Five Question Friday:04/30

1. If you could, would you go back to high school?

If I could go back to the 90's and do it again with all my friends? Heck yeah! I miss a lot of those people.I could reconnect with some of those long lost friends.

2. If a genie appeared and granted you two wishes, what would they be? (And, no saying "more wishes".)
3 million dollars. Why 3? Because I think asking for 13 seems a bit greedy,since 13 is my lucky number.
Stop Global Warming. It's sad to see that the Earth is going to crap. I want to preserve this planet for my future, my children's future and so forth. It's even more sad to see polar bears die because of glacier melting.

3. What kids show do you secretly like?
Olivia. That spunky little pig is quite funny to watch. My kids love her and I don't mind listening and watching sometimes.

4. What is your beverage of choice?
My regular everyday drink of choice is an un sweet iced tea with lemon, with sweet n low. Yes, I know the "pink stuff" is bad.
My alcoholic drink of choice depends on who I'm hanging out with. Close friends and family I prefer to drink a frozen strawberry margarita or some red wine. But I have been found to drink coconut rum, pineapple/orange juice and cranberry( I think that might be a Bahama Breeze or Baybreeze, but not vodka)
Oh do not get me started on vodka. It sneaks up on you.. ouch.

5. What is something that you would change about yourself (or are working to change in yourself)?
My weight. I have joined a new gym if you haven't read it this week. hahha. I went Thursday night for the first time and holy moly!!! I sweated and burned some calories like never before. I kicked my own butt. I'm dreading that personal trainer. I told my mom that if this personal trainer makes me do things like I've never done before I may have yell out "momma!!".

Friday Fragments:92

Join Mrs. 4444 for Friday Fragments you know all of the little things that don't need a whole post but they are certainly note worthy... Well they have a place!


Little E has found a new favorite book, The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (the author of the infamous Goodnight Moon) and he has insisted I read it every night. When I get to part where the bunny turns into a little sailboat, E tells me that he's going to drive the sailboat and I get to ride in the back. Wow. Lucky me. Tonight he added that I would get to ride in the back and get buckled in. I love little imaginations.

I waited until the last minute to develop more photos of my sweet Miss K for my scrap booking day on Saturday. You can't ever have enough photos. After uploading 180 photos through Shutterfly and transferred the developing to Target my bill is $34.00!! That's what I get for waiting.

I bought some fabulous throw pillows for my couch. They're so comfortable that the kids want to constantly lay all over them. So comfortable that Little E wanted to take one in the car the other morning on the ride to school.

Feeling horribly about canceling dinner plans with my BIL and putting Miss K in tears, I took both kids to the mall and we went into Build A Bear. Miss K got her second animal, a Jack Russell Terrier and Little E built a bear. He really wasn't that into it. He enjoyed the fluff. I have never done something like that. I hope that I never have to again.

I can't wait until Sunday. I am going shopping at Target to start organizing my computer room. I want to rearrange my crafts, supplies and computer desk. I need to make more room for more craft supplies since I will be staying home now. I love to organize.


Do kids really ever get the concept of time? I told my daughter on the last day of school she could bring her Barbie ballerina. Today she says, "Isn't today the last day of school? " I told her yes, for this week. Which the conversation turned into a 5 minute explanation. I LOVE mornings.

Thursday 5- We Just Wanna Have Fun

Hey Y'all..

Welcome to Thursday Five..

Wanna play?

Just post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Giddy

Grateful

Joyful

Gleeful

or all of the above..

1. I start working out at the new gym I just joined and they have a kids area! So now I won't have to leave the gym in such a hurry because my b

abies will be right there!

2. I get to see two of my IRL best girlfriends tomorrow at our daughter's dance class. My two friends and I are 94 graduates of the same high school and our daughters attend the same dance studio and have a class together. Here they are on picture day.

3. My daughter is being considered for the gifted program at her elementary school!! They will be evaluating her and having the test done.

4. We took Little E and Miss K to Texas Roadhouse last night (again) this time we went on Family Fun Night and they saw Andy the Armadillo. He was absent the last time.

5. I am taking the day, 10 hours to go scrapbooking on Saturday!!!!

Top 3 Thursday-Leading Lady

It's Thursday! Wahoo! I go to the gym on Thursdays after work and I'm so excited because I'm starting at the new gym! I can't wait to shed some more weight. Now onto one of my favorite memes...Top 3 Thursday! Hosted by Confessions From a Working Mom and The (Un)Experienced Mom.

If you could be a character in any movie, not the actor or actress but the character, who would it be and which movie?

Heres who I'd like to be..

