No rest for the weary...

I need a nap. Would anyone like to babysit so I can sleep??? My youngest was up several times last night and I went to bed too late to begin with. Today I am sooooo darn tired. Caffeine is not helping me in the least. It's hard to believe I spent the first 14 months of my little guy's life getting just three to four hours of sleep each night. I am kind of a zombie with so little sleep.

Anyhow...let's see what else I can blog about today.......if I end up quitting in the middle of a sentence, you'll know I am sound asleep on my keyboard. Shhhhh.....don't wake me.

I know you are dying for an update to my Pizza Hut story. Sitting on the edge of your seat, right?? (ha ha) Well, it's a short update. They have completely ignored me. No response WHATsoever. And I have to say -- it kind of irks me. Because rarely do I complain about something -- and then when I do, I am ignored. I believe I will complain again -- one more try can't hurt, right? If I am ignored again, most likely I will boycott Pizza Hut.

Have you ever or would you ever quit going to a store or restaurant for a reason like mine? I mean -- I like Pizza Hut's food, but I don't appreciate being ignored.

I also don't ever eat at Hardee's. Not that I ever did very much -- but my reason for ignoring Hardee's sounds absolutely ridiculous when I say it. It's because I used to work in advertising sales and Hardee's was my client. The girl that I dealt with on the account was mean and just plain difficult. She was rude and constantly unhappy or complaining. I despised Hardee's because of my experience with this girl. To this day, I do not eat there unless I am traveling and desperate. Seems silly, but when I see a Hardee's sign -- I immediately think of her.

Could this be considered holding a grudge? It sure sounds like it when I type it. Hmmm....

What do you think?

Hope your week is going well. The days are just flying by. Hard to believe it's May 1st tomorrow. I am not ready for May. Perhaps I can boycott that too -- time flying by too quickly. I could try. But I'm pretty sure the world would just continue on it's speedy course right on by me. Oh well...

Chat with you soon!

How Addicted are YOU to blogging?

45%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I got this little quiz off of my friend Alice's blog -- had to see what my percentage was -- and I think I'm okay with 45%! Seems a little high, but not too bad, right? Try it and see what you come up with!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

We Have Some Winners!

We tend to do things in threes in this house...I tried to pick just one winner from my Grateful post comments and as usual -- ended up with three! Woo Hoo!

Normally three names means each of my children picked a name -- today it was all my little guy. He is a bundle of energy in everything he does and to ask him to pick JUST one name -- ha! It wasn't gonna happen.

So here are the names in the order he picked them --

Winner #1 is Carolyn !!!

Winner #2 is Jayne !!!

and last, but certainly not least is --- Joni!!!

So Carolyn, Jayne & Joni -- be on the lookout. A little bitty prize package will be headed your way soon!

I'm in a hurry right now, but hope to be back to posting soon. Hope everyone is enjoying their week!

Wow! Thank You!

I have to begin my post with a HUGE thank you to everyone who left comments on my previous post about being grateful. You left me with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I am so fortunate to have such wonderful friends -- and I am thankful for each and every one of you! Thank you so much for your kind, encouraging comments. (And Dawn -- OF COURSE I expected you to include margaritas on your list....LOL!) I will draw a name for a little prize next week.

Today I am attempting to tidy up my house -- I have been doing little projects bit by bit to clear out some of our clutter. But you know, when you work on one area, another area will secretly start to get out of control. Well, not really secretly, but with three kids who are collectors of "stuff" and makers of "things" (artwork, legos, puzzles etc., etc.)-- piles start to grow in just about every area of my house. So I need to get back to work -- but I thought I would let myself take a little blogging break.

Thanks to my good friend Wendy (love ya girl!), who watched my youngest for me yesterday, I was able to go on a field trip with my daughter and her kindergarten class to the zoo. It was so much fun! I felt a little bit guilty, as I have never been able to go on a field trip with my oldest. I feel like he always get the raw end of the deal around here -- not on purpose, but it seems to work out that way at times. It makes me feel sad. But still, I had a fun day with my daughter and her friends.

