Have You Hugged Your Children Today?

I'll start with this thought today:
Hug your children, spouse, loved ones, friends & teachers today.

Fashion or Respect?

Ok, so I've never really thought of myself as old school. Yes, I'm getting older, and there are plenty of things that the younger generation is into that I totally do not understand.
But I know the same was true when I was a teenager and in my 20's. So I try to be pretty open minded.
But there are a few things that many consider "old school" that I think are non-negotiables when it comes to etiquette and respect. For example:

• Saying "Yes/No Ma'am" & Yes/No Sir"
• Saying "Please" & "Thank You"
• Standing & placing one's hand over their heart during the Pledge of Allegiance & the National Anthem
• Removing one's hat during the Pledge of Allegiance & the National Anthem.

Now, some of you may think these are old fashioned or Southern traditions. I could agree that saying Yes/No Ma'am might be considered a Southern thing. But the other things are simple respect issues.

Let me tell you what has brought this on. My family attends a wonderful church that has a "traditional" worship service with organ & hymns and a more "contemporary" service that has a worship band. They are very talented, great music. Here's where I go crazy. The members of the band are so ridiculously stylish. They walk around campus like they're the Beatles. It drives me nuts. But I've gradually gotten past that, it's not about me, it's not about them, I'm closing my eyes & worshiping. Right? Ok.
The stylish part? Yeah, these hats that you may have seen guys wearing these days, they look like train engineer hats to me. I think they're ugly, but what do I know, right? My issue is not the hats, you can dress like a purple dinosaur if you want. My issue is the fact that they wear them while they are on the stage singing, worshiping & praying. They never take them off.
Is it just me, or is that disrespectful? I think it is.

Now, let me be clear about this; I don't mean people should only be dressed a certain way in order to walk through the doors of a church. That's what it's all about either. I mean, for example, if a teenage boy walks into church with a hat on, no one needs to embarrass him by telling him to take off his hat. That actually happened to someone I know when they were a kid & was detrimental to their attitude toward church as an adolescent.
But I do think that people in church leadership should be just that. Leaders. In how they act, what they do & what they say. That means not doing anything that could be a distraction or a stumbling block.

Anyway, it's not a deal breaker. I like our church. DH likes our church. Our kids love our church. And I think all our church leaders are incredible people. I certainly don't think that the worship band guys are not good people just because they wear dumb hats onstage. I've just personally found it to be quite distracting. Worship is about God. Not the look, not the style, not even the music.

So I guess I really am "old school." But it's not about jeans. It's not about t-shirts. It's not about tattoos. It's not about pearls & heels. It's not about suits & ties. It's about simple respect. It's a given that when you're at a baseball game, a car race, or an air show, the hats come off during the pledge & anthem. Shouldn't we show God the same respect??

Nanny McPhee Contest

Nanny McPhee is back! Go visit this blog for your chance to win Nanny McPhee gear!

Safety in the Sun

Safety first when heading out to the pool. The Flying Monkey suggests you put sunscreen everywhere the sun may shine. Even your armpits.

A Bright Future

Yes, I remember I have 3 children. That youngest one just seems to do all the funny camera-worthy things. He's going to make people laugh for a living one day, this I know for sure.

Overheard at Dinner

Overheard at dinner.
The Flying Monkey: Look! This is how I make my black things bigger.

(his pupils)

Smart?

Is this really a "smart" car? I just wonder about a car that is the size of a golf cart, how safe can that be? Then I saw this the other day. Pretty funny.
(And yes I was driving, I just clicked a picture, we had just started at the traffic light)

It's Summer....

It's been a while since I've posted. I have a lot to catch up on. Please take a moment, sit down & enjoy while you wait....

How a Bill Bcomes a Law

Watch and Enjoy. Schoolhouse Rock should be required viewing for all US citizens. And it's just fun.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Health Care Reform?

I thought long & hard about whether to post on this issue, simply because I'm not a political blogger, nor do I want to become one. But this bill is going to affect our country for years to come.

I have been faced with the hardship of having no insurance, having to find private insurance, fighting with the insurance company for payment, the list goes on and on. I am in agreement that health care reform is needed. I do not agree that this is the way to do it.

