What's for dinner....

....some days I just don't know what to make for the kids for dinner.....pizza, chicken nuggets, pasta.....???? Boring....same old, same old! I just want a quick, easy dinner that is HEALTHY! That is TASTY! Is that hard to ask? I have discovered that ground turkey can be a winner in more than one way....turkey meatballs, turkey burgers, baked ziti with turkey sauce....I have also learned of a really great salmon cake recipe....I have yet to try that one....rotisserie chicken from Costco is a good one....but by the time dinner time comes around, I don't know about you moms out there, but I cannot think anymore. Hubster and I eat later and we don't want the kids to eat that late because they need to digest, so, here I am making my 5th meal of the day, and dinner is the most difficult...ugh...they have to eat, right? LOL.....well, it is time to go make dinner for the kids, so, over and out....

What happens when....

.....you just want to give up? I want so much to be the best mom that I can for my kids, and I expect my husband to do the same, and I just feel like he is lazy. I feel like so many women that I know are stronger than men. We carry and bare the children, we basically raise them, we set the standard for the values, all I ask is that we live the same standard that we expect of our children, I don't understand why he does  not understand that. I am hurt that he does not hear this from me. I don't want my kids to grow up in a broken home or a home where mom and dad are not "in love" or loving each other. I find it difficult to be close when he does not live up to the standard that he knows I want to uphold. I am at a crossroads right now. I hope that it all works out, because I do not want to hurt my kids. It sure is not easy to be the ones trying not to follow in the footsteps of both or our parents.

Where were you tens years ago.....

...today? I remember very clearly what transpired that day for me. I had just woken up to get ready for work, my husband of ONE month (exactly) and I turned on the news to check out the weather, etc., and could not believe our eyes. In horror, we watched the news of the twin towers being struck by a plane, then the other, then the pentagon, then heard of the plane going down in PA......it was absolutely unbelievable. Unbelievable. Unreal. Our workplace was closed down for the day, much like the rest of the U.S. As we spent the day absorbing the news, loving and appreciating what we had, taking it all in, pondering the repercussions of these violent actions taken against our nation...what we going to happen next? Who did this? Why? Why? Why? Then to be at war for the past ten years....and here we are today, as if it happened just yesterday. We will never forget, I will never forget. It is a moment in time, that will forever be embedded in my mind. I am thankful to be here, in this wonderful and free country.....I am thankful for my loved ones, and that I have a small piece of the world with a roof over my head, and a beautiful family, all thanks to our troops protecting and serving us. For that, I am forever grateful....so, I will take a moment of silence today, at 9:11PM, PST, to say a little prayer and light a candle as a small token of appreciation......

The beginning of school is like....

....a tsunami! A good friend made this analogy to me on Wednesday, and it was like a light bulb. All of the paperwork, the sign-ups, the new carpools, the activities: soccer, football, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, play dates, packing the lunches, the PTA meetings, the back to school nights, the room mom meetings, the beginning of the school fundraiser that I am chairing....etc....the list goes on and on. I just want it to be summer again! I am an organized person, I make lists, I am neat....not this month....my house is a mess, I am exhausted, and I don't know when I will be able to get it all together....there are birthday parties, sports photos, visitors coming.....no end in site. But you know what...my life is so full of joy, friends, family, and although my cup runneth over, I am so lucky to have this life!!!!

How can you prepare for life's...

......hand outs that you were just not prepared to deal with? It is with a heavy heart that I am going to talk about the loss of an amazing person today. My friend, Kristin George Porter, is now at rest after a short battle with cancer. No battle is short, it is all relative. She only found out last April, 2010. She had been treated and was doing well....I only found out in December of 2010. She started not to feel well again at the beginning of 2011. She was being treated, however, things did not seem to be working....she had an amazing 40th birthday celebration...her husband surprised her with a trip of a lifetime. Then, there was a tumor found on her brain which was removed on Friday, June 24, 2011. Success....however, the cancer of the liver was too much for her body to bear. She lost her battle today, Tuesday, June 28, 2011. She made a trip out to CA earlier this year to visit family, I asked her if she could visit again. She emailed me when she got back and said that she was very much needing to rest....her body was very tired. But promised next time......next time......next time......there is no next time. I held on to that and had so much hope that she was going to win the battle....she did not. Now, her beautiful soul is in heaven....we are all just shells, and our souls live on forever....until next time, Kristin....I love you, and hope that Brian, Elise and Gardner will be at peace now that you are not suffering. Thank you for being in my life, it is that much richer for it.

Girlfriends....

