Christmas is about...

In about five days one of the best holidays of the year will be here.  It is Christmas day and it's a magical time for many.  The smile on a kids face when they open their presents is great to see, but what truly warms my heart is the chance to be with family and friends.  It is a time to be with those that you love and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  Of course having presents is nice, but it is not the most important thing.  The most important thing is being with those that you love and having your love returned.  The laughter that is shared when you think about the good times you have had together.  The great meal that will fill your belly and make you take a long winters nap.  All of these things come together to make up a wonderful Christmas day.  I hope that you all have  a wonderful and blessed Christmas day fill with family, friends, and lots of love!!

"When Life Hands You Lemons Make Lemonade"

We have all heard the phrase: "when life hands you lemons make lemonade".  However, I never really took that to heart.  Over the past year things have been crazy for me and I have had to do this many times.  I must say that my husband is much better at doing this than I am.  I get rattled and shaken quite easily, but he is able to take things in stride.  I truly want to embrace this phrase, but am finding it hard when you keep getting hit with one thing after another.

Things are never as bad as they may seem when you are in the middle of a storm, but if I can learn to truly take this phrase to hear and turn bad things into something good and positive then life will be grand.  I don't know how long it will take me to do this, and I don't know how often I will fail, but I can say that I will try.  I may have a momentary breakdown, but I will get back up and make the freshest and sweetest hand squeezed lemonade out of the sour lemons I have been handed.  When I have an example to give you I will update you.  How about you share your experience with turning life lemons into lemonade.

Toddlers

How many of you out there have a toddler at home?  I used to have three.  Now two of mine are in school, but I still have one at home.  My little girl is going to be 2-years old in November and she is a ball of fire.  Sometimes she is more active than her two brothers, and that is saying a lot for my kids.  She likes to climb, she likes to run, she likes to get into anything and everything that she can get into.  She is also a very inquisitive girl.  She likes to figure out how to do things and how to reach things.  For example; she has figured out that she can pull open the dresser drawers, stand inside them, and reach the top of the dresser.  She has figured out that she can putt a box or crate up to where she wants to reach and stand on top of it so she can see better.

My little girl is very smart.  You can see her try to count numbers when her brothers are counting.  Sometimes when she is watching Leap Frog or Barney shows you can see her trying to repeat some words.  She is at that stage where everything is a learning experience.  Even something as simple as going to the mail box can be fun.  Kids and toddlers can open our eyes up to things we never saw before.  They can tell us jokes that don't make sense.  They can do things that just make you go hmmmmm.  But, no matter what they do they are still just kids and they look at things much differently now then we do.  It just goes to show you that if we could all look through the eyes of our kids the world might be a much better place.

Breakfast Part 2

Previously I posted a blog about cooking breakfast for the family and how nice it was to have time to do that.  Well, I have another report regarding breakfast.  That got old really quickly.  I do enjoy having time to cook breakfast for my family in the morning time, however, I realize it is not going to be everyday.  As long as I am able to give my family a good breakfast and they are not hungry that is all that matters.  Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day so whether you eat fruit and bagels or a bowl of cereal then you are getting a decent meal.  Just do what works best for you and your crew.  Some days it may work to cook and other days it may not.  Just keep a happy home.

My Newest Addiction

For those who have a Facebook page that is an addiction all its own.  But, for those who choose to engage in games on Facebook it is entirely different.  They can become an obsession all their own.  I used to play Cafe World religiously, and now I haven't played in over a month.  My newest addiction is Words With Friends on Facebook.  It's like scrabble and you can  have multiple games with people going on at the same time.  It is a game of intelligence.  It can also be a game of smarts because there is no rule about using the dictionary or computer to find words, so the possibilities are endless.

I became addicted to the game watching my husband play with his friends and now I am playing a game with him.  As soon as I get a few more people to play a game with it will be even more exciting.  I hope I can win this game against my husband, but we will see.  Even if I don't win this first game I will eventually.  It's all in good fun.  So for everyone out there who hasn't discovered this addictive game I urge you to go on Facebook and search it out.  You will sharpen your vocab skills and you will be able to have friendly competition with family and friends.  After all, isn't that what it's all about.

Breakfast

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day.  It's at the beginning of the day and whatever you eat is suppose to give you the energy you need to make it through the first part of your day.  The questions is, what do you eat?  And, if you have kids at home or in school then what do you feed them?  One of the most popular breakfast items for kids, and adults, is cereal.  There are so many different varieties of cereals out there that it is virtually impossible not to find something you like.  But, you can't have cold cereal every morning.  Well, I guess you can but you need variety with your breakfast.  I have two kids in school and for the past three days I have actually gotten up and fixed something warm for them to eat.  Monday morning we had pancakes, Tuesday we had muffins, and this morning I fixed eggs.  That may not seem like a lot, but when you have young kids and you have to establish a good morning routine even something as small as muffins or eggs can make all the difference in the world.

I know that there are some women out there that get up earlier than I do and fix a full breakfast every morning.  I think that is very admirable, but it's just not something I can do.  I stay up late and get up early so I have to think of things that are good and provide some kind of nutrition, but don't require me to loose more sleep than I already am because I still have to make it through the whole day without falling asleep.  There are days when I fix a full breakfast, but it is usually on a weekend or on a day when the kids don't have to go to school.  I hope to keep the pattern going and make sure the kids have something warm almost every morning.  They will still have cereal some mornings because it is easy and quick; and sometimes that's all you have time for.  But, I am working on doing better about breakfast for the kids and for my husband.

 I am a work in progress.  Not just with breakfast, but with everything.  Nobody is perfect, but we all have room for improvement and the capacity and will to be different and do things better and in different ways.  So to all those parents out there that get up early in order to fix your kids a full breakfast every morning I say keep up the good work.  To those who are working on a routine that allows you to fix a warm breakfast or at least a nutritional breakfast I say keep plugging away because we are all a work in progress.  To those who have decided they are just going to get up when they want and serve what they want, cold or hot, I say as long as it works for you and you are satisfied then go ahead.  Nobody can tell someone else what to do.  We all learn from each other and we all evolve over time.  And again, breakfast is the most important meal of the day so keep it coming!!

PTO Passion

Every public and private K-12 school in America has a Parent/Teacher Organization or Association of some kind.  Some of them are very active and some are not active at all.  The parents who get involved with these groups mainly do it because they want to help out their child's school.  There are a few who get into these organizations because they want to be in charge and have some kind of say so over what goes one.  Basically, they like to be on top.  All parents who are involved with the PTO at their child's school are passionate in one way or another, and I have been a witness first-hand to that passion.

I am an officer with the PTO at my kid's school and we had a Board meeting yesterday.  As always we have several issues to discuss and several things that needed to be worked out.  We never have enough time to get everything done.  Yesterday one of the things we talked about was Business Partners for the school.  The woman on the Board tasked with the responsibility of getting business partners is a very straightforward, kind, and caring person.  Yesterday I learned how hard she has truly been working on trying to get business partners so that even in these tough economic times when schools and PTO groups are cutting back and trying to limit fundraisers our kids and our teachers will still be taken care of.  When she gave her report yesterday she set a goal of getting 100 business partners and she has been working 60-70 hours a week at accomplishing this task.  She has been doing everything from trying to get gift cards for teachers, to securing rewards for students, and much more.  She doesn't want the PTO to have to pay a whole lot out of their budget for anything, and I think that is very admirable.

