Refresh. Regrow. Renew.

Just Hold On

2011-10-27T07:38:00.001-05:00

For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.

Though he brings grief,

he will show compassion,

so great is his unfailing love.

For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

Lamentations 3:31-33

It is a terrible thing when we have to suffer. We feel lost and alone with no end of relief in sight. It is here in this defining moment when we must chose the path we will take. Do we turn to our buddies Jack and Jose', maybe even MaryJane? Do we run screaming from our troubles at dangerous speeds? Many of us do. But where does it lead? It usually takes us to places that will only bring more suffering which as I look back on my life, seems rather stupid. I have been to those places many times and never have they helped me, they only bring me closer to the darkness. Then there is the other path. Jesus. Do we turn our troubles over to Him? Do we beg for forgiveness? Do we reach out to others for help? This is how we find relief. Will this fix our troubles though? Perhaps not, but by turning to Jesus we will be strengthened, refreshed and encouraged. We will be able to endure whatever comes our way. This theme has been surfacing lately through church and through my own journey through the bible telling me not that my suffering will end but showing me how to find joy, love and hope through this suffering. So hold fast to God's word throughout each and every day.

Dandelion Doesn't Live Here

2011-10-21T07:47:00.000-05:00

Its been awhile since I have visited. Perhaps with a shiny new laptop, the completion of homeschool and the addition of meds I will visit more often. Its been such a roller coaster lately, but oh so good. I was diagnosed AD/HD early this summer, after suffering from a terrible episode of depression, but with the addition of Adderall in my life everything is so much clearer. I didn't really believe I was AD/HD before starting meds but now that I have ben on them for awhile, I feel as though my life has been wasted until now. Ok, so that sounds a bit overly dramatic but I look back at my life and I can see all of the different ways that I could have felt better about my life, in my life, around my life. I thank God everyday for making me go to this saint of a doctor who actually listened to me, all my ravings and made really good decisions regarding my health. So here are some things that I have been able to do since Adderall has joyfully entered my life: clean kitchen, clean living area, begin organizing 38 years of clutter, control my temper, control my eating, lose weight (25 lbs), read the bible (at Jeremiah), be happier, be less anxious, listen when people talk, love my children more, love my husband more. I could go on but then you would need Adderall to finish it. Things are actually rough right now also. We had to say goodbye to our beloved dog Daphne. I am going to have to say goodbye to my most beautiful Princess who I have had since she was just a kitten. We just found that our other dog has a tumor. There are so many things we are also trying to get done that have overwhelmed me a bit not to mention playdates, homeschool, ballet, PE, bible study, exercise, blah, blah, blah. I wonder where I would be if I didn't have Adderall to level this crazy playing field of life. Probably sitting next to someone named Dandelion who periodically jumps up, runs around naked screaming about howling monkeys taking over the world. So I will take my meds joyfully knowing that I am okay and even with all this craziness in my life, I am really happy.

Darling Daphne

2011-09-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

You came to us at the perfect time. It was the day that our baby would have been born if allowed to live in this world, so we were feeling a little sad. Then we heard Micah whining and running around like the crazy dog she has always been. We thought it was a squirrel or a cat so imagine our surprise when we saw you from our patio. You were the cutest puppy with your big, black eyes and droopy ears and I knew that God brought you to us to help ease our suffering. You have given us more than you will ever know, filled our hearts with enormous joy and you will be forever missed my beautiful friend. We will always love you.

Daphne at 6 months

She has always loved camping.

Tim blowing kisses at Daphne.

Tim and Daphne hanging out.

Mission Tejas Campgrounds.

Posing on a stump.

Daphne at one of our last camping trips.

Me, Tiffany and Daphne.

Antshillvania

2011-06-14T07:59:00.005-05:00

Anthillvania is the story of the prodigal son told through a group of ants and was the story for the kids ballet performance this year. It was so wonderful and I loved the story. My sweet boy was a hopping bumblebee and my darling girl was a seed that grew into a flower. They were both good. Mr. Funny was so tired and I could see that there wasn't much bounce in his hop but he did great and had a great time. Little Miss Chatterbox was amazing. She dances very well, but she also did a wonderful job acting out her scene. I was really surprised at how good she was.

These are photos from the dress rehearsal.

First up are the flowers waiting quite impatiently to go on stage.

Here is my son and his future wife. She is such a funny girl.

She came up to me before the show and told me a secret, here is the conversation.

girl: I have to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell ANYONE!

me: (enter fake enthusiasium) alright, what is it?

girl: I think i am in love with Mr. Funny (my son) and its just so

riduculous that I don't want anyone to know. (laughing at self)

me: (stiffled laughter) really??!!

girl: Yes. okay, i have to go and tell a few more people!

My son's classmates, they are butterflies and so pretty!

My little seed about to sprout.

After the perfomance.

Mr. Funny with his teacher who was so great!

Miss Chatterbox with her wonderful teacher

who is also so wonderful.

Videos from the Dress Rehearsal

These first two are of Mr. Funny and his group of butterflies

He is the first one and will be easy to recognize but I didn't zoom like I meant to so they are farther away. The second one is just a short one that I was able to zoom in on quickly.

These next two are of Miss Chatterbox.

The first one they will be starting out as seeds before sprouting into their dance.

She is the yellow and orange flower in the front row.

These are funny!

Mr. Funny got a camera from a garage sale and took about 60 pictures backstage so I am posting some for his benefit.

Hippie Lost

2011-06-05T20:34:00.001-05:00

Where has she gone? Is she hiding by the river? Perhaps, somewhere hugging a tree? Sadly no, she is hiding somewhere in my mind. I can feel her beating on her metal walls begging to be released not knowing why she has been bound. How she got there, I do not know. But soon, I will discover the key and set her free once more.

Bon Appetite!

2011-05-30T09:24:00.000-05:00

My sweet darling baby made us breakfast yesterday.

Kitty Litter a'la Poo Poo.

We are willing to share.

Psalm 19:14

2011-05-29T15:36:00.001-05:00

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Lifted

2011-05-28T07:26:00.000-05:00

The fog is beginning to lift, but only slightly. Slightly is enough for now though. It started Wednesday night after I went to my first house church meeting. I was so intimidated by my surroundings. The houses in the neighborhood were stunning and huge. I kept driving looking at house after house thinking that they can't all be this lovely, then I would find another one even nicer than the last one. When I pulled up to the hosts house, I was speechless and the kids and I just stood there for a moment marveling. The inside was just as amazing as the outside complete with swimming pool, movie theater and a stunning view of the lake. Everyone was great, funny and they all seemed to get along so well. Would they like me? After all, I am a little different. As the night wore on, I knew that this group would be a good fit for me and it just felt right. The kids also liked it and now want to come every week. After the kids were in bed that night, I was reflecting on the night and realized that I was feeling happy. Whoa, back up! Where did that come from? That was the first time in months that I experienced that particular emotion. I just wanted to hang onto it but sadly, I was back to melancholy the next day. Friday I woke up and felt a little lighter, still sad but better and as the day wore on I found I could focus and concentrate on the more complicated tasks that I hadn't been able to lately and today, I feel that I can breathe. I am scared to think that I may be coming out of it because going back in is just intolerable. I only wish I knew why I sink into these depressive states but for now I am thankful for the good day I had yesterday and will be praying for the good ones to follow. Thank you Lord for seeing me through each day!

the happiest mom

2011-05-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

"I'm an optimist. I know being a mom can be messy, but I think moms can be, and deserve to be, happy."

Meagan Francis

Parenting Magazine helped author Meagan Francis put out a book called, "The Happiest Mom". She gives ten steps to be a happier mom drawing from her own experiences. Its nothing we haven't heard before but she says everything in such a way that you slap your forehead and say "Duh, why didn't I know that!" She is funny and charming. There are tests in each chapter to help figure out where we fall in certain areas, quotes from other moms and tidbits of advice. Its because of her I have decided to seek medical assistance for my depressive state which I hate but she says that we deserve to be happy and since I'm not most of the time, something has gotta give. So here is a quick rundown of her book but for the full effect go out and buy it yourself!

step one - take the easy way out
     i have been trying to make things in my life simpler but i seem to be cutting out some of the things i like to do instead. crap, time to re-evaluate.

step two - aim low and go slow
     in this chapter you learn techniques to lower your expectations. if you have been to any of my kids parties, you know that i need to memorize this chapter.

step three - trust your gut
     i have always been really good about this one also but there is alot of good info that is great for anyone who tends to worry a little too much. you know who you are.

step four - keep it real
     this is a big one for me. i miss the old me alot and realized that i have forced myself to push young, fun kathy aside and replaced her with old, fat, cranky mom. so now i am on a mission to rediscover myself and make sure that i am real with who i am with all my different roles. my daughter said that she likes my tummy because it makes a good pillow, well its still outta here but she can use it while it lasts.

step five - find your tribe
     i am lucky here because i have a great circle of friends although lately, i haven't been asking for the help i so clearly need. but i am working on it. so if you see that i need help, don't be polite to me just tell me what i need and make me do it.

step six - go with the flow
     this is so easy for me. plans change and so do i. but if you have trouble rolling with the changes then you better study this one.

step seven - make your bed
     now we hit a snag. i am better at making messes than cleaning them up.  this will be hard to do especially when i learned my life lessons from a woman who could be a feature on any hoarder television show. although, i have hired a mother's helper for the summer to help me clean out my house of all the extra stuff that i do not need. next, i will train the children to clean . . . well, maybe i better send them to another mom for that part.

step eight - have a plan
     another one that i had to read twice. planning is not my thing but i am going to try for general stuff first and see how i do. maybe i better read this one again.

step nine - look out for #1
     who is she talking about? I stay out and look at the sunset when take out the garbage and listen to pink while i wash dishes. isn't that good enough? no? well, i got my work cut out for me.

step ten - love your love life
     hmmm . . . i will revisit this one after i get on medication because i feel that i judge him too harshly at times. he really is a great guy.

We can all learn something from this book so go out and buy it, borrow it and then throw some food out for the munchkins, lock the bathroom door and learn something new about you. She also has a blog - thehappiestmom.com for more reading enjoyment.

Faking It

2011-05-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

There are days that are good, not necessarily happy, but enjoyable at least. Then there are the other days. Sitting in the back doorway with my head leaning against the wall because I can't find enough energy to consider what needs to be done for the children, for the house, for my husband. Some days I spend fighting the urge to cry. Its days like this that I practice the fine art of faking it. I pretend that I am happy and accomplished never acknowledging the word, depressed. It is not a cure but it usually pulls me up enough to get through another day. I do this on face book constantly but mostly so I don't end up throwing myself a pity party inviting those I know well and even those I don't know anymore to join in and tell me cliche' advice like, 'just pull yourself out of it' or 'cheer up, tomorrow is another day'. What do they know? Apparently, I do a pretty good job on face book. I just ran into someone that I am casual friends with who said that I was missed but is glad to see I am so happy. Ha! If she only knew that I almost started crying when she said that. But tomorrow is another day and perhaps I will cheer up and pull myself out of it.

Precious Words

2011-05-08T14:34:00.002-05:00

My mother never showed her love easily but if we watched closely, we could see it. She was a ghost in my life, visible but barely there. It wasn't completely her fault though. Her parents were stern people who were also very guarded with their emotions. Then after having three children, my dad starts fooling around on her and they divorce. She moves us to another town where she meets her second husband and has my little sister only to discover that he was so mentally unstable that she had to hire security just to move us out of the house. Now she had four girls to support by herself. She worked seventy hours a week to make ends meet and quite often didn't. I will never understand how hard that must have been for her, how painful, how sad to see us grow up without her involved with our lives. She somehow maneged to get us involved in piano, girl scouts and other activities and drive us there, also attending special things like my choir performances or my sisters dance recitals. In all these things, I knew that she loved us. But she never even whispered those 'I love you' until I had my first baby. It seems that seeing me as a mother opened her heart to those precious words that I had always wanted to hear. So for all those unspoken moments I would like to say thank you to my wonderful mother and I love you very much. I am so glad that God gave you to me. Happy Mother's Day!

Lake Bastrop

2011-05-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

I truly love camping with my family although it is so much harder when you have a baby tagging along. Typically, we camp in a tent however we decided to try out these cabins by Lake Bastrop and I was ecstatic about them. I actually had a place that I could trap the baby and not worry about her jumping in the lake. It was a relief for me and made the trip much more enjoyable. Of course Tim was very clear that we were not camping just having an outdoor adventure. Perhaps he is right but I was much happier and in the end that is all that matters.