....really GET you.....I am SO thankful that I have the most amazing friends! About a year and a half ago, I thought that I would put together a monthly event where women would get together, talk, eat, drink and be merry SANS hubby and kids. We call it "GNI" aka Girls' Night In. The idea is that we don't spend a lot of money, we all get to know each other, we all talk about kids, hubby, life, jobs, what-have-you, and get to have some time to ourselves. As a matter of fact, last night was the June GNI, and one of my friends said that this was just about the only time she gets out. For a lot of moms, it is true. I have to say, that last night, I had the most amazing discussion with a dear friend of mine....such a great conversation that I now have a girl crush (lol), she is just an amazing soul....she has a heart of gold, she has an amazing drive for life, and her family, and her friends, I just love her. This is a thank you to her for being just what I needed last night because I almost didn't go....so glad that I did. She nailed it....she is the one that turned it into a great time for me. All of the women who go are amazing! Each time, it is a little bit of a different group, which makes it so much fun. Thank you ladies for participating and making a little something to look forward to each month! I am so thankful for my girlfriends!!!! ;)

When you have pulled out....

....all of the stops, what now? My daughter who is 5 1/2 years old, has been having nightmares. My husband and I were at a concert on Sunday night, and I received a text from the babysitter that she was having nightmares. I texted back to let her sleep in my bed, by the time we texted back and forth, she was sound asleep in the living room next to the sitter on the couch with all of the lights on in the house. So, the next night, she wanted to fall asleep with the lights on in her room, we let her. The next night, the same, and we let her. Tonight, she came into the living room where hubster and I were finishing dinner, and announced that she must sleep between us. We told her no, and that she needed to go back to bed but she was not having it. I told her that she could push the "magic button" that puts a "magic protective bubble" around the house....then I thought, what is going to be the button? So, I went into my night stand and found an OOOOLLLLDDDDD massager that I use to use with the hubster pre-marriage, pre-kids...of course the batteries were dead....I brought it into her, and let her push the button. I tried taking her to bed, and telling her all about the birthday parties coming up, the beach days coming up, the friends over coming up, and she only had questions about how to get through the bubble, and does the bubble know us, and does the bubble let in police guys, and does the bubble let in our friends, etc.....she will not go to sleep...now hubster is in there...wish us luck....this is a new one for us. Our 8 1/2 year old son never did this one...

What to do, what to do...

....what to do this summer with the kids? I really just want to PLAY!! The beach is beckoning for sure. Last summer was not that great for beach days, but that is where I want to be! Wednesday is the dedicated day for the beach....free movie day, parks, picnics, Wilderness Park, aquarium, vacation....ahhhhhh. I am ready for school to be finished. It was a long, busy year. I am tired....I cannot wait to sleep! I figured since my daughter is starting kindergarten this fall, I am not going to place them in camps or have schedules. I am looking forward to my Mondays of teaching, and every other Friday of working with kids at the Botanical Gardens! It will be the perfect balance of just a little me time, making my own money, and having fun with the family! That is all for now....summer dreaming is only a few days away! There are only 7 1/2 school days left!!! Ahhhh.....

Some days you just want to....

......scream because your children frustrate you, but most days you just melt, adore, admire, love, die for your children. I know this may sound silly, but I just experienced my daughter's first dance recital was this past Sunday and I could not have been more proud! I asked to just have fun on stage and to put a big smile on her face, and SHE DID!!! I thought that my 5 year old was going to be terrified! She was AMAZING!!!! I literally had to hold back the tears. Who knew that having children could and would be the most amazing experience in life. There are more times during a week, a day, an hour, that my kids amaze me. It is the most satisfying thing to watch them grow, to watch them choose what they would like to experience for themselves. My 8 year old son just finished taking keyboard class, and he really has a good ear! He LOVES music, this afternoon at the end of his last class, the kids put on a little performance for the parents. I could not have been more proud of him either, although he only performed in front of about 25 people and my daughter performed in front of about 800 people, they both made me so proud!!! Thank you God, karma, life for giving me these two beings, I don't think I could love anyone any more than I do these two creatures! I look forward to seeing who they turn into, however, I do not want it to go by so quickly!!! Slow down, Father Time!!!!

So when do you know....