What really got me is when she was speaking about how she learned how much teachers have to pay out of their pockets she started to cry.  You could hear the concern in her voice and see the passion in her eyes for what she was trying to and is doing.  I was very moved and touched by that and I though it was worth mentioning.  There are not too many people out there who would get that involved with the PTO or their child's school, whether they are working or not.  She has taken on a big role and she has come up with so many ideas and I applaud her efforts.  We need more passionate and driven people like Mrs. SP in thee world.  If we had more people like her than perhaps the world would be a much better place.

I'm Back

Good morning readers.  I'm back!  It has been more than a month since I have posted on any of my blogs, and now I am ready to get started again with some interesting topics and questions.  I want to hear from you as a reader to see what you have been up to lately.  I took one of my common breaks from life to focus on my life at hand and get my business in order.  What have you been doing lately?  The most interesting thing that has happened over the past month is that school has started back again.  This year I have two kids in regular school.  I have one more to go, and I am excited about that.  I am also happy to know that my girlfriend that was going to return to work has decided she will be staying home to care for her children.  This means that I will have a companion to do things with during the day when needed or when wanted.  It is important for any person, whether child or adult, to have companionship and friendship with people their own age.  Otherwise life can get pretty crazy.  Well, that's about it for my first post since coming back.  I look forward to the next step in this journey.  I have one request to ask of my readers.  Please spread the word about this blog and try to help me get a good following.  Thanks and let's have a great journey together.

Date Night

Have you ever seen the movie Date Night with Tina Fey & Steve Carell?  I have and it was OK.  Thankfully that was just a movie and my date night with the hubby didn't turn out as disastrous as the movie.  We had dinner at this new buffet place (we LOVE a good buffet) and went to go see Captain America.  We were so excited and thought the movie theatre was going to have people roped off in long lines waiting to get into their show time that we arrived 45 minutes early so we could get a good spot in line.  There was no line so we went walking around for a minute and then went back in.  When we went back in there was no line, but there were people inside already seated.  We still managed to get good seats and got comfortable and waited in anticipation.

My husband is a big Marvel fan and knows the story line from the comic books.  I have never read the comic books, but I have read a lot on the internet, listened to my husband, and I have seen both Avengers cartoon movies; not to mention several movies and cartoons that feature The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America as well as the Black Panther, Wasp, and Ant Man.  So needless to say we were excited to see how the movie turned out.  If you are a fan, and you know the story line, then you should enjoy the movie as we did.  It basically followed the story line and set things up nicely for the Avengers movie.

But back to date night.  Although our evening without the kids ended with our trip back home after the movie; it was still nice to get out and have some adult conversation without someone tugging on your leg, asking you to wipe them off, or constantly asking you for a drink or something to snack on.  I believe that all couples who are married with children should engage in date night, or alone time as a couple.  It is vital to keeping your relationship alive, vital to keeping it healthy, and helps reduce stress.  I can't say how often you should engage in couple time because every married couple has to do what is best and right for them.  Just make sure that when you are alone you enjoy each other's company and hold on to those feelings for as long as you both shall live!!

Idea Book

Have you ever had a good idea about something and didn't know what to do about it?  Have you ever had a dream about something fantastic but then when you woke up in the morning all you could remember is that is was a great dream but no details?  Have you ever been in the middle of something and thought about what you really want to do and forgot about it later because you didn't write it down?  I don't know about you, but my answer to all of these questions is YES!!

I have so many ideas about things, and of course I believe that all of them are really good, but I hardly ever write them down.  I just dive right in to whatever idea I am most thinking about and take it from there.  The bad thing about this is that when I do this I haven't done any planning so I tend to forget about important pieces of the idea that may be needed to truly make it work.

Well, to solve my idea problem I have decided to create an "Idea Book".  What is an idea book you may ask?  And idea book is any notebook or journal that you use to write down your best ideas and even start planning them out.  What does writing them down accomplish?  It helps remind you of what you could be doing and what dreams you have or have had.  It allows you to start the planning process for your greatest thoughts and hopefully spurs you to start putting those thoughts into action.  I encourage everyone to have an idea book because everyone has an idea about something.  You may not be able to move forward with your idea at this exact moment, but eventually you will look back at your idea book and realize what you really wanted to do and turn that into a dream come true.  So the next time you have a great idea, no matter where you are, write it down on a napkin or anything you can grab that a pen or pencil will scribble on.  Then stuff it in your pocket or purse and when you get home write it down.  Remember that if it came from your mind then it is a dream of yours and you don't ever want to have any regrets.  Do all you can to make all of your dreams and ideas come true!!

Reading Is FUN

Normally I am a magazine reader.  I used to love picking up TIME or Newsweek and reading about the latest social, political, or economic issue of the day.  Occasionally I would also pick up the newspaper and read an article if the headline sounded interesting.  I very rarely picked up a book; unless I had to for work.  The reason for this being that I can have a short attention span and if a book doesn't catch my attention in the first few paragraphs or in the first chapter then I will not go any further.  That is unless someone tells me it is worth it.  Some may think that is crazy because they LOVE reading books.  Others say it doesn't matter what you read as long as you are reading something.  I tend to believe the second statement.  As long as I was reading something it didn't matter because I was still utilize my mind and picking up additional vocabulary.

That was my way of thinking up until about a year ago.  Then, after a conversation about doing a book club with a friend, I picked up my first book in ages and it was Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.  I read it and I immediately fell in love.  I started reading the other books in the series and I became hooked (I still have one more to go).  I was enjoying reading books again and had not picked up a magazine in quite awhile.  Until about a year ago I had not read a book in ages, now over the past year I have read five books and am getting ready to pick up my sixth one.  I have re-discovered a love of reading and I know what kind of books I like to read and what kind of books I would probably stay away from.  I love books dealing with history and facts.  I love books that tell of ancient tales.  I love books that have been made into movies.  I love books that reveal or show some meaning/purpose in life.  You get the picture.  After I finish my sixth book the next set/series of books I will read (not in order) are:

- The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien (4 books)

- The Inheratance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini (4 books)

- Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis (7 books)

- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (7 books)

- Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

So as you can see these books will keep me busy for quite some time.  If I find them boring at all I will be sure to let you know, but I am encouraged because of my newfound love of reading.  I intend on looking for more books based on movies and of course getting recommendations from friends who read regularly about books that I may find interesting.  I plan on keeping a running tab on the books that I have read and will add to the list each time I finish a book.  Perhaps some of the readers will choose to join me in this adventure and we can start a chain reaction getting others to join in the fun.

But ultimately remember that it doesn't matter what you read because reading is FUN!!

Sunday Solution

Sunday is the beginning of the week and it is also the day that we generally go to church and worship GOD for all he has done in our lives.  Well my husband and I are in a position where he works on Sunday's and it is hard for us to make it through an entire service with three young children; one of whom is still in diapers.  It has also been hard finding a church that we like that has a nursery & children's church every Sunday that will accommodate all three of the kids so that we can enjoy the word.  A simple solution I have come up with is to take about 30 minutes each Sunday morning with the kids to devote to GOD.  We have a kid's story bible and we sit on the couch and read a few stories from the story bible.  After we are done reading we talk about the stories for a few minutes and then we close our devotion time by saying a little prayer.  I have realized that even if we can't make it to church all the time it is still important to instill GOD's word into your children in a manner that they will listen.  It's also important that your children grow up knowing how important GOD is and how he does great things.  Worshiping GOD isn't always about sitting in a particular building or listening to a particular person; it is worshiping in your own way in order to fill yourself with the spirit and pass on valuable lessons to your kids.  Don't ever try to worship GOD in the way someone else tell you to do it.  Worship GOD in the way that you are comfortable with and open to.  Then and only then will your heart open to his greatness and love.

