Be Different...Act Normal

Giving some blog love...

Need decorating ideas for fall? Want to make something delicious?

Lorie can find it!

She does several post a day about all these great projects and ideas she's found on other blogs.

Need a crafty guru - go check her out at Be Different...Act Normal!

Random stuff...

It has been really busy around here... we are in the process of moving. My husband drives over an hour to work each day so we've been looking for something closer to his work. We finally found something in an excellent school district and will save us A LOT of money in gas.. So in a couple of weeks the kids will be starting a new school {the timing is not so great} but I'm sure they'll adjust fine. We are excited... but it wouldn't hurt my feelings if I never see another box again

And.... I'm so honored another award! I've got this one before and to get it twice - well I think that just makes me extra special! {Smile}

Thank you so much to Mama 4 Real, who gave me the Splash award. I LOVE her blog!

You have to go and check it out!

I'm going to cheat on this a little - since it's my second time... and the moving and all...

and just say thanks again to Mama 4 Real!

Writer's Workshop - Friendly Advice

The Prompts from Mama Kat:

1.) Write about a time when you were wrongly wronged.(inspired by myself.)
2.) Geriatric peeping Tom neighbors? Do tell.
3.) Mommy play dates? What's your experience with mom dating?
4.) The first day of...
5.) Share your friendly advice for someone you think needs it (ie your mother-in-law, other drivers, cell phone users, etc.)

I chose #5...

My friendly advice is for Mrs. "Kindergarten" teacher

Please only listen to half of what my child says. She tells everything. I mean E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

*I did not try to give her away at the grocery store. When the sweet little old lady asked how much she (Abby) would cost her to take her home. I said she was priceless.

5 year old translation - free.

Then there's yesterday. The kids are giving Roxy a bath. She gets away from them and takes off down the street. Although we love our dog very much.... the neighbors love for her- not so much.

So, we rush to get herback and obedience is not necessarily her strong point and in frustration John says - I'm going to kill her.

(Back off Peta - It was said out of anger no real intentions)

After 20 minutes of coaxing and begging we finally get the dog back. "We" as in me and John, the kids have already gave up and went in to the house. She is fine and well and securely pinned up in her kennel.

Before bed last night Abby is drawing a picture and I ask our sweet angel what she's working on.

The very attentive Abby tells me - Tomorrow when my teacher ask what we did last night, I'm drawing a picture in case I forget - to tell her that daddy wants to kill the dog...

You think I still got a shot at Room mom???

Thursday 13 "I" Edition

1. Isabelle - My niece's middle name

2. Icee Stand - Where I first met John. He worked there as a teenager and I went EVERY afternoon until he asked me out.

3. Internet - Thank God for it!

4. Ice Cream: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is at the top of the list

5. Italian - The closest I come is Ragu Spaghetti...

6. Imagining - My house clean...

7. Icarly - I have 2 girls...what do you expect...

8. Independence Day - Best holiday for BBQ!

9. IHOP - Best breakfast...(I think about food way too much!)

10. Ipod touch- John wants one for his birthday

11. Idea - need one I'm running out of words that start with "I"

12. Idaho - Potatoes ...if all else fails go back to food :)

13. I'm - Done!!

There you go my 13 "I's"

If you are playing along link up at Kimber's...

It's not about the fire...it's about the candy bars

I've had a couple inquiries about burning down the house...Yes, at eight years old - I burned my house down. Completely to the ground, nothing left...nada.

The stories not really about the house though - it's about the candy bars inside the house. Let me back up a little. I lived with my mother and step-dad. He was a jerk to put it nicely. He was mentally and physically abusive. {FYI - my mother is no longer with him} We were those kids everyone knew what was going on but nobody did anything. Anyway, I don't want to say my childhood was a bad one - that would take away from all the good times - rough maybe but not bad.

Anybody familiar with the school fundraiser where you sell candy bars??? Back in my day, they gave you a case to take home to sell. Well, as a kid we didn't get candy/sweets on a regular basis (holiday or birthday) Not that it's bad, I think it was a good thing. So long story short...I eat the candy bars. ALL of them, never told my mom I had them - just eat them, each and everyone.

Then comes the day I'm home from school sick. My mom's there with my baby brother, we're in her bed and I decide to fix something to eat. Mom worked a lot so it's not out of the norm for me to cook something and take care of my smaller brother and sister. I decide I'm making french fries and turn the stove on to heat up a pot of oil for the fries. I go back in the bedroom with my mom and forget about the oil. Later we hear a popping sound coming from the kitchen...and that's how the fire originates. By the time the firemen got there, the house was gone. My mom lied and told them she had something in the crock pot {I'm sure to avoid a beating for me or her} they determined it an accident and something with the wiring in the kitchen...

