~ put a band-aid on it. We were cool as cucumbers for a whole twenty four hours when it decided to take another little break from working. (Looking back, I see so many parallels between our A/C and our movers in VA.) After three more days of melting (need I remind you that I'm six months pregnant?) they came out and spent 15 more minutes putting another band-aid on it. Lather, rinse, repeat twenty four hours later. I think it was around this time that we stopped laughing at all of our bad fortune. I'll spare you the rest of the details but I'll tell you that twenty nine hours ago, the repair guys came out for what I hope (for their sakes) to be the last time and we still have air. Friends, LA has got to be one of the hottest places on the planet.

*Sister started first grade and is loving it! I promise a story about that, too. Probably even with pictures.

We really do love it here, so far. We have met so many kind people already and aside from everything under the sun going wrong, we are still smiling and saying that this may end up being one of those places that we never want to leave. Sorry this is so lengthy and I really (no, really!) promise to be a better blogging friend now that we have air and are a little more settled. This whirlwind of a life is crazy but I'm not sure I'd have it any other way!

How Quickly Things Change

2009-06-27T20:11:00.003-04:00

Remember how I told you I was working on a post for Sister's sixth birthday? It may be a while before you see that post. Most likely it will appear around her seventh birthday.

The day after my last post (that would be Thursday), Big Daddy came home with the news that there was a good chance that we'd be moving to Louisiana. Soon.

I consider myself a pretty experienced military wife and I've heard this "you may be moving" story so many times in the past year with no results that I've grown numb to the announcements. (I do realize that terrible run on sentence. Trust me, there will be worse grammatical errors in this post and I won't have the time or energy to correct them.) Anywho, I kept it in mind but really thought it would never happen. You know, since we just signed a lease on a house here and are scheduled to move in there in two weeks.

God has such a sense of humor.

By lunch time the next day, we had official paperwork saying we are on our way (SOON) to the beautiful (I think) state of Louisiana. As an aside, if you consider yourself an expert on this particular state, please feel free to click that link over there on the side and email me all the details you can spare.

I'll be flying out before the sun rises tomorrow to visit our future city and look at houses and schools. I'm on a short schedule there and hope that I can pack a ton into this trip since we are going SOON! Apparently, school starts down there way before it does here so I need to be an expert on the area by the end of the week.

Whew.

I hope all of that makes sense because I'm flying out in 10ish hours and I haven't even started to pack so I'm thinking proofreading may not fit into the schedule tonight. If you have a moment to spare a prayer for my safety, sanity and searching, please do so. I'd love you forever. Not that I don't already love you forever.

Instead Of Explaining Or Apologizing, How About Some Big News?

2009-06-24T22:40:00.002-04:00

My, my, my. Look down there are the last time I posted.

June 2.

I'm so ashamed. I have a million excuses. Really, I do. The biggest of them is that hello? It's summer and I'm not sick and couch bound anymore so I am out of our ~~leaky and smelly~~ house as much as possible. Also? The kids are all done with school and they actually want to like do stuff. I should be telling you that packing for the move that is rapidly sneaking up on me is the reason I've been absent but that would be a lie. I haven't packed the first thing. I have given some thought to where I'll put furniture in the new house and that has to count for something. Right?

Today is Sister's sixth birthday and I have this whole sappy post in my head as a tribute to her and her loveliness but I'm thinking I may share that another day. She won't mind because if there is anyone on this Earth that loves to stretch her birthday out to last a whole month, it's her. Instead, I got her THE thing she's been asking for since she could talk.

What? You actually want to know what it is?

We got her a baby SISTER. Yes, we had an appointment yesterday with our amazing doctor (who, by the way, is moving soon and I'm trying to come up with clever ways to make his whole family stay here because I love them too much to see them go!) and he assured us that Baby #3 is a female type.

Both kids were very excited since they were both hoping for a girl. Sister's first response was to ask if we could leave right that second and start shopping for pretty pink clothes for the baby and perhaps a matching outfit or twelve for her.

Brother's response was a little different but no less excited.

"Oh boy, I'm going to need two mouths now!"

"Brother, why in the world would you need another mouth?"

"I'll need two so I can tell them both to be quiet!"

See? You can't fake excitement like that, people.

Displaced

2009-06-02T19:00:00.003-04:00

Right now, we are on vacation. One mile away from our house. At least, that's what my children think. I'm not going to be the one to tell them that we are really just staying at the hotel on base for several days while the plumbing is fixed (FINALLY) in our house. I've learned so much while we are staying here.

1. We don't need toys. We didn't bring any toys except their one stuffed animal to sleep with and you know what? They have been just fine. They are using their imagination and putting on singing and dancing shows during the day. But the highlight? Spinning in circles for hours in the office chair. Good times, folks.

2. If it wasn't for all of our ~~junk~~ stuff, we would be able to live in a 500 sq. ft. apartment. I'm thinking this would be ideal because I always know where everyone is and they can hear me from anywhere and I have less space to clean. Awesome.

3. Adding to the above, it would even more awesome if the 500 sq.ft. apartment came with a super sweet lady to clean daily and make the beds like this hotel room does.

4. Hotel internet connections aren't very reliable (especially when they are free) and they are super s-l-o-w. My Google Reader is bursting at the seams as is my inbox. I did read a book in less than 24 hours and have watched numerous live talent shows from an adorable 4 & 5 year old in all of the time I now have.

5. I have fallen completely in love with those room darkening curtains in hotels. I am thinking about getting some for the kid's bedroom at home. Mine, too.

6. If anyone knows a magic trick to open a front loading washer/dryer combo once the thing has locked up tight for eternity, let me know. The one in our room is moody and once we put clothes in there, we never know how long until the thing decides to give them back. I almost had to go to Target in my jammies yesterday.

7. I do miss blogging and hearing from all of my buddies here. Y'all miss me too, right?

You Guys Are Good

2009-05-20T21:27:00.002-04:00

I can't get anything past you! So, yeah. I'm pregnant! I'm 12 weeks now and starting to come out of my couch coma. Seriously, I've been on the couch for so long, I almost forgot how to walk. I'm not complaining, just pointing out why I've been so scarce!

This pregnancy is going pretty well and I'm so close to being out of the "Oh my gosh, I'm about to puke" stage so things are looking up! Brother and Sister are both very excited and hoping this turns out to be a sister. They've been so adamant about it that I made them both swear that they'll still love the baby should it be a boy. They half-heartedly promised.

Big Daddy is excited about the baby although I think he's more excited that I'm nearing the end of this first trimester. The man deserves a medal for all the extra work he's been doing around here. And because he's so fabulous, he says things like, "Honey, just lay right there! You're doing exactly what you need to be doing...taking care of our baby." See? AMAZING.

Let's see, there's so much more that I've been too tired to type out. We heard a few weeks ago that we may move to Arizona on very short notice. Turns out it was just the Air Force playing a joke on us so we're still staying put for another year. This is actually fine with us and we decided that since we were staying, we needed two things to make this next year more ~~crazy~~ fun for us. 1) More space for a baby and all of the baby stuff. 2) A better school district for Sister to attend 1st grade. (This school thing could be a whole series of posts all on it's own.)

We solved both problems by signing a lease on a house we love in a great school district with an extra bedroom. See? I have been doing something besides laying on the couch!

Also? If you have had a baby in the last few years, I could use some recommendations because I haven't had a baby in over 4 years and also? We have to throw out all of our baby gear because our garage flooded and it's now gross and moldy. Hang on.

Sorry, that gross and moldy part made me a little sick. I'm back now. It's all good.

At any rate, I'll try not to turn this into a pregnancy blog but I'm not making any promises because, people? I'm in a fog and need the assistance of you able minded folks. Thank you so much for all of your congrats and sweet words. Y'all are the best. Seriously!

A Clue

2009-05-19T22:23:00.003-04:00

Just a little clue about why I've been such an absent blogger for a couple of months now:

Yanni Voices...AMAZING!

2009-05-09T12:42:00.009-04:00

Thanks to the beautiful ladies at One2One Network, I recently got to attend the Yanni Voices Concert when they passed through my area. How was it? In a word, PERFECTION.

Ya'll this is saying a lot for a girl who considers a perfect concert to be more along the lines of Jimmy Buffet. He and Yanni aren't exactly in the same category, know what I mean?

Yanni has been working for over two and a half years with four very talented vocalists who have written some amazing lyrics to his music. Nathan Pacheco, Leslie Mills, Chloe and Endor Thomas are above and beyond any talent I've ever heard. Let me tell you, when Leslie Mills sings "Before the Night Ends", the world stops and pays attention. Since the concert, I bought the CD and I listen to that song over and over. My five year old has proclaimed Leslie as the most beautiful voice she's ever heard.

This concert was honestly the best I've ever been to. While there, I experienced just about every emotion possible thanks to the most amazing musicians on the planet. I left with a greater appreciation for music than I've ever had and wishing that I had an ounce of talent that the people on stage possess.

One of my favorite things about the show was watching all of the musicians on stage interact with each other and with Yanni. It was so apparent that these are not just people that work and perform together. They are family. They seemed to have such genuine love for each other and I think that's part of why the music was so moving.

After the show, I was able to go backstage and meet the four "Voices" and they were as beautiful and gracious off stage as they were on. They were all so thankful that we were there and willing to share their music with our readers. I nearly fainted from how beautiful they all were. They were all so sweet and I got to talk shop with Leslie and Endor for a bit about blogging and Twitter. Leslie is a Twitter guru and had just introduced Endor to the ~~dark side~~ wonderful world of Twitter.

If Yanni Voices is coming anywhere near you, you must go. I mean it. You will remember this concert forever as one of the best. If they aren't coming to a city near you, I'm sorry. But, you can try to watch the show on your local PBS station and it will almost as good.

Leslie, Endor, Nathan and Chloe, thank you so much for your graciousness and I really do believe that you are the four most talented "Voices" on the planet. If Yanni needs a blogger to follow you around and tell everyone how great you are, you know where to find me.

Below are a few pictures from my evening. I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting a couple of these. Before the show they announced no flash photography so I was snapping away without my flash and a few minutes in, the ~~picture hounds~~ security folks came around telling everyone to put their cameras away because no photography was allowed. I didn't get great ones anyway because apparently I cannot operate a camera above a third grade level.

PS. Before I show you these, I have to explain that I normally wouldn't post a photo of myself in which I'm grinning like a mule eating briars or where I look like I have seventeen chins (I promise I don't but I can't get that pose from Arianne down) but I had to post the picture of me with Endor because his beauty is enough to make up for my chins and apparent abundance of teeth. Thank you and good night.

PPS. Thank you so stinkin' much to One2One Network. I'm also your biggest fan.

Seriously, stop looking at my chins and enjoy the view of Endor.

Text Speak

2009-04-24T15:52:00.002-04:00

Ever have one of those things that just drives you absolutely crazy and everyone around you seems to be doing it? That's how I feel about text speak. You know, the shorthand that people use in text messages to make it easier to type but a pain in the you know what to read?

(As an aside, I was going to link to a site I found with both a definition and a list of examples of text speak but when I started looking at the list, several of the things made me blush. Apparently, there's a side to this text speak that's just creepy.)

I love to text message as much as the next girl. It's quick, easy and saves me from making a phone call for something silly like making fun of my family members when their team loses.

What I just can't get into is using various shorthand versions of words to get my message out. I have trouble not capitalizing where I'm supposed to and using proper punctuation in my text messages, too. You call it an illness, I call it the right way to do things.

I can usually overlook when other people use text speak in messages to me but I can't bring myself to use it in return. I throw that in there because I don't want you feeling bad if you send me messages using your ~~made up~~ cute little language. However, there's one person that I'm having trouble overlooking and seriously, it's about to cause an issue.

I have a person on my friend list on Facebook that updates her status on there frequently. That's not the part that makes me want to ~~poke my eyes with a sharp object~~ scream. Her status updates are very long and she uses her own version of text speak rather than using real words. Let me give you an example.

Goin 2 the store 4 sum sketti. pray 4 mi baby boi cuz he is struglin wif skool. don no y. i lik to pik my noz n boogers r awesum. hav u sen my new har?

I have to stop there because my eyes are bleeding. If you add another seven incorrect sentences about nine times per day and you will see why I'm just about to abandon Facebook. It's making me crazy.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who is driven to the point of insanity by this? Next thing you know, people will start talking like they type and then you can officially call me crazy.

Just When I Thought I Had Nothing To Blog About, I Do Something Like This

2009-04-15T16:37:00.002-04:00

This afternoon, the kids were playing in the kitchen while I was in another room. All of a sudden, they both came running to me with their hands over their ears.

I didn't even have to ask why because I heard it, too.

There was a loud buzzing sound coming from our kitchen. We all went in to search for the source of the obnoxious noise. I searched in cabinets and opened and closed all of the appliances. I unplugged everything and re-plugged it.

Finally, I decided that the noise was coming from the ceiling. I can't imagine what in the world would be up there causing such a ruckus.

I gave up and called Big Daddy at work. I walked into the kitchen with the phone and he could hear it, too. He said it would be a while before he could get home to check it out but he'd be there when he could.

Hoping to figure it out before he had to come to the rescue, I asked the kids exactly what they were doing when the noise started. Sister was twirling on the Sit-N-Spin and Brother was getting water from the sink. Since neither of those activities had them anywhere near the ceiling, I sent them upstairs to play while I investigated further. I even put the dog outside so the buzzing wouldn't bother his delicate ears. I decided that we'd probably have to move because we'd never figure this out and I just can't live with that sound forever.

Before I got too carried away, Big Daddy arrived. He walked into the kitchen, picked up the Sit-N-Spin and flipped the button on the bottom. The noise stopped. He kissed me and said, "Love you! I'll be home in a while!"

I feel like the biggest dummy.

Stupid Playskool and your toys that go nuts when the batteries are dying. You're now on my bad list.