June Almost Over

I can't believe that the month of June is almost over.  I counted the days until school begins again and there are only 58 days until the first day of school.  The summertime is going by faster than I imagined; although this week in particular feels like it is going by so slow.  If you have been following or regularly reading my blog you know that I often think about my place in the world or where I am at in life or just what can be done in life.  Well as I have been thinking about how fast summer has been flying by I have been thinking about what I actually did, and I think that myself and the kids have actually done a lot.  We spent a week visiting my sister & mother in Jacksonville.  While we were there the boys swam a lot and we went to MOSH (Museum of Science & History).  Since being home we have gone to the Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science, Florida Museum of History, Maclay State Gardens, had water balloon fights, enjoyed many happy meals on happy meal days, and just had an overall good time.  It's not about spending a lot of money, but it is about being with family and enjoying the good times no matter where they may be.  Whether that is in a museum or in your own backyard you should enjoy what time you have and NEVER take it for granted!!

Summertime

It's hard to believe that this is the end of the second full week of summer vacation.  The past couple of weeks have been filled with dips in the pool, water balloon fights, trips to the museum, movies, and more.  There are still at least two more months left in summer vacation and I have to figure out what to do with the kids the rest of the time.  It won't be that hard to figure out because our kids are simple.  Our kids like to just run around in the backyard, play games in the house, color, and even make crafts.  They are very easy to please.  If we go anywhere outside the house that is a luxury and the kids think it's the best thing in the world.  For example, the other day we just got in the car and went to Sonic to get ice cream and slushies and they loved it.  Last night they caught a frog; which they do a lot, and were so excited.  As you can see, what I said stands.  My kids are simple and easy to please.  I can't wait for the rest of summer!!

Summer Vacation

My oldest son had his last day of kindergarten on Friday, June 3rd and has been successfully promoted to the 1st grade.  Now that school is out summer vacation has finally started and I am looking forward to it because for the first time in ages I can actually enjoy my summer vacation.  And, the best part about it is I can actually enjoy it with my kids and my husband.  I don't have to worry about school and I don't have to ask for permission to take some days off so I can do something with my family; I can just do it.  It may be crazy because I have 3 young kids who are more active than you can even imagine, but God blessed me with these gifts and put them on Earth for my husband and I to care for so I am going to enjoy every minute of this summer vacation with them that I can.  We won't be doing a lot of travelling, but you don't have to in order to have a good time.  You can make a water park in your own backyard.  You can create puppets from paper bags.  You can take walks around the neighborhood.  You can picnic in the park or even outside in the grass after visiting a museum.  The possibilities are endless.  So this summer remember what's most important.  It is not about how much money you spend or where you go, it's about your family and the quality time you can have with them.  Enjoy your summer vacation!!

It's Tough Out There - How Do You Manage?

The other day I went to the store to get a few things and I found myself paying extra close attention the the prices.  As I actually begin realizing what some of the prices are I began to ask myself how do people manage to maintain and survive when the price of one of the most basic things everyone needs, food, is so high.  Not to mention how do you stay healthy and eat healthy when those are the foods that cost the most money.  There is so much talk out there about staying healthy, exercising, and doing what is needed to take care of our bodies but it can be hard to do.

Back to the grocery prices.  One of the prices that caught my attention were the packs of lunch meat.  We usually buy this large pack of thinly sliced lunch meat in our house, and I remember back in the day when it used to be $2.99 and now the price is $4.69.  Capri Suns; which my son takes in his lunches and all the kids drink at home during snacks, is now anywhere from $1.25-$2.25, depending on where you buy them.  Milk is another item whose prices has risen.  I remember when it was around $2.99, and now it's anywhere from $3.69-$4.00 (again depending on where you shop).  And let's not even talk about fresh fruits and vegetables.  Our kids love to eat apple slices and bananas and I love giving it to them but the apples in particular cost so much by the pound now.  Bananas are OK price wise, but apples is what all of them really love.  And my husband and I like to eat salads; which is one of the few veggies the kids will also eat, but look at the price of lettuce.

Now I understand that the cost of living does rise, and the cost of making things does rise, but if prices continue to rise then people will buy less groceries.  If people buy fewer groceries then supermarkets will begin to loose money.  If they begin to loose money then they will buy less product and potentially have to lay off workers or cut back on hours.  This gives people less money to spend.  If people have less money to spend then they stop shopping for pleasure and don't go out as often as they might like.  If that happens then all other industries will start to loose money and eventually may have to lay people off.  And the cycle continues.

Where does it all end?  When will we be able to go into a grocery store again and buy the foods we not only need, but maybe even a few of the things that we want as well.  When will we all be able to walk into a grocery store and buy as many fresh products and healthy foods that we desire so we can not only eat better to have better quality of life, but have better tasting food too.  The next time you are in the grocery store take a closer look at prices and I encourage you to think about that and then think about what you can do to help others who may be experiencing some kind of food dilemma.  You may not be able to buy what you want, but if you can buy what you need then you are in a good place.  No matter how bad you think you have it, with respect to food or other matters, there is always someone who has it worst.  Think of it like this, having some food is better than having no food at all.  And that is a fact!!

Movie Scenes

What is your favorite part of a movie?  I have several movies that I like as a whole and I have a list of some of my favorites scenes from movies.  Here are some of my favorites:

- Jacob & Bella kissing on the top of the mountain in Twilight: Eclipse
- The church scene at the end of Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman where they are singing (it always makes me cry)
- The end of the Avatar where Jake leaves his human life behind and becomes Omaticaya in reality (and also is becomes their Chief)
- The scene in Love Actually where Hugh Grant's character, who is the Prime Minister, goes to the Wadsworth neighborhood and knocks on each door until he finds Natalie, whom he discovers that he loves


I have other favorite scenes, and currently many of those scenes are from one of the Twilight movies because I am obsessed with them, especially Jacob Black's character.  But there are scenes from other movies that I adore as well.  Most of my favorite movie scenes have to do with love or another strong emotion because I am a softy and cry at those scenes.  I love movies and I love the idea of love.  Now that I have shared, why don't you share with me and tell me what are your favorite movie scenes?

What are we doing?

What are we doing in the world today?  What are we doing with our lives?  What are we doing with our time and our money?  I ask these questions because more often than not people have so many dreams and goals that they want to accomplish in their lives but not many of us actually follow through with what we want to do.  Sometimes it is because we are waiting on others.  Sometimes it is out of fear for what might be.  And sometimes it is just because we don't have the drive or the means to make our dreams become reality.  I say to everyone out there that life is too short to stand on the sidelines.  If you have a dream then put yourself out there and go after it.  You may not get what you want instantly.  It may take awhile for your dream to become reality, and you may not know where your path leads.  Almost nothing is certain, but one thing that is certain is if you don't at least try then you will regret it for the rest of your life.  So step out on faith and go after your dreams!!  You may be surprised at what becomes of it.

Kid Language

Kid Jokes:
How did an ant turn into a rock?
It was already a butterfly.

How did the dog fly up to the sky?
He had wings on his head.

Now you may have read these two jokes and said to yourself not only are they not funny, but they don't make any sense.  Well both of those may be true, but if it is something you overhear when your 4 and 5 year old boys are telling jokes to each other then it makes perfect sense and you start to laugh.  My kids are the best, and they say the darndest things.

