What Doesn't Kill Us...

"Therefore we do not lose heart... inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

My bad day from yesterday has yet to end.  Most often than not, I usually wake up with a refreshed attitude and yesterday's worries aren't so big anymore.  Not so much today.  It started off good, but then as I sat on the couch at noon, still in my pajamas, I realized that it's never a good idea to break your own rules.  Our summer rule is that everyone must be dressed and ready for the day and chores completed before 10am.  Seems harsh, but when we're up around 7am, three hours is more than enough time to lay around and be lazy.  Usually by 10am, the girls start fighting, I'm shooing them out the door to get them out of my hair and the house is left for me to clean up and get back in order.  Our day begins and I'm not even dressed.  Our summer rule lasted about a week and a half.  Now I'm realizing, they are rules that shouldn't be broken.

I am so thankful that my husband was home today.  He's been working a lot lately and we haven't seen him much, which probably explains why I'm getting burnt out.  Our 8-year-old has turned into a teenager overnight and our 4-year-old picked up whining and demanding.  It dawned on me recently how much I'm needed.... and it's not the kind of things that I'm really needed for, just like the Invisible Mom.  I'm needed to get a snack, find a part to a toy, referee an argument, etc.  I'm needed for one child to tattle on the other, to ask if friends can come over.  When I ask a question or say something needs to be done, I get blank stares as if I'm not even there.  All those things a mother can go days, weeks, even months before she realizes it's gotten out of hand.  And thank God for husbands who step in and take over when mom is about to break.

I mentioned to a friend that I don't make a very good Summer Mom.  We fall out of schedule very easily, I get lazy and let the kids do pretty much whatever they want but then get mad when I'm ready to get things back in order and no one wants to listen.  I love my friend so dearly, she always knows how to make me feel better.  "I don't think any of us [who stay home] make good Summer Moms...."  Thanks, Friend!  At least I'm not alone.

I do believe that no matter how old anyone is, lessons are always needing to be learned.  I certainly learned my lesson from yesterday.  I got the kids to bed on time tonight.  When we ask God for help or understanding, we are being renewed... everyday.  For our momentary troubles achieves us eternal glory, or maybe better said, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger."  But only if we ask God to help us through it.

"Do what you can do, even if you think it's not enough.  Do what you can do and God will do what you can't."  ~ Joyce Meyer

Join the Prayer Station!

I pray for my in-law's neighbors who got hit hard from the storm tonight. Trees came down hitting cars and houses and the neighborhood is a mess. I pray their power comes on very soon. We are blessed that no one was hurt.

For the people trapped in cars under power lines where my husband works. Please watch over them and my husband as he helps people get home safely.

For my friend Kristen who had surgery yesterday.

Many thanks for the extra energy to get my kids to bed on time tonight.

The Invisible Mother

It all started with a kick in the ribs.  Well actually, it started with a swear word right at my daughter.  I knew I was about to swear at her and I heard myself in my head say, "don't do it..." but I did it anyway.  The look on my daughter's face was shock and probably hurt.  As I yelled at her to get upstairs and start brushing her teeth, at the same moment I was struggling with my 4-year-old trying to get a deep-in-sleep child to take some medicine.  Marcella was trying to confess her mistake of spilling makeup on her white comforter and although I showed I was upset about it, I really didn't care.  It washes out.  Perhaps I was frustrated at trying to get my youngest to drink her medicine without spilling it on the couch and half frustrated with myself that I allowed my kids to stay up late again.  I haven't written anything in over a week and I was really missing my computer.  I was looking forward to getting some posts done and found myself frustrated at my daughters' lack of speed because of my own lazy negligence. 

