The Truth About Princesses (My own little book review)

My daughter is a huge fan of books as well as Princesses and all things mythical and magical.  She loves make believe but she isn't one to let it cloud her judgment. She enjoys a good made up story as well as actual hard facts.


One of her favorite things at school, is library.  She gets sooo excited to bring home a book.  She usually brings home a book about cats or dogs or animals on the farm (she loves animals).  If she isn't bringing home books about that she's bringing home a Fancy Nancy book or Angelina Ballerina.  Some of her other favorites.

You can read reviews on this book by clicking HERE

Yesterday she brought home a book called "The Truth About Princesses",  By Nancy Kelly Allen and Illustrated by Youngsun Kim.

 It's an adorable little book cover, and the illustrations throughout the entire book are equally adorable. 


This book talks about the "TRUTH" about Princesses.  While reading it out loud to my daughter one of the first lines in the book is about how there are SOME real Princesses in the world but the Princesses you read about in fairy tails....are fakes.  They are just make believe and aren't real princesses. 

Ouch.


That's a book for a young elementary school kiddo. 


I hope they don't have a book titled "The Truth About Santa" or sequels about the Tooth Fairy, Fairies (in general), or the Easter Bunny. 


My daughter's reaction to the book was slightly comical.  She heard that part and she furrowed her eye brows and looked at me.  Her face was kind of mad and sad all at the same time.  Then she said "Well, DUH of COURSE they aren't ALL real everyone KNOWS that". 

She will not hear of it that Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel is not real.  They are her favorite princesses.  In her world, they are real, and she is a Princess too, which is fine.  I certainly do not stop my daughter from having an imagination.  We weren't those parents that went over board on the whole Princess thing.  In fact my daughter didn't know who Disney Princesses were until she was 3.  She didn't care about pink and froo froo stuff either.  One morning she just woke up and BAM, she wanted SOME Princess stuff and pink.  She's still not NEARLY as obsessed with it as a LOT of children I know.  She isn't addicted to 'Frozen' like every other girl her age seems to be. Though, if she DOES have to watch it, Elsa IS her favorite.  (Though personally I think my daughter is more of a free spirited Ana). 


Back to "The Truth About Princesses"  I can't bash the book, because it really was a cute little book.  It mixed facts about Princesses in with fictional princesses and it was kept simple and short.  With fun illustrations.  My daughter enjoyed picking out familiar princesses. 


I know kids cannot always live in 'imaginary' but I do think kids NEED imagination and play.  If they want to pretend to be a Princess or Knight go for it.  For one who summer my kids went around pretending to be knights and slaying dragons (my big green arm chair in the living room was a dragon and it was slayed many times over the summer).  We created knight helmets out of milk jugs, the kids turned wrapping paper tubes into swords and the dogs had to be the Princesses because my daughter can "save herself".  That's exactly what she did.  They slayed those dragons.  They built a castle out of the couch and would run through the house on their stick horses ridding their kingdom of the evil tyranny of wizards and dragons.  They had a blast that summer! (That was the summer we watched a LOT of Merlin the TV series). 


So when it comes to a book squashing imagination (well at least LOOKING like it's going to squash imagination within the first few sentences) I kind of carefully read on. LOL Sometimes you can't quite tell how a book is going to be if you don't get past the first page! It did turn out to be a darling little book.  A book that I'm sure my daughter will bring home more than once.  I mean, after all the cover of the book is a Princess defeating a fire breathing dragon.  That's pretty much right up my daughters alley! She is all about the TOUGH princesses who make things happen for themselves who do not rely on a Fairy Godmother to come and save them (or a Prince). 


I unfortunately didn't come across a whole lot of reviews on this book, even Amazon didn't give me much more info, other than it's selling for roughly $15 on line, and was written in 2010.  Not a single Amazon review was found.  So if it's a book that's "caught on" with our children it hasn't seemed to have caught on via the inter webs yet.  I wouldn't have known about this book if my daughter had not brought it home from her elementary school library.


So if you get a chance, you might stop by your local Library (apparently it has been National Library week).  So go to your local library and look around for "THE TRUTH ABOUT PRINCESSES".  It is a pretty cute book, and it's kept simple and to the point. 

She may not be as in to Princesses as she was back when she was 3, but as you can see she still loves that color pink. This was just what she wanted to wear for Spring pics yesterday.  Normally she doesn't wear THAT much pink.  She is quite happy wearing all colors.  Sometimes though, she just has a lot of pink that she MUST wear together.  Haha!

Mae

Happy Boys and Happy Girls

The title of this blog is kind of a throw back to a song, that is sung by one of my favorite music groups from the *gulp* the 90's.  Some of you might know who they are, others might not have a clue.  I can proudly say I rocked out to some loud and happy Aqua quite often.  In fact, if you must know I am jamming out to some Aqua right now, it happens to this very song "Happy Boys and Happy Girls"  (Go ahead click it and go check it out on You Tube, I didn't make the video and have no rights on it, just sharing it for your listening pleasure, because everyone needs to listen to some Aqua.  They are a music group that should never be forgotten. 


There's a reason for this post tonight, and it goes along with a post I read from the ever wonderful 'Huffington Post'  (I don't ALWAYS like their articles or agree with them, but this particular one I really loved)!  So I had to share it here. Check it out ---> "Happy Kids Are Overrated"


I think this blogger did a particularly awesome job hitting the nail on the head on this one.


I have to agree that in TODAY'S world happiness is attached to STUFF and instant gratification.  That isn't happiness, or at least it isn't long TERM happiness. What is that really teaching our children?