....when to "stick your nose in" and give advice to your children? My son, who is 8 years old, and in second grade, was having an issue with his buddies. One of them has on three occasions to my knowledge, said to him, "You are not my friend anymore....I am breaking up with you...." He usually takes things in stride, but this time, there was a big issue. I tried to gently guide him on how to handle this situation. Some had told the friend that my son said he was mean.....which was not something that my son would say because this friend is a dear friend. So, someone lied, and it caused a ripple affect. I told my son to call his friend and tell him that he would never say that and that it was not true. They made up, then I encouraged my son to confront the person who lied, and he did, and that child said that my son did say that. I just do not want to get into the minutia of it all. How do you teach your children to cope with situations. I suggested that he just state the truth however to be nice about it. I told him that he needs to stand up to what is right, and not let people say things. Luckily, my son is very matter-of-fact, so, he usually takes things well. However, he did express to me that he was very hurt when the "break up friend" broke up with him on another occasion, he was very hurt. I told him that he should just try to be nice, tell the truth, and not let people treat you badly because you do teach people how to treat you. I told him not to settle for someone saying something false about him. As it turns out, there were issues with one friend being jealous and not wanting the other friend to expand his friendship circle which included my son. I told my son to just try to be inclusive, not exclusive, and try to be understanding as to how others may feel......possibly left out for example. He usually does.....but now, he was the victim of the nay-saying. I told him to just be "you" and you will be OK. If you have trouble with words or expressing yourself to ask me or Daddy, as we do not want him to have hurt feelings. I asked him to always try to work out any problems that may occur as we do not want anything to escalate. I need a glass of wine.....it is not easy being a parent these days....boy, do I sound like my mother....lol.....

Do you have....

.....a bucket list? I definitely have wishes and dreams, but some of them seem ridiculous. You tell me.....the first one is to meet Bono, of course, if you know me, than you know this! Actually, the real dream would be to meet Bono THROUGH Oprah......a double dip! I always wanted to be a singer in a band, I always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride, I have always wanted to go to Majorca, Spain, I have always wanted to raise amazing children......well, I guess I can look at the things I HAVE accomplished on my bucket list which are that I always wanted to run in a long race, I did  a half marathon in between having my son and my daughter. I have always wanted to be an art teacher to young children, which I sort of created my own job, I will be working two days a week next year teaching to preschoolers, this year was one day per week...I LOVE it! I have always wanted to live by the ocean, and I have an amazing ocean view from my house! I have always wanted to be married to my best friend, and viola! I also always wanted to have beautiful, healthy, smart children......and somehow, I accomplished that as well! I think that it is great to have goals, as it gives you something to work towards!! U2 is coming to CA in a month.....maaaaaaaayyyyyybbbeeeeee I will get to meet Bono when I go to the concert in June!!!!

When life throws you curve balls...

....what do you do???? Sometimes life is crazy and throws you a curve ball. Here is a perfect example. One of my best friends of my life has been dealing with kidney disease since she was in her early teen years. Her mom, fortunately, was able to be a donor for a healthy kidney which was great! It gave her an opportunity to have a wonderful, relatively healthy 20+ years. Well, her original kidney transplant was when she was 15 years old. Well, when you have a kidney transplant, the kidney only lasts about 20 years. Of course, when my friend turned about 35, she started to not feel so well, sure enough, her kidney started to die. Well, she was placed on the transplant list and had to prepare her body for 3x's per week of dialysis. She had to quit her job and move to the east coast because the list was shorter than where she was living. LUCKILY, she was called a week and a half ago to come in for a transplant. We are hoping and praying that the kidney takes to her body. There is so much involved.....additionally, my sorority little sister was faced with devastating news about a year ago - she was diagnosed with a rare cancer. She has persevered, however, she is facing difficult times right now. It really makes you realize your own mortality. Two of the best people that I know have faced such difficulties, and they both are amazing hearts, and I am so blessed to have them in my life. If ever you have a bad day, just realize how lucky you are. I know times are tough right now, however, it could be worse. Please pray and send your best to these two amazing women and anyone in your life that may be facing similar circumstances. I know that my life would not be as rich had I not encountered my amazing Melissa and Kristin....xoxoxoxo

Wasn't my baby just born?

I feel like my daughter, who is five years old, was just born! When the next eight weeks are finished she will be in kindergarten! Why does life seem to go by so much more quickly as you get older? There are never enough hours in the day, I never have enough arms to do what I need to, there is always a list for the next day when I go to bed, you get the gist..... My son, who seems like he was born forever ago is going into third grade after the next eight weeks are over. I never thought that this day would come when both of my kids would be in school full time! My job just recently more than doubled, so I will be very busy next year, and I just need to find the brakes on this life. The oddest thing for me was when my son was born, and I thought to myself, "Wow, I am my mother now, and my mother is my grandmother...." I am not sure how well I will take it when I am the grandmother....luckily, I have some time to wait for that one!!! I never knew what an amazing journey it would be to have my own family - my kids and my husband are the center of my world, and I could not have picked better peeps to be around everyday!!!

Just when I thought I was in the clear....