3. Sabrina, in the movie Sabrina. To come from nothing, travel to Europe where you find yourself and transform into the inner beauty that you are. When you arrive home and find yourself still in love with the man you have always loved, you never lose sight of who are and then discover true love was not where you expected it to be.

2. Isabel, in the movie Stepmom. You're in love with this wonderful man who is divorced with two children. While trying to develop your relationship with him, staying fully dedicated to your job and try to make things work with you insta-family you factor in the children's mother. She isn't letting your mistakes slide until she discovers that she has cancer. Truly a powerful character that Isabel is.

1. Frances or better known as "Baby", in the movie Dirty Dancing. Sweet innocent daddy's girl goes to summer camp with her family and leaves a matured woman. She falls in love with this amazing guy that opens her heart and she in turn shows him what it's like to be somebody.

Pour Your Heart Out-Lottery

My life as I know has changed or at least will be changing forever as I know it. I will be embarking on an adventure that I never thought would happen unless I won the lottery. In less than six weeks I will become a Stay at Home Mom.
I started working when I was 15 years old. I worked part time until I got my first full time job at a bank when I was 19. From that point on I have always held a full time job and until I turned 21 I worked and tried to attend college classes. When I started working for my parents I was at a crossroads. I was single at the time, I had just quit my high stress management position job and was looking for a stepping stone job. Never did I think that I would marry my husband, have 2 children and stay working full time at that job for 11 years.
Many times I wanted to move on and find something else. I had always worked in the retail world and I was beginning to get burned out. Then I got pregnant with my daughter and still decided to go back to work. I never thought much about staying home to raise her. I think part of it was being a first time mom to a cranky, fussy baby and the fact that my husband and I were saving to buy our first house.
It only continued on from that point we bought a new house and of course we bought new cars, new furniture and so forth. Along the way I decided that I wanted to add to the family so we bought my SUV. A year and half later we welcomed my son into the family. That is when the tug really started. I did not want to go back to work.
But I also did not want to give up the lifestyle I was used to. I wanted to still be able to have both vehicles, the freedom to go out and have our family insured. I went back to work. I think I may have even had a hint of post pardum depression. I was really sad about going back to work and leaving my son in the hands of daycare staff.
Needless to say now that I really think about it, it has not been an easy road. There have been many signs along the way to tell me stay home.
Little E is now in his third daycare since he was born. When he was in the last one before the one he is currently in I was starting to have doubts about working. I was frustrated with the fact that I was mostly working to pay for daycare, health insurance, gas and maybe a wee bit of spending money. The main reason: health care. Even if I quit working at that time, my family did not qualify for assistance for health care. So I continued on.

Personally, it is very stressful to work for family. If you have never done it, you cannot even begin to know what it's like. Your parents have a hard time separating child from employee. They cannot show favoritism so you're supposedly treated like an employee, but then you are expected to be this outstanding employee. Which I was. But I draw the line when you call my cell phone when you can't figure something out and give me crap. When I should have never answered the phone because I was OFF WORK.
To sum it up without having to list all the things that would happen or rear their ugly head, they all kept pointing in the same direction. That I really needed to find a way home. Did I ever think it would happen? No.
This last Friday my husband sends me a text message that said " you never have to work again. They gave me a raise that allows you to stay home". I was speechless. My stomach dropped and I was nervous and happy and excited all at once.
I was nervous as heck because I would have to tell my parents that I was leaving. Nervous because this is all new to me. I am soo excited because I will be spending the summer with my babies! I get to spend Saturdays with my husband and kiddos! One BIG thing my husband has been looking forward to for nine years!
So I worked up the courage and told my mom on Saturday an hour before work was over. She was happy and sad all at the same time. I was not about to tell my father. I gave them six weeks. I figured that they need time to find another employee and I could train them a few weeks. Miss K ends school in six weeks and will be out for summer vacation. I don't want to pull her out of her after school care and disrupt her right near the end of the year. It also give Little E a few more weeks with his new friends and then he's leaving his daycare. I'm not sure what the future will bring.
Will I teach Little E preschool until he's 4? I don't know. What I do know is that my kids will be enjoying time with mom. Miss K and I have already started a list of trips and "to do's" for the summer. And when Miss K enters the second grade I will decide on what schooling Little E will get. I really want to try schooling him at home. For a 2 1/2 year old he knows quite a bit already so I'll go from there.
All I know is that when the school bell rings on June 4th, my life changes forever.

Again, just a brief reminder that everyone linking is pouring their hearts out and we should all be respectful in our comments. ;)

Tuesday Tag Along

Trying something new this Tuesday! Twee Poppets found my blog through Friday Follow last week and started following me! So I thought I would help them out and play along for the first Tuesday Tag-Along!! Won't you link and join!