Naturally, I forgot many things for this trip because that is who I am. The kids all me Mommy Forgettor. So on our first night there I run up to the store to buy the food I forgot. I come back later with some really great dishes that I had been wanting but of course I forgot to get a can opener which is why Tim is opening beef stew with a pair of pliers. I love you babe! I also brought back a watermelon but forgot the smores. That is just wrong. How can one go camping, I mean have an outdoor adventure, without smores. Back to the store I go.

The kids and I were so amazed at the large number of wild rabbits in the area. Tim thought we could make a tasty stew but the kids and I squashed that idea. Our sweet sunshine baby was a little freaked out the first morning she woke up. She actually wouldn't move even when I told her it was alright and tried to pick her up. She must have stayed there with the blanket over her face for ten minutes without moving. Silly girl.

We took a walk along the lake and found some really great rocks that we cracked open and saw how beautiful they were inside. Then further down the path we met up with a turtle. We decided he must be Brer Turtle from Uncle Remus because just like the trickster in the stories Brer Turtle disappeared before we could properly harass him. So we figured that he was hiding in the brush with Brer Rabbit just laughing his fanny off while we searched for him.

The lake had a recent oil spill causing it to be much lower than it usually is which explains the odor of dead fish and the multitude of vultures. This is also the reason we were able to find those great rocks and this group of dead water plants. It was kind of sad though.

Mr. Funny just had to get the plastic spoon out of the lake so he made the Chatterbox wade out and retrieve it. He had a point. We don't want to be litter bugs do we.

We went swimming in the lake and the kids had so much fun. The water was only a few feet deep due to the recent oil spill and of course the lack of rain so they didn't have to worry about sinking.

I, however, did have to worry because Miss Sunshine likes the water alot. I kept luring her out of the water so I didn't have to hover over her but we kept going back to the water. She is so cute.

In one of my attempts to keep my Sunshine away from the water, I convinced her to put sand on my legs and next thing I knew I was the source of entertainment. Being buried in the sand was a fun feeling and I highly recommend trying it sometime although you might watch out for funny hubbies who like to draw breasts in the sand. Of course the kids had so much fun burying me, they insisted on being next.

When I woke up that first morning, I walked to the lake's edge and looked up to see a pale blue sky streaked with tree limbs. It was so beautiful and I wanted to draw it but I that's about the time the kid's woke up so I took a picture instead which now reminds me of my good friends book cover.

Our Sunshine thought it was so funny to put her swim suit on her head and walk around but that only lasted until the first fall. Then it was no longer funny to her. I still think it deserves a giggle.

After we had packed up to head home, we decided to head over the the Dinosaur Adventure. It was about a half mile walk of various dino statues with fun facts about each one. Along the way, we would search for scavenger hunt clues and one of them was dino poopies which the kids naturally loved. Our favorite was the Stegosaurus and Mr. funny and I both agree that the T-Rex was a little too scary. I could barely look at him to take a picture but I took a second one just to capture the fear in my boy's eyes. He gets that from me. I am deathly afraid of that great extinct beast because Jurassic Park showed that it was possible to recreate dinosaurs. I am getting the chills thinking about it.

All in all, it was a great trip. I still felt a little down but so much better than before. I feel as though I can handle my life again. I am taking a much needed break from school and spending more time outside having fun and of course, writing again feels so wonderful. I'm sure I will be back to my giggling, silly self in no time at all.

Happiness

2011-05-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

Quote from Parenting Magazine May 2011

"Happiness is brief, ordinary, infectious, ever-changing, nonconforming. It is a cup of chocolate milk, an off-key version of a Katy Perry song. Sometimes its the dance recital; sometimes it's the memory of the dance recital. Finally, it is elusive, like trying to catch fog in your hand."

Frustrations

2011-05-01T22:58:00.003-05:00

Life has been difficult lately. Scratch that. Life really sucks lately. My oldest chatterbox has been challenging my authority every second of every day. My funny boy has been whining about all the mean things that chatterbox is doing. My sweet miss sunshine has been so very active causing my heart to fail for every jump she takes. Not to mention that I can't seem to get anything accomplished. I can't even keep up with the dishes. Home school has even become wearisome. Everything seems to stress me out making me scarier than the fiercest dragon. I started to simplify my life last fall by cutting down extra activities thinking that being away from home so much is having an impact on my stress but I only feel alienated now and still nothing gets done around the house. Meanwhile, I have noticed that I am not enjoying life as I should be. After all, I have a great husband, three wonderful (mostly) kids, enough food and money to take care of us and I am able to stay at home. We are all healthy and we have a strong network of friends and family. What is wrong with me? It seems that my lifelong battle with depression demands to be noticed. Really? I don't want to do this again! It seems so very stupid that I should be depressed. Nothing has happened. Usually something happens to trigger my depression but not this time. So I am back to taking the usual vitamins and supplements praying that I don't need to get on anti-depressants. In further efforts to defeat my affliction, I have revamped my blog and I am committing to write more often which has always made me feel better. If you are reading this then please pray that God will take this away so I can get back to my old self.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-15T17:34:00.006-06:00

This is the annual Thanksgiving dance by our one and only superhero - WeatherGirl.

Sweet

2010-10-17T08:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was the Sweetest Day; at least it was supposed to be. It is a day to share happiness with those you love or anyone who is in need of some cheer and occurs the third Saturday of October (click for more information). All three of my children celebrate their birthday at the end of October and beginning of November. Don't ask me how I did it - God hasn't told me yet. When I first learned of The Sweetest Day I just knew it was the perfect day for their party. I love to see them so happy at their party and I love to see all of their friends happy also. It warms my heart. Last year, their party was wonderful with beautiful weather and everyone so happy. This year, I planned again for the Sweetest Day for their party. It was a sweet day, just not the one I planned for. My oldest woke during the night with a stomach bug and we had to postpone the party. I spent the morning tending my daughter, contacting party guests and running to the store for crackers, soup and sprite. I was so sad for them having to wait another week for their party but they ended up amazing me. My daughter told me that she felt so bad because I had worked so hard planning everything. I was dumbstruck! She noticed something I do for her and I was so proud of her for that. I do work hard but I love it and do it for them so I don't care and I am so happy she knows. It makes it all worth it! My son also surprised me. When I told him that we had to move the party, he just shrugged his shoulders, smiled at me and said, "okay, Mommy." I kept waiting for him to get upset and throw a fit but he just looked at the calender and counted the days to the new party. I wanted to give my children the sweetest day, instead they gave it to me. I am so very grateful to have such wonderful children. By the way, many of our friends that were unable to come to our party are now able to make it. Our party may not be on the official Sweetest Day but I have a feeling that it still will be the sweetest day for us.

Vehicle Lessons

2010-09-28T19:24:00.003-05:00

Today's video lesson will demonstrate the proper way to enter and operate a motor vehicle.

Joyful Peace

2010-09-27T12:52:00.003-05:00

There is something about the first cold front of the season that fills me with indescribable joy and peace. I just want to skip through the daisies, run through the meadows and take a nap with a tree.

Late Night Visitors

2010-09-11T09:20:00.004-05:00

I had one of those sweet moments the other night that I will always remember. The children were already off to dreamland and I was working on bills when I heard this huge thump that sent me leaping out of my chair and over the dog. As I look to the source of the noise, my heart jumps for joy at the most beautiful moth that has ever visited me at my home. Her wingspan was almost as large as my hand with the prettiest color of yellow wings. So I did what any responsible parent would do and ran quickly to wake my oldest daughter who was a butterfly lover also. We watched the sweet moth as she flew frantically trying to find a dry spot to rest and we giggled every time she came near to us. After a few minutes, she found a place to land so we said good night and went back inside when there was another loud thump. We look expecting to see our yellow-winged friend only to see another moth the same size only with red wings. So again we venture out and giggle some more. They were both so pretty and fun to watch. My daughter named the yellow one, Butter Flutter and the red one, Apple Tapper. She went to bed that night with sweet dreams of moths fluttering through the night sky and I went back to my bills with a happy heart.

Butter Flutter

Apple Tapper

A Wonderful Sort of Lousy

2010-08-19T16:34:00.010-05:00

Its been a lousy month but it has also been wonderful. Lousy really isn't the best word to describe it though, crappy and shitty describe it better. It started with a very sweet woman who apparently forgot how navigate roads. She stopped in our own lane, for no reason I can ascertain, causing me to run into her. I take full responsibility for it but I do wonder what caused her to stop. A prancing pony perhaps. Or maybe she was making shapes out of the clouds. Thankfully, it was only a minor accident but my daughter was injured in the accident as well as my radiator. Both have healed but not the guilt that plagues me. It is hard to see her wound and know that it is my fault but I try to see beyond that because I know that it could happen to anyone.

So for the last month I have been without a car leaving me stuck at home with three very restless children. My sanity has wavered more than once but I am still holding strong. There have been other but more mild reasons for the crappy month that I have experienced. Since the accident, we have had five colds, 3 fevers, 2 broken doors, 3 leaks, an injured dog, one pair of broken glasses, a stomach virus that we all caught, an ear infection and other events that for obvious reasons I have blocked out. Not to mention that finances are still low, uncomfortably so.

All of these things taught me something very wonderful though. Life does not need my help to move faster and it is time to slow down. We have been playing games, finishing up with our school, making crafts, baking sweet treats and just having fun at home. I am actually getting caught up with many tasks I have been putting off. Writing is also coming back into my life, slowly but at least I can do it now. For all the struggles that we have been through this month, life is really good and we are happy.

Deepak Chopra said, "All great changes are preceded by chaos." I saw this on face book while writing this post and thought in fitting considering the chaos that has been my life. Great changes on the way.

Letters

2010-08-12T23:21:00.005-05:00

Letters are amazing little things. They make such interesting sounds all alone or with a little company. Who knew that one day I would wish for some q, r, s and maybe some th, nb and a little tch. Without them books would have no meaning and pencils everywhere would cease to exist. Wonderful little letters . . . how I love you!

Into the Wild

2010-05-20T16:33:00.002-05:00

A true account of my journey into the wild of suburbia.

In between play dates today, I took the kids to a new park (new to us that is) and we spread out the blanket, had a picnic and read stories. It was a beautiful little park with a small meadow, a playground and a tiny pond. The kids asked if they could walk to the pond by themselves so I said sure. They waved sweetly from the other side of the pond as I watched my baby sleeping and the gentle clouds drifting by, taking on the shapes of various animals. On their way back, they were looking at the forested area when Benny decides to throw his favorite stuffed toy, Lizzie the Lizard, into the forest. I knew something was wrong by their urgent running, so after they explained what happened and where they thought it might be, I began the rescue mission. For an hour, I searched through branches, trees, spiderwebs and even came across two dead animals but no Lizzie. Lizzie quickly became the frightened lizard that I just had to find to that stupid toy I wanted to throw into the pond. I had hair sticking out everywhere, leaves and twigs were stuck in my ponytail and bugs were crawling down my back. In the end we had to say our goodbyes to Lizzie the lizard and I prayed that God would take good care of her by giving her to a small animal to rip apart and use for a warm nest. See you later, Lizzie!

Mean Mama Discipline

2010-05-02T21:50:00.006-05:00

I've had enough of fiery red heads full of attitude and fury when their 'needs' are not met to their satisfaction. Not to mention, a hyperactive son who doesn't feel obligated to ask for permission for anything which leaves this mama worried when he is nowhere to be found. So I came up with a delightfully evil plan that made me enjoy my day. As they were watching their movie, I snuck into their room and removed all of their toys. I did allow for a couple of toys for security purposes (I do want them to sleep). Now their room is barren with only a few bits of trash and broken crayons. Here is the evil part. I enjoyed showing them what I had done and took satisfaction from the tears that fell from the devastated princess. Even now, hours later, I feel a sense of joy over it all. I did discuss with them the meaning of respect and how they can demonstrate it, then I showed them that they will get a mark on a chart every time I see an act of respect and will return one toy for every row they can fill. I am not without a heart but I can be one mean mama when I am pushed. Ha Ha Ha!!!

