Adventures of a Supermom

Watercolor In Pictures

2009-06-15T20:47:00.023-05:00

I'm certain you don't want too much commentary on our beach vacation to Watercolor. Sometimes absolute paradise is best left undescribed, right?

Here's the gist of it: We flew to Florida. We sat on the beach. Sand entered all our crevices. Our babies were whiney. We had fun. I got a tan. We went home. Still friends with the Stevens. Laundry. Laundry. The end.

So, here is a photo recap of our family adventure:

Beachy Thoughts

2009-06-03T14:11:00.002-05:00

Hi! We're at the beach this week as most of you know from my constant stream of Facebook status updates.

We returned to Watercolor once again and made one minor change. We replaced my sister and her family with some local Waco friends -- not intentionally, of course, but Flo has a new baby and didn't think that Sophie Rose was up for a 14 hour car ride. Apparently, Miss Sophie doesn't even like 5 minute car rides because she hates her car seat so much.

However, we chose to fly to Florida because no one really wanted to be in the car with each other that long....and here we are.

Unfortunately for you, I left my cable connector thingy at home, which allows me to transfer photos from my camera to my computer. I guess you'll have to wait for a second post once we return home.

I will share with you a few highlights and parting thoughts as we enter day #4 at the beach:

1. My babies don't like sand.
2. My littlest baby did not receive the memo that vacations mean sleeping late. She has blessed us each morning at 6:45 am with her demands for the day. Keep in mind, this is the child who routinely sleeps until 8:15 am every morning since her birth.
3. My babies don't like sand that hides in their "nooks and crannies."
4. Being on vacation does not mean that people will put up their cell phones, laptops and ipods. In fact, this has become a breeding ground for increased use of above mentioned items.
5. Traveling with the Steven's is nice. There aren't too many people who can hang together for six days straight and still remain friends. We are, however, only on day 4. I'll update you at the end of the trip.
6. We will be building a pool at our next home. The girls completely prefer the pool to the beach (see #'s 1 and 3). And why we chose to travel four states away only to listen to repeated requests to go to the pool is beyond me. The La Quinta in Dallas would have been waaaaaaay cheaper.
7. I have completely lost track of what day it is, and I have no concept of time.
8. It has now started thunder storming and is supposed to do so until we leave. Now what?
9. A 10 year old child turned to me on the plane and asked: "Are you vacationing in Watercolor or do you own a house there?" To which I replied, "Yes, we are vacationing...you?" To which she replied, "We own a house there." These houses are upwards of 1.5 million dollar homes. And this 10 year old just put me in my place.
10. I've got a really rockin' tan and am ready for the summer.
11. There aren't many places I'd move to...but Watercolor is one place I'd pack my boxes and leave my friends for. (Oh, come on! You know you'd visit!)
12. Not only do my babies dislike sand, but they also dislike each other.

The Price of Fame

2009-05-16T16:55:00.003-05:00

So yesterday I had coffee with Shemane Nugent. I know that statement sounds rather casual, and I wish it was. Truth be known, I was dying with excitement. Giddy even.

Shemane is, like, a big deal. And her husband, Ted Nugent, is an even bigger deal. Famous, in fact. And I had the privilege to sit with her at Starbucks for over an hour...as though we were BFF.

I will be helping Shemane and several others with the new Zumba website that will launch pretty soon. My role will be that of a guest blogger, and it all started because my sweet friends, Heather and Stephanie, printed out my "Why I Enjoy Shaking My Booty" post and brought it to Zumba class to give to Shemane. One thing led to another, and before I knew it...I was sitting with Shemane at Starbucks.

Honestly speaking, the fame associated with the Nugent family is not really why I was so giddy. I was mesmerized by the fact that I was drinking coffee with my Zumba instructor. I'll be the first to admit, though, that I can get quite starstruck....pretty easily. In elementary school, I wrote a letter to Johnny Depp professing my never-ending love for him, and I was mildly surprised when all I received in return was an autographed letter from his fan club. In Junior High, I traveled with some friends to see New Kids On The Block. I sat in that stadium actually believing that Jordan or Jonathan Knight would choose me out of a crowd of thousands to ask me to be his girlfriend. (In case you're wondering, it never happened, and I'm still upset about it.) In college, I agreed to go on a date with a music store manager whom I had no romantic interested in whatsoever, just so I could go backstage with him to meet Clint Black. And the fun doesn't end there. Just this past year, I had the honor of helping our church host Phil Wickham and Steve Fee in concert. All of my coolness was thrown aside when my sister called and I thrust the cell phone in Phil's hands and shrieked, "Will you say hi to my sister?" Gary Rhodes has asked that I never volunteer in this position ever again.

So as you can see, people with any amount of fame are SuperStars in my book. And I'm not too ashamed to let them know. But with Shemane...things were different. As much as I'd love to give you the "dirt" -- that she's super snobby.....that up close she's not that attractive....that she treated people around her like servants--it just wasn't true. She was friendly. She was warm. She was interested in my thoughts and opinions. She was real. The fame associated with her name did not define her. It was simply a blessing in her life that she seemed humbled by and grateful for.

The price of fame is high, as is evidenced by fallen stars such as Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, Corey Haim, and Heath Ledger just to name a few. It's a big responsibility and one that is often abused.

I was reminded of a scripture out of Luke, "to whom much is given, much is required." Shemane Nugent seems to have a pretty good grip on what she is called to do with the life she leads. A friend of mine recently shared with me a heart-warming story of a little girl with brain cancer. She was part of the Make-A-Wish foundation, and her wish was to spend the day with Ted Nugent. I asked Shemane about this story and as she shared some of the details, I think I saw tears in her eyes. The Nugents have been given much...and they give back even more.

From that coffee date, my eyes were exposed to a different side of fame....one that will impact me forever. And to think that this realization came about all because I chose to shake my booty.

Go figure....

Oh, No She DIDN'T!

2009-05-01T21:08:00.007-05:00

I sat down to check my blog comments this evening to find this little jewel posted by "Anonymous":

It amazes me how shallow your posts are compared to most. It always revolves around things about what (you) like and want and not real world issues....guess thats why its YOUR blog. As far as being a writer I guess if it was a book all about you it may be enjoyable for you, because anything with substance would be above you.

I'll be the first to admit that upon first read, I felt a little heat rise in my chest and face. And then, I laughed and snorted.

This is my first (unsolicited) negative comment, and I honestly wasn't quite sure how to react....or respond. You see, those of us who blog (and allow anonymous comments) are somewhat gluttons for punishment. We knowingly and willingly tell stories about our lives that leave room for judgement, criticism and complaint. 99 percent of the time, my comments are positive and encouraging, and this negative nugget puts a blemish on my comment record. Tsk, Tsk!

For the record, I would like to apologize to those of you who read my blog to get information regarding social injustices, world economics, politcal viewpoints, Taliban intelligence, historical information, or neuroscientific evidence supporting the Big Bang Theory. It just ain't happenin' on this blog, sweetie.

You see, on my blog I write about, well.....me. My life, my family, my friends. Sorry for the disappointment. It's kind of my online journal....a way of documenting my feelings, frustrations and phase of life here in my "real world." I guess it's like keeping a diary of sorts, and the subject matter of a diary--any one's diary--is usually about oneself. Seriously, would the Diary of Anne Frank have had such significance if the entire diary was written about her sweaty-lipped neighbor, Claus? I think not.

Now, I will concede to one statement the naughty, negative commenter made, and that is my posts have been rather shallow lately. I read back through some of my older posts and realized that I have taken the "easy road" approach to blogging by using some of those silly memes in place of an actual post. And to my true and faithful readers, I apologize. I have not given this blog the effort it, or you, deserves. I will try to do better, write stronger, and come up with issues of substance.

In the meantime, you can catch up on a few of my personal favorite all-about-me-and-my-shallow-non-real-world life by reading about Emerie's experience guzzling torch fuel, Landrie's happy hiney-wiping display at church, or my most popular post to date about the definition of a Stay at Home Mom, which tied with this post about Kellie-Laine's future dating life (or lack thereof.)

Stay tuned, negative commenter. You may find that the post you've been waiting for is just around the corner.....

Why I Enjoy Shaking My Booty

2009-04-23T22:34:00.002-05:00

I'm breaking my blogging silence to inform you that I have recently discovered the fountain of youth. As a 34 year old mother of three girls, there's not a whole lot that makes me feel "young" these days. And, let's admit it, ladies. We all like to feel young every now and again.

Well, my now-and-again is coming a bit more frequently thanks to my Zumba class. And feeling young is a weekly occurence.

First of all, let me explain that Zumba is a new form of exercise that involves hip-hop or samba-type music, as well as associated dance moves. The best way I can describe it is: high-school-cheerleader meets inner-pole-dancer.

I'll admit that my "inner pole dancer" has surfaced a few times in my adult existence. It usually happens when my kids are in Mother's Day Out and I'm cleaning the kitchen with the music turned up loudly. I have a set of double ovens that provide a pretty good reflection....and sometimes I'll choose to "break it down" right then and there......you know, unleash those pole dancing moves I saw on Oprah. Only, then I catch myself in the reflection of my ovens, and I'm reminded why pole dancers are pole dancers....and why I should stick to being a mother cleaning the kitchen.

So back to Zumba. I love Zumba for a variety of reasons, but the main reason is that many of my friends are in class with me. It reminds me of the very reasons why I loved cheerleading camp so much. We laugh and giggle our way through the awkward hip thrusts, as well as encourage one another by saying things like, "Make sure you show your husband that move tonight!"

The second reason why I love Zumba is because I can actually do it. Listen, I am not an athletic person -- at all. It all started in Jr. High. Suffice it to say that my athletic career started and ended with my first volleyball game. I served the ball; said "owie," and that was the end of that. I have tried various exercise regimens over the years only to lack the discipline to stick to any of them. I can't do any form of exercise for a whole hour, honestly. I broke out in hives after 10 minutes of Nicki Wilson's kick boxing class. I puked after 30 minutes of body shaping. I really was beginning to think I was allergic to exercise. Enter Zumba. I can shake my booty for a whole hour. I sweat like a pig, and I love it.

The third reason I love Zumba is because I love the music. Songs like, "Right Round" by Flo Rida, "Krazy" by Pit Bull, and the Pussy Cat Dolls. I spent one afternoon downloading my favorite Zumba songs and excitedly showed my dance moves to my oldest gal, Kellie-Laine. "Mom!" she shrieked, "do you know what those songs say?!" To which I thought: No, I don't and I don't care. All I know is that when when this guy sings that lyric, I am to shake my booty to the beat. And doesn't mommy look so cute doing this move? (Incidentally, Kellie-Laine ran out of the room mortified at my less-than-mommy-like behavior.)

I also love Zumba because I am doing things for Zumba that I wouldn't normally do.....like putting my children in the gym childcare so I can attend the class. I really dislike the childcare, but Zumba has helped me overcome my fear and guilt....oh, okay, and my pitiful excuse not to exercise. I have also beefed up my exercise wardrobe. While this is usually something I do to try and motivate myself to actually work out, I have invested in a few "Zumba appropriate" clothing items. If you're not careful, you might actually confuse me for a Zumba instructor. Also, I'm not normally a front-row-joe kind of person, but in Zumba I am. Front and center, baby. It also helps that I'm able to see our instructor, Ted Nugent's beautiful wife, more clearly. (She, incidentally, brings new meaning to the word "Hot Mama" .....oh, if I could only look that good when I'm her age!)

The final reason I love Zumba is because it makes me feel young again. It's silly, really, but for some reason shakin' my booty makes me smile and giggle. And smiling and giggling makes me feel young. It's a much needed break from my reality of changing diapers, waiting in carpool, or loading the dishwasher. A few times today, I even played my Zumba CD to help me get through some of the mundane household chores I needed to do. I smiled and danced the whole time.

So tonight our family went to the Y. The kids and dear husband swam while I Zumba-ed. My middle girl, Landrie, watched us through the viewing window for a few moments. When I picked her up she asked, "Are you going to perform for a show?"

"No, baby" I laughed. But for those few minutes when people peer in the window to see what we're doing, it kind of feels like a show. And I am the star performer.... shakin' my booty for all the world to see.

Just Checkin' In

2009-03-15T22:14:00.004-05:00

It's been almost a month since I've last blogged....A MONTH! I never thought that I'd be this much of a slacker, but guess what? I am.

I guess the topic most talked about in my circle of friends is this danged economy. What do you guys think about it? I think it sucks. And I'm scared.

I need to remind those of you who didn't know me back in 1999 that I was one of those crazy gals who stocked up on powdered milk and jugs of water and demanded that all my extended family members spend New Year's Eve at my house. Y2K, baby. Suffice it to say that Y2K never happened. And my powdered milk? Thrown out in January of 2001.

But this thing we're going through now is a different kind of situation. It's not a computer glitch. It's not the prophetic end of the world. It's plain and simple "Many-Americans-Were-Stupid-With-Their-Money" and "Banks-Gave -Loans-To-Every-Man-Or-Donkey-That -Walked-Through-The-Door". And here we are.

The economic sky is falling, and I've become Chicken Little.

Even though I didn't vote for him, I do believe Obama is trying to sort through this mess we're in. I think we are expecting too much to see a few stimulus packages clean up years worth of debt, stupidity, and greed. I want to see him succeed for the simple fact of turning things around for our future. Republican or not, we need his help and leadership.

Now, on a local level.....I'm wondering if you guys are seeing local effects of this economic train wreck. Here are just a few I've noticed:

1. Many retailers have cut back their hours. Ann Taylor Loft now closes at 7 pm instead of 9pm.
Hollywood video is no longer open 24 hours a day. They close at 10 pm.
2. Several people we know have lost jobs.
3. The local housing market....enough said!
4. Mommies are having to return to the workforce.
5. Private schooling parents are having to consider options like public school or home school.
6. Spring Break vacations were almost non-existent within my circle of friends. We didn't plan any type of vacation, and I didn't even mind.
7. More retail stores are having sales.

What about you? What are you noticing in response to the economic downfall? Are you doing anything as a family to prepare for worse times? Are you turning a blind eye? Storing food? Buying guns? Praying more? Anyone? Anyone?

As a side story, a friend of mine was returning to Waco and stopped at a Subway in Corsicana. She bought a meal deal, you know, 6-inch sub with drink and chips. When she went to check out, the cashier told her it would be $9.49 for her meal. She, of course, protested this price and the cashier told her that "since they were the only Subway in town, they went up $3 on all their meal deals." Isn't this price gauging? My friend is planning to report this incident tomorrow to the Subway manager, but wouldn't you know that the cashier conveniently left out the receipt from her purchase? No proof that she over-paid.

And I think my friend just gave that cashier a $3 tip.

Yoo-Hoo....My New Do....

2009-02-12T15:08:00.003-06:00

So whatcha think? (sorry for the amateur self-portraits! I look more like a camera model.)

After a looooong several months of going without a haircut, I began to feel pretty shaggy. One of my blogging friends, Nicksterland, posted a recent photo of her new do and I was inspired.

According to my fabulous hair stylist (Hippie Chic Salon), this new style is very "in" with the Baylor girls. She called it the today's version of the "punk 80's mullet" and I immediately started sweating in my armpits.

However, when she spun me around in the salon chair and said, "Voila!". I squealed with glee! It's a fun Joan Jett meets Florence Henderson.....meets Asian SuperMom.

Now if I could just figure out how to style this do tomorrow.......

25 Random Things About Me

2009-02-06T20:30:00.003-06:00

It seems like many people have a new hobby called "Facebooking." I regretfully admit that it has now become a hobby of mine, as well.

Cody was watching me check my Facebook one night, and he asked me if I had to update my status every time I did something new. "Yes." I responded, and he instantly lost his desire to participate in Facebook. Ever.

So since I am neither blogging or updating my status on Facebook with any consistency, I thought I'd snag the most recent meme from Facebook and integrate it into my blog.

Here are 25 Random Things About Me:

1. I delivered my first baby in 31 minutes. No epidural. Nothing.
2. I highly recommend an epidural and had one with my other two deliveries. Ladies, listen to me: There is no extra badge in Heaven for having delivered your baby au natural. And it does not make you more of a hero....er, heroine.
3. I have a slight form of trichotillomania (compulsion to pull my hair out strand by strand), and recently I've discovered my daughter does the same thing.
4. I hate other people's feet. I'll even admit that once my children leave the toddler phase....even their feet become ugly to me. And, oh my gosh, would you people please cut your toenails? Seriously.
5. In high school, I made it to the State competition for Informative Speaking and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. I can sense several of you have just had an "ah-ha" moment about me.
6. I am a mixed-breed. Asian Mommy; White Daddy. I hated this fact about myself until I went to college and realized that it made me unique and different. I lived in a small town and was teased a lot about my ethnicity.
7. I am moody to the point that I think I need medication.
8. I am a clean-freak. My house is always picked up. Stuff is always put in it's place. When things start to pile up (laundry, dishes, clutter, etc.) I get an anxious feeling in my chest.
9. I am not, however, a germ-o-phobe.
10. I have a severe fear of snakes.
11. I do not enjoy girly-movies. No chic flicks for this chic! I hate to cry.
12. Because I hate to cry and really fight the urge to do so, when my husband does see me cry he freaks out. He just kind of stares at me. This makes me feel even more vulnerable, and then I get mad at him. (Which, incidentally, makes me stop crying. Maybe that's his plan......)
13. I had very lenient parents growing up. No curfew, no rules, etc.
14. I get stressed out and overwhelmed as a mother too easily.
15. I was the high school mascot (a little cheerleader) when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade. My dad was the editor of our local paper, and he was covering the mascot/cheerleader try-outs. As he was walking out the door, he asked if I wanted to go with him and try out. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess so." When they called my name as the "winner," I was swinging on the bleachers--completely oblivious that there was even a competition going on.
16. I am, by nature, very lazy.
17. I grew up in a non-Christian home. My sister and I were the ones that the church kids always tried to take to church as guests. Though I accepted God as my savior over and over at revivals, VBS, and mission trips, it wasn't until college that I entered into a meaningful, intimate relationship with Him. I'm thankful that His plan was to bring me to Him later rather than sooner. It was a painful process, but so very worth it.
18. I cannot live without my cell phone and computer.
19. I am a shop-o-holic. And a cheapie. I love to spend money...but only on bargains.
20. I was a decent tennis player in high school, but I had a bad attitude. I used to spit on the tennis court during matches.
21. I have never seen The Passion. I don't think I could bear it.
22. I have an unhealthy habit of reading the horrific headlines from foxnews.com. I also have an unhealthy habit of thinking every male stranger is a child molester.
23. I get nauseous very easily. Motion sickness in the car, on a swing or merry-go-round. I also get sick if I get up early and exercise----which is why I don't. Get up early. Or exercise.
24. I'm not sure what I would do if I ever had to go back to work.
25. I went to Colorado for Spring Break when I was a sophomore in college. For some reason, I had an emotional break down and called my dad crying and asking him if he would come get me (this would have been like a 20 hour trip.) Do you know what my dad said? "If you can catch the next bus to Amarillo, I'll meet you there as soon as I can." Now that's love, people. No questions asked, he was willing to hop in his car and drive through the night for over 15 hours to come get me. Still brings tears to my eyes.............

The Ho-Hums

2009-01-12T23:29:00.002-06:00

Hooooooooo-Hummmmmmmm. If you were sitting beside me, you would realize that was a big sigh I just let out.

Can I just be honest and say that I'm really, really tired of blogging? In fact, I'm so tired of blogging that I'm not really even reading other people's blogs. There's a few I check in on regularly, but not daily as I used to. But I don't want to lose my connection with those of you who read this, so I press on. (And if my 9 month pregnant sister can still blog....so can I!)

Life is moving at a rapid speed for us right now. Deep in the trenches of basketball season (which I LOVE), back to the solid rock of spring Bible study, the second semester of school, a new year full of already-broken resolutions, the promise of spring, trying to plan a summer vacation, becoming the owners of 15 acres of land........time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin (sing with me now) into the future.....

Many of my fellow-bloggers re-capped their favorite Christmas memories with photos. I'll have to pass on that, but here are a few bullet points from Beeler Christmas 2008:

--I made a spontaneous purchase for Kellie-Laine: and ipod touch. Only after I had the thing engraved did I realize that a.) the ipod touch does not have parental controls for the internet and b.) the ipod is non-returnable after engraving. Guess who is now the proud owner of an ipod touch which conveniently sits on my computer desk for days at a time untouched?! I call it my ipod no-touch because I never use the thing.