They have a great imagination and when you hear a couple of kids having a conversation with one another sometimes it may make sense and sometimes it doesn't.  But the bottom line is it doesn't have to.  Kids have their own language.  Their own stories.  Their own way of telling a joke.  Who cares if what they said doesn't make sense?  At least they are talking.  Who cares if the jokes they tell you aren't funny?  As long as they laugh and they are using their imagination that is all that matters.  Alway encourage them and support them in all that they do.

So the next time your child wants to tell you a story or a joke just listen to them.  It may not mean anything now, but one day that imagination of theirs could turn into the next great idea, the next big comedian, the next big star!!

Life

Everyday we live this crazy thing called life.  We don't know what to expect or what to do half the time, but we get up each morning and try to live each day because it's second nature.  We need to stop acting like robots and not just be passive in living our life, we need to be active in living our life.  Don't just let life happen to you, but rather let you make a difference in your life and take control.  Taking control of your life is the only way to truly live and enjoy each and everyday.  If you have a dream or a goal then don't be afraid to go after it.  For so long I was afraid and at times unable to go after and achieve my goals, but now I am in a position where I am able to start actually doing and not just talking.  I can actually work at accomplishing my goals and not just looking at them written down on paper.  In a matter of three months I have accomplished at least two of the goals I have set for myself and I am working on others.

What are your goals in life?  What do you REALLY want to do?  As the song in Princess Diaries 2 says "take a chance, make a wish, make a change, and breakaway".  I might be slightly off on the lyrics, but you get the idea. Let me know what your top three goals are and what you are going to do in order to accomplish them.

Kid's Eating Philosophy

As a mother of three young kids I would like for them to LOVE veggies, but that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon.  I would also like them to eat everything I cook, but that never happens either.  When it comes to food for little one's you have what I call good days, bad days, and in-between days.  The good days are when they eat EVERYTHING on their plates.  The bad days are when they don't eat ANYTHING on their plates.  The in-between days are when they pick and choose what on their plate they will eat.  Gobbling up what they think is tasty and leaving behind what they just don't want to eat.

I know there are some parents out there that force their kids to eat everything on their plate at meal time.  I am personally against that.  I have days when I can be strict about them eating something and days when I don't care.  But I hope that I will never make them eat everything because that can backfire and make them want to eat nothing.  My husband says that if they don't eat we should just leave their plates out and when they get hungry that is what they will eat.  Sometimes I subscribe to that philosophy and sometimes I don't.

The bottom line is that there are no real rules when it comes to eating for kids.  The closest you can come to a rule is to follow the food pyramid guide for kids (http://www.mypyramid.gov/) and hope that you are doing the best that you can by them.  You want to find some kind of veggie they will eat and some fruit, but you have to find what works for them and what works for you.  Don't follow someone else's rules or philosophy.  Make up your own and make it work!!

Accomplishment

For today's post I thought I would do something different.  Today I am highlighting a word that means a lot to me right now and that is accomplishment.  I feel I have accomplished a lot in my lifetime thus far, but not as much as I could.  There are many goals and projects that I still have left to conquer, but I am going to do my best to conquer as many of them as possible one by one.  I leave you today with several quotes about accomplishment as well as some websites to refer to with inspirational quotes about accomplishment.  Perhaps some of them will resonate with you and perhaps not.  But remember all these quotes have something to say whether you agree and can relate or not.

Accomplishment quotes:
- These sites have several quotes.  Some are short and some are not, but they are are very thoughtful and relate to accomplishment.

http://quotations.about.com/cs/inspirationquotes/a/Achievements1.htm


http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show_tag?name=accomplishment

http://www.finestquotes.com/select_quote-category-Accomplishment-page-0.htm




Actual Quotes:
"All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth."
Napoleon Hill

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/accomplishment.html#ixzz1JFJ2Y72X

"Blessedness consists in the accomplishment of our desires, and in our having only regular desires."
Saint Aurelius Augustine

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/accomplishment.html#ixzz1JFJGlqp3

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."
Jim Rohn

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/accomplishment.html#ixzz1JFJNaWP2

"It is through accomplishment that man makes his contribution and contribution is life's greatest reward."
John Portman

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/accomplishment_2.html#ixzz1JFJgu39I

"Self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment."
Maxwell Maltz

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/accomplishment_3.html#ixzz1JFJqwfsh

Cleaning Can Tire You Out

For anyone out there who may not have done any "real cleaning", let me give you a little clue: CLEANING CAN TIRE YOU OUT!!  Today after picking up the dog from Petco we had to de-flea the house.  In order to do that I had to pick up everything from the floor, move furniture, sweep under furniture, vacuum, and spray the floors with a flea spray.  While doing that I decided to clean some of the baseboard; which needed a little TLC.  I had to do this whole process for three bedrooms and the living room.  All of this was done after 4:00 pm so in between rooms I had to start and finish dinner.  After dinner was done cooking I made sure everyone, including me, was fed and threw the dishes in the sink.  Now I am tuckered out.  My feet hurt and my body is tired.  And, I still have to put the house back together.

Well, it's 9:45 pm and I think I will wait until Saturday to actually put the house back together.  Since I had to pick everything up to vacuum and de-flea now I can de-clutter and do some real spring cleaning as I put the house together.  So I am looking forward to another long day tomorrow full of cleaning, fixing lunches, and squeezing in some time to spend with the family.  So, once again at the end of the day tomorrow I will be TIRED from cleaning but I will feel good knowing that I have a clean house.  Hopefully I can keep it that way.

So Many in Need

Today after me and my two youngest (4 & 16 months) watched Tinkerbell and The Great Fairy Rescue we got ready to actually leave the house.  It's Tuesday; which means that it is Happy Meal Day and family movie night.  It's Happy Meal Day because they are only $1.99 every Tuesday and it's family movie night because this is the day that we started getting movies from the Redbox or Blockbuster machine.

After finally getting both kids completely dressed and doing my daughter's hair we got in the car, pulled out of the driveway, and proceeded to head towards McDonald's.  Today I decided to go to the McDonald's on the other side of town because it was close to Lake Ella.  The original plan was to get the Happy Meals and go sit in the grass next to the lake and have a picnic.  As we were going through the drive-thru my son decided he wanted to go on the playground.  At this point we had already ordered and paid for the food.  So we picked up our food, parked, and went inside.

As we sat down I noticed there was a young man who appeared to be a young college student.  He was outside putting something on his bike when we walked in then he came inside.  He went outside a couple of times to his bike to pick up something and bring something back inside.  One time when he came inside he walked in with a bunch of old pieces of cardboard.  I noticed that he had a big duffle bag and a lot of other items on his bike.  While inside I saw that all he had was some coffee; which isn't unusual when it's chilly but I just felt as if there was something not quite right.  Eventually I went to the counter and ordered 2 more Happy Meals (one for me and one I was going to give away).  Before just handing the young man the food I asked him if he needed something to eat and he said he was a little hungry so I gave him one of the Happy Meals I just ordered.