Growing up I was never that wealthy kids that had everything everyone else had.  When I was much younger I did have all kinds of toys and stuff, when my Mother could afford it.  I was pretty spoiled to begin with.  However, that didn't last long.  I was never that kid that asked for things in the store or threw tantrums in the middle of the store to get my way (However I was that kid that wandered away in stores and hid in the clothing racks and who tried to wander away with the random stranger, and ran out in front of cars in the parking lot, how my Mother didn't kill me I do not know).  I'm sure she sometimes WISHED I was that tantrum throwing kid, ha!


I didn't always get what I wanted for Christmas, and that was ok.  I loved and appreciated everything I DID get because I knew how hard my Mother had worked to get it for me.  I never had HUGE Christmas's or birthday's. They were kept smaller, and "down to earth".  Just the way they should have been.  They were special.  I have fond memories of family holidays and birthdays.  I can't really tell you what I got for those birthday's or Christmas' only a few things stand out in my mind.  Like the year I got a train track, a bean bag chair, and the year I got a cat for Christmas.  The year I got a swing set for my birthday, and the year one of my Aunts made me a brightly colored beaded necklace and bracelet that I actually STILL have and absolutely loved (and still do).  I remember the hand made Christmas cards my Grandmother made me.  I remember walking through our fields looking for a small tree to use as our Christmas tree.  I remember eating pumpkin and pecan pie in my living room with my Grandma and Mother and watching The Wizard of Oz and E.T. for the very first times.


I remember sipping hot cocoa or hot tea out of matching mugs and cups that my Grandma got for me.  I remember my Grandmother teaching me to play Chinese checkers and how triumphant I felt when I FINALLY beat her. 

I remember my Grandmother teaching me how to make home made noodles in the kitchen, and how she finally decided I was better at making noodles than her and I became the official "noodle and mashed potato maker". 


Those are truly HAPPY memories I have.  I was content.  I was peaceful.  Those are moments and memories I will always fondly carry with me and love and treasure for ever.


I don't have memories of sitting down on an electronic device and completely not interacting with my family for hours at a time like many of today's kids.  I'm not downing on electronic devices, my own children recently got their own simple tablets from their Grandmother A. They love their tablets, BUT they come with rules and regulations and expectations. Just as their video game privileges do. 

I remember when there was a time that the ONLY chance I had to be on a computer was at school. We didn't even own our own computer at home until I was 14 years old and it was dial up.  So.  Freckin' Slow.  Yet, somehow...I survived. 


Today everything is so instant.  You can text and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and immediately get feed back on what you post or share.  You might feel a bit of an anxious feeling if a post goes an hour or two with no comment, like, or share. 

Why is that?  WHY are we like that?  Is that kind of stuff TRULY what makes us happy? 


I cannot lie, I am a Facebooker.  I love Facebook.  Not to say I don't get COMPLETELY BORED with it a lot of times.  My Facebook is generally kept up on my computer screen all day, and on my Kindle as well.  Take it here and there when I'm at home.  It started out as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, and then I don't know what happened, it just kind of took over I guess.  Not so much that I don't spend time with my kids, or get chores and what not done, but I find myself going "OH wait till I share that on FB"  Really?  REALLY?  Do I really NEED to share that on FB?  My mind says YES YES YOU DO!! Reality says....eh...not so much.  Calm down trigger fingers and BACK AWAY SLOWLY FROM THE COMPUTER. 


When my children have birthday's  I'm not going to lie I drive myself batty planning a "perfect" party.  Keep in mind MY version of a perfect party is toooootally different than someone else's "perfect" party.  We do birthday parties at home, not at the park or some big space or burger joint.  We are selective with who we invite, we don't go crazy inviting the world.  We invite those that are nearest and dearest to us, and we know that a lot of those people won't be able to make it but we want them to know that they mean that much to us and we want them to be a part of our child's celebration even if it is just in spirit. 


I spend days planning a theme, decorations, the CAKE (That one drives me the craziest).  I cry, I cuss, I rant, I laugh, I sigh a huge relief when it's all over.

WHY do I drive myself crazy over it?  Does all of that really make my kids "happy"?  As the article I shared with you all mentions it's the LITTLE unexpected moments of PURE UNPLANNED JOY that makes the happy that lasts.  Those are the moments that linger with you. 

The moments the kids and I hop in the van and take an unplanned spur of the moment trip to the lake side park just to walk around and see the geese and play at the play ground, and walk around.  Those moments of us laughing together and tossing pebbles into the water, those are the moments that are happiness.  Not the times I spend scrambling stressing myself out to make the "perfect" outing (that BTW NEVER goes according to plan). 


Life is beautiful the way it is.  If we spend every single minute of our 'parenthood' trying to create magic for every single breathe our kids take, what are they going to learn to be grateful for? 

If you want to see a rainbow, you have to wait till after the storm.  Life isn't always rainbows and sunshine.  You have to go through the troubles and hard times to really appreciate the beauty around you, and to truly appreciate what someone has done for you. 


It's ok for our children to be disappointed.  It's ok if they don't get EVERYTHING they want when they want it.  They really do not need to be "happy" 24/7, because life ISN'T happy all the time.  We experience loss and sadness, anger and frustration, joy and excitement, love and envy.  They are all real emotions. 

As a parent I really do not feel it is our jobs to keep our children happy or entertained all  the time.  There are some things they have to figure out for themselves. What makes you happy?  What is something that gives YOU joy?  It isn't about what can others do for you that makes you happy or what can others do that causes you joy. 