Carolina Girl

2009-04-07T15:53:00.028-04:00

I've been a UNC fan for as long as I can remember. In middle school I would cry if they lost a game. (This may have continued through high school but that's not important.) I'd pray and beg God to let them win, promising Him that my halo would shine forever and ever amen if they did. These days, I just bite my nails and yell bad words. (I'm kidding. About the bad words. Sort of. But not about the nails. After the game on Saturday night, I had to cut my nails very short in anticipation of last night's game.)

If you know anything about college basketball, you know that Carolina and Duke are sworn enemies. Marriages have ended over March Madness in North Carolina. You can't ride the fence, you can't like either team just a little. There are no slight opinions about who your favorite team is if you grew up anywhere near Tobacco Road. It's all or nothing, baby.

Once upon a time, my family was filled with Tarheel fans. My younger siblings would watch games with me, cheering the whole time. (This had nothing to do with a fear of being locked in a closet...promise.)

One dreadful day, my younger sister committed the ultimate blasphemy.

She married an avid Duke fan. Scratch that. She married into a WHOLE FAMILY of ~~rabid~~ avid Duke fans.

Infidel.

I've told you that I have three siblings, right? Guess how many of us are now Carolina fans?

ME. That's it. They all jumped on the Duke bandwagon a few years back when Duke was on a winning streak. Except the one sister. She held out until she realized that her marriage was more important to her than her loyalty to the Carolina Blue. And her favorite sister.

Bunch of fair weather fans.

Oh, and infidels.

Needless to say, last night when the Tarheels won the NCAA title, I sent several text messages to my siblings and my dark blue loving brother in law making sure they knew. They tried to act like, "Oh really? This is tournament time? I had totally forgotten since I'm not keeping up with basketball this year!" but I know they were all crying inside.

I also know that another great year for UNC and they are likely to come back from the dark side over to the glorious Carolina Blue.

I realized last night as I watched the game until way past my bedtime, I am and always will be a Carolina girl. I may never get to live there again but my heart always will be in North Carolina and it only takes a moment to awaken that trash talking southern girl that lives within me.

Strep Sucks

2009-03-31T10:27:00.004-04:00

So, guess what? I have strep throat. Doesn't that sound like fun?

We've been on the road constantly for almost a month and are finally home and settling in and my throat decides that this would be the perfect time to declare war. I knew I should have had those pesky tonsils removed years ago.

In other news, there is no other news. I need you to come over and make me soup. This happens to be Big Daddy's busiest week at work in a long time and I have a calendar full of fun stuff that starts tomorrow so I need to be better STAT.

Can I tell you how bad it is to be stuck at home sick? Let me give you a hint. I'm watching The Rachel Ray show almost voluntarily. People, call 911. I'm clearly delusional. It helps that the hot doctor from Grey's Anatomy is on. You know, the one who just got back from Iraq and was dating Christine before he tried to off her in her sleep. I can't think of his name right now. Probably because I'm thisclose to asking McDreamy for a brain transplant after watching an hour of Rachel Ray.

In closing the most random post ever, I'll tell you that I'll be posting Hurley's latest shenanigans tomorrow. He's lucky he's so cute.

The Disney Report, Part 1

2009-03-22T20:34:00.010-04:00

So, we're back from Disney and although we had such a great time, let me tell you a secret. I'm still tired. The laundry still isn't caught up. I still haven't unpacked. That's actually three secrets but you don't mind, right?

We really did have the best time and I could write a book about our week there but I'll spare you. I'm also breaking my previously unspoken rule about not posting pics on the blog of the kids because I just can't not share the cuteness.

This picture is perfect. It embodies exactly how much Sister loved this whole trip. She took everything in, little by little. She didn't want to miss a thing. I loved watching her totally fall in love with the magic that makes up Disney World.

This, on the other hand, is more how Brother approached the trip. He was happy to be there but he wasn't afraid to pout at the Happiest Place on Earth. I also loved watching him take it all in, even with the pouting.

Big Daddy found a new lady while we were there. I'm not really concerned. She's cute but she has sort of big ears.

I may get to share more pictures and stories ~~when~~ if I catch up on laundry. If you don't hear from me in a couple of days, you can safely assume that I'm buried under dirty socks and I'm in need of help.

I Just Might Be Watching Too Much What Not To Wear

2009-03-14T14:04:00.000-04:00

I overheard the following conversation between Brother and Sister this week.

Brother: Sister, you look so cute in that new shirt!

Sister: Thanks, Brother. You look handsome.

Brother: Thanks! I didn't think I liked these shorts but then I put them on and looked in the mirror and I was like, WOW! I don't even recognize myself!

If Clinton and Stacey are looking for a cute (albeit a little short) sidekick, I think I have their guy.

Perfection

2009-03-11T17:00:00.002-04:00

I readily admit that I'm a perfectionist. I've always known that I had high standards for myself and I try to stop short of casting those standards onto others. (Those of you who know me well can stop laughing now.)

This past weekend, we had our neighbors over two nights in a row, first for dessert and the next night for games. They are great people and we love spending time with them. After they left on the first night, Big Daddy and I were talking about how we should have them over more often.

Later, as I was picking up before bed, I was still thinking about our night. There was a time when we had people over every Thursday for game night. In fact, we had people over a couple of times each week. I realized how much I miss that. Of course, life is different now. We have kids and schedules and blah, blah, blah.

Honestly, the kids and schedule and blah, blah aren't the reason we don't have friends over more often. It's because of my perfectionism. I'm not going to lie and tell you that my house is always perfect and clean. I will tell you that you (or anyone else) will never see it if it's not. Unless I have the time to get things just so, I just can't invite people in to see it. This is where the kids, schedule and blah, blah come in. It's a rare occurrence lately for the house to be perfect and still live life.

What I realized that night was that my perfection is causing us to miss out on spending time with wonderful people that we genuinely like. Not just our neighbors but so many of our other friends also. Because I've been holding on to this idea that in order for people to have fun at our house, there can't be any crumbs under the table or dust on the shelf, we're all missing out on what's most important in life: relationships.

I'm making progress. The second night, I picked up much less before they came over and I even wore my comfy pants while they were here. You know what? They didn't even notice the crumbs under the table and they wore their comfy pants, too. We had even more fun than the first night.

I don't know when I picked up this habit of thinking that things have to be perfect but I'm letting it go. I'm learning that I'm really the only one that cares about dusty shelves. I don't notice it when I visit others and they aren't whipping out the white glove when they visit me. That's not why they're here. It's time for me to stop letting perfection get in the way of living.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

2009-03-09T13:59:00.002-04:00

We are heading out today for Walt Disney World! The kids are excited, I'm excited, everyone is excited! I'll try to post pics occasionally while I'm away but if all else fails, I'll have plenty when we get back!

We Have A New Baby

2009-03-06T10:22:00.008-05:00

I've been meaning to talk to you about our new addition all week. But, this week has been a huge adventure for us and I've been caught up in loving every second of it. We ended up going on a spontaneous trip to NC (spontaneous = decided to go and left 20 minutes later!) to surprise my parents for their anniversary. Big Daddy had to stay behind for work but I loaded the kids and headed south. It was loads of fun and I've got stories to share but first, meet Hurley!

We adopted Hurley this past weekend and have spent this week falling in love with him. We've been wanting to get a lab puppy for a long time and when we saw him, we knew he was ours.

Both kids adore him but let me tell you about the relationship he has with Sister. She's been begging for a dog for so long. She falls in love with most animals right away and he was no different. She loves him in a way that has been so amazing to watch. The feeling is mutual, by the way. When she leaves the room, he follows her. When she comes downstairs in the mornings, he is beside himself to get to her. They have formed a bond so deep already and watching them together reminds us of why we wanted a puppy.

Sharon has written Rules for Raising Daughters and one of those rules is about getting them a pet. (By the way, they are all worth reading. They totally changed the way I look at raising a daughter!) When I read it a year ago, I knew that she was right. Sister is (like Sharon's sweet Jane) made to be a Doggy Mom. We have visited the local animal shelter almost once a week for the longest time and I can't tell you how many times we've left with her in tears because she wants to bring so many of them home. Watching the transformation in her in the last week has been nothing short of incredible. She's taking responsibility for Hurley, learning his potty cues, rewarding him and being very over protective of him. The only problem is reminding her that carrying him around like a baby isn't really going to work in a few months when he outweighs her so she should let him practice walking now. The first day here, he was afraid to walk off of the rug in the living room so he'd sit and whine until she came and picked him up. Again, it's all fine now but in six months when he's 50 lbs. heavier, not so much.

Big Daddy is even falling for the little guy. He was the one who got up countless times with him the first couple of nights and patiently took him outside in the freezing cold. He kept him company while we traveled to NC and they had a grand time without us. Most of all, Big Daddy is thankful for Hurley because our weekly trips to the animal shelter (with at least one of us crying) are over for a while.

By the way, I know you LOST fans out there appreciate our tribute to Jorge Garcia with his name, right?

Alone Time

2009-03-01T21:09:00.005-05:00

I've seen the question a thousand times floating around the blogosphere and every time, I pause to think about my answer and then get caught up in a daydream. What would you do if you had an afternoon all to yourself?

If you're a Mom, I'll give you a second to get caught up in your own daydreams.

Yesterday, I left Big Daddy and the kids at home while I went out for a few hours. I didn't have anything pressing to do. There were no errands that needed to be done. In fact, I didn't even know where I was going when I left the house.

Here's what my afternoon looked like:

Get in the car and pop in a CD. Crank it loud because that's the only way Beastie Boys should be heard. (Don't start judging me yet, there's plenty of time for that.)

Go to the mall and score a FRONT row parking spot, a feat that should earn me a medal on a Saturday afternoon.

Walk around the mall at my own pace, wandering in an out of as many stores as I want. Actually try on clothes in a real live dressing room without anyone crawling on the floor to peek at the person in the stall next to us. Do not stop at Claire's because there's no five year old girl there to beg me. Pause for a moment to think about going into Claire's to get a surprise for the five year old girl but banish the thought when I realize Gap is having a sale next door.

Back in car, crank up the Brass Monkey and sing loudly. (Don't even act like you don't love the Brass Monkey.)

Wander aimlessly around Target without stopping at the ~~crap~~ dollar section. Find a cute dress and decide to try it on. Admire how great it looks. Try to get dressed so that I can look for shoes to match the hot dress. Holy Crap. The zipper is stuck. (I didn't even have to apologize for saying Holy Crap because there were no tiny ears listening!) Try for ten minutes to get zipper unstuck. Pause to thank God that I don't have the kids with me to ask inappropriate questions while I am contorting my body to yank at the zipper. Walk out of the dressing room, red faced, to find help. After the 12 year old dressing room attendant tries for 10 more minutes to get the zipper open, she declares it hopelessly stuck because the fabric is fraying around the teeth of the zipper. She finally resorts to cutting the zipper open, with real live scissors. Mossimo, you let me down with your beautiful dress with the malfunctioning zipper.

Buy myself a Cherry Coke Zero on my way out of Target without the dress. Because nothing comforts me like a Cherry Coke Zero. Except maybe a real Cherry Coke but that comfort brings calories.

On my way out of the shopping center, I saw something that I've been hoping to see for weeks. GIRL SCOUTS. WITH COOKIES. Don't ask how many boxes I bought because I'm not telling. (It rhymes with heaven.) This comfort also brings calories but they don't count because it's a good cause. (Yes, you may judge now.)

I finished my aimless wandering and headed home, satisfied. Next time I see a meme with the question about a free afternoon, I'll totally know how to answer. Next time I have a free afternoon, I won't be lured by Mossimo and his trick zippers.

Communication Is Key

2009-02-24T18:29:00.004-05:00

I've always considered communication as one of the strongest attributes of my marriage with Big Daddy. We talk about everything, good or bad. If something is bothering one of us, we talk about it right away before it becomes a problem between us.

That's why I was shocked when the Communication Breakdown of 2009 happened to us.

The Sunday that I got home from Blissdom, I called Big Daddy just before I boarded my last flight. We confirmed my pick up time at the airport to be 3:30 and he assured me that he'd leave home in plenty of time to accommodate traffic and be there when I landed.

My flight landed and I walked out of the terminal around 3:25. I went straight out to the curb to put my carry on bag in the car while I waited for my checked baggage.

You see, we have a travel ritual. When Big Daddy travels for work, we drop him at the curb at the airport and do our goodbye there. When he returns, we pick him up at the curb. This ritual was born out of necessity when we had two little toddlers who were prone to melting down when Daddy left. It cut out much of the hassle for a frazzled Mommy who already missed her husband.

Given this ritual, I was sure my lovely family would be waiting for me curbside.

Except they weren't.

No problem. I went back in to wait for my luggage. Once it came, I journeyed back out to the curb. Still no family. Still, not really a big deal. I'm sure they hit traffic.

After half an hour passed, I started to get a little mad. I walked back inside to make sure he wasn't in there and I'd somehow missed him.

Nope.

Sitting back down on the bench outside, I remembered something that made my heart race and a lump form in my throat. On the flight, I'd read a story in Home Life magazine about a man who lost his wife and kids in an accident. That article in the forefront of my mind, I became convinced that something horrible must have happened.

As if on cue, a police car parked next to the curb in front of me.

This is it, I thought. The man who was sent to deliver the terrible news.

With tears in my eyes, I waited for him to walk over and change my life with a few words.

He got out of his car slowly. I tried to read his face for traces of sorrow. He walked over to a Cadillac and put a ticket on the windshield and then got back into his car and left.

Ok, then.

I dialed home for the fourteenth time. No answer for the fourteenth time. We only have one cell phone and I had it with me so there was no way to actually call him.

After an hour, I walked back inside to see if there were any messages for me at the information desk. Immediately upon walking in, I saw Sister and Brother half sitting, half laying on a bench a few feet in front of me. They were clearly bored from being there for so long. Big Daddy was staring down the corridor in search of his wife.