....and spring was on the way, I get another cold....or whatever it is....sick again! UGH! I guess my first year teaching art to four year olds who come to school sick is costing me this year...hopefully my immune system will toughen up for next year. I knew when I looked at about four runny nosed kids last Thursday that I may not make it through the weekend, and of course, the hubster was "stuffed up" for about three days, "I'm not sick..." kiss, kiss....ugh....thanks everyone! Maybe next winter I will just move to the Virgin Islands by myself to avoid the colds/flus/viruses/sore throats/runny noses/aches and pains....you get the gist...(I haven't said that in a while...) Anywho, I am off to get my Theraflu on....need to heat it up in the microwave. I do like the nighttime apple spice flavor...it helps me sleep too!!! Until next time....

School starts at 8:46AM.....

....and my son knocked on my bedroom door at 9:00 and asked, "Mommy, do I have school today?" I said, "Yes, of course you do...why?" He replied, "Because it is 9:00...." AWESOME.....after the initial panic set in, and I could sort of organize what needed to happen in minutes, we got ourselves out of the door in 20 minutes. Both kids were in school by 9:30....of course, I was suppose to meet a friend at 9:15 for coffee, I had to call her and tell her about my mishap....she agreed to wait for me and have a bite to eat. Of course, I had a conflict that I needed to work out with another friend....carpooling our girls to ballet, and picking up our boys from school. I usually wait for the boys and bring them to ballet, and she picks up the girls and takes them while I wait for the boys. This week, I agreed to take the girls, which meant that I would have to leave the school at 2:15. Of course, I am chairperson for Earth Day/Green Week at our school. I am taking t-shirt orders for Earth Day, today was the last day that I was able to take orders. I needed to stay until 3:30. Conflict.....so, while I was having breakfast with my friend (who was already a rain check from last week....sick daughter at home...), my phone was ringing off the hook to work out the carpool conflict. Rude....but, necessary....conflict resolved. Stress level finally going down....however, then I needed to think about collecting the t-shirt orders, and what I am going to do for a lesson tomorrow when I teach art....not prepared at all....ugh....now, it is almost 6:00PM, I am "venting", I have collected all of the t-shirt orders and changed my art lesson which is all set, stress level way low....now, I just need for my desktop computer to be fixed....supposedly tonight...and all will be well....ugh......I am SO happy to put this day behind me....!!! ;

Some times you feel like a nut....

....I can't wait until my kids have kids of their own! (Warning....a little gross....) Last night, I took my daughter to a birthday party. She had been fighting a cold all week, I kept her home in bed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday, she seemed great, so we decided to get back into the world. By Friday, she finally went back to school, her friends really missed her, but I just wanted to make sure not to "share" this cold with her friends. We had to go to a birthday party that afternoon. Well, of course, she started coughing....and coughing, and coughing, and coughing until she said that she needed to go to the bathroom where she coughed so hard that she threw up. I cleaned her up and left....we get home, and I gave her a bath, put Vick's on her chest, and feet with socks and put her to bed. Hubster and I were waiting for our son to get home from a play date. In the meanwhile, we ate dinner together, yet, daughter came out and said that she coughed herself awake. We went into the bathroom for her to cough so hard that she threw up chocolate cake all over the toilet...yes, all over the toilet, not IN it, but all over it. She mentioned that she did a little bit in bed too....I walked into her room to clean up, reached for the light and stepped in it....of course, son came home in the middle of it all.....I got it all cleaned up in the bathroom and told son to brush his teeth, but he couldn't stand the smell...so I told him to go into the other bathroom...he did, came back and got ready for bed. I cleaned up daughter's floor, took the rug outside and changed the sheets and proceeded to put everyone to bed. In the meanwhile, one bathroom smelled like vomit and the other like "stinky boy".....I did a load of laundry, tried to scrub the rug outside, in the dark and it is a shag rug, LONG shag....came back in and was finally able to sit down. No sooner did I sit down to watch some TV with Hubster that a subject came up and we got into a heated debate.....the phone rang, luckily, and I went to bed....not the best Friday evening....today is a new day. Daughter stopped coughing pretty much altogether, all of the laundry is finishing up in the dryer, the rug has been scrubbed clean...and we are off to another birthday party. Hopefully this one will go better....wish me luck.....

How do you deal with death...

.....with your child? This is a wrench that was thrown at me today....last year, my son started at a new school, he didn't really know many kids, and most of them already had their friends. My son made some friends, a few, but was bullied a little bit, and did not want to go to school. He would crawl under the covers, cry, and tell me that the lunch lady yelled at him. He made every excuse in the book. It was not an easy year...until, his friend, who was a classroom aid, a young man in his 20's, started playing basketball with him. My son would talk about his new friend, he said that his friend would lift him up so that he could slam dunk, he encouraged him to play flag football this past fall, he even came to a game....today, there was a letter sent home that my son's friend suddenly passed away. WHAT???!!! He was a young guy.....how do I explain this to my son....someone who I know gave my son the confidence to go to school, to play sports, to be a leader, and to participate. He was one of those guys that I know changed my son's life.....I am heartbroken over this loss....I never had the chance to say thank you to him. Never had the chance to say "Thank you so much for helping my son!!!" Thank you so much.....

