Mothers day glory

happy mothers day friends!

I found this years ago in a magazine and have found great comfort and laughs from it, and I hope you do too!
(i was going to scan it and post it but i couldn't get the scanner to work with my lap top.)

How to succeed at motherhood without really trying - by Jen Singer

Shifting from working girl
to stay -at -home mom
can cause culture shock.
Anything you learned in the workplace no longer
applies. Or does it?

• transfer: Moving the baby from your right arm to your left.
• receptionist: Your four- year-old, who has just discovered the talk button on your cordless phone.
• excused absence: Surgery. Or a full-body cast. Otherwise you're pretty much on call all the time.
• downsize: When you finally fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans again.
• environmental protection compliance: a diaper genie and a can of lysol.
• company picnic: ice pops and t-ball in the driveway on a warm tuesday afternoon.
• performance review: annually, in bed, on Mothers Day. you can tell if you've done a good job by the homemade greeting cards, flowers and what appear to be froot loops mixed with grapes and chocolate chips.
• equal opportunity policy: everyone is given an opportunity to fold the laundry, but you're the only one who ever takes it.
• reception area: the spot near the door where the kids shower daddy with hugs and accolades, even though you're the one who just spent 11 hours making new outfits for barbie, reading you can name 100 cars 23 times and vacuuming dried play-doh from between couch cushions.
• sick day: doing the same thing you do every other day, only you feel worse than you normally do.
• floating holiday: spending memorial day in the kiddy pool, trying to keep your children from drowning each other.
• layoff: as in " would you lay off the cheeze doodles? i'm making dinner!"
• company stationery: whatever scrap of paper you can find to scribble a note to the teacher before the bus arrives.
• multitasking: emptying the dishwasher, filling sippy cups with apple juice and calling your child in sick (again) to the school nurse- at the same time.
• designated parking: between the tricycles and the recycling containers.
• maternity leave: the hour or so you get to yourself while the hospital nurses clean, weigh and put that cute little pink or blue hat on your newborn.
• overtime: over time, most stay-at-home moms realize that there is no overtime in a job that never ends.
• 9 to 5: a half day...

what was your favorite? mine is the last one. I hope you enjoyed the list as much as I do, I read it all through the year whenever I need a good chuckle.

RANT & RAVE

My Big Fat Rant!

Does anyone ever read the Seattle Times on Sunday mornings?
My favorite section is the Rant and Rave. I usually find it quite entertaining. I hope to have my rant in the paper this Sunday. Here it is.

I took my kids (+2 extra) on an afternoon bike ride on Tuesday around the block. Shilo has just learned to ride a big trike and was so excited to ride so more. We put her helmet on and headed out. Our neighborhood isn't typically very busy, well on this fate full afternoon we headed to 172nd and 22nd, around the corner from us. There they have a very small strip of sidewalk that curves around a house that the kids enjoy riding on because they aren't on the street. Well I was pushing a stroller and Shilo was riding behind Chastin and Josh on their bikes, as they took the corner she lost control of the trike and couldn't get her feet back on the pedals, as she is gaining speed towards a very busy intersection I am screaming for her to tip over the bike. She is screaming so much by this point that I don't even think that she could hear me let alone think of what to do. So I let go of the stroller and take off down the hill after her, screaming for Chastin to get off his bike and catch her! Low and behold she goes right off the end of the sidewalk, down the kind of embankment there and into the intersection! By the time I caught up to her, she had flipped off the trike, head over heals with the trike landing on her head and chest. She is hysterical as you can imagine, and the whole thing seems to be playing in slow motion as it is happening. I'm yelling STOP all the way to her, I was just sure that she was going to be run over any second. I look up to see a mom in a minivan at the stop sign, I make desperate mom eye contact with her and she looks at me, with her three kids in the car, all watching and drives away!!!!! Now it didn't even stop there! I am swooping her up with tears running down my face in sheer terror, the boys were dragging her bike up the embankment and a GIANT truck is coming through the intersection as we are trying to get out of the way, and he actually swerves around us and drives on!!!!! As we sat in the grass with Shilo shaking and crying I couldn't get my mind around the fact that not a soul at that entire three way intersection even bothered to check on her or even wait for us to move, they watched the whole thing play out and drove on like nothing had even happened! I was so proud of the boys! They dropped their bikes and ran to her side, they cuddled her, asked to see if she was o.k and held her together. She is one lucky little girl. And so brave at that! After about 10 minutes of calm down time she actually wanted to ride her bike home, I have to admit that she recovered MUCH faster that her mother.
So I am going to sum this up into a much shorter, more blunt paragraph to share with the Seattle Times readers and maybe someone will take a moment to realize that we are all people, and that maybe, just maybe, it's o.k to be nice; to get involved.

In the end, Shilo had only minor scrapes on her chin, forehead, and elbows; a bloody lip, and a few bruises. Thank goodness that children are resilient.