They had a new exhibit that just opened called Bloomin' Butterflies. It's a butterfly house and they will be adding new butterflies all summer. Yesterday they had only monarchs and a type of butterfly called painted ladies. They were so beautiful! They also have a spot where you can see butterflies emerging from their chrysalises. I am looking forward to going back. I thought I'd share just a few photos of the butterflies.



Is it just me -- or do you love butterflies too? They are so graceful and carefree and such a happy sign of summer to me. Don't you think?

Alright -- I better get back to work. I hope you all have a beautiful weekend with family and friends! I'll try to stop by and visit your blogs soon!

Today I am Grateful...

I've had a weird couple of weeks -- last week was really strange. I felt very anxious and out of sorts all week. I kept feeling like I was forgetting something -- and then I did actually forget to take my youngest to an appointment one day. Completely forgot. I don't normally do that.

Yesterday I was reading an article in a magazine and it mentioned something about the "voice" in our head that is constantly feeding us dialogue and how a lot of us have a large amount of negative dialogue. For me -- that is very true. I am constantly thinking in my head of my downfalls and weaknesses. I am also often dwelling on a few very difficult situations in my life and they get me down or make me anxious and quite stressed. And try as I might to push them out -- they are always there, even if just in the background. I know it alters my behavior on the outside. It often slows me down or makes me tired.

On the flip side -- I feel incredibly blessed and think I have a pretty good handle on what is truly important. Sure I get upset about things that really don't matter or overreact to things that I shouldn't. But I know without a doubt that I am a lucky, lucky girl.

So today I am going to list a few things I'm grateful for -- I'm sure I've said them before -- but really, you can never say them enough.

I am grateful for my youngest son, who greets me every single morning like he is GENUINELY excited to see me. He gives me a huge hug, the sweetest smile and says quite emphatically, "Good Mornin' Mama!" like it's the happiest moment he's had in a long time!

I am grateful for a daughter who is happy-go-lucky and loves to have girl time with her Mommy. She is a loving sister and has a giving heart.

I am grateful for my oldest son who despite a tendency to be too grumpy -- has a sweet, caring heart and compassion for all living things. He also is very smart and really, at just eight years old he teaches me things about his favorite subjects (animals mostly) pretty much all the time.

I am grateful for my husband who works, which allows me to stay home. Yes, we struggle somewhat and he has a hard time with that -- but deep down I know he is glad I have been able to be with our kids while they're little.

I am grateful for my mom, who is always there for me no matter what. I know she feels I'm not living my life as she would like (mostly in regards to our faith), but she also knows more than anyone what my struggles are and she is able to let me "unload" to her -- something I feel I can't really do with anyone else.

I am grateful for good friends who are there when I need them.

I am grateful for my dog who is patient, loving and a good listener! :)

I am grateful for a roof over our heads and sunshiney days.

I am grateful that I have a faith that keeps me going and gives me strength.

What are you grateful for today?? Leave me a comment telling me one or two things you are thankful for and I will put your name in a drawing for a little prize! How does that sound?

Happy Wednesday!

Being Heard

((WARNING -- this turned into a really long post, so hopefully I won't put you to sleep! LOL))

By nature, I am not a confrontational person. As I get older, I do feel I have an easier time speaking my mind, but still – I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to speaking up or complaining about something. I let little things slide most of the time. This is the complete opposite of my husband who in my opinion tends to be TOO much the other way. He can make a mountain out of a molehill like no one else I know. We frustrate each other quite frequently in this regard.

Just a few days ago, I threw my family for a loop with a different-than-normal reaction. And it was over something as silly as attempting to use a reading award my son had received at school. It was a certificate for a free Personal Pan Pizza at Pizza Hut.