--We had family visit for five days straight. FIVE DAYS STRAIGHT. In case you didn't get that let me repeat....five, 5, cinco days in a row. I love parts of my family and for those family members, five days is not enough. But those on the other hand.......

-- My brother-in-law came down with a stomach bug during the five days straight. There is nothing better than cleaning up someone else's poop/vomit on the potty while trying to ensure that my kiddos or other visiting family members don't get sick.

-- Landrie and cousin Grace went MIA with all of their "pretend play" time. I only got glimpses of Landrie throughout most of the holidays. She was in heaven having a captive audience to play with at her every beck and call.

-- I loved seeing the shock on Kellie-Laine's face when she pulled the ipod nano out of her stocking. She was totally shocked. Her elation was short lived once she heard my confession of the ipod no-touch.

--I bought Cody a gun for Christmas. While I loved seeing the joy and surprise on his face, nothing compares to the experience actually purchasing the gun. (Imagine a dressed-to-the-hilt half-Asian girl sauntering into Academy holding a torn piece of paper while reading to the salesperson: "I would like to buy either a .22 rifle or a .177 pellet gun with rat ammo, please. Oh, and do those guns come in pink, by chance?) Bat those eyelashes; twirl that hair......

--For the fourth year in a row, I had my Christmas meal catered. This is a tradition I'm not willing to change. Money well spent.

-- Speaking of traditions, we once again purchased an expensive gift for someone who complained about it. I'm not naming names, but apparently this has become a Beeler tradition. I call it the "Let's See How Much Money We Can Spend On Someone Who Will Complain About Why They Can't Use It" tradition.

-- I did not take full opportunity to share the real reason behind the season with my girls. They were, however, fully aware of Max, our Elf on the Shelf. Note to self: gotta do a better job next year. My girls spent quite a bit of time searching for Max and asking him to bring them real cell phones. He did not comply.

And finally,

--My Christmas card-making business was successful and so much fun. Those of you who ordered a card from me, please know that you are helping me pay for a very useless ipod no-touch.

May joy and peace abound in your home in 2009! Until next time.................

Christmas Wishes

2008-12-22T09:09:00.003-06:00

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas! Here's our card for this year.....let me know if you'd like one.

Apparently, I don't have as many friends as I thought. I've got a few dozen left.....(you can click on the photo to see it larger).

Also, thank you to all those who allowed me the opportunity of designing a Christmas card for you! I loved each project, and I will hopefully post some of my favorites on my other blog (www.creative-blank.blogspot.com) soon!

Honesty is the Best Policy?

2008-12-11T21:31:00.005-06:00

I received this award from my sweet friends, Amy and Autumn. Here are the rules:

"When you receive the prize, you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in their content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing that they were prized with 'Honest Weblog'. List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. Then, pass it on!"

And here are the 10 honest things about me...in no particular order:

1. My friend, Marsha, tells me often that I have "boldness of spirit" but really what I have is the inability to control my tongue. Some things aren't meant to be shared. I apparently don't have that particular filter, and I will say things that, more often than not, hurt someone's feelings. I often leave a conversation feeling as though I said too much or was too "big" for the crowd. Does that make sense?

2. I have severe PMS (me, too, Rachel!). I've struggled with it ever since I can remember, and it oftentimes is incapacitating. Sometimes I can't shake it off, and it will linger for weeks at a time. Sadly, the person who notices this the most is my husband.

3. I find myself often trying to "get out" of my motherhood duties by arranging playdates, shopping with the kids, or asking my husband to help out. I really, really hate those days when nothing is on the agenda, and I have to entertain the girls. It's a selfish response, really. I have to remind myself over and over to "die to self."

4. I am physically out of shape. Although I have been blessed with being genetically skinny, I could not run a race to save my life. At this point, I couldn't even participate in a "Sit and Be Fit" class without getting sore! I know I need to do some cardio to get my heart properly running, but I have no motivation to do so.

5. I am a negative thinker.

6. I am sort of good at a lot of things, but not really good at any one thing. This really bothers me. I'd love to have one talent or one skill that defines me or that I'm known for.

7. I did not have a close relationship with my mom and sometimes I'm a little uncertain how to connect with my girls. My mother wasn't a "hugger" and didn't express her love physically. I really have to work on remembering to physically touch and love on my girls. It's not a natural response for me.

8. If I could have breast augmentation without my girls knowing, I would. I breastfed all three of my babies, and it's a badge I wear with honor. But, let's face it, not every mommy can walk away with a body like Heidi Klum! (this probably falls under the TMI category....but review point #1).

9. I struggle with contentment. It seems I always have my eye on the "next thing" ......next project, next purchase, next home, next phase of life, etc.

10. I bathe every night without fail, which includes shaving my legs and washing my hair. I never miss. On the rare occasion that I have had to skip a shower for some random reason, I usually can't sleep because the bed sheets don't "feel right."

Okay, so there you have it! More information about me than you've ever wished for or wanted. And I'm certain you'll avoid me in the hallway the next time you see me.....

I tag the following people:

Kimberly P.
Nicksterland
Flo
Jamie
Heather
Diary of a Playdate Dropout
Juli B
Kesleigh

I'm too lazy to link them on this post....so just look on my blog lists to find them.

Love ya!

Well, hello there!

2008-12-04T23:57:00.005-06:00

I am going to ramble here because I realize it's been forever since I've posted. I was seriously even tempted to just close up shop until after Christmas, but the thought of losing all of you precious readers drove me to post!

My life can be described in two little words: controlled chaos. Anyone know what I'm talking about? There has been so much activity lately....things that really are too boring to mention here. On Sunday, as I was planning my week ahead, I realized that every single night of the week was booked--which meant that I would not be cooking dinner, which meant we would not be eating together as a family. In my book, that's tragic.

I may not be great at most things, but I do get a little possessive about family meal time. I don't really even like to cook, and sometimes the burden of coming up with a menu for Picky #1, Picky #2, and Picky #3 is too much! However, I value the way a home cooked meal feels.....around the dinner table; together as a family.

Please don't misunderstand, even while we're eating--it is still controlled chaos. The two little ones crawling under the table, the oldest hurriedly eating so she can resume checking her email, me claiming a small victory for each morsel of food I get into Emerie's mouth, Cody trying to hold conversation with anyone who is paying attention. Oh, yeah. It's pure insanity.

But you know what? It's a memory. I don't really remember too many meals 'round the dinner table from my childhood. Both my parents worked outside of the home, which kept them super busy. But the times I do remember eating together as a family (even the times I hated what we were eating) are cherished memories.

I was sharing my frustration with my wise mommy friends, and most agreed that I needed to give myself a break. My expectations needed to be lowered, they said. And, I agree. CanI admit to you that when order food at a drive through, I get a little bit embarrassed at who might recognize my car? Isn't that insane?

I guess I feel like a failure when I can't provide a home-cooked meal for my family. Partly it's about nutrition, but mainly it's about the tradition of the meal. I think I'm justified to want to protect that, but I also think I'm a little too consumed by it. A frozen pizza and macaroni shouldn't feel like failure. Driving through Bush's Chicken shouldn't require a trench coat and sunglasses.

Any psycho therapists out there willing to diagnose me? In the meantime, if any of you have any great weeknight meals, could you leave the recipe in my comments section?

Until next time........

Life With A Toddler

2008-11-11T21:42:00.009-06:00

I really don't think any words are necessary! I just wanted to give you sneek peak into my daily life. Hang in there tired and weary mommies! This really is the good stuff......

Applying makeup.....the way mommy does!

Yes, those are panties she is wearing over her jeans!

This is a battle we're just not choosing to fight.

Nice goggles.....and nice nose boogies!

Because I'm Just Not Busy Enough

2008-11-06T13:42:00.003-06:00

Check out my other Adventure Series......Adventures of a Work-From-Home SuperMom!

Just kidding.....

But you can check out my other blog to see what else I've been up to.....because I really needed something else to do, and apparently I like torture.

http://www.creative-blank.blogspot.com/

Many of you know I've been dabbling a bit in digital designing for a few years now, and I've decided to launch a side business called Creative Blank.

My first endeavor will be a Christmas Card By Design Extravaganza--custom designed Christmas cards for your family to be designed by me and printed by you (or some other photo fininshing company!).

You can email me for an information sheet with prices, instructions and details. My email is cbeeler@grandecom.net

Oh No She Didn't!

2008-11-04T13:03:00.003-06:00

.....or rather, Yes she did!

She turned 13 today. This morning around 7 am to be exact.

I am shrieking with misery at the mere thought of being the mom of a teenager! But here I am, and here I go.

I will buy her a training bra and a copy of "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret." I will wrap these gifts in a pretty package and let her open them during her lunch at school.

I will also smile discreetly when she shrieks in horror.

Happy Birthday, baby! You were (and still are) the best surprise of my life.

***********************

(thanks for your prayers for KL and her best friend, Phoebe.....things seem to be moving in the right direction!)

A PMS Rant

2008-11-02T22:12:00.003-06:00

I've been in a little funk lately, and I think I know why. PMS. Does anyone else go through this month after month after month? Oh, the docs call it some fancy schmancy name now, like PMDD, or something. They even have a birth control pill with a little "happy component" that supposedly helps you get through the week of funk.

I did try this little pill last fall and let's just say that the side effects were a little too much for me. I wasn't moody......but I was just blah the entire time. This month has proven a little bit more of a deeper funk than usual, and I thought I'd let you in on my PMS-induced ramblings.

Here's how my mind works when I'm in the "funky zone": Saturday I received my Digital Scrapbooking magazine in the mail, which I typically devour in 10 minutes. After reading the magazine, I found myself really upset that there were so many new tips and techniques listed that I had no idea about. This made me think about how little I know about digital designing, which made me wonder why many of my friends consider me really knowledgeable in this area, which made me think that maybe I've deceived my friends, which made me question why I had any friends at all. See? Funky crazy.

My mind just hasn't been itself lately. I am tired of my lack of discipline in the exercise arena, but I refuse to put my kids in the gym childcare. I feel like I'm a jack of all trades, but a master of none. I'm sad that many of my days are spent "just getting by" and that I'm not embracing all that motherhood has to offer me (or all that I have to offer my kids). I'm upset that my husband is at a national meeting for four days, and I have no idea where he is (not because he didn't tell me but because I didn't ask...again, the PMS). And then there's this blog......

Don't get me wrong, I really love writing when I get a chance. But blogging upsets me right now, too. Today it feels like a popularity contest.....or a "pretty blog" contest. Oh, I love all the ones I read faithfully and, oftentimes, feel more attached to these people than I really should. But what irks me are the bloggers who post on subjects like: Give Me Your Opinion If Artificial Greenery In Your House Is Good Or Bad and that post will generate 68 comments. Really. Really? (And for the record I DO have a few artificial plants here and there.....)

And did I mention that my almost-teenage daughter is giving me attitude? I have lost all desire to be "cool mom" (and lost that title years ago), but I am by no means a fuddy-duddy. So why does she act embarrassed at the sight of me or roll her eyes when I'm trying to tell a funny story? It hurts my feelings. And my feelings want to pinch her little head off.

Finally, I'm wondering about a phenomena that continues to occur in my house. Whenever I sit at the computer, both of my little girls think that is the signal for "ask mommy for many, many things in a row".....I need juice (or snack, or movie, or whatever else comes to their little minds), or Landrie will talk incessantly......incessantly, people. Or she will ask me to watch her color....because I simply have nothing better to do, and I'm sitting at the computer which is the universal sign for "completely bored and needs something to do". Whatever the request is.....it only occurs when I'm at the computer. The kids have no use for me otherwise.

Do you feel like you're on a roller coaster? More importantly, are you screaming to get off? Me, too. If any of you have tips or tricks for dealing with PMS....PMDD....crazy......my family sure would appreciate it.

Name That Tune

2008-10-31T22:47:00.003-05:00

Emerie has recently graduated from singing songs to singing several stanzas of the same song. Here's a catchy little tune that you might recognize. (don't forget to turn off the background music...just push the pause button.)

Isn't it precious to hear our children singing about our wonderful Savior?! And I love her little hand motions...those chubby fingers.

Enjoy this......(American Idol here we come!)

Just a Few Photos

2008-10-26T19:23:00.006-05:00

If writing a post for this blog could take 15 minutes or less, you might see more posts (does this happen to anyone else or am I just a super slow blogger?!). However, that never happens....and my time is so limited that, unfortunately, blogging has fallen by the wayside.

So to appease you until I can get some significant blogging time, here are a few photos from my life.

We attended our annual Fall Hayride at the Lisenby's again this year, with nothing but perfect weather! While this family photo is not worthy of the annual Christmas card, it is rare to capture all five of us looking the same direction!

Here is my phenomenal athlete of a husband showing off his man-skills. How do I know he's a phenomenal athlete? Because he tells me every chance he gets. I married him for his humility.

And here's my able-bodied husband again looking rather dapper! He and Landrie were dressed for the Father/Daughter Tea that afternoon. Yes, we have two other daughters, I know. But Landrie is our favorite, so she was chosen as Cody's date. Just kidding! This tea was for girls ages 3-7. Isn't that such a sweet tradition to start for daddies and daughters?

And, finally.....here is a "Happy Fall" photo that was taken to send out via email. Did you get one? No? Oh....that's because I forgot to do it. The story of my life these days. Plus, I thought it would look odd that only one of my daughters was in the photo. But Landrie was in a bad mood and Kellie-Laine thought the scare crow was embarrassing. Emerie hopped onto the bench, no questions asked.

Do you notice something about the photo? Only my most faithful readers will see.....EMERIE IS SMILING! I said, "Smile, Emerie" and this was the look she gave me!!! Sniff, sniff......my little girl has reached another milestone. She is properly camera-trained. Happy Fall, Y'all!

I've Been Tagged....Twice!

2008-10-15T20:58:00.003-05:00

I guess that means I should comply! Here are the rules:

1. Open your pictures folder.
2. Go to the sixth folder.
3. Open the sixth picture.
4. Import into your blog and tell the story.

So here's the photo:

This photo was taken in 2007 on our Spring Break trip to Wimberly/San Antonio. Our orignial plan was to spend three days in Wimberly....hiking, rafting, playing in the river. But Mother Nature had different ideas and it rained.....the entire time.

If you know anything about Wimberly, the entire livelihood of this place is the river and it's associated activities. It rained so hard that our cottage started flooding! Adding insult to injury, Flo and Grace had traveled three hours to partake in our vacation.

After a full 24 hours of being indoors and letting the kids watch too much TV (something our kids can do at home!).....Cody decided he would fix the problem. He took us all to Sea World! Thank goodness that the hour trip there gave us a little distance from the monsoon, and it turned out to be a really wonderful, overcast, cool day with Shamu!

So there you have it......now I tag: Nicksterland, Heather B., Flo, Rachel, Mimi, and Juli B.!

Love you, girls!

Return on Investment

2008-10-09T14:34:00.006-05:00

I am going to write this post but let me first add a disclaimer:

The story I'm about to tell is true.

These are actual events.

The people involved are not paid actors.

The moral of the story is not that private, Christian schools are better than public schools...so don't even go there.

Are we good now? This is an important, heart warming story, and I don't want you to miss the point by focusing on whether or not I'm saying private school is a superior education. We can debate that next time....(and I will win) but that's for another time, right?.

First a little history. This is a story about Kellie-Laine and her best friend, Phoebe. Here they are so you have a visual:

And here they are again, showing that best friends really do take on each other's nasty habits:

These girls have been best friends since Phoebe moved here many years ago, and luckily for our families, Phoebe's mom, Julie, is one of my most treasured friends on this planet. Isn't that just a perfect set up?

We have been through a lot with these girls....first camp experience, first crushes, family vacations, countless sleepovers, school projects, etc. But as many of you well know, best friends can have their blowouts....and we've seen this side of things, as well.

(Did anyone else have a traumatic Jr. High experience with their friends, or is it just me? I seem to remember that season of life was peppered with intense insecurity, flaky friendships, and lots of d-r-a-m-a. Can I get an "amen" here?)

So Julie and I weren't terribly surprised when the girls started bickering this week--it is, after all, what Jr. High girls do, right? However, we were surprised when three days later, the girls continued to come home in tears about the cruelty of the other girl. The drama escalated and infiltrated the entire 7th grade, and all the girls ended up choosing to side with either Phoebe or Kellie-Laine. Most chose to be on Phoebe's side, and I was left with a very crushed, very hurt little girl.

So after a quick email to Julie asking for her opinion of the situation and some intense praying over the girls, I received a call yesterday from our school's principal. "Angela, do you have a few minutes?" she asked. I should have known something was amiss, but our principal is pretty connected with each of the families in our school, so I simply thought she was calling about marketing or school board stuff. Her next question clued me in, "Can you tell me a little bit about what's going on with Kellie-Laine?" And then my heart dropped.

In a nutshell, the principal and the girls' Bible teacher had noticed the tension amongst the girls and started asking some questions -- which opened the floodgate of tears. So the principal, Mrs. Moore, called Julie and me to ask if they could pull the girls out of class for some "counseling". In fact, both the Bible teacher (Mrs. Johnson) and Mrs. Moore wanted a chance to speak with the girls, so the principal subbed for Mrs. Johnson during her class so that she could have some time alone with the girls. Mrs. Moore, in turn, kept the girls after school to make sure things were on the right track. Heartwarming, right?

I know I don't have to spell this out, but I cannot tell you how blessed I was by this whole situation. For starters, during the girls' counseling session, I called Julie on the phone and we spent a few minutes tearfully praying for our girls. I cannot get over the completeness and joy in that friendship....our love for each other, for our girls, and for our Lord. Secondly, I love that we are part of a school that values the emotional well-being of a child as much as his or her academic success. Our school truly, truly filters everything through the eyes of Christ. Whether it's a school field trip, choosing curriculum, or even drama-infused relationships....there is always the foundation of Jesus' love, grace and mercy in every approach.

So, Kellie-Laine got in the car after the counseling sessions and had obviously been crying...but she was happy. "I feel a lot closer to Mrs. Moore now," Kellie-Laine said, "but I don't like people to see me cry." (The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, now does it?) And as we talked over her day, the drama, what she learned, and what the future looked like, I knew things were going to be okay. I was reminded of what Paul says in Romans 5: "...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." This was definitely one of those character-building opportunities that he speaks of, and I'm so glad both the parents and the school administration was eager and willing to walk alongside these girls.

We invest thousands of dollars each year on private school---it is sacrifice at times. Especially when I think about how much money we would save if we weren't paying for two (almost three) girls in private school.....bigger house? Better vacations? But each time that fleshy desire and doubt starts to creep in, the Lord reminds me that our investment is also an eternal one.

Yesterday, I got a glimpse of our investment portfolio. So far, we're making huge gains.

Life in Photos

2008-10-06T13:48:00.012-05:00

My life in photos.....

Life with a five-year-old who insists on getting the sparkly character shoes I swore I would never buy:

Life with a toddler who thinks rainboots and cowgirl boots are the same thing:

Life begins when daddy gets home:

Life is dangerous when you go to use the potty and come back to find your toddler here:

Life is simpler when birthdays are simple:

When life gives you pinto beans in a box:

Life with Harley, our new puppy:

In life, the only thing that matters to a 7th grader is that you have the right socks to match your volleyball uniform:

Life is gymnastics....and the perfect leg warmers:

Life makes me smile when I see Kellie-Laine crawl in bed with her sister each night:

Life with Girls:

Tinsel Teeth

2008-09-29T23:10:00.004-05:00

In between all of my hiney wiping and juice cup filling, I realized that I never updated you on Kellie-Laine's new grin. Well, here she is......get out your sunglasses!

And, well, it just wouldn't be right or fair if I didn't post this lovely picture of her:

It is, after all, my main goal in life to embarass this child....or at least that's what she thinks. (According to her, I embarass her about 50 times a day. Or whenever I speak.)

So after a few days of eating chicken noodle soup, ice cream and anything she could swallow whole, Kellie-Laine has finally adjusted to her new grill. I must admit that things have certainly changed in the orthodontist arena since I was a kid.

Back when I had braces, the only "cool thing" about it was the different color rubber bands or the color of your retainer. Today, the orthodontist visit is an experience complete with tooth brushing station, computerized check in, waiting game-room, and a Kerurig coffee bar. The kids can earn "money" by wearing the orthodontist's custom t-shirt, making all A's, visiting their regular dentist for check-ups, flossing each day, etc. This money can buy all sorts of stuff from shopping gift certificates to ipod shuffles. No joke.