Love what you do....

....or CHANGE what you do! It is so easy to complain about things, but if you are unhappy with your situation, do something to change it. For example, the hubster and I were "complaining" about how much money we DON'T have just about one year ago this month. How are we going to make more, what can we do to change it? I came up with an idea to give my daughter's school director a proposal to teach art in a unique way and really give quality art projects along with an explanation for the parents to understand what they are spending their money on. Additionally, the school district would save 25% on cost. She loved it, passed it along, and I was approved to begin work as of September 2010! I have LOVED every minute of it! Hubster decided to revive the youth track program in our area this past summer and had much success for the first summer! Now, we both know what to do to improve upon our programs, we are both doing what we love, while still doing what we NEED to do. I encourage you to really dig deep and figure out what you love and make something of it because you never know!

Do it for.....

...yourself!!! When I first had my two children, I would wear frumpy shorts/pants/sweatpants and t-shirts. When I would dress that way, I would FEEL that way! I made a decision about four years ago that I wanted to at least try to look somewhat decent. I started by buying some cute tops. Not just t-shirts, they were still comfy cotton, but, stylish! I started to feel better. I also took some time to put some makeup on. Not a lot, but, just a little mascara, and blush. That started making me feel better as well. Within the past year, I found some jeans that I really love, and started buying accessories that I really love! Now, I get lots of compliments on these things, and that makes me feel good. Not only did I want to start feeling good for myself, but for my husband and for my children. Who wants a rag-a-muffin for a mom? Or a wife?

Mommy brain.....

.....has this ever happened to you? Today, I was in the grocery store. I have a carabiner key chain, I ALWAYS hook it onto a ring on my purse when I get out of my car. Well, of course, I walked ALLLLLLL over the grocery store today. I get to the register, I pay, I walk out to my car to realize that my car key was GONE! WHAT???!!! I have to be at my daughter's school to pick her up in about 10 minutes. I searched my grocery bags, no key, I went back inside and asked the gal who was bagging groceries if she had seen it, no key, we walked up and down each aisle, no key, I walked over by the deli, no key, I walked back outside, no key, finally, the gal that helped me look suggested that maybe it fell out inside of my purse. I thought, well, I didn't hear it drop to the ground, I actually thought that it was caught in my fringy sweater, so, I took out my wallet, and sure enough, MY KEY! Seriously......sometimes I just wonder where my brain goes??? LOL.....

Did this happen to anyone else...

....but me??? OK, the things that your mother never told you about....well, life. But, this particular thing is from having pregnancies. My feet are huge....I use to be a size 8 or 8 1/2, now, my feet are 9 1/2 or  10.....they grew about a half size with each child. It is a good thing I only have two kids....can you imagine? Not only that, but, because I have high arches, the extra length makes my arches work harder. Therefore, I have had plantar fascitis in my left foot, (this is an extremely painful tear or strain on the tendons in your arches, in my case, they tore, if felt like bone spurs in my arches and took 14 months to heal....not fun!) and cannot run any longer (well, long distances...that is if I want to be able to walk when I am 80 years old!) Believe me, this is something that I would not wish upon anyone! No one ever told me that my feet would grow....no one ever told me that strange things would happen to my body after I had children.....the things we sacrifice for our children! Actually, I think if I did know....would I have had children? I think that women were built to "forget" child birth....otherwise, there would only be only children in the world....lol.....oh well. The benefit is that I can usually find the cute shoes in my size, because not many people I know wear a size 10!!! ;) Now, I am off on a WALK; not RUN!

I have to admit....

......I love vacation week as much as the kids! It wasn't so easy to get up this AM to go to school.....I love waking up at our leisure and having no commitments! The kids do too, but, I also have to admit, it was nice having some quiet this morning. Is that bad to say? I guess we all need to have some time to ourselves. But I still love to be able to say, "Let's go to the aquarium today!" or "Let's go to the movies today!" That is the best! I am really looking forward to the summer. It is the last summer before my daughter starts kindergarten. I feel like it is the end of a stage of my kids wanting to be with me! I plan on once a week beach day, play dates, movies, parks, zoos, amusement parks, etc! I hope that we have better weather!

They are each....

