Buy Yourself Flowers

Buy yourself flowers.  Why not?  It will put some beauty in your day.

Sometimes we get boggled down by life and our daily responsibilities.  Sometimes we are just so busy checking off our 'To Do' list that we forget to mark off "Stop to smell the roses".

This time of year seems especially busy as the school year winds down and all the end of year festivities occur.  You are preparing for summer and figuring out what you'll do with the kids.  You survived the week that just passed but are gearing up for the week that is ahead.

By the time the kids go to bed, you are just so exhausted yourself, that you fall asleep on the couch.  Before you know it, the alarm goes off too soon and you are back at it again.

But today, when you head out to complete your endless list of errands, put one more thing on your list. Add some color to your day.

Buy yourself flowers.

Guest Post

Hop on over to the great new blog, Thirty-One: 10, and check out my guest post.  Music is my passion and I love teaching it to children.  I share some reasons why exposing music to children is so important.  Enjoy!!!

Kroger Fan Fest

We don't live too far from Texas Motor Speedway and NASCAR recently had a race.  There were NASCAR events all over the metroplex.  The Kroger store closest to us had a big Fan Fest event for all the little NASCAR fans.  Of course, Preston LOVED it!!!

There was a 'Pit' area where older fans could practice changing tires.

The Pringles guy was there and Preston was excited to get a picture with him.  We even got a photo in a frame as a souvenir.  Preston had just come from taking his T-ball pictures, so that's why he's in uniform.

The kids also got to do a bean bag toss...

...and loved going down the inflatable slide.

Kool-Aid has come out with a new drink product.  Just squirt the syrup into a bottle of water, shake (with lid on), and drink.  I'm not a fan of kool-aid and all the sugar that's in it, but the kids enjoyed the free sample!!!

Preston wanted to take a picture with every race car that was on display.  

Preston and Kaitlyn were able to sit in a model of Dale Earnhardt, Jr's car (#88) and pretend like they were racing.  They did not want to get out!

It was pretty neat checking out the inside of a race car.

Finally, Colgate had a trailer with some more virtual racing.  As much as they loved the game, Kaitlyn and Preston didn't do too well. :)

Preston kept his foot on the brake the whole time and Kaitlyn kept her foot on the gas pedal the whole time.  So much to learn before the teenage years!!!

It was a fun time, even though it was short.  Just more memories that were made.

Check It Out

Exciting things are happening in my blog life.  Please hop over to my inspiration blog, Cars and Ribbons, and check out my upcoming series.  Also, I will be guest posting for another blog soon.  Thanks for following our adventures!!!

The Mislabled Mom

The Stay At Home Mom.  The Full-Time Working Mom.  The Part-Time Working Mom.  The Work From Home Mom.  So many labels that are made for every mom.  What do they all mean?

I am a Part-Time Working Mom.  I work Tuesdays and Thursdays teaching Preschool Music.  I also work Sunday mornings as a Sunday School Coordinator.  But are those the only hours I work?  Do I spend my time watching soap operas and eating bon bons (as the stereotype suggests)?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

I think any mom that has put their families best interests first will agree that we are also the following:

Cook:  Whether we make wholesome, organic meals from scratch or pop a frozen pizza in the oven, we make sure our family is fed.  We know what everyone's likes and dislikes are and try to make each meal match every specific request.  Or if you have a child like mine, his likes and dislikes can change on a daily basis and the refusal of one meal that took hours to prepare, will leave you throwing your hands in the air and just giving him peanut butter and jelly instead.  I refuse to be a short order cook!

Maid:  So, I am fortunate to get a lot of help in this area.  Craig does so much around the house, not just for me, but because he likes a well kept house too.  My kids are old enough to start pitching in with some of the household chores and this has helped tremendously.  However, our love for black furniture has us dusting constantly!  Who decided on that color?!

Laundress:  Maybe I didn't know how to do laundry when I got married.  And just maybe I still didn't know how to do laundry until after my second child was born.  Well, I know now!  I do the laundry for the kids and I once a week and that's it.  Craig does his own laundry.  Does it always get folded and put away immediately?  Well, that's a different story.

Secretary:  Craig recently made a comment that he loved having two secretaries: one at work and one at home.  Why did he say that?  Because I reminded him that Administrative Professionals Day (Secretary's Day) was coming up and I put a reminder in MY phone.  Why did I do that?!  Maybe because I know if I put it in his phone, there is still a slight chance he won't remember to purchase something for his secretary.  Moms also keep track of all appointments for every member of the family, every practice, every event at school, vacation details, when the in-laws are arriving, what groceries need to be purchased, where important documents are kept, etc, etc, etc.

Doctor:  Fortunately, I have had 6 years of medical assisting under my belt.  I know the signs and symptoms of familiar illnesses and ways to treat them.  I also know the worst-case scenarios when I see that weird looking rash.  Is it a heat rash or the beginnings of scarlet fever?  Because of the job Craig has, he cannot call in to work.  If my kids have to stay home from school, I do too.  Who is likely to catch whatever contagious illness the child has?  MOMS!!!  Thankfully, all my years working in the doctors office and being around kids has really built up my immune system and I rarely get sick.