You know you want to see what it's all about!?

Post it Note Tuesday-Buns of Steel

Out of the mouths of babes

This morning as I was pulling away from dropping off Miss K I passed the backyard of a house and Little E asked me what he was looking at. "What's that mommy?" , passing a large white tank.
Turning my head and looking in the side mirror "Are you talking about that big tank?" Little E answered "Yes. What is that?"
I answered him "That's a propane tank. Can you say propane tank?"Little E "Protank tank"
I corrected him "No. Say P R O"
Little E repeated me "Pro" Then I said "Pane" and Little E repeated "Pane" Then I told him to put the two words together and say the whole phrase "Pro pane tank". Little E repeated the phrase "pro pane tank"
I said " good job buddy".
Then the conversation continued in the back seat. " Mommy", Little E trying to get my attention. "Yes, E?" I asked.
He says "mommy say gas station. okay?" "Gas" and he pauses "then station" he tells me.
"Oh ok, gas station" I repeated. Then he said " good job mommy". I beamed from the front seat. How cute that he wanted to turn the lesson back on me. I love that little boy.

Five Question Friday:04/23

Thank God it's Friday! This is a great day! I can't wait until I get off work because we're going out to dinner at our local steak restaurant, Texas Roadhouse! It opened a few months ago and I actually got the chance to eat there with a few girlfriend's one evening. But my husband has not had the pleasure of enjoying their Ribeye ( my personal favorite) and Miss K has been asking to go since her school has a family fun night there once a month. It worked out perfectly this week because K usually has class at the dance studio but this week was canceled and momma gets a break from the mom taxi! Now onto Five Question Friday hosted by Mama M. at My Little Life.




1. What was the first car you owned? a 1983 Ford Thunderbird. That car was the bomb. It had a digital dash, with red vinyl interior, these awesome buckshot chrome/black rims that like every guy wanted and a/c that worked when it wanted. I was rear ended in that car my junior year of HS and it sustained minimal damage, it was a tank. I sold her when I started college because it couldn't the 80 mile round trip 3 days a week to Orlando. Some fond memories in that baby.

2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to? Prince's Purple Rain. hahaha!! I actually like to listen to that song.

3. Have you ever had stitches? yep. On my left hand in the webbing in between my index and middle fingers. I cut it on a broken piece of glass from a picture frame.

4. What was your first job? I was a grocery bagger at a Publix supermarket at 15. They actually thought I was 16 and 1 week before my birthday they realized my age and had to "let me go" until my birthday.

5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
I never watched much Sesame Street as a kid so I guess I'll say Elmo, only because both my kids have been fond of that red little guy.

Friday: Celebrating Friends

I am triple dipping!!!! To match my fantabulous (my word), happy go lucky mood I am taking 3 scoops of fun and rolling it into one! So first I'm doing a little bit of Aloha Friday..

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too.

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question is: If you found out that your best friend; or a very close one to you if you don't have a best friend, was talking badly about you to others, what would you do?

I am not a person who likes confrontation so I don't think I would approach this friend like that. Because a friend doesn't talk trash about another friend to others you both know. I speak from experience, I would distance myself from this person and when and if they notice, I'll talk to them in private about it. If they deny it, then that person is no friend of mine. We should build each other up, not tear each other down.

Followed by some Friday Follow.......Follow me, I'll follow you! It's that simple.

Hosted by Midday Escapades,
One To Try and
Hearts make Families

And my newest one...New Friend Friday. I saw this one a few weeks ago and hadn't tried it until I saw my cousin doing it today. Thank you girl! Click here to see the rules.

To answer the question asked by The Girl Creative and hostess of this meme New Friend Friday. My favorite tv show(s) are Mercy, I love tv medical dramas and my husband loves watching with me which makes Wednesday night so enjoyable. And my newest favorite is Parenthood. It's almost like a soap opera because it focuses on more than one relationship and the cool thing is it's all one family. I can so relate on the crazy, silly dynamics of this family.

PINT-Update

UPDATE to Wednesday's Pour Your Heart Out

I went to the Worship Committee meeting tonight. One of the topics that was being discussed was the incident with Little E being bitten. I have been stressing over this for about a week and subconsciously my mind would not stop with this issue. I have been losing sleep over it and couldn't control that. I was a mess about it today so much that my stomach was in knots and hurting from the stress.
What a relief to have been there to lay my concerns on the table. I'm not sure if I could have handled another evening of the unknown. I was nervous through the beginning of the meeting while looking at the outline. We had to discuss some old business and maybe it was good. I was able to get my mind off the Nursery Incident as it was written on the outline. When it came to that part, Margy looks at me and asks me if this has been handled and things taken care of now.