Marcella and I have our best one-on-one talks at bedtime, but perhaps my lack of understanding of the spilled makeup caused her to be less than interested in talking to me.  All she wanted to do was complain about how bad her whole entire day was.  As I leaned over her legs to get a better look at her while I we were talking, she kicked me in the ribs as if she was "stretching" to get me to move off of her.  She's been doing that a lot lately.  She'll bounce her foot on my leg as we're sitting together when she sees me trying to steady my hand at something else, or she'll kick me to get me to move away from her.  When I stopped scratching her arm to move, she got upset with me because I stopped.  That's when I told her that I have feelings too and that it hurts me when she kicks me away instead of using words to ask me to move.  She doesn't treat her friends like that, why does she do it to me?

As I fell on my own bed in exhaustion, I couldn't cry although I wanted to.  A few minutes later Marcella comes in and I gave her more grief about getting out of bed (that's getting out of hand too).  She laid down on the floor and I silently cried.  I eventually went into the bathroom, shut the door and finished my crying fit. Then I saw this on the floor:

 When she wrote, "do you love me too?" it was natural for me to wonder if she feels enough of my love. We rarely ever get one-on-one time and when I am motivated to do something special with her, she'd rather play with her friends.  It seems so hard to love someone even more than I already do when it's hard to love myself enough to take care of myself.

I could justify all these crazy emotions over our crazy summer schedule lately, lack of sleep and certainly lack of "me" time.  I'm going to bed late and waking up early because that's the only time I get peace.  I can't even remember the last time I had a date with my husband.  I'm in desperate need of a break.

It is so strange how I came across the story of the Invisible Mother.  I'm sure you've read it.  It's been floating around emails for years.  It touched me so much that I printed it out and kept it all these years.  I came across it the other day and wanted to write about the story. How fitting it was over what happened to me tonight.  In case you've never read it, or want to read it again, here it is:

 The Invisible Mother

Author Unknown

I couldn’t make sense of the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids would walk into the room while I was on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more. "Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?" Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?"  I'm a satellite guide to answer "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

morguefile.com/anitapatterson

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature and the mind that graduated sum a cum laud-- but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

morguefile.com/anka2103

"To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read --- no, devour the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."  And the workman replied, "Because God sees." I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

morguefile.com/priyanphoenix

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction, but it is not a disease that is erasing my life.  It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness.  It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder; as one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand-bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend to add, "You're gonna love it there ...."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Join the prayer station! What are you praying about?

Button Swaps

I'm swapping buttons with my new-found friend, Digger at Digging Deeper. She's very multi-talented with blog designs, photography, cards and invitations, and even jewelry.  Check out her blog and see what she's got.  She even offers a discount on her jewelry through her blog.  Her photography is amazing and if you're looking for a new blog do-over, she's your gal!  I'm looking forward to getting to know Digger, you should too!




So, I promised myself I was going to bed early tonight.  It is now 11:30pm.  I'm so tired my eyes hurt.  This week has been so busy with Vacation Bible School, I can barely keep up.  Everyone I ever talk to who goes to VBS say it's the craziest week of their summer but oh, so worth it!  My girls told me tonight, with emerging tears, that they don't want VBS to end, ever.  They're having so much fun, it puts a little tickle in my heart.

Have a super weekend, everyone!

Don't forget to join The Prayer Station!  Blog about your answered prayers, little miracles or something you need a prayer for, grab the button and celebrate God's love and forgiveness!



*** Erica found that her tumor has shrunk but will be continuing chemo for the next 6 months.
*** Justin was in a really bad car accident yesterday and needs prayers for a speedy recovery.
*** Tina's nephew just passed away.  May God take his hand and lead him into Heaven.
*** For Sarah to have a healthy baby boy in August!
*** For Vicky's baby twins.  One has a thyroid issue.

Your turn!

WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY

I'm linking up with Amy at Love Bug for Wordless Wednesday with 20 minutes to spare!  My Wordless Wednesday isn't so "Wordless".  We've been busy with Vacation Bible School and I've been on the go all week.  It's all about the kids this week.  So for my Wordless Wednesday, here's a picture of my little pedicure I gave myself tonight.

