Pop Tarts or Oatmeal

Going to the grocery store with our kids is always an adventure.  There are aisles and aisles of temptation for them, and they want one of everything- especially the junk food!  I try to buy and cook healthy foods for my children, but sometimes they put up a fight. It's not so bad in the produce department because they all love fruit.  But once we get to the drinks and snacks, it gets a little ugly.  They are soft drink junkies.  After a few dentist appointments, we decided to limit them at our house.  The sugar was destroying their teeth, so I can't imagine it was doing anything good to their bodies.  And they certainly don't need caffeine- they have enough energy!  I will buy soft drinks if we have company coming over, and they kids order them if we go out to eat.  This has been the rule for over a year, but every time we go to the grocery store they act like it's breaking news.  Olivia almost always has a melt down.  I swear she is addicted to coke... And then we get to the breakfast aisle, this is when the claws really come out!  All three of them love pop tarts- I refuse to buy them.  I show them the oatmeal- they refuse to eat it.  Emma wants chocolate chip granola bars, and Luke wants grits.  Olivia wants to go home.  We all agree on cereal, but of coarse they all want a different kind.  So, I pick out what I think looks like the healthiest and we move on to the wine aisle... I'm gonna need it when we get home! 

WWJD

I remember the days when everyone at school wore a colorful WWJD bracelet.  We all had tons of them- one for every day of the week.  And we would trade them or give them to our best friends like my kids trade silly bands.  But when is the last time anyone has seen a WWJD bracelet?  Now in a time of political correctness, it's wrong to even imply that you believe in Jesus, God and Heaven.  Now you have to tiptoe around so that you don't offend anyone.  It's ok to wear profane clothing, swear with every breath, or do what ever else you want to do, but as soon as someone mentions the Bible- all bets are off!  You are automatically a holy roller, or an absolute idiot for believing in something so old fashion. 

I don't expect for all of my friends to have my exact belief, but I pray that they all know Jesus.  I'm not perfect and I don't always do the right thing- but I am thankful that God has forgiven me for that!  I don't try to "shove" my religion onto other people, but at the same time, I'm not going to hide the fact that I am religious.  It is that religion and my faith that has carried me through many many tough times in my life.  And God willing it will continue to carry me through anything I may face in the future.  God Bless.

Should I Stay or should I go?

    Do you ever have one of those mornings when you wake up and just don't think you can face the world?  Today was one of those days.  I sent the kids off to school and laid back down for just a minute.  After my one minute had turned into several, I thought- there has to be a good reason to stay home today.  Anything?!?  Nothing came to mind.  And I was pretty sure that calling my very understanding boss to tell him that I just wanted to sleep all day wasn't going to cut it.  So, I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed, put on my makeup and left for work.  And, today has been a great day.  The one thing I have realized about days like today is this- I have never regretted making myself get up and move on.  The hardest part is the first step.  I think you can apply that logic to lots of things in life.  Like exercising (but usually the hardest part is the four days after you exercise when you can barely move), cleaning the house, or cooking dinner instead of going out.  So from now on, when I think of something that I really, really don't want to do, I will get up, get dressed- and move forward.  I'm sure that when all is said and done, I will thank myself.

Stuck in the Middle

Everyday at our house starts the same way.  I hit snooze 5 times, and wake up at the last possible minute (which, by the way is 7:13) and the fun begins.  First, Derek wakes up Emma and then Luke, and then Olivia.  Then Derek goes back to Emma's room to wake her up.  He then gives up on Emma and Olivia and makes breakfast for Luke who is patiently waiting in the kitchen.  I wake up Emma and then Olivia.  Then I yell at Emma.  They roll out of bed.  While the girls spend their morning yelling at each other over hairbrushes, chewing with your mouth open, staring at each other- or whatever else Emma can do to aggravate Olivia, there is Luke.  Stuck in the middle.  He quietly puts his bowl in the sink and heads off to his bedroom to get dressed.  He comes out ready for the day with a big smile.  He puts on his socks and shoes, brushes his teeth, makes his bed and picks out his snack.  And the girls are still in my bathroom screaming at each other because Emma left water on the counter and Olivia won't give her the right hairbrush.  Sheesh!  I think saying that the girls in our house are not morning people may be a small understatement!  But, by 7:45, everyone is ready to go!  I hug and kiss my 3 sweet children and send them out the door with my wonderful husband.  And off to school they go, hopefully to learn something fabulous.