I was sweating, shaking and nervous. I told them that I was not satisfied with the amswers from the staff in the nursery and that until our church hires an attendant of our own that Little E will NOT be going in there. I do not trust the staff in there to watch my son. PERIOD. I calmly explained my doubts and that we need our own nursery attendant. I then drove the point home when I said, "If the CLS was not here providing nursery personnel than what would we do to provide care for our children? We would HAVE to hire some one." And Margy agreed. I said that we need to have some one from our church or that our church hires in there.

One person from our church was suggested to fill that position and they will be asking her. I am praying that she accepts because if she does not, I am not sure how many weeks my husband will deal with our little guy in the pew with us. ( walking out during church service to go to the car is not a great idea) So pray for us that this works out and the lady in question accepts this responsibility. I'll keep you all updated. And many thanks to those of you who offered your advice and concerns on my PINT post. God bless.

Thursday 5- Thankful

Ahhh. It's Thursday and I can't wait until this weekend. I need a break. Not like I'll be getting a break, maybe from work? But not the extra curricular activities I won't...here we go!

Wanna play?

just post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Giddy

Grateful

Joyful

Gleeful

or all of the above..

after you do your post..go to MannLand 5 and link up..

1. This Sunday Miss K will be having her pictures taken at her dance studio in her costume for this year's performance. This is her first year at this studio and I'm so excited!

2. Mercy came back on last night after a 3 week hiatus. I am so hooked on that show.

3. The movie Avatar was released last night at midnight on BluRay and DVD. Guess what I'll be watching this weekend..

4. My husband's stepbrother's girlfriend delivered their newest baby last night, Aaron Jr. Congratulations to all. Neveah is a BIG sister!

5. I'm going to organize my scrapbook supplies this weekend for National Scrapbook Day next Saturday! 10 hours of scrapping with friends. I am soo behind.

what about you???

Top 3 Thursday-Shopaholic

This blog carnival is truly as easy as it sounds...

Each week, The (Un)Experienced Mom and Confessions from a Working Mom will pick a category, then ask you to share your Top 3 thoughts on it.
This week, they want to know...

Where are your Top 3 favorite places to shop?




3. Ebay I love online shopping at ebay because it's convenient and you can find things all over the place. When I was buying my daughter's Halloween 50's themed costume, I was able to locate several places to purchase the items new. I would have spend more money driving all over this state to find what I was looking for. I've bought artwork, trinkets, glass figures, clothing for the kids ( I LOVE huge lots) and Stride Shoes (they are expensive and one of the only shoe companies that make a shoe to fit Little E's feet) and party supplies. It's one stop shopping from home.





2. Kohl's I cannot get enough of them. I was just there this morning as a matter of fact. I was looking for running shoes for me and of course they did not have my size in the show I wanted. I love a store where I can buy decent looking clothes for the whole family and be able to buy coffee (Keurig coffee cups) and so much more. I am always stopping in there to check out their sales and clearance. I have scored some major sales, like $8.00 shoes for me! Yes, please!


1. MY number #1 place is TARGET!! It's the spot! I love that place. There have been some weeks where I will go in there every morning before work. Not to mention that there is a Starbuck's coffee in there, so I can grab me a Frappucino and shop at the same time. I love their selection of Burt's Bees products and makeup selection. It's so pleasant to go into Target in the morning and shop compared to another Big Box store that is so loud and chaotic. They have always had the best selection of goodies for the big holidays like Christmas, Easter and Halloween.

Pour Your Heart Out

It's no fun to feel disconnected. Having no feeling whatsoever and being indifferent. I am not happy with myself about feeling like this but I'm not sure how else to feel. This may be a result of my former self before I found God. My attitude of putting up a wall and not letting anyone in.

But I haven't been enjoying my mood about my church lately. I'm not mad at God but I'm unsure of the direction that I'm being led. I'm not sure, am I reading the wrong signs? In the past I have had thoughts that maybe I'm in the wrong church. But until two weeks ago, the thoughts were in the back of my mind.

Little E was bitten in the church nursery and I understand that biting happens in a group of toddlers. But what should not happen is that neither I or my husband not being informed. As I was approaching our outdoor cross I noticed Little E had something red on his cheek. I thought maybe one of the ladies has kissed him and tried to rub off the lipstick. But it wasn't lipstick. A closer observation of his cheek answered what it was. A bite! I asked him who bit him and it happened to be a child from the "other" church. Great.