Mud Monsters

2010-04-30T16:03:00.005-05:00

You will find them masquerading as harmless little children. They wear their pretty dresses and pigtails then snicker with all the other little girls so we won't know. They put on their Spider man pajamas and give you kisses hiding their messy little secret. But as soon as it starts to sprinkle, their disguises melt away to reveal the filth of the MUD MONSTERS! If you are quiet (and have all your shots) you can sometimes get some pictures of them but be careful or they may just throw a mud ball at you. So be wary of those innocent children smiling a little too much, they could be a little muddy.

The Mud Monter Class

The new student

Maybe Soon

2010-04-14T13:09:00.003-05:00

So many things to say but no time to play here on my happy blog. Maybe soon.

Barrage of Thoughts

2010-02-12T15:09:00.003-06:00

Its amazing how I have forgotten the time and energy a baby can take. I have 'known' that once my angel was born and I had recovered that I would jump back to the blogging world which I love and grants me some sanity. That has sadly not been the case. She is absolutely the most wonderful baby anyone could ask for but she takes so much of me and I am left exhausted but still so happy. I'm sure the blogging world can do without me for a time but I still want to visit and eventually move back here. Until then I am posting my partially finished posts that I have started over the last couple of months and hope that it will sustain me while I adjust to my new schedule.

These are incomplete as far as writing is concerned but the general ideas are present.

Mixed Emotions

We all love our children unconditionally . . . I just wished that I could always like them as well.

Surprise!

There were many things about having my third child that took us all by surprise. So naturally, I feel compelled to write them all down so they do not get sucked into oblivion like so many other memories.

My first two babies arrived a week late, but she came only a few hours past her due date.

I was up and about hours after the surgery so I could her my baby in the NICU.

She had beautiful red hair like big sister.

I realized that I like the spinal block better than an epidural

I fell asleep while they got the baby out via cesection

I actually wanted to stay in the hospital this time

She arrived in time to wear her Halloween outfit

It surprised me how addicted I was to her right away

The nursing staff was so wonderful

There are more but have drifted from my mind while watching my beauty sleep

Get Back, Kat!

The last year I have been lost in the discomforts of pregnancy but now I finally feel like I am getting back to where I once belonged. Instead of nausea, I am happily eating. Instead of shortness of breathe, I am taking in comfortable and glorious air. Instead of fatigue, I am . . . feeling exhausted but I still feel better now than before.

Now I get to experience the other side of pregnancy, which is life with a newborn and two rowdy, fighting kids. I am happy, excited, frustrated, irritated and sleepy all within a few minutes, then I repeat not always in that order but all symptoms are all present. I love my sweet baby, my rowdy boy and my head strong girl but I am already looking forward to time spent without all of them needing me simultaneously. How do you nurse a baby, break up a fight, find a missing sock while cooking a healthy meal? The answer is that you don't and you have to be okay with that.

Hard to Be Me

There are many days that it is so hard to be me. I want to jump out and say, ' This is Me and I am really okay!' but I am too worried of what others may think. I never want to return to my old habits but my friends in the drug and alcohol world were almost easier to be with. I knew that no matter how weird I was that they would thrive on it instead of looking at me like I was insane. But I am insane at times. I try to keep this side of me hidden as much as possible so that no one will see the real me. Is that what God wants for me? To stay hidden and worry about what others may think. I don't think so. He wants me to be who he created - someone who loves to help others, loves to listen to rock music too loud and enjoys reading about serial killers.

Most of my life lessons have been taught by those who are less than reliable. I need to be someone who lets others help and teach me about all the things that were not taught to me when I was younger. Someone who is willing to learn from those much younger but who have so much more experience in what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus.

Bah Humbug

2009-12-31T22:25:00.006-06:00

As I listen to the numerous and explosive sounds of fireworks being released in my neighborhood, I just want to scream! I feel like such a fuddy duddy who hates anything fun but I am beginning to hate fireworks! It never bothered me until I had children and sleep became a precious gift to me.If they weren't so loud then perhaps they would be alright but they waken my sleeping babes which in turn wakes me and makes me highly irritable. But I digress because I really do like fireworks . . . I just like my sleep more. Happy New Year!

2009-12-16T14:38:00.006-06:00

“Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, wherever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there’s something out there that you love to do, that you believe in, that you’re good at – something that’s bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today.”

Whit Hobbs

I love this quote because it describes perfectly how I feel most days. When I wake up, my first thoughts are on my kids and our day ahead. I love being a mom. Their smiling faces light up my day and bring tears to my eyes. Its amazing what an impact they have in my life. There are the days that they drive me crazy making me want to dive off a cliff into a boiling lake of lava while singing 'I'm a little teapot'. But those days are few thankfully, leaving me to enjoy their spunky and curious nature.

Its amazing to me that I am in this place at all. Prior to meeting my husband, I wanted nothing to do with marriage or kids. My life's goal was to either be an FBI serial killer profiler or to join the peace corp - which I realize reside on opposite ends of the job spectrum but either way there was no room for a family in my vision. Isn't funny how God changes you? Here I am today a happy wife with the usual 'close the toilet lid' complaints, a excited mother who occasionally drifts over to the cliffs of insanity and my children's teacher which I surprisingly love. I thank God frequently for giving my all that I have which is a hidden treasure of love, joy, happiness with touches of bewilderment and frustration. But I love it all and I look forward to every day.

My Latest Joy

2009-11-05T17:55:00.010-06:00

She is finally here! I began wanting her desperately almost two years ago and God has finally brought her into my life. She was born just hours after her expected due date which surprised us all since her siblings were both a week late and she had shown no signs of arriving early. My labor started around midnight but I didn't believe it could be the real thing so I took something to help me sleep. When I woke three hours later in excruciating pain, I realized that I may have been mistaken. I timed the contractions, called my wonderful doctor and we drove to the hospital at five in the morning. My husband and I were discussing the possibility of false labor when our six year old daughter interrupted us and boldly told us that we needed to pray. With proud smiles, we listened to the prayer of our first angel who prayed for mommy to be okay and her sister to be healthy. That was a proud moment for us and one we will never forget. By eight in the morning we were listening to the wonderful sounds of our daughter being born and I was nursing her by nine. She is the most beautiful baby and so very sweet. I feel extremely blessed to have been given the honor of being her mommy. Welcome to the world, little one.

Pumpkin Party

2009-10-18T18:32:00.009-05:00

It was a beautiful day with fall temperatures, a lovely breeze and sun shining through the trees. We loved that so many friends came to help us celebrate both of our birthday kids. I just can't believe that they are already four and six, it seems just like yesterday that I was dressing them in their special outfits to go home from the hospital for the first time. We started off with Benjamin's craft choice of filling pumpkin necklaces with orange and yellow sand, then proceeded to Tiffany's craft choice of painting ceramic pumpkin planters. We played a fun game of Ring the Pumpkin and gave everyone who tried homemade pumpkin necklaces. Then we ate pumpkin cake which I was surprised to learn was actually pretty good. Then we let the kids play at the park and cleaned up. When we got home, we opened our presents and got to hear a number of screams of joy at seeing their wonderful presents. It was a wonderful for all of us and especially the kids. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I was able to give them one wonderful day

A is for Apple Pie: First Thoughts of Homeschooling

2009-10-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

Life's journey sometimes take us places we never thought we would go, at least without putting up a really good fight. That is how my homeschool journey has been. I never thought that there was anything outside of public school with their substandard cafeteria food and slightly maniacal teachers. My experience wasn't good either at school. I had trouble with grades, self-esteem and hung out with the loser druggie crowd so I was picked on often by the totally cool and awesome kids who were only cool and awesome because they had better fashion sense then I did wearing my grandmother's 1920 dresses and my sister's hippie rejects.

Eventually, I escaped the confines of public school and went on to college where I did well in the majority of my classes. I loved being at college. I don't why since I didn't really make friends there but I loved learning, listening to the lectures and getting a different perspective of things. My major was sociology but as I inched closer to graduation, I began to shift my interests to education. Where this came from I have no idea because I knew that I did not want to work with kids. But eventually I saw this as God moving in my life and I reluctantly accepted it. I didn't change my major but I did take some courses on teaching which I enjoyed immensely, even with the crazy media professor teaching us of archaic machines that can help us teach.

After college, when my parenthood began, I would plan out lessons in my head about things I wanted our kids to know. Things like astronomy, art and why the Beatles are historically important (I'll save that for a future blog) among many other random topics swirled about in my mind. I would also buy numerous workbooks ranging from Pre-K basic skills to fourth grade history anytime I saw them on sale. Why would I do this I could never figure out, after all what would I do with them but I bought them all none the less. Then I met a friend who had been homeschooled and planned on homeschooling her own kids. I always respected her choice but I knew that I would never do that because I value my freedom too much and because my kids need socialization. Isn't it funny how we make our plans without consulting the one who made us only to have Him come up and pull the rug out from under our feet and point us in a different direction. That is what happened to me. I kept saying that I would never homeschool for a variety of reasons and then one day I couldn't wait to start homeschooling. Hold on! What happened? Did nobody understand my plan? Incidentally, the same thing happened when I had my second child. There was nothing that could have made me want to endure pregnancy a third time yet here I am nine months pregnant wondering how I got here. Last year I knew that I would never homeschool or have a third pregnancy and now God is looking down smiling at me thinking, 'Never Say Never'. I'm sure that my stubborn nature will say never to God somewhere down the road.

After months of looking at various curriculums, I finally found the one I think will work best for my daughter and myself. When the package came I could not contain my excitement and immediately immersed myself into her school. I also found some things for my son to do to keep him busy figuring that he would rather play than do school work. How wrong I was! My son loves school and doing the worksheets, in fact I often run out of things for him to do but my daughter is another story. These were my expectations - my daughter would love the individual attention coupled with learning to read and my son would color one picture, get bored and run off to play. So she and I have been struggling with attitude, discipline and just getting her work done. Every week we get a little closer to finding a solution and every week I want to hit my head on the wall or just shake her a bit until she stops complaining. But I love hearing her telling daddy about what she has learned in extreme detail which tells me that its working just not the way I imagined it. Every day will get better and soon we will both be having fun.

Puddles

2009-08-25T17:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, my sweet boy called me into the bathroom because he needed help (I'll leave the details to your imagination) when I noticed a puddle underneath the footstool. It looked like he couldn't make it to the potty so we had our 'talk' about where we go tee tee at and like the sweet boy he is, he said that he was sorry. So today, when he said that he had to go potty, I gently reminded him that we don't go tee tee on the floor. His response almost caused me to have an accident of my own.

"But mommy, I didn't go tee tee on the floor . . . I went tee tee in the footstool".

He said it with so much pride that I couldn't even get mad at the intentionality of his naughty behavior. Boys!

Excited Ballet Dancers

2009-08-24T19:53:00.009-05:00

Our future ballerina has been so excited because she has moved up a grade in ballet. She is now in the big classroom with older girls and couldn't be happier. She learned some new moves that she says are hard but with practice she will get good at them.

Our newest ballet dancer (I don't think we should call him a ballerina) was excited before we left our house and even more excited after he was done. His over exuberance in telling me about his class and teachers brought tears to my eyes. He was so happy. Even the moms next to me said that based on his excitement they couldn't wait to see the performance.

My sweet little ballet boy.

Here are some of the dancers together.

Here are three short videos of the ballet boy.

He did really good considering this was his first time.

This is a short video of our sweet girl with the bigger kids.

Its brief but she really arches her feet well.

Thankful

2009-08-12T18:00:00.006-05:00

This year has been most difficult. So many things have happened that could tear apart any family but we have worked together and held on to this wild ride. The year started with a paycut, followed by months of debilitating morning sickness, the loss of a job, insurance difficulties, health issues for both momma and baby and lots of uncertainty for our family's future. This is happening to so many families who have suffered more greatly than I can imagine during this time of our country's financial situation. But we are surviving one day at a time. Things have begun to look up just not the way we imagined. So I thought it was time to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for.

We are all thankful that we get to welcome a new baby to the family in a few short weeks.
I am thankful that I have had some time to spend with my husband during his 'vacation'.
The kids are thankful to have spent so much time with Daddy.
We are thankful that our baby does not have cysts on her brain anymore.
I am thankful that my heart is slowing down.
I am so very thankful that my morning sickness is so mild.
Tim and I are thankful to see our children learning through our homeschool experience.
Tiffany is thankful that she is getting her baby sister.
Benjamin is thankful for ants who have 6 legs.
We are all thankful that Daddy now has a job.