....individuals, aren't they? It is so much fun to see our children become unique. I love watching them make up their own minds, as much I as I try to persuade them one way, nope, they want it their way! For example, my son, my daughter and I were in the Lakeshore Learning store the other day. They each had $25 of their own money to spend. My son could not decide between a target game with nerf balls, or a laptop that would teach him about Astronomy, Geology, Oceanography, etc, well, of course, my vote was for the laptop. His mind was not made up. I tried to convince him to pick the laptop, which was $35, I told him that I would pay the difference. I was really trying to convince him to get the laptop. I told him that he already had a bunch of nerf guns, he replied that he already had a laptop learning game. So, of course, he went with the nerf target game. I let him make up his own mind. He earned his own money, and was set on that. So, I guess it is time to let go a bit and let them make up their own minds, unless, of course, it is illegal.....hopefully I won't ever have to deal with that ;)

I am....

....taking the day off...OK? I know that I have had the week of the kids being off from school, but, with them home, it is 24/7. Well, today, I am taking the day off, well, at least the morning until hubster has to go to work. Hubster made breakfast for the kids, did the dishes, and let me stay in bed! He made a nice pot of coffee, and I LOVE it freshly brewed. I am tired, I don't feel well, as I am fighting a little cold, and I am grumpy, OK? I love bed, and just need to stop, and take a break.....the imperfect Mommy is checking out. And, I am going to be OK with that.

Am I....

....a broken record? Am I a broken record? Am I a broken record?......Today, I was trying to have some quiet time for an hour before I was going to take the kids to the movies, and not once, not twice, not three times, but four times in an hour, I had to ask my kids to just play in their room, or the living room so that I could have some down time. You would have thought I was torturing them.....it just was an impossible task for them. I was so frustrated, that I almost cancelled our plans. However, we were meeting friends, and there was no rain check because they are leaving tomorrow for a little road trip. So, instead, my punishment for not listening is to bed a half an hour early which they both do not like at all....especially my eight year old son. Especially since we are on vacation this week. So, I am hoping the next time I ask for a little peace they will listen.....but probably not.....

The cutestest things....

....that kids say! There are times that I wish the video camera was running, so I try hard to "record things" in my brain! Some of my favorite memories of things that my kids have said still make me smile. When my daughter was about 18 months old, she would ride in her car seat, I would give her a snack with a drink and I would ask her to please make sure to put her drink in the cupholder so that she would not spill. She would reply, "Look, Mommy, my drink is in the 'hold-cupper'!" HOLD CUPPER! LOL.....love it! We still call it that. When my son was learning to count, he would count as follows, "....ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, FIVETEEN, sixteen, seventeen..." Well, it does make sense doesn't it? FIVETEEN!!! LOL.....love that one too! Recently, I was talking with my daughter about her learning to walk. She never really crawled, she went from sitting to cruising to walking. She was wondering what cruising was, I explained to her that cruising was when she would hold onto something such as the coffee table and just walk circles around it. About two or so days later, she brought up her cruising and asked, "Mommy, was it cute when I was cruising and making cir..., I mean, rectangles around the table?" LOL! So clever since our coffee table is a rectangle.... Lastly, one of the more recent things my son has done was at his flag football pizza party. The coach had given a little speech about each of the boys, and my son wanted to give a toast to everyone, he stood up in front of everyone, held his trophy high over his head and said, "Thank you everyone for playing football with me, even though we didn't win any games, we hung in there, and we will win next year, let's have a great season next time and I hope to play with you again!" LOL....I REALLY wish I had recorded that one.....I would love to hear your cute stories! Share with me on FB, comment here or email me @ jennijenmackenzie@gmail.com

Why is it....

....that we must always keep our kids so busy? I feel guilty if I am not taking my kids to the park, or on a playdate, or have them in activities all of the time, or entertaining them somehow, etc....(you get the gist)! Whatever happened to doing puzzles, or reading a book, or playing hopscotch, or riding your bike? It was so much more simple when we were kids (now I sound like my parents....ugh....oh yeah, I AM a parent....). With all of the technology today, it feels like everything is so fast pace! I don't think that I want to subscribe to an iPhone or a Smartphone or whatever because I don't always need to get a text immediately, or want to be in touch immediately, or respond right away. If someone wants to talk to me, they can CALL me, or come visit me. Besides, I am too busy trying to get to basketball or ballet, or the park, or....etc.....lol. I just like to stop, sit and be sometimes....

Never say....