To make a long story even longer, we spent an entire hour just several yards from each other, each worried sick that something terrible had happened to the other.

I could tell you all of the emotions that ran through both of us as we stood there staring in disbelief at each other but I think you get it.

Moral of the story?
1. I'm sure two cell phones would be a good start.
2. Another good idea would be not to listen to a four year old who repeatedly reminds you that maybe Mommy's plane crashed and you should just go ahead home.
3. Don't read sad articles on an airplane when you are away from your family.
4. Make a clear plan when picking up your loved ones from the airport.
5. Learn to laugh when all of the above fail.

John the Baby

2009-02-22T22:58:00.000-05:00

When we pick up Brother from his Sunday School class each week, we have the same routine.

We ask and he assures us that he had a great time. We then ask what his Bible story was about for the day. We usually get the most adorable four year old version of what they learned about. It's enough for us to pick up quickly on which story it was and we can discuss it further.

Recently, he was excited to talk about his story because it was about a baby. A baby named John. When John was in his Mom's tummy, his Dad talked to God and then couldn't talk anymore so he had to wave his hands to get people to understand what he needed to say.

"Oh," I said, "I think you are talking about John the Baptist!"

Looking at me very seriously, he shook his head. "No, Mom. It was John the Baby."

"Oh, right. John the Baptist when he was a baby."

"No," he said speaking slower since clearly I'm having trouble understanding, "it wasn't John the Babatist. It was John the Baby."

One day I'll understand that my children really are smarter than me and I'll stop trying to correct them when they are telling stories.

I love cereal

2009-02-22T22:45:00.002-05:00

No, really. I do. In fact, my whole family loves cereal.

If you won't tell, I'll share a little secret with you.

Promise?

Ok, then.

Sometimes we even eat cereal for dinner.

Go ahead and judge. But there are times when there is nothing better than a bowl of Cookie Crisp or Golden Grahams.

Thanks to Mom Bloggers Club, General Mills sent me a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch this week. It arrived on Thursday and it's now gone, if that tells you how much we liked it.

Recent studies show that 75% of kids are not getting the recommended daily intake of calcium and vitamin D. General Mills is trying to help. Did you know that their Big Kid cereals offer a good amount of both in each serving? They do! They each also have less than 12 grams of sugar and at least 8g of whole grains in each serving.

Check out their new site, Grow Up Strong for more information on which are Big Kid cereals and the nutritional information for each one. You can also find great coupons for the next time you have a hankering for Cookie Crisp. Mmmm, Cookie Crisp. I think I have some calling me from the pantry.

Morning

2009-02-17T14:28:00.002-05:00

I often hear people say, "I'm not a morning person."

There was a time when I would have nodded emphatically, snubbing the wee hours of the day. Something has changed within me in the past couple of years that has given me a new perspective on the morning.

Perhaps my attitude shift stems from settling into a busier life with two kids who are in constant motion. Waking before they do has certain advantages. The house is quiet and calm. I can think through the day ahead of me and pray that I will be the wife and mom that I should be.

Aside from the calmness brought on by morning, I find that I am more hopeful each morning than any other time of day. It sounds cliche to say that each day brings a new start but it's true. No matter the worries of the day before, morning brings new perspective. No matter how many times I blew it yesterday, today has the potential to be better. If I went to bed with my mind buzzing about all that needs to be done and how I don't have enough hours in the day to do it, the morning brings a fresh start and an opportunity to slow down and prioritize what's really important.

Those few hours of each brand new day are like a gift to my tired spirit. They bring hope, calmness and a chance to connect with the One who gave me that gift.

Electrolux Cares

2009-02-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

I love it when large companies put their money to good use.

Electrolux and Kelly Ripa have teamed up to raise money and awareness for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund through a new social media campaign. Both Electrolux and Ripa have the influence to make a difference in this very important matter but they want to have an even bigger impact so they are allowing you to help!

You can create and send a unique virtual cupcake to friends and family during February. For every cupcake you send, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) as part of their half million dollar commitment to help support this worthy cause. They couldn't have made it any easier for you to make a difference!

Further, everyone who logs on and sends a cupcake will be entered for a chance to win the newest front-load Washer & Dryer (an estimated $3,600 value) from Electrolux. How cool is that?

Kelly Ripa also designed a custom "Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve" T-shirt, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting OCRF. These can be purchased through Electroluxappliances.com or through Kelly's site, Kelly Confidential.

Head on over and send a cupcake to someone sweet. You'll be helping fund research for ovarian cancer and gaining a chance to win a fabulous washer & dryer!

Thanks to Mom Central for the opportunity to share this with you!

Blissdom '09

2009-02-09T16:35:00.003-05:00

For two days, I've been staring at a blank screen trying to put into words what I got out of Blissdom this past weekend.

The conference was amazing. The ladies that I met there were amazing. The beautiful hosts were amazing.

My favorite session of the weekend was Writing with Passion-Finding Your Voice. The speakers and moderator were four of my favorites in the blogosphere: Shannon, Stephanie, Arianne and Catherine. They were honest, loving and passionate about the one thing that brought me to blogging: writing. I've always loved to write and ultimately, this is why I blog.

Though I started to blog because of my love for writing, I found something quite unexpected once I was here. Community. I've connected with women all over the world and from every possible walk of life. I've offered and gained support from them. I've heard stories about their lives and watched their children grow. I've seen them go through the highest highs and the lowest lows and felt every single emotion with them as if I'd been friends with them forever.

I went into this weekend praying that I would leave with a direction for this blog. Let's face it, there's no shortage of options for a blogger these days. I found exactly what I was looking for. I was reminded time and again that I need to keep the main thing the main thing. I love to read blogs by people who love to write. Writing is what brought me here and will keep me here. All of the other things: social media, SEO, blah, blah, blah are great but it's not the main thing for me.

I have to tell you a few of the people that I met this weekend who just blew me away. I will shout from the rooftops for the rest of my days my love for Beth. She's one of the most amazing women I've ever met. She's real, funny and beautiful. She made me feel like I'd known her forever from the second we met. I spent the weekend in awe of her. She also introduced me to her girls: Arianne, Sarah and Stephanie. Oh, I love each one of them. They make me want to pack my bags and move north several hundred miles. LOVE.

If you have ever read a blog you know Shannon, the Nester, Emily and Annie. I only point them out because I've been reading them for so long and love their writing style. They are the real deal, y'all. I was like a thirteen year old at a Jonas Brothers concert when I met each one of them. They were gracious enough to hug my neck even as I babbled incoherently and drooled on their shoes.

I know this is getting long but I have to tell you the biggest thing that impressed me about Blissdom. There were around 250 women there and a handful of men. (Hang with me, that's not the impressive part.) When I called home on Friday night, Big Daddy asked me a question that shaped the way I viewed the rest of the weekend.

He said, "Do you feel like there is a spirit of competition there since all of you are in the same 'business' or is it friendly?" Let me tell you honestly how I answered. There wasn't one moment where I felt like I was being viewed as anyone's competition. I've heard Alli say before that there is no reason that we can't all be successful so there's no reason that we shouldn't help each other. (I'm paraphrasing, obviously. She's uses way cuter words than that!) That's what the weekend felt like. I could have worn my stretchy yoga pants and no makeup and I really feel like I would have still made a ton of new friends. I would have gotten hugs from the women listed above. I asked hard questions of some of the ladies there and they answered them honestly and offered more help than I ever expected. THIS is the community I speak of. This is what has made it so difficult to put the weekend into words. This is why my heart is still full two days later and I'm still processing all of what I experienced.

I know I don't usually post a lot of pictures here but I will be posting pictures as soon as I steal them from Beth because that girl takes some great pictures and I "forgot" my camera every time I was with her this weekend.

Also? If you have any questions about any of the sessions, please feel free to ask and I'll answer. You can also buy transcripts of all the sessions if you want.

My Answers

2009-02-04T15:44:00.003-05:00

1. How do you place the cups in your dishwasher? Directly on the prongs or in between the prongs?
In between! If the top is all full of them in between, I'll squeeze the remaining over the prongs.

2. How do you hang your toilet paper? Hanging over or hanging under?
Listen, this is very important stuff right here. OVER. Always OVER. When I'm in public restrooms I get angry when it's coming from under and it has a lock preventing me from changing it.

3. What are you feelings on Kanye West? Love him or leave him?
I enjoy some of his music but as a person, I find him to be a jerk. Not that I've ever met him in person. Just in interviews and you know, when he's attacking people and stuff that I find him to be a jerk.

4. Do you refrigerate your peanut butter or is it in your pantry?
Pantry.

5. Do you refrigerate your maple syrup or is it in your pantry?
If it's the real stuff, it has to go in the fridge, right? If it's Log Cabin or Mrs. Butterworth, pantry.

6. Do you put your bread in the refrigerator?
No and I'm not sure why I would do this?

7. If you found salad dressing in your refrigerator that expired 30 days prior, would you use it or dump it?
Let me be honest here and tell you that I once devoured some ranch dressing only to discover afterwards that it expired WAY more than 30 days prior and I didn't die. However, I was so grossed out by it that I usually check now. But also too, it would depend on how bad a hankering I had for some ranch. Was that too much honesty?

8. Do you say tissue or kleenex?
Both.

9. Finally, what are your feelings on cottage cheese? Scrumptious snack or disgusting?
There are grey areas here for me. I like it as a snack sometimes but it's one of those things that I have to really be in the mood for or else I'm not digging it.
Thanks for playing along!!

The Things You Really Want to Know

2009-02-03T16:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, the lovely Beth talked about the tough questions of life. You know, the things you claim to know but realize that you could be wrong about. Today, I want to pass these tough questions along to you. Why? Because I'm ~~nosey~~ curious about how other people do things. I tend to think I'm always right but I've learned over the years that it's the little differences between us that make life more interesting. Still, I need to know. I won't judge you. Promise. My answers will go up tomorrow. Here goes:

1. How do you place the cups in your dishwasher? Directly on the prongs or in between the prongs?

2. How do you hang your toilet paper? Hanging over or hanging under?

3. What are you feelings on Kanye West? Love him or leave him?

4. Do you refrigerate your peanut butter or is it in your pantry?

5. Do you refrigerate your maple syrup or is it in your pantry?

6. Do you put your bread in the refrigerator?

7. If you found salad dressing in your refrigerator that expired 30 days prior, would you use it or dump it?

8. Do you say tissue or kleenex?

9. Finally, what are your feelings on cottage cheese? Scrumptious snack or disgusting?

Hang On Tight

2009-01-29T21:26:00.002-05:00

There has been a lot of talk of friendship around our house lately.

Brother is always extremely interested in whether or not Sister considers him her friend. More times than not, the answer is yes but that can change quickly depending on his willingness to follow her every command.

When they are being friendly with one another, they are always eager to point it out to me. So, it came as no surprise a few days ago when we were driving down the road and Brother said, "Look, Mom! We're being friends!"

I looked in the rear view mirror and sure enough, they were holding hands and the grin on Brother's face was unmistakable.

Before I could comment, Sister piped up.

"Actually, it's not so much that we're friends, Brother. It's just that you won't let go of me."

It's all about perspective, baby.

It occurred to me that really, isn't that what makes a friendship solid? You hang on tight and you refuse to let go. You hold on to your beloved friends when life gets so busy that you forget to call each other for weeks. When one of you is grieving the loss of a child or a parent, you hold on for dear life and no matter how long this journey through immense pain takes, you never let go. When PMS is running rampant and she snaps at you for being late to lunch, you hold on because you know what it's like to be emotional and crampy. When she calls and tells you that her marriage is over, you cry with her and intertwine your fingers tightly with hers, assuring her that she will make it through this.

The bond that holds real friends together is often shared, two people putting in effort to grow a solid relationship. But sometimes, that bond becomes the strongest when one person loosens their grasp and the other holds on even tighter, refusing to let go.

One Man PR Team

2009-01-27T20:15:00.002-05:00

I've had this blog for just under two years now. I told you several months back that I was just coming out of the blogging closet to a group of my closest girlfriends. Other than those ladies, most people in my real life don't know that I blog. I'm slowly coming around to telling people but it's really difficult for me to do for some reason.

Enter my husband. Since day one, he's been my biggest fan. He has been encouraging me to tell people about it and invite them to read. He's been telling the ladies at his office about my blog recently and handing them my card (with my blog address), inviting them to read. That's actually fine with me since I know those ladies and love them. (As an aside: Hi, ladies! Love ya!)

Last night he went a step further. We were at a birthday party and I was chatting with one of the other moms that I don't know very well. We had a nice chat and then she had to leave while I had to follow my kids through the maze that is Chuck E Cheese. Once we were in the car, Big Daddy proudly announced that he had given out his fifth of my cards for the day.

WHAT? To whom? Chuck E himself?

No. He gave it to the sweet lady I was chatting with. He thought she might enjoy reading here. Whew, boy. I love that man. I was a little embarrassed, though. I don't know why I was embarrassed but even now, I get all weird thinking about it. I'm so glad he's proud of me, really I am. I just have such a hard time self promoting.

In a little more than a week, I'm heading to Nashville for my very first blogging conference, Blissdom. I'm nervously excited to attend. I mean, seriously. Have you seen the lineup of speakers? Those are ladies that I was reading back in the days that I was still trying to dream up a clever name for my blog. If I can find sponsorship, I will head to Blogher this summer. I have so much to learn from these women who write these amazing words that speak directly to my heart each day. First, I have to get over this anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I tell someone that I write and that I actually like to do it.

Preschool Playa

2009-01-21T20:39:00.004-05:00

Brother talks about a particular little girl in his class often. He tells us that she's his best friend. Recently, he told us that she loves him but that she doesn't like kisses. He discovered this when he slid too close to her on the carpet and she told him not to get too close because she didn't like kisses.

Being a little gentleman, he assured her that he wouldn't try such a thing. Being his mother, I was glad to hear it.