I'm wondering if the orthodontist would consider refunding some of our money if we opt out of their incentive program?

The Less-Than-Traditional Aggie Football Game

2008-09-25T20:46:00.005-05:00

Is there such a thing, you ask? I wouldn't have agreed until this past Saturday when the Beeler family hit the road to College Station for the A&M vs. Miami game. And for the record, I am here to testify that this game was, yes, less than traditional....for many reasons.

First of all, let me back up and say that we took Kellie-Laine and Landrie with us to the game, which was a first for our family. Usually, I send Cody and Kellie-Laine to cheer on the Aggies, which means standing up for four hours straight. No, thanks. I'll stay at home with the little offspring and sit on the couch while they play at my feet.

This year, though, I decided that Emerie was the golden child who could actually be given to a babysitter for longer than two hours without that particular sitter feigning some sort of strange illness to get out of the job. She's easy and fun, and she has a cute little dimpled smile which will just melt your heart no matter how rotten she's acting.

The game went much like I had anticipated: I got carsick; Landrie asked to go home after the first ten minutes; the girls went into sugar shock from the snacks we bribed them with; Landrie attempted to spread out her coloring books on the jam-packed stadium seats; Landrie got frustrated when the sixty people on either side of us wouldn't "schooch down" to make room for the coloring book; Kellie-Laine was completely mortified any time I participated in the Aggie yells; Cody was distracted and was pretty useless as a parent; and I experienced extreme fatigue and muscle soreness from climbing 22 ramps to get to our seats in the Zone. What a way to spend $300 bucks, right?

Okay, so back to the less-than-traditional Aggie game. I made several observations while people-watching from my seat (which was waaaaay more interesting than the football game). You need to know that I graduated from A&M in 1997....when things were a bit more traditional (although I'm sure the guy who graduated in 1979 is laughing at that last sentence!). Anyway, the main observation is that the collegiate attire has changed drastically. Back in the day, a cool maroon t-shirt was all you really needed. These days.....that same maroon t-shirt has been fashioned into a skin-tight halter top; complete with Coach handbag and Chanel sunglasses. Also, there were many gals who wore t-shirt morphed-halter-dresses with an Aggie emblem on the chest or buttocks and trimmed with lace or ribbon. (I must admit I thought these were so precious! But not on the two year old). Other surface observations occurred to me as well, like the fact that apparently Daisy Duke shorts have made a comeback. And, the youth of today have gotten so much more beautiful....guys and gals.

But the real diversion from the stereo-typical A&M home game occurred during the half-time show. As a prelude to the Aggie Band (which personifies Aggie Tradition), there was a guest performance by the Prairie View A&M Show Band.

Folks, they aren't called a "Show Band" for nothin'.

Words cannot even describe what took place on that field, but here are a few snippets:

--The Announcer would say things like: "Sit back while we do our thang..." or "Watch us bring it to you" and finally, "Go with us while we swim in the ocean" (this is what he said as the band fell on to their backs and simulated some kind of pelvic gyrating).

-- The dance team sat hunkered in a corner covered in a dark, velvet cape......UNTIL......the announcer introduced us to the "Black Foxes."

--Upon hearing their esteeming introduction, the Black Foxes threw off their capes and stood in all their majesty and glory in nothing more than an outfit specifically made for adult entertainment.

--Upon throwing off their capes, Landrie became hypnotized by their beauty and said: "I wish I could have a dress like that!" (remember her love of inappropriate clothing? This should tell you a little something about their attire.......)

-- The Black Foxes are, apparently, double jointed in places most of us aren't.....and proudly displayed it.

--I had to cover Landrie's eyes during various parts of the "performance."

-- It was the only part of the game Landrie enjoyed.

--Even Kellie-Laine was giving me the "raised eyebrows" look.

--I told Cody we needed to go to church. IMMEDIATELY.

Let me defend all of this commentary by saying that if I didn't have my girls with me.....I WOULD HAVE TOTALLY LOVED THIS SHOW.

It really rocked. But not in a "I'd love for my girls to be involved in this one day" kind of way, you know?

Gig 'em.

In Case You're Wondering

2008-09-23T15:24:00.012-05:00

Some of you may remember my post about little Miss Emerie and her less-than-angelic poses for the camera. You may, in fact, be wondering if the child has been properly trained by now.

I'm going to let you be the judge:

So the short answer is obviously "no." The child still wads her face up into a tight contortion, and there doesn't seem to be any hope for the future that she'll do otherwise. A smile is kind of a hard thing to describe to a two-year-old, right?

We have a gift certificate with my favorite photographer here in Waco, but I'm too scared to use it. Even the most talented photoshop editor would have difficulties with this face!

*************

In other Beeler news, please mourn with me the loss of my not first, but second laptop hard drive replacement. I don't know if I can say this any clearer: buy a HP Pavilion only if you enjoy losing all of your most precious data every 6 months. I looked up the definition of the word "Pavilion" in the dictionary and actually gleened a lot of information from it. Apparently, the definition of Pavilion is: an ornate tent, which I find rather appropriate seeing as how this laptop is nothing more than a lovely, ornate black box--filled with defective hard drives.

I want----no, I need----a Mac. But for now, I'll settle for this lovely HP Pavilion which makes me froth at the mouth each time I touch it.

Angela Economics

2008-09-18T18:48:00.003-05:00

I will be the first to admit that I know NOTHING about the stock market, Dow average, American economics, or sub prime mortgages. I took one Economics class while at Texas A&M and the only thing I learned was what an "Opportunity-Cost situation" was. And, believe me, I live most of my days in the opportunity-cost dynamic. A perfect example is this: is the opportunity to participate in the Body Shaping class worth the cost of puking afterwards? To which I mentally yell, "Hell no!" and I, once again, thank my lucky stars that I was forced into that Economics class my freshman year.

Back to the main point...... most of my financial information comes from Dave Ramsey, and I often find myself texting Cody to say: Dave just said we need to put 15% into retirement...do we do that? To which Cody will reply: yes, and I could invest a lot more if you'd quit shopping. And thus goes the conversation......

In the past few days I've been reading a lot about these investment banks that are failing due to sub-prime mortgages, and that got me wondering things that my mind has no business wondering about because it will inflict serious injury on my temporal lobe. So here's my silly, mush-brained question about this situation: if sub-prime mortgages are causing so much grief both to consumers and to the lending institutions--why were the loans given in the first place?

If Sally and Bob can't afford the $450,000 house right now....why give them the loan for it? Why don't Sally and Bob wait and save up money? Or better yet, why don't Sally and Bob go for a smaller, less expensive home? I don't get why America is having to bail out people who are in financial crisis because they can no longer afford their massive house payments. I don't get why banks offer crazy financing options to try to "make it work" for the next five years and then start huge balloon payments, only to find that thousands of people cannot afford the higher payment. Really, people, am I missing something here?

Cody and I live in a very modest home--nice, but modest. And while there are many moments when we feel like jumping the gun and buying or building our dream home, we know that the only way we'll do it is when we've saved up enough money to afford it. Not with the bank's crazy financing.....not by using our retirement....not by dipping into the kids' college fund....but just by good ol' earning and saving.

Cody and I both had some pretty significant debt when we first married, and with Dave Ramsey's help and a little discipline, today we've got zero debt. Zippo. Zilch. I hope this doesn't sound boastful, but I am quite proud that we have accomplished a goal that many people will spend their entire lives trying to reach. It's just not the "American way" is it? It's counter-culture to be debt free and live within or below our means....and we love it.

Now I need to let you know that part of the reason we live like this is because Cody's job is 100% commission.....which means that on any given month his paycheck could be $25. Then I would be forced to find a job that pays well.....at night......because I want to stay home with my children. The only job I can think of that meets these two requirements is a job that involves dancing and a pole--and I'm just not going to do that. But I digress......

Listen, I know you don't visit this blog to get financial lectures or economic lessons, so I apologize for the uncharacterisitc subject matter. Actually, I'm just trying to prove that SuperMom has a little depth and can think about things other than filling juice cups, wiping hineys, or upcoming vasectomies. I just want you to know that if any of you are currently struggling with debt, you should really check out Dave Ramsey's website. He has a book and a radio show (check your local listings.....I've ALWAYS wanted to say that!!), and he has literally changed the lives of so many families in America. And if the Democrats do what I think they're going to do if elected (raise taxes) we'll all need to find ways to make our dollar stretch.

K for Kim Says......

2008-09-17T08:49:00.001-05:00

(here's another post from my guest blogger, Kim.)

Keepin' it Real:

Okay – so now that I’m a sort-of-blogger, my life has suddenly gotten more interesting. At least to me. I find myself going through the daily grind writing a fabulous story about all the previously mundane things in my life.

You know you do it, too.

For some, it’s a soundtrack in your head as your child plays his or her sport. For others, it’s a romance novel in which your husband sweeps you off your feet again and again. You could be that scrap-booker who is documenting a picture-perfect life. Or like me, you could be writing some fabulous story of how you’re saving the world by your amazing talents… or something like that.

All of which has gotten me thinking…why is it we think we need a better life?

I know you all have at least one friend that sends the dreaded Christmas letter. You know the one. Everything in her life is absolutely perfect – which makes your own life seem so pathetic by comparison. Her kids are the smartest, best-looking, most courteous, highest-achieving kids ever born. Her husband treats her like a queen, is the perfect dad, and gets a promotion every single year. She hand-sews all their clothes, cooks certified organic gourmet meals, volunteers all over town, and looks better than she did in high school. Oh and don’t forget - they spent the whole summer in Europe. Blah, blah, blah. (Okay – I am making a little bit of that up. But you know what I mean.)

Sometimes I feel like we are all trying to prove something. Trying to “one-up” each other. Keep up with the Joneses.

How about just being real?

Oh, it’s not easy. The make-believe life is much more fun! But what are we saying to ourselves – and to our husbands, our kids, our friends - when we can’t be authentic people even when life is hard, when it’s mundane – maybe even a little boring?

There’s no glory in scrubbing the toilet, doing endless loads of laundry, or cleaning up dog vomit. (Yes, I did that today.) Believe me, housework is the absolute lowest thing on my list of priorities. If you’ve ever been over here, you know that is an understatement! But keeping house shows a grateful spirit for what we’ve been given – both to God and to the one who is working so hard to pay for it all. Doesn’t have to be perfect…just making the effort counts (at least that’s what I’m hoping!)

I’d rather be shopping than driving kids all over town but by being their chauffeur, I’m showing them that I want to be a part of their lives (and I do!) – not to mention I get to hear all kinds of interesting things, especially if a chatty classmate has come along for the ride! I also hope they are learning what it means to work together by going through the process of “making it all happen.” We all have to give up a little to make it work for the group – a little self-sacrifice can go a long way in keeping the peace in our house full of individual agendas.

And the hard stuff? Like disappointments, loss, illness, suffering…even death. Those are a part of our life story, too. Accepting those, and seeing God in them is part of growing up. And I’m not talking about the kids here. Yes, they learn through those - I’m hoping they are learning what it is to lean on God because they see me doing that. It’s not at all glamorous. Sometimes it is painful. The soundtrack in your head (if there is any) is melancholy and doesn’t always resolve nicely in the end. But you know as well as I do that where real life is - where real growth happens - is in the hard times…where God is all you’ve got.

As I’m going through my days, I hope I can find contentment and fulfillment in my real life…in all of it.And I’m hoping my real life is the same as the one in playing in my head.

The Girl In the Window

2008-09-10T13:50:00.002-05:00

Each morning I log on to my computer, check my email, and read the Fox News headlines. I will admit that I usually skip over any headline involving politics or business. I read the articles dealing with really, really sad things like the Virginia dad who gave his life to save his drowning son, the mother who made her children drink toilet cleaner and then took her own life, or the baby who is now dead because the CPS system failed....again.

I'm not sure why I put myself through this torture, and at times I wonder if it desensitizes me a bit. I'm really not shocked at the things I read anymore. And more and more, I realize that we are making God not just angry or sad, but heartbroken. I believe He is crying, wondering how we, the very people He created, can so blatantly thumb our noses at Him. And that makes me cry, too.

So I came across this news story about The Girl In The Widow, and, of course, I read it. And the gal who hates to cry....bawled my eyes out.

I'm wondering what it will take to make us act instead of re-act....pay attention instead of ignore. How many lives have to be snuffed out...How many children have to suffer....before we help?

I don't know the answer to this problem, but rest assured I will be on my knees talking to God about it. I urge you to do the same.

Things I've Learned

2008-09-08T21:52:00.006-05:00

(thanks for the post idea, Kes!)

For the first time in my blogging history, I'm feeling the burden of the blog. I think the craziness of school, life, kids, athletic events, the endless filling of juice cups, homework, pre-teen attitudes, five-year-old tantrums and hiney-wipings has brought me to the brink of insanity. And adding one more thing to my "To Do" list just might push me over that brink.

Just as I peer over the edge of insanity, wondering if "Ange-La-La Land" will be filled with gummy bears and unicorns, I remember: I haven't updated my blog.

And then I jump.......

So I can't really say that this particular post is filled with inspiration and creativity. Rather, it is filled with obligation and pity. Nonetheless, here are the Things I've Learned in the past three weeks since school has started for my girls:

1. Two Days of Mother's Day Out for Emerie? HALLELUJAH! Praise God for MDO!!

2. Overnight, my oldest daughter morphed into a teenager.....and I now look more like her sister than her mom.

3. The decision to hold Landrie back a year before starting Kindergarten was.....worth it.

4. Getting a new puppy for Kellie-Laine two weeks before school started makes her puppy.....my puppy.

5. Receiving four phone calls before 9 am on any given morning is a blessing and a curse.

6. My summer tan is now my summer fade. Spray tanning, here I come!

7. I said "yes" to too many projects and commitments.

8. I have too many opinions and not enough friends to share them with.

9. My children will not be better off because their lunch box matches their back pack which matches their nap mat which matches their hair bow.

10. Teachers don't understand that some moms have more than one child.

11. Puking after your first body shaping class in two years does NOT increase your self-esteem.

12. The cellulite on the back of my thighs does NOT increase my desire to attend a body shaping class.

13. I never thought I'd be a mom who missed any of my kids' events....until now.

14. I was convinced that my girls hated each other.....until they went back to school.

15. A clean house is an empty house.

16. A clean car means I am dead.

17. I could not do my job without my husband.

18. I'd never laugh without my girlfriends.

19. There would be no need for a "no-no" stick without my girls.

20. I would not trade my life for anything. Thank you, Jesus.

Perspective

2008-08-29T08:39:00.002-05:00

This past week, I heard the sighs and sobs of mothers all across the country as their children, once again, started a new school year. The first day of school is tough for some; torture for others....and then there's me. I held Landrie's hand as we walked into the school building, then flung her into her classroom, kissed her quickly on the forehead, and went running through the halls yelling, "Freeeeeeeeedom!"

We're all different, right? In addition to the emotional turmoil associated with the first day of school, I received an email from one of my closest, dearest friends who had just sent her oldest son off to Baylor University last week. Most of you know that I am NOT a cry-er. I hate to cry so badly that I will do inappropriate things to keep from doing so.....like crack a joke at the wrong time or make weird facial contortions. But after reading that particular email, I bawled. And I realized that it was just the right dose of perspective that I needed because as much as I enjoy the quiet peacefulness when I'm home alone, one day it will be a permanent sound.

So, I wanted to share Kim Stevens' email with you (with her permission of course), and together we have decided that she may become a regular Guest Blogger for me. (She is too lazy to start her own blog, and I am too lazy to post regularly. We're a good fit.)

For those of you who don't know Kim (all three of you), she is a mother of four. She has a strong relationship with the Lord. She is fair and honest. She is quite the fashionista. She is also a cry-er and will cry at the drop of a hat which drives me crazy on Sunday mornings because even though I hate to cry, it is a first response for me. And I tear up every time I see Kim cry....which is, like, no less than 40 times on Sunday mornings. But most importantly, she is someone from whom I regularly seek advice, and I believe that God has entrusted her with vast amounts of wisdom. I love this chic, and I hope her email gives each one of you that daily dose of perspective that we so desperately need to get through the hardest job on the planet known as Motherhood.

**********

I’ve decided blogging is the new scrapbooking: a venue to share thoughts, feelings and photos abut your life with family, friends and complete strangers. While I am not ready to hop on the blogging train, there are times when I think, “If I only had a blog, I’d say (fill in the blank here).” Most of the time it’s things like: Britt’s Burger Barn has the BEST hamburgers & onion rings in Waco. Or – this woman-who-hates-to-shave has found a terrific razor, the Venus 5-blade, that actually makes shaving bearable. Or – Johnny Carinos has a great deal on Monday nights for families. (We can feed our entire family for $10-15!) You get the idea.

This morning, if I had a blog, I’d write about our first days of school - the time of year that every mother looks forward to with anticipation and dread. We took our 2nd child on Monday, our youngest two this morning, and will take our oldest tomorrow. We have some monumental first days of school this year. Our 2nd born, Nicholas started high school. Having been through that once before, I thought it might be a little less difficult. But - having been through that once before, I know a little more about what challenges he will face in these next four years…how his character and faith will be tested and proven, how his body will change to become another man in the house, and how his future will be impacted by the choices he makes.

Our younger two, Matthew and Elizabeth, are still at the same school. Their uniforms and shoes are a little bigger, the supply lists a little longer, and the quietness in our house a little more deafening. Yesterday, I was so tired. So ready for a break. This morning, I miss them.

It was fun seeing old friends this morning at drop-off. The kids are excited about new lockers, new teachers, and the new year. All the moms had fake smiles on their faces as they hugged and greeted each other. We’re all “doing great” – yeah, right. We’re all lying…our hearts are all breaking at the thought of another year that will fly by in our children’s lives. We all know they are growing up way too fast.

Which brings me to tomorrow…

Another monumental first day of school.

We will be up bright and early to drive our oldest child, Benjamin, to college. I will spend the day today helping him pack up his life here into a bunch of suitcases and boxes, and that will be that. Those of you who have been down this road know – you know the heart-ache, the pain, the loss. I never knew how your physical heart could literally hurt until this last fall when we began that final year of having him home.

Oh I know, it’s not like it’s forever. It’s not like we’ll never see him (he’s only 15 minutes away for Pete’s sake!) But I’m all too aware that this is the end of a chapter in my life as his mom. It’s a hump we have to get over - on to bigger and better things. Kenny & I are both close to our parents so I know there’s a friendship that will replace the “because I said so” kind of relationship we have had for 18 years. In the meantime though…I’m really, really sad. Those of you that know me well know I’m sitting at my computer with tears running down my face. My nose is stopped up. I’m generally pitiful all the way around. I’m glad to have this day alone with Benjamin. I’ll have a good cry and pull myself together before his eyes ever open. We’ll run around town and pick up more stuff for his room. Maybe shop for a car (his died a painful death). Have lunch. We’ll laugh. I’ll cry. (He’s so excited he can’t stand it!) We’ll all eat out together tonight and spend some family time praying for him. (Actually I’ll spend a lot of time praying – my every waking thought is, “Lord, hold on tight to him. Don’t let him go!”) We’ll load up everything into the suburban and all try to get a good night’s sleep. Yeah, right…

Pray for our family if you think of us tomorrow. It’s a big adjustment for all of us. One less schedule to manage, one less plate at the table, one less laundry basket (not crying so much about that J). The kids have plenty of “he/she’s driving me crazy!” moments but they really do love each other and will miss Benjamin. Even though he might not admit it, I think he will miss them a little bit, too. Kenny & I will be going into a different parenting mode with Benjamin…trying to figure that out. Things are just going to be different…from now on.

Thanks for letting me pour out my heart this morning. I am grateful for each of you. I hope your first days of school go well. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’ve got one open.

Kim

It Ain't Easy Being This Darn Smart

2008-08-23T23:03:00.005-05:00

We pay good money to educate our girls in a private, Christian school. For the most part, we are extremely pleased with the education, environment, safety scissors, and Godly principles present in our school. When Kellie-Laine came home from her first day of Kindergarten, she proudly told us that she knew God was "omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient," and she gave us the definition for each of those attributes. Our socks were knocked off.

Having our socks knocked off is a daily occurrence since we live with three loquacious girls who constantly demand our attention. I've heard my middle girl engage in full-blown conversations with an imaginary friend who apparently likes to interrupt and disagree with her. I've witnessed my youngest eat dog food like candy more times than I can count. I've seen my oldest break school records at track meets, but today...... not only were my socks knocked off, but my hair also fell out.