Growing up my Mother always told me "Go use your imagination and find something to do"  She didn't entertain me, that was MY job.  I played Barbies and created marvelous Barbie castles out of card board boxes, markers, and old grocery shopping ads and old furniture ads.  I built complex fairy houses and fairy gardens outside all over the yard (my Mother wasn't too happy when she'd find one when she mowed....oops). 


I learned what kinds of things I loved, what made me happy.  I learned skills that are important to me and truly make me appreciate what I have and make me happy.


I don't want my children to grow up thinking that it is their Mom and Dad's only responsibility to keep them happy.  Our job is to teach, and guide them and care for them.  Teach them how to care for themselves and how to treat others.


I think it sets kids up to think that their happiness depends on others, or that their happiness depends on how much "stuff" they can accumulate and compete against others. Teaching them that "winning" makes you happy all of the time (I mean yes, winning is nice and all but you cannot win ALL OF THE TIME, you need to experience losing too).  You shouldn't spend all of your time making every moment of their life completely magical, because when a special moment truly DOES come along...they may not recognize it for just how completely remarkable it really is.


It is a long and arborous task raising children.  It is never ending.  Just when you think you have one thing figured out they lurch in a new all new direction.  Since each child is so different, they can keep you on your toes!


I don't think any parent (well a majority of them) sets out to BE a BAD parent.  We all want to be the best parents we can be.  We all have a different view on how that is done, how we go about that task.  We ourselves were all raised differently which can affect our view on parenting.  Maybe we're trying to make up for a lack of something we didn't get growing up and felt like we needed to make us a better adult, or maybe we're trying to avoid doing something that our parents did that we might feel messed us up a little as an adult.  Maybe we already feel like we had the best parents ever and we're trying to live up to that.  Maybe we didn't have parents at all and we're scared to death and frantically searching trying to figure out what parents actually do.  There are so many variables when it comes to parents.  Parents are as vastly different as children are. 


Just be careful on how you teach your family to measure happiness. 

Is happiness the $1000 birthday party you had?  The impressive party that really raised eye brows by other parents.  Or is that happiness the times the kids had an impromptu water fight in the back yard in their good clothes and you all had such an amazing time.  (For the record we've never done $1000 birthday parties, I would smack myself silly if I ever did that one), however we have done impromptu water fights in the back yard in our good clothes, and it was AWESOME. 


Speaking of HAPPY, I'm exceedingly HAPPY today.  Received some MAAAARVELOUS news today which may mean that my family will be moving soon.  Which is both scary and awesome all at the same time. Thrilled for more space! Now if a few other areas would start to look up, that's be awesome.  However, I am thanking God right now for the good news we received today, I know that MY plans and GODS plans are not the same thing.  He will reveal things on his own time. 


Along with getting great news I also unloaded a TON of old paper work from my poor little computer desk.  Poor desk.  I didn't realize the sucker could hold so many papers and just random JUNK.  I really need to get my paper clutter under control.  I'm not really sure how exactly happens but that stuff gets out of control fast.  Do not ask how many times a paper avalanche has attacked me in the past month or so.


The kids bring home tons of random papers in their back packs every single day.  I feel guilty throwing away a lot of it, especially when they are standing right there watching.  However, I CANNOT keep every little scrap of paper, so some things...have GOT to go.  We keep the truly special pieces and put them in a keep sake box or hang them up on a "clothes line" of sorts down the front hall so company can see their works of art. Everything else, gets randomly shoved, poked and crammed into my desk.  Thankfully I went through it all today and removed all of those papers.  It actually felt nice sending so many papers through the shredder today.  Like I was unloading a weight from my shoulders.  Junk mail (zzzzrrrrriiiiipppp) through the shredder.  Old school lunch menus and class room bulletins....(ZzzzzrrrriiiippppP), old church bulletins, old paid bills (from like early last year), random chicken scratched notes (Zzzrrriiiipppp) gone gone gone.  I can now see my desk, yiippeee!


Now if only I could train myself that when I sweep my dining room/kitchen area I wouldn't leave my dirt pile a mile from the trash can.  What's up with that?  Hellooooo the trash can isn't over THERE! Let's not play the "can you sweep all that into the dust pan and walk it to the trash can CLEAR over there without dumping any of this paper that's obviously too big to be in the dust pan...."  Eventually I will learn.  Maybe.  I doubt it, but hey there's hope, right?


On another note of happiness....


Happiness is listening to your 6 year old who has struggled with speech issues for YEARS talk on the phone to the Grandma you will be visiting later this week.  Usually she's never been much of a phone conversation kind of gal.  One or two sentences a hug and kiss sent over the phone and she's done.  However, tonight...she jabbered a mile a minute to her Grandma T.  The best part?  I could understand everything she said, and so could my Mother.  Beautiful.  The most beautiful sound in the world, is hearing my children's voices especially after knowing how they have struggled with their speech!! It's a beautiful sound and THAT is my happiness.  Their sweet voices, their giggles and squeals of delight, makes my heart swell with more love than any heart can hold. 


She jabbered away to her Grandma T letting her know she was writing a list so she would know what to bring to have a sleep over at Grandma's.  She is even writing a list for her brothers too so they don't forget anything.  They need their sleeping bags, their pillows, jammies that they like of COURSE, can't forget clean clothes and clean under wear.  She paused and jotted something in her notebook and said "Oh yes and I can't forget my towely"  (Her towel is her lovey that she has had for YEARS it's her comfort thing).


I learned a valuable lesson tonight.  Other than not allowing my daughter to talk Grandma T's ear off on the phone when Grandma T is super tired and wanting to head to bed (Sorry Mother). 