This job isn't the big thrill that Tim was hoping for. It means a huge cut in pay and an even larger step back in his career. I honestly cannot relate to his situation. I worked in the restaurant industry for many years and know the stresses and drama of working in this business. But I have never had to let go of my dream job only to find myself back in the trenches of restaurant work. I can only imagine of what he is going through. But I truly believe that this will be a great job for our family once he gets settled in. After all, he will be working less hours even if they are late into the night and since we are homeschooling, his time with the kids won't be interrupted. I also think that we could take more trips because traveling during the week is much cheaper than the weekends anyway. I could go on but needless to say I think this will be will a fun new adventure and I am glad that we get to take it together. Go Smith Family!!!

Relating, Sort Of

2009-07-30T19:20:00.002-05:00

I think we have all had these days and can completely relate but at the same time its sad to see someone so young singing I hate everyone. Hmmm . . .

Complaining

2009-07-15T13:50:00.004-05:00

I am just one of your typical, irritated pregnant moms. Well, maybe not so typical. We all have issues when we are pregnant but lately its seems that I keep getting challenge after challenge with this sweet girl growing inside. It began with morning sickness, which naturally lasts all day and all nine months. This was no surprise since I did the same thing with the other two. Next we move on to tachycardia (rapid heart rate) which thankfully is not life threatening but just frustrating for an active person who is being told to sit down and take easy. I don't want to take it freaking easy! I want to swim during the summer not sit on the side to watch everyone else having fun. Moving on. In addition to this, I am having braxton-hicks contractions a few times a day. Again no big deal, just lay down and rest. Crap! Now we get to add two new issues to the ever growing list. It seems that my iron is low so onto supplements I go. Normally, I wouldn't complain about this but iron has the tendency to encourage constipation. Did I mention that I am constipated already from the medicine I take for my morning sickness? This is starting to suck! The next new issue is sugar. My glucose test came back abnormal which means I have to wake up early, not eat or drink anything, have a nasty orange glucose drink and get poked with a needle four times to see if I am experiencing gestational diabetes. Did you know that the best way to combat morning sickness is to eat small frequent meals and stay away from lots of sugar? Great, so I don't get to consume anything but a large dose of sugar first thing in the morning. I hope they have a trash can handy. I think I have got most of it out of my system, so thank you for reading and please pray that I don't have any problems with this irritating glucose test tomorrow.

I am old!

2009-07-09T22:48:00.004-05:00

Daughter: Mommy, I just want to stay up like you and daddy do!
Mom: I know you do sweetie, but you are still very young and . . .
Daughter: I am not young! I am five and a half and I have a wiggly tooth. I am old!

How do you argue with that logic?

Conversations

2009-06-24T12:47:00.004-05:00

Mommy: It's time to clean up.
Son: I don't want to.
Mommy: I know but your toys are on the floor and they don't belong there so I need you to pick up your toys right now.
**Silence**
Mommy: (Getting Angry) Do you need a time out?
Son: (With a mischievous grin) But Mommy, my legs are taking a break!

That's when I start laughing and so does Daddy. He still had to pick up his toys but at least he got his laugh.

Thing of Beauty

2009-06-14T18:33:00.015-05:00

This year's ballet performance of Deliver Us, depicting the life of Moses, was truly beautiful. Of course my favorite part were the lambs but that's a personal bias since my little lamb was part of the dance. She did wonderful and had so much fun dancing. My favorite part was the finale when she and her class came out to bow and she put her hand over her eyes trying so hard to find us over and over again.

This company amazes me with the quality of all the dances and how they are able to pull you in to their story. At one point, I thought I might have to leave due to their excellent storytelling but for that I will have to take you back in time. It was sometime after I had my miscarriage and we were watching the movie Prince of Egypt. I was enjoying the movie thoroughly until we got to the scene where the mother must let her baby go and she is singing her sadly sweet song. I began to cryat this point because I had to let my baby go as well. This is a wonderful movie that I avoid for this reason along with a couple of others. Back to the ballet. The dancers began to dance as slaves with giant men carrying whips pretending to beat them and I realized that the music was familiar but I couldn't place it. Until they began the song the mother sang in Prince of Egypt and the mother came out giving up her baby in the most beautiful dance that showed her pain of giving up her son. Out came the tears but with my pregnancy hormones raging through my body, I could barely contain myself. I was thankful when the song ended and the ballet moved on. I enjoyed it immensely even with the tears but I may skip over that part when I get my copy of the performance. Now let's get on with the photos.

Getting ready!

Just before the show!

Look closely to find her looking for us.

Her wonderful teacher

Aunt and soon to be Uncle

Me and my lamb

Us and our lamb

Grandma and Grandpa

Close ups with her lamb

Poor Grandpa

Wearing Grandma's glasses

The family

My sister in law and fiance

Playing games

Sweet couple

Reading with Grandma

The Deep Thinker

Grandpa sitting with his lamb

Dress Rehearsal

2009-06-11T18:10:00.007-05:00

Another year has come bringing us little lambs and warm hearts. Today was her dress rehearsal and she was thrilled to be up on stage dancing with everyone watching her. This years show is called Deliver Me which is a contemporary look at Moses and as you can tell by the photos she is a lamb.

This next set of photos shows our little lamb receiving her certificate for doing well in her exams.

This is my sister, our little lamb, me the prego mom and our big boy.

This is a 10 or 20 second video of her doing a couple of spins. You will notice her because she is standing closet to the edge of the stage looking at the audience then as she runs off stage she will be the last lamb. She is such a performer.

Good Luck in your performance, Little Lamb!

Sugar and Spice

2009-05-28T12:51:00.004-05:00

It's A Girl!

Now we need a name.

Here is her face

Foot, naturally!

The picture we will use to embarrass her in front of her friends.

She was opening her mouth in this picture.

Legs!

Trying to suck that thumb, I can't wait to hold you cutie!

Promise

2009-05-14T18:57:00.004-05:00

Before you stands a very proud mommy. Tiffany recently had her ballet exams which will place her in next year's class. She is a beginner and all beginners receive an automatic pass to continue to the next level. What I did not expect was such a thorough account of her ability. But here I am looking a detailed examination report which says she has 'a graceful little dance with promise' and instead of a pass, she received a pass with honors. I realize that does not mean she will be dancing the lead role in New York but I am so happy because I have seen this promise in her since she was two and now a professional sees it also. This is one of my favorite moments and I pray that I never push her into keeping up with ballet just for my sake. Congratulations, Sweet Pea!

Floatin' Down the Road

2009-04-28T16:31:00.007-05:00

There was nothing extraordinary about this storm, so when I was driving home from church today I was astounded and overwhelmed by the amount of water on the road produced by this storm. At one spot I had to turn around and try a different way only to be facing more water. I debated for a moment and then ahead thinking it can't be that bad the rest of the way. I was certainly wrong. I encountered so many flooded roads that I became concerned for the safety of my car but it got us home safe in the end. The roads in my neighborhood have never flooded so badly except perhaps for TS Allison but she had torrential rain for days. This storm didn't even last 24 hours. When we finally pulled into our driveway, the car brought with it a wave of water that poured into our garage. Thankfully, the only damage done was to the wood borders of our garden which I have actually wanted to toss for some time now. It took me a few minutes to realize that we made it and we were safe. We took stock of our street and our neighbors, then took to retrieving what had floated away. By this point, our long wooded borders had made it to the main road and its enormous nails were dangerously close to the cars driving by. I only managed to get them off the road, but at least they couldn't travel any farther. By this point, the kids realized the opportunity before them. Their own personal swimming hole. Benny wouldn't go to far but Tiffany jumped in and before I could protest she was covered to her neck in water. To make things more interesting, one of my neighbors took the kids for a ride in her canoe. That was truly a site to see. It was hard getting the kids inside after that but I finally got them inside and marched them straight to the shower with lots of soap. I am still amazed with the amount of flooding in our neighborhood and happily I can share it with you.

If you want to see any picture larger just click on it.

To the left of our house . . . . . . and to the right.

Playing in the water.

Here is the main street to our neighborhood . . . flooded.

Hummer on the main road. Yikes!

Tiffany and her friend swimming, Yuck!

Still amazed that they could canoe

This is the view of my car and driveway.

The water was up past the rear tires.

This is the end of our street

and the house in the back has water inside.

Neighbor braving the water.

Giant nails that were endangering cars.

My garden without borders.

Gentle Ben!

2009-04-17T22:07:00.003-05:00

This past Wednesday, my sweet boy and I were sitting on my bed being silly while Tiffany was at school. He would fall on my legs and I would tickle him. I layed back waiting for him to pounce again, which he did. This time though, it was on my lower abdomen. Yup, he got me good too. So we made an emergency visit to the doctor and had another ultrasound. The baby is fine and very active which makes me think its a boy but I still have two months to wait for that mystery to be solved. Thankfully, everything worked out well and I have another picture to share. Boys!

All Is Fair

2009-04-07T17:32:00.014-05:00

God granted me a reprieve from my morning sickness in order to give me a great day with my family at the county fair. It was wonderful and I only wish it could have lasted longer but at least I had one day. We were greeted with a surprise as we were walking toward the rides. A wonderful man gave us two free passes for wristbands which was a fifty dollar value so the kids could ride all the rides they wanted to. Benjamin was very apprehensive but did ride the train ride a few times. Tiffany, however, was so psyched to get to the rides and she rode the roller coaster over and over and over and well, you get the point. We had to tempt her with the tiger show that was about to start just to get her to slow down. The fair also has a wonderful petting zoo with the usual goats and sheep but they also have a deer, camel, antelope and a kangaroo. This was naturally my favorite part. Now onto the photos.

This was one pushy antelope, literally he pushed me and Tiffany with his head.

We got to see a chick hatch from its egg. Too Cool!

Tiger show!

Parrot

capuchin monkey

Bowing to Us

Mountain lion jumping

mountain lion landing

The mighty tiger

Arctic Fox

Serval Jumping

Quick Humor

2009-04-04T22:08:00.003-05:00

Today, while shopping for a friend's present, Tiffany found some toys she wanted to buy. A dolphin, a horse and her favorite, unicorn. She was busy rattling off what their names would be, dophie, brownie, and my favorite - Horny for the unicorn. We immediately left the store and I swore never to buy her another unicorn.

birthday ideas

2009-04-03T16:05:00.004-05:00

For Everyone
If you want to get one gift for them all to share, we all love doing crafts together, playing music and games so here is a list of things we could use. :)

Craft Supplies
glitter glue
glitter
chenille stems
pom poms
tissue paper squares
cardstock-any color
beads
popsicle sticks
yarn
tempera paint
watercolor paint
train/car kits
prepackaged craft kits (click here for ideas)

Musical Instruments
rainsticks
drums
unique wood instruments
shakers
Here are some more ideas from Lakeshore Learning

Board Games-All sorts

Play-doh

AquaSand

Tiffany
my little pony
strawberry shortcake
anything with horses
dresses size 8

Benjamin
superheroes esp. flash, spiderman and batman
trains
racecars
shirts size 5/6

Rebekah
musical instruments
clothes 18mths

No Escape for Mommy

2009-04-03T15:46:00.003-05:00

One of my happy escapes from morning sickness is an afternoon nap. It helps to take off the edge. Today, I feel more nauseous than usual so I told the kids to watch the movie and let mommy sleep for a while. I lay down and felt my eyes droop and my body relax, soon I am asleep. "MOMMY!!!!" It sounded like someone was being murdered but it was only my sweet girl learning how to use her hula hoop and wanting to share. I try again. This time its my handsome boy who is frightened. He is laying in the hallway on his side screaming and I expect to find blood, instead an ant was biting him. I don't know why he is so fearful of ants but nothing is worse to him. So I abandon my nap and try to get something accomplished. I will probably go lay down again after this but at least I got to blog a little.

A Little Wet Today

2009-03-31T15:30:00.004-05:00

Today was the Race for Education which is an annual fundraiser for Legacy PCA (Tiffany's school). They run for awhile and then have a carnival with games and food. I wasn't sure how my girly girl was going to do and we did get off to a slow start but as soon as she saw her best friend they were off. She spent most of the time trying to catch up to him eventually giving up and running with her other friends. Benny spent his time playing in the sand and on the playground. Everything was going great until I looked up and saw the sky. I knew what was coming and immediately went to phone's radar where I saw a wonderful thunderstorm just minutes away. Everyone was able to finish the race and duck into the pavilion where we huddled together and ate hot dogs. Except for me who was desperately trying not to inhale the nauseating aroma. Both the kids were freaked out by the storm so after they finished eating, we split. Naturally, the rains stopped right after we left but I had my fill and knew that my morning sickness was not far off so onto home we went. We had hot chocolate and watched movies.