Ok, so it's not as great as it looks in person.  I have that nail stamper thing.  I love love love it!  It's so fun painting my nails now.  This "pedicure" is what I get for setting up my little "pedicure station" with a margarita.  At least my nails are painted and they look decent in the distance from my eyes to my feet.  I guess that's all that matters.

My darling girls.  Picture says it all.  Love them so many bunches!

Happy Wordless Wednesday everyone!  At least the last 10 minutes of it!

Going MIA this week?

I might possibly go MIA this week due to Vacation Bible School and all the other craziness my week hit me with. But I'm so super excited that I got to talk to Don Most, who was Ralph on Happy Days and do a phone interview with him.  He is so super nice and easy to talk to.  He's produced a couple of movies that won awards and he's got some pretty neat projects coming up, too.  You can read about his interview here:

Don Most - Where Is He Now?

I also got to talk to Victor Alfieri, who played a Lieutenant on Angles and Demons with Tom Hanks.  He used to play in the Bold and the Beautiful but he's currently been very busy producing and writing movies.  Victor is also a super nice guy and was fun to talk to.  You can check out his interview here:

Victor Alfieri - His Upcoming Movies and Future Projects

Please help me support these actors by reading their interviews, tweeting, facebook, forwarding, whatever you gotta do! 

So that's it.... I think I hit the maximum amount of words I'm capable of saying in one day today.  With a million phone calls, chasing kids, making appointments, dealing with issues and putting out fires.... I'm D.O.N.E!  I think I'll turn on the TV and eat some ice cream... no wait, I have margaritas in the fridge.  Yeah.... maybe both.....  Have a great night!

Don't forget to join my Prayer Station.  Link up with me and blog about a needed prayer or blessing you want to celebrate.  Leave comments too.  Where would our world be without prayer?

I want to pray for the lady in the car ahead of me in the car accident this past weekend, that she was not injured badly and will recover as soon as possible. Also a miracle that no one else was hurt!

I pray for the kids at VBS this week that their performance is successful and they are able to get their messages to the kids attending.

I pray that God will lead our marriages/relationships for a happy and healthy life together.

My granddaughter got her first tooth!

Thank you for hot summer weather!

Blessings to all our dads our there for Father's Day!

Ok, now I'm REALLY done talking! Your turn! God bless!

This and That and Almost Everything Else

This summer has been very calm and fun so far.  We've been sleeping in, hanging around the house, walking the dog, going to the zoo and doing whatever we feel like doing.  I took the girls to a strawberry farm.  Marcella really got into it but Ellen pooped out in 10 minutes.  We gathered 8 pounds of strawberries.  I made 2 pies from scratch and strawberry shortcake.  That didn't leave too much for just snacking but boy!  They were tasty!

 

We are teaching our German Shepherd, Koda Bear to stand on a fire hydrant.  Most people raise an eyebrow when they hear that.  I would too until I saw a dog do it.  She's getting there.  She'll get her front paws up there but it will take some time to get those back paws up.  She's such a smart dog, she'll figure it out.  In the next picture, she's in "place" on a rock and the girls just had to jump up there with her.  I never thought I'd have fun owning a dog again.  I do recall hearing myself say, "never again....!" but lo and behold!  Another dog!  Koda thinks these girls are her puppies.  It's too cute to see her play with them, follow them around and watch their every move.  She's such a good dog.

Since it's been hot, we've been drinking a lot of water.  I only have 2 water bottles but the kids have special cups, their own water bottles and fun straws, but they always go after my bottles.  I tried my mom's old trick and write "NO!" on stuff us kids weren't allowed to eat.  I remember getting all excited when Mom finally bought a new cereal (besides Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies) and we'd reach for the box with excitement all to find the word "NO!" written on it.  So I tried that with my water bottles and as Marcella is drinking out of my bottle she asks, "What's no no?"

Last night, Marcella made me dinner.  I helped her make the cucumber and tomato salad but she did everything else.  She even picked flowers. 