If I could turn back time (or at least slow it down a little)

This morning I was watching Olivia straighten her hair.  I offered several times to help her, but she insisted that she could do it on her own.  And she did, without any help from me.  As she walked out the door to go to school, I couldn't help but think where have the last 9 years gone?  I remember every detail from the first ultrasound, to her first steps, to her first day of school like it was 2 seconds ago.  My mother always told me not to wish my life away, that one day I would wake up and realize it had gone by too quickly.  Well, mom, today is that day.  Today is the day that I looked my baby in the face and realized that the baby face is gone.  She is turning into a young lady with each passing second- and they are passing by to fast! 

So, if I could give some advice to any new moms out there, it would be this...  Read a bedtime story, even if she asks a million questions.  But a ship out of leggos, even if he is just going to tear it apart.  Help them tie their shoes and tuck them in at night.  Because one day will come when they will say to you- It's OK, you don't have to.  And that is a sad, sad day.

Missing the Looney Toons

As I raced to find a hairbow and bloomers for Emma's cheerleading uniform Saturday, I thought about the good old days...  And yes, I am officially old enought to call them that!  I remember being a kid and looking forward to Saturdays.  We would sleep past 9:00, and then spend the morning sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons.  Saturday mornings would last forever... and then when the Looney Toons ended, my mom would turn off the TV and make us go outside and play.  At our house now, we spend Saturdays a little differently.  Now if I sleep past 8:00, it's too late.  I rush around the house finding bits of the kids 27 piece uniforms- socks, shoes, pants, hairbows, pom poms, bloomers- the list goes on and on.  So I ask, do we really need to wear the right socks this week???  Usually the answer is no.  And then we rush from one game to another just hoping that we can make it on time.  And then it's home to do what ever didn't get finished during the week.  Saturday isn't a day to relax anymore...it's just another work day.  But at least it's spent with three happy kids!

Just HOW does a mom know EVERYTHING???

Today as I was spending a wonderful late lunch break at Target (the happiest place I know of) my phone rings... It was Derek.  He picked the kids up from school and Emma's teacher said that she was having trouble keeping her hands to herself.  Anyone that knows sweet little Emma knows that is the truth!  So, the question is, do I want to talk to Emma.  Well, sure I do!  I say, "Emma, did you have a good day?"  YES.  "Emma did you get in trouble?" NO, NOT EVEN A WARNING!  "Emma, no one said to you- don't do that again?"  WELL, there was this one time... 

You just have to know what questions to ask, and the truth will slowly come out!  So of coarse, I carried on with the mother's interragation to get to the bottom of it all.  After I said I was going to call the teacher, Emma said "you're not really going to are you??"  Of coarse I was bluffing- but she didn't know that!  Then, voila!  The WHOLE story!  .... and that is how mom always knew you were lying.

Being a mom has uncovered so many childhood mysteries :)

My Family

I love talking about my family life ALL of the time, so I might as well blog about it, too!  I am a mother of two beautiful daughters and one very handsome son.  My husband Derek and I have been married for almost two years.  It is the second marriage for both of us.  I tell everyone that the first marriages are for practice.... which I don't actually believe but it makes me chuckle.  I was married during my first year of college and had Olivia a few months later. Two years later our sweet Emma came along. Fast forward through a few tough years, and I found my prince charming. Complete with a little prince of his own.  And now we are one big happy family, just like the Brady's.  Minus Alice, which I am still lobbying for on a daily basis!
Being a wife and mother is quite possibly the most challenging job there is.  We are doctors, taxi cab drivers, chefs, maids, psychiatrists, religious leaders and rule enforcers on a daily basis- and then we have to take care of the children too!  Trying to raise children to be smart, kind, ambitious, trust worthy, punctual, and out going is not an easy task.  Throw in school days, sleep overs, and sports- and you have a full time job.  But, wow- the reward is amazing!  Watching an innocent baby grow into a loving child is priceless.  I would have ten more babies if Derek would let me- but trust me, he won't!  So, I will just spend my days enjoying the wonderful family that God has blessed me with.