These certificates have a spot on the back that says what month the child is being awarded for and underneath there is a line where the teacher fills in the date she awarded it. The fine print right underneath the date says, “expires one month from date received”. Seems pretty self explanatory, right? Normally the teacher will hand out the certificates a week or two after a particular month ends. So for example – Friday, my son brought one home for his achievements in March. So she wrote “April 11” as the date awarded, meaning it will expire May 11. Easy, right? Not really.

On Friday I attempted to use another certificate that expired April 11th. But the manager at Pizza Hut told me they didn’t go by the expiration date. They go by the month circled and he told me I’m supposed to use it in the month circled.

I then tried to explain to him that this makes no sense, seeing as the month circled has already passed – the kids have to get through the entire month before being awarded. He would not even listen to me. He kept cutting me off and he told me I needed to set the teacher straight because he had informed his entire staff to do it his way.

I could not believe he was arguing with me over a free Personal Pan pizza for my eight-year old son. And might I add that I decided to buy pizza for the whole family since I was using the certificate – so I was spending another $15-$20 at his store that I probably would not have spent otherwise. Why would he not consider that?

The manager did let me use the certificate in the end, but he gave me a stern warning to not try again. As we drove away I muttered under my breath “What IS his deal?” That’s all I said – and my oldest son said, “Mom – what are you saying? That’s not like you. You’re kind of scaring me.” I had to laugh – the kids really are not used to me reacting in such a way. I also sent a complaint by email to Pizza Hut – which completely freaked my husband out. LOL

As I think about this whole ordeal it makes me laugh. It’s a pizza for goodness sake – does it really matter? No. But what I think really got me was the fact that the man would not even LISTEN to me. I wasn’t being argumentative – I was trying to explain something. And he made up his mind to disagree with me before I even started. I hate that.

But guess what? I’m sure I’ve been guilty of it many times myself. I haven’t listened when I should have. I’ve cut my kids off before they could tell me something. I’ve tuned out someone who I was sure was wrong because darn it – I was right. I know I’ve done it.

SO – there we have it – the point of my ridiculously LONG post. Sometimes people just want and need to be heard. And maybe, if we let them talk – we’ll learn something and realize we needed to hear it. I hope to be more conscious of that. It’s not fun to feel ignored. I don’t want to be guilty of making another person feel that way. So even though I’m still just a little bit miffed at Mr. Pizza Hut – I guess he taught me a lesson and served as a reminder of something I need to work on.

I have a bad habit...

when I'm blog hopping, of going through my list of links in alphabetical order. So if your name starts with A through C -- I think I visit you pretty often. D through M -- not as much, but more often than others. N through Z -- I neglect you more than I should! I need to change that, don't I? :)

On another note --

I was just sitting here watching the "Idol Gives Back" show that I taped (yes, I said taped...we still use a VCR in this house!) last night. Watching these types of shows, it amazes me how sometimes a very small amount of money can really make a huge difference in some places. And when you think about each of us giving a small amount of money to help others -- it can add up to big amounts. We all know there is no shortage of places/people/organizations that need our help.

As I mentioned yesterday, I decided to start posting my Random Act of Kindness prompts again -- just every now and then. So here's a prompt for this week.

Give some spare change to someone in need or to a charitable organization this week or next. Donate something to a local daycare, school or shelter that may be in need. If it's not money -- donate something you don't use or need anymore. Go fill a bag at the grocery store full of canned goods and donate it to a local food bank. I think all of us can spare some change, can't we? Get your kids involved -- have them give a quarter or a dollar from their bank. I think every little bit helps.

Perhaps you all do these things already without my prompts, but if you're anything like me -- my intentions are often good, but the getting it done often takes longer than I would like. I need to be more consistent with it -- and I'm hoping putting it in writing on my blog will be a good way to remind myself!

That's all from me today -- I have a lot to do and I am not getting much done. Some days are just like that.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

What a Ham!

Are you sick of photos of my youngest yet?? If so, I apologize -- but I took about eight or ten of him playing outside last night and in every single one, he made some crazy, cheesy, silly face -- so I thought I'd share a few. What a goofball! You should be able to click on them to get the full effect of "cheeziness"!

