Everyday Moments-FUNNY STUFF!!!!

Every family has those moments, the moments I call "everyday moments". You know the moments: the "aha" moment, the "I just have to smile and shake my head" moment, or the "that's going to make a great memory" moment. Is your life filled with moments? Our family has quite a few, and I am feeling obliged to share a couple of our "everyday moments" with you, dear reader.

1) Kiersten was 3 and toddling around like most 3 year olds do. She was as sassy as sassy could be, with the perfect combination of adorable and bluntness that accompanies any child of that age. On that particular day we ran by the local gas station which doubled as a convenience store, and at 7 o'clock in the morning our stop could not have been more busy, nor chaotic.

As we rounded up our items and headed toward the register, we were abruptly stopped by the lengthy line. As I halted Kiersten, who was behind me, ran right smack dab into my rear end. Now let me explain this: at her height this meant that her nose literally met the old gluteus maximus. 

Now as I mentioned earlier, this store could not have squeezed one more person into it. As the rear-ending happened, it got eerily quiet and my 3-year old daughter screamed (at the top of her lungs, no doubt) "Mommy, your butt 'tinky!" As you can imagine, the entire crowd turned to look towards the screeching child, and in turn towards the object of said wretched odor. I still haven't decided if this was a "that's going to make a great memory" moment or an "aha" moment. Only time will tell, I assume.

 2) Growing up in my parent's home was not always considered even middle class. We never went without, but my mother sure knew how to throw a little bit of everything cheap in a pan and call it supper. My father made an honest, blue-collar living with many years in a tow truck, followed by many more in the pipefitters union. This man never called in, no matter how sick he became. My Mom worked as well and throughout all of their hard work they put a roof over our heads and always gave us a decent Christmas.  Now that us children are out of the home Mom and Dad are finding it easier to making ends meet and they have managed to scrape up a meager amount to put a trailer and boat down at the lake.

The lake has become quite an extensive collection of "everyday moments" in itself, but I will never forget my father' words of wisdom this particular trip down. The boat was docked and all of us were in our lifejackets floating in the lake when my Dad said it: "I wonder what the poor people are doing today".   

These words have become somewhat of a tradition at the lake, they even have a sign in front of the trailer that says "Da Poor People". That first time I heard my Dad say these words, which I might add has become a pretty regular occurrence up until now, was what I considered an "I just have to smile and shake my head moment". Today it is so much more. It has become an "aha" moment because I have realized that as long as you have family, friends and people in your life that love you, you automatically become one of the "rich" people.

I believe that "everyday moments" are a gift to help us through the somewhat chaotic game we call life. They may come in handy to teach us a lesson, they may be there to give us a small laugh when the day seems unbearable, or they may be there to remind us of something we may be missing. Whatever the reason, learn to cherish your "everyday moments", I know I have!

The Rating Should Be Changed!! Please Sign this Petition!!!

I have been really bothered by the controversy over Bully the movie. Bully is a movie documentary that follows families around that are affected by bullying in their everyday life. It is estimated that bullying will affect approximately 13 million kids this year alone. It is also important to note that kids as young as 9 years old are committing suicide due to bullying. Where does it stop?

Now that we have those disturbing facts, here is the controversy: the MPAA has ruled that this documentary should be rated 'R' for some crude language as some of the children that do the bullying in the film drop the "f-bomb" around. If this film receives an 'R' rating, it will not make the significant impact that we need it to make in order to make a change across this country! Schools will not be able to show this in classrooms, teenagers will not be able to see this with each other (without the accompany of an adult) and the target audience for this film will not be reached like it needs to be.

Why not just change the language? The bottom line is that the effect will not be as drastic as it needs to be without this. Our children need to be sheltered from things, I agree. But this language, and worse, is used every single day in schools, music, and even in their own homes all the time. I saw a COMMERCIAL today that had a naked man with just his genitals blocked out and thought to myself "really? they can play this commercial for my children to see on regular TV but Bully gets an 'R' rating?" There are television shows that have sex scenes, and bare chests, and this movie gets an 'R'?

I am frustrated beyond belief. My children have been victims of bullying as have I. My son was one step away from becoming a bully at one point. So I will be taking my children to see this film regardless of the rating. But we need to stand together on this and beat this rating!!

Please go online and sign the petition that Katy Butler, a high school student in Michigan, started to over thrown this rating. More importantly, please be sure you spread the word about this to all of your friends and   family and take your kids to see this movie. CHILDREN'S LIVES ARE DEPENDANT ON IT!!!!!

http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-don-t-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating

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10 Weird Laws That I Didn't Know Yesterday!!!

 My 9 year old daughter, Kiersten, is already showing strong signs of "thinking outside the box". She never fails to amaze me with the questions she asks. Now with a normal child you get questions like "mommy, why is the sky blue?" or "mommy, why do we have stop lights?". Not Kiersten. She asks questions that most people don't think about like "mommy, when you add more pop to your glass, does the pop that's already in there go to the top of the glass or stay at the bottom?". Her question reminded me of a piece that was in the local newspaper when I was younger called "Weird Laws", so I decided to put a list together of 10 weird laws that I didn't know yesterday....

1) Did you know that in Atlanta, Georgia no man is allowed to be on another man's back? Not that I know a whole lot of men that give each other piggy back rides, but I guess that law kind of puts a damper on things....

2)In the state of Illinois the English language is not to be spoken. Well, that settles the debate over whether or not people who speak other languages be permitted in the US....

3) In Brookfield, Wisconsin tattooing is illegal unless it is used for medical purposes. I had bronchitis last week, does that count?

 4) In Lawrence, Kansas all cars entering the city limits must first sound their horn to warn the horses of their arrival. I used to live in Lawrence and I don't remember a lot of horses....