Under my juice box was a note....

She made a scavenger hunt and we ended up in her bedroom with "mood lighting" from all her nightlights and special lamps.  It was so very cute and thoughtful.

So that's how my summer's been so far.

And since Leah is sponsoring my blog for the month of June, go check our her blog!  She just got her first Birchbox which comes with nifty beauty supplies and samples. She rants about these products and how excited she was when she got her first box.  I'm enticed to do it too.  Leah also sponsors other blogs and creates blog buttons.  She created mine and I love it!  Go check out Lovely Life of Leah and see what she's been up to!

Link up with me and join The Prayer Station! 

 

Laughing at Faith

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" ~ Isaiah 43:18-19

Have you had an attitude check lately?  I did not too long ago.  I remember being tired of being around myself.  It was hard to get out of bed, I had no energy and I really started to plummet into not caring about things around me.  Many nights, I couldn't care much whether or not I cooked dinner for my kids.  Grilled cheese was the #1 item on the menu.  But I remember waking up one day and was sick enough of myself that I decided to change my attitude.  Instead of dragging myself out of bed, I popped up and got dressed.  I made my bed immediately and started fiddling around the kitchen, making coffee and I think I even sorted through mail.  That was enough to motivate me to keep going.  I liked how I was feeling and was determined to keep the feeling going.  This new attitude even reflected around me as I was out and about.  Traffic didn't seem to bother me quite as much.  Even waiting in line took a whole new outlook.

Have you ever asked for something in prayer and realized that you have yet to receive your blessing?  Have you asked and asked and felt like God wasn't even listening?  This reminds me of the story of Abraham and Sarah.  They asked for a baby, then God spoke to Abraham and said, sure!  I'll give you a baby.... but then 20 years passed by and still no baby.  Sarah was in her 90's and Abraham was really old when they found out that Sarah was expecting.  Sarah laughed and the Lord said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Genesis 18:14

Sometimes we think we know what we need and/or want, but God's will is many times completely different from our own.  We have to trust that God's plan will far exceed our own and we have to have faith that we will have abundance of blessings if we just believe.  Sarah laughed at her faith when God finally came through.  He had His reasons, as you may recall was about the time Mary was with child as well.

moreguefile.com/darnok

We can laugh at our faith when our prayers aren't answered right away or in the manner in what we had hoped.  Sometimes we need an attitude check regarding our faith.  Are you asking for blessings and demanding results right away?  Did you thank the Lord when He does come through?  Always remember, God's plan will always be better than what we think we know is best for us.  Don't let your past determine your future.  God will answer your prayers all in good time.  It's important to keep our attitude in check while we're waiting.

Join The Prayer Station!

I just found out that the man we were saving plastic bottle caps for chemo treatment is now CANCER FREE!  The family is so grateful for all the saved bottle caps (and there were a lot!) that they want to continue to keep saving the caps and give them to other families who need them.  Thank you, Lord for You are good!!!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm linking up for Wordless Wednesday!  So much fun!

My girls are so much fun when it comes to taking pictures.  They're such hams for the camera!

I hope these brought a smile to your face like my girls do for me everyday.  Happy Wordless Wednesday!

The Prayer Station June 13, 2012

Welcome to my first post at the Prayer Station! This is completely new, first day, first post so bear with me if there are any kinks in my plan.

"Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything." Philippians 4:6

We all could use a prayer. I blogged about The Prayer Jar and talked about how easy it is to ask for things in prayer and forget to thank God for answering them. We forget to remember the good things when we dwell on all the bad stuff.

So here's your chance!

Link up with me any time you feel the need to request a prayer, thank God for answered prayers or tell the world about a miracle that happened in your life.

Grab my Prayer Station button.
Create a post on your own blog.
Hit any one of my posts and click on "Add your link" at the bottom and follow the instructions. Be sure to paste the actual post, not your general blog link.
Please visit other's blogs to keep the prayer chain going. If you don't have a blog, please leave a comment! I love hearing from my readers.