And in an instant we realized that you can pay all the money in the world for private, Christian schooling.....and still end up with a child who has no common sense.

In a failed attempt to occupy my girls while I made dinner, I asked Kellie-Laine to work with Landrie in her new Kindergarten-level math book. She begrudgingly agreed, and it was peaceful harmony for the first 2.4 minutes.

"Do the connect the dots activity," I suggested. And they went to work.

"Here's how you do it, Landrie. Just connect the dots one through ten and you'll have a picture," Kellie-Laine said, "I'll show you how to do the first one."

I was absentmindedly doing dishes when I heard Kellie-Laine talking to herself out loud, "Wait....this isn't working right, Landrie, just hold on......Mom! This isn't turning out right......"

Then she explains, "Mom, the directions say connect the dots one to fourteen to find the fish, but it didn't work."

I walked over to the table thinking they might need to count by twos or something. And when I looked at the page......I lost my socks and my hair.

Kellie-Laine had drawn a line, quite neatly I must add, connecting dot number one......and number fourteen.

The fish that should have appeared once the dots were connected was no where in sight.

But there was one, neatly drawn line in the corner of the paper.

"Oh, precious girl," I said "we're gonna get you some special tutoring for this okay?" And maybe even a special bus, I thought to myself.

Sigh.

It ain't easy being smart. Not easy at all......

R.I.P.

2008-08-20T23:56:00.002-05:00

I am not dead.

But I'm close.

My girls start school this week, and I've decided that I have adult ADD, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, a slight case of dementia, chronic fatigue syndrome, amnesia, and chronic PMS.

But I did see a rainbow yesterday. And a hummingbird at my kitchen window.

Things are starting to look up.

And I will post something of significance once I raise from the dead.....this weekend.

Rite of Passage

2008-08-12T14:38:00.009-05:00

Since I started this venture into motherhood at a relatively young age, I have had the honor and sometimes the angst of being "THE MOTHER WHO HAS GONE BEFORE" for many of my friends. I guess having an older child translates into having some kind of supernatural parental wisdom (ha ha!) and I'm often asked questions that sound something like this:

"You have an older child, so what did you do about.........?" or

"Since your daughter has already been through this, how did you handle.........?" and sometimes

"At what age does it get easier?" to which I reply, "Never," and then my friends run out of the room shrieking and pulling their hair.

For the most part, I love to give advice about the perils of parenting an almost-teenager, but I'm painfully aware that 90% of the time I'm not sure what the heck I'm doing.

Just yesterday, I had the honor of entering into yet another realm of the"mothering an older child" category when I took Kellie-Laine to her first orthodontist consultation. In my mind, the consultation was something that would give me a plan of action for Kellie-Laine's upcoming dental appliances--upcoming being the operative word here. However, at the end of the appointment and $2500 later....my eldest gal was given the "go ahead" to get braces on September 9th. (And don't even fool yourself into thinking $2500 is all it costs these days for straight pearly whites.....our insurance kicked in half. Plus we got a 5% discount for paying in full!) Nevertheless, getting braces is a symbolic rite of passage of becoming a teenager....and here we go.

I'm having serious issues with the fact that my little girl....is not so little anymore. She's getting braces, wearing a bra (she is definitely going to kill me for mentioning that fact), wearing two-piece bathing suits, shaving, and just recently had her first babysitting job.

Gulp. I swear I do not feel old enough for this.

In my mind, I am still a high school cheerleader driving my Mitsubishi Eclipse through the Wal-Mart parking lot on Friday night...I am at A&M Fish Camp majorly crushing on my 5th-year-Senior counselor....I am two-steppin' with my soon-to-be fiance....I am holding that baby girl in my arms knowing that my life has just changed forever....I am at my wits end trying to figure out how to put a screaming two-year-old to bed....I am holding her hand on the first day of kindergarten....

And today? I am imagining a daughter with a mouthful of metal who keeps me young and makes me feel old......all in the same moment.

End of Summer Vacay

2008-08-07T14:11:00.017-05:00

Everyone take a deep breath with me....ready? Breathe in-------------------and now exhale. Doesn't that feel refreshing? I am happy to report that we have just returned from our 2ND annual End of Summer Vacation to The Avonne on Lake LBJ. Upon my return, I took a deep breath and realized that I had just had the most relaxing four-day vacation ever.

My gracious sister, Flo, blessed us by keeping Emerie...which was a huge part of the reason I was so relaxed and stress-free on the trip. I was a little sad that Emerie wasn't there to enjoy the fun, but there was too much water around for me to feel comfortable taking her. There are three families that travel with us, and we have 12 kids between us. Factor in three boats, one jet ski, an outdoor pool/hot tub, a house directly on the lake, and a toddler who cannot swim but is hell-bent on forcing you to learn CPR....and you've got one stressed out momma.

I'm pretty sure there is a permanent indentation on my backside from all the sitting I did, but it was so very, very worth it. I took my usual position as a boat accessory and soaked up the sun while the kids tubed and skied and took turns pottying in the water just for the novelty of it. The men were up a the crack of dawn each day for some "alone time" on the water as they wake-surfed and simulated spelling their names with a stream of urine off the boat deck. It's true.....I am married to a 34-year-old high school boy (and just so you know, there was no actual urine involved....just a water hose, a video camera and a very funny visual effect.)

The highlight of our trip had to be the "DJ Angela 80's Rock Ballad Night." We ventured back in time and pulled out some oldies but goodies like Cinderella's "Don't Know What You've Got ('til It's Gone)", Tesla's "Love Song", Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn", Prince's "Purple Rain", Bon Jovi's "Never Say Goodbye", etc. The kids thought we were weird, but those songs took me back to my 8th grade trip to see Poison and Tesla in concert with my friend, Juli, in my dad's neon green Volkswagen bus (complete with kitchen sink). Those were the days.....

The trip ended way before I was ready, but it's good to be home. So today I sit and blog here in the real world. Counting down the days until school begins.....making decisions about where I'll serve and volunteer this year......cleaning out closets to make room for school uniforms.....wondering how in the world summer passed right before my eyes.....and laughing at men who think true talent lies in the ability to spell one's name with bodily fluids. Ahhhh, summer.

Mama Bird

2008-08-01T09:49:00.005-05:00

This morning, little Emerie slept in and gave this mother of three a wonderful start to her day. As I pitter-patted around the house making beds, eating breakfast, and doing some blog reading....I, of course, had one ear ready to detect the sounds of a crying baby.

Around 9:45, I heard the cries from the crib and started making Emerie's bottle.

Then I realized something......the screaming and squealing I heard wasn't Emerie at all.

It was the black crow on my porch squawking at all his bird friends to come and feast on Sully's dog food (as they do day after day after day......while Sully snoozes two feet away from them. And to think we thought he was bird dog!!!)

I don't know what was more disturbing, the fact that 27 crows were marching around our porch with large pieces of dog food in their mouths......or the fact that my little cherub sounds exactly like a calling crow.

But it's true. I am the mother of a bird, which makes me a Mama Bird.

Only In America

2008-07-29T14:15:00.009-05:00

When I was in 7th grade, my long-term boyfriend ("long-term" meaning more than a month) broke up with me over the phone so that he could hook-up with another girl at a neighborhood slumber party. I was heartbroken. It didn't matter that he was nice enough to at least break-up with me before he cheated on me....all that mattered was that I had no one to write notes to, no one to talk to on the phone, no one to trade Swatch watches with. My world was torn apart. My heart was in my hand. For a few hours, anyway.

Being that it was my first official break-up, I did what any heartbroken 12-year-old would do.....I shut the door to my room, turned off the lights and listened to Journey's, "Open Arms" over and over again on my cassette player. Then I cried until my body wouldn't produce any more tears because this was the worst pain I had ever felt in my whole life, and my life would be forever in shambles.

Okay, so obviously I recovered from that heartbreak, but one thing remains with me to this day: the Open Arms of Journey consoled my wounded heart. I was a faithful follower from that day on......

Cody and I traveled to Dallas this weekend with a few friends to see Cheap Trick/Heart and Journey in concert. I had no idea that the original lead singer for Journey, Steve Perry, was no longer with the band. I found this a little disappointing, but we had already paid $75 a ticket and equal that in babysitting fees, so I was riding this pony as far as it would go.

The concert was pretty amazing, and I'll tell you a little more about the lead singer in a minute....but first, let me say that the people who attended the concert made Journey look like a sideshow. Seriously. We saw numerous people who have yet to leave the 80's. Maybe it was the 50 year old man with large, long, permed hair who wore a Mavericks basketball jersey with bicycle shorts....or the 40 year old woman who came dressed to impress in her one-piece bathing suit and combat boots. And I can't forget the bleached-blonde lady with the sleeveless, velor, mock-turtleneck shirt in hot pink. I swear she dug that shirt out of her Jr. High closet. I should know, I had one.

I really, really wanted to approach several interesting attendees to ask if I could take their picture, but I just wasn't bold enough. Plus, if they asked why I wanted their picture, I would have to be honest and say that I intend to make complete and total fun of their attire on my blog. Hmmmmm.....I'm not sure how they'd take that.

Here are Cody and me at the concert.....we obviously left the 80's in the 80's. My pinch-rolled, acid washed jeans are thanking me.

Okay, so back to Journey....the lead singer most of us are familiar with is Steve Perry. He was replaced (due to a degenerative hip disease and blown vocal cords) with another singer named Steve Augeri (rhymes with Perry.) After Steve #2 blew out his vocal cords, Journey was left without a singer. The guitarist took matters into his own hands and set out on a search for a replacement and found someone on......you guessed it, youtube. This guy's name was Arnel Pineda and he was from Manila. The story is simply amazing as Arnel was at one point homeless and living on the streets of his hometown.

Hear his story here.

Now you guys know that not only do I love Journey....but I also love Asians (part of my heritage), so Arnel was like the best of both worlds for me! I mean, who doesn't want that "Pretty Woman" ending? Street prostitute turned wealthy man's wife. Of course, it helps when you look like Julia Roberts and when it's a Hollywood script. But Arnel Pineda is, like, real life. You know this guy is waking up everyday saying, "Pinch me.....I've got to be dreaming!" (As a side note, I kind of wonder what Steve Perry is thinking when he realizes that he's been replaced not just once, but twice, and that Journey continues on as successful as ever. That thought can't be good for the ol' ego......)

Only in America.......

Physical Beauty

2008-07-22T14:22:00.005-05:00

I have been blessed with three beautiful daughters. I am simply in love with the attributes that are unique to each of them: Kellie-Laine's muscular figure, Landrie's sparkling eyes and fair color, Emerie's dimples and round face. Of course, ultimately I pray for beauty that comes from within: a heart of compassion, mercy towards others, pursuit of God, humility, boldness of spirit, strong moral compass, etc.

But today my post focuses on physical beauty. Primarily, the physical beauty of my almost-thirteen year old. Here she is:

I know that in the depths of our mother's heart, we ever-so-slightly desire for our kids to be pretty (or handsome). It's a truth that isn't easily admitted. It's also a truth that is at the bottom of a long list of things we wish for our kids. Nevertheless, beauty is on the list.

But just yesterday, I found out that beauty can have its drawbacks.

This week is Youth Week at our church....a week filled with daily activities and a time to welcome the incoming 7th graders, which includes Kellie-Laine. I was so excited the week before thinking about how fun this new phase of her life will be. I have some fond memories myself of youth groups and youth camps, and since I didn't grow up in a christian home, these groups and camps were a significant part of my spiritual journey towards a relationship with Christ.

So Monday morning was the youth paintball tournament, and I woke up and found myself struck with fear. I was worried on so many levels, but the main fear was that I was sending my first-born child into a group of 7th through 12th graders....girls AND guys.

Let me back up and explain for a moment that up until this point, we've had Kellie-Laine in a pretty tight bubble. She attends a small,private school with peers she's known since Kindergarten. While the normal guy/girl relationships have increased as the kids get older (I'm talking, like, one couple in 8th grade--out of the whole school), it's still a very immature process. These guys feel like brothers to the girls, so there really isn't much "coupling" as I like to call it. Aside from summer camp, Kellie-Laine doesn't have much interaction with those of the opposite sex. She doesn't IM; she doesn't own a cell phone; she doesn't have email. The one short-lived "relationship" she had at the beginning of last year consisted of nothing more than a few hand-written notes and lots of ignorning each other in the hallway. Nothing says "I really like you," than being ignored, right? As soon as the relationship started.....it ended, and you best believe that mommy and daddy were VERY involved in the "relationship".....(I shudder to even call it that.)

So, back to paintballing.......after I picked her up, she reported that she didn't like paintball all that much, but did spend a good deal of time talking about a boy and a few of his friends who were trying to convince her to "go out" with the aforementioned boy. Are you kidding me? I tried to listen with an open mind, but I kept thinking how weird this feels to listen to my little girls talk about these boys crushing on her?....macking on her? What do you call it these days?!

I know it was innocent, and I know this is totally normal behavior for this age. I don't want to sound like a crazy momma....but I called our precious youth minister to get his opinion, and he was very kind and patient with my crazy ramblings. (I'm certain, however, we will not be invited to future youth activities.)

So I know I'm kind of rambling about this, and my sister thinks I'm completely naive....but I need to ask you readers a question. Please give me some feedback here. As I'm approaching this new territory with my almost-thirteen year old.....what kind of advice/rules/guidelines/boundaries did your parents give you regarding dating? What worked and what didnt'? For you mothers who have gone before me: what advice can you give me that you currently use with your own children?

I had very lenient parents who didn't impose many rules on my sister or me, and I've got numerous mistakes to prove it. While many of the trials I went through as a teenager proved to become character building opportunities, I do not plan on using their same leniency with my own girls. Times have changed, and I adamantly feel parents need to be more involved now than ever before.

So I'm asking you all for some mom-to-mom advice on what worked or didn't work in your own lives or in the lives of your kids.

I'll be twiddling my thumbs in the meantime waiting for my beautiful daughter to return from the youth group bowling party.....

Child Spoiling 101

2008-07-17T21:11:00.010-05:00

For the first time ever, my sister, Flo, allowed me the honor of keeping her daughter, Grace, for three days while she and her youth-minister husband romantically traveled to New Mexico for a mission trip and stayed in a homeless shelter. I wanted to update Flo on Grace's happenings.....

Dear Boog and Flo:

Grace's visit to the Beeler household was successful. She may indicate to you that she would prefer to live with us, which is what usually happens when we allow other children in our home and feed them lots of candy. Although it may seem that spoiling your child and breaking every rule you've ever implemented was one of my goals, I assure you it was not one of my goals. It was my only goal.

Monday morning was spent at bible study, and the girls enjoyed our church's large outdoor and indoor playground. Grace was rather impressed with the size of the playground equipment and asked why we "lived so close to the church?" I explained that people in the big cities oftentimes purchase a home close to their jobs, churches and schools, and that people in the country spend their time stepping around cow poop. She seemed rather satisfied by this explanation by saying, "we have to drive a long, long, long way to go to my church." Well, Jesus is worth it, sweetie.

Did you know that your daughter likes gum? Did you know that my gum tastes much better than the gum you give her because I let her chew it in the car? It is a well-known fact that I always have gum. And because I always have gum, my kids always want gum (especially when we get in the car). Grace was not going to be left out of that party....so I grinned an evil grin when I heard her say, "My momma never lets me chew gum in the car." I replied, "You poor baby. Aunt Ang will let you chew gum in my car any time you want, pumpkin." Or something like that.

We took a trip to the splash water park....which was really a fun time for all. The little girls took turns chasing Kellie-Laine around and pouring water on her. Grace was all smiles and giggles. Emerie's typical fearless spirit was in full force, and she occupied herself by seeing how long she had to hold her face in the water before I'd start running to perform CPR.

The grand finale of this outing was meeting another mommy at the park who had the most beautiful dog with her. "He won't bite and he's extremely gentle," she called to the girls as they ran to pet him. Then we introduced ourselves and turned around to find her dog murdering a squirrel with his mouth. The girls were fascinated with the lifeless squirrel who was sent to squirrel heaven by the non-biting, extremely gentle dog. The mommies assured the girls that the squirrel was only sleeping and that he would frolic away happily once we left him alone.

"He's dead." Landrie said. "Let's go swing!"

How do I argue with that?

We also visited Jumping Party. Grace loved it and even exclaimed, "I've never been to a place like this before!" when she beheld the giant blow up jumping houses that filled the warehouse. I have video of the slide that she and Landrie flew down. And I literally mean "flew down." Jumping Party is known for its super slippery slide, do you know why? Armor-All. They spray it on their slides, no joke.

Our final trip was to the pool at the Y, and we arrived just in time to see the lifeguards command everyone out of the pool because of floating poop. Oh, how I wish it was a Baby Ruth from Caddy Shack! But no....it was floating poop. Once the sanitation crew was finished, it was back to business and Kellie-Laine gave Grace and Landrie private swim lessons in the deep end, "without my floaties" Grace pointed out.

Just a few more tidbits for you:

--your child calls me "Miss Ang." Listen, I know she goes to daycare, but could you please explain to her the difference between her teachers and her aunt? I never corrected her, but at one point she said, "Get me some juice, Miss Ang" and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

-- Grace was intrigued with the fact that I let my kids unbuckle themselves when we pull onto our neighborhood street. (Bad habit, I know, but my girls love hanging their heads out of the window like dogs!) Grace informed me that her "mommy never lets me unbuckle until we get home" to which I replied, "To hell with your mom!" And then we all cackled loudly as she climbed the roof of the suburban to do a little car surfing.

--Grace can play with baby dolls unlike anything I've ever seen. Even Landrie grew tired of the imaginative play and said, "Let's play something else, Grace." And Grace replied, "But my baby's still sleeping." So they continued on.....for three days straight.

--Grace is pretty convinced that you're having a boy and she wants to name him Trevor. I thought you'd be pretty ecstatic that she chose the name of your high school boyfriend.

--the trip home provided much insight into Boog's parenting skills. Out of the blue, Grace said, "My daddy says be a dog, and I be a dog. My daddy says be a turtle, and I be a turtle," For five minutes I heard everything from turtle, to dog, to pony, to bird, etc. Grace is one obedient child -- I would have given up on Boog's animal game after turtle.

In all seriousness, I really enjoyed having Grace around-- although at times I felt as though she and Landrie were merely tolerating me. She was kind and happy. She slept well and ate well. I'm so glad she and Landrie had the opportunity to bond as cousins, and I'm hoping that she'll come back soon.

I miss her already.

So What Is A Stay At Home Mom Exactly?

2008-07-10T20:18:00.004-05:00

Last week I got "Facebook-ed" by a friend, and the elusive world of technology, IMing, myspace-ing, and AIMing dropped like a rock into my lap. Suddenly, people I knew from high school, many of whom I haven't thought about or heard from since the day I graduated and quickly got the heck out of dodge, appeared on my computer screen.....twenty plus years older. I was fascinated. As I read through their profiles, whereabouts, and current happenings, my own life seemed to become less and less exciting. These people-- with whom I traded crayons, shared lockers, wandered back roads, and toilet papered houses--are, like, really successful. They have important careers and lucrative businesses. They are dating or working with famous people, in grad school, or vacationing in places I cannot pronounce.

And then there's me. My Facebook profile reads " Um, yeah, like, I stay at home all day with three girls who attach themselves to my ankles as I walk around the house picking up princess shoes, Little People, and cereal from yesterday morning. I like to blog. I can also recite every word to all 241 Barney episodes, and I have a fairly extensive knowledge of barbie anatomy, wardrobe and accessories. Yea me!"

So that got me thinking about my job as a STAY-AT-HOME-MOM.

I started pondering the issue of what it means to be a stay-at home-mom these days. I have been immensely blessed to have a full repertoire of friends who do a fantastic job of being at-home mommies. Their example has provided me with encouragement, motivation, aspiration....my own how-to manual. I know that God purposed these women into my life because I was not fortunate enough to have a mom who stayed home with my sister and me. We were your typical latch-key children of the 70's.

But the question isn't to work or not to work. The question is what does a stay-at-home-mom do? What does she look like? What is her daily schedule? I have noticed that many moms are transitioning from "moms at home with their children" to "house wives." Do you know the difference? Let me explain.

A few months ago, I was at the park with my playgroup where I met a new mom who was pushing her twin boys on the swing. We covered the usual introductions: where do you live? how old are your kids? where do they go to school? how long did you breastfeed? how much money does your husband make? do you have any communicable diseases? etc. and then she asked if I stayed home with my girls.

"Yes, I do," I replied.