...."What if...?" That is one of my mottos of life! That is what brought me to California! I was going through a rough time in my life, I was in a rut. I had just been laid off, my boyfriend dumped me, and it was RIGHT NOW 16 years ago.....I had two friends that were begging me to move out here. I said, well, hey, I have nothing better to do than go for a visit at least, and have an open mind. So, I came out here, it rained everyday I was here, so I didn't even really get to see the true beauty of the weather, but I found a temporary job, a cute little studio apartment, and picked up and moved out here two weeks later! I would not want to look back and say, "What if I never just took a chance....?" Well, I will tell you what if....I never would have met "this" hubster, had "these" children, lived in "this" house, and had all of "these" friends! It was the BEST move I have ever made. Yes, sometimes you say, I wish that I had never done that, I have one of those too (well, maybe more than one....), however, you have to at least try! I am so thankful that I took the chance!!!

The never ending to do list...

....we all have them! I was talking with a friend last night, and she said that she wished she could shut the world out for a week so that she could get organized, clean out, and finish her "to do" list and I laughed and said, "You will NEVER finish your 'to do' list!" Once we finish one thing, we add two more, it is life! We then laughed and said, yes, that is true! But, it sure would be nice to have time to yourself to do what you need to do. Of course, the priorities are always the family and whatever comes next or whatever you can fit in, or whatever you are working on and don't get distracted from to go on to something else, that is what you can get done! The hubster and I always laugh because, he will be doing something such as yard work, I will go out and say, "Honey, can you please help me hang up this photo?", of course he will, but I get him off course, because he will hang my frame, then see that he needs to fix the doo-hicky and I need the whatcha-ma-call-it so that I can put the photos in the frame, before you know it, two hours have gone by, it is too dark to do yard work, it is time to cook dinner for the kids, and we just spun our wheels! There are days when a lot gets done, but the spinner days just crack me up! Oh well!!! That is life, right?

Is it better to be a friend....

....or a parent? I struggle with this because I want my kids to "like" me...I know that they love me but they don't always like me. However, my job is to be a good parent....the other day, my son asked me if he could have a later bedtime one day. I said, "Yes, one day when you can get up in the morning on time, get ready for school, on time, and not complain about what time we get to school and how much free time you have to play before the bells rings, how about that?" He looked at me with such disdain, it almost broke my heart. I went in to tuck him in for bed, and just explained further that once he matures a little bit more, he can stay up later. He didn't know what "mature" meant, so of course, I had to explain that. Whatever happened to the days of "The answer is NO!" and they say, "Why?" and the mommy replies, "Because I am the Mommy, that is why!" and that was good enough.....ugh....rules change all of the time, techniques change all of the time, kids change all of the time, the environment changes all of the time, (you get the gist....). My job is Mommy first, then, if in the end the children like me, I guess I did an extra great job! But, kids need guidance first, believe me, I have seen first hand what lack of guidance can do to a child. So, for now, I will parent, keep being nurturing, loving, yet, firm with my kids! Happy parenting, friends!

I feel lucky......

....do you? On this Valentine's Day, I wanted to write about my hubster and our first Valentine's Day together, this is number 14. We had only been dating for about 2 1/2 months, I had a roommate, who is a dear friend to us both, now. In the two weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, he sent postcards in the mail with sayings such as, "You have a secret admirer!" "I have a crush on you...." "Let's meet soon", etc. (you get the gist ;) Eventually, I received one that said meet me at such and such a place at such and such time. Well, I arrived at Daphne's Greek Restaurant, as I approached the door, there he jumped out from behind a pillar and presented me with a dozen red roses. We then went inside for dinner, and after we ate, he presented me with a card. Inside was a pamphlet for Big Bear, he told me that we were going up to Big Bear and he was going to teach me how to ski! Now, mind you, I am from New Hampshire, and never step foot on a snowy mountain top....I was nervous, but excited at the same time! This was all leading UP to Valentine's Day, ON the actual day, he proceeded to bring over balloons, candy, heart shaped pasta and presented BOTH my roommate, and I with the balloons, candy and pasta dinner that he made for BOTH of us....so thoughtful, sweet, and romantic! Whenever it is Valentine's Day, even though it is sort of a "Hallmark" holiday, my hubster never seizes to amaze me.....he even proposed to me on Valentine's Day....that is for another blog. So, I am very thankful for my thoughtful, romantic hubster, and love to reminisce about our first Valentine's Day together! Happy Heart Day, friends!!!

There is nothing like.....

...some GIRL TIME! I know that a good lemon drop martini, salad and maybe some calamari along with fantastic girlfriends is very refreshing! Not necessarily going out is required. I started a new group just over a year ago and we call it GNI (Girls' Night In), where we have a host who supplies the libations, we each bring an appetizer or dessert, gather for an evening sans hubsters and children for a couple of hours, and revive ourselves by laughing, venting, chatting, etc... (you get the gist...) We do this once a month, each of us takes turns hosting, and at the end of the year we all go out! It is really fun, and it sure is good to do something for yourself! I love gathering with girlfriends, cousins, aunts....it is all good! East coast, west coast....where ever we are, it is the best! Make sure to make time for your girlfriends because it is GREAT for both of you!!!

