Overheard at Disney World

Overheard at Disney World:

Queenie: Let's ride Splash Mountain!
Number One Son: No, the hills are too high! It's a roller coaster!
DH: It's a water ride, it's a lot of fun!
Number One Son: No, the hills are too high! It's a roller coaster!
Queenie: You're chicken.
Number One Son: I'm not chicken! I'm scared!

The Magic of Reading

I always enjoy going over visit my friend The Chick. She posted this meme that I found so interesting and fun.

Here are the Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people & post a comment here once you post it to your blog, so I can come see.

The book that just happens to be closest to me at the moment is Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul. Because I live with 3 of them. I have not gotten to page 123 yet, but the fifth line of page 123 goes like this:

We know we are meant to embody strength, we know we are not what we were meant to be, and so we feel our brokenness as a source of shame.

It continues with:

As we spoke of his wound recently, and how needed to enter into it for healing, Dave protested. "I don't even want to go there. It all feels so true."

As a woman, I am always saying that men don't understand us. This book tells me why. Well, not these lines just pulled out of thin air, but the portions of the book I've read! And it's very enlightening to figure out how men are wired and what's going on there.

Now, actually, Chick didn't tag me, but this was fun, so I'm doing it anyway!

So I am tagging Skittle because when she was younger I never saw her read (XOXO); MandyPoo because she does not have time to read at all anymore; Claire because she's smart and I bet she reads all the time; Jamie because she is a new blogger and I want to help her with ideas; and Jim because he needs to take a break from his sermon planning.

Please feel free to play along whether I tagged you or not. This one is fun!

We're All in This Together

I feel I need to apologize for my crazy woman rant a few days ago. No matter how much they get on my nerves, I shouldn't pick on other moms. We're a part of an exclusive club. We're awesome! (as Number One Son called me the other day)

I also don't want to be the blogger who constantly blogs about all the really petty things that make me mad. Like pocket lint and cowlicks.

I read a wild post from a blogger recently about a negative fast food environment experience. Which I understand, we all understand that, but it's not a 5 star restaurant, they work for minimum wage.... Anyway, blah blah blah, I'm just saying, I felt bad after I posted and I don't want to be "that blogger." I like when people read me and smile.

So, cheers to my mom friends, cheers to my non-mom friends and cheers to you all!
Have a gggrrreat week!

** Note ** Do not despair my fair readers, I will surely post very soon about blinkers and gum smackers.

The Happiest Place on Earth!

DH and I went a few places on our honeymoon. One of our destinations was Disney World. So when our 12th anniversary was approaching, we decided to take the whole family to Disney to celebrate.I'm sure you're thinking, this would be the time when Boss Lady would write about all the oblivious people in the world who were at Disney World this weekend. No. Not today, my friends! It was a perfect day. We were together, we had our beautiful children with us, and the weather was incredible. I am not exaggerating when I say, "It was the perfect day."

I hope you enjoy our photos from our perfect anniversary adventure!

Number One Son, the budding photographerQueenie & Jessie, my favorite CowgirlsThe Flying Monkey & his favorite friend, Woody!

When I Fall in Love... Part Deux

Part Two of "When I Fall in Love."

DH and I had our first official date on July 4, 1995. We went to a family cookout then to watch fireworks downtown. It was fun. It was sort of a group date. Yeah, I know, not really a hot date, huh? But, it was nice. Really, really nice.

Things went well, we went on more dates, and well, to make a long story short, by the end of August we were engaged.

People have asked "How in the world did you know so early?"

I just knew. Honestly. I just knew he was the one. One day it was very painfully obvious.

He really just bounded into my life when I was not expecting it or wanting it even and completely took over my heart.

So on February 17, 1996, we became husband and wife. It's been the best 12 years of my life and I can't wait to get started on the next 12.

It's Hard Work. Period.

I am feeling very annoyed. I am a mom. I also work outside the home. Because I have to. I would LOVE to be able to stay home with my kids, you have no idea.

I do have an identity. I had a career before my children were born, I have a job to pay the bills now, and I will have a career when the children are older. I will always be a mom, but that is my primary job now.

Number One Son & Queenie are in elementary school, so they are in school most of the day and The Flying Monkey is preschool aged. I get more time with them than most working moms, so don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining.

But here is what I hate. It annoys me to no end to hear a stay at home mom complain. Well, let me finish. It annoys me to hear a stay at home mom complain about silly things like having to go to the grocery store, or not "getting a break." Really? I know being a mom is a hard job. Really. It's hard all around, no matter what else you do on top of it. And being a stay at home mom is not a picnic. It's not soap operas and bon bons. If you're doing it right.

"I have so much to do today. I have to do laundry and vacuum and start dinner. And don't forget I have to do a craft with Junior. I just don't know if I'm going to be able to make it to the grocery store today."

Give me a break. This is no disrespect to my SAHM friends, who I am extremely jealous of. I'll admit it. Thankfully, none of my SAHM friends complain like that. They are all fun moms who make me laugh and smile and want to be like them.

And I used to stay at home, briefly, when Number One Son was a toddler and I was pregnant with Queenie. So, I DO understand needing a "break" every once in a while. Grown up conversations every now and then are necessities. Ha!

I could go through my day and see how busy I am, but it's not about who's more busy. It's not a competition about who is more busy, who is the better mom, who can do more, who has it better.
It's about being a mom. Period. Don't complain about how bad you have it and how tired you are, when people would kill to be able to spend half the time with their children that you do.

And as much as we love being at home with our children, not everyone can afford that luxury and it does no good to make someone feel bad about not being able to do it. My beautiful Marvelous Marie will testify to that.