"Me, too," she responded, then paused and said, "Actually, I'm more of a house wife.....I stay home, but my kids go to daycare."

Then, I did what any stay-at-home-baby-wearing-mommy would do: I judged her. My judgement was not nice.

And there it was.....her honest answer met with the judging thoughts of my opinion.

Anyway, from that day forward I have thought about this mom and about what it means to be at home with my kids. I've noticed that more and more these days, many stay-at-home-mommies are becoming quite busy with things that pull them away from the duties of mommy hood. I was guilty of this same busy-ness last fall. In an effort to have each day planned, I signed up Landrie for pre-school and Emerie for two days of Mother's Day Out. I added a Monday morning bible study. I scheduled a play group for Fridays. I enrolled Landrie in gymnastics on Wednesdays. I decided to work out twice a week. And somewhere in the midst of that busy schedule, I realized that most of my day was spent away from my children. And then a question popped into my brain: at what point is a stay-at-home-mom sacrificing the "mom" part of the job for her own "stuff"?

Ouch.

I took a deep breath, a step back, and realized that something had to be cut out. So I ditched the work outs (lucky me). I dropped one day of Mother's Day Out. We gave up gymnastics. I basically scaled back the schedule, and even cut out some of my personal hobbies like digital scrapbooking and designing....all of the things that bit-by-bit chipped away at my time with my girls.

Listen, I love free childcare. I love play groups. I love Mother's Day Out. Don't get me wrong....sometimes the Monday morning bible study with free childcare is the only thing that gets me through the day. But as with everything, being a mom is a discipline. It's choosing what is needed over what is wanted. It's giving up something for yourself for someone else. It's saying "no" to countless volunteer opportunities. It's accepting that body flab is okay and that your children will not need psychotherapy because you aren't up to date on their scrapbooks. Being a stay-at-home mom requires balance. A "no" for every "yes".... a hand that spanks but also hugs...."me" time as well as "we" time....and daily dying to self, over and over and over again as we choose to put our kids first. It's a hard, sometimes thankless job, that God has prepared and purposed me for. And I accept His challenge.

I choose this job....for them.

It may not make an exciting Facebook profile, but these girls make my job so very, very worth it.....

Waco Water

2008-07-06T22:32:00.006-05:00

For those of you who live in Waco, I'm sure the mere title of this post makes your blood start boiling. We could actually start an entirely new blog titled "Sucky Waco Water" and it would probably acquire more readers that the Waco Tribune Herald online.

As much as I want to go there and address the health and safety concerns that plague Waco's water system, instead I'd rather talk about how cute my kids were swimming in it.

The Beelers haven't seen much of the boat this summer for a variety of reasons, and Cody was all but ready to sell it because our kids were so apathetic about the very mention of "going to the lake." But when push came to shove, we drug the kids out to Lake Waco, and would you believe they actually had f-u-n?

Here's a bit of Beeler Boat History for you: I am what you call a "boat accessory." I don't ski, swim, tube, wake board, etc. I ride in the boat and soak up sun. Occasionally, I will sprinkle myself with water if I get a little too hot or re-apply sunscreen to those who need it, but pretty much my main "job" on board is to work on my tan. And hold the wiggly child, Emerie. Cody is the boat chauffeur. Landrie is the boat snob....for her, the boat is always too hot, too windy, too wet, too loud, etc. She is a "boat accessory" in training. Kellie-Laine is the boat-doer. She tubes, skis, wake boards, knee boards, and has tried wake surfing. She does it all and is good at it all.

Then there's Emerie. (Keep in mind that Landrie has yet to fully submerge herself in the water....even though we've had the boat for almost three years.) But yesterday we gave Emerie the chance to get acclimated to the murky Waco water and here's what she did: (sorry for the poor video quality...it was taken with my cell phone.)

We could not keep her out of the water. She really didn't care if anyone was around to hold her....she was content to flip herself on her back and kick, kick, kick. She then spent the next few hours finding ways to get off the boat and into the water. Or eating Doritos.

Cody found a rope swing attached to the bridge off of Lake Shore drive and the kids had a blast climbing up the concrete infrastructure that holds up the bridge....then jumping off. I had numerous heart attacks, and I prayed a thousand thankful prayers that I don't have boys. Take a look here at the adventure:

Even dear ol' daddy attempted to scale the rope and jump off, which was comical for many reasons which I won't go into here out of respect for the love of my life. Let's just say Cody is now stuck with the name, "Grandpa Bootie." Enough said.

Guess What?

2008-07-06T13:49:00.004-05:00

Guess what's coming to Waco??

It's true. The shopping gods have looked upon me and smiled.

(We're also getting a Hollister, Build-A-Bear, and a Steve and Barry's. Go Waco!)

I Got a Big Girl Bed!

2008-06-30T20:30:00.010-05:00

Well, there is a reason why I haven't posted in a few days.....I've been working like crazy since the slow boat from China arrived with my new bedroom furniture. Cody and I have officially moved to a big girl/big boy bed....a KING size bed, that is. In our many years of marriage together, Cody and I have never owned anything larger than a queen size bed. We've had many luxurious opportunities to snooze in a king, and each time we make a mental note to upgrade. Let's take a look at my bedroom re-do.

First, I'd like to show you our bedroom before the makeover:

It's a fine room, in my opinion. It's shabby. It's chic. It's very girly, according to Cody. But the bed is just too small. Each night when I go to sleep, my foot inevitably gets touched by Cody's foot. If you know me at all, you know that I would rather have my eyelashes removed with an Epilady than to have someone else's foot touch mine. Especially in bed. Especially when the foot belongs to my husband.

Now let's take a look at our new sleeping headquarters:

I must admit that I really, really love how it all turned out. Usually, I'm not very decisive and spend a lot of time buying and returning things. This process was a little nerve racking because I had the pillows custom made as my "inspiration piece" before any of the other bedding was chosen. But after I put everything together, I was jumping up and down and giving myself hi-fives. I'm such a dork. I really love it!

Just so you have a point of reference, I'd like for you to know that my custom pillows cost more than this:

What's that, you say? You don't know what the yellow thing is? You don't have one of these? Well, by all means go out and get one. It's the latest fad....everyone will want one after they see mine. It's a parking ticket. A $300 parking ticket. Gasp! What in the world did I do to deserve such royal treatment by the Waco ISD police? I parked in handicap parking ($275 fine) in a school zone (add an extra $25). Yep, just call me Einstein. I seriously thought that since school was out for the summer that the handicap parking spot didn't apply. I know, it's a dumb thought. But guess what? It's a wonderful $300 reminder of my stupidity. It won't happen again. (And please do not berate me for using handicap parking. I usually never do this unless I assume something stupid like "school is out for the summer so handicap parking must not be in effect.")

Alright....moving on. I made a four-hour round trip and did this yesterday:

I dropped off my oldest daughter for a week-long stay at Frontier Camp. No, no....there were no tears since this was her third year to attend summer camp. Just lots of whooping and hollering and a Dave Ramsey "Freedom" yell. Just kidding. I'm really missing her already, but today I woke up and had completely lost my voice, and it would have been nice to have had Kellie-Laine's help. The blessing is that Cody is actually home this week, too, so I used his voice instead. I also used a lot of snapping, clapping, whistling, snorting, and stomping in a futile attempt to get people's attention. I know the neighbors think I'm using illegal drugs.

On a serious note, I think the next time I feel led to give up something for the Lord, I might give up talking/speaking for a day or so. Today has been a real trial for me....no cell phones, no conversation with my husband or kids, etc. But the strange thing is that I have really enjoyed and savored the moments I've spent with my girls. I think it's because all I can do is watch them and listen to them. Imagine that.....more watching and more listening = more moments of joy with my kids. ( Maybe the monks are on to something!) Not being able to talk forced me to interact more with my kids through eye contact and non-verbal gestures like nodding, touching, hugging, holding hands, etc. I really felt like I was discovering my sweet girls all over again and soaking up each moment. You should try it. Only perhaps on a voluntary basis.

Finally, just a follow up from my plug for SJP's new line, Bitten. My friend, Nickster, told me that Waco is getting it's own Steve and Barry's shop....so we'll have access to all of SJP's fashion do's!

Have a great July the 4th!

Hot! Hot! Deals!

2008-06-26T16:31:00.011-05:00

How many of you could use a good deal? With the price of gas soaring this summer, I thought it would be nice to post some money-saving shopping tips in the food and clothing arena (and just a few of my current "favorites"). I cannot speak to stores or vendors outside the Waco area--sorry to all you out-of-town readers!

1. Every Wednesday TCBY offers a large waffle cone of yogurt for .99 cents. It's a super deal and super yummy.

2. This is one heck of a deal. Monday nites at Carinos is order a family size (grandioso) meal and pay the price of a solo dish, plus all the bread and salad you can eat for free! You can order take out, but you'll only be able to get up to three bread and salads. Our entire family ate for $12 last week and even had enough left overs for lunch the next day!

3. Here's the scoop (snicker, snicker!): Several nites each week, BR has a great special for your family.

--Tuesday: get a kids scoop for $1 or adult scoop for $1.50, 5pm to 10pm

--Wednesday: buy one Sundae get one free, 5pm to 10pm

--Thursday: all day long buy one beverage get one free

4. Who on earth doesn't know about Happy Hour from 2-4pm? Sonic is also running a special on .99 cent shakes.

5. I could spend my entire non-existent paycheck in this store. Old Navy is having a great Summer Lovin' Sale, which is especially wonderful in the kids department. I got a couple of dresses for Landrie and Emerie for $6.99 and all bathing suits are $10.

6. Okay, so this isn't exactly a sale, but this shirt from Target is one of my favorites right now. It's called a Slub shirt by Merona. Typically, I'm not a fan of Target clothing (especially Merona) nor am I a fan that someone in marketing thought that "Slub" would make a good name for this shirt. However, I purchased this shirt in zephyr blue for $9.99 and let me tell you....it is so comfortable! It fits like a tiny fit shirt, but doesn't show the belly bulge that I've developed since birthing three children and eating ice cream every afternoon at 4pm, Carinos each Monday nite, and indulging in Sonic's happy hour.

6. Okay, this is total heaven for me.....Bitten is Sara Jessica Chain-Smoking Parker's new clothing line. Did you see her on Oprah? All of the pieces in her line are $19.98 or less, which is right up my alley. Her line is carried in Steve and Barry's department stores....ever heard of it? Me neither. I was searching for store locations, since you can't order anything off the website. But would you believe there is a Steve and Barry's store in Temple and Killeen (and of course, several in the DFW area). I took a "mommy break" last weekend (thanks, Honey!) and visited the store in Temple. EVERYTHING in the store was $8.98 or less. Kid you not. I will say the customer service was extremely low (think Wal-Mart) but I found some decent pieces that I'm excited about wearing this fall. The thing with SJP is that the article of clothing by itself is not that special....it's how she puts it together. If you plan on visiting this store, I strongly suggest visiting her website to see how she pulled together an outfit by mixing and matching pieces. A black dress becomes more than a black dress when you add a wide belt, a pin striped button down, and a great pair of shoes.

So I think this is enough information for now. If you have any "hot deal" tips, please share them in my comments section. Every penny saved is a penny more towards your next clothing purchase.....

Wakin' Up a Little Older

2008-06-24T12:47:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning and this was sitting on my kitchen island:

My wonderful husband surprised me with it for my birthday today! YES......I'm a year older today! 33 to be exact. I'm currently struggling with some physical ailments, which I'm sure have nothing to do with my old age..... a low back (bulging disc?) problem and an upper respiratory infection. Talk about feeling your age!!!

I'm sure most everyone already owns one of these mixers, but since Cody and I eloped to the Bahamas....we didn't have all the traditional wedding showers that most brides and grooms do. Therefore, I completely missed getting one of these babies. If you have any helpful tips or great recipes, let me know. I'm Kitchen-Aid-Mixer-Illiterate!!

And, thank you, honey for always surprising me with just the right gift, at the just right time. You and my kiddos are the best "gifts" I ever have or ever will receive.

I Won!

2008-06-20T14:10:00.004-05:00

I won a bloggie award, y'all! My sister gave me a "You Make My Day Award" and I'm thrilled. I'll give away this award at the end of this post, but first.....let's talk about summer.

This week has been my first official week of summer since we spent one week in Watercolor and the following week doing VBS and basketball camp. This was the first week that I actually had to come up with all sorts of fun things to entertain my three girls who don't like to do the same thing. Adding insult to injury was my husband's work schedule, which left me as pseudo-single parent.

So here's what our week looked like:

Monday: bible study, nap, Kellie-Laine goes to play with a friend, Kellie-Laine's friend spends the night, trip to Keva Juice

Tuesday: Jumping Party, lunch at Fuddrucker's, basketball practice

Wednesday: morning at the donut shop, story time at the library, weekly Wednesday babysitter for Emerie, movie (Kung Fu Panda) with older girls, bathing suit shopping at Academy

Thursday: swimming at the Y, took dinner to a friend with a new baby, double header basketball game in West, Texas

Friday: dropped Kellie-Laine off to spend the weekend at Lake Granbury with a friend, lunch and play date with the Stanfords.

Whew...factor in trips to the grocery store, picking up the house, filling up my car with $100 worth of gas, chasing a toddler who's goal in life is to break every boundary I set for her, listening to my four-year-old talk non-stop, and refereeing the incessant arguing that goes on between my girls.....and there you have it!! The reason I am insane.

Is anyone else having school withdrawals?

And finally for my award: my award goes to my high school friend, Juli, who was the one who not only inspired me to start blogging, but also convinced me in high school to pull the "I'm spending the night at Angela's/Juli's house" trick and instead we snuck out to visit some boys camping. We got caught....duh (my hometown is really, really small) and were subsequently grounded for a long time. We even painted prison bars on our windows to commemorate our grounding. Juli also shared my love of heavy metal bands and attended the Poison concert with me in my dad's neon green VW van in 8th grade (that was you right, Juli?). Anyway, Juli has made my day in many ways and for many years. I love keeping up with her life through her blog. Thanks for making my day, Juli!

BTW: if anyone has any summer fun suggestions for me.....I'd love to have them!

Does This Say What I Think It Says???!!!

2008-06-14T10:26:00.006-05:00

I think it does.

You must give congratulations to.....

My sister, Flo!!! (and her family)

Did I trick you? I promise that if that test had belonged to me, I would have already plucked each strand of hair from my scalp. I would also be sitting in a corner rocking back and forth while chanting, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

But, alas, it's my sister who's expecting a BABY and will finally give me another niece or nephew. I am so excited for them since they've been working on this "project" for about a year!!!

Congrats, Ferrell's!!! We love you.

(And please remember that you are scheduled to keep little Miss Fussypants August 3rd-6th, so you aren't allowed to have any morning sickness!)

Not If, But When

2008-06-12T14:04:00.002-05:00

I find it a tad bit ironic that I was just about to publish a post about reaching my "100th Blog Entry" when, yep, you guessed it. My computer died. Let me re-state that: my less-than-a-year-old-anniversary-gift-HP-Pavilion-$800 dollar-laptop-that-I-live-and-breathe-by died. No rhyme nor reason why. It is just dead and will have to be sent back to the factory for hard drive replacement.

I could cry about this, but we have a home computer that will do just fine until my laptop comes back. It's not as convenient or as fast as my laptop, but it will do.

I write this post for one main reason; heed this warning: the question is not if your computer will crash, but when. So many websites and articles have taunted this warning over and over again, and I will now personally endorse this advice. If my laptop (remember it was less than a year old) can crash.....yours can, too. The techie-guru at HP didn't have a reason for this failure. "It just happens sometimes" is what he said.

Now the good news is that I didn't loose too much. All of my photos and digital scrapbook stuff is saved in two locations not related to my actual laptop: my external hard drive and my portable external hard drive. If you do not own either of these two items, run....run....run and get at least one of them. I have over three years worth of photos on my EHD (external hard drive) --all of which would have been lost if I had saved it directly to my computer.

As a protective back up, I also burn each month's photos onto disc and store it in a three ring binder complete with printed photo index sheets. Yes, it's anal.....but so worth it. Especially in the midst of my laptop death.

And now please observe with me a moment of silence for my lost beloved....

Laptop Dies Quietly in Home

Waco, TX--

Memorial services for Angela's laptop will be held daily between 2pm and 4 pm until replacement returns.

Laptop is survived by frustrated dad, Cody, mother who is now addicted to narcotics, Angela, three siblings who remember fondly banging on the laptop's keys in a futile attempt to revive it, and a desktop computer who never liked the laptop anyway. All reside in Waco, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to be made to the "Angela's Future Purchase of a Mac Computer" fund.

Water From The Moon

2008-06-09T14:13:00.010-05:00

Does anyone remember the sappy Celine Dion tune from the 90's, "Water From The Moon" where she desperately pleads with her lover for ways to win back his love? The song goes something like: "Do I have to bring you water from the moon; is that what I've got to do....to make you love me"? Oh, Celine. No man is worth that kind of groveling.....it sounds pretty impossible that you'll find his love again by holding a Solo cup of dirty water freshly milked from the crater of the moon. Really. Just move on.

Okay, so desperate women wanting love is not what exactly what this post is about, but I am a desperate mom who yearns for something. I want to be able to photograph my tiniest tot, Emerie. While gathering water from the moon is a near impossible task, I have discovered that taking a good photo of Emerie is just as elusive.

In my family, being comfortable on camera is somewhat of a genetic predisposition. My sister and I both grew up in front of the camera, and my scrapbooking hobby allowed my children the same fortune (or misfortune, depending on your perspective!). In fact, by 18 months of age, Landrie was very well accustomed to posing for the camera.

My photo karma has been turned upside down, though, by my little Emerie. I cannot get a good photo of her no matter how hard I try! And she's such a camera tease. She will look at the camera. She will find the nearest tree and run to sit and pose in front of it. She will be somewhat motionless while I take the shot. She will even say "cheese." But.........she.....will.....not.....smile.

Instead, she makes face contortions.

Let me give you a few visual aids to help make my point.

Here is Kellie-Laine at my recent "Watercolor Front Porch Photo Shoot." She can hold this pose for days. Even weeks, possibly. Every now and then I'll get a shot of her with a snarling lip or vampire teeth, but 98% of the time I get a great shot. (And thank goodness for photshop!!)

Then there's Landrie. She grumbles and whines quite a bit before the shot, but once the camera points her direction she's all smiles and sparkly eyeballs. My main problem with Landrie is that she gives me too much.....too much of a head tilt, too much of a smile, too much of a serious look which makes her look angry instead of pensive, you get the point. She overdoes it. But again, I can regularly count on her to give me a shot worth turning into a Christmas ornament or a hand-hooked afghan from HEB.

And the piece de resistance: Emerie--first attempt:

Okay, so this is cute, but not really the look and feel I was hoping for.

Second attempt:

More of the same....I told her to give me "pouty lips" and this was her interpretation. I should have known better.

Third attempt:

This time I got smart and said, "Emerie, give me a big cheesy grin" thinking that wouldn't cause the confusion "pouty and sultry" command did. Unfortunately, she's inherited Landrie's propensity to over-do things a bit. And would it kill her to look at the camera? Once? Just once?

Final Attempt:

And so this concludes today's photo shoot at Watercolor. Does this photo scream, "Frame me, baby!" or what?! (I should also mention that in between these shots Emerie was no less active than a rabbit just placed in a flour sack.)

In all seriousness, I am chuckling my way through this post. This is my little fireball. And so someday soon I will frame these photos for display in my home and hope that Emerie doesn't kill me when she's older. It marks this season in our lives. (But you can all together forget about me getting a group shot of all three girls! I'd rather have my mouth wired shut.)

Much like getting water from the moon, once you have it--it's a priceless treasure. I have the pictures to prove it.

More Observations from Watercolor, Florida

2008-06-04T21:22:00.007-05:00

I could really, really get used to this.

Sadly, I already have, which will make leaving this cozy little beach town all the more difficult. We're nearing the final countdown with only one full day left before boarding American Airlines and landing on Texas soil, once again.

Here are just a few more observations about Watercolor....for those of you who may visit one day:

1. I love that "dressing up" means putting on a swimsuit cover up. I think this is true of most beach communities, but I just love that my bathing suit is my primary attire. I packed around 20 different outfits. What a waste! And because everyone here is swimsuit-ready, you quickly get over the "unsightly" areas of your body and let it all hang out! (And, believe me, there's been some hanging on this body!)