Before you stop reading, let me finish. One of the things that has been bothering me about the whole debate is the anger & name calling. It is a passionate issue & it is bringing out the best & the worst of people. Understandably. I want to try to explain how I feel about it & why, but I want to try to do it in a calm, rational, non-judgemental manner that everyone can understand. Maybe not agree with, but listen. I have listened to the other side of the argument, & like I said, I agree we need reform. And I'm actually a little bit put off that none of the Republican leaders tried harder to find another solution or explain why it might not be the best plan with less... yelling.
Here is the other thing. I am a patriot. I support the office of the President, & I support my President. The President of the United States is MY President. I may not have voted for him, but he is my President. I do NOT have to support everything he says, does or promotes. Blindy following someone without educating oneself on the issues is as bad as blindly opposing the person without listening to the issues.
But I will wish the President success, because I want my country to be the best it can be, not only for me now, but my children & grandchildren.

Our founding fathers came to America to get away from oppression from the government. A government who told them how to live, what to say, how to worship, excessive taxes, and none of these things promoted a healthy & happy life for the people. America was founded with the idea that less government control makes for a healthy & free life. All of this is detailed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

I've read both of those documents recently. Yes, I have. I'm not going to even try to explain or interpret anything in them. The language is centuries old & I'm not a history scholar. I know what I learned in school. I just wanted to read them because I personally think all adults should re-read them from time to time, lest we forget.
One thing I do think is that it is not a good thing for the federal government to be in control of too many things in our country. We are on our way to something we might not be prepared for.

Back to health care. Reform is needed. I had to pay out of pocket for a medically necessary mammogram when I was 36. My physician wrote an order for it. I had a lump. My insurance (a group plan) wouldn't pay for it because I wasn't 40. Huh? Things like that are unacceptable.
But requiring people to buy insurance... the federal government will require you to buy insurance. Is that right? Better yet, is that constitutional? Can the government mandate that you buy a service? Sure, they require we purchase auto insurance, but they don't require we purchase a car. I feel that when we allow the government to start telling what to buy & how much to buy, we are approaching a slippery slope. Where does it stop? We just have to be careful.

The other thing I think I can confidently say most people who have a problem with this bill are concerned with is how the health care is going to be paid for. My problem is that with the economy the way it is now, most people are having trouble not only paying for their own insurance, but just putting food on the table. *I heard Joe Biden say yesterday that he understood how people are feeling now, people are sitting at the breakfast table wondering "how they are going to keep their kids in school." Um, Mr. Vice President. I understand your children have never darkened the doors of a public school, but most of America is not worrying about how to pay for "free" public school. Food, clothes, & electricity are what we're concerned with.*

So, to pay for the health care of a few million people who don't have it for one reason or another, the government is going to take even more money out of our paychecks. Money that pays for milk & bread for our children. I don't mind helping people, I DO help people, I feel it's all a part of the Golden Rule, treating others the way I want to be treated, but I do mind the government telling me that I HAVE to & how much & when I have to do it. How resentful will I feel when I can't get my own children something basic & needed because our hard earned money was taken to pay for someone else's health insurance. How do I explain that injustice to my child?

Then there are the small businesses. Actually, let's not even go there. Let's just talk about businesses, companies in general. A company's biggest expense is now going to be the employee that needs a health care plan for their family. Spouse & multiple children. Are they going to keep that employee on the payroll or let them go? I hope they keep them. Government control of a business. See where we're going?

It's the TAKING that is the problem. The government TAKING.

I'm giving worst case scenarios. Or am I? It takes looking at the whole picture, not just saying let's fix it and then giving a pat on the back because we've "fixed" the problem that previous administration allegedly started.

Do I have another solution? I don't. But I'll be thinking.

If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy. - Thomas Jefferson

The Best Mom Ever

Or so I'm told...