The "other" church is a church that meets in my church's fellowship hall and has combined some services with ours. One of the combined services was the nursery. Our nursery attendant left and finding it easier, my church agreed that the other church would use our nursery and watch all the babies and toddlers. Recently they changed attendants and I wasn't excited about the new lady watching E.

Now this incident confirms my feelings about her. I know that I should not judge a book by it's cover but this time my gut was right.

I was pretty upset about finding out that he was bitten and said something to my mother (who attends the same church) and she advised me to tell Margy, the head of Worship at our church. She seemed a little concerned about his wound and said we would have to talk with the other church.
I wasn't satisfied with her answer and lack of concern.

Monday morning I called the church President Laura to give her the details of what happened on Sunday. She told me that she already knew about it. Obviously, Margy had spoken with our Pastor and he immediately wrote an email to the other church's Pastor and forwarded it to Laura. I was surprised that she said anything based on her reaction about it the day before. Laura told me that it would get handled and that we would get to the bottom of it.

That evening the other church's Pastor Pat called me and said that she had spoken to the adult nursery attendant and was told that she didn't see it happen. (uh huh, sure) Pat had not spoken to the teen helper as of Monday evening but she would be questioning her too. She explained to me that she expects the nursery to run like a daycare; with incident reports if an accident happens, including speaking with the children about what happened and both parents being notified of the incident. She told me that maybe the boys were rough housing in the nursery but that shouldn't be going on. She said that the nursery staff is supposed to be teaching a lesson every Sunday. (oh really??) She reassured me that she would be talking to the nursery staff again and going over the class requirements and procedures.

We didn't go to church the following Sunday.

We took the kids to Disney instead. Not intentionally missing church because of the nursery incident. But it worked out that way.

Last Wednesday I was having doubts about going to church on Sunday. If I wasn't obligated to serve as a Deacon I would have skipped again and not even thought about it. I don't believe that nursery attendant didn't see it. If she didn't see it happen then where was the teen attendant? Or did she see it happen and didn't want to say anything to protect the child from her church? Either idea is bad. Either one does not make a safe place for my child to be. I can't go to church and leave my son in the care of some one I don't trust. Which leaves my husband or myself staying home with my son and two people miss out on the Word of God.

So I called my pastor to speak with him about my issues with the nursery. I explained to him that I was not comfortable sending Little E in the nursery if things have not changed. I told him about my doubts in her story and he pretty much looked at me dumbfounded. That is the best way I can describe it. He said "well, maybe we need to hire our own nursery attendant again."

Oh really??? Maybe? MAYBE? Maybe is not good enough for me. I told him that I know how daycare works. Sadly, I've dealt with not so good day cares. But the difference is that I pay them and if I don't like them I pull my kid out. In this situation I'm stuck complaining to my church who then has to say something to the other church and so forth. Blah, blah, blah.
It's ridiculous.

I got an email from my mother that was a conversation between my Pastor and the other Pastor. It said that there would be two adults in the nursery. So I went to church on Sunday. I still wasn't happy about it. I really don't like to say that but I didn't feel anything standing in the house of God. I was mad. I did not send my son to the nursery. My husband and I kept him in the sanctuary with us and tried to entertain him while trying to listen to a sermon. Little E couldn't contain his 2 1/2 year old voice and kept talking loudly.

My husband took him outside for a few minutes. I asked my husband to check in on the nursery and see what was going on in there. The same unreliable nursery attendant and her teen helper were in there again. Were they teaching a lesson? No. What were they doing? Playing. What happened to the Bible lesson? I plan on finding out.

This Thursday the Worship Committee is having a meeting. A meeting that was planned because I want change.
I am on that committee.
The Pastor will be there.
I hope God will be there.

I will need to pray that my fears are answered and the church will find a new nursery attendant. Because if they don't. I will have no choice but to find a new church home. I don't like being that way. I'm not planning on being threatening about it. I have to do what I know and feel is right for my family. For my children.

Heartbreaker

This sweet little face made his daddy upset tonight. He asked for mommy repeatedly when daddy was trying to bathe him. Lots of crying and tears.
When it came to brushing teeth.. he put his hands in his mouth and refused to let daddy do it. Daddy got upset and said "go get your mommy then". That little boy came running to my lap where I sat trying to nurse a sore neck. He climbed his snotty nose self into my arms. What can I say? I've got an effect on him. Is he a momma's boy? Maybe.
Does he have me wrapped around his little finger? It's possible.
But who does his heart belong to when mommy puts him into timeout for bad behavior? DADDY.
Enough said.

Post it Note Tuesday-Lemonade?