2. You can't help but get a daily dose of exercise in Watercolor. As mentioned before, we bike everywhere, so my thighs are getting a great workout. Walking on the beach is good for the calf muscles, too. And, finally, just plain ol' sunshine does a body good.

3. Everyone in your family should get a bike. This has been my favorite part of the trip, really. Especially when we ride at dusk. In fact, Cody and I had a date night last night, and we rode to our fancy restaurant on bike. It was too funny to see us dressed up, pedaling our way down the neighborhood streets! I've seen so many kids chasing each other on bikes, exploring the trails, and even a few who were attempting to remove their training wheels just to keep up with the big kids. I'm sad that there aren't more neighborhoods in Waco where bike riding is prevalent.

4. If you don't like the beach....Watercolor is not the place for you.

5. Did I mention that screened porches and outdoor showers are NOT overrated?

See y'all back in Texas!

Hello, From Watercolor Beach, Florida!

2008-06-02T09:30:00.010-05:00

I've finally figured out why people work so darn hard to retire early. Watercolor, Florida is the reason.

We arrived here on Sunday after a very early, 6:20 am, flight from Waco. After spending a full day here, I've decided that I'm not returning to Waco. Don't miss me too much...

Seriously though, Watercolor is everything that Norman Rockwell, June Cleaver, and Shirley Temple encompass. It's sappy sweet, picturesque, and reminiscent of your favorite childhood memory--all wrapped together. Here are just a few things I've noticed about Watercolor so far:

1. The main mode of transportation is bicycle. We've enjoyed strapping Emerie in a baby seat and Grace and Landrie in the toddler trailer and riding to the beach each day--it makes us all feel like kids again! In fact, people who drive their cars around here are sissies.

2. While Watercolor is a 500 acre resort-community....it doesn't feel busy. Most of the homes are rented, but it's not crowded at all. No waits at restaurants, no food shortages at the grocery store, no scrambling to find a spot at the beach.

3. The pace here is sloooooooow. I love it. The only time we rushed around was tonight as we tried to attend a Steve Irwin-like show. Unfortunately, it was not worth the rush.

4. The beach is sandy white; the water is the perfect shade of blue.

5. Sand can get into crevices that I didn't know existed.

6. Outdoor showers and screened porches are NOT overrated. My next home will have both. And with the mosquito and fly population in Waco, Texas, I'm surprised more people don' t have them.

7. The architecture here is beautiful. Each home looks like a Southern Living beach house, and the one we're staying in costs around $2.5 million dollars. I'd like to ask the owner what he does for a living. Then I'll ask Cody to make a job change.....

8. This is a very family-oriented place to stay. Everyone here is so friendly with nice warm smiles. Except for when we decided to bathe our kids on the front porch outdoor shower. Then they looked at us like Texas white trash.

9. This is a really safe place to stay. I don't think we've locked our doors since we've arrived.

10. 22 month-olds and planes do not mix. Thank God I have four more days until I have to do that again!!

I'll try to post more photos of the cool beach houses soon.

Three Wishes

2008-05-28T22:31:00.006-05:00

Have you ever thought about what three wishes you would ask for if a Genie popped out of your golden lantern? From time to time I have.....and other than the standard wishes for health, peace, and eternally beautiful offspring--my wishes are rather simple.

1. I wish I could sing....like, really sing. Although I sing in the choir at our church, I can tell you with 100% certainty that I will never be asked to join praise team or sing a solo. And I love music so very much. That's the irony in this whole situation. I heart music. A lot. But I am cursed with having the vocal ability of the sad people they make fun of on American Idol (remember William Hung?). I am not tone deaf, and I can match the notes of the music--but I am terribly jealous of the girls who can really belt it out, some of whom are my very dear friends! So that's it. My first wish would be for the gift of song.

2. My second wish is that the world would be rid of cancer. I know that kind of falls under the "standard wish" category, but from my personal experience with the beast of cancer.....it's something I want to include in the "simple wish" category. I lost my mom to a malignant brain tumor almost five years ago, and it's a battle that too often ends in defeat. I hate it.

3. My final wish is for this:

I want to be able to run. Not run fast; just long. I want to be the girl wearing an ipod, running around Baylor campus wearing those cute Nike running shorts. I want my pony tail to flop around behind me, mile after mile after mile. I have never been able to run for long distances. And, I have tried ever since high school....without luck.

In fact, the past two weeks I have tried to implement a little running into my lifestyle. I got about as far as my neighbor's mailbox and my lungs started burning, so I quit. Then I tried the run/walk/run/walk approach, and that was moderately successful. Then I got a back injury. Then shin splints. So, once again, my running workout has been tossed in the trash.

But let me brag here for just a moment to say that Kellie-Laine is a fantastic runner, and she proved it yet again at this year's track meet. She participated in 6 events and here's how she did:

4x100 relay: first place

100 meter dash: first place

200 meter dash: first place

400 meter dash: second place

long jump: fifth place

softball throw: third place

Yea, Kellie-Laine! I wish I could run like you.

And what was her reaction to her victories? "I don't like track," she said. "It's too hard."

Now that's something to wish for.....to severely dislike something and still be tremendously successful at it. That's what I call talent.

For the Love of Emerie

2008-05-21T23:48:00.003-05:00

The reason I will have baby number four:

Painted toddler toes. sigh.

(Emerie, age 21 months)

Guilty Pleasures

2008-05-19T15:14:00.003-05:00

My friend, Juli, asked her readers to reveal their guilty pleasures....you know, the things that you do or enjoy that you wouldn't dare share with anyone. Anyone, that is, except for the blogging public! Nothing is off limits for my blog readers....do you see how very much I love you guys?!

So here are my little guilty pleasures....which I really had to think about (perhaps because I've justified the pleasure so much that it no longer feels "guilty!") And feel free to participate on your own blog!

GUILTY PLEASURES:

1. Shopping. Listen, folks, this is a weekly occurrence for me. And there's a lot of guilt tied to this pleasure because you actually have a quantifiable number ($$ spent) of how much shopping you did!! However, I justify this activity by being a bargain shopper. I'm great at finding the best deals, the greatest sales, and the once-a-year clearances.

2. Oprah. I know, I know. She went all wacky with her new-found religion, and that really irks me. In fact, she really started irking me when she highlighted "The Secret" on her show. Really? My thoughts have the power to bring me lots of money, a dream house, private nanny, and larger, fuller boobs? Wow! That really is a secret.... Aside from those wacky shows, though, I actually like her. I like her style of journalism. She asks tough questions, and I especially love her "Favorite Things" list.

3. Candy/Candy Stores. As the photo above suggests, I love candy. In particular, I love candy from specialty candy stores. I guess you could say I'm a sucker for candy....sorry, I had to go for that pun. My love of candy probably stems from my childhood obsession with Willy Wonka, but the choco-river was simply too much for my brain to comprehend. Lickable wallpaper! Never ending gobstoppers! The gum that tasted like a full course meal! Oh my. I especially love the bins where you can buy assorted candy by the (expensive) pound. My favorites are the gummy cherries and sour patch kids.

4. Sleep. Although I try to fight it most days, I usually take a nap during Emerie's nap time. Sometimes it's a doozie....a deep, REM, kind of sleep lasting upwards of an hour. Most of the time it's just a 30-45 minute snooze. I love it. And I can only sleep after I've fully picked up the entire house. Some babies need a warm bottle to induce sleep. Me? I just need a clean house....

5. Tacky websites like: www.tmz.com (celebrity gossip), www.gofugyourself.typepad.com (Hollywood fashion mishaps with funny and cruel commentary), www.people.com , www.realtor.com ( this one's not tacky, but I'm always on the lookout for our dream home or A River Runs Through It-type piece of land), and various blogs of people that I don't necessarily know (and some that I do!). Basically, being tied to the computer and asking to be fed intravenously so that I don't have to get up is why I consider this a "guilty" pleasure.

6. 80's nostalgia. New Kids On The Block (going to their reunion concert come hell or high water), Poison (attended their concert in 7th grade), Bon Jovi (went to this concert last month and in 6th grade), Journey (got tickets to this concert coming up in August)....big hair bands. You name 'em, I love 'em. I also love Jem and the Holograms, Pinwheel (the precursor to Nickelodeon), Popples, Rainbow Brite, School House Rock, Kids Incorporated, Sixteen Candles, Captain Caveman, Punky Brewster, the list goes on and on. I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane......

7. Nightly foot rubs from my husband.

Which reminds me.....if I'm gonna get a foot rub tonight, I better get off this dern thing!

Share your guilty pleasures please!!

A Force to Reckon With: Mommy Bloggers

2008-05-14T20:30:00.004-05:00

Many people tell me that I write good...er, I mean well. It is a compliment that I receive graciously because I was sort of pre-wired for writing greatness. My dad was the editor of our hometown newspaper for many years, and my mom was a teacher. I was an English/Communications major at A&M, and in high school I was a state finalist in LD Debate and Informative Speaking. I'm a firm believer that if one can speak well...one can write well, and vice versa. I also believe that all bloggers are, by virtue of the hobby, gifted at writing. Think about it....why would a terrible writer want to start blogging? In the same vein, why would I, being at a first grade math level, start an accounting business or become a math tutor? Blogging and good writing go hand in hand, and most of the blogs I read are fantastic.

However, there is a new group of bloggers which the media has termed "Mommy Bloggers." They are a powerful group of women. They are funny, witty, painfully honest, and most of all, they are FAMOUS. Now you may wonder aren't we all mommy bloggers? And the general answer is yes, but the real answer is that the pioneers of mommy blogging are nowhere in our league. They earn money from their blogs. Yes, you heard me correctly. Advertisers pay them for space on their blogs. (Big advertisers like Home Depot, BMW, Revlon, etc.) They also receive awards, media interviews, host speaking engagements, and have a cult-like following.

One blog that I read is written by a gal named Heather Armstrong, (http://www.dooce.com/). She, in the blogosphere, wins the popularity contest having just won the "oscar" of awards at the recent 2008 Bloggie Awards (she won Best American Blog, Lifetime Achievement, and Blog of the Year). Heather has been featured on The Today Show, NY Times, MSNBC, and other high-ranking media. Her writing is painfully funny and sometimes too honest for me, but I love her wit, sarcasm and her periodic letters to her four year old daughter, Leta. Although Heather doesn't openly admit what her yearly earnings are from her blog, media speculates she averages about $40,ooo a year from advertisers. Her husband, Jon, actually quit his job to become her business manager. Heather is a full-time blogger.

It is estimated that Heather's blog averages 40 million hits a month....did you read that correctly? 40 miiiilllliiioooon hits. (And to think I get all excited when my blog shows 5 or more comments! Loser.) Heather's blog also has huge consumer influence. For example, she featured a hand-made purse by a local struggling artist, and in less than a week the now-not-so-struggling artist completely sold her entire inventory. That's pretty cool.

I thought you might be interested to know some other mommy bloggers who receive this kind of popularity, but let me warn you.....as you know in the blogging world.....one blog will lead to another, will lead to another, will lead to another, will lead to another. I spent close to 3 hours last night reading blog after blog of funny mommy humor. So pace yourself, and stop every now and then to do some sit ups or something.

Top Mommy Blogs:

http://www.wouldashoulda.com/

http://www.motherhooduncensored.typepad.com/

http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/

http://www.busymom.net/

http://www.badladies.blogspot.com/

http://www.chickychickybaby.blogspot.com/

http://www.whitetrashmom.com/

http://www.themummychronicles.blogspot.com/

http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

So in all this hype about us mommy bloggers....I wanted to ask: why do you blog? For me, it's a creative outlet. And a chance, or rather an attempt, at humor. I blog because I like the diarist approach to motherhood. I blog because I can't keep up with a scrapbook. I blog because I'm an extrovert and I love getting comments. Finally, I blog because I like the connection with other gals.

So why do you do it?

Family Vacation Follow Up

2008-05-12T15:18:00.005-05:00

I thought a follow up post might be due for those of you who gave me advice on our family vacation. We decided to stay in the U.S. as traveling internationally with three kids made me extremely nervous. (Nikki: we were so close to booking at Beaches Turks & Caicos, too!)

So, we talked my sister and her family into going with us and rented a beach cottage in Watercolor, Florida. Take a peek at our house here. You may find it interesting to know that Watercolor is minutes away from Seaside beach, where the Truman Show (Jim Carey) was filmed. Watercolor has a "beach cottage-y" feel and, according to my sister's sister-in-law, is one of those places I will be tempted to sell my children in order to purchase a home in Watercolor.

So our family will be flying from Waco to avoid the 14 hour car ride, but the 6am flight is not sounding particularly fun either. And did I mention that I hate flying? I do. Add to that fear the fact that I will, occasionally, get motion sick and have to take Dramamine prophylacticly. Dramamine makes me pass out, which is a rather unacceptable way to fly with three needy children.

So thank you, faithful readers, for extending your suggestions and well wishes. We will one day venture to the lovely beaches of Mexico, Turks & Caicos or the Cayman Islands.....but not until all of my girls are Red Cross certified.

And now for a random riddle that will shed some light on a question you've always wanted answered about yourself, "Do I Think Like a Psychopath?" Read the following riddle and try to come up with an answer:

The following is not a trick question. It is as it reads.

A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing. She believed him to be her dream guy so much, that she fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister.

So the obvious question is: what was her motive for killing her sister?

Think about your answer carefully and then go here for the answer. I totally did not get it right, but ironically, two women in my playgroup hit the nail on the head. Scary, right? (And, no, I'll never tell which mommas answered it correctly!!!!)

Zig, Then Zag

2008-05-06T20:09:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of re-naming my blog to: Adventures of a Bi-Polar Supermom. What do you think? (And please don't send me email or post comments about my insensitivity to those with actual bi-polar disorder. I'm highly sensitive.....so sensitive, in fact, that I think I might very well be bi-polar.)

So after my recent post about the "peacefulness in my spirit about being a mom," I have now zagged into a mommy funk. Isn't that the way it always goes, especially for us women? Just when we think we're coasting along in one particular mood....we zig, then zag in a total opposite direction. No wonder men can't figure us out! So back to this funk.....keeping it real for ya, folks. There are days I wake up and already have a bad attitude about catering to the demands of others. Since these demands start before I'm even out of bed, it's hard to wake up with abundant patience and radiant positivity. Sometimes I just don't want to. Period.

Today was one of those days, and I knew it the night before. I took a little extra time this morning to pray for a smooth day, but gosh darnit, I kept falling asleep mid prayer. I am a total loser. Part of it was that I had nothing pressing to do, which meant most of my day would be spent making things up to do (i.e. entertaining the girls) which requires 1. creativity and 2. energy. Of which I possess neither. Another part was that I was coming off of a low-back injury from my efforts to feed the homeless. (Okay, so that was a total lie. I wish I had been feeding the homeless or running a marathon or simply picking up a heavy child. Nope. I injured my back spray tanning. Can you say l-o-s-e-r?) The final nail in the coffin of mommy funky-ness was that yesterday I opened up "Beeler Daycare" at my home to host all of my Bible study friends' kiddos. Thirteen kids were in my home for three hours, and I couldn't spend another day cooped up at home. I was actually going to have to go somewhere.

After picking up Landrie at noon from school, Emerie decided she wouldn't eat and didn't want to nap. Landrie decided that she would talk non-stop while stopping in between sentences to ask, "Did you hear that, Mom?" or "Are you listening?" with the attitude Veruka Salt. Then, the furniture company called to say that my bedroom furniture that was promised for delivery in two weeks was on a slow boat from China and would actually be more like 6-8 weeks. This alarmed me because I didn't realize that my high-end, brand name, over-priced furniture was being made in China....but there was no turning that boat around now. Husband came home for a quick bite, and left telling me he shouldn't be late tonight (light at the end of the tunnel). Then husband calls back an hour later saying he would, after all, be late (light quickly fading in tunnel). Kellie-Laine went home with a friend, and I stood alone in my aloneness.

The girls and I ran one quick errand to drop off a gift to my friend, who is a pediatric PA. It took everything in me to overcome the urge to let my kids play in the waiting room play area. I probably would have done it, but the receptionists already knew I didn't have an appointment. I also didn't like the way they stared at me when I walked in and announced "Oh, we're just here to visit!" I settled for letting the girls ride the elevator up and then taking the stairs down. It killed about 3 minutes. We then headed to the park, and it was actually kind of nice. To end the painstaking day, I tried a new recipe for shrimp cervache tostadas....and I realized mid-bite that I don't like cold shrimp. It was gross.

Soooooo.....I realize you readers might be saying things like, "Get over yourself" or "Take an anti-depressant and get on with it" or you may even be thumbing through your phone book for the number to CPS. However, let me assure you.....I know there are women out there who are desperate for just one of these moments from my day. Angie Smith, who just lost her baby upon delivery, would give her eye teeth for one day like this with her sweet Audrey Caroline. Who am I to complain? Kelly, from Kelly's Korner, who is dealing with infertility and would desire nothing more than to struggle through a day of motherhood if it meant she would bear her own child. Who am I to complain?

Motherhood (as well as life in general) is really about perspective....and the occasional greener grass. I am well aware that these are fleeting moments, and all too soon I'll turn around and long for my children to be underfoot, talking incessantly, and taking naps in cribs. I know that while I've zigged to this particular place, soon I'll zag to happy-mommy land again and all will be right with the world. But in an effort to keep things real for you readers, I wanted to share with you that today was not that great of a day in SuperMom world. I need you to know, and empathize with me, that being a mom is not all sunshine and roses. Sometimes mommyhood is an endless snotty nose on a toddler who took her diaper off in the crib (again) and tee-teed....or a middle child who is passionately kissing a balloon in questionable dress-up clothes. Mommyhood is a pre-teen daughter who thinks her friend's mom is a million times cooler than you are because friend's-mom buys her stuff at Target. Mommyhood is having all of your children wrinkle their noses and make choking sounds when you set dinner down on the table....mommyhood is kids fighting over the princess Aurora doll that neither knew existed until one child found it.....it is laundry that is never done, toys that are never completely picked up, and tummies that are never too full for fruit snacks or Oreos.

And so I'll go to sleep tonight....thankful for these character-building opportunities....prepared to wake up and do the same song and dance tomorrow. I better start praying now......

Monday Musings

2008-04-28T20:58:00.006-05:00

Today was "inclimate weather" day at my girls' school which means they planned a day at the beginning of the school year specifically for snow, sleet, blizzard, or monsoon and it never came to fruition. Therefore, we were able to take the holiday today...on this glorious, sunny, spring Monday. Other than Bible study, I had no real plans for me and the girls, and usually I get a little nervous when I don't have something specific on the agenda. Usually, having no specific plans means the girls end up watching too much TV, fighting or messing up the house....all of which have the power to send me rummaging through my medicine cabinets for left-over anxiety medication, sleeping pills, or anti-nausea drugs. Any combination will do....

However, today was such a beautiful day that I simply couldn't dwell on the lack of plans. I put Emerie down for a nap and the older girls and I pulled the sleeping bag on to the front lawn to bask in the sun. (Why is the front yard so much more interesting than the back yard? Anyone?) Each of us had a book to read....yes, even Landrie. And for a good two hours we read, re-arranged the sleeping bag for the perfect amount of sun and shade, and took turns checking on the sleeping baby. Landrie took her usual position of offering idle chatter, with no regard to the fact that she had rather un-willing conversationalists. Kellie-Laine, who is my "anti-reader" got so engrossed in her novel that she completed over three hours of reading. This was a first for her.

Emerie joined us later, and we spent the latter part of the day blowing bubbles, eating popsicles, and singing. I had a great new recipe to try for dinner tonight, (which Cody loved) I didn't pout when he called to say he'd be late, and Kellie-Laine helped me clean the kitchen without complaint....then we all sat together and watched some old home videos of the girls from about three years ago.

Does this sound like a scene from Pollyanna? It does to me...only, it really happened. I'm not sure what to make of days like these which come far too seldom. It's such a nice break from the "rush, rush" that I'm usually in, and I'm starting to look forward to the slow pace of summer.

I've also noticed lately a peacefulness in my spirit about my job as a mom. I'm not sure what to attribute it to....I'm used to complaining about everything. Of course, I still have many moments when I complain, but those thoughts are brief and seem to be fewer and farther between. One thing that I can put my finger on is that my commitments have pretty much all wrapped up with school volunteering, choir, Motion youth group, UIL coaching, Bible study, etc. I don't have these external forces chipping away at my personal time or family time. Without these distractions, I'm able to simply be....sorry for sounding so existential, but it's true. I can be with my girls, talk to my husband, play outside, take walks, go for ice cream.....all without being distracted. Truly savoring the moment.