Is it just me.....

....or does it feel like groundhog day, again? Didn't I just do the dishes, fold the laundry, make the beds, dust, vacuum, take out the trash, clean the house, etc. (you get the gist ~ I just had to put that in here! ;) I LOVE the feeling of it all being done, but that lasts about, oh, a minute....then the children finish breakfast, hubster finishes his coffee, takes a shower, has dirty sleeping clothes, and towels, and the next thing you know, we have to go to son's game, he makes a dirty uniform, the children play at the park after the game and come home with sand in their shoes which ends up all of the house even if they dump it out outside after I just vacuumed....sigh.....but you know what, it is all good because these are the things that make my house a home, at least that is what I keep telling myself! Let it go, it is OK to have sand on the floor, and laundry in the laundry baskets, washer and dryer (which is ALWAYS running even though there are only four people in my family, I don't understand that one, does the laundry just multiply?) The only time I feel as though my house is almost just right is when my family comes to town, and I clean, pick up, paint things, redo bathrooms, etc, like crazy! Hubster thinks I am crazy sometimes, but I do want to be proud of my home, and I want my home to be warm and welcoming! So, I will continue the groundhog day chores, and forgive myself if I leave dishes in the sink from dinner, or don't make the beds until I am done dropping the kids off at school, and only do the whites once every two weeks (luckily, hubster has a plethora of white socks!) By the way, I am sitting down to write this because I am HOT from dishes, beds, laundry, already this am! ;)

I'm just a big-boned, skinny girl...

....so I woke up today, and realized that it was Thursday. Tuesday and Thursday I meet with a fabulous group of women who I work out with. It is so great, and once I am finished the 75 minute regime I am SO happy that I attended. The getting motivated to go every Tuesday and Thursday that is the difficult part. Additionally, I have been going for 2 1/2 years, I see a difference in my strength, however, I cannot seem to get the weight off...yes, I do lose a few pounds here and there, but, I just think that the weight I am at, is where I am meant to be. I beat myself up all of the time about how I look, what to wear, what to eat, what I already ate, why did I eat that, I think I will just drink more wine because it has all gone to pot now....you get the gist (I think that this saying may be in all of my blogs....LOL!) We are even doing a "Biggest Loser" contest with our group where we each put in $20 and whoever loses the largest percentage of weight, wins the pool of money. I have lost about 5 pounds, have three more weeks to go and just feel stuck. I was mortified to even weigh in.....it seriously took everything I had to confide in my friend who logged our weight. Until this contest, I NEVER told my hubster what I weigh but by him knowing, I am accountable.....I USE to weigh 115 - 120 in high school and college, however, those days are LONG GONE! Well, I will just keep trying to watch what I eat (I only give myself one day a week a break where I can have pasta, wine, dessert, or cheat a little bit), and not beat myself up over it.....I have asked for alternate procedures on various occasions from my hubster, but he doesn't want me to, and he tells me that he loves me just the way I am. That should be enough, right? Well, I still beat myself up over it, I feel like I should be thinner, prettier, more fabulous but what I really need to do is to try to forgive myself for the extra weight, and LOVE myself for who I am. I actually do love myself for who I am, I just wish that I could look like Heidi Klum after four kids in a bikini.....but, that is not reality. So, for now, I will go have my salad for dinner and get up tomorrow, and exercise in the AM and do my best!

To go or not to go, that is the question...

Today was a challenge. As usual, my schedule was filled to the brim. Drop the kids off at school, come home and get a long walk in (as quickly as possible), change the sheets (because the hubster was home SICK and slept in the bed whilst I slept on the couch and notified me that it was "OK to go ahead and clean the room" - gee, thanks....), laundry, shower, quick lunch, pick up some ink, pick daughter from preschool, go to playdate, go to ballet, pick up son from after school science program, come home, make bed, fold laundry, feed children, check homework, clean the children.....all by 6:00PM. Now, exhausted, do I go to the Boy Scout den meeting that starts at 7:00PM with hubster at his own meeting until about 9:00PM, and knowing that I was at a PTA meeting until 9:00PM the night prior, and knowing that son has a game tomorrow night at 6:00PM while hubster has to clock a basketball game....these are the things that I juggle in my brain. Well, I decided to put my nightie on and start a blog instead. And you know what, I will forgive myself for not going, I will make up the activity that my son missed by taking my kids to "Art Zone" after school on Friday with the free tickets we got for hosting daughter's birthday party there....so, how about that....(huge sigh.....) Yes, I will forgive myself for not being everywhere, everytime! And you should too!!!

Nightie, night!