Which brings me back to the candy bars and my already guilt stricken self.... first the chocolate and now the fire - I'm going to hell for sure. My morale dilemma brings me to the fork in the road where I have (a.) own up to eating the candy bars or (b.) tell my teacher they melted in the fire. I spent a lot of my childhood living in fear and getting beat for things I didn't do so when I did do something wrong -I was afraid, really afraid.

I went with option B -

It took a while and I finally owned up to it with my mom and now (probably because of me) if you want to participate in the school fundraiser and sell candy bars you must prepay for them first.

Where did he get that from????

Before dinner last night my kids were actually arguing over who could say grace. What a proud, sweet moment. How well John and I have done - our kids (all three) wanting to say the blessing! {Smiling in pleased contentment}

Then Abby says: [whiny, agitated voice] Why do we have to say the blessing EVERY time we eat??

Then Anthony replies: [the smart, confident boy he is] Because Abby, if we don't - Jesus will make us sick.

Proud parenting moment thrown out the window....

Another award!

Well, two to be exact. Stacey over at Bloggin it like it is has to be my most favorite person right now! She was kind enough to give me not one but two awards this week!

The Splash Award is given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive, and inspiring blogs.

When you receive this award, you must:

Put the logo on your blog/post.
Nominate & link up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
Remember to link to the person from whom you received your Splash Award.

Ok, here it goes...

1. Life as we know it

2. This blessed life

3. Stanton's Journey to Adoption

4. Day in the life of a girl named Kimber

5. My Little Life

6. Stay at home mom

7. The Bubble...

8. The Mom in Little Man's World

9. Should be Cleaning

The second award - I have to list seven things about myself....hmmm...

1. I have seven brothers and sisters. My parents divorced and remarried so we did not all live in the same house growing up - but yep seven.

2. I try to find humor in everything.

3. I may have burned down our house when I was in 3rd grade (but that's another post!)

4. I love super glue/gorilla glue! There's not too much I can't fix with it...or at least try!

5. Long ago when my 2 oldest were little (before there was google) - if my kids asked me a question and I didn't know the answer - rather than say - I don't know -I'd just make something up. (think Waterboy - Adam Sandler...mama says)

6. I am counting down the days to the Season premiere of House.

7. I believe Happiness is a choice. "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice & be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 TLB"

Back to school funnies

What makes John and Jennifer...well, um...John and Jennifer..

I knew from the minute I met him that he was the one... I loved everything about him. He was adventurous and fearless. A natural leader that commanded attention just by walking in the room. So, we fall in love and he tells me how he loves the fact that I see the world through rose colored glasses and my determination and how I can make him laugh when he's had a hard day...

I'd love to say from there it's been happily ever after but I won't lie to you. I can't, you already know we're in marriage counselling. It seems that whenever we came to a fork in the road - our youthful wisdom always led us down the bumpy road. So after many years of mountains to climb, valleys to walk through, burying John's daddy and grandparents, opportunities lost and some just not taken and three kids later - here we are...

The persistence and willfulness that I loved about him looks more like um ... pigheaded and my determination that he was infatuated with just a few years earlier is now seen as stubborn. His adventurous fearless side now seems more like reckless... and me seeing the world through rose colored glasses??....now interpreted as denial.

Do we love each other? Yes. More than anything.

Did we go in to a marriage with unrealistic expectations? Probably.

Katherine Hepburn said it best...Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.

I'm just sayin'....

Maybe I'm guilty of doing too much for my kids...

Not my child

McMama is hosting her "Not my child Monday", so be sure to go by and check out what every one else's kids are not doing either...

It was not my darling daughter Allison that surprised me with her kindness towards her sister this week. She went by Abby's classroom to check on her several times this past week and make sure she was okay.

...I'm going to pause for a minute and hold that thought in my brain for as long as possible

because it was just this morning that she was telling her (Abby) that we were going to sell her to the circus...

Abby was not extremely disappointed in me for putting the picture of her mad from the first day of school on my blog.

Mama! You can't put that picture of me on your vlog! They'll think I'm mean and nobody will leave me any comments!!

No, this is not her, trying to take a happier more suitable picture of herself for the vlog...