Another thing I can attribute to my recent peaceful spirit is that I've been starting my day with a simple yet powerful prayer: Lord, help me to make this day yours. Let me be a blessing to my kids. Let me take joy in my children. Just uttering these simple words has given me tremendous perspective. I'm not asking to be perfect....I'm not asking to be the world's greatest mom....I'm not asking for abundant patience. I'm asking for something that can be accomplished in me---today. I can be a blessing to my girls. I can find joy in moments with them. I can give this day over to my Savior.

And He, in His awesome creativity, answered my prayer with an inclimate weather day.... full of sunshine.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning...

Lamentations 3:23-24"

Gettin' Real

2008-04-24T22:47:00.002-05:00

For the most part, I think my life is pretty transparent. I know some of you don't know me that well (or at all) but if you did, you'd know that my life is an open book. There's not much about my life that I'm unwilling to share....the good, the bad and the ugly....it's part of what makes me me.

A few days ago my sister posted a blog about not having it all together...her life, her mothering skills, her duties as a wife...but yet she felt this urge to appear to have it all together. Does this sound familiar to anyone? It must ring a bell, especially with us moms, because her post got a lot of reaction.

I started wondering what kind of image or pretense I put on for others--intentional or unintentional. Why do we moms feel pressure to be SuperMom? Why do we give in to the snare of comparison? I do it. You do it. We all do it. And I think we need to give each other a break and especially give ourselves a break. Mommyhood is not easy, to say the least. When we embrace that fact, I think we reduce the pressure we feel to make everything seem hunky-dory. To quote one of my husband's favorite lines: it is what it is.

It's time for us to come alongside one another with empathy for the struggles of balancing our jobs as moms, wives, sisters, friends, etc. And in order to do that we have to get real with one another. Let it all hang out....the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm encouraging each one of you to share some of your common struggles or mishaps with motherhood. Share the real you.....that's what I'm doing today. I do not have it all together.

Here are some examples to prove it:

1. I don't wash juice cups or bottles each time they're used. Sometimes I just stick them back in the fridge until the next use.

2. My kids have worn their pajamas in public....sometimes they're matching pj's but sometimes they're not.

3. I forget to brush Emerie's teeth at least once a week.

4. I have re-gifted a gift.

5. I don't get out of bed until Emerie cries for her bottle. Some days it is 8:45 am before she wakes up.

6. Last week, after the 16th request from Landrie to "Watch me, momma." I simply replied, "No, thanks."

7. I talk on the phone while I play with my kids.

8. Many times, I think too much about what I'm wearing.

9. I will let clothes sit in the dryer for several days before folding them.

10. I have a hard time paying a compliment to family members.

11. I am hyper-critical of others.

12. Sometimes, the only thing that gets me through the week is my one day of Mother's Day Out.

13. Sometimes, the only thing that gets me through the day is nap time.

14. I spend too much money.

15. I'm not faithful to my quiet times.

16. I let my kids watch too much tv.

17. I won't cook certain recipes because it requires too many pots and pans-- which means more clean up for me afterwards.

18. I don't wash my pillow cases often because I only have one set that feels "soft enough."

19. The inside of my car is a total disaster. But the inside of my house is immaculate.

20. The reason my house is immaculate is because I spend more time picking up and straightening things than playing with my girls.

So there you have it. I don't share these things with you to create a pity party for myself. And I hope you aren't challenged to share things with me or others that make you feel terrible about yourself. I hope I've encouraged us, as women and mothers, to stop pretending. It isn't healthy. But what is healthy and cathartic is extending grace, empathy and mercy to each other. To come alongside one another and say "Me, too" or "I know exactly how you feel." Empathy unifies, and us mommies need unity to get through each day!

So fill me in....what are some "real" things about your life?

Happy Birthday to My Man!

2008-04-19T20:26:00.003-05:00

My husband just turned the big 3-5 and I wanted to take a moment to share with you thirty five reasons why I love him! Happy Birthday, sweetie! YOU are the love of my life....

35 REASONS WHY I LOVE MY HUSBAND:

1. In college, you waited in line for two hours with me to see a haunted house....only for me to step one foot inside the house and decide I couldn't go through with it.

2. You are patient with my shopping habit.

3. I love that you crawled through the window of my condo when I broke up with you while we were dating. It was such a cavalier gesture, and I never tried to break up with you again!

4. You put our family first and have given up hunting, sports, friends, etc. to make our family your first priority.

5. You are a good country dancer.

6. Your armpits smelly yummy....all the time. It's kind of freaky, but I'm glad I never have to worry about B.O.

7. You never cease to stop giving....to me or the girls. And you never complain.

8. I love that you balance my impatience with your deliberation.

9. I love that you didn't get mad when I put an ad in the paper to sell your truck because I was tired of driving it.

10. I love that you've worked hard to get us debt free (almost 5 years now!) and that you work hard to keep us debt free!

11. You are affectionate and always let me know you love me...even when I'm not talking to you due to PMS!

12. You are thoughtful.

13. You are always on my side.

14. You get up in the midst of the night to check on the "scary noises" I think I hear outside our house.

15. You get up and check on the noises Kellie-Laine hears, too.

16. You bathe the girls almost every night.

17. I love that our marriage is a partnership.

18. I love that you still flirt with me.

19. You are a great spiritual leader for our family.

20. I love that you drove fast on the way to the hospital to deliver Emerie....just for fun.

21. You are funny and witty.

22. You come up with wonderful analogies.

23. You are a great listener and you don't always try to "fix" the problem but will sometimes just listen.

24. You really are a phenomenal athlete.

25. You toned down your "Aggie Spirit" for me.

26. I love that you understand my need for "sister-only" time with Flo.

27. You have never raised your voice at me.

28. I'm completely secure in our marriage.

29. You pray for our family.

30. You understand that my job is sometimes hard and sometimes not fun, and you try to make it better.

31. You know how to fix a ponytail for Landrie, and you remember to put in a hair bow when you dress Emerie.

32. You are giving to the less fortunate and you are compassionate.

33. I love that you will do endless honey-do projects without complaint or fuss.

34. Your dimples.

35. And finally, I love that when I showed you all the baggage I carried from my past....you only saw endless possibilities for our future.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Answers, Answers I Got' em!

2008-04-10T21:37:00.008-05:00

Thank you for your questions. All four of you. Without further delay, I'll address your burning questions.

Tressa, whom I did not know until she de-lurked to pay me a sweet compliment, asked the following: where did I grow up and do I have any siblings?
A: I grew up in a small town called Atlanta, Texas (near Texarkana) so I guess you could consider me an East Texas gal. I have an amazing younger sister, Florence, who is my best friend. Unfortunately, I only discovered what a great friend she was in college. Before then, I thought she was pesky and annoying.

Tressa also asked: When you spray tanned, how long did it last? Have you gone back? I'm really wanting to do it.
A : I am now an official ooompa loompa....and I love it! Seriously, I have stuck with the spray tan regimen because I feel so much better when I'm tan. My makeup looks better, teeth whiter, and I'm actually wearing shorts three months sooner than last summer! I go every 6-7 days, and I really like that I'm not doing permanent damage to my skin, yet I have a healthy glow. You should do it, Tressa!

Another burning question from Tressa: When you see people like me (a fellow blogger) in the real world (Kids' Kingdom, HEB, etc.) do you feel weird having a conversation?
A: I don't feel weird because the only person I knew via blog before meeting them was YOU! It's cool....just another way to connect with people. I did see someone at Barnes and Nobles not too long ago that I recognized from her blog. She was a total stranger but somehow I blurted out, "I read your blog!" as she passed by me. Now that was a weird....almost as weird as the look she gave me.

Tressa's final question: Whats your favorite thing you like to do? With or without kids?
A: To be honest, there are many days that my favorite thing to do is anything without the kids! But in all seriousness, I'm a certified shop-a-holic. I shop. It's what I do. I'm good at it. I also like to pick up the house and restore its order, read, sleep, and waste lots of time on the computer searching for my dream house--which always happens to be somewhere like Madison, Wisconsin or Peoria, Illinois.

Emily is another gal I've never met but know from her blog. She asked: If you could travel anywhere where would it be? Why?
A: Anywhere with a white, sandy beach is my cup of tea. Why, you ask? Probably because I'm cold natured and I'm a terrible skier. I am, however, a FANTASTIC snow plower.

Juli, one of my bestest and dearest friends from high school asked: How can it have been 12 years since we've seen each other? (My best guess, I'm figuring my wedding as the last time! Crazy!)
A: Actually, Juli, the last time we saw each other was at my mom's funeral. You may not have remembered that visit because you were just doing what you've always done...being thoughtful. I will never forget you being there, though. It meant so much to me.

She asked another funny question: How in the WORLD do you have time to do all that you do with your crafts and your kids and your sweetie and still keep your house clean?!?!? David wants to know, LOL!!!!!!! (Make it something impossible for me, please! ;) )
A: I don't do it all...I have to pick and choose. Most of the time I sacrifice my crafty stuff for cleaning, but every once in a while I'll choose craft over clean. Then I spend the next four days roaming from room to room muttering to myself about the pigsty I call home, throwing all the laundry I can fit into one load, and ordering pizza. I then vow to never, ever under any condition attempt to be crafty.

Juli's final question was: Favorite meal to cook?
A: On average, I cook three to four times a week. It is really important to me to try and preserve our family meal time. It's almost uncommon these days for families to gather 'round the dinner table to eat and talk! Even though there's not a lot of talking, (but rather bribing kids to eat, stay seated, and stop touching each other) it's important to make dinnertime a valued and important thing now so that they'll get used to the tradition when they're older. My favorite meal to cook right now is medium-shelled pasta with zucchini and tomatoes in a white, cheesy cream sauce. It doesn't have a name.

My sweet friend, Adrielle, asked: What are some of you and Cody's favorite things to do/places to go on date nights?
A: Cody is a sweetheart and usually always arranges our dates, complete with getting the babysitter. Therefore, he also usually plans what we do. We're not that demanding....a night without kids is the biggest gift of all so what we do doesn't really matter. It's usually dinner and then coffee and dessert. Then I'm usually too pooped to do much else, so we'd rent a movie and go home.

Adrielle also wanted to know: If you could have a weekend getaway with no commitments, kids, etc., where would you go? Would you go alone or with people?
A: First of all, you all should know that I am no good at being alone. Think Jerry McGuire, when Renee says "you can't be alone....alone, alone, alone." That's me. I thrive on doing things with friends or my sister or husband. Even this weekend when Cody took Kellie-Laine to the Final Four game, I was really kind of pitiful the way I was moping around feeling sorry for myself. Oh, I enjoyed the evening to myself for a little bit, but then I started having these thoughts that everyone else on the planet was attending a party and I was the only one not invited. Then I just got sad. Isn't that pitiful? So if I'm going to do anything....it's going to include other people. I'd also choose to go here with Cody. This is our place. And it's a stones throw from College Station....even better.

Adrielle's final question was: What do you appreciate the most about your relationship with your sister?
A: I love that I can be completely honest about myself with Flo. No one else knows me the way she does. Probably not even Cody. I can share thoughts with her that have no business being voiced. I also love that she thinks I'm funny. She laughs at me. I like being funny.

Okay....so that's it. I hope you feel like you know me little better than before. If I get any other questions, I'll answer them in another post. I hope you won't remove me from your list of blogs to read. The end.

Wait, Wait.....Rose came in at the final hour with her burning desire to know who my favorite NKOTB is (if you don't know what NKOTB is....you don't need to know my answer!)
A: Okay, here's the truth. My friends Jennifer, Katherine and my sister, Flo, all liked the New Kids. So to keep the peace, we kind of all chose a different New Kid to love. I chose Jonathan. But I realize now he didn't have much depth and wasn't really that great of a singer. He also had no charisma....but Jordan, now that's another story. He's who I would choose today. His name will be on my poster board sign when I attend their reunion concert with Flo. I will also be wearing a side-ponytail, pinch-rolled jeans, and an over sized t-shirt gathered to the side with a hair bow.

TTFN!!

Puttin' Myself Out There

2008-04-09T23:09:00.004-05:00

Okay, bloggerville. I'll be honest. I am totally at a loss for anything substantial to blog about. Sooooooo.....either I quit blogging until something inspiring hits me or I implement some corny Q&A post.

I'm going with corny.

Actually, I borrowed this idea from another blog that I read, but it seemed to work well for her (it could also have something to do with the fact that she gets about 35+ comments every time she blogs about nothing!). I'm not jealous or anything. I'm just sayin'........

So here's the deal-o:

Ask me a question. Any question. About ME. Do you wonder what kind of fabric softener I use? Interested in my favorite shampoo? Or are you into the good stuff like my most embarrassing moment? My biggest fear? Biggest regret? Post your question in the comments section, and I'll answer them! (I'm being rather presumptuous assuming there will be more than ONE question, eh?)

So that's the deal. I don't know if it's good blogging material, but it's better than the same nothingness I've been posting the past few weeks.

My life is now an open book.......sort of.

Prayerful Reminder

2008-04-06T21:13:00.002-05:00

Let's all be lifting up Angie Smith (Selah blog) tomorrow. Many of us have been praying for God's grace and mercy to encompass her during her pregnancy.

Their little girl, Audrey Caroline, will be born tomorrow and isn't expected to survive. A miracle can happen, if He chooses. And if He doesn't--He's still the same loving, powerful, merciful God yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Mommyhood Musings

2008-04-05T20:30:00.011-05:00

I'm sitting here, alone, tonight enjoying a free evening to myself.

Cody took Kellie-Laine to the Final Four game in San Antonio tonight. Apparently, the Final Four is, like, a big deal....I, of course, did not realize this. And maybe that's why Cody chose to take Kellie-Laine instead of me. She knows the game's a big deal, and she'll be able to understand what's going on whereas I would be more focused on checking out the latest female trends of those around me. Oh, well. It's only 8:30 pm and I now have the entire evening to do whatever in the world I want....and that feels really great.

So one thing Cody and I have been discussing lately is the idea of his upcoming vasectomy. And it's still just that....an "idea." He's had one scheduled three different times now, and we've cancelled each one for various reasons. So according the laws of Murphy....I'm due to get pregnant any moment now. Ha!

Seriously though....how do you know when you're done having kids? Do you feel it? Do you just make the decision without really being sure? Do you quit when you've hit a certain number? There are many, many, many, many moments each day when I'm quite certain we are through having kids. But recently, Cody and I have had--independent of each other--thoughts about not really being sure we're done. Perhaps it's that Emerie is so, so fun right now. She is just a joy. It's also so neat to see Kellie-Laine and the little ones interact together. Each milestone Emerie hits, is met with awe and sadness because it may be the last milestone I'll ever note.

On the other hand, Cody and I are ready to have some "alone time" again. We haven't been on a big trip together....without kids...since our honeymoon. (We've had a few little weekend trips thanks to my sister, though!). We've also committed to private schooling our kids, which means big $$$ to make this happen. Three kids in private school is tough, and about the time Landrie hits 10 years of age...we'll have two kids in private school and one in college!! I better start thinking about getting a job! Are finances a reasonable reason to stop having kids? It seems selfish.... And I musn't forget about the day-to day grind that isn't always so rosy. Did I mention that two weeks ago Emerie managed to take off her diaper in her crib and enjoyed the freedom to "go poop" without the plastic barrier? I've survived so much it seems: terrible two's, tragic three's, colic, morning sickness, mastitis, countless stomach bugs, visits to the ER, etc. But you know what they say about the Lord's mercies being new each morning.....

Many of my friends have said, "you'll know when you're done" so if I don't really feel convinced right now, does that mean we should leave that door open? I guess until God tells us otherwise, we'll just prop that door open...just an inch....and see what happens.

For now, here are some photos for you to enjoy of my three beautiful, wonderful, fun girls!

Easter Re-Cap

2008-03-28T23:19:00.007-05:00

It's definitely Spring in Texas! 80 degrees one day, 50 degrees the next. Where else on earth can one find a 30 degree differential in a 24 hour period?!

So our Easter was little cooler than we had hoped for, but the chilly weather didn't damper our spirits too much...especially since I was soooo looking forward to our church service! Highland does such a wonderful job....amazing job....with their praise and worship music, and for some crazy reason they allow me to sing in the choir. It's a huge blessing....(just don't tell Gary Rhodes that I can't really sing that well!)

Here are some random photos of our family after church...notice that I don't have a tripod, so all of our photos are missing one member of our family.

I would like to ask you readers a question if you don't mind. We are desperately trying to put together a summer vacation for our family. We haven't been on a "big" vacation since Emerie was born, and the call of the beach is too much for us to ignore! We have a few ideas in mind, but one direction we're leaning is visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Have any of you been there? I'm very nervous traveling with little Miss Tumbleweed (aka Emerie). I'm also trying to decide between an all-inclusive resort vs. a beachfront or oceanfront villa. There are pros and cons to each. If you have visited a particularly beautiful beach or beach resort, please give me your suggestions! I'm already a little late in planning this, so your help would be so appreciated.

By the way, I'm in a real bloggy funk. I don't have anything poignant, creative, or sarcastic to say. I apologize. I'm sure my crazy life will provide me with more material in the days and weeks to come.

Great Wolfe Lodge Review

2008-03-22T19:56:00.008-05:00

When they say "Great" Wolfe Lodge, they mean it. It is pretty great, in fact. So great that I thought I'd share with you some highlights and lowlights from our trip over Spring Break. You can read all about their features and amenities on their website....I'm just reviewing our trip and hopefully giving you readers some good tips.

To begin with, we decided to travel with another family. I understand this isn't always the best experience for many families, but we were really thrilled the Stanford's were there with us. Kellie-Laine, Phoebe and the older boys were able to go off on their own and ride to their hearts content. The water park area is too large to try and implement the "stay together as a group" system, and the fact that the whole park basically caters to families made me feel a little bit safer about letting my kids go off on their own. Everyone is given a wristband that acts as your admission to the park, key to your room, and a "charge account" for purchases throughout the Lodge.

We only booked a one night stay, and I highly recommend at least a two nighter. It's nice to have access to your room if little ones get tired, cold or hungry. Check-in is at 4 pm and check-out is 11 am, so there's not much access to your room if you're just staying for one night. (I will say, though, that our room was ready early...which was a plus.)

The buffet was expensive....$20 for adults and $10 for kids, but it was worth it. The food was outstanding and the choices made gluttony seem a bigger temptation for me than it normally is. The dessert bar was fabulous, several kinds of cheesecakes, cupcakes with any topping imaginable, full ice cream bar, crepes, cobbler, etc. Go hungry....leave happy.

The kiddie area was nice and the deepest part was only knee-high. Landrie found a slide that she slid down about 476 times. It was the only thing she wanted to do. Speaking of slides...there is a slide that the Lodge allows entire families to slide down together. Even little Emerie was given the "go ahead" by the staff. So we climbed up what seemed like twenty flights of stairs while I promised myself to get back to the gym as soon as possible. There was a huge floatation device that seated five people, and the staff person helped us climb in while reminding us that everyone needed to sit alone and hold onto the handles. I gave a worried glance at Cody, knowing that our 18 month old was not only incapable of sitting along....in water....on a twenty story high slide...but she was also incapable of holding on to the handles by herself during the ride. He returned me with a "sure she can do it" smile, and with one kick of the staffer's foot, we were on our way. Warning: what I thought was a ride with similar speeds such as the Mini-Mine Train at Six Flags actually turned out to be a ride with speeds faster than the Shock Wave at Six Flags. Our family was traumatized after the event. Both little ones immediately started crying, I was shaking, Cody was laughing, and Kellie-Laine was scolding us by saying, "I told you it wasn't for everyone!"

Here are a few other observations:

Suggestion: bring milk and cereal for breakfast in the morning. Each room comes equipped with a mini refrigerator. You gotta save $$ any way you can.

Warning: if you book a certain type room, call the day of to make sure they have it correct. We booked a two-room suite, but we were given a loft suite with a steep flight of stairs. This did not work at all for us, and the Lodge graciously gave us two side-by-side rooms.

Suggestion: try to get a room on the first 5 floors. You can take the stairs to and from the water park, and you don't have to wait on the sloooooow elevators.

Warning: the beds in the standard rooms are incredibly uncomfortable. Not that I would know from personal experience. I was given a "king suite" which had the dreamiest bed ever. I slept like a baby. But I hear the standard room beds are yucky...or so my husband says.

Suggestion: The Magic Quest Wand game was pretty popular, but a little expensive. It's $15 to play, and you can keep your wand.

