Twas the Night before Thanksgiving

and all through my house

I could hear laughter and giggling

and the occassional shout!

From down in the basement

there arose such a clatter

I had to run down to see what was the matter

When what with my one good ear should I hear

but three teenage girls

squealing loudly with fear!

I saw a little old spider

So lively and quick

I knew in a moment

that the girls thought he was ICK!!

I groped around blindly for a shoe or a book

and that spider, he saw me and gave me that look

More rapid than gunfire

his eight legs started running

this creature had character

it was really quite stunning!

He got to the wall and up he went!

No looking back! His time here was spent!

The girls had settled little, they were restless in bed

with visions of spiders hanging over their heads.

Little old spider had caused so much trouble

Girls were laughing so hard they were all seeing double

I tucked them back in, gave each one a hug

and told them not to yell over each little bug!

With the little old spider still in the room

all other bugs would soon meet their doom!

The girls heard me exclaim as I walked away

Get some sleep girls,

tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day!!!



It's a good thing I like lemonade!!!

It's a good thing that I like lemonade!!  I've always heard that when life hands you lemons....  you know the rest.  Lately, life has been handing me lemons way too much.   You know, the really juicy, sour ones that always seem to squirt you in the eye!  Yes, those, that's the ones I'm talking about!!!

We've had a lot happening around my house.  Everyone of us have ended up fighting a headcold.  For some of us, it turned in to a sinus infection with fever that made us even more miserable.  Need another platitude here??  Think carefully, misery loves......  See, I knew you knew!!!

So, sick children, sick adults, active dogs, work and school... all stirred together in one big pot of "I don't wanna go to _______ today!  I don't feel good!"  The kids were almost as bad as the adults!!!

Now, we have used almost an entire bottle of ibuprofen between us, a whole lotta nyquil, suckers and throat losenges.  I think we may actually be able to drink that lemonade  now.  My throat has stopped hurting and my voice is almost normal again.  Btw...it was messed up for 9 days!  Boy did my family get a lucky break on that one!  ha ha!

I'm gonna get the pitcher out, add in a little sweetness, lots of water and all the lemons that I can find.  I'm gonna stir it all together until I've made the best tasting lemonade EVER! 

Don't mess with me again Mr Headcold... I'll force you to drink my lemonade WITHOUT SUGAR!!!!

I live with a bunch of sick people!!!

I live with a bunch of sick people!!!

No, really, I do!  We are all sick in the head!!!  Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh.  Maybe what I mean to say is that we all have head colds...hence we are sick in the head!  ha ha.... yes, I know, not worth the time you spent reading it but hey, head colds make me loopy :-) 

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way.  What are plans for the upcoming weekend?  Mine, well let's see...  Keep the kids busy and happy and fed and cleaned.  Keep the hubby busy and happy and fed and happy.  Keep the dogs fed and happy.  Keep the house , oh who am I kidding.... who would expect me to have time to do anything to the house with all of those other things staring down the barrell at me!! 

That's just the way life is.  Busy.  I've seen many kitchen "signs" through the years.  For example:
If you mess it up, you clean it up!
Too many cooks spoil the soup.
If you can't stand the heat..."

But, I have to say my all time favorite is one that my mom used to keep in her kitchen and now I happily keep it in mine.  It says:
Our house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy!!

That about sums it up for me.  It's late, I'm sleepy but I know that my kitchen is clean and the rest of the house is dirty enough to be happy :)))

Okay, to get back to my question...what are you doing this weekend?  I know for a fact that Saturday evening I will be glued to the television along with the rest of the BAMA NATION as we watch our beloved CRIMSON TIDE maul, yes, I said MAUL poor ole lsu.... 

So, that being said, I only have one more thing to add.

ROLL FREAKIN TIDE ROLL!!!!!

My sick family and I will be cheering you on, with the rest of the nation. :)

"Who am I" by Casting Crowns

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

This song speaks so loudly to me.  More often than not, I find myself lost in the lives of my family and friends and I forget that I even exist.  This song reminds me that not only do  I exist but that I am important and that Jesus loves me just as I am!!!
When I'm falling away, when I feel tossed by life's craziness, whenever I'm stressed or depressed or just plain tired, I know that I have a Savior that I can turn to.  One that loves me just as I am, not for what I've done, or even for what I will do.  He loves me!  Simply because.

Well,  I've been logged in for about an hour now. 