A few days later, as I was buckling him into the car, he said, "Mom! Today at school, I got the hook-ups!"

Oh boy.

My mind starts racing. I mean, he's only four and he got the hook-up at preschool?

"What do you mean, buddy?"

"You know, I kept going HIC! HIC! and needed to get a drink of water."

Ahhh, the hiccups. Whew.

Flawed

2009-01-13T20:26:00.002-05:00

I am my own worst critic.

I have a habit of pointing out my flaws to others before they have the chance to realize that they exist.

Often, I can't see who I really am because I'm studying my shortcomings so closely. It's nearsightedness of the worst kind.

I'm so much harder on myself than I am on others. In fact, I have criticised things about myself that I would admire about others.

It occurred to me almost a year ago this type of behavior is not only bad for me, it is horrible for my daughter. She is watching everything I do and taking notes. Some of the things that she sees in me will form the woman she will become. If I'm constantly critical of my weight, my hair, my loud voice or my undying love of musicals, what does that teach her? I want her to respect me and to love my quirks but more importantly, I want her to respect herself and love her own quirks.

I'm learning to embrace my flaws. I'm learning that maybe, just maybe, the things that I think are flaws aren't. Instead, they are little parts of what makes me who I am. They are things that the rest of the world probably wouldn't notice if I'd stop asking them to. Best of all, I'm learning that if my daughter grows up to be like me, she will be a woman who is tremendously blessed, loved and unapologetically herself.

Four

2009-01-06T18:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Brother's birthday. If you have been within a one hundred mile radius of him in the last two weeks, you were already aware of that because he hasn't forgotten to tell a single person.

I've decided that four is my favorite age of his ages so far. I probably said that about the ages of one, two and three, also.

At four, he still gets excited when he first sees me in the morning. He snuggles with me endlessly and isn't ashamed to kiss me in front of his friends at school. In fact, it's at preschool drop-off and pick-up that he gives me the biggest smooches of all.

Brother hands out hugs and kisses freely to those he loves. He hasn't yet been tainted by the "man hug" that only allows boys to hug with one arm before they quickly move away. No, sir. When he hugs, he puts his whole heart into it and you are more likely to let go first.

At four, Brother still has so many questions about the way things work. Many of the questions he comes up with leave me thinking and searching for correct answers. So many of the things that occur to him, never occur to me. This past weekend while visiting family, we got to see snow for the first time in a long time. This led him to ask, when God was thinking up all of the things to put in the weather, how did he come up with snow?

Around our house, things are often on Brother time. He moves at his own pace. When we are all in a rush, he is the one strolling along slowly, picking up rocks or studying the clouds. When we are all ready to sit and rest, he's testing out his shoes to see how fast they will let him run.

There are kids who are rule followers. Being a first born, I was one of those kids. It's not that Brother is a rule breaker, it's just that he chooses to believe that there are no rules.

I always say that Brother has a running soundtrack in his head. He's always singing, humming and dancing. He's often unaware that he's even doing it when I stop to ask him what it is he's singing. Confused, he will look up at me and then it dawns on him that he was actually just rocking out to whatever music was on his mind.

So often, at four, Brother will stop and compliment me on something or tell me that he loves me. He will stop what he's doing and say, "Mom? You're my favorite girl."

This type of affection isn't reserved for only me, however. Just this past week, he was snuggling with Sister on my bed as we were all taking our time waking up. Reaching up to pat her on the cheek, he said, "Sister, your skin is so soft."

I started to melt into a puddle on the spot.

Until he followed up with, "Not like Mom's. Hers is all cracky."

I'm hoping that was just his four year old sense of humor.

I've often thought that God gave us children so that we may teach them, hoping one day that they will turn into responsible adults. More recently, I've decided that He gave us children to teach us. I've learned so much from both of my children but from Brother, to live by my own rules, to move at my own pace and to have a soundtrack of my own.

I love you, Brother. You're my favorite boy.

Happy 2009!

2008-12-31T22:44:00.003-05:00

I don't usually make a lot of resolutions for the New Year. Sure, I always think of things that I want to do differently than the year before but I am pretty laid back about my approach.

In 2009, I have big plans.

2008 brought so many things for our family. Most of the things we learned were through trials that I didn't know if we'd make it through with our sanity in tact. We did and I feel stronger while being so much more aware of my weaknesses. I learned to lean more on the Lord than I've ever had to before. I said goodbye to my best friends and watched as they moved a world away. I sent my daughter to Kindergarten and realized how painful it was to do that.

In 2009, I just want to relax and enjoy this journey that we're all on. Sometimes I just need to remind myself to stop, breathe and take it all in. I'm learning.

In 2009, I will attend my first blogging conference and I couldn't be more excited. I may or may not get to move to a new state with my family. I will have frequent dance parties in my kitchen with a certain almost 4 and 5 year old. I will play countless kiddie board games and love it. I'll wipe noses and bottoms. I'll kiss boo boos. I'll kiss my husband more often. I'll love all of the people in my life more deliberately and selflessly.

I am so excited to see what the next year brings. I'm praying that it brings the fresh start that I've been needing.

That's Hot

2008-12-30T21:17:00.002-05:00

Don't you love those days when you just feel pretty? Your hair is cooperating and your clothes are well put together (and clean!)? That was me today.

I had a full day planned for the kids. We were heading to a local place that is basically a warehouse filled with inflatable jumping toys and then to another favorite spot of theirs to pick up a couple of gifts for family members that we'll be visiting soon.

I gave myself a glance after I was all ready and thought, "Man, I look pretty good today!" I was wearing a brand new sweater that I got (on sale!) at Ann Taylor and my hair was awesome.

To top it off, as he was leaving for work, Big Daddy kissed me goodbye and said, "You look pretty today!"

My large ego made it safely out the door and thanks to my swelling confidence, I didn't even get upset when we sat in traffic for an hour and a half.

All day, I was getting looks from people and I just knew what they were thinking.

"Wow! She looks great!"

"Has she lost weight?"

"I love that color sweater on her...it really brings out her eyes!"

After our full day, we returned home for dinner. I ran up to change into pajamas a few minutes ago and realized that what people were actually thinking as they stared at me today was:

"Um, that lady forgot to take the tag off her sweater. What a dork!"

Modern day Minnie Pearl right here, folks.

On the bright side, I bet at least half the Moms I chatted with at the jumping place thought, "OMG! Look at the bargain she got on that sweater!"

Perfect

2008-12-28T21:07:00.002-05:00

That's my description of Christmas this year.

It was just our little family of four this year and it was completely perfect. Last year, we were minus one with Big Daddy being deployed over the holidays. This year, it would have been enough just to be together but we were blessed beyond that.

I woke up around six that morning when my family started sending their Merry Christmas text messages and I couldn't get back to sleep for the excitement. I was just sure the kids would be in to rush us downstairs any moment so I laid there and waited for them.

By 7:30, I nudged Big Daddy and told him we were going in to wake them and rush them downstairs.

Sister was first and she was a little slow to wake. The girl has always loved her sleep and a promise of gifts doesn't change that.

We went in to wake Brother next. I asked if he was ready to get up and told him Merry Christmas. With his eyes still closed, he said, "Not yet, let me get warmed up!" With that, he stretched and groaned once and then shot up, eyes wide and said, "Now I'm ready!"

We spent the whole day just being together. We read the Christmas story first thing and then started opening gifts while breakfast was in the oven. So many times, one of the kids would stop and tell us that this was their favorite day ever. Mine, too.

At some point during the afternoon, I watched as my husband was showing both kids how to play a new game. I couldn't help but think that my family is so perfect for me. I felt a deep sense of contentment. I wanted the day to last forever.

Honestly, why can't it? Those same four people are always here, under the same roof. We can always make time to play games and just be with each other. We can slow down and be thankful and content for each other.

I'm making it a point to have Christmas more often.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T19:06:00.004-05:00

I've been scarce around here for a couple of weeks and probably will be until after Christmas. I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a great time with your families. I'll leave you with a sweet little Christmas carol to enjoy. Turn up the volume, it's a good one!

Build A Bear Workshop Giveaway!

2008-12-23T18:27:00.006-05:00

Are you still looking for one last gift for a little one on your list?

In our house, we are huge fans of Build-A-Bear Workshop! This year, they have the most adorable gifts for kids! Hal and Holly Moose are the cutest things I've ever seen. Right now, you can get both of them together with a storybook for $24 or buy them separately for $12 each.

I have a $10 gift card to Build-A-Bear Workshop for one lucky reader! Leave a comment on this post telling me what you'd buy at Build-A-Bear before 9 am tomorrow (that's December 24!) and I'll draw a winner randomly. Good luck!

Dropps Giveaway!!

2008-12-19T07:00:00.002-05:00

Thanks to The Giveaway Connection, I have a fabulous giveaway for you today!

Dropps laundry detergent is better for you and better for the environment, not to mention super easy to use! No measuring required, just toss in the little power pacs and walk away! These tiny little pacs are also biodegradable, phosphate-free, chlorine-free and NPE-free so you can know that you are keeping yourself and your water safer and cleaner.

I have two 2-packs of Dropps for one lucky reader! Just leave a comment on the post below telling me if you are done with your Christmas shopping yet and I'll draw one name randomly on Friday, December 26 as the winner. You can also visit The Giveaway Connection to find out the other sites that are participating in this giveaway to increase your chances of winning!

Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Good luck!

Comments are closed! Congrats to Sillelin, commenter #25!

Funky Fresh

2008-12-18T16:57:00.002-05:00

Did you see my face on the back of your milk carton this morning while you were eating your Lucky Charms?

On top of a case of the Christmas Busy, I've got a terrible case of the Funk and I'm getting over a case of the Plague. Throw in just a little drama from the Air Force and you've got yourself a missing blogger. My hypochondriac-ness knows no bounds.

The good news is, Hey! It's Christmas! The bad news is, Hey! I'm tired! I'm hoping things are slowing down around here since tomorrow is the last day of school for the year and we can get some much needed rest.

I have stories to share and things to giveaway...starting tomorrow. Pinky swear. In the mean time, could you bring over some chocolate? I'm thinking it would help.

Pigeons

2008-12-09T17:08:00.006-05:00

I saw this video on Happy Meals and Happy Hour and although I don't know the author speaking, I am inclined to find out more about her. (Updated to add, I just found the author's web site and blog. She's all that, y'all.)

I'll admit that I usually don't watch videos in blog posts because I'm too lazy. I'm so glad I carved out five minutes to watch this.

I hope you have a group of Pigeons of your own.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

2008-12-06T22:02:00.004-05:00

Maybe at your house.

Something has been amiss at our house in the past couple of weeks and I'd like a full refund, please. It started with Brother. He started getting just a bit grouchy the week before Thanksgiving and we chalked it up to the Plague that has taken over our house for the last six weeks straight. Since then, he's been a ball of frustration. He gets angry with us for just about everything we say or do and the whining is constant.

Did you hear me? I said CONSTANT. As in, never ending. In case you didn't know the meaning of constant.

This week, our darlings decided that they were ready for Phase 2 of Drive Your Parents to Drink, otherwise known as Backtalk Phase. No matter what we say, there is a rebuttal from the five and under set. It doesn't even have to make sense. Let's say I tell the kids we're having cinnamon rolls for breakfast. One of them will likely say, "I don't want cinnamon rolls!" When pressed further on what they do want, you may get something like, "I want cinnamon rolls! I don't know why you never let me have cinnamon rolls!"

I won't lie and tell you that these things didn't happen at our house before this DYPTD (see above) Mission, but they were at least less common. Big Daddy and I have looked at each other eleven times in the last four days shaking our heads in wonder. We want to know who swapped our kids with a couple of Scrooges?

If you read this post about the Christmas tree debate, I'll first tell you that we did get a live tree and it's up. It's also beautiful. If you read the comments to that post and saw Sharon's beautiful memories of tree hunting and putting up, you're likely to think that's what it was like for us.

You are likely to be wrong.

By the time we were done, I was frustrated and hoping that next year will be the first real memory that my children will have of putting up our Christmas tree. I don't want them sitting around at my house with their own children twenty years from now sharing memories like, "Remember that year when we were putting up the tree and Mom kept yelling and then her eyes turned red and her head spun around? Yeah, that was fun."

If you happen to know the secret to getting my real kids back, I'm willing to try almost anything. Unless you tell me it would involve putting up another tree.

Mom Central Gift Guide

2008-12-06T21:33:00.001-05:00

Mom Central has an amazing Gift Guide up right now with great items for everyone (I mean, everyone!) on your gift list. When you click over, you'll that they have thoughtfully broken up the reviews into categories to help you find what you need faster. Click on the "Giveaways" category and you will have a chance to win AMAZING prizes every day!

To enter, you will need to register with Mom Central (don't worry, it's super easy!) and leave a message on the post for the day. To earn even more entries, you can tweet or email your friends to let them know about the giveaway! Don't forget that every day brings a new prize package so check in each day from now until December 18.

Now, get over there and win some cool stuff!

Priority Club Rewards

2008-12-06T21:02:00.002-05:00

As a family, we travel very frequently. If Big Daddy has a trip for work that is within a reasonable driving distance, the kids and I will often go with him and find fun things to do in whatever city he happens to be in.

Several years ago, we joined Priority Club through the IC Hotels group. When you stay at one of their affiliate hotels, you earn points. These points can be redeemed for free nights in their hotels in the future. That's great, right? Yes, it is but it's not what made us join. You can also redeem your points for airline tickets, for charitable donations, shopping with online retailers, car rentals, magazine subscriptions and so much more!

Joining is so easy and the hotels in their group aren't unknown hotels. They are hotels you are likely to already frequent when you travel: Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza, etc.

Here's a perk you may not find listed on the web site. Remember our recent trip to Washington DC? We stayed at a Crowne Plaza there and I made the reservation using my Priority Club member number online. When I checked in, I told the young man behind the desk my name and he said, "Oh yes, Mrs. Little People, you are one of our Priority Club members, correct?" From that point on, we were given perks for being members. Early check in, late check out, I could go on and on about how fantastic it was.