5) Las Cruces, New Mexico apparently has a problem with people taking their lunch to work or school because it is against the law to carry a lunch box on Main Street. Hopefully there is not a school on Main Street or a lot of children will be ticketed....

6) Waynesboro, Virginia female drivers beware: It is illegal for a woman to drive a car up Main Street unless her husband is walking in front of the car waving a red flag. Now I know where all the "women driver" jokes come from!

7) In Rhode Island, any marriage where either of the parties is an idiot or lunatic is null and void. Hmm, I won't even expand on this one.

8) It is illegal to rob a bank and then shoot at the bank teller with a water pistol according to Louisiana state law. I would suggest just taking the money and leaving.

9) In Florida, you may not pass gas in a public place after 6 PM. Better get home by 6!

10) In Massachusetts snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked. Oh man, I will never move there.

 There it is, we now know we must honk to warn horses, not carry a water gun to rob a bank, and definitely don't eat beans before 6 p.m. Next time Kiersten asks an in-depth question, I will answer her by telling her that in Little Rock, Arkansas in it unlawful to walk one’s cow down Main Street after 1:00 PM on Sunday, and hopefully that will suffice. For more humorous and dumb laws visit www.dumblaws.com, a special thank to them for all the useless information.

My Drug of Choice!!!

It has been about 3 years since I battled the bottle, and many more since I have argued with speed. It is no secret to my friends and family, but I am an addict. It didn't help that I worked in a bar for so many years, OR that I have a mental health diagnosis. I have had so much guilt and pain over my past, not that I would change it....I would not be where I am today had I not had it.

That being said, it took me getting sober to find my drug of choice, that drug that gets me high every time, the one that makes me smile, the one that keeps me longing for more, the one that I come crawling back to every time. My drug of choice, or drugs? My children!!

Some people will read this and hate me for calling my children "drugs", please do not turn this into a PC thing. The truth is, I cannot get enough of them. My son, William, he has this amazing smile, with only one dimple. I am telling you, the warmth that comes over my body every time he really smiles that smile, is unlike any feeling I have ever know. He is quick too, so quick witted, I have a hard time keeping up with him and his fantastic sense of humor.

My Kiersten, well now she is another drug...contagious is her laughter. Her giggles and smiles are so contagious and when she walks into the room and you can feel her heart. And she has this intellect that is amazing! She is 9 and wants to be a scientist! I cannot believe I ever thought there was a rum and coke out there that could compare to the complete euphoria of my daughters charm!!

And Sadie, she's my pumpkin, she is so outgoing! I love that she can be so outgoing at home and then we can go somewhere and she turns into this shy little thing, her little foot even turns inward when she is being shy and it is the cutest site ever! And talk about smart....she has some street smarts for an 8 year old, knows things about things that I don't think I knew at 8. And her freckles, ah the angel kisses, she can make my heart glow just by being in the room!

So all these years later, I tell you what my drug of choice is: My children!! I yearn for them, hugs and kisses, cuddles and tickles! I definitely cannot go a day without them! I know it sounds funny but I think I will continue to chase this dragon til the day I die (if not longer)!!!

Take Time Out for You!!!!

We have all heard the age-old myth "if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others". But is this really a myth? Are we as women or care takers too stressed out? According to www.womenshealth.gov the body  releases "stress hormones" when responding to stress levels. These hormones can lead to increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels. The site goes on to say that long-term stress can cause many health problems including mental health disorders, obesity, heart disease, abnormal heart beats, menstrual problems and a variety of other health issues.

So what's the answer? Woman make excuses all the time, especially mothers, as to why we can't make time to cater to our own well-being. Between juggling school schedules, a job, nap time, keeping up with the house, and doing our duties as soccer moms, most of us put our own health on the back burner. We tell ourselves things like: "rest? I can rest when the kids get older" or "quiet time, what's that?". The truth is ladies, that if we don't take time for ourselves now, we may not have time later. Here are some things we can do to take care of us now, before we do more harm to ourselves than good for others.

Exercise. We all know exercise is good for our heart health, our body health, and our overall physical health, but did you know it is good for our mental health as well? Exercising releases endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. All of these chemicals combined work together to help you feel good. Not only does exercising improve our self esteem, keep our mind occupied, and give us an overall sense of control, it also helps us to have a generalized "good" feeling, less anxiety, and lowered stress levels.

Sleep. Whatever we have going on, no matter the circumstance, we must be sure we are getting the right amount of sleep. According to mysleepcoach.com (from the makers of Tylenol P.M.) adults require at least seven to eight hours of sleep, with pregnant women requiring a bit more. It goes on to say that sleep is one of the best things we can do for our health. If you are having problems with sleep sign up for the My-Coach Sleep Workshop at http://www.my-coach.com/sleep/articles and take advantage of customized training and interactive tools and resources to help get a better night's sleep.

"Me" time. It doesn't make you selfish to need some "me" time, although I know for myself it  feels that way. Someone told me once "it is better to take a small amount of time for yourself now, then to lose a large amount of time later". So let's put our time management skills to the test. Having quiet time can help us maintain clarity, give us a sense of peace, help us maintain emotions and even helps to be sure we are not stretching ourselves to thin. All it takes is carving out 30 minutes a day to read a book, take a bath, journal, do a devotional-whatever helps you to find some peace of mind.

Some people say "we are all just pawns in the chess board of life", but I believe we have the option as to whether we win the game or not. They also say "life is short" so let's make the most of it. Am I saying make less time for family and responsibilities? Never! What I am saying is that if we can take just a few extra minutes for us, we will have so many more hours for others, and in turn, make the time we do have even that much richer!