He was a very young man.  He looked like he could have been a senior in high school or at least in his first few years of college.  There is no telling what his background was or how he ended up where he was.  It wasn't my place to ask.  And I felt bad for not being able to give him a little bit more.  I almost felt sad in a way because it made me think about how much I complain when I don't have something or when I need something when I actually am blessed with more than any person could possibly need.  I have a loving husband, three beautiful & healthy children, a roof over my head, food on the table, family & friends, and so much more.  But here this young man was in need of something so basic as food; something no person should be without.  There are so many people in this world who are in need of basic life necessities.  And what are we doing about it?  What are we doing to make strides in the fight against hunger & homelessness?  What are we doing for those who just want something, anything to eat?  What are we doing for those who want somewhere, anywhere safe, to sleep?  I can only speak for myself and unfortunately I am not doing all that I can.  I don't have a lot of money, but it doesn't take a lot of money to make a difference.  You can make a difference by volunteering and motivating others to get involved.  I challenge every one out there to volunteer at a homeless shelter.  Put together a food drive.  Gather some friends and serve lunch at a soup kitchen.  It may not seem like much, but it's the little things that count.  And when you add up all of the small deeds that people can and should do then maybe we can make a dent in the war on poverty, hunger, & homelessness and start to leave the world better off than it was before.

Blog Ideas Torn

While doing research for my blog I read several things.  One of the blogs I read suggested that you should have a list of the topics that you want to write about.  Well I decided to do just that.  I started to make a list of the things I was thinking about so I could turn them into blogs.  I didn't just sit and make a list in one hour.  I have a notebook that I started to manage my blog and keep track of things.  So when I think about something I might want to blog about I write it down in my book.  Well if you have been reading my blog you know that I have three kids; two boys and one girl.  They are very curious and inquisitive, especially my little girl who is 16 months old.  She has figured out how to get on tables and reach things she shouldn't be able to reach.  The other night I had my blog book next to me because I had several thoughts about what might be a good blog.  I kept it next to me so I could write those thoughts down.  Well the notebook made it through the entire night, and when the next morning came things started as they usually do.  I was working on something after breakfast, don't remember what, and I came back into the living room and discovered that my daughter had gotten a hold of my blog book and torn up the pages with my blog ideas and was chewing on the pen that I wrote with.  I wasn't mad of course because she is only 16 months, but rather I thought it was kind of funny.

So now I am starting my list all over again and I thought I would ask you what you would like to see me blog about?  I have changed the settings on my blog so that anyone can comment on my blog (we'll see how that goes).  But I would like to hear from you.  I am open to any ideas you may have that I can add to the new list I am starting.  I think one of the first things I will put on my list of blog ideas is the things kids do.  Hope to hear from some of you because your ideas may lead to great things.

Taking a Break

Have you ever taken a break from life?  Have you ever taken a few moments or a few days to rejuvenate yourself?  This world is full of so much negativity and stress that even the average person can get bogged down in all that is going on and reported about.  So what can you do about it?  Take a break!!  By take a break I mean to take a few moments, a few days, or as long as you need to rejuvenate yourself and remind yourself why you are in this world.  What is your purpose?  Part of this rejuvenation should include a lot of prayer.  Part of taking a break should also involve removing yourself from things like Facebook and not giving in to social pressures and social media.  Completely remove yourself from the outside world and just think.  I can't tell you what to think about.  I can't tell you what results may come from you taking a break from life and from the world.  All I can say is that you will emerge changed in some way or at least relaxed and ready for a new day.  I encourage you to do this often in your life because you may come to some revelation that will hopefully make a difference.  It may only make a difference to you, but sometimes that is enough.

Spring Break Chronicles 2011: Day 6

Day 6: Saturday

I consider Saturday part of spring break because kids don't actually return to school until Tuesday due to the Teacher Planning Day.  Well Saturday started off with the alarm ringing at 6:30 am; which at first I didn't realize was ringing.  After about 30 minutes to an hour after the alarm rang I got up to take my shower so I could wake up my tired husband and sleeping kids in order to get ready to hit the road.  Around 8:00/8:30 we all finally were ready and in the car so we could leave my sister's house and depart for Orlando in order to take a surprise visit to Animal Kingdom (thank you Brother Sly & Melly B).  While on the road my sister calls to say "Hey you know you forgot the stroller"; I was like d***.  A stroller is definitely a must when you have a child that is only 16 months old.  The first thought is that it would be cheaper to find a Wal-Mart and just buy another stroller.  But after looking up the rental cost of a stroller in the park that was an incorrect assumption.

About 3-3 1/2 hours later we arrived at the Walt Disney World Resort, picked up our tickets, and entered Animal Kingdom.  Of course before we entered the park I realized that we didn't have the baby wipes in the bag, but instead of going back to the car we decided to wing it.  When we entered none of us had eaten so at first we were going to get something to eat and then start enjoying the rest of the park.  Well as we were passing the Tree of Life we noticed that the show they have inside the tree, It's Tough to Be Bug, was getting ready to start.  The decision was made to go ahead an see the show.  It's a 3D show that is only about 8 minutes long, but really cute and fun.  We sat down, put our glasses on, and got ready to enjoy the show.  Well the show started, the kids were enjoying it, and everything was going great until it got to the part where Hopper the grasshopper appeared.  I guess to some kids the show can be a little scary.  Well my second oldest, who is 4years old, all of a sudden started crying and jumping up, and I had to hold onto him to keep him from running out away from me because he was ready to bolt out of the theatre.  Well I took him outside, and sure enough he got scared during the part where Hopper appeared. Well he wasn't the only kid who got scared during the show.  When we got outside there were some other kids out there and a few more came out while we were waiting for my husband and my other two kids to come out.  When they finally came out my son had calmed down, but still a little shaken.

The next stop was to find something to eat.  I was stuck on visiting the restaurant that had BBQ, chicken, and all sorts of other goodies.  For some reason I thought it was in "Africa" but it wasn't.  After almost 15-30 minutes of trying to find that one place we gave up and went to Pizzafari; which had something even the kids would love.  After eating and getting ready to tour the rest of the park I decided to look at the map and descriptions of eateries and discovered the place I wanted to eat at.  I guess if I would have done that in the first place we wouldn't have spent so long looking for it.

The rest of the day consisted of: playing the drums, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, Wildlife Express Train, Conservation Station, Affection Station, The Boneyard, and an attempt to see Finding Nemo-The Musical.  I say an attempt because once again my 4-year old got a little scared.  Only this time he was scared before the show even started.  He has seen Nemo before so he knew there was a shark coming and didn't even want to see it.  Well the show started and he once again wanted to bolt.  We walked up the steps to go out and I was able to calm him down for a little bit.  But when the show got to the part where Nemo got captured he started to run again so this time we went outside.  This show was a little longer than It's Tough to be A Bug so we waited a minute for the rest of the family to come out.  When they came out I pulled the turkey leg out of our bag we put in there before the show and my and the boys started to munch on it.  After that, and because it had already been a long day, we decided against going to see Festival of the Lion King and head on home.  We got to the parking lot, got in our car that was parked in the peacock section, and headed on home.  The kids fell asleep in the car and the boys basically slept all the way home to Tallahassee.

When we got home just before midnight we thought the kids would stay asleep, but when we got them inside they of course woke up and wanted to stay up.  We also thought that the both of us would be tired and wanted to hit the sack right away, but amazingly enough once we got inside we were up for a little bit also.  My husband jumped on the computer while everyone else watched some TV.  As I was searching for something to watch I came across a series of Superhero cartoons on DisneyXD.  So my husband decided he was going to stay up all night until 4am to watch them all.  I ended up eventually going to bed around 2am with my daughter and my 4-year old.  I don't know what time my husband went to sleep, but it was after me. All in all it was a fantastic day (slideshow to come later) and I hope that I have many more GREAT family days to come.