Check out Priority Club...you might as well be earning free stuff while you travel!

An Important Announcement

2008-12-05T17:17:00.004-05:00

Well, important to me, that is! I figured out last night that my new posts weren't updating in any readers for blogs (Google Reader, Bloglines, etc) so I started investigating. As it turns out, something went wrong when I tried out Feedburner a couple of weeks ago and ever since, my updates haven't been getting out. Sorry about that! Here I was wondering why so many of my friends weren't coming around. I took an extra shower or two, got a new hair cut and my teeth cleaned thinking it must be a weird smell coming from me that was keeping you all away. All along, you were probably thinking I was just ditching the whole blogging thing and laying someplace drunk on egg nog. For the record, I hate egg nog.

Anyway, I got it all figured out now and they should update but if you haven't gotten anything on your reader from me in a while, browse around and see what you missed! There's a couple of really great contests running below!

Real or Fake: The Great Debate

2008-12-04T20:42:00.005-05:00

Every Christmas since Big Daddy and I have been married, we have had a real Christmas tree. Unless you count the two Christmas seasons that we didn't have one.

I know. For shame, for shame.

There was our first Christmas when we were traveling from Montana back to the east coast for a few weeks during the holidays so we didn't see the point and there was no one to water it while we were away. Then, there was last year. The Awful Deployment of 2007. I couldn't bring myself to go out and lug one home without him here. I could have asked for help but I'm stubborn. Plus, I was just all around sad to be doing Christmas without him so we opted for the two tiny trees that we bought for the kids to put in their rooms.

Sorry about the rabbit trail, back to the tree debate.

This year, I made a passing suggestion to Big Daddy that maybe we should just get an artificial tree.

I think he heard me wrong and thought I said we should sell our first born to gypsies and adopt a reindeer.

I don't think he was fond of the idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm not convinced that it's what we should do but I was thinking about how much easier it would be on him putting it up with his still surgically wrapped hand. He said he'd suffer through the prickly pine needles and get a real tree.

It seems that some people have quite a strong preference about their Christmas tree. Do you? Real or fake? Is your preference true to how you were raised?

Twilight GIVEAWAY!

2008-12-02T20:29:00.021-05:00

Are you one of the millions of fans of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer? If so, I have something that you don't want to miss!

I have a Collector's Edition of Twilight with a ribbon bookmark, cloth cover, ragged edges, new chapter open designs and a protective slipcover! Whew! That's a lot of cool stuff! You can read more about it here.

This amazing giveaway is courtesy of The Giveaway Connection, a new service brought to you by the wonderful Mom Generations. These ladies have been making life easier for all of us by offering amazing product reviews and giveaways and now they will be giving even more cool stuff away!

To enter this giveaway, you just leave a comment to this post and I'll randomly draw a winner on Wednesday, December 10.

WAIT! You can get an extra entry for each of the following that you do (don't forget to leave an extra comment for each item you complete!):

*Subscribe to my feed by clicking the link just over there to your right.

*Post about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a link to that post in the comments section.

*Tell people about this giveaway on Twitter and leave me a link to your tweet in the comments section.

Good luck!!

Laugh

2008-12-02T16:55:00.006-05:00

Can I tell you a secret?

I love my husband.

Alright, it's not really a secret but it's something I just felt like sharing.

He makes me laugh so much. The kind of laugh that doubles me over and makes me thankful to spend time with him. He's home for several days from work because he had some minor surgery last Wednesday and won't return to work until later this week. I love having him here all day. Today was our first day without the kids (both were in school this morning!) and we did a little Christmas shopping and laughed like a couple of kids.

I believe that laughter is one of the most important elements in a marriage. Except when we're laughing because I ran over my third curb for the day.

A Real Post!

2008-12-01T21:30:00.004-05:00

So, how was your Thanksgiving?

I know, I know. I have been posting a lot of really cool stuff for you guys lately but no real posting of the going-ons of the Little People household. I have a huge, giant update coming for y'all so hang on to your horses!

As an aside, I said that to Brother today and he assured me that he didn't have any horses. Have I mentioned that I love how literal three year olds are?

Thanksgiving here was pretty awesome. My two Sisters and I were in the kitchen most of the day cooking, laughing and dancing. I brought in my MP3 player and we were getting down to some old school music.

You haven't lived until you've danced to "The Humpty Dance" and "You Give Love a Bad Name" while cooking sweet potato casserole.

We ate a leisurely mid-afternoon meal and then sat around lamenting about how we ate too much. We also watched the kids play and occasionally had to referee. I love that my kids have cousins close to their ages, it's just so dang fun. It's like my childhood all over again right in front of me. Only with less cigarette smoke and farting jokes.

So, hang with me. Join the the giveaway below. I have more coming up that you won't want to miss! There are some amazing companies and blogs out there that really want to share their fabulous stuff with you this Christmas season and I'm willing to help them out! I'll be back soon with an update that promises to be ~~totally boring~~ completely enthralling.

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

2008-12-01T13:00:00.004-05:00

Remember last week when I talked about how I need Africa more than Africa needs me? I promised you more information from Mocha Club about this amazing campaign and today, it's here! Read below and please click the links to watch the video and go to Mocha Club's website and see what this is all about! Comment here because I really want to know what you guys think about this. There are so many other bloggers getting a great discussion going about this project...check them out here.
*************************************************************************************

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]

Norton PC Tune-Up GIVEAWAY!

2008-11-28T22:15:00.002-05:00

I recently received an access card for Norton PC Tune-Up, a service offered by Norton if your computer is starting up slowly or runs slowly when trying to run several programs.

To say that my computer was starting up slowly is putting it mildly. I would turn it on and walk away in the mornings. While starting up, I would make my coffee and do various other tasks that caught my attention. So often, I'd come back to the computer fully expecting it to be ready to go only to find it still in the process of waking up. Short of offering it a sip of my coffee, I had no idea how to fix this.

When we received the access card, I handed it over to my husband and he carried out the task of calling for the service. They way it works, you call in and give Norton access to your computer remotely. While you are on the phone with a technician, he/she walks you through what they are doing and asks you various questions about the problems you have. Half an hour later, you're done and your computer issues are (hopefully!) behind you.

The tech was so nice and helpful and explained everything to my husband as he performed it. Our computer now starts up quite a bit faster than before and hasn't shut me down in the middle of any important tasks in over a week.

The super ladies over at Mom Central offered up three access cards for me to give to my readers! If you are having problems at start up or running slowly when you are multi-tasking, this service could certainly help you!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post and I'll randomly draw a winner on Friday, December 5. Good luck and remember, you must leave a valid email address to win!

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

2008-11-24T08:46:00.003-05:00

I was recently asked by Mocha Club to take part in a project that they have coming up on December 1, 2008 called, "I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me". My first thought was, "Really? I'm not sure what that means." Then, I remembered.

There was a time when I was sure I would be heading to another country as a missionary after I was finished with college. I had heard from so many of my peers who had traveled around the world how horrifying the poverty was in Africa, in particular. They would go hoping to change the world one village at a time. They would return completely changed instead.

Though I was willing in those days to go and try to make a difference with people living in poverty, I was never called to go.

Fast forward about twelve years and I'm pretty comfortable in my own bubble here at home. I'm reading about a group of bloggers traveling to Africa with Compassion International and I read every word they shared about their experiences. Through their experiences, my heart was changed and reminiscent about the experiences I was sure I'd one day have.

I haven't been able to get my mind off the pictures that were shared and the stories that were brought back. There are times when I've asked myself the tough questions about my willingness to step so far out of my comfort zone to help people who define poverty in a way that I can't even fathom. If I'm being completely honest, most of the time the answer is a sad testament of my own selfishness.

This glance into my own heart in recent weeks has shown me that the statement, "I need Africa more than Africa needs me" is so very true. I need a willing heart. I need a desire to serve others. I need to see that the world is bigger than what I can see on a daily basis. I need to understand that the love of God only extend to those in my house, on my street, at my church or in my country. I need Africa.

I invite you to share what this statement means to you. Do you even agree that it's true? I'll be back with more details about this project on December 1 and I hope you'll join me. I pray that you won't be able to get this statement out of your mind until then.

I Can't Believe I Never Told You Guys About This

2008-11-19T20:37:00.009-05:00

Shortly before Brother was to turn two, we decided to give him a big party and invite all of our family and close friends from out of town since we hadn't seen them in a while. We were all so excited as the date approached and I was in a frenzy getting things ready.

The night before the big party, I had all of our guests tucked into their air mattresses and was about to crash for the night. After I took out my contacts and washed my face, I looked into the mirror and realized that I'd forgotten one very important step in the "getting ready for the big party" process.

Waxing.

I looked like Burt from Sesame Street, so thick was my uni-brow.

I was way past the point where tweezing would make a difference unless I wanted to skip sleep and stay up all night plucking. I glanced around the bathroom, looking for something, anything, to help me.

That's when I saw it.

Big Daddy's trimmer. Trimmer of what, I'm not exactly sure. I didn't actually care at the time. I decided that it was just what I needed to go from Burt to Perfectly Arched in time to get a good night's rest.

I did a quick clean up and went to bed, satisfied that I'd done a good enough job to get me through the weekend.

The next morning, I hummed "Happy Birthday" as I applied my makeup. Picking up my mascara, I carefully applied it to my right eyelashes. Perfect, if I do say so myself. Moving on to the left eye. What the heck is wrong with this mascara brush? Dang it, I think I must have broken it when I dipped it back into the tube just now.

No, wait a second. MY EYELASHES. WHERE ARE MY EYELASHES?

Yes, friends, I accidentally shaved off half of my eyelashes while trimming up my brows before bed the night before. Apparently, the blade on that itty bitty trimmer isn't as itty bitty as I thought.

I combed my bangs down over that eye and tried to cover up as much as I could with mascara on the nubs I had left. I decided that it would be my secret.

The problem with keeping my own secrets is that I just can't. I don't know if you've noticed but I tend to over-share. While setting out the food, I thought I caught my friend looking at me a little funny. I was sure she'd noticed so I decided to confess to everyone right then and there. They all got a good laugh and came over to inspect the nubs a little closer.

Turns out my friend was just admiring my new bangs.

SeatSnug

2008-11-19T11:00:00.003-05:00

As many of my friends know, I'm hyper-vigilant about car seat safety. When Sister came of age and weight to be moved to a booster seat from a car seat, I searched high and low to find one that would accommodate her weight/height with a five point harness. I just didn't feel that she was as well protected with just a seat belt and a booster seat.

When Mom Central gave me the opportunity to try out and talk about a new product to secure those booster seats, I was ecstatic. SeatSnug is a device that you secure onto the seatbelt of your car to make it more secure when protecting your child. It helps prevent the loosening of the seatbelt as you drive which causes bouncing around and could lead to ejection from the vehicle in the event of an accident.

Watch this video and see for yourself what a difference SeatSnug can make in keeping your child safe.

This product is what I needed to help me make the all important step of moving Sister up to a booster seat. If you have used it, please let me know how you liked it!

Pointing You to Others Who Can Help

2008-11-17T16:48:00.003-05:00

So, hey there. We're sick AGAIN...or still, depending on how you look at it. Since I'm finding it difficult to type out something that makes sense in the midst of the coughing fits and feeling sorry for myself, I'm here to show you other people who are doing really cool stuff that you should totally know about.

First, my favorite girls over at Mom Generations have launched their "12 Days of Must-Have Holiday Gifts" and you don't want to miss it. They are showing you the best of the best gifts for kids, moms and everyone on your list. Even better? They are giving you all the chance to win the gifts they are telling you about! Today's gifts are for kids and the prize package is worth almost $300! Seriously, check it out by clicking the button below and don't forget to tell them how beautiful they are because, seriously? Those ladies are the bees knees. I have no idea what that phrase means but they are awesome and I've always wanted to use it so...just check them out!

I can't tell you how many people ask me about my blog designs both here and over at From Grey to Green. Beth from Ruby & Roja is this amazing woman who can do everything. She is seriously the best designer out there and just started a photography business, too. She's amazing. She's also doing an amazing giveaway right now that you won't want to miss if you have a blog. The 2 winners will receive a holiday blog makeover AND a whole year's worth of blog designing for free. This is an awesome giveaway and you don't want to miss it!

Constant Motion

2008-11-13T15:01:00.002-05:00

If you are the person who swiped the remote control in charge of the speed of life, would you kindly remove your finger from the fast forward button?

Lately, it seems that life is just flying by. It must have been just yesterday I was saying that I couldn't believe it was October. And, now? I have no idea where October went. My sister called this weekend to ask if we knew what our Thanksgiving plans were and I laughed.

"You know we don't plan that far ahead!"

"Um...Heather? It's less than three weeks away."

WHAT?

Every Sunday night, I take pause to look at the calendar for the week ahead of me. Each time I look, I realize that the week will go by in a flurry of carpool lines, doctor appointments and grocery store visits and before I know what's hit me, it will be Friday.

I daydream of having slow, lazy days to play board games and puzzles with the kids. Of course, in those dreams, the pantry is always full, the house is always clean and the laundry is all caught up. Alas, this just isn't the way life works.

I'm trying to be more deliberate lately in slowing down and enjoying the small moments with my family. The moments that allow us to laugh and form memories that will stick in our hearts forever.

It's amazing that I have such a longing within me to do this yet, I find it so difficult to let go of the things that won't matter ten years from now. Will my children really remember if the floors were mopped and the toilets clean? Or, will they remember that their Mom used to always sit down on the floor and play Candyland while sharing stories from her own childhood?

Balance is the key to life and I'm in a constant search for it these days. Until I find it, I'm hoping to press the button for Slow Motion so I can savor the moments between now and the day I get it all figured out.