The love for a child

I've never known the heartache of infertility. I have seen it through my IRL friend Mandy. I've also seen the joy and happiness that adoption brings. I look at sweet little Seth (pictured with Abby) and you can see the love and security that he KNOWS he has from his family. He KNOWS he has a mommy and daddy that would do anything for him and a big sister that would give him the world. Then I read Stephanie's post about her friend Bethany. (who will soon welcome home her sweet little girl from Ethiopia) She and her husband are selling these t-shirts to fund this mission. Did you know the UN estimates there are 6 million orphans living in the country of Ethiopia??? 6 m.i.l.l.i.o.n.
It breaks my heart to think that 6,ooo,ooo sweet little one's out there that are just waiting to feel that love that Seth has and to KNOW that they have a family.
Maybe you're like me fertile mertle and you struggle to pay for your own, much less be able to afford to adopt but you can for $16 make a difference. If you don't have $16 to give, how about putting a button/link on the side for free. :)
Almost forgot! I entered Stephanie's give away for one of these cool t-shirts and WON!!
Thanks Stephanie!

Not me Monday

Welcome to the blog carnival started by Mcmama - be sure to go check out what everyone else is NOT doing over at My Charming Kids.

No, these are not all three of my sweet kids starting school this morning.

(Anthony's 2nd day)

No, it is not my baby's FIRST day of kindergarten.

No, my confident little 5 year old is not sitting here telling us how pretty all of the boys are going to think she is and how everyone is going to be her friend.

No, I did not document moment by moment of this morning...

And then..... Abby did not realize that she was not staying all day...

She was not mad about having to come home - of course not!

One down

Mama, pleeeeeze do NOT get out of the car and take my picture - it's embarrassing!!

So, I promised and said of course not son it's only your first day of middle school - my first born at a milestone but whatever!

Technically - I didn't get out of the car so I only sort of lied....right???

What I learned on vacation...

Vacation pictures of this mama of three in a bathing suit should be cropped to a head shot as to not scare away any readers...

Lori and I went here on Wednesday night. Wonderful!! No, there is not one picture from that evening, if fact there is not a single picture of Lori for me to post. Although very pretty, she's not as excited as I am to share herself with blog land...

This is the view from her house, so other than that one night at Oceanic Pier. We stayed on the water. It was a LOT of fun - the sun poison I have now- um, not quite so much...

Ever had one of those moments and you say this would be GREAT on my blog?

Well, I learned every time I had one of those moments - I didn't have the camera...

Instead, when I had the camera I ended up taking pictures of stuff like this...

... and this???

As for any great stories...not much to tell.

We did accidentally get kicked off Government property but I better keep that one to myself!!

So, I leave you with another cropped head shot...

Give away at "this blessed life"

Go check out Stephanie's blog and enter in her give away and make a difference for an orphan!

My first award!!!

I am SO honored! Stacey, you little sweety! You've made my day!

Thank you so much for the award!

You must go by and check out her blog!

The rules:

List five current obsessions and pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs

1. Blogging! (Of course) I'm so obsessed that last week while on vacation, I logged on every chance I got because I was afraid I was going to miss something...

2. School clothes shopping. This is a last minute one week obsession, the kids start school next Monday and well, um... I've still got a lot to get...

3. Body Image. I shouldn't be, I know. However just the same, I can talk about weight all day long and would be perfectly content with being as small as Victoria Beckham. Just lack the willpower to get there.

4. Chocolate. Not a good thing considering #3 obsession...

5. Celebrity Gossip. I check TMZ and People.com about as much as I check blogs. I may know more about what's going on in Jennifer Lopez's life than my own brother's.

Ok, now for my five picks... it's hard because I love so many!

1. Stanton's Journey to Adoption - Mandy's a real life friend and she's the one that talked me in to starting my own blog.

2. Mommy Needs Coffee - Jessica is a cute little mommy that's about to pop any day now!

3. My Little Life - I love her! She brightens my day because I know I'm always going to get a chuckle from her post.

4. I'm a REAL LIFE mom - Her tell it like it is wit and charm is a must read!!

5. The Little things in Life - I just found Jolene's blog and she is such a sweetheart!

Ok, I just thought of five more... so people feel free to give me more awards!

LOST on an island

Ok, I'm not really lost but I'm going to pretend to be when it's time to go home. The kids are at John's sister's this week, so I packed my bags and went with my friend Lori to her beach house on a small island just outside of Wilmington, NC.

I suppose if I must when I get back, I'll have tons of pictures and stories to share...

What are bloggy friends for...

Bailey has entered her dog, Sadie in the cutest dog competition. Look at her! She is pretty darn cute! Please take a minute (really only take a second) to vote for Sadie. Good luck Sadie!

Maybe they're not as big as it seems...

School will be starting here in a few weeks. This year Anthony will be starting middle school (really struggling with that) and Abby will be starting kindergarten (really, REALLY struggling with that) We know she's our last, so there's not going to be another child that we'll see make those first steps in to the school ... and then there's Allison, she's 10 going in to the 5th grade but thinks wants to be 18....
what happened to those sweet LITTLE children of mine???

It feels like I'm losing my little one's to "Father time"...
but then I'm reminded that they are not as big as it seems...