I learned that it is apparently only acceptable for children to run through the house singing "LET IT GO" from Disney's movie 'Frozen'.  When MOMMY decides to have a little fun with it (because she hears her daughter singing it in the shower)....it is apparently not acceptable for me to run through the house belting out "LET IT GO, LET IT GO...."  and going off into a full on performance of the song for everyone in the house to hear and ENJOY.  *sigh*  They do not understand fine talent when they see it. 

I was met with my daughter being so frightened by my unexpected singing of the song she screamed and nearly took the shower curtain down (oops, sorry kid didn't mean to scare you I PROMISE!!), and my sons both yelled "STOP SINGIN' MOM!!!"  I continued to sing. 

My daughter just rolled her eyes.  My sons...one threw a death Lego at me, the other slammed the bedroom door in my face (after he swatted me on the butt and told me to "GET OUT OF MY ROOM MOM, YOU ARE ANNOYING ME" 


*pout*  My kids, are apparently not very nice. Or they just really don't like my singing. 

My husband just rolled his eyes at me and went along with whatever he was doing.  He's pretty well used to my crazy random singing and dancing through the house.  I pride myself in making up some funny and hilarious parody's to popular songs.  I grew up hearing my Mother and Grandmother do this all the time so it's second nature to me, I just can't HELP MYSELF!! I hear a popular song and I just HAVE to change it up, or belt it out and act like a complete moron.  It's a gift.  Until a death Lego is thrown.  It's all fun and games until a death Lego gets thrown full force at the your "fore noggin" as my daughter calls it. Not easy to explain to your family why you have a Lego shaped bruise on your face because you were annoying your almost 5 year olds, hahaha! (Thankfully, the Lego did not connect with me, or anything, my son doesn't have good throwing aim thankfully and he was way off course, haha). 


So I guess I will not be taking my happy joyous versions of awesome Disney songs on the road.  I'll keep those talents to myself I guess, since my captive audience at home doesn't appreciate the musical genius they live with!

Mae

A Lot On My Plate

This week is getting busier and seemingly more stressful as it goes along as I stop and think about all I have to get done.  I find myself having a slight anxiety attack as it is now the middle of the week and I still have a ton of stuff to do.

I have an important meeting today.  The possibility of moving could be in our future (which is a GOOD thing, but also a scary thing because I HATE moving). 


Tomorrow I head out of town with the kids to visit my family.  Hoping the husband keeps the house standing while I'm gone and the dogs don't end up tying him to a tree with their leashes. At least I'm not leaving him with the kids, then he really WOULD end up tied to a tree.


I have to right my grocery list today (for Easter dinner, as well as stuff for the boys 5th birthday party that is next weekend but I have to plan stuff now).  We also have Easter celebration stuff we're doing this weekend.  So it's all going to be a chaotic mess.


I had to let my babysitting family know I wasn't going to be available after last night for the rest of the week.  I hate doing that, but I just have way too much on my plate right now and it's hard to babysit when you aren't in town, and my kids only get ONE day off of school for their Easter break, soooo yeh we have to do this trip now.


There is also stuff going on for my daughters Girl Scouts, and stuff for my volunteer work (that I have been sadly VERY LACKING IN LATELY).  Just having trouble finding motivation to get involved in my volunteer work again.  A little frustrated with a few things here and there, and sometimes it's just better to give yourself some space and clear your head and come back to thinks with  a happier mind.  So I've been distancing myself a little.  I hate it, but it's what I need to do right now.  I love helping the dogs, and it's nothing against them, it's some of the people I get to deal with that get on my last nerve, and they are all nice people, just you know...sometimes people get on your nerves.  When you are all WORKING TOGETHER for the same cause (to save the lives of dogs that would otherwise DIE), it kind of helps if your "team" is meshing together properly.  You can't mesh well if your brain is frustrated and you aren't getting along with the ones you are working with.  At least in volunteer work you CAN distance yourself a little and take a breather. Cannot do that in a job.  You HAVE to keep plugging along and deal with it anyway, which can make for miserable employees. 


I've been doing this volunteer work for basically 3 years now.  It can be STRESSFUL.  I've been there since DAY 1.  Literally.  Some days I just feel like a piece of equipment, and that's not a good feeling.  I think people often forget that volunteer work is just that VOLUNTEER work. It's ok to say NO.  You don't HAVE to do everything.  If you have too much on your plate, put some back.  You aren't getting PAID to do this, you only take on as much as you feel you can handle.  (Granted the dogs pay you in doggy kisses and muddy paw prints, snuggles and their ever adoring loving puppy dog eyes, and that my friends is a VERY rewarding feeling knowing you just helped a dog out that couldn't help itself).  I get to help dogs like these ones :)  These are all dogs I've photographed and assisted and I've fostered a few of them.

This gorgeous girl we've named Maizey was ditched in the country.  Some people kind of took her in, but can't keep her.  We came out to get a quick pic of her (which is why she's chained to a tree, she isn't normally kept on the tree they just didn't want her to run off).  We have NO idea what kind of dog she is, but she's so ugly, she's adorable.  She isn't very old either.  Our best guess, is she is some kind of boxer mix.

These two GORGEOUS ladies were a dream.  LOVED them! I fostered them for a few hours after we picked them up from the person handing them over.  It's one of those tough, sad situations where they did not want to give them up, but sadly there was no other choice, and our local shelter couldn't take them because they were out of city limits.  So I brought them to my home and took a DARLING set of photos before they left  for their transport (FYI the one on the left has been adopted and is doing great). 