Minivan Holdout

2008-11-09T15:30:00.001-05:00

I'm one of the last of a dying breed. The Minivan Holdout. Most of my sweet friends now drive one and they have tried for a couple of years to convert me. There have been times I've actually allowed the possibility to play out in my mind but suddenly, I'm brought back to reality by the soothing sound of my husband's adamant pleas. He's a Holdout, as well.

I'll admit that the thought of automatic doors is alluring. Heck, the idea that the kids could even walk to their seats without kicking, blocking and fighting with each other in the small space afforded us in our current vehicle is almost enough to turn me from Holdout to Convert. Then I realize that my kids are almost old enough to open their own doors and they will find a way to fight no matter how large the space between them.

A year ago, I had a few more Holdouts on my speed dial. One of them caved and now is the proud owner of a Honda Odyssey. The other moved all the way to Japan and didn't even get to take a car with her. She's now traveling by boat and bus and going on the most amazing adventures. The other was my neighbor. I just knew she'd be with me to the end. Then, she had her second baby two months ago. Now she tells me that they are thinking about crossing over to the dark side of minivan driving. I begged and pleaded with her but I don't think she's listening.

To matters worse, her husband reminded both of us that we are in our 30's with two kids each and no matter what we drive, we bid goodbye to cool cars long ago.

Thanks for that.

If we do have another baby, we can always just cram them in like sardines. I'll claim it's to promote a type of sibling bond that can only be achieved with close proximity. Then, I'll lose my ever loving mind on each road trip we take from here on out.

At least when my kids are tending to me in my incapacitated mental state, they will be able to agree on which home to send me to...you know, since they are so close and all.

A House Divided

2008-11-05T19:17:00.003-05:00

It's hard not to talk to your kids about politics when you have an election like we just had. Early on, we explained the process in a way we thought our kids would be able to understand at their ages. Once the two candidates were chosen, we explained that one of these two men would be the next President. We also told them that the beauty of America is that everyone gets to vote for the person they want to win. We tried hard not to tell them who we were voting for until they asked and not to bash either candidate.

Right away, our kids picked sides. If they'd picked the same side, it would have been easier for us.

Sister said she would vote for Barack Obama because he looked better.

Brother said he'd vote for John McCain because he liked him more.

Over the past few months, they have often bantered back and forth about their respective candidates and did a little preschool-esque trash talking.

I just have to mention here that the whole political discussion and choosing a candidate for my kids wasn't really that much different than what I've seen amongst my peers.

Moving on.

After the realization that Barack Obama would be our next President last night, Big Daddy and I went to bed with a heavy heart. Not for the reason you may think. We knew that when we woke up, we'd have to break the news to Brother that his guy didn't win. He's our more sensitive and emotional kid so we knew this wouldn't be easy news to share and that it wouldn't be readily accepted.

We went in to wake him this morning and broke the news gently. He cried a little about it and then said, "It's not fair! I wanted John McCain to win!" He then declared that he didn't care what we said, John McCain did win. We were then asked to leave his room because he needed some more time to rest.

When we went in to Sister, we told her that we had a new President and that it was Barack Obama. She was thrilled and her grin lit up the room. We congratulated her. She then wanted to know if we'd told Brother yet. Knowing her the way I do, I explained that she was not to gloat to her Brother about the election. We told her that we'd already told him and that he was upset and that she should show some grace in this situation.

All went well for the morning. This evening while I was making dinner, I heard them arguing about it. Brother then came in crying because Sister scratched him in their heated exchange and told him that she was glad John McCain lost. He was more devastated over the latter.

We again had a talk about how we are a family and we are to show grace and love to each other rather than fighting and gloating. We talked about the good news of being in a country where we have the ability to vote and how we can pray for both President Elect Obama and Senator McCain. I told them that even if your candidate didn't win, you should still be supportive and kind to the one who did and to those who voted for him because this is a very important job and it is certainly not an easy one.

Seriously, y'all? Does this not sound like a discussion we should have been having all along with each other as adults? Grace and love from both sides. Sounds like a good lesson to me.

The White House

2008-11-04T14:19:00.004-05:00

We are currently in Washington, D.C. for a few days. Technically, we are in a suburb just outside of the city and we've been here for a few days already and are probably leaving today.

Man, I just can't get away with telling half the truth with you guys, can I?

We spent Saturday night in the city and spent all day Sunday touring with the kids. Big Daddy has had a conference here yesterday and today so we all tagged along to make it a family trip. (Don't worry, we are absentee voters so we voted weeks ago!)

Our first stop on Sunday was the White House.

Can I just say that there are a lot of white buildings in the District? I know this because our kids take THE White House to mean A white house. Every building we passed that was white, we heard, "There it is! Wait, is that it? That is a white house."

Kids and their literal interpretations.

Our kids know that President Bush lives in the White House but that in January he will move out and the new President will move in. I'll fill you in later about how we've had to tell our kids to stop talking politics with people because we actually thought it was a good idea to talk to them about the election process.

When we arrived at the White House, Sister pointed out that the flowers on the Rose Garden side were very beautiful. "Did President Bush plant all of those all by himself?"

I assured her that he did not plant the flowers there. She was confused because if it's his house, then it should be his responsibility to tend the garden.

Then, Brother had a burning question after we told them that the White House doesn't actually belong to the President but they are allowed to live there until they are done with the job. We told him that the they all have their own houses that they can go back to and yes, they still have a place to live when their term is over.

(As an aside, can't you just see the wheels turning with that kid? He was surely imagining President Bush sleeping on a bench in the park come January...because, yes, we had to also explain homelessness on this trip.)

Where was I? Oh yes, Brother's burning questions.

"Why can't they just stay in their own house while they are President?"

We give some sort of explanation. I'm sure it was accurate and intelligent.

"Well, while they are away and living in the White House, what if people go into their house?"

We tell him that they probably lock the door.

"Even the back door?"

I'm not sure if he has a future in security or as a burglar but the boy does have interesting questions.

Magazines

2008-11-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have a deep love for a good magazine. I realize that the term “good magazine” is relative and the publications that I enjoy may not be one you’d pick out of the stack.

I’ve told you about my love/hate relationship with Parents magazine. (I’m still contemplating that break up, by the way.)

But I wanted to share my other favorites with you and ~~beg~~ ask you to share yours with me. Partly because I just want to get to know you a little better and partly because I’m always looking for a new magazine to add to my long list of loves (Let’s keep that little secret between you and me, ok? No need getting Big Daddy all panicked because I’m about to subscribe to another magazine! Thanks!)

*Our State: This is a magazine all about my home state, North Carolina. I’m in love with it. I scour the articles looking for familiar faces & places and learning about a few new ones along the way. I love reading the articles written about the fabulous locals. I can’t get enough of it. I don’t subscribe but more often than not, I pick it up from Barnes & Noble every time I see a new one out. My dream job would be to write for this magazine and travel throughout my beloved state meeting these interesting people and finding these wonderful places.

*Paula Deen: Oh boy, my love for Paula runs deep. Her magazine is a treasure and I’ve never (EVER!) gotten rid of a single edition. I keep them. I re-read them. I drool over the food. This is probably the only magazine that I willingly will re-read. By willingly, I mean that it doesn’t go in the bathroom and I don’t pick it up just because I’m in there for a while and bored. Ahem.

*Southern Living: I’m seeing a theme in my magazine love list. I’m a southern girl who loves food and apparently, my reading selection reflects that.

*People: Hi, my name is Heather and I am a celebrity gossip-aholic. Of course, I will only partake in the classier version of gossip so I’m devoted to People and despise Perez Hilton. I can tell you either think less of me or just shouted a hearty, “AMEN!” at your screen. Continue.

*Self & Shape: I like these because I read them, see all the finely chiseled bodies and think, “I can totally do that!” because they make it all sound so simple. I mean, they do feature real people and their stories of how they got to their hotness. Then, I usually put it down and head to the kitchen for a pumpkin muffin that I made from a recipe in Southern Living and decide to promptly start my road to hotness in the morning. Again with the patterns.

Real Simple: Oh, to be as organized as they make me think I can be. I love you, Real Simple.

Share with me, are you a magazine junky or can you live without them? What are your favorites? I also want you to head over to my other blog and tell me what you do with your magazines once you're done reading them.

Halloween Recap

2008-11-01T22:20:00.002-04:00

We had a block party with our neighbors tonight before we went trick or treating. In the past few months, we have gotten around eight new neighbors. Welcome to life on a military base, huh? It was great to meet everyone and just spend time chatting and ~~complaining about our houses falling apart~~ checking out the cute costumes.

The kids had a blast trick or treating and we ended up with way more candy than I know what to do with. Not to mention we had a basket full left over that we didn't give out. We live on the end of the last block of base housing before the office buildings start so very few kids make it down as far as our house. Knowing this, I still buy enough to feed three elementary schools.

If you need me, I'll be the one kneeling in the corner all hopped up on Twix.

My Mama Said

2008-10-30T17:32:00.002-04:00

I’m not sure I can ever face Brother’s teacher again.

Last week, Brother came home and told me that one of the Parent Helpers at school had thrown away his napkin at lunch because he got yogurt all over it. Bid deal, right?

Well, yes. Yes, it is.

Because this wasn’t a super absorbent Bounty we’re talking about here. It was a Fabkin. In an effort to be more green this year, I spent a ridiculous amount of money on the cutest ever little cloth napkins for the kids lunch boxes. Last week, someone tossed one in the trash because it had yogurt on it.

I’ll admit that when he told me, I probably had a look of ~~horror~~ shock on my face. I may or may not have said, “She did what? Didn’t she realize that it was made of cloth? Didn’t she realize that I spent your college money on those napkins and they were supposed to be passed down one day to your own son? Why? WHY? WHY?”

Then, I composed myself and shrugged it off. No big deal. It’s just a napkin. JUST A NAPKIN.

I forgot all about it until he came home from school Tuesday. As I buckled him in, he said, “Oh, Mom. Mrs. B got my napkin back for you.”

“What do you mean, bud?”

“I told Mrs. B that you said she better get my napkin back out of that trash can.”

Feeling sheepish, I tried to backtrack. “Brother, I didn’t say that! It was no big deal, really.”

“Mom, YOU SAID. So, I told Mrs. B that you were mad and that you said she needed to get my napkin out of that trash can.”

Mrs. B is the sweetest lady and the best preschool teacher. I’m not just saying that because I feel like a huge jerk. She really is. I am so embarrassed that she now thinks I commanded her to dig through four days worth of trash to find a measly napkin. I’m hoping she’s forgotten all about it before we have our parent’s conference with her next week.

Win a Spa Indulgence Basket!

2008-10-27T13:07:00.005-04:00

It's that time again! Bloggy Giveaways is hosting the BIG giveaway carnival! If you haven't been over there yet, GO! There are already 600 folks hosting giveaways and there are amazing prizes to be won! I will be hosting more throughout the week so check back in with me here and over at From Grey To Green!

Thanks to the awesome folks over at MyBlogSpark and Chex, I have three (YES, THREE!!) Indulgence baskets to give away. These baskets include: a box of Turtle Chex Mix bars, chocolate candles, yummy body lotion, a loofah, hand massager, nail brush and spa towel!

I received one of these beautiful baskets to try out and trust me, you will not be disappointed!

To enter, just leave a comment here before Friday, October 31 and I will randomly draw a winner! In order to win, you must have a valid email address IN your comment. You can get an extra entry for subscribing to my feed and letting me know in a seperate comment. Good luck!

Sick and Tired

2008-10-24T10:03:00.003-04:00

It took longer than I thought but we have finally caught the "kids are back in school and sharing germs with a million other kids" bug. Sister and Brother started this whole thing with stuffy noses. (If they were older, I'd ground them.) Sister then progressed into a mild cough that mostly only showed up at night.

No big deal, right?

WRONG. Because, you see, I don't go to school every day and build up an immune system that rivals Fort Knox so when this bug got passed to me, it mutated and took over my entire being.

I started with the stuffy nose and that wasn't a big deal. Until last night when stuffy nose turned into body aches and a head that weighs 134 lbs. and throbs. (Props to Big Daddy who let me go to bed immediately after his special Birthday Dinner and took care of the dishes. ON HIS BIRTHDAY. What a guy.)

So, yeah. I'm sick. Normally, it's not a huge deal but I don't like to be normal. I like to do things just a little over the top. So, I decided to get sick on my husband's birthday and the night before the BIG, HUGE first kindergarten field trip which I was scheduled to chaperone. Sister was so excited about this trip. Not as much because of the destination (Pumpkin/Apple picking at a farm) but more because she was going to get to ride on a school bus for the first time. This is huge, folks. HUGE.

I woke up this morning and knew that going wasn't a good idea. First, I don't think the teacher would like it if I asked her to please help me carry my super heavy noggin while taking care of a gaggle of kindergartners. Second, I'm sure she'd love me for bringing the sick back to whence it came and let it spread through the class...Again.

Big Daddy stepped up, cleared his schedule and chaperoned the trip in my place. He promised to take plenty of pictures for me and to document the bus ride in great detail. I am feeling ~~extremely~~ mildly guilty about missing this but he's getting to experience it and he usually has to miss things like this so it's all good. Except that when he called to tell me they were on the road, I hung up the phone and cried like a baby.

Don't worry about me, though. Brother is here and taking good care of me. We're keeping company with Playhouse Disney and every 15 minutes, he leans over to kiss me. Then he asks, "Where's the bermomater? I need to take your fever."

Yes, friends, I am being well taken care of.

Who Me?

2008-10-21T18:36:00.003-04:00

I think I've mentioned my love for Sharon of Mom Generations a time or twenty. I may even refer to her as my "really good friend" to my husband occasionally. Well, guess what? She loves me, too! How do I know? She gave me an award, that's how!

Thank you so much, Sharon. You are so kind. One of these days we are going to get together over coffee and laugh 'til we pee our pants. I'm sure of it.