Many of the photos I've been taking outside lately include bubbles. What a great invention! My kids could spend hours playing with bubbles and bubble toys (the two youngest ones anyway!). We have quite a variety of bubble toys. I love 'em because they keep the kids entertained, bubbles are pretty inexpensive and the toys make minimal noise. Much better than reggae-playing tambourines (as mentioned in one of my recent posts!)

And speaking of things that are inexpensive...let's talk about penny pinching.

Being a one income family with three kids, it's not always easy making ends meet. We are able to pay our bills and do fun things now and again, but we don't have a lot of extra money for things like vacations or amusement parks or things for our kids that a lot of other kids have. I don't feel that my children are hurting or missing out -- they have plenty of fun without spending money - but sometimes it sure would be nice to feel like we could take a trip or let our kids take a class or go to a camp or whatever without having to set ourselves back.

I am a firm believer in being smart with your money -- and I'm not usually a big shopper or spender anyway. But I also believe in the "you can't take it with you" philosophy. I would much rather take my kids to a movie and have a great afternoon once in a while than worry about the fact that I've just spent $20 on tickets and snacks. My hubby on the other hand will say, "This kids movie is only 88 minutes long. Is it worth a $6 ticket??" He HATES spending money. I guess in the back of my head I'm always thinking -- if something should happen to me tomorrow, would I rather have spent a fun afternoon at the movies with my kids -- or would I rather have saved $20?? If we did it every weekend, that would be one thing. But we don't, so to me -- it's not a big deal. No sense in overthinking it -- just go have some fun and move on, right??

I think it's normal to wish for things you don't have -- but I also think it's important to always remember that money and "things" do not bring happiness. Yes, money is a necessity and it can make life a little easier. But it isn't going to make your life complete. Besides -- to me, what is the point of working if you can't enjoy yourself once in a while without stressing out about how much it is costing you? It's not worth it. Life is just too short.

Somehow it's Wednesday already -- I hope you're enjoying your week! I realized the other day that it has been AGES since I did one of my random act of kindness prompts on my blog, so I may try to sneak one in every now and then. Be on the lookout -- I'll try to post one before the end of the week!

Chat with you soon!

It's warming up!

And we are spending more time outside (when it's not raining buckets of rain!). My little guy insists on wearing his big brother's bike helmet -- and I have to say, it looks awfully darn cute. It's obviously too big and even if I try to put it on straight and make it fit better, he will push it to the side of his head. I guess that's his own little fashion statement -- the helmet tilt.

It's nice to have warmer temps and sunshiney days. But I am not anxious to wear summer clothes. I hate shorts. I hate swimsuits. Even way back in the old days when I was smaller and in shape I hated summer clothes. I guess I'm just not comfortable in them.

It's hard to believe how close summer really is. The kids will be done with school next month (wow!) and my boys will have birthdays. They are growing up entirely too quickly. Honestly -- as much as I wish for peace and quiet some days (really most days!) -- I also realize that some day, my house will be much too quiet. I'll probably be wishing for some noise (hard to believe!).

Isn't it funny when you're a parent -- there are times you are so anxious for certain phases or things to pass, but you don't really want the time to pass so quickly? I feel this way on so many levels with my youngest. He can be a real challenge some days. He's so different from the other kids at this age. His communication is not where it should be at nearly four years old and it can be so frustrating. Not just for us -- but I know it must be hard for him because there are times we just don't get what he's asking for or telling us. Potty training has also been a real challenge. The child eats next to nothing and somehow still manages to grow. And wow, is he strong willed! I get anxious for things to "get better" and keep thinking -- "hopefully by four or four and a half...definitely by the time he's five..." -- but then I also want him to stay little. He's got a sweetness that I just love and I enjoy our time together just me and him -- even when he's wearing me out. I don't want him to grow up and head off to school. I want to keep him here with me as long as I can.