This sweet guy I fostered for at least 2 days before he was adopted.  He was a sweet guy and we loved having him hang out at our home. Though my daughter INSISTED his name was Baseball (I have no idea why). 

Little Paco here is a senior Chihuahua, he was at his foster home for quite awhile hanging out before he finally got adopted out.  Now, if only he would stop being such an escape artist and quit running away from his new home!

So it's nothing against the dogs (or really anyone in particular) that I stepped back for awhile.  Just re-evaluating some things and taking a breather. I fully intend on continuing to help dogs. 

My kids are getting older, and are getting busier and are in to more activities.  My daughter is in Girl Scouts, and all three children will be playing baseball this summer, as well as we will hopefully be going to visit some family more often so this all kind of takes up a lot more time . My time isn't as open as it was before.  Above all else, my kids come first.  My family comes before my volunteer work, always. 


My husband made me promise that I wouldn't foster another dog for a month after our last foster pup left.  He's not all that big into fostering, he tries...he just doesn't like the added stress and headache of an extra animal, ha! It can be a lot of work to foster, but it is also very rewarding.

My latest foster pup Jazmine, this photo was taken RIGHT before her transport pulled away to take her on to her next leg of her journey.  Look at that smiling happy face! She will get a great family.  She went to a fantastic rescue group.  Going to miss her a ton.

This was the photo I took of miss Jazmine when she first came to me.  She was a scared pup from the country.  They got a puppy thought it would be "fun" didn't like all the "work" a puppy is and they were going it kill her if someone didn't take her, so yes, obviously we took her in and fostered her and worked our butts off to find her an AMAZING rescue.  She grew quite a bit by the time she finally left us.

I told him when I could foster I was going to bring home a littler St. Bernard puppies.  For some reason, he didn't look very thrilled about that. I cannot imagine why?

I asked if I could foster a fern.  *sigh*  He even said no to that. He said I would kill the poor plant off anyway (as I have a horrible time keeping plants alive).  So sorry, if you have a plant in need...I cannot help it.  Hahahaha! Maybe I can point you towards the gardening aisle of the store, or near a good green house?


*sniffle* I cannot foster a fish or hamster either (not that I get a lot of that anyway, hahaha!)

It's mainly dogs and cats that need foster homes.  The last cat we fostered/adopted turned out to be a jerk wad and is a very thankless cat full of attitude (ok so not ALWAYS true he can be painfully loving, he has claws like a freaking scythe!) Main Coons...are a rather BIG cat.  He is also a cat that doesn't believe in bathing.  The ONLY thing he keeps half way clean is his BUTT and boy parts.  So can you say....smelly cat.  If you want to give him a bath...be my guest.  When we tried it did NOT end well.  My husband almost needed stitches.


So we just have a stinky dirty cat.  (Did you know Main Coon cats are supposed to be okish with water?? Someone forgot to tell this big guy that)!

When he DOES decide to grace us with his presence in the house, he makes sure to yowl his head off until you fill his already full cat food dish.  He will ONLY drink water fresh, as in whether his water dish has water or not you have to dump it out and give him fresh EVERY single time he comes in.  He jumps up on my desk and decides to lick his nether regions directly in front of my screen so I cannot see anything, other than his love for licking his nethers.  Thanks Haggy baggy (that's our nickname for Hagrid the Cat). 


Finally he will sleep.  He will be out like a light on the desk, covering my calendar and any other important paper work I may be needing.  Reach out to touch him....and he will grab your arm in a Hagrid bear hug and pull you close to him so he can snuggle you.  Again...his gigantic claws are like meat hooks (I understand why people declaw their cats!!! I'm not saying we would ever do that, but I understand why people do). 


The moment you get out of your desk chair to get the phone or tend to a child or start on supper....you turn back around and that "sleeping" cat is suddenly "sleeping" in your desk chair (Keeping it warm for you????).  There's no point moving him, he'll just get you with his meat hooks again (trying to use you as a snuggle toy).  So you are best to sloooooooowly love the desk chair away from the desk....and just use a less comfy kitchen chair at your desk, or give up trying to check your email and just go on about something else (besides it's not like you don't have 2 loads of laundry waiting to be folded and put away anyway, so I guess the cat is really just doing you a favor). 

My sweet loveable Hagrid, adopted from the local shelter.  He's a loveable cuddleable fur baby! He loves to take over my desk.  He's lounging on one of my daughters library books, and some of my kids school paper work, and my desk calendar is under that mess too.

Nope.  That kind of thing doesn't happen around here AT ALL.  Ha....yeh...ok so it happens a few times a week at least.  Gotta love our little Hagrid.  He's a good cat, he's very patient with my toddlers I babysit, and with my son Marshall who sometimes loves a little rough and has to be reminded to be GENTLE with critters. 


Uuuuugh I guess it's time to get stuff started around here....fun times.  Fun times.  Lots to get done and I don't want to do it.


Mae

Easter Bunnies

Today after Church I took the kids out to a local store where they had one of those cheesy Easter Bunny things sat up so your kids could get photos with the bunny.  Normally I'm not too huge into the whole bunny thing, I prefer to Keep Easter mainly about Jesus and why Christians celebrate the holiday.  Not to say we don't still do a simple Easter basket of goodies for the kids, and usually that's about it. 

Though last year we did attend a huge egg hunt, of which it POURED down rain the whole time and it was COMPLETELY miserable.  Those poor kids :(  I felt awful for them. 


Hopefully this year it will be better. 