I need to pass this on to seven of my favorite bloggers and I'm more than happy to do it. I have so many favorites that it's hard to narrow it down but these ladies are among the first I check when it's time to read blogs.

Andrea of Sgt. & Mrs Hub

The most hilarious, Maternal Mirth

Two friends in Real Life, Amy of Wake Me When It's Over and Kim of News from The Fredricks

Kat from Just A Beach Kat

Christy from After A Cup of Coffee....or Two

Crystal from My Longest Year

That was hard! I love all of you guys who read here and I try to read all of the blogs of folks who comment here. If you haven't commented before, let me know you are out there and I'll check out your blog!

Here's the rules for those I've tagged:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog.

2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.

3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4) Add links to those blogs on your blog.

5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

Easy peasy!

My Dad...Fashion Icon?

2008-10-19T20:05:00.003-04:00

My Dad is a good sport. He has four children who see to it that he remains humble and has a healthy sense of humor. In other words, we tease him relentlessly.

One of the things that we have always given Diddy a hard time about are his fashion choices. I use the term fashion very loosely.

By the way, Diddy is the way he says that I pronounce his name...I have no idea what he's talking about. Maybe his hearing is dwindling in his old age.

Back to my story. I think my ability to stay on track is dwindling in my old age.

In the past, Diddy has gone through phases in his shoe choices. When we were young, he was often in boots. These days, he's most often in tennis shoes. The period of time in between found Diddy in a particular style of shoe and he would wear them, no matter the time of year.

Boat shoes. No, he does not live or work on a boat. He doesn't even own a boat. We teased him about his boat shoes but he was not phased. He swore that these were the shoes to beat all others. They went easily from season to season. Summer time rolls around and these shoes are perfect because you don't need a sock. Winter comes and Wah-La! Just add socks and you are all set. If you are feeling the need to be less casual in the summer time, you would just add a dress sock with your boat shoes and it was still perfectly acceptable to wear shorts.

I think you can see why we tease.

This morning, the youth group led the service at our church. As I sat and listened to the thirty or so teenagers on stage leading worship with their beautiful voices and instruments, I was startled.

Over half of the kids on stage were wearing boat shoes! Apparently they are finally considered a trend among the young and hip. (Take note, Diddy. I said young. And hip. Not old and about to break a hip. I kid, I kid. My Diddy is young and hip! When compared to those in the nursing home.)

There were people wearing them with jeans, with shorts and with skirts. Most of them were girls, which I'll be sure to point out to Diddy when I tell this story.

I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

I had no idea that boat shoes were the thing now. You can add these to my list of things I never expected to make a come back.

An Open Letter to Parents Magazine

2008-10-15T11:13:00.005-04:00

Dear Parents Magazine,

We've been together for so long. I first met you when I was pregnant with my first child and now, almost six years later, my subscription has never lapsed. You make it so easy with your Super! Deals! that give me three years of you for an irresistible price.

I'm sorry to say that I might be breaking up with you.

Before you start trying to entice me by throwing in a free year of Family Circle, hear me out.

First, I realized recently that most of my parental paranoia has come from your "It Happened To Me" articles. (In fairness, it's either you or the What to Expect series but I'll deal with them later.) When my daughter was very young and you ran the story of the baby who got a hair wrapped around her toe and it almost had to be amputated, I didn't let my daughter on the floor for a month without vacuuming first and then running a lint brush over the carpet. This month's story about the baby's car seat not getting strapped back in after a trip to the car wash was almost too much.

I could just skip that section, of course. But, there would always be articles lurking in the shadows telling me the next big thing that will either make my child a real live Baby Einstein or send him straight to Preschool Drop-Out.

I've also noticed recently that there is an abundance of thick, several page long ads scattered throughout your magazine. I understand that you have to pay the bills, what with the SUPER! DEALS! I'm getting and all that but these things annoy me and make it difficult to flip through the magazine to find the article I need to show my ~~pediatrician~~ husband about how we can save our child's life through better housekeeping.

Also? This is taking things a bit too far, don't you think?

I mean, seriously. Dressing my family up like a BLT? Besides, no matter how ~~cute~~ ~~clever~~ ridiculous this costume is, I am one kid short of a BLT.

So, Parents, you're on notice. Now that my kids are older, I can stop obsessing over the "It Happened To Me" section and I can have another kid to add the tomato to my BLT but if you don't do something about the insane amount of ads in your magazine, I just might have to cut out early on my 42 year subscription.

Not Jumping Ship Yet,
Heather

One More Miscellany

2008-10-14T16:43:00.002-04:00

I forgot to tell you! See that little button over there on the left under "Vote for Me!"? Yes, please do, go vote for me. You can actually vote for all of your favorite sites if you want! As of now, I have a pathetic 2 votes...I'm thankful for those two, don't get me wrong. It could be worse. I could have only one. Anyway, go, rock the vote. Or something. I know I have more than two friends out there reading!

Business Meeting

2008-10-13T20:13:00.005-04:00

So, let's get some random things out there, shall we?

*I FINALLY updated my other blog. Yes, I know. I've been seriously slacking over there and I repent. I do have some new things to share in the "Going Green" department though, so head over and check it out. I promised at least three posts this week. Two already up. See, I'm repentant! If there is something you'd like to read about over there, please let me know! And, yes, I promise I'm actually doing what I wrote about today. It's not as disgusting as it sounds, I promise.

*I'm writing over at Inspired Bliss, the Christian channel of Blissfully Domestic now! If you aren't reading Blissfully Domestic, I highly recommend checking it out. It's an online magazine for women and there are some fabulous writers there telling you all about anything you may want to know. From recipes to budgets, decorating to photography...it's all there! My devotions will be posted there every Wednesday and I ~~beg~~ encourage you to check it out! Again, if you have a topic you'd like to read, please let me know! Click here, here and here to see the ones I've already written.

*Remember my jeans dilemma? Alert the media! I found jeans that I love. If you are a girl with hips and junk in your trunk, go to Ann Taylor Loft and get their Original Bootcut jeans. You won't be sorry.

Speaking of jeans, I'm going to leave you with this little tribute to my new jeans, which are most definitely NOT mom jeans.

Funeral Procession

2008-10-10T23:32:00.002-04:00

I grew up in the South, deep in the heart of eastern North Carolina. There were certain customs that we had there that I always assumed were practiced everywhere. When I moved out of NC and proceeded to move around the country as an adult, I realized that this wasn’t the case.

One of the things that I made an assumption about was the proper behavior when you encounter a funeral procession as you drive. Where I’m from, if you are driving along and a funeral procession is coming, you pull over to the shoulder and allow them to pass. (Even if you are on the opposite side of the road.) You do not, under any circumstance, try to drive again until the entire procession has ended. If you were of my grandparent’s generation, you may even get out of your car and stand next to it (if you were a man, removing your cap and placing it over your heart) until they passed. This shows respect for the family and friends of the person who has passed away.

Apparently, this is not common practice everywhere.

Where we currently live, I have been frustrated time and again by people just blowing right by as funeral processions are passing. Several months ago, I was sitting at a stop light, preparing to turn left. Coming from the opposite direction, the familiar police escort, headlights on and hazard lights flashing were coming to turn left in front of us. When my light turned green, the cars in front of me couldn’t turn because the funeral procession didn't have to obey the signal and continued to turn in front of us. A couple of the cars sitting at my light actually blew their horns in frustration of having to wait. I was furious. In their defense, they could have not realized what was going on and then felt like a complete jerk afterwards. I hope that was the case.

In the past two days, I’ve encountered two processions on my way to someplace where I couldn’t be late. One of those was for a fallen firefighter…I knew this because of the two fire trucks in the procession. Of course, I stopped. At the one for the fallen hero, the Jeep behind me stopped as well and actually turned on his hazard lights. The car behind him seemed furious. He continued to inch forward, trying to get the Jeep to move on. The Jeep would not be swayed by this bully. So, the bully tried to pass him. At this point, the man driving the Jeep put his hand out of his window to plead with the car to stop and show respect. He continued to try to inch around the Jeep.

Big Daddy and I were watching this happen. Seconds before this, I had gotten a little emotional as I was watching people drive as they cried for their loved one who was lost. Call me moody but I went from teary eyed to angry in a matter of seconds.

Where’s the respect, folks?

Big Daddy says that perhaps the other vehicle subscribed to the thought that you only have to wait for the family car and hearse to pass before you go. He’s much more generous than I am because I was thinking something entirely different.

How is this handled where you live? Am I nuts to expect people in today’s busy society to stop and show a little respect?

Siblings

2008-10-07T10:20:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, we traveled to NC to visit my family. We hadn't been there since early June when my newest nephew was born and I was SO ready to see them.

I had only one goal for this trip. I wanted to be able to spend time with my siblings all together, just to catch up. On the evening that we arrived, my Brother's soon to be father in law passed away and at that point, I was pretty sure our gathering would not include my Brother since he'd want to be with his fiance. In the end, we were able to work it out and I'm so thankful that it did.

I'm the oldest of four in our family. Growing up, there was almost six years between myself and my younger sisters (they are twins). I was almost nine when my brother came along. That's a pretty large age difference to kids so I was into completely different things since I was so much older. As adults, I am the only one who doesn't live in the same town with my parents, the town where we all grew up. Again, this could make things sticky in sibling relationships but somehow, we have made it past the years and miles to be completely supportive and loving with each other.

As we sat together having coffee this weekend, I felt such contentment being with them. I studied each of their faces as we talked and I was flooded with memories. I haven't been able to spend much time with my brother for the past year and I've missed him so much. I watched him talk and laugh and the reality that he is now a man hit me. When I married, he was almost fourteen and still in middle school. I think I've tried for almost nine years to keep him there and he's now a grown man with responsibilities and facial hair.

The three people at that table with me on Sunday know me better than anyone except for Big Daddy. They have seen me at my best and at my worst. They've loved me through both. I count on them to be honest with me, even if it isn't pretty. In the past year, there have been a few times when family issues have come up and you know what? We've rallied and become one heck of a team through it. We've been through things together that could have ripped us apart as a family but instead, they made us closer. My sister said something this weekend as we left Starbucks that stuck in my heart and will be my prayer for my own children.

She said, "No matter what we were going through or how hard things got when we were growing up, I always knew it would be fine because we had each other."

I needed to hear that reminder at that moment. As adults, we have our own families, we get busy and life gets in the way but I needed to be reminded that it's worth it to make the effort to remain close. For me, that means more trips out of state (or country depending on where we live next) and more phone calls, cards and emails. It's so worth it.

Good Enough Mom

2008-09-30T20:25:00.003-04:00

Today was a crappy day. The kind of day where one thing after another keeps going wrong. Any one of those things wouldn't be enough to ruin your day but add them all together and you get a day when you'd rather just go back to bed and start over.

After struggling through the day, we got to the critical point that comes every afternoon: after school but not yet dinner time. During this time ever single day, the little people in my house fall apart.

"She hit me!"

"He is looking at my stuff!"

"I need pribacy (privacy) and she won't leave me alone!"

"He stole my toy!"

You get the picture. We were at that point this afternoon when I decided to join the ranks of the Tired and Falling Apart. I separated the kids and forbid them to even look at each other. I stomped my foot. I pointed my finger. I yelled.

Oh yes, I did.

When I finally left the room to make dinner, they were playing nicely together. It was then that the guilt set in. I lost my cool over my kids acting like...kids. It has always been a pet peeve of mine to see adults chastise kids because they aren't acting like adults. I have sworn never to do it. Yet, here I was standing in my kitchen on the verge of tears because I allowed a bad day to get the best of me.

I'm not saying that I'm usually perfect or that I never lose my cool. Let's be real. It's just that I knew as I stood there that my meltdown earlier was because of me and not because of anything they did or didn't do.

By the time Big Daddy got home, I explained the whole thing to him near tears.

"This doesn't make you a bad Mom," he offered.

I knew this. I really did.

As Moms, we tend to beat ourselves up over the tiniest of decisions, words and actions. We expect nothing short of perfection from ourselves and when we don't deliver (because it's impossible!) it takes forever to get over it and move on.

The difference between being a Good Mom and a Good Enough Mom is realizing that you messed up, apologizing for it and moving on. I spent the afternoon feeling like Good Enough Mom was miles above me. I assure you that tonight I will fall asleep thankful to be a Good Mom.

Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Kindergartners

2008-09-29T13:18:00.002-04:00

Alternate title: Things That They Don't Tell You When You Give Birth

So, I know you're all tired of my ranting about how emotional I am now that Sister is spending all day at school and I promise that this isn't the same type of rant. It may be a distant cousin of that rant but it's not the same.

Let me give you a quick review of the things that are being discussed in our house now that we have a child in Kindergarten. Things I thought wouldn't come for a few more years.

We don't kiss boys at school. It pains me to type this and I can't provide many more details for fear of breaking down and needing one of you to come over and pick me up from the sobbing mess I'll become. There is a boy that has asked my daughter to be his girlfriend. She promptly told him that she wasn't allowed to be a girlfriend until she's 28 because her Daddy said so. He then asked if maybe someday they could get married. She said she would think about it. Then, she kissed him. It was just on the arm but people, it took her five full minutes to get to that part of the story and by that time I was hyperventilating. Oy.

It's ok to be "girlfriend" to a girl. Ok, wait. I definitely will elaborate on that one. Sister has a good friend at school who one day called her "girlfriend" in a way that was like, "Hey girlfriend, let's head over to the monkey bars." Sister, sticking to her guns on this rule, explained that she can't be a girlfriend until she's at least 28. I'm not sure we ever actually told her this but hey, at least she's trying to remember something we taught her while she's out ~~kissing boys~~ learning physics and phonics.

Sometimes boys are mean to you because they like you. The first two weeks of school, we thought we had a bully situation on the playground and Sister was upset about it. I was furious that this was happening so early and I went to chat with the teacher about it. Turns out, it's the boy from the first rule up there and he was just being, you know, a boy. Also, he's being a boy when he runs to hug her goodbye every day and asks her to marry him. Is it wrong to wish I could send Brother to school with her to beat this kid up?