I hope you are enjoying some spring/summer weather where you are -- happy Monday -- have a great week!

ATCs

These scans are so bad -- but I had to show you the darling ATC my daughter made.

Most of you already know, an ATC is an artist trading card. I am doing an ATC swap on Amy's blog. Amy doesn't really know me, but I found her blog through my friends Christi and Carolyn. Amy was kind enough to include me in her swap. Anyway -- I have been working on the cards as pictured on the left. Whenever I am working on ATCs, my daughter decides she too, needs to make some cards "to send to Mommy's scrapbook friends". (So Christi, Carolyn...don't be surprised if you get an extra card in the mail! LOL)

As you can see, she mimicked my design for the most part, but I have NO idea what prompted her to come up with the words "happy endings" on her card. She just decided that is what it should say. Isn't it cute?

And for any of my crafty friends who care -- the base of my card is of course, Bazzill cardstock. The stamp is a Violets stamp by Hampton Art and I used Staz-On violet ink. The middle of each flower has a dot of lime green stickles. The edges of the card were dry brushed with black acrylic paint. The embellie in the corner is Magic Mesh, olive green rick rack and Doodlebug adhesive gems. My quote is from Aesop -- "No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted." (Isn't that the truth???)

For some reason, I have not been scrapping too many actual pages lately -- I don't know why really. But these ATCs give me something creative to do and it's a good thing. I need creative time some days to unwind a bit.

It has been raining like crazy here the past few days. It is supposed to continue raining today and into tomorrow. I like rainy days, but too many in a row and you really start wishing for the sun and a dry day. There was a gorgeous rainbow the other night when my hubby got home from work, but by the time we got the camera, it had faded considerably. Otherwise I would share pictures.

I can hardly believe it's Friday -- this week just seemed to fly by. Hope you all enjoy your day and have a great weekend! Chat with you soon!

Add it to the "Things that are just plain evil" list...

Today I was driving by Chick-Fil-A. Their sign said "Try our new Coffee Caramel Shake".

If that's not evil, I don't know what is! Coffee -- and Caramel -- in one shake?? I somehow resisted the urge to drive my car across their lawn to get myself one....but I am quite certain it will not take me too long to find a reason to head back that way. I am almost salivating just thinking about it. (Christi, if you're reading this, I am SO going to join in on Shake Fridays this week!)

And while we're talking about things that are evil...April Fool's Day. I'm not a fan. Maybe it's because my husband is kind of a jokester 80% of the time and it's tiresome -- or perhaps it's because since my daughter has been home from school today she had told me countless tall tales followed by a loud "APRIL FOOL'S" and maniacal laughter. My attempts at pretending that she "got me" are getting pretty feeble.

I have also decided to add "toys my mother-in-law buys my children" to the list of all things evil. The biggest offender today is the electronic tambourine that plays a catchy reggae tune. Catchy that is, until you've heard it 563 times in a row, at which point you are really quite tempted to chuck it through a window -- or to jump yourself!

My list would also have to include Starbucks White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha that sucked me into the drive through line at Starbucks on more than one occasion during the holidays. Oh -- and the Target Dollar spot, which is truly the Target "take all your dollars" spot. Maybe Target in general should be on the list. It has crazy power over one's wallet -- wouldn't you agree??

Oh gosh -- here's another one -- Sweet Tea! It's like crack. (Or what I imagine crack would be like as I honestly have no first hand experience!) When we moved to the South, we quickly discovered Southerners like iced tea that is sickeningly sweet...something we had never experienced. The hubby and I quickly became addicted and were buying it by the gallon at the grocery store. We pretty much OD'ed on it after a few months and broke free of our addiction. But these past few weeks, the occasional 1/2 gallon appears in our fridge. It's yummy!

How about you -- what things would you like to add to my list of things that are irresistable and therefore evil???

I'm sure I could go on, but the kitchen is calling me...it's that time of day when I must attempt to put together a meal that everyone in my house will eat (ha!). Wish me luck!