I have a great job. I can drop my older children off at school, I take the youngest with me, I can pick the others up from school and go home in the afternoon with everyone and we have time together. I don't complain. Well, I do complain about my job, but NOT the schedule! :)

I'll tell you why this was all over me today. I would do anything to be able to be at home all day with my kids. Really. But I can't, and it's ok. I'm not mad about it.
But I encountered a woman today who doesn't do anything but take her children to preschool and go play tennis or shop. And she was complaining about how she never had time for herself and never had time to do this or do that. And that she never had a break from children and her house was a wreck because of all this.
What do you do 5 mornings a week while your angel is at preschool? Just curious.

So, I apologize if I've offended anyone with my post. I didn't mean to. Like I said, it's not directed at SAHM's in general. Since I am a Wannabe SAHM.

And I imagine anyone who fits the bill doesn't enjoy the Boss Lady's posts anyway, so I'm probably ok.

So, here I am signing off,
A Mom.

I Need a Tissue.

No wonder we're all so sick. It was close to 70 degrees Monday. Right now, it's exactly 32 degrees and it's snowing. Yes, I said snowing. Just some small flurries, but it's snowing.

I'm getting ready to call the hospital to reserve the family room, since we'll all be up there being treated for pneumonia in the next couple of days.

Girls Behaving Badly

Did you watch the Grammy Awards last night? I have to admit, I didn't. I'm so over it all. From the writer's strike to attention hams who think we give a rat's ass about what shoes they have on to crazy celebrities who can't seem to find (or even hire) a designated driver. I just don't care to watch.

I know not all celebrities are obnoxious, but obviously the ones who chase the cameras are. I'm feeling all kinds of love for Natalie Cole at the moment, though. She didn't mess around when she said that Amy Winehouse shouldn't have won all those awards. And I have to admit that I agree with her to a degree.

Don't get me wrong, I think Amy Winehouse earned those Grammys - she is very talented musician. Who also happens to have some issues. But what I agree with is what Ms. Cole said about society teaching our youth that they can be rewarded for bad behavior. Um, yeah, that's exactly what our society is teaching our youth.

And it's not Amy Winehouse's fault. Take a look around, that ship set sail a long time ago.

How to Break the News?

M passed away today. She was a long time friend of the family and DH and I are so very sad. I know she is no longer in pain, and that must bring her family comfort, but I still grieve for them.

She was also employed at Number One Son's and Queenie's school. DH and I are wondering how on earth to tell the kids. We found out about her death right at bedtime tonight, so we definitely knew that telling them tonight was out of the question. I am not really sure how they will handle it at school tomorrow, so we are actually thinking we might should tell the kids in the morning before school. I just want the news to come from us. I just don't know...

I'm on my way to go tuck all three of them in bed one more time and give them big hugs. Hugs to you all, too.

Wordless Weekend - My How They've Grown

When I Fall in Love...

Don't worry, I'm still in love with DH. It's just that it's February. 12 years ago this month, we exchanged marriage vows and began our life together as husband and wife.

The Chick told a great story about how she and The Hub met and fell in love, so that made me think, since it is our anniversary month and Valentines are in the air, why not take the time to tell about mine and DH's story?

DH and I met several months before we ever went out on a date. We met at a church picnic, of all things. I thought he was a nice guy. Now, the thing to note here is that I'm a bit shy. When I first meet someone, yes, I am shy. But I do warm up and then it's hard to get me to shut up! The other thing to note is that DH was a new minister on staff at said church. So I met him and then about 10 minutes later he stuck his hand out to me over the pecan pie and introduced himself. (which we had already done) So, I shyly said, "Yes, I know. We met already." I did forget to tell him my name again, like I said, I'm shy.
He will tell you that he thought I was blowing him off. I wasn't!

So, I was away at college but I would come home every so often on the weekends. DH would call my apartment to say hello and let me know what was going on for college students over the weekend. He's a nice guy who never meets a stranger and he's always been that way. So, yes, I was a little clueless, I really thought he called all the college kids.

* Another thing I should mention is that DH was not a 40 year old minister to senior adults or anything like that. He was 24 years old minister to students. It was his job was to hang out with us. So you can see why I might have thought he called everyone! *


My roommates, on the other hand, were wise to DH's motives.

Sunflower: "He TOTALLY likes you."
Smash: "Um, isn't it obvious?"

I don't remember if those were their exact words, but you get the idea. That is how my girls talked back then and they still do. Smash reminded me the other week that it was "SO obvious" that DH liked me back then.

So when I graduated from college and moved the big 40 miles home, we started spending a little more time together. I started hanging out with the college students, it just happened naturally. After a little while, I decided he was a little cute, so maybe he should come with me to a family cookout.

To be continued...

Football, Commercials & Hannah, Oh My!

Well, it's a busy weekend! Because obviously, it's Super Bowl weekend. Not that I have any allegiances to either team. It's about the commercials and the half time show for me. And who am I going to cheer for? Yes, New England has had an undefeated season, that's pretty impressive. But basically, since I'm a silly woman, I'll admit it, it comes down to either cheering for Baby Manning or Baby Daddy.
I'll decide at half time.

The other reason we have a big weekend is because I am taking Queenie & Peanut to see the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert movie. Queenie loves Hannah and she's just head over heels for the Jonas Brothers, who are in this movie too. I'm actually pretty psyched myself. We're getting all dolled up and we're going to make quite an event out of it.
Look for an update and possibly photos.

Have a great one! Our local groundhog said we're having an early spring, so I'm going with him!