Benny in the sand

Silly girl on the run

Taking it slower

Alright! Just Don't Play in the Mud!

2009-03-27T18:15:00.004-05:00

I should have known better!

Little Pumpkin

2009-03-26T17:08:00.003-05:00

We finally had our first appointment. I was overjoyed at seeing that beautiful heart beating and it was even more exciting to see the baby moving all around. Of course that made me think of an active boy but we will see in a couple of months. Tiffany believes it will be a boy because "it hurts you so much mommy". She is always good for a laugh. Many people thought we might have twins and there were others who were praying for it, happily we only have one. Tiffany wanted one of each but thankfully she was satisfied that we had one. Benny seems to think that we can see the baby through my belly button but that is not working out for him so well.

My morning sickness is still raging on but I do have good days so I try to enjoy them. The kids are taking this all so well. Tiffany leads Benny in many games and adventures while I am sick which makes me wonder why they could not do this before. Maybe I should have faked sickness a long time ago. They also watch way too much TV but it is only for a little while and hopefully I will feel better soon. Then I may destroy my set.

I take joy in my little pumpkin for now and know that soon I will have someone else to love.

Chuckles

2009-03-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

Sad Elephant

2009-03-10T17:03:00.009-05:00

O Sad Elephant

Taken in your prime

How painful it must be

To scoot on your behind.

Evil Kathy

2009-03-06T16:03:00.002-06:00

My blogs have taken a back seat since my morning sickness kicked into high gear. It is as joyous as I remember. There is nothing so fun as hating every food you see, smell or taste then praying you will be able to eat it. I haven't actually 'tossed my cookies' but I feel that the nausea will take me there soon. I am trying several different remedies to help me through this pregnancy: rubbing essential oils on my tummy, B6, Sea Bands, Zophran (medication) and I am trying to acquire a device that sends electrical pulses into your body to help alleviate the symptoms. This last one I would never have considered because it cost 130.00 but I just got a recommendation from a friend so now I am bidding on one through eBay. Pray that I get it. It may actually help.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I cursed all day and night at anyone who looked at me wrong but I was better with Benny because I did have to try and set a good example for Tiffany. If you talk to me, I may seem somewhat . . . um . . . evil, negative, aloof, cranky, take your pick but underneath I am actually being very positive and hopeful. All you may see is evil Kathy but nice Kathy will return . . . eventually.

Too Much!

2009-03-01T22:31:00.004-06:00

As women, we tend to multitask with everything. But when is it too much? Check out this article about a mom trying to be the ultimate multitasker.

Ohio police cite woman breast-feeding child while driving
Associated Press
Feb. 28, 2009, 9:42AM

KETTERING, Ohio — Police in Ohio say a woman has been charged with child endangering after another motorist reported she was both breast-feeding a youngster and talking on a phone while driving.
Police in the Dayton suburb of Kettering say the caller told them he saw the woman Thursday.
Officer Michael Burke says authorities used a license plate number to track down 39-year-old Genine Compton.
He said the woman told officers she was breast-feeding and wouldn't let her child go hungry.
Burke said the legal concern is that Compton had a child in her lap while driving, not that she was breast-feeding in public.
He said the child was under 2 years old.
Police say the woman faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,800 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor.

All I have to say is lock her up. Breastfeed your kids where ever you want but make sure that it is in safe conditions.

Throwback

2009-02-25T13:42:00.004-06:00

My crazy mother just sent me boxes of clothes from my childhood days which would be really neat if they were actually my clothes. These are something the seventies chewed up and spit back out so they must belong to my older sister. We have however had some fun with one dress when I realized that I could fulfill Tiffany's latest request. She wants a dress that covers her feet.

What's Cookin'?

2009-02-19T16:02:00.004-06:00

On Valentine's Day, I was supposed to start my period when I thought, 'Maybe I should take a test just in case'. After all what better gift to give your husband on Valentine's Day then a new baby on the way. To my surprise that is exactly what happened. It turned out that I was pregnant. Wow! I really didn't see that one coming. I should have. Earlier that day, I was at the grocery store putting the test into my cart and as I start walking to the cashier I run into my Ob/Gyn. I knew that it must be a sign, but I quickly dismissed it as superstition. In the end, I guess it was a sign. Yea! So I am 5 weeks pregnant and already having symptoms of back pain, nausea and irritability. Its wondrously joyous to know that not to far from now I will be living inside a trashcan. Go Morning Sickness!

Success Sunday

2009-02-15T20:45:00.000-06:00

"I thank you God for this most amazing day,

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees,

and for the blue dream of sky

and for everything which is natural,

which is infinite,

which is yes."

E. E. Cummings

Today I am thankful for a wonderful day, for the marigolds that we planted, for the love of my husband, for the joy of my children and for the new life within my body.

Thank you, God for all that you have given me today.

Find out How to Post your own Success Sunday!

Making the Best

2009-02-11T14:49:00.003-06:00

Life can be so complicated at times making you feel like you want to crawl under a rock and wish for the less stressful days of watching fairies flutter in the wind, seeing unicorns gracefully drink from a nearby stream and standing in awe of mighty dragons flying high in the sky. Sadly, we must grow up and deal with the crap. My crap this past week were bugs. Not the creepy, crawly kind, but the evil, vicious kind that crawl into the bodies of my sweet babies and make them terribly sick. We had ear infections, sinus infections, headaches, fever, constipation, vomit, missed parties and two complaining, miserable kids over the course of ten days. Ten days at home. Ten days of whining. Ten days without adult conversation. All of this with my birthday approaching. The last few years have been cruel ones for my birthday and this year wasn't looking very good. That's when I decided to make the best of this terrible situation. So I packed up some books, lunch, blankets and headed for the nearby lake. As expected, no one was here to infect so we were able to play without worry. Tiffany was overjoyed as she walked through the water collecting rocks and shells to take home and Benny had fun taking Tiffany's collections and throwing them back into the lake. Boys will be boys. When it was time to go, everyone was worn out and ready to lay down and watch a movie. It was a great time and just what we needed. They still had their fever and Benny started throwing up later that day, but at least it was a great start to my birthday. It should be noted that for this year, my birthday will be celebrated on the 15th when my husband is home and no one is throwing up, hopefully!

Hopeful Doubts

2009-02-06T12:09:00.003-06:00

Doubt surrounds me and holds me in its cold arms.
Doubt in
. . . my husband's job.
. . . my ability to be patient.
. . . my role as a future teacher.
. . . my ability to be a friend.
. . . my fertility.
. . . my leadership.
But through these doubts is the warm embrace of hope
Hope that
. . . I will soon have my husband back.
. . . I will be patient.
. . . I will be a great teacher.
. . . I am a great friend.
. . . I will have more children.
. . . I am becoming a great leader.
My doubts are many but small compared to the hope I feel.
Life will change as it always does and I will develop new doubts.
Hope will overcome those as well.

I love Jesus, but I drink a little

2009-02-03T16:30:00.000-06:00

Success Sunday

2009-02-01T13:31:00.001-06:00

"Make a memory with your children,

Spend some time to show you care;

Toys and trinkets can't replace those

Precious moments that you share.

Money doesn't buy real pleasure,

It doesn't matter where you live;

Children need your own attention,

Something only you can give.

Childhood's days pass all too quickly,

Happy memories all too few;

Plan to do that special something,

Take the time to go or do.

Make a memory with your children,

Take the time in busy days;

Have some fun while they are growing,

Show your love in gentle ways. "

Gloria Babb

For Tiffany's birthday we got her barbie size Tinkerbell fairies because we had been reading the books and for Christmas she received her first Barbie doll. But she quickly grew tired of them and started playing with the My Little Ponies that she got from her McDonald's Happy Meals. I love watching her play with them and it reminded me of how I loved playing with the ponies. Sure, I had a Barbie and Ken but nothing could replace my ponies. In fact I played with them into my early twenties. As I watched her play, it occurred to me that my ponies had been lonely too long so I went up to the attic and introduced her to them. I can't express enough how much it means to me that she loves them as much as I did . . . and still do.

Find out How to Post your own Success Sunday!

Picture Overload!

2009-01-31T11:00:00.002-06:00

December Pictures

from the

Smith Family 2008.

Setting Up with a little more help than necessary

Frolicking in the leaves after daddy had enough help.

Decorating inside

Craft Time and Wrapping

Benny's School Program

They were elves and for the second song he just stood there and watched until the song was over, then he screamed, "Hi Mommy!!!!"

Snow Day

My sister and brother in law

Christmas Day!

Visiting Brownsville

Poor Grandpa was 'sick' and needed help from the grandkids!

I love you, Grandpa!

Great Grandmother and Great Uncle

The Brownsville Children's Musuem

Gladys Porter Zoo

I actually didn't take alot of pictures this time but I had to post the pictures from the children's petting area because it is called Small World just like the Children's Ministy at my church.

This was the cutest and sweetest camel with such curly fur.

25 Random Things

2009-01-26T17:24:00.007-06:00

1. I have read almost everything on Charles Manson. (Don't be scared!)
2. Prior to meeting Tim, I either wanted to work for Greenpeace or the FBI.
3. I was a vegetarian for 7 years.
4. I never wanted kids until I met Tim.
5. Becoming a mom has saved my life in many ways.
6. I love Elvis!
7. Painting takes me to another world.
8. Nothing smells better than the mornings during our camping trips, except maybe a fresh box of crayons. Mmmmm . . .
9. Gene Kelly makes my heart twitter.
10. The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park frighten me beyond belief but I can read Steven King books without concern. Go Figure!
11. I hate washing silverware.
12. As a child, it was my responsibility to fix the VCR when it broke. Today, I make Tim do it!
13. My Little Ponies were my favorite toys as a child and I played with them until I was 24. Not Kidding!
14. While living in Tulsa, I worked at Black-Eyed Pea as a waitress/bartender and was the biggest bitch ever! Seriously, I was so mean to the staff. I really don't know why they liked me.
15. Once, I flushed a 100 dollar bill down the toilet. By accident.
16. Swimming after midnight is so much fun.
17. I hate taking pills.
18. Its fun to be silly.
19. I almost drowned once and that's why drinking and tubing don't mix.
20. I love listening to Hanson. Mmmm Bop!
21. Barefoot is the way to go!
22. I once walked barefoot two miles and across a major freeway just after midnight so I could swing. Man I was stupid!
23. I love just about everyone I meet but I have the attention span of a cat so many people think that I don't care. But I do . . . hey is that a squirrel!
24. I love collecting porcelain dolls, but I have no idea what to do with them.
25. The angriest I have ever been was in the hospital when my blood pressure dropped so low that I was shaking and shivering. I just had Benny and I couldn't even hold him.

A Sister's Memory

2009-01-23T16:39:00.004-06:00

Snoopy was my sister's favorite show. I would like to wish her a happy birthday up in heaven hoping that she will take a second to see that we are all thinking of her today.

Happy Birthday Wendy!

Inspiration Lost

2009-01-22T07:43:00.003-06:00

I wanted to write something inspirational about President Obama. But life happened. Just like it always happens and I no longer feel inspirational. I feel frustrated and melancholy with bouts of depression for a little fun. Single mom. That's what I feel like these days with my husband working thirteen hour days, six days a week. This week is worse because after work he has meetings. I pray that Obama can put a happy dent in the economy if only to see my husband for five extra minutes every day.

Yesterday was really bad. It started with a dead fish which lead to my crying daughter that made us late for school. Once at school, I received the news that school is moving thirty minutes away. Lastly, I had to pull my son out of school at which time I started crying to the school director about a dead fish. All within one hour. I think that I may need a drink . . . maybe a piece of Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

Although, the inspiration has left me, I still feel hopeful about the choices we are making as a family and I believe that this horrid phase in our life will soon be over . . . even if I have to burn my husband's company to the ground.

If I had written something on Obama, it would have gone something like this.