Mind Your Own Business

Mind your own business? What? Where's the fun in that? I've never really been one to mind my own business, but I know how annoying it is when nosy people try to mind MY business.
I have an 11 year old son (Number One Son) & he is pushing the limits of acceptable behavior. He is getting in trouble for the dumbest things. Common sense things. All a part of the "growing up" angst he is going through, according to his principal.
His friends are doing it too, so he's in good company. Three of his buddies got in trouble this week for fighting. Two of the three were suspended. Now these boys are very kind hearted boys. They're "stinky boys," as Queenie says, but they are good boys. No bullies here. Number One Son wouldn't be friends with bullies, because he knows what it feels like to be bullied.
There is a neighborhood mom who saw a bit of the playground fight & is now, get this, spreading rumors about the boys & the fight. Really? Spreading rumors about children?
She is telling people that these boys are bullies & she even went so far as to send a scathing email to the moms of the two boys in trouble regarding their boys & their parenting.
Ok, you know, I understand, especially if her child was involved in the fight as well. What? Her child was not involved, you say? What? Oh, she has a daughter who was nowhere near the fight? What? Her daughter is not even in their class? Oh...
I'm sorry, I don't understand when people started thinking they had the right to nose into things that have nothing to do with them. And to insult a mother over something she knows nothing about, come on, moms. We have to stick together, first of all.
Secondly, gossiping about children. That's pretty immature & not setting a very good example.

Food Fight!!!

I have found myself in a place I didn't want to be. Not a terrible thing, I just feel very unqualified. I am in charge of the spring fundraiser at my children's elementary school. We are having a carnival with games & a silent auction as well.
We have decided to have a specific activity at the carnival for fundraising purposes that should prove to be very popular. An organized food fight. I'm excited about it, I think it will be a lot of fun. We have the location secured, but here is the question of the week:
In an environment like we find ourselves in these days, what kind of items are appropriate for a "food fight?" Expired food items? "Faux" food items?
We want to have fun, raise funds for our school, but we don't want to be wasteful or provide an example of wastefulness.
Any ideas, gentle readers?

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Happy Birthday Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.

We had Green Eggs & Ham in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday! The kids loved it.

I leave you with a couple of my favorite "Seussisms."

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind.

When Everyone's Super, No One Is...

So I've decided to drop back into the blogosphere with a bang. I'll catch you up a little bit on who I am, first of all...

I am a wife & a mother of three. I used to be the boss at my job, now I'm underemployed. I say "under" because I found a part time job after I was laid off from my bossy job. I am now a substitute teacher. So, I guess I am now the "Faux" Boss Lady.

Anyway, I kind of had an epiphany of sorts recently. Not really an epiphany, because God didn't audibly speak to me, but it was a definite light bulb moment.

I am a perfectionist. I didn't realize how much though until recently. Apparently I think I have to be Super Mom.

I've never liked Super Moms. I've always thought they were overachievers who need attention.

Well. Apparently I am and I do.

I had a friend inform me this week that she didn't understand why I didn't feel I could open up to her about things. I was talking to her about some things going on in my life and suddenly she turned it all around started telling me that she didn't understand why I didn't think she was a good friend and she would've thought I thought more of her after all these years. Please read the previous as exactly the way I've written it. That is not what she said. She didn't turn it all around and make it about me hurting her. That is only what I heard. Read on.

Now I've never been an open book. I actually spent the first 10 years of my married life trying very hard to be a closed book. DH was a minister and living in a fish bowl is never a fun thing. The more you open up about yourself and your life, the more people can use those things to hurt you. Sad thing to learn about in life, isn't it?

But the thing I've learned the past 5 years is that if you don't trust enough to open up, there are so many things you miss out on. Taking a chance and taking a leap is what makes life exciting!!!

But I'm still not a wide open book. And I learned the past few months or so that my plate is much smaller than I thought it was. I've been very overwhelmed by life. DH and I both have. He has taken it all in stride. It's the season of life we're in, this won't last forever. Of course God comes first in our family and our marriage, but by doing that, we also put our family and our marriage before other things.

Our children are getting older and they have activities that are essential for their growth, education and development (physical and spiritual). These activities along with life, jobs and day to day things just happen have us completely overwhelmed. DH says, no biggie, it is what it is right now.