We didn't really do egg hunts in the past because the first one my daughter attended (I was 9 months pregnant with the boys), my husband walked with her in her age group and other grown adults plowed over her and stole stuff from her and it was TERRIBLE.  We refused to go after that. The boys had never been to one (well they went to a small one at the Moose lodge one year, and one at the Eagles one year), but never the great big one in town.  We've also avoided the city egg hunt too, mostly because it's a FLASHLIGHT egg hunt, and I don't feel like letting my kids wonder around a park at night with a flash light looking for stupid eggs.


Instead we focus on going to Church for Easter.  Impressing upon the kids why WE celebrate Easter.  Jesus rose from the grave after dying to save us from our sins.  In our home, no bunny is going to beat that. 


We still do some of the "basic" Easter stuff that so many families do.  We do love to color eggs, and then use those eggs for our big Easter dinner.  We do as I mentioned simple Easter baskets that we hide in the house and the kids find.  We *might* go to this years egg hunt...it's undecided and if we miss it it's not the end of the world. 


However, I have to say that when I found out the bunny was at the store today, I DID feel a pang of excitement.  Why?  Because it brought back memories from MY childhood.  My husband thinks all things holiday, and birthday are silly and he does NOT like to participate in them because he never did most of these things as a child due to his living situation.  So I can't really blame him, he doesn't have those memories and a lot of the things may bring up hurtful memories to him so I try not to push him too much into the holiday spirit. At least I can get him to drive around and see Christmas lights during Christmas, and go to an egg hunt now and again for Easter, and shoot off fire works for the 4th of July.  Otherwise...he's pretty anti holiday.  Don't even get me started on the BIRTHDAY BATTLES I face every year the kids have a birthday.  *sigh*  It's rough.


My daughter has only seen the bunny a whopping total of 4 times now.  The first 3 times she wasn't even a year old and it was her first Easter.  The bunny seemed to be EVERYWHERE that year.  After that...he was no where to be seen.


My sons had NEVER been to see an Easter bunny before, so I kept everything a surprise until we got right where we needed to be and then the kids all froze. 

The boys said "MOM, what is THAT?" 
My daughter said "It's the Easter bunny boys!  Mom, I'm not sitting on his lap" 


She's only 6 and a half and already "too old" to sit on laps, hahaha.


They all happily took a photo with the bunny.  Cheesy costume, cheesy set up, but it was sweet and nice and the thought that counts.  Took me back to fun times I had as a child!


Now I proudly have photos to put right into their scrap books to have for years down the road when they have children.  Right along next to their photos with Santa. 

First person who says my sons need a hair cut....I will tell you to shove it. They are growing their hair out for Wigs For Kids, for kids with cancer and other hair loss illnesses.  Keegan has fought through cancer, and while he never lost all of his hair during treatment he did have much less than his twin brother due to his treatments.  He was young at the time, so it didn't bother him, and he doesn't remember it, but he knows that there are kids his age and older and younger that DO feel the pain of hair loss and they wanted to help those kids.  Which explains, their long locks.  When they are ready, they will cut it.  It's their hair after all. They keep it clean, and brushed so I'm not worried. However, I still get to hear a lot of 'mouth' from others who think they know how the boys hair SHOULD be. 

Later my daughter was asking why the bunny didn't talk.  I told her the bunny only spoke Rabbit.  She said "Mom,  I saw hair, and I saw eyes, she could have spoke to me through the mask" 


Well then.  My very observant child. 


At least she is a good sport about all the "silliness" and doesn't mind participating.  She still has a good amount of belief and magic in her child hood, but unfortunately she's starting to lean more and more towards the "I'm all grown up" side.


The other day we had a conversation about pig tails.  I was going to put her hair up in little piggy tails to go to the park.  Oooooh no.  That was NOT gonna happen.  She's "too old" for pig tails now MOM.  However, she isn't too old for braids.  So I gave her two fish tail braids and she was good to go.  She still allows me to French braid her hair as well.  I guess I can learn to let her little piggy tails go :(  It's gonna be hard though! She always looked sooooooo adorable with them.




Gone are her days of piggy tails *sniffle*  I shall mourn the loss!! I bet I can still talk her into it this summer.  Give it a couple of hot hot days and she'll want that hair out of her face and off of her neck.


The kids are super excited because they just  found that they get to go see their other Grandmother this weekend (Well more like the end of this week as we want to be home for some Easter festivities this weekend and cannot miss Easter Sunday at our Church). 


They love going to visit my Mother, because that also means they get to see their favorite Aunt (my sister who just had a baby a month ago). 


This will be the first time we've stayed the night at my Mother's since she moved to her new place, so I think the kids will enjoy that.  I hope. 


My Mother in law will be heading on up to Iowa after dropping us off at my Mother's.  She will be going up to go with my sister in law to take my niece to her appointment to get a cast off of her arm after an operation a few weeks ago to help correct a condition she was born with.  If everything looks good after the cast is off, then my niece will be coming down to my house to spend Easter.  Which...unfortunately...I didn't know she was going to BE HERE for Easter so I hadn't gotten her anything for Easter yet.  Fantastic. 


So now I feel like a cruddy aunt.  Also didn't know I would be so close to my other three nephews right before Easter either, sooooo I don't have anything for them yet either! Just my luck.  I'm usually not anywhere near my family for most of the holidays soooo I don't have to worry about picking their stuff up until AFTER the holidays (you know...when stuff is half off....)  and then I just mail it or send it later when a family member makes it down here, or when we head up that way I drop it off at a mutual family members home.  Or we just don't worry about it all together.  It just kind of depends in our family.  Thankfully we aren't a family that puts great stock in getting and giving gifts.  The gift for us is just being able to SEE our family members.