Spring Break Chronicles 2011: Day 4 & 5

Last update on Spring Break my kids and I were at my sister's house.  Day 4 (Thursday) began with breakfast and a little TV.  Eventually the kids got dressed and went outside to play while I attempted to get a quick shower.  The yard at my sister's place is fenced in, however, I still made my shower as quick as possible so that I could get out and monitor my three little angels.  It was easier to get ready because now that it's a warmer I can do the curly hair by putting on a little mouse and some oil sheen and let it dry.

As usual the kids are having fun playing in dirt and making up random games.  Sometime while outside they discovered the stack of wood in the corner of my sister's yard and picked up some sticks they could play with.  I happened to be in her kitchen when all of a sudden I heard my oldest start crying.  Apparently his brother took a stick and threw it at his leg; which left a little knot on his leg.  After getting an explanation from both sides there was an apology and then hugs and hand shakes (sometimes they do hugs & high fives).

The rest of the day was pretty routine with lunch and more play time.  In the afternoon there was an attempt to take a brief walk when they started complaining about it being too hot so we eventually turned around.  Shortly after returning back from our walk my sister's fiance arrived with their 2 kids.  One is the same age as my oldest and has been wanting to play with my boys all day so when he arrived all of the kids went outside for a little bit while I began to start working on dinner.  I figured cooking was the least I could do in exchange for such gracious hospitality.

Dinner was something I thought of on the fly.  It was seasoned chicken strips baked in the oven over a layered casserole dish.  The bottom layer was Pasta Roni (rice & vermicelli), next a veggie mix, and then a little bit of sausage all topped off with Campbell's cream of chicken soup.  It turned out alright and now I have a new dish to cook, assuming I can remember what I did.  The evening ended with everyone watching Despicable Me; which I fell asleep on.

Day 5 (Friday) started the same way as Day 4.  The day consisted of playtime including chase the bubbles; which I participated in.  Around lunchtime my sister called and asked what we were doing.  I told her I was getting ready to fix lunch and she proceeded to tell me she was on the way to pick up her kids from daycare and come home.  She stopped off and picked up McDonald's for everyone and when she got home we all had lunch; which included frostys (YEAH!!).  When her fiance got home he took a minute to get himself together and went back out to pick up something for all the kids to play.  He came back with a slip-n-slide that was three lanes long and set it up in the backyard.  After set-up the kids proceeded to play.  While playing my husband arrived (YEAH AGAIN!!).  The kids continued to play for a little bit then they came inside.

The rest of the evening consisted of dinner, basketball, playtime, and finally relaxation and sleep.  My family and I had to get some sleep because the next day we were leaving as early as we could muster the strength to get up and head to Otown for an adventure on Day 6.  I had a great time visiting my sister and I hope she will come over to Tallahassee with her family soon so we can return the hospitality.  After all that's what family is for.

Spring Break Chronicles: Day 3

Well day 3 (yesterday) was a fairly routine day.  We started out by sleeping in.  And by sleeping in I mean the kids slept in while I woke up around 7:00/7:30 am like clockwork.  Once the kids woke up and had breakfast they got ready for a little play time outside.  For the first time ever I let them play with water balloons.  I took them  outside to fill them up and my daughter, who is the youngest, wanted to keep picking them up and dropping them.  After a few minutes my oldest would pick them up and start throwing them at his brother; which isn't fair but I don't think he was concerned about that.  After blowing up the balloons I went inside.  After only a few minutes my oldest son came inside to tell me they needed more balloons; which they weren't getting.

Around 12pm, after some indecisivness, I finally decided that me and the kids would go to my sisters in Jacksonville for a visit.  So I proceeded to start packing.  After packing, getting the kids lunch, and finally getting around myself we loaded up in the car around 2:30 to pull out.  By the time we got gas and got to the interstate it was more like 3pm when we really got going.  I have to apologize to my hubby for the late departure time because after we finally got to Jacksonville, went the wrong way on I95 and ended up in St. John's county, turned around and then made it to my sister's house after going through traffic both ways he had to drive back to Tallahasse for work that night.  I admit it was my fault.

Well when we got to my sisters the women had to go out to the store to pick up a few things while my sisters fiance stayed at the house to watch 5 kids (two- 5 year olds, one 4 year old, one 2 year old, and a 16 month old).  We went to the Wal-Mart SuperCenter and there was a little trouble at check-out and it took us about 30 minutes (maybe a little more) to check-out.  Then we went to Publix to get some bananas and apples because I don't like getting fresh fruit from Wal-Mart and then headed back to her house.  When we finally got there it was after 8pm and no one wanted to cook a full dinner.  So the three older kids had bagel bites, oranges, and Cheese-its (spelling?).  The younger two had Cheeses-its, oranges, and corn dogs.  The adults had bagel bites and my sister and I added a hot dog to the mix.

We all fed our tummies, the kids got on their pajamas and played for a little bit, then they laid down in the room while watching TV.  After awhile my sister's kids were asleep so I brought my two boys out into the living room to lay down and watch TV.  We were up pretty late.  While on the couch I tried to get my daughter to go to sleep, and finally she did.  Usually we put her in her Pack-N-Play and she falls asleep or cries to sleep and we move her to the bed.  Since I didn't have that vital piece of equipment I had to put her to sleep the old fashioned way.  Rocking her and singing to her.  The boys were of course still awake and once I laid my daughter down my second oldest wanted to sleep on the couch with me.  Eventually we turned the TV off and all went to sleep.  Sometime during the night my oldest woke up and also climbed on the couch.  So we had myself and two kids sleeping on the couch.  What fun.

All in all the day was ok.  The travel time was crazy, and I actually drove all the way to Jacksonville, but it was ok.  I get to visit with my sister for a little bit.  The boys get to play with their cousins.  And we get to get out of Tallahassee.  I do miss my husband, but he will join us on Friday.  Stay tuned for the update on Spring Break Chronicles: Day 4.

Spring Break Chronicles 2011: Day 2

Yesterday was day 2 of spring break here in our county and it was another successful family day.  For me the morning started around 7:30 am.  I thought I would be able to sleep in, and by sleep in I mean until 9:00 am maybe, but my body is on a timer so that's not happening.  After surfing the net for a minute the kids finally woke up and they began the morning with cereal for breakfast (w/milk for the boys and dry for my daughter).  They watched a little regular TV before the morning movie Chicken Little came on.  I went back and forth between watching the movie with the kids and washing dishes; which I actually washed by hand instead of throwing them in the dishwasher.

During the movie I told the kids that when it was over with we would go the the museum and get a happy meal @ McDonald's ($1.99 on Tuesday & Thursday); which they were thrilled about.  Sometime during the movie I decided to go wake up my husband for a little quality time while the kids were distracted (yeah right).  While my husband and I were trying to "talk" we heard several knocks at the door and several little voices calling our name; which we tried to ignore.  Well apparently the movie ended and we were still talking so my oldest (who was whispering that the movie was over) decided to slip us a note.  Well I didn't read the note until I got ready to go take a shower and when I opened the envelope and read it I immediately started laughing because my oldest, who is only 5 mind you, had written on a piece of paper that the movie was over.  I guess he figured since we wouldn't/didn't hear them outside the door or wouldn't come out he would let us know another way so we could start getting ready for the museum and happy meal day.