For the love of all things holy, stop rolling your eyes. Stop saying words that aren't allowed here but happen to be just dandy at the house of your friends. Stop acting like everything I say is wrong. (Seriously, she went from believing every word that came out of my mouth to doubting me when I say ANYTHING. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even believe I'm her mother anymore.)

I did get a glimpse of the girl I used to know this weekend when she came and curled up next to me on the couch to snuggle while we watched a movie. That night, we were talking about our favorite part of the day and she assured me that her very favorite part of every day is her snuggle time with me. I'm holding on to that, little girl, I'm holding on to that so tightly.

I wanted to tell you all, I'm over at Beth's place (I Should Be Folding Laundry) today guest posting while she's away. Take a look!

Precious Girls (Prizes to be won!)

2008-09-23T21:38:00.002-04:00

**I'm extending this contest because the post didn't show up on Bloglines and other readers until it was almost over. So, you still have time to enter and tell others!

Have you heard about the Precious Girls Club? It's something new from the makers of Precious Moments and it's geared totally to girls ages 4-8 years old.

I recently received a book from the series of Precious Girls books to review and several to share with friends. A Little Bit of Faith is a short and simple chapter book that tells the story of a sweet girl named Katie who needs a little help getting used to the new town where her family just moved. The book is sweet and I knew before I even started reading it that my five year old girl would love it. What I didn't know what that her three year old brother would also be drawn into the story...don't tell his Dad!

The Precious Girls club is so much more than a book series. You can sign your daughter up online to take part in the "club" and do some pretty cool things. Having recently been introduced to using the computer at school, (Kindergarten, people! Oh how times have changed!) my daughter can't wait to see what this is all about. Once she joins, she can take part in many safe and age appropriate activities. There is a virtual world (think Sims for the grade school set) where your daughter can build her own room, visit the chapel and do good deeds for others. As she does these things, she earns Virtue Charms that will allow her to see that her good deeds pay off. There are also games to play, craft ideas with clear instructions and coloring pages to print.

Now, let me be the first to say that I am leery of my children (at their age) being online. I've managed to avoid the Webkinz craze thus far with Sister and this will be our first time trying something like this out. One thing that brings me peace of mind is that when Daughter joins, Mommy joins. I get to see everything she does and as she earns Virtue Charms, I can discuss what they mean with her. I can also send her encouraging messages through the site.

There is so much more to the Precious Girls Club but I'm going to let you explore it for yourself! Thanks to Mom Select, I have two A Little Bit Of Faith books to give away to you! I also have 10 cards with a membership code for the Precious Girls Club site! If you win the book, there is already a code inside for this so you won't need it!

In order to win, go poke around the site and let me know what you think. I'd also like to hear what you think about letting our kids be online and what age you deem that appropriate. Let's talk about this because as I said before, I'm still in the learning process of it all!

Leave your comment (with a valid email address, please) on this post before midnight on Thursday, October 2 and you'll be entered to win. If you Twitter or blog about the contest, linking back to this post, you will get more entries! Just leave separate comments telling me that you did so and give me a link. Thanks and good luck!

Hey Mama, Welcome to the 80's

2008-09-21T20:42:00.007-04:00

As a child of the 80's, you'd think I would be thrilled as I take notice of the fashion trends that are making a comeback from the fair decade of my childhood. You'd think wrong.

First, my body isn't the pre-pubescent wonder that it was in the 80's. (Try to contain your shock.) Therefore, you won't find me donning the floral leggings that are all over my local Target.

Of course, they wouldn't be quite as flattering as these beauties I ran across at Express:

I'm not going to point out how the Target model is more 2008 me and the Express model is more "Maybe someday but probably not until I'm in Heaven" me. Nope, not even going to mention that.

Next up: Argyle. It's back, baby. Drag out that sweater that you wore in your 5th grade school picture and you're high fashion. Of course, I'd have to gap up my bangs the way my Mom did for my school picture to really feel the memories but I don't want to talk about that, either.

Yes, I'm feeling right at home with these trends. They take me back to a time when life was carefree. A time when the only concerns I had were if I finished my math homework or if the zit on my chin would go away before Monday. Those were the days. Wait a second, I wonder if that zit on my chin is gone away yet?

What are some trends you'd like to see come back? Some you'd like to see disappear forever? Personally, I'd love to see the skinny jean quickly disappear and never come back.

Now excuse me while I drag out my leggings, jean skirt, argyle sweater and jelly shoes.

**Click any of the above pictures to be taken to the page where you can buy them. You know, if you're inclined to do something like that. This is not a paid endorsement. Trust me.

Grocery Shopping With a Three Year Old

2008-09-17T12:20:00.002-04:00

Brother has become my grocery store companion lately and for the most part, he's awesome in that role.

No matter where we are, Brother loves to engage people in conversation and tell them stories. Since we shop at the commissary on base, we encounter a lot of senior citizens who have retired from the military. They always show Brother extra attention and he loves every second of it.

Before I continue, I'm just going to throw in a little tidbit of information about Brother. He only has one level of volume and that is LOUD. Now that I've put that out there, let's move on.

This morning as we did our shopping trip, an elderly gentleman approached Brother and asked how he was doing.

"Good, thanks!"

As the man patted his head and walked away, Brother turns to me.

"MOM, HE ONLY HAD ONE TOOTH. WHY DOES HE ONLY HAVE ONE TOOTH? WHERE ARE HIS OTHER TEETH?"

I tried to distract him with Disney character shaped graham crackers but he wasn't having it. He just needed to know. Everyone around giggled except the man, who didn't turn back to look at us and I'm just praying that he didn't hear.

Two minutes later, we were in the meat aisle. I'm browsing the hamburger sales and Brother decides it's time for a little heart to heart.

"Mom, why don't you ever pray to God?"

Looking around to make sure our Pastor isn't shopping today, I say, "Son, of course I pray to God."

"YOU DO?"

"Yes, Brother, I do."

"Well, I think you need to stop right now and pray with me."

"Brother, you really want to pray in the grocery store?"

"Yes. I think you need to pray right now and ask God to give us a baby. We need a baby. And, a pet. So, let's pray now."

Ya'll, I wish I was making this up. By the time this conversation was over, I expected people to start kneeling and laying hands on me in the hamburger section. They were so engaged that I had to smile and run away to keep from taking part in the "Ask Jesus for a baby and a dog" party that was about to take place.

Dear Lord, I pray that I can get my shopping done from now on when Brother is in preschool. Amen.

Strangers

2008-09-14T21:00:00.000-04:00

Remember the days when kindergarten was all about recess and coloring? Going to elementary school was fun and you always felt safe. Those days are behind us.

Recently, Sister came home from school talking about a drill they did that day. She was excited to explain it to me but couldn't remember what it was called. After a guessing game on my part (Fire? No. Tornado? No. Hurricane? No.) she just described what they did.

Without describing the whole thing, I'll tell you that it was in preparation for the worst thing I can imagine happening. It was an Intruder Drill. My Kindergartner was practicing for what they'd do if a "stranger" came into the school and they needed to be safe.

As she talked about it, I felt a tightness forming in my chest. Hot tears were welling in my eyes. I am so thankful that the school has the foresight to practice this. Yet, I'm extremely sad that it's necessary. I'm glad that she viewed this drill as something routine and even a little fun. Yet, I'm panicked to think that I need to have a discussion with her about why this was necessary. She's five. There is such an innocence in her thinking and I don't want to rob her of that. It will be stolen away by the craziness in this world very soon and I'm trying to cling to it for as long as I can.

I've thought about this a thousand times since she told me and I hate where the thoughts take me. I'm comforted by two things. Most importantly, I know Who she really belongs to. I know that nothing will happen to my children that will surprise God. Secondly, she told me that her teacher made them a promise. When she told me, I felt a strange sense of calmness.

Her teacher said, "I promise you that I'm not going to let anyone into this room who shouldn't be here." I believe her. She's a mom. I was once a teacher. We are two women who would do anything to protect the children given to us, no matter what.

Review: Noodleboro Games

2008-09-13T14:17:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the fabulous ladies over at Mom Central, I recently had the opportunity to try out a new game by Playskool. The Noodleboro games are all about helping teach your kids some important lessons while sneaking in a little fun family time. The game we received was The Picnic Basket game and it was perfect for my picnic obsessed kids! Our game focused on teaching manners but there are also games that teach sharing and listening skills.

The premise of the game is simple. At their turn, the child has to use manners to be able to play. Before taking a token from the picnic basket to match their picnic items, they must ask using "please". After they have taken their token, they must respond with a "thank you". After the first round, my kids found this hilarious. Each time they'd utter their "please" and "thank you", they would giggle incessantly. They also laughed when I lost each game and kept pulling the ants out of the basket but that was a different kind of laugh. It also wasn't good manners. Ahem.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this series of games if you are trying to appeal to the under six set. My son is three and it was simple enough for him even though the recommended age begins at four. It was easy and fun while helping us to remember to use our manners! I will be picking up the other two to add to our collection because we play games like these often around our house.

Pa Pete

2008-09-09T20:12:00.003-04:00

Thirty one years ago, I was born to a seventeen year old girl. My mom was young and unsure of what the future would hold for the two of us. There were two people who were absolutely sure that they that would take on whatever role necessary to secure a good life for me.

My Grandparents were amazing people. From the moment I was born, they were helping with every aspect of my raising. They faced choices that it pains me to think about when they learned that their oldest daughter was sixteen and pregnant. The choice they made was to support her and as a result, to support me.

I called them Mamaw and Pa Pete. While they were both very special to me, I found myself driving today with tears rolling down my cheeks because the words of a silly country song reminded me of something funny that Pa Pete used to say. I missed him as much that moment as I did the day after he died in my arms over thirteen years ago.

I've heard that the Pa Pete that existed before I was born was a stark contrast to the man he became after I came along. His children remember him as a tough and often unemotional man. They say that the image I have of him is viewed through rose colored glasses. Perhaps that is true but my memories are just that...mine.

I remember him as a man who loved to be with me. We didn't need an occasion. We didn't need to talk, though we often did. We just needed to be together for me to feel the love he had for me. When I was a kid, I'd tag along anywhere he needed to go just to have a few minutes of him all to myself. We'd stop for a fast food breakfast and I'd laugh at the funny things he'd say. His sense of humor was the best. He was gentle but firm. He was loving and kind. I don't remember him ever being angry with me or punishing me yet my biggest fear in life was letting him down. That didn't come from a real fear of him but rather from respect for him. His fiery red hair and fair skin were so beautiful to me. I have him to thank for my freckles, pale skin and sometimes feisty personality.

I get teased often in our family because I'm one of the only people who ever got what I wanted just by asking him. I knew that if my parents said no, I could call Pa Pete and my wish would be granted. Isn't that what Grandparents do? There was a time when I went shopping with my Grandparents and I saw a stuffed monkey that I loved. That thing had the wildest hair and when you squeezed it, he made the most awful monkey sound. My Memaw rushed me on past it and told me I didn't need it. Pa Pete followed without saying a word. A few weeks later, Christmas morning came and the last gift passed was to me. No one knew about it until he brought it out of his closet. Bought and wrapped all by himself, he presented with me something he wanted me to have because he'd seen the way it made me giggle several weeks before. No one knew how or when he did it. He didn't want any accolades for doing it. I get teased to this day about Petey (the name I gave the monkey) and my ability to wrap Pa Pete around my little finger.

The day we found out that he had cancer ranks among the worst days of my life. It was the summer before my senior year of high school and he'd had an awful cough for weeks that just wouldn't subside. We finally convinced him to go to the doctor, something he rarely did. The diagnosis was lung cancer and my world changed in an instant. From that moment, it took so little time for my Superman to become very weak and ill from the treatment, more than the cancer itself. My view of him never changed. He was still Superman but now I got to take a turn and do things for him. I could have never done enough to repay all of the things he'd done for me but I was willing to try.

Often, I'd get to drive him to and from doctor appointments. One day after an appointment, he asked me to take a turn that wasn't on our way home. I didn't question him, I just took each turn as he directed. Soon, we were in front of his former workplace. I took a parking spot away from the front and we sat there. I asked if he wanted to talk and he didn't. He just needed to see that things were going ok without him. We sat in silence for a few minutes and through tears, he told me he was ready to go home.

Within the next week, he handed me an envelope and gestured for me to take it without questioning. I opened it to find money in a neat stack. He told me that he knew that the deposit on my dorm room for college in the fall was coming due and he wanted to pay it. I tried to hand it back and he simply held up one hand and said, "I'm doing this." What those words really meant to me were, "Please let me do this. I'm so proud of you but I won't be here to see your dreams of attending college come true and this is all I can do to be a part of it."

A very short time later, I came home from work and sat down on the footstool in front of his spot on the couch. He seemed to be doing so much better than he had been in the previous days, even joking with me a little. I filled him in on my evening and went to bed. A few hours later, my Memaw woke me to say that he had fallen and she needed help to get him up. I went into the living room and he was laying on the floor. I sat next to him and he leaned over into my lap. I knew that he didn't need help getting up. I just needed to hold him. And so, I held him. He took his last breath with my arms wrapped around him so tightly, afraid to let him go.

Forgive me for the length of this but this could well be the first time I've put all of these thoughts, memories and emotions together in the thirteen years since his passing. For years, I couldn't get through the anniversary of his death without mourning all over again. Today as the thoughts of him flooded my memory, I realized that I hadn't been sad at his memory in a long time. That broke my heart but I know he wouldn't expect me to sit around mourning so many years later. I realize that I've become who he dreamed I'd be. I truly believe that when his teenage daughter came home and announced that she was pregnant, he knew that his responsibility was to give me a future. He held up his end of the bargain and sincerely hope I'm holding up mine.