I started this blog on Sunday, and it's now Tuesday and finally getting finished.  Don't judge.  At least I didn't completely forget about it!


Missouri is still having it's INSANE weather.  We had snow yesterday, after it was in the 80's on Saturday, it snowed on Sunday, and was cold on Monday and Today has been rather chilly too.  I miss the warmer weather already!

I have just enough time to finish this up and then off to work on lasagna for supper tonight and my babysitting children shall be here shortly.  They keep me busy!


Mae

Picnic Baskets, Lake Adventures, and Candy Lane Park

Well, today was supposed to be my gardening day.  The day I prepared my raised gardens for my veggies and flowers.  Digging up compost, and just getting my hands dirty and having fun in my own back yard.  I haven't really attempted gardening in nearly 7 years.  I used to have the most amazing green thumb EVER.  I could bring plants back from the dead and have them blooming and gorgeous in NO TIME!


Then.  I got pregnant with my daughter.  Ever.  Single.  Plant.  I owned.  DIED.  By the end of my pregnancy I had ONE plant clinging to life, and that was a little bamboo shoot that hid out in my bathroom.


It didn't live long after my daughter was born. 

She sucked the green thumb right out of me, or so we like to tell her.  She then tells me that she is going to be great at growing plants.  I hope so, I have a feeling I'm going to need her this summer to keep my plants alive!

So today we did not get around to digging in the dirt and getting things planted.  Instead we decided to have our own adventure.


The weather was absolutely gorgeous today! The kids were outside playing bright and early this morning! They woke up at 7am, and then by the time 7:30 rolled around they were outside playing in the back yard having a grand ol' time.  I fed them a quick breakfast and then they darted outside to start their day.  I've never seen them eat breakfast so fast.  They couldn't wait to get out there and play.


At around 11 it was apparent that they were getting bored with their back yard so I decided we would put aside the rest of our plans for the day and go the big park across town that sits on a lake. So we packed up a little picnic lunch (banana and peanut butter tortilla rolls, apple slices, and some cheese crackers, and thermos's full of water) we headed on out to the park. The kids were giggling about how Yogi the Bear was probably going to steal our "pickanick basket" while we were at the park.  That then sent them into a fit of giggles and "Look at the bear, look at the bear, look at the bear, look at the bear...."  (Remind me to further limit their TV time, hahaha). 


We chose a little secluded picnic spot that was kind of in the wooded area of the park.  It was so peaceful!  We could see the lake, hear the birds chirping, and see the clouds float by over head.  We really enjoyed our little picnic together.  For the record, no bears got our lunch.




After we ate lunch we had to find a rest room (of course there were no rest rooms near our secluded little area).  So we drove around to the picnic doc on the other side of the lake. After potty breaks we checked out the doc where my daughter ran into a friend of hers from Girl Scouts.  The kids only made me SLIGHTLY nervous on the floating dock.  No one fell in.  Apparently they took Mommy's "sink or swim" warning to heart.



After the doc we kind of walked around the edge of the lake and the kids would see how close they could get without giving Mom a heart attack.  Lucky for them it was a VERY shallow area and I would have just laughed at them had they fell in, they would have been pitiful.  (Would have gone up to their knees only).  No one fell in, lucky ducks.





We then walked over to their favorite play ground, which happens to be EVERYONES favorite play ground and it was CROWDED with parents and kids!

My kids are finally at that age where they aren't the youngest at the park, but they aren't the oldest either.  I'm a little more relaxed when we're at the park now, before I was a walking ball of nerves constantly freaking out if I couldn't see my kids EVERY freaking second.  Ugh.  It was a nightmare. 

Now I see other parents that are in that stage and I shoot them the look of "Been there, done that, I totally know how you feel don't worry it gets better, hang in there!!" 


Not to say I don't still closely monitor where my kids are, I'm just not as neurotic about it and don't spazz out so bad over it.  Now when I spazz out it's just on the inside and no one else can see I'm panicking, on the outside I'm cool, calm, collected and relaxed. 


Ran into a good friend at the park today and we visited for awhile.  It's always nice to see a friend! Now days most of the people I see at the park are people I have no clue who they are.  I remember back before my daughter was born we had a local parenting group in town and we met up quite often for play dates, scrapbooking events, whatever. Just to have some other parenting friends.  For most of us we were on our first kid.  So it was fantastic having that connection with other moms.  As our kids have gotten older we've all kind of drifted apart.  Life has changed, went different directions here and there.  We still say hello to each other and visit when we can, but the dynamics have changed.  So when you get to stop and visit with one of the moms from "back then" it's really great.  It doesn't hurt that you have daughters in the same grade, and occasionally babysit for them too.  It's always nice to have other mom friends to talk with, and do so while getting out of the house and into the sunshine and fresh air! I think sometime us moms need that more than the kids do.  Come on' you know I'm right!


While I was at the park I ran into some family from my dads side of the family, it was really great to see them! I do not get the opportunity to see anyone from my dads side of the family often so when I do run into them it's a wonderful surprise!


By the time we left the park the kids were exhausted and happy.  I was slightly pink from all of the sunshine I got today! I kind of forgot about the sunblock (not something I normally do).  I'm a stickler for sunblock, but I somehow let it slip my mind today.  Thankfully we only got a little pink.  My kids have never suffered an actual sun burn and I'd like to keep it that way!