I feel embarrassed that I feel overwhelmed. I feel like I don't want anyone, I mean ANYONE, to know that I can't do it all. I feel like a failure as a mother, as a wife and as a... dare I say it... Super Mom. I'm not a Super Mom. I'm a human mom. And my pride kept me from opening up about how I felt overwhelmed by life. And my friend got offended that I didn't feel I could share it with her. I probably would've gotten offended too. But as I sat and grew more and more indignant at why she would dare hurt my feelings over something I felt was so petty, I got to thinking and I began to pray about why exactly I do not open up about seemingly small things. And here we are.

Now, we all see (hopefully) that it had nothing to do with her. Good grief, this is obviously my issue. I've had so many people compliment my mothering skills, I guess I just became afraid to let them in on the secret. I'm winging it folks. But I am still a great mom, who is going to have to learn how to tell people no and tell people I am overwhelmed and not super. Especially family and friends.

So. Here goes.

My name is Boss Lady. I am a Human Mom. I can't do everything. I can only do what is best for my family and for myself. And sometimes that means saying "No." Sometimes that means not being able to successfully complete everything.

I definitely means modeling encouraging behavior to my children that tells them, "Yes, I am human. But I can try. And if I don't succeed the first time, or if I don't succeed at all, I am still a wonderful wife, a wonderful mom and a wonderful person. Who loves her family and her friends."

How's that for open book?

Thoughtful Tuesday

I'm starting something new today. Thoughtful Tuesdays are what I came up with. I will basically issue a deep thought, something wise, thought provoking or just a vent. I don't want this to become a venting, ranting outlet for me. I want it to be more. But I do have things on my mind.

Let's start small this week.

Here's something to think about.

Many of live our lives with experiences that no one else has. It's what makes life so exciting. If you have not specifically experienced the same thing as someone else, don't you dare judge or criticize someone for how they deal with those experiences. It's snotty, rude & let me tell you something. What goes around comes around.

She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain

So we had a great family weekend trip. We went to the mountains with Mr. Boss Lady's family. It was for his mom's birthday & it was nice. But sometimes family trips are just a pain in the tush.

I love DH's family, I do. My sister in law, Marvelous Marie, is one of my best friends, and our children have the best time playing with the cousins. Wonderful memories were sincerely made this weekend.

Sure, there was a little drama, there always is. And I'll admit, I created some of it. But we had a good time. We had a great time with cousins, brothers, sisters, & grandparents! And that is the truth. DH took our children & Tater, our

nephew, on a hike on Saturday I love how much fun they had and how they were talking about it when they returned. Great memories.

Then Marvelous Marie & I took a mini shopping trip into town & a had a great time reconnecting (life is busy you know). We all had a good time playing games & being silly too.

These kind of trips are good for families to do occasionally with each other.

I hope you all have a great week!

Wordless Wednesday

We love Mamaw!

Anyone Out There?

I have been gone for so long, many of the bloggers I followed are no longer around. That leads me to believe that many of my gentle readers are no longer around either!

So, please drop me a comment if you're still around!!

What's Important?

I am a wife & a mother. I love my husband & I love my children so much it hurts sometimes.
It's the end of the school year & I'm hurting for them right now. Thinking about how they are growing up before my eyes just makes me want to smile from ear to ear & cry a river at the same time!
So many things are going on in our lives right now, but I love it. What I don't love is how hard it seems to keep friends when one is a "grown up."
I have some wonderful friends, great people to count on & hang out with. Some of these are friends are such comfortable friends. What I mean is, it's like we never lose touch. Even if it's been months since we've talked, we pick right up like we never left. Perfect.
Sometimes it just doesn't seem so easy. I'm not sure why. I have 3 kids. One "tween," one adolescent princess & a 5 year old. 'Nuff Said. And as I am currently unemployed, I am job hunting. So, we're on a budget. Not being able to go out & socialize all the time should not be a deal breaker in the friend game. I've never faced this before, it's a new thing for me.
At this stage in my life, I need friends who make me feel good about myself, my family & my life. At 37 having a friend shouldn't be that hard.
Don't get me wrong, I know all my friends are great people, maybe I'm just feeling melancholy today.
My good friend Dr. Seuss reminds me often to "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."