God bless you!

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 

So I'll go first...

My answered prayers: 

• I thank God for the opportunity to stay home and raise my family. I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom and now I am!
• For my husband who works so hard so I can stay home and raise our family. 
• I finally figured out how to create a grab button and learned HTML codes.   This one took a lot of prayers today! 
• For all my followers, subscribers and readers.  You motivate me and make me happy!

My prayer requests:

• For my friend Erica who is going through chemo to shrink a tumor.
• A friend's friend who is going through visitation rights challenges for his daughter.
• For a fireman brother to overcome his challenges over his amputated leg.  That he finds strength to kick butt and get back on his feet and back to work.
• A safe trip home for a dear friend.
• For all my family and friends for good health, blessed marriages and happiness.
• May a bird take comfort in creating a home in our little birdhouse.

The Self-Portrait Club

I'm linking up with Sarah at The Salad Days for the Self Portrait Club.  I'm in the same boat as Sarah:  there are always pictures of the kids and family but rarely do I get in the picture.  I'm not a big fan of self-portraits but how else will I get in a picture?  I have to admit, it was kind of fun thinking about me and how I can get into a picture, even if I'm the one taking the picture.  I even got creative and added affects.  Yes, I can't just take a photo of me and leave it alone.  Thank you Photoshop!!!

Bathroom mirror

My new favorite coffee mug

My granddaughter Adyson and me.  Just hanging around the house

Adyson, me and my 4-year-old Ellen

Have a fabulous Tuesday everyone!  My plan is to hang around the house and catch up on all my writing.  I've been MIA since last Wednesday.  I didn't even realize how fast this week flew by!!!

The Prayer Jar

Just copying posts from my old website...

My dad used to say to me, “the easiest thing in the world to do is to turn off your alarm clock and go back to sleep.”  Everyday, we all experience that alarm clock going off and will it to explode and disappear forever.  It’s also easy to start the day with a glum and negative attitude when we’d rather just stay in bed and sleep the day away.  One day, I woke up and decided that my own negative attitude was draining the life out of me and decided to change.  Instead of complaining about nothing ever going my way or nothing good ever happens to me, I decided to be happy.  Simply happy, for no reason at all.  I suddenly noticed a lot of good things were happening around me and then good things started happening to me.  I started smiling more and had more energy.  Not so long ago, I noticed many negative things happening in my life and started to get down on myself.  I started to get down on God for allowing bad things to happen to me.  The other day, I read a daily devotion about a prayer jar. Doris Speer writes her requests to God and puts them in a jar.  Then when she needs to, she pulls out the requests and sees how many prayers God has answered for her.

So I began to write a prayer journal.  I keep it with my Bible.  I don’t write specifics or write a long story, just short tidbits of something I prayed about. How easy is it to blame God for all the bad things happening around us and when we’re in a bad mood, it’s much easier to focus on the negative?  God answers so many little prayers for us all throughout the day.  Didn’t you find your keys when they were lost?  There was a parking spot right up front at the store when it was raining?  Your child came home safe and sound from school?  You made it to payday so you could buy groceries?
The next day, I reviewed the recent list of prayers and started to draw a cross by the ones that God had answered for me. Then it dawned on me, God answers so many prayers for me but I often forget to thank Him for many of them.  So now, when I look back on my list of prayers, I’m reminded to thank God for all the crosses drawn in my prayer journal.

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Mark 11:24

How Much is Your Worth?

Just copying old posts from my old website....


Do you count your earthly possessions?  How many of us have more than one car, more than two tv’s, lots of clothes, plenty of food in the pantry, jewelry, appliances, cell phones, gaming systems, savings accounts?  The list goes on and on.  If you think about it, even if you don’t have a lot of money in the bank, you’re still “worth” a lot of possessions.
But, what is your “worth” to God?