After a nice, long, hot shower I got out and made sure the boys started getting ready and I got the diaper bag and clothes ready for my daughter.  Once the whole Gambles Clan was ready we hopped in the car and proceeded to go to the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science (http://www.thebrogan.org/).  They recently opened an exhibit called "Big Bugs".  Basically they have these larger than life animatronic bugs set up on their bottom floor, with learning information about each one, and they all move.  For example the grasshopper stands up on his hind legs and his wings spread wide open.  The two rhino beetles are mock fighting, and there is more.  This museum also has two other floors.  The second floor is filled with hands on learning (along with some fish) and the third floor is an art gallery.  We have been there before, but the kids love it.  And they have a little play area for early learners that I can actually let my daughter walk around in.

After the museum we went to McDonald's.  Originally we were going to eat in but decided to get it to go because we were a little tired.  Once entering the parking lot and heading towards the drive through the decision was made that I would go inside and get the kids happy meals.  Well the amount of time that I waited to order and get 3 happy meals I could have waited in the long drive through line.  But I got them and went back to the car so my husband and I could go get something from Lindy's.  We pulled out of the parking lot and made a quick stop @ the Redbox machine; which we usually do on Tuesday's for family movie night.  Nothing that we had not already seen looked promising so we decided to just pick a movie in our collection and moved on.  We got to Lindy's and I once again went inside to order (my husband watched the kids).  When I went inside I saw a friend that I had not seen or spoken to in awhile and was grateful for the few minutes I had to talk to her.  I ordered a gizzard box for my husband (yuck) and an angel box for me (4 wings, biscuit & 2 sides).  We got everything, loaded up, and went to the house.  We ate, watched some TV, played on the internet, and just had a relaxing afternoon.  Because we ate so late no one really wanted dinner and the time felt like it was moving so quickly so we skipped baths.

The movie the boys decided to pick for family movie night was Step Up 2: The Streets.  Well this is a movie they have seen several times, and by several I mean more than 10 times, maybe almost 20.  They like this movie because of the dancing in it so each time the music comes on and people start dancing they dance right along with them (short video of them dancing above).  Of course one of the kids noticed something on their television that they were more interested in so they kept going back and forth between the movie and what they were watching.  Normally I would make them sit for family movie night, but I was drifting and wanted some quiet so last night it didn't matter.  The evening ended with my oldest falling asleep leaning against me on the couch.  I carried him to our bed and my daughter proceeded to follow and fall asleep in the bed with her big brother.  My second oldest was the last to knock off and fell asleep in his room.  While I got a little quiet time for a chick flick my second oldest woke up and came to the couch with me.  Eventually I just cut off the TV and the couch is where both of us fell asleep until I woke up this morning.  All in all the day yesterday was fantastic and very relaxing.  When life is so stressful at times all you want is a very easy going day and that is what day two was all about.  Stay tuned for the update on Day 3.  No telling what this day will bring, but as long as the family is together then I can't ask for anything more.

Spring Break Chronicles 2011: Day 1 - Part 2

The first day of spring break was a GREAT!!  The whole day was about family and fun.  We ended our day with dinner, a little play time, and a movie.  The movie my son chose to watch was Happy Feet; which is a nice family movie.  Of course we were all tired from the days events so when I woke up it was a little after 1am and the movie of course had finished.  So I proceeded to cover up my children (who fell asleep on the floor) and went to bed.

Who knows what day 2 of spring break will bring, but that's the beauty of not having a plan.  While I am a planner by nature I have learned from my husband that sometimes the greatest things happen when you have no plan whatsoever.  So that strategy will prevail for the rest of the week.  I still have an idea of what I want to do, however, when I do it is not set and it is also possible that I change what I may want to do if something pops up.

For all of the parents out there who have the opportunity to spend spring break with their kids I encourage you to just have fun.  Don't worry about what you are going to do or when you are going to do it because the bottom line is that God has blessed you with the time to spend with your child so make the most out of it and make the most out of EVERYDAY!!

Spring Break Chronicles 2011: Day 1 - Part 1

Today the schools here in Leon County started their spring break and so far day 1 has gone quite well.  I got to sleep until just after 8am.  I was woken up by a 16 month old crawling over me so she could jump on me like a pony.  After a regular morning routine, with my kindergartner home this time, we took a quick trip to Wal-Mart where we picked up some supplies for the afternoon and the rest of the week.  When we got home and discovered that the hubby and daughter left for the afternoon walk we called them and then used our internal GPS to locate where in the neighborhood they were.  A brisk afternoon walk with the family was followed by meat sandwiches and goldfish for lunch (the adults had chips).  After a pretty normal lunch my daughter took a nap and my husband played on the internet while myself and the boys proceeded to work on a paper mache project.

We took toilet paper and paper towel rolls then put masking tape over one end.  After which we put rice inside each one and taped up the other end.  The next step was for me to make a paper mache paste using 1 part flour to 2 parts water while the boys cuts strips out of the paper they decorated earlier in the day.  Then we proceeded to the back porch where we took the strips, dipped them in paste, and wrapped them around the rolls.  My second oldest has worked on this kind of project with me before, however, my oldest proceeded to work on the project while at the same time saying "mommy this is messy".  After pointing out that we were still having fun he altered his statement to say, " this is messy but it's fun".

Once the paper mache project was set in place to dry we all got ready for the best part of the afternoon.  All of us, except for the youngest who was taking a nap, had a family water gun fight.  Me and the boys got our medium-small sized guns, filled them with water, and got ready to squirt each other with water.  After a few minutes the husband comes out of the house with a super soaker.  So now instead of the three of us squirting each other we all had to gang up on the hubby with the big gun.  All in all it was a great afternoon.  In one word I would describe it as PRICELESS!!  The next time you are planning what to do for spring break, or a family vacation, or just an afternoon with the kids remember that it doesn't take hundreds of dollars to have a great time.  All you need is a little imagination and a lot of love.  Stay tuned for more to come in Spring Break Chronicles 2011.

Toilet Repair 101

Have you ever had something major in your house that needed to be fixed and attempted to fix it yourself?  Well today after weeks of a clogged toilet my husband attempted to fix the toilet in the guest bathroom; which is also the bathroom that our kids use.  It became clogged when one of our kids (we don't know which one) put something in the toilet and attempted to flush it.  Now mind you this isn't the first time it has happened.  Previously we have suctioned a plastic fish, a Weeble toy, and other small toys.  However this time something got stuck in the toilet and has been there for weeks.  When whatever it is first got stuck you could use the toilet a little, but it soon got to where you couldn't flush it and our guest bathroom toilet hasn't been used in quite some time.

When my husband started to take the toilet a part it looked promising.  I mean why pay $90 and hour plus materials for a plumber when you could potentially fix it yourself.  He unscrewed everything and successfully lifted the toilet from the floor.  Once he got the toilet to the point where he could use the snake from underneath I was called in to assist.  Again, it was looking promising until the snake was inserted in the toilet from the bottom and he started to maneuver it around and couldn't pull out what was stuck.  He went so far as to locate another item in the house that he could use to put inside the toilet from underneath to try and push whatever was stuck out.  Well after about 30 minutes or so of trying we had to give up.  We came to the conclusion that we will have to purchase a new toilet base because whatever is stuck will not come out.  Before he began the repair project my husband priced the items in case we have to replace anything and replacing the toilet base will still be cheaper than calling a plumber, but why can't the kids stop putting things in the toilet.  What is their fascination with flushing things?