Celebration for our Country

2009-01-19T14:29:00.005-06:00

We had a wonderful day celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr as well as this historic moment of our first African-American President. This was too great an opportunity to pass so I decided to make this a teaching moment for my princess. HBO broad casted a live concert to begin the inauguration festivities which turned out perfect because we were both able to enjoy it and she was able to learn about our president and Dr. King. While we were watching the concert (which I had recorded) we started working on our MLK project. I pulled out a poster board, all the scraps of accumulating paper from my crafts and lots of glue. The kids tore up the paper and glue it on until all of the poster board was covered. Then I printed out the word Equality, taught Tiffany what it meant and let her color it then glue it in the center of the poster. Next, we pulled out these paper dolls which just happened to be in various skin tones and glued them into a circle holding hands around Equality. I thought that it looked so awesome that I Modge Podged the entire poster for preservation. I love it and we had our school for the day. She learned about history, current affairs, music styles, art and vocabulary. I got nothing else accomplished but it was more than worth it.

Success Sunday - Decisions

2009-01-18T20:13:00.006-06:00

"Nothing is or can be accidental with God."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This week has brought my husband and I to a decision that I believe God has been planting in my heart for a long time. Since my daughter started walking, I have been planning things to teach her. Astronomy. Geology. Weather. Art. Music. But I never really thought that I would teach her these things because that is what school is for. Or that's what I used to think . . . last week. This week however is different because we have made the decision to homeschool next year. I have been opposed to homeschool most of my parenting life. I didn't want to lose my personal time also my kids are very social and need school. But circumstances change along with my heart. As soon as we made the decision, I was completely at peace with it. It was as if this is what I was meant to do and apparently nothing is accidental with God.

Find out How to Post your own Success Sunday!

Simon Says

2009-01-12T10:19:00.000-06:00

“The end of the animal trade would leave more time to trap or beat to death pop star wannabes.”

“If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning.”

“Shave off your beard and wear a dress. You would be a great female impersonator.”

"You're useless, I'm bored - yes or no?”

Its time again for creative insults, terrible singing and insanely crazy outfits. American Idol is back, baby! Woo Hoo!

Success Sunday

2009-01-10T15:54:00.003-06:00

" Joanne: You're calling me a freak?

Tommy: No, I'm calling you a product of baboon lovin'. There's a distinction."

Home for the Holidays (movie)

This is one of my favorite holiday movies because its not sunny and happy but dsyfunctional and weird, which reminds me of my crazy family and that makes me feel all sunny and happy inside.

Find out How to Post your own Success Sunday!

Artsy Girls

2009-01-09T08:48:00.002-06:00

Wednesday was a wonderful day. Benny had school while Tiffany did not. At first, I was distraught because I was really looking forward to my day without the kids. So sad, until I realized that Tiffany and I could have some quality girl time together, so we spent the day at the Museum of Fine Arts with my oil pastels and paper. We wandered the halls talking about some of the things we saw and meeting every single museum employee in existence. Everyone that saw Tiffany had to stop us and say, "Oh my, What a beautiful girl! Such a pretty hat! Such pretty hair!" I was becoming frustrated. But I can't say that I blame them, after all, it must get pretty boring staring at the same old tired picture all day so when a sweet, red-headed girl comes in wearing her 'finest' dress with her orange sunglasses and fluffy pink hat, they can't help but to say something.

After finding the right painting, we sat down and made our own versions using the paper and pastels. The first one was sort of a mystery to me. It was three identical blue birds sitting on different sized columns in the corner of one gallery. They looked like pinatas without legs, beaks or eyes. But I thought it would be perfect for Tiffany to make a picture of.

Perhaps I was wrong. She didn't like what she had drawn so she scribbled over it with various shade of blue. I think I might have seen a piece like hers in the modern area, though.

Here is my version. Simple but the colors make me happy.

We worked on this one together. This is almost identical to the tabletop where we ate our cheeseburgers at. Inspiration comes from the most interesting places.

Here is a picture of the original that Tiffany chose. She loved all the colors in the tree.

This is her version. I love it and more importantly so does she.

Check out the outfit! She's Stylin!

I love this one but I am years away of practice before I can copy this one.

However, I like my tree!

Looking Back

2009-01-05T15:09:00.011-06:00

Here are some of my memorable moments from 2008 and other little tidbits.

Special Moments

This Christmas

Tiffany was so generous with the love she holds inside her during the Christmas season. The first time she let it out was at her school Christmas party where I played the role of party host. The kids were engrossed in their activities and as I was walking around the room, she proudly announced, 'My mom did a great job!' After the party, she told gave me a hug and told me again that I did great and she had alot of fun.

The next was Santa. After the picture, she climbed off Santa's lap, he held her hands and apologized that they didn't have enough time together. She replied, "That's okay Santa, I love you" and then gave him the biggest hug. Santa looked at us as she walked away with a glint in his eye and smile on his face.

There were other moments, sitting curled up with her Grandpa instead of playing with her new toys, thanking everyone for kind gestures, and telling me she loved me during the Nutcracker. She really is a sweetheart . . . most of the time.

Just like me

This year Benny finally showed up and cast off his baby gear. He is now 100% hyperactive crazed boy. He likes to do all the things that boys do . . . hits, pushes, screams, jumps; but what I found interesting is his ability for puzzles. He has been doing 24-36 piece puzzles by himself all year long. Its really fun since I love puzzles so much. He also is able to assemble train tracks which again I love doing with him. I can't wait to see what else he will be able to do.

Writing Group

I always knew that I could write, but until I met my friends in our little writing group; I never knew I would love it so much. Thank you girls!

Legacy

Tiffany started her new school this year which made me very nervous due to the fact that I would be homeschooling her part time. Yikes! I ended up really loving it and found it interesting to see her learning new things. Part of me wonders about full-time homeschool but for now I will keep my days off just for me.

Favorite Music

David Cook

Ahh! I love David Cook. But I think that I covered that fairly well already.

Family Force Five

We went to see this concert with TobyMac and discovered this band. WOW! They were really good and so energetic. I kept comparing them to Marilyn Manson or Nine Inch Nails but after buying their CD they seem to have more of an eclectic style, but I still love it. They are Christian so its okay to listen.

My Records

Earlier this year, my wonderful husband set up our new entertainment center which was able to hold my record player. For those of you who don't know, a record player is a device that plays records and those are like a large CD. I have been torturing the children to some of my favorites. Life is good.

Starbucks

What does Coffee have to do with music? No I have not lost my mind. At least not completely. After you have placed your order for your Non-Fat Double Mocha Cappuchino with extra foam and are waiting to pay, look down and scan for free Itune downloads. Starbucks picks the best songs and you get them for FREE! Awesome!

Books I Enjoyed

Twilight

This series didn't interest me before due to its teenage following but now I dream of Edward and what it must be like to be Bella. This is quickly becoming a favorite. Mmmm . . . Edward!

A Long Way Gone

Ishmael Beah was a boy in Sierra Leone when fighting broke out and was pulled into the war as a soldier. He was only 13 and was killing his neighbors. This is a true story written by the boy in the story. It was a wonderful book about his life and how he was rehabilitated.

The Bridges of Madison County

I saw this book for fifty cents and thought, 'What the hell!' But the romance of this book really caught me off guard and I found myself hypnotized by it. I am not one for romance but this book was mesmerizing.

White Oleander

I loved the movie so I thought I would read the book. As usually happens, the book really opens up the characters and makes the story more interesting. Awesome book!

Angels and Demons

The prelude to The DaVinci Code. I was really surprised by how much I liked it. It was full of action, suspense and historical references which ended up teaching me much about history.

My Blogs

When I compare myself to others who blog so well, I don't feel I measure up. However, here are some blogs from my first year of blogging that I am proud of.

Learning

2009-01-01T10:40:00.002-06:00

Another interesting year has passed and a new one is beginning. What will this year hold? From experience I know that new friends will come and give me other perspectives of life just as old friends will find new interests to pursue. I once read a poem of friendship which said that . . . friendships may change, some may end entirely, some just go down different paths and others remain strong but with every friendship we learn something new about ourselves and the world around us. It used to frustrate me when my friends moved on or seemed to busy for me but that poem made me realized how friendships are not always forever and that I should always focus on what I have learned from them instead of letting myself foster bitterness towards someone I care so much about.

This has been a great year for friends. Some friends are new, some are old and some have been recently rediscovered. I really don't believe in resolutions for the new year so I thought I would take what I learned this last year and try to build on it for the next. So here I go!

Lessons from my friends 2008

I can write!

Easy, Easy . . . I have got to take it easy. I really get too excited sometimes and can't express myself well.

There are fun things from my past! Dancing with myself and and just being goofy with my girlfriends.

Homeschool is good. Maybe not perfect for me but something that no longer intimidates me.

I am still a dork and a nerd. There is no denying that.

I can be a liberal christian in a conservative christian community. (As long as no one finds out!)

Old friendships can be rekindled.

Online friends are not always scary. Sometimes they are even inspirational.

There are other people who enjoy the same sick things that I like. You know who you are!

I can be a good friend to others when I sit back and just listen.

This year I would like to thank all my friends for teaching me these valuable lessons and I pray that next year that I will learn even more from my old friends as well as the new ones who have yet to be discovered.

Happy New Year!

Poor Grandma

2008-12-17T22:06:00.001-06:00

Here is a different version of Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer. The interesting part is that this is a Christian band. Enjoy!

Success Sunday - Creativity

2008-12-14T16:51:00.004-06:00

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money;

it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."

Franklin D. Roosevelt

This week the thrill of creative effort was not my own but that of my sweet girl.

All she had was a piece of paper, scissors and glue and she created her first work of art.

Its the most beautiful piece I have ever seen.

Find out How to Post your own Success Sunday!

How Lovely Are Your Branches

2008-12-11T22:45:00.002-06:00

Red Caboose Tree Farm 2008

The Family

Daddy and the kids with funny faces

We love each other, but only because daddy says so!

Hiding from the camera . . .

Gotcha, Cutie!

Hiding again . . .

Peek-A-Boo

I wanna play!

Peek-A-Boo!

Let me show you falling dirt!

Benny practically knocked the engineer over trying to give him the ticket.

Choo Choo

Here we come to my favorite part of our adventure. We had just sat down to eat the lunch we brought with us, when suddenly a daring fly took interest in Benny's lunch. He flew around for awhile before settling on the tip on Benny's nose. He screamed and wailed his arms while this fly simply looked at him. After I rescued my son, the fly returned and landed on his hand. Again with the screaming and wailing (only one arm this time) but I was quicker with the camera and took a few shots. They weren't perfectly clear but I was laughing pretty hard at the time. :)

The Petting Area

A curious goat.

A Picture Perfect Pony

Hungry Sheep, Smelling Donkeys, Hyperactive Pig

The view was beautifully rustic!

Spinning Into Thankfulness

2008-12-09T06:00:00.003-06:00

Life has got me spinning. Not out of control but definitely spinning. It seems that the country's current economic struggles are finally impacting my husband's company. His work has always confused me but basically he works in the corporate level of a new automotive company which is doing really great. People love the atmosphere and the efficiency of car care. The problem is that the funding company which has built the company is being asked for repayment of loans due to the country's struggle. In order for the owner to keep the company running and pay the bills, he just sold all his retail property and layed off over half of the corporate employees. Fortunately, my husband's position is secure due to his extreme involvement with the company's training and computer programming. However, without the funds to keep the company growing, it will fail - even if the company is successful. His job is safe for now but it means that he will be working more than an hour from home, he won't be able to take his planned vacation at Christmas and will probably be out of a job in a few months.

This will be the second failed company that we have been with which makes this all the more difficult. We both had high hopes for this to work, which it still could, but its sad that it probably won't make it. In light of the terrible news, I can't help but be thankful. I am thankful that I have a wonderfully talented husband. I am thankful that we have children. I am thankful that we have a job and job opportunities if this does fail. Not everyone is so fortunate. Tim works with a sweet woman who has almost lost everything. Her husband is dying from brain cancer and has started to forget her. They have no children and she just lost her job. My husband's boss has actually kept her employed so she can keep her insurance for her husband's medical bills. She is such a sweet woman and I just want to wrap my arms around her, if only to take it away for a moment. How can I feel bad about our predicament when she is struggling so much? I still feel down about our situation but I am thankful for what we do have. We will have to cut back on spending, perhaps skip or shorten our trip to disneyworld next year and perhaps homeschool the kids full-time but at least we have each other.