My writer

Pausing, I gazed at the magnificent forest scenery around me. Hundreds of giant trees loomed over me reaching for the bright blue sky. Shhhh. Chirp, Chirp... Listen. Can you hear the birds chatting? Small wild flowers dotted the ground with a wide variety of colors giving the forest life. Orange and black butterflies glided around each flower, gently landing upon them. In the faint distance, I spotted a mother deer and her speckled fawn darting between the trees. Everywhere around me the forest smelt of moss. Squish, squish. I kept walking on the pine needled covered forest path, and with every step came a spongy squish, from the pine needles collecting on the ground, for hundreds of years before me.
~ Jordan

Yep, that's my girl!!! So when you see her name on the cover of a book she has written, remember..... that's my girl!!!

She in taking honor English in 7th grade next year, and we are so very proud of her.
The child has talent, you've got to admit that:)

bucca's

We celebrate Alex making it to 13!

Al makes us laugh with his crazy eyes!! Ewww!

It's time for a laugh attack! You'd laugh too if you were out to eat with this bunch of goof balls!

We love you Alex, Happy 13th birthday!!!!!!

It Blooms--

My babies tree bloomed and it was Beautiful!

I just wanted to share the beauty...

fox video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdPI50E0Zdo
Check this out! Alex and I found this and thought it was funny!! We didn't have any sound so let me know if you do.
Enjoy!
Crazy fox!

Glad it's over

I wanted to thank all of my friends who came to my side on March 22. I needed you and you were there... I am touched that you remembered my baby on this very hard day for John and I. I didn't want him forgotten. And even as I write this I am filled with emotions, some glad that I made it through, some sad that this happens to families, some joyous to move toward healing and some just plain numb. I am glad to be at a point where I can stop thinking every moment about our ultrasound and start thinking about planning our next move.
Thursday, I took my first personal day ever. I did nothing for others, I didn't answer calls, didn't get the mail, didn't clean, cook or vacuum; and sort of got dressed. I kept Chastin home from school to enjoy a day of just being. We mapped out our day to go something like this - Walmart in Marysville (upon Kelly's recommendation to check it out) Sam's club to waste time and then to Sky nursery for our tree for the baby. John pulled out all the stops known to man to keep me distracted. Bless his heart. I still couldn't shake the fact that I was scheduled to be having a c- section at 6:00 am, that I shouldn't be home, I should be filled with joy, surrounded by family cooing over our new precious little baby. I wanted to be there, not here!
As the day wore on I ate all the chocolate that Kelly had brought by to help put me in a chocolate comma. It worked!! I dug in the front flower beds with Shilo and planted bulbs we picked up at Sam's club. Then hung out in fresh p.j's and finished off my day with Baskin Robbins chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Over all I shed very few tears and felt really optimistic. I feel as though the whole experience has drawn John and I closer-stronger, we have seen sides of each other that I don't feel we would have seen in any other way. My testimony has grown by leaps and bounds. The out pouring of love and support that my family has received is unmeasurable, and we are truly thankful for you. For all the tissues you have loaned, the meals you have cooked, the flowers and plants you have brought, the tears you have shed with me to the cards you have sent, to the shoulder I could cry on; to the distractions, words of support and listening ears you have given me, I am, so thankful for you and am moved by your love for me. When I feel that the road is ruff and life is being unfair I know that I have you to turn to. Thank you....


About our tree- it is a Black Tulip Magnolia. It is a new breed that has come out. The flowers are like giant tulip heads that are a deep purple hue.(one of my favorite colors) It is beautiful!The man at the nursery helped us pick the strongest tree they had, and one of the only ones to have blooms already. We planted it in the front yard on the corner of the lot. It should grow to be 15-20feet tall, and will bloom every year around this time. I felt like that was important, to have something beautiful to look forward to each spring.

So now as things stand, my sweet spirited Chastin is having the hardest time of all. He cries almost nightly, he is such a sensitive child. Our approach has been listening, then positive conversations, then pointing his mind in another direction.. like where we should go on vacation or what should we plant in our garden this year? It seems to help.

I would like to especially thank Paige for being understanding and providing me with positive stories of similar situations, for helping me look for the lesson in this and helping me to see that life will go on. And for remembering us on our day, with a beautiful note and happy sign.
My most sincere thanks,

Also a thank you to Kelly, who rushed to my side day and night, the day of the ultrasound to the day before the surgery (delivery) to days, and weeks and longer after.Who listened to my endless crying and gave me endless tissues and hugs. Who called to check on me while she was on vacation with her husband. It really meant a lot to me...Thank you for your encouraging words and smiling face. I am grateful for your support.

Now if your anything like myself you'll find yourself teary eyed, but don't be. We are blessed and thankful for the two (sometimes four) beautiful children we have that bring us joy and love every day..