Now the kids are asking if we can go fishing sometime soon.  I dunno about this whole fishing thing.  It's been a few years (a LOT) of years since I've gone.  I was never all that good at it. However, the boys have never gone fishing and my daughter has only been once and she was just a toddler, not even two yet when she went. There is a fishing derby coming up soon and the kids are so excited to go to it.  I guess I should get them some fishing rods.


After Church tomorrow we're going to surprise the kids and take them to see the Easter Bunny for a quick picture.  Kams was a baby the last time she saw "the bunny" and the boys have never seen the bunny.  I'm not one of those hugely Easter Bunny obsesses parents, but I figure it's a nice photo op and a memory I have from when I was a child. 


I still need to take them to the farm and home store here in town so they can see the bunnies and the baby chicks, we usually do that every year but I've kind of been a slacker this year.


Thursday I went on a transport with a couple of friends who volunteer at the local animal shelter here in town.  We took my foster pup (a gorgeous chocolate lab I named Jazmine) on to a 2 day foster so she could leave for Illinois BRIGHT and early this morning.  It was a crazy and chaotic day, but we got it all done! We made it there and back alive and well.


My husband is not allowing me to foster another dog for at least another month.  When I CAN foster....I can't foster a puppy.  He's not so big into the volunteer work I do.  He's not a dog person, he's more of a cat or bird person.  Actually he's more of a fish person.  I told him if he didn't quit being so stubborn I was going to get a Texas Longhorn to put in the back yard (he's TERRIFIED of Texas Longhorns)  He said I absolutely CANNOT foster ANY form of farm animal.  He's no fun at all.


School will be ending soon and that's exciting. I haven't a clue as to what we'll be doing this summer, but we'll think of something. 


Anywho...it's getting late and I have to be up early tomorrow to get my kiddos ready for Church. 


Hope everyone had a gorgeous day and you all got out there and did something together!

Mae

Throw Back Thursday

Well, apparently there is this thing that all the "cool kids" are doing.  It's called Throw Back Thursday where people throw up an old photo of themselves, and its apparently all the 'rage' at the moment.  Its something I rarely manage to do, but eh, figured since I'm digging through old photos today, I might as well throw up a few oldies but goodies.  Ok so maybe they aren't ALL goodies of me, but eeeeh oh well.  We ALL have embarrassing photos from our childhood that make us cringe.  Anyone who says other wise is a big fat fibber.  Rather than hide from them, I shall openly embrace my embarrassing childhood, ha!

How many of us remember those freaking CHEEEEESEY glamor shots from the mid to late 90's?  Where most of us "won" a glamor shot photo session.  Got our hair curled, make up plastered on and you donned the tube top and different jackets and hats and fake earrings and feather boa's to look soooo glamorous (when you really just ended up looking silly).  Yeh, I was one of those suckered into those photos (which by the way were so over priced it was ridiculous.  Such a photo scam if you ask me). 

THIS was always my favorite "glamor" shot.  *Face palm*

Was anyone in band?  How about those wonderful and lovely band photos.  They weren't even cool like the sports shots, oh no.  There you are stiff and suffocating in your schools horrendous uniforms (which for the record ours weren't THAT bad).  However, they were really never ever flattering. 

Flute player.  I STILL love to play my flute and stay in practice.

Yep.  Flag team.  I did it.  I loved it.

Yeh, I'm the goob waving at the camera, and my little sister is skipping along with us.  We were getting ready for some parade, not sure which one.

How about those photos with your mom? Those were always fun. Personally though, I'm glad I have these photos with my Mother.  She won't always be around and I'm glad these photos are here to always remind me of her and the fun times we did have.




Embarrassing FAMILY photos?  oh yeh....we all have them!

My least favorite family photo of all times (Well mainly because I'm in it I look like, a moron).

We absolutely positively CANNOT ever forget our school pictures.  Those lovely photos that will forever live printed in year books, for ever.  And Ever. Yeh, below are just a few of my school photos.  AVERT YOUR EYES!





Oh how about those fun at the time, yet now they come back to haunt you photos from family vacations or school trips?  Now you ask yourself...WHAT was I thinking?  The following photos were taken on a school band trip when the band went on a trip to Worlds of Fun as a reward for all of our hard work during the year.





How about those "young and in love" photos taken with your high school sweet hearts?  (Hey I married mine, and we're STILL the King and Queen of embarrassing photos, ha!) The following photos are of my husband and I before we were husband and wife. We were just enjoying the last 2 years of high school together.








You know you were always humiliated by some of the photos your parents hung on the wall or have in the photo album.  However, while they MIGHT be embarrassing you know that secretly you are happy they have those photos of you and the memories you had together.

My Grandma had a goat and sheep farm when I was very young and I absolutely LOVED IT.  I really enjoyed going there and helping with the goats and sheep. 

One of the few photos I have of my Grandma and I.  I'm hugging the goats as she is trying to take care of them. 

Then there are the photos your parents do that are just to make you ask "Why?" when you get older.  Then again, it is a really cute photo.

This was taken on my 4th birthday.  I was so darn cute.

YEP.  That photo where you are picking a wedgie at the zoo in front of a gorilla statue.  Lovely.  Thanks Mother.

Me at Thanksgiving when I was 4 years old.  Again.  Wasn't I adooorable and sweet? 

Kindergarten and Halloween (I think I was in kindergarten for both photos).

Aw yes, good ol' photos from the scrap book.  You know what's great?  Is I get to do the same thing for my children.  In there own way they will appreciate all of the photos I have taken over them over the years.  I'd rather have embarrassing photos of me growing up than no photos of me growing up at all. 



Mae