Success Sunday - Make 'em Laugh

2008-12-07T05:42:00.002-06:00

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

- Charlie Chaplin

Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.

- Will Rogers

A woman tells her doctor, 'I've got a bad back.'

The doctor says, 'It's old age.'

The woman says, 'I want a second opinion.'
The doctor says: 'Okay - you're ugly as well.'
- Tommy Cooper

Everyone should have kids.

They are the greatest joy in the world.

But they are also terrorists.

You'll realize this as soon as they are born,

and they start using sleep deprivation to break you.

- Ray Romano

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Because we all need a little humor to take us away from life's difficulties. I pray that you all have a wonderful and humorous week. Now take a peek at one of my all time favorite movies for more laughs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW02c5UNGl0

Find out How to Post your own Success Sunday!

Why I shouldn't drink!

2008-12-06T21:39:00.003-06:00

1. I can't control what comes out of my mouth!
2. I want to dance on the table and with my tummy pooching out . . . well, I just might make you hurl.
3. I am a light weight and get killer headaches after one mimosa. Lovely!
4. Memories of my past come back to taunt me. (why am I asleep in my fruit loops?)
5. I threaten to steal my friends babies and I am sure they wonder - hmmm . . . that Kat girl is a bit crazy but does she really want my baby. Hopefully they will know that the answer is probably not. :-0

Doh!

Flaming Pants and Burnt Tushies

2008-12-02T15:46:00.005-06:00

We have a pants on fire situation. Today, I decided to put my plants outside so they could get a little sun and since the weather is beautiful, I left my back door open to let the breeze in. I simply love these winter breezes. Lovely! A little while later I glance outside only to see my patience fleeing my body at lightening fast speeds. Both my plants had been moved and one has been stripped of its leaves and broken in half. After a moment of analyzing the situation (and a few deep breathes), I realize that our little man could be the only suspect capable of such a horrid crime. So I begin my interrogation of the plant killer.

Did you break mommy's plant?

No. (in the sweetest, cutest voice with the absolute look of sincerity on his face)

Okay, Did you take the leaves off?

No. (he is too freaking cute)

Alright! (Temper rising, but still in awe of cuteness) Did you move the plants?

No, mama. (This time just a hint of a smile)

Hmmm. How did my plant break?

I don't know! (so serious, maybe he is telling the truth)

This went on for awhile until I realized that he wasn't going to crack. In the end, he did have a burning fanny. Poor little liar.

Evil Monkeys!

2008-11-22T09:51:00.004-06:00

Earlier I commented to a friend that 'Guilt is an evil monkey quietly lurking behind you, waiting for you to feel secure and content then he hits you upside your head and runs'. Well now that evil monkey is chasing me down the street, throwing rocks at my head while shouting at the tops of its nasty lungs, "You Are the WORST MOTHER EVER!". I truly don't believe that I am the worst mother ever but it certainly feels like I am getting a little closer to the top.

Let me explain.

My sweet ballerina has ballet once a week and this week they were going to perform for us. I know that it was precious because it was precious last year also, but I will never know how precious she could have been this year since I completely forgot about ballet this week. I thought my heart was going to break when I realized my horrendous mistake last night. I feel so terrible for missing something so important. Thankfully, she doesn't even realize that she missed ballet. That monkey will probably be chasing me for a while, but hopefully I will start fighting back soon. Just not today.

The Sky is Falling!

2008-11-20T17:35:00.003-06:00

Today, I was sitting quietly at my dining room table, working on a craft and listening to the joyous sounds of my children playing nicely together, when suddenly the sky began to fall. It sounded like a hail storm and when I looked out, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Acorns falling.

I opened the door to look outside and saw numerous birds flying from tree to tree dropping acorns as they landed. I called to the kids, grabbed our umbrellas and ventured outside to witness this awesome sight. It was so wonderful to watch these acorns shooting towards the ground, attacking the cats and bouncing back to hit us on the legs. But as quickly as it started, it suddenly stopped as the mass exodus of birds took place. Then again it was very still. We went inside and resumed our previous activities but the memory still persisted. I wish I could have that on camera.

Success Sunday - Sibs

2008-11-16T09:01:00.000-06:00

"Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring - quite often the hard way. “
–Pamela Dugdale

This past Thursday, my darling, sweet little children tried to destroy me. It may not have been known to them, but I know that some evil little sprite was whispering in their ears things that would cause me to scream, hit the walls and come within an inch of beating my babies.

They are in a heightened state of sibling rivalry right now and I have been coming to the rescue every time and every time I came to the screaming and crying, I myself ended up furious or on the verge of tears. Then it finally occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't be interfering and instead let them figure it out. So that's what I started doing. I want so desperately to help them but I only end up hurting myself and sometimes their feelings also. So when I hear the usual 'that's my toy' scream, I patiently wait until the crisis is over and then try to advise them on ways to work out their problems. It seems to help, but it has only been 2 days. We will see what tomorrow holds . . . hopefully it won't be little brother holding sister's new doll over the trash again. Not pretty!

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Cookie Confessions

2008-11-09T21:51:00.006-06:00

It has been consuming my every waking moment leaving me overflowing with giddiness much like a pimply teenager. Before I confess though, I must address the obvious issue . . . my wonderful husband. I love him more than anything and never would I even dream of other men because he fills my every need and is willing to fill those that are running low. Having said that, I have another guy who has captured my devotion! 2008 American Idol, David Cook! He just released his first video last week and I have probably watched it 3-4 times a day since then. As depeche mode said, I just can't get enough. I didn't start out liking him with his weird haircut but as his talent (and hair) evolved throughout the show, he won me over. His song was released a few weeks ago but it wasn't until I saw the video that I fell in love with it.

Mmmmm . . .

Sorry, I got distracted by his eyes. Shake it off, Kat!

His performance was really good but I have always been a sucker for any good looking rocker who can sing with this quiet intensity. He really is talented and I can't wait to see how his album does in the charts but even if no one likes him, I will always want my Cookie! Hee Hee!

(I still love my hubby more, but it would be cool if he sang me a song like that!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP5fBx8JLoQ

Oh Happy Day!

2008-11-05T15:11:00.002-06:00

What a wonderful day it has turned out to be. I feel as though I will break out in some joyous song like a Snow White movie and the little birds will sing back while sitting peacefully on my finger. Maybe if I left my door open the squirrels could come in and help me clean. Now I have really entered the fantasy world. What has happened to put in such a mood of peaceful joy? Simply put, a day out of the house without the children. I had breakfast with one of my good friends, then we walked around a bit just chatting about life and my favorite part, I got to hold her new baby. She is such a sweet baby with a beautiful face and she smells so wonderful like springtime, sunshine and flowers. I can't wait to have another one but I am happy that I can hold my friends babies for now. It wasn't only the baby, but just being out in the fresh air and not worrying about anything. Just a lovely, peaceful morning.

Success Sunday-RenFest

2008-11-02T15:44:00.010-06:00

"Once upon a time in a faraway land there was a tiny kingdom, peaceful, prosperous, and rich in romance and tradition.“
––Narration from Cinderella

A glimpse of this land was given to me today. There were princesses in beautiful gowns, fairies with fluttering wings, roaming gypsies, daring pirates and naturally kings and queens. The Renaissance faire was truly an interesting experience. The buildings were very authentic, as were the cobblestones roads and the multitude of performers roaming the streets. Although, I don't really understand how the American Indians fit into the Renaissance but they were fun also. Just misplaced.

They had shows we didn't watch because our two wonderful children are too much like their mother and couldn't sit still. We got to ride an elephant (which was surprising because like the Indian seemed a bit displaced) but at four dollars a person and lasting less than a minute hardly seemed worth it. We rode on this spinning ride which spun you at surprisingly fast speeds that the kids loved but made me nauseous and a giant swing that could seat six people. There were games and other rides but everything was so expensive, which for a family watching their money closely took a bit of fun out of it for us. In retrospect, it would have been much cheaper and more fun without the children but we still had a good time over all. Now for the pictures!

The Streets of the Faire.

William Shakespeare, perhaps working on Hamlet.

You thought I was kidding, didn't you.

The giant swing.

Loving the llama!

Our Princess.

The elephant.

My new favorite picture.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Until, the evil brother stole his sister's headdress and laughed, Ha Ha Ha!

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On My Mind

2008-10-23T16:08:00.005-05:00

This year's election has been thoroughly trampled by our society but I still feel the need to address it. I may not agree with McCain's Iraq plan. I don't know much about economics but Obama's plan doesn't thrill me, I don't think McCain is right about homosexual rights, I don't agree with some of Obama's pro-choice views. But, I truly do believe that they both would do an excellent job as president, regardless of their political stance.

So why is it that I have to receive Obama Hate Mail every time I open my email. It drives me crazy. OK, here it is! I recently received a terrible email from a very, very dear friend of mine and I pray that she does not believe this hype. This email describes past events that were caused by the direct hand of various radical Muslims and naturally the author must continue his nauseating babble with the qualifications for the anti-christ which amazingly enough both fit Barack Obama. It amazes me that people read this and accept it as fact without asking one single question. After simply reading the Left Behind series it is clear to me that Obama can hardly fit the anti-christ profile, except of course for the middle eastern background. The hatred was emanating from this anti-Muslim email which attacked Obama for his father's background as a Muslim, not a radical Muslim, not even a practicing Muslim at that. What has Obama done that is so terrible? He is just another democrat seeking a powerful position with a wife and family just like McCain. If you are curious about the email, I was able to find a paper that displayed the email and gave an excellent response to it. It is lengthy but very interesting.

For the record, I like both candidates, but I am leaning towards Obama strictly because the McCain/Palin team does not invoke much confidence with Palin's lack of experience and McCain's age. I also feel that Obama would listen and take the advice given from his cabinet, where McCain would cowboy up and do what ever he felt was best.

So please go vote and make your choice on the issues and not on vicious rumors. November 4!

Success Sunday-Achievement and Success

2008-10-20T10:07:00.003-05:00

" My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that 'achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.' "
Helen Hayes

Yesterday was my daughter's fifth birthday party and I have been planning it out for months to make sure that it would be special. These last several days were extremely hectic and it seemed that every minor thing that I volunteer for happened to be needed this past week. But I still managed to get everything ready in time for her party. We didn't do all the activities and games that I had planned but that was no surprise since I purposely planned to have extra things to do in the event that things moved faster than expected. We played her favorite games and were able to decorate wings with all of her friends and she had so much fun and was so happy. I truly feel that I did achieve my goal for her party which is truly all I needed but it was so nice to hear from my friends that they thought our fairy and dragon party was also successful.

For a slideshow of our party go to MamaKat's page.

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Which Chocolates Are Missing?

2008-10-14T18:28:00.008-05:00

Last Friday we had a wonderful speaker at MOPS. Her name was Andrea and her speech was called, "Life is like a box of Chocolates". While agreeing with the quote made so famous by Forest Gump, she also said that there were other 'chocolates' that we should add to our box.

The first of these were truffles which she equated to friendships. She went into detail of the importance of having friends, not just the casual friendships but she wants us all to have those tight-knit friendships we all had in high school.

Skittles (chocolate variety) represented the unexpected. We all have unexpected moments in life, some good and some bad. It is important, she said, that we not let these times get us down instead focus on the good of the situation. In Proverbs 15:15, A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.

Tootsie Rolls remind to let things roll off of us by forgiving others. She emphasized that when you forgive someone you are not condoning their actions but you are letting go your hurt and anger.

Dark Chocolate is full of antioxidants which help to protect our bodies. We need God's word in our life to help protect our mind from worry, stress, fatigue and everything else that seeks to bring us down. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him - James 1:5.

Hershey's Kisses represent God's love for us. We often put up barriers that prevent his love from shining into our hearts so we must put down our barriers and let God love us. We are all lovable.

Mint Chocolate are our dreams and passions. God placed these dreams and passions in us so we need to use them and not let them fade away. Some of us don't know what our dreams are or what we are passionate about so Andrea suggests that we ask our friends who see things inside us that we cannot see ourself.

The last piece for our chocolate box are Peanut Butter Cups which are typically enjoyed for what is inside. Enjoy what is inside you and let others enjoy it also.