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  ~Luke 12:7

Do you think God cares how much we have on this earth or how much we’ve accomplished?  Perhaps that’s why when we die, we can’t take anything with us.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  ~Psalm 139:13. 

Things we have while we’re alive are not as important as the love we should have for God.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”  ~ 1 John 3:1

Have you ever loved someone so much, it hurts?  A love so deep, you can’t describe it?  That’s how much God loves us, and even more than that.  It’s almost too much to fathom.
Our job while we’re here on earth is to learn as much as we can about God and embellish our relationship with Him. The more we grow in our relationship with God, the more rewards we will possess while here on earth, and God’s rewards are the greatest possession we will ever have on this earth.

Remember these fun ways to love God:

FROG:  Fully Rely On God
DOG: Depend On God
PUSH: Pray Until Something Happens

Sugar is Evil and Funny Things I've Heard

Yesterday, I had our whole day planned.  We were to go visit grandma and grandpa, look at some pianos and hang out as a family and enjoy the day.  When my husband got home, he thought going to the zoo would be a fun thing to do.  I'm all about flexibility and making things work so with a few rearranging of plans, we went to the zoo.  Before we left, we found out that for a family of four, it would cost about $60 to go for one day.  For just $40 more, we ended up getting a family pass. And of course, we couldn't stop there.

We found out that there are a lot of rides at the zoo.  This is new to us since it's been so long since we've been there.  That is $8 per person for a whole day.  Of course, we couldn't pass up the pony rides, too!

We were there until closing then stopped at Olive Garden for dinner.  We didn't leave there until after 9pm.  I was exhausted, broke and over fed with the overabundance of carbs and powdered sugar from the funnel cake I had to have.  I love funnel cakes!

I passed out on the couch and I don't even know what time that happened.  That was yesterday.










Because I'm always so hung up on money, because we never seem to ever have enough, I decide to take the girls back to the zoo today.  You know, I have to get our money's worth out of our pass.

You would think it was a Saturday afternoon.  Wait... today's Friday, right?  Yeah... it's Friday.  The zoo was packed, parking was horrible and the lines were long.  Luckily, because I'm so cheap, and we rode all the rides yesterday, I refused to take the kids over to the rides again.  We didn't have to wait in any long lines.  I packed a lunch and we ate it inside air conditioning.  It was a good day but my mistake was that I ate Oreos at lunchtime.  Sugar is evil!  Now it's 5pm and my body can't seem to move.  It's taking effort just to keep my hands on the keyboard.  On top of the sugar drop, I'm grumpy.  Sugar is evil!  Why won't I ever learn my lesson?

So enough with the zoo, my 8-year-old and my husband were watching TV the other day and they saw a commercial for Hot in Cleveland.  This is how the conversation went:

Marcella:  I want to go to Cleveland.
Daddy:  Cleveland?  Why?
Marcella:  Because it's hot.

Ellen, my 4-year-old can never seem to live down the fact that she used to say, "Slipping Booby" for Sleeping Beauty.

My husband took Ellen to the grocery store and she saw a girl with many colors in her hair.  She said very loudly, "Hi Pretty Girl!"  Daddy, a little embarrassed tries to hush her a bit, and Ellen responds, "No Daddy!  I want to say hi to the pretty girl, over THERE!" as she points to this girl.  "Hi Pretty Girl!"

Marcella was upset one day when she told me a boy said something to her at school that really bothered her. This is how that conversation went:

Marcella:  Mommy, a 5th grader came up to me at recess and said I was hot.  He made me so mad because it's not true!  I wasn't hot.
Mommy:  (trying really hard to hide a smile) Honey, when a boy says you're "hot" it means he thinks you're pretty.
Marcella:  But Mommy!  He's a boy and I'm not ready to marry him because then I would have to kiss him.  And I don't want to kiss a boy!  He just made me so mad.  It's not true!

Have a fabulous Friday! It's gonna be a hot weekend!




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