Yes, I boycotted Mother's Day. It was several years ago and I had three teenage daughters living in my home. (If any of you have teenage daughters in your home right now, you probably know where this is going.) Mother's Day was fast approaching and one of my girls asked what I wanted for Mother's Day. Unfortunately, she asked that at the end of a very long day of frustrating motherhood. It was one of those days that I wanted to put myself in "time out" so I would not have to listen to the Keep Reading...
Give Credit Where Credit is Due
Every year on Valentine’s Day, I have made sure my three girls wake up to a small gift. I always have a Mylar helium balloon, a tad bit of candy and sometimes I add a gift card or other small treat. In order to accomplish this each year, I have to get the balloon late enough at night for it to be a surprise since it’s hard to hide three balloons from three curious (and sneaky) girls. Often, I have done the late night run to the grocery store – praying they aren’t sold out of balloons. Some Keep Reading...
Cussing in the Rain
I have a friend whose faith is very solid. She prays with her four kids every morning, is involved with many activities at church, reads her Bible regularly and has an active prayer life. She is what many of us would call a “model Christian” – if there could be such a thing. Last Sunday, my friend, (we will call her Martha to protect the innocent) bid farewell to her husband for nine months as he deployed to Iraq. After a tearful good-bye, she took the four kids to church and then home to Keep Reading...
My Claim to Fame
After moving to a new town and looking for a way to make new friends, I was delighted when my neighborhood decided to start a Bunko group. I had been a part of my previous Bunko group for fourteen years before we moved. Though some of the faces in the group changed throughout the years, the core group stayed the same. One of the gals even moved away for two years and then came back in when she moved back. My previous Bunko group gave showers to those having babies, took care of each Keep Reading...
Failing my Wedding Vows?
This past August, my husband, Jack, and I celebrated 25 years of marriage! A good friend of mine was at my house one day and since the guest bathroom was occupied, I told her to use mine. She came out of my bathroom laughing and holding a picture frame. Years ago, I framed our wedding vows and hung them in our bathroom. I know that might seem strange but it seemed like a good place to hang them since we would see them daily and not many others would see them at all. Back to my friend: Keep Reading...
Road Trip and Limp Hair
This summer, I loaded my suburban - my suburban with 220,000 miles on it – for a fifteen hour drive to Colorado. At 10:30 in the morning, one of my daughters' friends arrived at our house and added her bags to our pile before starting the actual loading process. We stuffed the luggage carrier on top of the car first then fit the suitcases in the back like puzzle pieces. The four of us and two dogs backed out of the driveway on time. Woohoo! On time. We drove across town, picked up another Keep Reading...
Owls and Chickens
As I prepare to ship out for my 25 year anniversary trip, I thought this would be appropriate to share ~ For all of my child-rearing days, I’ve been a night owl. When I worked full-time outside my home, I was more likely to hit the hay when my husband did. Then I had kids! My whole life was turned upside down - especially my sleep schedule. After the kids went to bed, that was my time. I would like to say that when the kids went to bed that it was “our” time but, to be honest, Keep Reading...
A Derailed Day
Today’s post is for my friend whose day was derailed by one quick phone call. I think we have all heard the joke or read the e-mail about the man who comes home and the house is a mess, the kids are still in their pajamas running all over the house, dinner is not even a thought and as he opens his bedroom door he finds his wife still in bed from the morning. When he asks her what she is doing, she calmly puts the Bon Bons down and replies, “You know all those times when you’ve asked me what I Keep Reading...
Meat Skewers and Leg Casts
It seems like most parents have categories for each of their children. You often hear them refer to their kids as the clumsy child, the athletic child, the child with allergies, or the smart one. When my girls were little and a group of mothers would get together, you would often hear someone refer to a child as “a climber,” “a good sleeper,” “a good eater” or “a picky eater.” I have been guilty of referring to one of my daughters as “the one who throws up a lot.” And I usually have a mom in the Keep Reading...
Chicken Poop in My Garden
I love having a vegetable garden. I love the idea of planning my dinner by what I can get from my garden. For years, my husband did not share my enthusiasm for a garden. He would often say that his garden was at the nearby grocery store and it didn’t require any sweat or strained muscles. Years ago when we moved into our new home, good friends of ours were putting in their garden. All of a sudden, my husband was interested. Once it became a competitive event, he was very helpful in the Keep Reading...