Now we could be mad at the kids and we could of course punish them, but what good will that do.  Kids will be kids.  And even after we purchase a new base and secure it over the proper hole/pipe in the floor they will still be intrigued and curious about putting things in the toilet.  Especially the youngest who is only 16 months old.  Well I know we can't possibly be the only parents in the world who have had to fish things out of a toilet or repair a toilet because of something their kids did.  So for all parents and do it yourselfers out there who want to take on the daunting task of fixing a toilet then here are some websites you can go to:

do it yourself
http://www.doityourself.com/scat/repairing

eHow
http://www.ehow.com/how_4811818_doityourself-toilet-repair.html

Fix a Toilet
http://www.fixatoilet.com/

Handy Household Hints
http://www.handyhouseholdhints.com/plumbing/do-it-yourself-toilet-repair/

These are just a few sites.  There are many more sites out there that you can turn to for assistance.  You can also go to Home Depot or Lowe's and speak with someone at the store and you can even purchase a book there or at any bookstore that sells repair books about fixing a toilet.  If you do decide to fix a toilet or any other major appliance or household item you should first make sure you are up to the task.  If the answer is yes then do your research.  View multiple websites, speak to someone at a home repair store, purchase a book or check one out from your local library about how to fix the problem, and make sure you have all of the proper equipment to complete the task.  The bottom line is you most definitely can do it if you have the determination and the drive, and it will save you money, but don't get over your head.  If it looks like the task is more than you can handle then it is better to call in the experts.  But if you can handle it then I say go for it and you will feel accomplished and you can add something else to the list of things that you can do and have done.  That alone makes it all worthwhile.

Change - Part 2

As I continually think about change in my life and things that could be different I have decided that the next thing I want to do to make change in my life is to cut people out of my life that don't want to be a part of it.  How many of us have hundreds of friends on Facebook but never even contact or keep up with half of them.  And how many of us store someones number in our phone that we haven't seen in ages and never contact them, or have numbers from people that we have not heard from in awhile.

I recently put people on notice that I have phone numbers for that I would be cutting/deleting people out of my phone that don't want to be a part of my life.  I haven't contacted everyone yet, but I will be contacting everyone that I haven't heard from in awhile.  If they don't respond to my message then they will be cut out of my contact list because I will know they don't want to be in it.  I am a grown woman with a husband and 3 kids and I do not have time for foolishness or people that don't want to be a part of my life.  After I clear out the contact information in my phone my next step will be to move on to Facebook.  People that I haven't heard from or that create any kind of negativity in my life I will "unfriend". There is no need to pretend and keep you in my list, as a friend, or in my life in anyway if you aren't making an effort yourself to be a part of my life.

Does that sound harsh?  Am I wrong?  Is it cruel to put people on notice and then cut them out when they don't respond?  I would say no and when I do cut these people out of my life I will do it without remorse because I will know that the people whose numbers I have decided to keep or the individuals on Facebook I still have as friends will be people that have decided to be part of my life and are making some kind of effort to be part of my life.  After thinking about it and beginning this journey of reorganizing and purging my life I strongly believe that everyone should do this at some point and time.  It is good for the mind, body, and soul.  It allows you to get "back to basics" and make your life what you want it to be and what God intends it to be.  So for all of you out there reading I encourage you to take the journey of purging your life with me.  If you are worried or afraid of what people might think then that is ok because sometimes I think about that also.  But a good friend once told me that people are going to think what they want to think regardless of what you say or do.  So you have to do what is right for you and you have to do what is right for your family.  That is what it is all about!!

What Is Worth Fighting Over?

Earlier today my husband and I watched a link to this video he was told about.  The video clip shows two girls eating on a bus, even though the rules say you can't, and a woman who decides to tell them about it (http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhfs9x9k3oeb73Cs50).  This woman proceeds to tell the young ladies that they can't eat on the bus and they engage in a back and forth conversation where profanities are used and eventually a fight breaks out.  The most amazing part of this is that all of this was over food.

Now granted if the rules say that you aren't supposed to eat on the bus then you should not eat on the bus.  But was it really so serious that this woman had to engage these two young ladies and tell them they were breaking the rules over food.  And was it so serious that these two young ladies had to use profanities and get in this woman's face over food.  In my opinion both sides were wrong because eventually both sides pushed back.  I understand that rules are in place for a reason, but how many of us have broken a rule or two in their lifetimes.  I can own up to the fact that I have broken the speed limit and gotten a ticket and I have even done the same thing these young ladies did and eaten on a bus when I know you aren't suppose to.  But let's face it; who hasn't.  If you're hungry then you gotta eat, but it's not worth embarrassing yourself over and getting into a fight.

If you are going to get into a fight, which I don't believe anyone should do, do it over something meaningful or for a greater purpose than food.  Some examples MIGHT be:

- someone swings and punches you
- someone goes out of their way to try and steal your man (of course if he gives in you should swing on him)
- someone threatens or hurts your children
- someone is caught in the act taking something that is of value that can't be replaced

What is an example of something you might fight about?  As I stated these MIGHT be reasons to get into a fight, but I personally prefer a less confrontational approach.  Now if you have no choice but to defend yourself that's one thing, but don't fight if you have any other alternatives.  Before you get into a fight or confrontation also think about whether it is really worth it.  Is it worth it to fight over possessions or something as silly as food?  Is it even worth it to fight over a man?  In most cases I would say no, but it is all determined on a case by case basis.  Ask yourself what is truly important, and if it is something worth dying over then it MIGHT be worth fighting over.

Change - Part 1

Change is defined in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as (taken from this website: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change):

Definition of CHANGE

transitive verb

1

a : to make different in some particular : alter <never bothered to change the will>b : to make radically different : transform <can't changehuman nature>c : to give a different position, course, or direction to

2

a : to replace with another <let's change the subject>b : to make a shift from one to another : switch <alwayschanges sides in an argument>c : to exchange for an equivalent sum of money (as in smaller denominations or in a foreign currency) <change a 20-dollar bill>d : to undergo a modification of <foliage changing color>e : to put fresh clothes or covering on <change a bed>

intransitive verb

1

: to become different <her mood changes every hour>

2

of the moon : to pass from one phase to another

3

: to shift one's means of conveyance : transfer <on the bus trip he had to change twice>

4

of the voice : to shift to lower register : break

5

: to undergo transformation, transition, or substitution<winter changed to spring>

6

: to put on different clothes <need a few minutes to changefor dinner>

7

: exchange, switch <neither liked his seat so they changedwith each other>

— chang·er noun

— change hands

: to pass from the possession of one owner to that of another <money changes hands many times>

Simply put change is something different.  For some reason today I have really been thinking about change.  I have been thinking about how different my life has become over the past 6 or more months, but how much I have truly gained because of that change.  I can cook breakfast for my kids, I can take walks in the afternoon with my family before 5pm, I can actually have dinner ready by 5 or 6 depending on what day it is.

I am a person who always talks about change and always thinks about things that I could do different whether it be something small like changing my hairstyle or clothing to something big like a complete change in my environment.  The bottom line is there are so many things that I have talked about doing and have never done.  Why not?  In one word the answer is fear.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of what will happen when I make the change.  Fear in general for what may or may not become.  But when I look back at times change came to my life whether it was by choice or forced upon me I dealt with it successfully and good things actually have come from the change that has happened in my life.

In order to move forward in my life I need to pray about the change that I am thinking about making and let God guide me.  Once he guides me in the right path then I need to take that path knowing that his hand has been placed upon me.  As stated earlier due to fear that is easier said than done.  I do believe and trust in God, but change is still hard.  Change is something we all need in life, but it is still hard.  The bottom line is I need to continue to have FAITH and WOMAN UP and MAKE the CHANGE that i want to and need to in my life not just to be successful but to continue to live a happy and fruitful life!!