Dentist:  We have one kid that loves wiggling his loose teeth and not afraid to pull them out by himself.  Then we have one kid that screams as if she is being attacked when it just feels like a tooth is about to fall out.  I don't know how many times I've had to calm her down, whether at home or in the actual dentist office.  Moms are constantly on Tartar Patrol (looking at teeth and smelling breath) and as the kids get older, we become orthodontist assistants as well.

Gardner:  Okay, so I don't do this.  I get a plant and forget about it and it dies.  Fortunately, I don't do that with kids.  But I love beautiful flowers and gardens and pretty blooms on trees.  Taking care of them is not my top priority.  I am guilty of being a plant killer.  Craig loves working on the yard and is very particular about his landscape.  He can have at it!

Artist/Interior Decorator:  Who decorates the house?  MOMS!!!  Who helps with projects for school where you have to make a farm diorama using only marshmallows and toothpicks?  MOMS!!! 'Nuff said.

Chaffeur:  Somedays I feel like I live in my car.  I love my little 2013 Dodge Journey and feel like we've bonded.  That car takes me everywhere I need to go and gets me there safely.  Oh, and the kids like it too.

I can go on and on and on about what we do.  I know there are lots of dads that also wear these many hats and kudos to you!!! I know there are lots of moms and/or dad that are single parents and do absolutely everything by themselves.  Major kudos to you!

The point is, we can't be labeled by just a few words.  Our worth isn't in how much we get paid (because we don't get paid for any of these things), how many kids we have, or how much we've accomplished in one day.  If at the end of the day, we can look around and see that everyone survived and you get to do it all over again the next day, then you have done a job well done.

Now, pat yourself on the back and grab some chocolate out of your stash.

You deserve it!


Linking up here:

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder...Literally

So, I posted on Facebook yesterday "Don't you hate it when you put on a fresh coat of mascara then immediately sneeze?!"  And all the ladies, and perhaps some men, said "Aye!"

Looking beautiful is all about timing.  Why couldn't you sneeze BEFORE the mascara?  When you sneeze after, you immediately have to get out a cotton swab or tissue and clean up the debris before it dries.  If not, it looks like you have black (or brown or blue or whatever color mascara you use) freckles on your face that only seems to occupy the skin around your eyes.  Ugh!!!

Or how about as you are putting on mascara and the wand accidentally slips and jabs you in the eye?

Or when you are plucking your eyebrows and you pluck a hair in just the right spot that your eyes immediately start watering?  It makes you want to say a bad word like...shoot!

Or how about when you paint your nails and it looks perfect.  Perfect meaning most of the polish is on your nails and not your skin.  As soon as you make the last stroke with the little brush, your child throws up.  Or your dog leaves something for you on the floor. Or your hair gets in your face and you absentmindedly move it out of your face, leaving lovely little lines across your fresh polish.

You just put some lovely smelling lotion all over your hands to cover the ashy skin and you have to open a door, but your hand just slips around it.

You have your hair styled just perfect and you plaster it with a thin layer of hairspray and inhale it instead, wondering if the hair in your nostrils will be frizz free now.

What about that lovely new lip gloss or lipstick you are proud to slather on your lips and wear to an important event?  You go around talking to lots of people, being the social butterfly you are, only to get home and discover that you've had a huge glob of a pretty shade of pink called 'Too Hot To Trot' all over your front teeth!!! (I won't even get started with green stuff in teeth!)

Now, perhaps it's just me and I just need to plan things better.  But I'm sure one or two of these things has happened to someone else as well.  Sigh.  The things we go through all in the name of beauty.  :)

Easter 2013

Easter.  The biggest holiday for our Christian faith.  Even though it's a big holiday, we wanted to keep it low key and just celebrate with the four of us.

The night before, Preston and Kaitlyn, without any prompting from us, decided to write letters to the Easter Bunny and make a puppet for him.  Preston made the bunny on his own and Kaitlyn made all the little "goodies" in the basket.

The next morning, the Easter Bunny left something for all 4 of us!!!  Preston got a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles playset, DS game, Hot Wheels, colored duct tape, and candy.  Kaitlyn got an American Girl bed, DS Game, dog for her American Girl doll, colored duct tape, and candy.  Craig and I got some yummy candy.

Ready for church.

There was an Easter Egg Hunt before church.  Unfortunately, it started to rain so the hunt was moved inside. The kids still had fun.  Kaitlyn is having a hard time smiling because she just got a dental appliance put in her mouth and her teeth were hurting.  It even hurt to smile. lol

We came home and I fixed a yummy, but simple lunch of ham (just a quarter ham), twice baked potatoes, deviled eggs, rolls, and cheesecake for dessert.

We spent the rest of the day napping and relaxing.  It was a fabulous day!