As is custom in this house (and it wouldn't surprise me if it's the same in yours), whenever Mom get's busy doing something that is when each and every person in the house needs her IMMEDIATE attention.  Now, don't get me wrong.  There are plenty of times when I'm called upon that the need is indeed URGENT, or at the very least seems that way to one of my children.  There are also times when even though I say, "It'll have to wait "I get sooooo tired of hearing the whining of "Moooo'ooom when can you help me with __________" that I finally, very reluctantly and more often than not, very LOUDLY push myself away from my task at hand, grumble more than a little and go and take care of "________"  

.   

Since I signed on, I believe I have been called away from this computer no less than 10 times for various and sundry reasons.  Some, I'll admit are of my own accord.  For example, after child #1 asked me "Mom, where is _____", I tell child #1 several places to check.  Shortly after, child #1 comes in saying..."It wasn't there".  So, me, being the easily frustrated Mommy that I am, I immediately jump up, go straight to where I said it would be and Voila! there it is!! 

Another example, child #2 comes in wanting ice cream for an afternoon snack.  Not wanting a mess to be made I begrudgingly get up, follow child #2 to the kitchen and right before I make it for child #2 I decide instead to let child #2 attempt the task themselves.  Since that went so well (truly it did) I go and unload the dishwasher.  Then I also decide to refill said dishwasher.  I spend about 5 minutes going from room to room collecting glasses from bedtime the night (or several nights) before. 

Now, I head back to the computer and pull the blog up again.  I hold my hands above the keyboard ready to bedazzle you all with words of wisdom, love and charm!  My thoughts are racing as I get ready to type that first sentence.  I'm poised for action forming the "greatest opening line ever!" when, not to be undone, child #3 comes down the hall yelling "Mooo'ooom, can I have _____" .  I freeze and say to myself , this isn't really happening, is it?!  Being the "kind, nurturing, and loving mom that I've come to be by this point I yell back.... "IF YOU WANT IT FIX IT YOURSELF!!!!"  Child #3 says," Okaaaay....so sorry I asked... " which immediately makes me feel about 2 inches tall.

  '

But, you know what.  These are my children, my flesh and blood, they can make me feel like a "Queen" or like "The Wicked Witch".  The love me unconditionally even though sometimes they shout "I Hate You!!" 

I know that God has entrusted me with their care for a reason.  I only hope that I can raise them to be responsible, loving, caring citizens.  But secretly, I can also hope that when they have children, they never get an uninterrupted train of thought again!  After all, it's great exercise for us parents.  Most of the time it's the ups and downs that allow us to use our "remember buttons" to help us finish whatever we were doing when we were first called away!!

So, in closing I want to say to Child #1, Child #2, and Child #3, I LOVE YOU!  I love you for who you are!  I love you for needing me!  I love being your mom and I wouldn't change a thing! 

Love,

Mom <3

Emily Rose turned Six!!!

The calm before the sugar rush!!!

Ready to blow out the candles

One happy little girl!!!

She got to wear a crown at school on her birthday :)

Emily turned six on 9/28/11

Just a quick thought

I've been trying to decide what to do with this blog.  I'm not very good at spending time writing things down.  So maybe this will be how I force myself to do just that.  I love my children and their humor and joy are things that I never want to forget.  From now on when  I hear them say something cute or funny and my response is "I need to write that down" I 'll know exactly where to go to do just that!
Look out everyone... things are gonna get silly :)

25 Random Facts about ME :)

1. I am a Christian
2. I am a mother of three
3. I have 3 fur babies!!
4. I met my husband through a newspaper ad!!
5. My husband has 11 brothers and sisters which gives me an awful lot of in-laws
6. I have two brothers and one sister
7. My oldest daughter is so much like me that it is scary to me
8. I love to sing
9. I have directed girls ensembles and childrens choirs
10. I have choreographed songs and dances for plays
11. I have directed weddings
12. I am an inactive sign language interpreter
13. I have worked with children almost all of my life
14. I have way too many allergies....sigh....
15. I have a weekness for chocolate even tho I am allergic to it!! lol
16. I have the best friends in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
17. I took 5 years of Spanish and remember "un poquito" (did I even spell that correctly?)
18. My spanish name is "Kila" (actually that's my Hawaiian name...they didn't have a spanish name for Jill)
19. All of my children have middle names that start with an "R"
20. I was in the Samford University "A Cappella Choir"
21. I love to read but get very little time to do so..
22. I use ........ way too much!
23. I use !!!!!!!!!!!! almost as much as ..........
24. I love my computer...all of my friends are here :)
25. I love to fill out stupid/silly surveys like this one :-