Afterwards we all discussed which chocolates were needed in our box. My box is definitely in need of some skittles. I tend to get upset and angry when things go a direction other than my well orchestrated plans dictate. Its really hard to let things go and be cheerful instead of angry, but I guess that leads me to the next chocolate I need. Dark chocolate. I know I need more of God's word in my life to help me through those unexpected moments. But I also need some truffles. I have several good friends but I find it so difficult to build those friendships into an unbreakable bond, especially when we all have different responsibilities to our husbands and our children, and sometimes work. Everyone in my group needed different chocolates but at least we were all trying to get those truffles in that box by just showing up to MOPS that day.

Toilet Paper Troubles

2008-10-10T13:22:00.003-05:00

Today started out funny, sort of. In the process of getting the kids and myself ready for MOPS, I sent Tiffany to the bathroom to take care of business while Benny ever so slowly ate his breakfast. I continued changing out my old purse to the new one I bought several months ago. Its really nothing special but it was on sale for three dollars and reminds me of the ones that all the really trendy, cool moms use. I was about to use it when I originally purchased it but then it reminded me of fall so I have been waiting to use it until now. Its much smaller than my other purse so it took some time to sort out what I wanted to put into it and before I knew it about fifteen minutes had passed. Then it occurred to me that I had yet to see Tiffany emerge from the bathroom, so I go and check on her expecting to need a gas mask for the amount of time she had spent on her porcelain throne. She is just sitting there smiling. I ask her what she is doing and she says that there is no toilet paper. Why she sat for fifteen minutes air drying instead of asking for help I will never know and I wonder how much longer she would have remained had I not remembered that I in fact did have two children. Girls sure are strange sometimes. Sure enough the fresh roll I put on yesterday had been dipped in water piece by piece and dropped into the waste basket making a very tall mess. I'm thinking that Benjamin and the toilet plotted together to overthrow the paper who got most of the attention, but I could be wrong. So I got her some new toilet paper, grabbed my pretty purse and left wondering what the rest of my day would be like.

Things to Come

2008-10-04T11:01:00.007-05:00

If the last week was a measure things to come over the next month, then I may need medication. I recently signed up to be a group leader at our local MOPS organization which only seems natural since I have been part of it for so long and a perfect place to test my leadership skills, if I have any that is. Our first goal was to inform and invite as many moms as possible to join. So we stand by a table outside the children's ministry handing invitations to any mom we see and talk to them about it. In between moms, we leaders naturally chit-chat about unimportant things when the wonderful mom organizing everything informs us of one of MOPS traditions through our church. It seems that the leadership team falls victim to various troubles the week prior to the first meeting. I usually dismiss these sorts of claims because more often than not these are just easily dismissed events that have been connected together when they really don't connect at all. Having said that, my week really sucked! Benny turned into a vomiting volcano as I was waiting in a car line to pick up Tiffany. It was everywhere. Fortunately, I had extra clothes on hand but his car seat was disgusting so I moved him to Tiffany's and had her ride without a car seat. This made her cry even though she has been wanting to sit without her car seat for weeks now. On the way home, Benny started again but I was able to catch it with a plastic bag and still managed to steer the car. He didn't throw up again but he sure was tired and cranky the next two days. Tiffany also chose this time to be a defiant child who seems to know what is best for her and I apparently know nothing. It didn't help that I couldn't sleep during this time either. We were all cranky! Then I get terrible news, Tim's dad was in the hospital with what can only be described as a minor cardiac event. Earlier this year he underwent two separate brain surgeries where we thought that we may lose him and here we go again. Fortunately, he is responding to medication but they are thinking of putting a stint in a clogged artery. We are hopeful, but we will be glad when he is back home. After this week, I will never doubt our wonderful MOPS leader again. It really was a terrible week, but our first MOPS meeting was great!

Success Sunday - Survival

2008-09-28T13:14:00.003-05:00

" Survival is nothing more than recovery. "
Dianne Feinstein

I survived the storm. It wasn't the hurricane that just swept through, but the emotional storm that followed. The news reports of people pulling guns just to get water, gas and ice was enough to keep me from leaving my house. But isolating myself led to feeling sad because I was all alone with two kids to care for. With God's help I survived the storm and then I recovered from it and went outside. I was much happier once I realized that I needed to let go of the fear and get myself back into the world.

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Fourteen Days

2008-09-26T19:41:00.004-05:00

Fourteen days without electricity. Fourteen days of entertaining children. Fourteen dark nights full of monsters. Fourteen days of mosquito bites. Fourteen days without air conditioning. Fourteen days waking up with tears wondering if I will make it another day. The last two weeks has been like walking along a narrow precipice, at times you are on steady ground and others you are struggling not to fall. I yelled at my children more than usual these last two weeks but I always managed to steady myself before falling off the edge. They have been miserable with their mosquito ravaged bodies wondering if there really are monsters in the dark waiting to devour them. The only monster was the one I was trying to keep from coming out of me. I struggled with bouts of depression over the last couple of weeks but once we saw those glorious lights come on, we were rejoicing and dancing with happiness. We made it fourteen days and I honestly think, I could have done more but I am glad that I didn't have to find out. I took the children to lots of places where they could safely play and entertain themselves leaving me to write out my feelings and experiences. I will be posting some of what I wrote and some pictures I took, but first I must clean my carpets.

Hurricane Thrills

2008-09-12T16:04:00.006-05:00

What started with excitement and mystery has turned into nervous anticipation. I love tracking hurricanes when they are abstract concepts, wondering where they are going and what they are going to do next simply thrills me. Until I can see it coming my way. Then I begin obsessive cleaning and cookie making just to keep me calm. Part of me is praying that it won't come our way but the other part of me is so excited to watch it unleash its power. It truly is an awesome site to watch the ocean waves rip apart fishing docks and splashing over the Galveston Seawall onto the news people trying to keep us up to date. I certainly don't want to see anyone hurt or their homes destroyed but I wouldn't mind driving down to the beach and getting splashed before landfall. How awesome would that be? Perhaps my next blog will have a different point of view but will have to wait until I get electricity back.

Blue Houses and Flying Cats

2008-09-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

The house was old but new to us. I hated it with a wild fury. Our old house was nothing fancy but its where I learned to climb a tree, to ride a bike, how snow felt, how to sneak out, to get drunk without letting anyone know it and many other skills that don't need mentioning. It was a nice house in a nice neighborhood with nice people. It was close to the river where I would escape my mother. This new blue house was not in a neighborhood, it was right off a highway and across from a bar. There were no nice people. It was much bigger which gave my mom more space to pretend to sort through and organize all of her moth eaten valuables given to her by her crazy mother who wouldn't get rid of it either. The house came with a bigger yard for all of our animals which meant that I would have more grass to cut on those hot Texas days. Our only neighbors were the sheep from a nearby farm and the speeding cars that seemed to laugh as they drove by. If you were to get an Aeriel view, the blue house would resemble the letter L. The largest room in the house was the loft room which we filled with maze of useless junk. The maze twisted and turned eventually spitting us out to the bathroom or to the stairs leading up to the loft. That was the short part of the L. The remainder of the house was one long hallway of rooms. The entry room. The living room. The laundry room. The kitchen. The dining room. This room was strange; perhaps it was an afterthought in the mind of a lunatic. It had a storm door with three stairs leading down to the mismatched linoleum, an out of place yet elegant chandelier with one door leading to the back yard and another door leading out to the carport. There were also ugly sliding glass windows that opened to the kitchen. Next came the bedrooms. Nothing remarkable until the last room of the house. This is the master bedroom with stairs that lead down to the closets and a puke green bathroom. The ceilings were ridiculously short in this room especially the shower where claustrophobia would overwhelm the bravest of people. This became my room.

Our first night in our big, blue house was memorable to say the least. Mom was asleep in the living area in a sleeping bag on the floor. Next to her was the laundry room door with a mattress leaning against it. She has always slept on the couch, never in her room. Now she reduced herself to a sleeping bag. I stopped asking why. All six of our grumpy cats are in the laundry room. My younger sister is decorating her room while listening to The New Kids On The Block. They apparently have the right stuff for my sister. Their faces litter her walls which turns the bile in my stomach everytime I walk by. This first night I am in the hallway by my sister's room since she has the only air conditioner in this part of the house and I am being disobedient. The night before I was caught in a compromising situation with my boyfriend and was forbidden to talk to him. Naturally, I call him as soon as mom falls asleep. Queen Toni was purring quietly nearby when BOOM! I look up to see that the mattress where my mom is sleeping has turned orange with flames and the laundry room door is barely hanging on its hinges. I am shocked to see that my mom is still asleep. I run over to her, shake her so hard I feel as though she will break. Finally she wakes up, sees the fire and leaps to attention. She attends the fire and I run to my sister who is in shock. I grab her arm and my cat while running to the door. We jump in the car and drive it up to the road away from our house. We sit in our car watching the firefighters work. My sister is hysterically screaming for the New Kids. Our crap house is on fire, flying cats were shot out of the laundry room and are possibly dead or dying, our mom is running around like a headless chicken and my sister is screaming for a stupid boy band. (I would say music group but that's just needless flattery). I am calmly petting my cat watching the blazing fire fighting to survive.

The fire is contained before spreading to the rest of the house and eventually we find all of our cats, singed but undamaged. Sadly, the house was rebuilt and we remained to suffer. I eventually moved to Oklahoma and my mom bought a house. I drive by the blue house whenever I visit my mom and I always think back to this night and how truly funny it was.

Dr. Tiffany

2008-09-08T10:51:00.002-05:00

"Mommy, I want to be a doctor when I grow up!" announced Tiffany

(getting her doctor kit together)

"Daddy, I'm a doctor and its time for your check-up."

(pretend coughing)

(check-up begins)

"Well Daddy, you look just fine. I have to go now."

"But I'm still sick!"

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

"But your a doctor so can you make me better."

She pats him gently, "Sorry, I have to go now."

So much for that bedside manner. See you later, Dr. Tiffany!

Funny Kids of August

2008-09-02T07:50:00.002-05:00

Here is a glimpse into August insanity

- Tiffany no longer takes naps but I insist that she have rest time in her room. One day, I enter her room to find it empty. 'Hmmm . . . that's strange,' I thought. But wait! It is that what I think it is? Could it be? Yes! Tiffany has somehow managed to crawl into her pillowcase (with her pillow still inside) and curl up into a ball. That would be my genes coming through, I can so see myself doing that as a kid.

- Alternate name for Pump-It-Up, the inflatable jumping party place for kids. Pump-N-Dumps.

- One day we come home from the grocery store and the kids dart inside leaving me to bring in the groceries. This is no surprise since my kids are two and four. As I approach the front door loaded with groceries, I realize that my wonderful two year son has locked the door. I curse and kick the door (the only appendage left to me) trying to get my daughter's attention. It wasn't working. I look through the door window and see Benny trying to undo his damage and Tiffany hiding behind a couch laughing at me. I can only imagine how I must have looked from the street. A disheveled woman loaded with plastic bags, kicking and screaming threats of severe punishments to the children inside. Yeah, I would have called the cops if I had seen that. I finally get inside and after sending the imps to their room, I realize that it will be a while before I think this is funny. A long while.

- A comment from my dear sweet little daughter after reading her book before bed, "I can see your tummy Mommy, it's fat!" Goodnight sweethart, I'm going to the gym now!

- Sitting in Benny's room waiting for him to return from using the bathroom, I hear a strange sound. It takes me a minute to realize what it is. Splashing. Who would be splashing? Oh, Shit, I think as I bolt to the bathroom! Yep, Benny was splashing in the potty . . . before flushing it. Needless to say, we had bathtime a little early that day.

- My dessert rule is simple: eat your dinner, get dessert - don't eat dinner, get fruit. When Benny refused to eat his dinner, Tiffany got ice cream and Benny got a banana. Tiffany felt bad for Benny and asked to share hers with her brother. How could I refuse that? She is so sweet, sometimes.

- Upon entering Benny's room in the middle of the night, I find out what caused his screaming tears. The Monster Ate Me! Damn Monsters!

First Day

2008-08-25T11:18:00.005-05:00

It seem ridiculous to mourn my daughter's first day of PreK, but I just want to curl up on the couch and suck my thumb until it is time to get her. I am proud that I made it through the day without any tears as did Tiffany. She was nervous but brave and I know that she will love it. I too will love it after I get through this first day. Until then, I will watch some sad movie so I can justify my tears. To end this on a high note, I did have a great time choosing which records to display on my new shelf in the living room. That would have been less fun with Tiffany at home. Ok sad movie, here I come.