Warning: tokens for the arcade are expensive. $2 to $4 a game...but the games are very generous with tickets.

Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!

A Blog Must Read

2008-03-15T21:22:00.003-05:00

Do you think it's kind of weird that I keep asking you to read other people's blogs? Shouldn't I be clamoring for your attention in the midst of blog-o-mania?

Seriously though. I found a blog you MUST read. Especially if you're a mom. And especially if you like (okay, love) the Christian group, Selah, like I do. (BTW: If you're not familiar with Selah....get to itunes quickly and download every song possible. They're amazing.) Anyway, this blog is written by the wife of the singer in Selah. They have three girls and she is pregnant with her fourth girl....who will not survive the birth due to some serious health conditions.

I'm not suggesting that you seek out this blog to satisfy a voyeuristic curiosity, but rather for you to read, and feel, their faith. Faith that even in this dark, dark hour still shines so brightly. I cannot imagine what each day must feel like for this family, but what a comfort our Jesus, Lord and Savior, is for them....and for us.

Take a moment to read this blog....and then go hug your children tightly.

Now....Let's Talk About Sex

2008-03-14T20:58:00.003-05:00

I told you in an earlier post that I would be discussing ways to approach your daughter about s-e-x. As I thought about all that I wanted to share and didn't want to share, I found myself paralyzed by fear. There's so much that I know, and yet don't know. And I'm just going to admit to you right now that I don't feel equipped or knowledgeable enough to share any insight with you. My oldest daughter is 12, and I have no clue if what I'm doing is worth sharing or if it's even working.

However, in spite of my own fear of inadequacy, I do have some words of wisdom to offer you. I read the blog of a woman named Vicki Courtney who is an accomplished Christian author and speaker on the topic of tweens and teens. She just recently added two posts to her blog that are a must read regarding kids and sex. Look to the right of my blog and click on the "Virtue Alert" link or just go here. (You may have to scroll down a few days to find the posts.)

If anyone has the right to speak about such topics, it's Vicki. And you should definitely keep track of her blog and add it to your favorites list (she's from Texas, too, which is a plus for me!). She has great wisdom about raising tweens and teens and I'm eagerly awaiting her newest book called, 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter .

I hope I haven't disappointed you , or worse, burst your bubble since you all think I'm SuperMom. I'm certain you'll get more mileage out of Vicki's wisdom than you would mine.

PLEASE take time to read her posts....and then let's sit down with our tweens and teens and "talk about sex, baby."

Adventures of Spray Tanning

2008-03-09T20:24:00.009-05:00

I was sick and tired of my pale, winter-white skin. Skin that looked like it hadn't seen the light of day since August 30th, 1984. I decided to throw caution to the wind....risk looking like an oompa loompa...and signed up for a Mystic Tan session. I know all the horror stories associated with spray tanning. But honestly, the color of my skin was by far more horrific than any accidental spray-nozzle-filled-with-orange-stain catastrophe. (Besides, I think flab looks better tan, don't you?) Study the above picture carefully. See Gene Wilder? My skin was whiter than that. See the Oompa Loompas? That's what I thought I would look like after the Mystic Tan session. But I am here to set the record straight for all of you who have ever pondered or skeptically considered this art of body shlacking. My advice? It ain't that bad...

So here's the scoop. I paid $10 for one session. I stood in a booth, with nothing but my birthday suit on, and allowed three giant spray nozzles to coat me with "light" body shlack (I love that word "shlack"--it's so 70's!). A sexy woman's voice filled the booth and said, "Mystic Tan will begin in five seconds...4,3,2,1." And as the final second escaped her computer lips, I gulped what some might have considered to be my final breath. I intended to hold my breath the whole time, but soon my body let me know that not only was it impossible but also unnecessary. The mist filled the entire booth, and I thought for sure I was going blind.

But in a matter of seconds, it was over. Oompa Loompa or not...there was no turning back now. I had to wait approximately 4 hours before I could shower or see the results. And I'll admit it-- I liked it. Even this morning, the slight golden appeal was a little more pronounced than the night before, and I've only seen two areas that I should have rubbed in a little more. But overall, I really think this is something worth doing again, especially since it's so much better for your skin than UV rays. Upon reaching my 32nd birthday, I realized that all the sun damage from my tanning-on-rooftops-with-Crisco-days had finally caught up with me. The best age-prevention for me is to limit my sun exposure, and spray tanning might be one way to do just that. So if any of you have ever considered spray tanning, my suggestion is Just Do It!

In other news, Cody and I went out last night with three other couples for dinner....and country dancing! This was so out of our comfort zone!! Even though Cody and I met this way in college and kicked it up many a-night while in College Station, we haven't done this since our migration to Waco. Let me tell you, it was so fun! I asked Landrie to take a picture of us as a keepsake and here's her first attempt:

So I aligned her a little better, asked her to actually look through the view finder this time, and this is what we got:

As you can see, there's no confusing me with an Oompa Loompa!

An Honest Letter To Whom It May Concern

2008-03-05T00:26:00.003-06:00

Dear Political Campaign Marketing Strategists:

I know this may be hard to believe, but the recorded phone calls from your party's governors, comptrollers, state representatives, and even your own presidential candidates are not working. These calls are not working because they are annoying the crud out of me. I've received at least ten phone calls a day from various political know-it-alls, and the robotic-monotone-messages left by Obama, Gov. Perry, McCain, Clinton, and my neighbor who lives on Pine Street, really does not influence my voting decision. Really. When my husband's pager went off at 2:30 in the morning last week, we were not thrilled that it was, no, not the hospital calling for his assistance but rather Hillary Clinton asking for his support. This is not good for you, your cause, or our sleep patterns.

I know somewhere in a fancy shmancy meeting room in Political Town, USA, your marketing team sat together and generated this brilliant idea of flooding America with phone calls from various people. In your fancy shmancy meeting room, this probably was a good idea. But me no likey your idea. Here in the real world, people have more important things to do than answer phone call after phone call after phone call. We have things to do like: fill juice cups, wipe hineys, hold down jobs, read food labels, and do our part to stop global warming. So, like, don't bother me with recorded political messages. (Although I have enjoyed looking at the fantastic phone numbers that you have somehow managed to obtain. 1-234-567-8910 was my favorite by far.)
Now I don't want to sound like a political grump, so I've decided to offer you some sure-fire ways to get voters to the polls. This, after all, should be your biggest issue where I'm concerned since I've only voted once in my entire voter-eligible life. My husband will tell me who to vote for, so all of your issues, debates, phone messages, interviews, SNL appearances, etc. really don't matter to me. Your cause really should be to get me TO the polls. Stop focusing on who I'll vote for once I'm there. I've already told you, my husband decides who I vote for. And, yes, I AM that kind of woman. (So there, Hillary!)

But I digress....back to the sure-fire ways to get voters to the polls:

1. Free babysitting. Offer it, and you'll have mothers standing in line waiting to drop their kids off. This is absolutely your ace in the hole. I know this for a fact because I will attend pretty much any meeting or conference in town as long as I see the words, "childcare provided" in the bulletin. (And while the "Single Again" conference wasn't really my cup of tea.....my kids had greaaaat fun!)

2. Food. I remember when I used to work in the pharmaceutical (catering) business, we would provide lunch or dinner for the entire doctor's office. This got me thinking...instead of calling me during dinner, causing me to leave my baby unattended with a fork and a large piece of pork chop, why don't you show up at my house with a warm meal? Really. It would go over so much better, and face-to-face contact is always better than phone calls. (Didn't you learn that in the first chapter of Marketing for Dummies?) I might even invite you in to sup with us. Then you can stay to help me wipe messy faces, hands and hineys. The media would like that so much better than simply kissing babies on the head.

3. Money. Your party seems to have lots of it, and we the people of the United States would like to have more of it. Share your wealth. Bribe us. It's the least you can do.

4. Limo rides. Pick me up in a limo and whisk me away to the polls! This serves two purposes: 1) you ensure that I actually get to the polls and 2) you make me really feel like my vote counts. Nothing says "you matter" like a limo ride.

5. On-site massages. Voting can really be quite stressful, and so I thought that having certified massage therapists on hand would decrease the number of potential gunmen who might "go postal" during this time. It would also diffuse any situation involving the phrase "she cut in front of me" which, if you've ever been in elementary school or had a child of that age, you know is the precursor to some sort of school violence.

So there you have it, Political Campaign Marketing Strategists. You can thank me later. Really. I know I have served my country well by bringing to light these new marketing strategies. Your needs are simple: you need Americans to vote. Our needs are simple: treat us like the diva that lives inside us all. That's your Marketing Plan Of Action in a nutshell.

Waiting for my limo,
Angela

Let's Do Laundry.....

2008-03-02T21:09:00.006-06:00

No, really. I need some laundry advice.

Somehow in my 32 years of life, I have yet to learn the basics of laundry. I'll admit that neither of my parents were great at laundry either, so I haven't had the best role models in this area. I was thinking since many of my readers are moms....you could lend me your laundry expertise. Here are my basic questions:

1. When starting a load of laundry, is it really necessary to pour the soap in first (before the clothes go in)? I NEVER do this. But the directions on the box of detergent suggest this method. Isn't it hard to get all you clothes in the washer when it's filling up with water and soap? Is there a reason why we should do it this way?

2. If I use fabric softener, do I also need to use a dryer sheet? If my fabric softener is a different scent than my dryer sheet, will the scents cancel each other out?

3. Do you always have to separate colors from whites? Even if I'm strictly washing in cold water?

As you can tell, I'm laundry illiterate. I approach laundry the easiest way possible....just throw it all in there, pour on the detergent and wash in cold water. But I'm wondering if I'm maximizing my laundry-washing experience this way.....Your advice will be greatly appreciated!

In other Beeler news, guess what my little Emerie can do? She can CHEW GUM. That's right! She calls it "buck" and can actually keep it in her mouth while she chomps away. Pretty good for an 18 month old, right? I know, I know. By the time your third child rolls around, moms tend to get excited over the smallest of things. I don't know if this necessarily counts as a "milestone" but I was pretty impressed!

Thanks for checking in with me.....I've been neglecting my blog for a few simple reasons:

1. American Idol

2. Project Runway

3. Lost

4. The book I'm reading, "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet (which is, oh, about 955 pages long). It's rather time consuming....but really good.

Hang with me. I'll be posting more regularly! Promise!

The Choices We Make

2008-02-24T22:39:00.004-06:00

Life is all about choices, right? Good choices lead to good outcomes; bad choices lead to bad consequences. But some choices are equivalent in nature....and the outcome, either way you choose, is simply an outcome.

Last weekend, Kellie-Laine had a choice to make for herself that proved to be very difficult when the city league basketball team she plays for entered an out-of-town tournament. This was the team's first tournament, and to be honest, the parents didn't have our hopes too high that the Trekkers would make it very far. Don't get me wrong....the girls have made significant improvements through the duration of the season, but with only two wins under their belts, the prospect of taking a tournament victory seemed slim.

So....we ventured to Mart, Texas, for a two-day tournament, which happened to fall on the same weekend as the Central Texas Fatherhood Initiative, Father/Daughter Ball. Kellie-Laine and Cody have attended this event for two years now, and it's an amazing experience for fathers and their daughters. Imagine prom....but for dads and daughters. Cool, huh? Here's a photo from last year's ball:

There were three girls on the basketball team who planned on going to the ball as well, and so heading into the tournament we knew that, depending on our wins, there was a likelihood that we'd have to bow out of the tournament to get to the ball.

You know what they say about the best laid plans.....the Trekkers exceeded our expectations and made it to the semi-finals. Playing the semi-final game meant missing the ball....not just showing up late or making part of the ball. Missing the whole thing completely.

We had all of 10 minutes to deliberate on Kellie-Laine's choices. She was crying huge crocodile tears as she struggled with the choice, and I could see the conflict inside her. I simply expressed to her that the decision was hers to make and there was not a wrong or right decision. Her coaches came by and gave her their blessing to go to the ball, "You'll have other tournaments" they said, "go have fun." Her teammates also gave her the go-ahead, "We'll call you and let you know how it turns out," they said.

Still crying, she expressed remorse that we had already purchased tickets to go, bought a dress, and that Cody probably really wanted to take her (did I mention we also managed to squeeze in a manicure in between games?). So we called and talked to Cody, and he, too, gave her the blessing to stay and play the tournament.

And with that, the decision was made.

The Trekkers played their fifth and final game and lost by 7 points. Afterwards, Cody gave Kellie-Laine a consolation prize: the beautiful corsage he had ordered. "We didn't get to go to a ball," he said, "but you played some hard ball tonight!" There was no remorse on Kellie-Laine's face for the decision she had made.

Afterwards, I had some time to ask Kellie-Laine what was going through her mind when she was making her choice. She told me that she saw several of the girls leaving the game to go to the ball and that made her realize how much the team needed her. She's always been an amazing team player, and that night she proved how far she was willing to go for a chance at a victory.

Even though the victory eluded us, I felt victorious watching my daughter make such a mature, heart-wrenching choice. I was proud that she was willing to give up something fun for herself for a commitment to her team. I was touched that she was concerned about hurting Cody's feelings if she didn't go to the ball and that his feelings mattered to her. And I was glad that even though her team lost, Kellie-Laine was satisfied with her choice and didn't have any regrets. Decision making is part of life, and I think she handled this one beautifully.

The next day she called her best friend, Phoebe, to get the scoop on the dance. I held my breath as she gave me the report, hoping not to sense any regret, "Phoebe said it was fun and that they had lot of candy. But it was pretty crowded and they didn't dance that much." With a shrug of her shoulders, it was over...gone....and forgotten.

Just tonight, Kellie-Laine removed the last remaining evidence of the father/daughter ball....the french manicure. She seems, however, rather proud of the three large bruises and jammed index finger she received from her basketball games this weekend.

I am so proud of her. I love you, Kellie-Laine!

A Little Brit Humor to Make You Smile...

2008-02-19T22:23:00.001-06:00

If this doesn't make you laugh....nothing will. I'm thinking of moving to England just so my kids will start talking like this.

How 4-Year-Olds Identify Mothers

2008-02-18T14:07:00.005-06:00

As I was driving to Bible study this morning, Landrie spotted a cat sunbathing on top of a car.

"Oooh, look at that mudder (mother) cat sitting on the car. She's a nice kitty."

Then after a few moments Landrie stated the obvious,

"She's a mudder cat because she has a big, wide bottom."

If a cat is idenitified as a mother by its' big, wide bottom-- I'm scared to ask what Landrie thinks of mine.

Being Busy Sucks.

2008-02-15T21:32:00.003-06:00

Sorry for being so blatant. But being busy does suck (that's as close to a curse word as I get). The past two weeks have been extremely busy with random-type activities, and I'm not getting much sleep which makes me really cranky. The first reason for my busy-ness is this:

I hosted a Trends Between Friends sale at my house (a.k.a Boutique Beeler) this week. This really is a good idea, so I'm sharing it with you in case you ever decide to do it.

It started with a friend of mine who switched careers and was left with a closet full of clothing she could no longer wear. She asked me if I wanted to look through her clothes and if I had any friends who might want to do the same. She priced a ton of clothes, I emailed a few friends, and Boutique Beeler was born! My friend made about $600 dollars, and my girlfriends and I purchased some high-end clothing for a pretty reasonable price.

If it works, keep doing it, right? I hosted Boutiqe Beeler for a second time this week, but on a larger scale. I enlisted 4 of my sharp-dressed friends to give me the overflow from their closets, and held a two-day shopping event. We emailed the above invitation to many, many people, had appetizers, shopping hours, a preview party--the whole shebang! And so for two days I was pretty much tied to my house with two very bored little girls who could care less about keeping the house straight, not touching the items for sale, and the presence of strangers strolling about our house. I'll be honest and say that the first Boutique Beeler was waaaaay more successful than the second time around. Still, I think with the right clothing, right date, and right price....this is a really fun thing to do. I just need to make sure my kids are, like, in college before I do this again.

So on top of the sales event of the year, I got blind-sided by Valentine's Day. This tends to happen year after year after year. I suck at Valentine's Day. Really, I do. Landrie's teacher gave us an "at home" project to make our own Valentine's box for the school valentine exchange. She suggested that we do this project with our child because the kids really enjoy the crafty-ness of the project. She then suggested that we be creative with this project. I'm sorry, but in my world being creative with my child is akin to giving myself a hair cut and letting my kids hold the scissors. It's ugly, messy, and a big ol'disaster waiting to happen. So late one night, I made the box myself and left a few details for Landrie to complete. Okay, let me be honest here....I completed the whole darn box minus the stickers. I let Landrie stick on the stickers. Big whoop. Yep, that's what I did because first of all, SuperMom doesn't know how to let others have much, if any, control of anything. Secondly, I had an idea in mind for what the box should look like, and my idea didn't have anything to do with letting a four year old hold glue or scissors.

Things got even better when I asked Kellie-Laine to give left over candy as a Valentine's gift to her friends....a day late. Candy left over from Boutique Beeler. (I am soooo putting you moms to shame, aren't I? Just stop by this blog any time you want to get that daily dose of "At least I'm a better mom than her!")

As for my husband...well, I think you pretty much know where this is going. He, too, got the raw end of the deal. I meant to talk to him all week about not doing anything for V-Day for each other because, well, it just was too much for me to think about. Like I said, I meant to talk to him, but I forgot. So he, of course, does the awesome husband-thing and surprises me with a photo session with my favorite photographer! What did I have for him? Zero. Nada. Zilch. (Don't try to be like me, people. I'm at a level you can't even possibly attain.) I think I managed to salvage the day by ordering a Baskin Robbin's ice cream cake for him, but it was a futile attempt to save a week that was already spriraling towards hell. I was too busy. Too preoccupied. Too distracted. And to be honest, too selfish.

Finally, my eldest daughter had been complaining of a sore throat and running fever off and on. The doctor's appointment on Thursday proved inconclusive...no strep, no flu. So off to school she went on Friday so that she wouldn't miss the Valentine's skate party. Basketball tournament that evening (the third game of the week).....and then we got a call from the doctor's office. You guessed it. Strep test culture came back positive. After we had infected 116 friends and family.

I vow never to be busy again. (Yeah, right.) Being busy sucks.

Torch Fuel? That's Nothing.....

2008-02-08T13:59:00.001-06:00

Compared to this.

Or this.

Doesn't dog food taste bad?? Or rather...shouldn't it?? According to Emerie's standards (which are obviously pretty low) it doesn't. In fact, it must have a pleasantly pleasing taste, one that kids prefer, because I could not keep the child away from the dogfood. She would fuss at me as though I were taking away a delightful snack from her.

Now you just nevermind the fact that getting the photo of the dogfood consumption was of greater importance than getting it out of her mouth. I don't want to hear one word about it. I did it for the blog, people! For you. Thankfully, we did not have to get the poison control involved.

In other random news, I hosted a small playgroup at my house this morning. Here is a photos of my friend, Amy, and the kids on the trampoline. The weather was amazing, and the little tykes had fun jumping on our no-safety-net trampoline. We like to prepare our kids for the real bumps and bruises of life by letting their little hands and feet get mangled in the springs of the trampoline. It makes them stronger really. I'm sure Kellie-Laine will look back one day and say, "Remember when you and dad let me fall through the springs of the trampoline and my hair and hands would get stuck and pinched and my face would be all dirty and sweaty with tears? But you would tell me to keep jumping, no matter how bad I wanted to stop. Remember those times? I really appreciate that you were teaching me that life is hard and that I should suck it up and keep on going. It has made me who I am today."

I can't wait to hear her say that.

We've also been consumed with this:

Playing on three baskteball teams equals approximately three games a week, two practices a week, $9 in entrance fees, $30 in babysitting fees, and has cost me additional money for my shameless bribing of Kellie-Laine. Bribing is not beneath me. And I think I'd rather use the term "incentivizing" or "motivating."

What led to the bribing was when Kellie-Laine began playing with the select city-league team, she faced many other girls her age who were as good, if not better, than her. Instead of rising to the challenge and playing harder; she played with fear and timidity. Our "big fish in a little pond" became a "tadpole in an ocean" and crumbled. I was not going to have that, so I resorted to shameless bribes, er I mean, incentives. Unfortunately, the gifts of motivation didn't work so well, but you know what did?

1. Me backing off and only yelling positive things during the game. (It also helped that her coach had a little talk with me about not coaching from the stands. Yep, it's true. She said it lovingly, of course. But the coach was right, and now I've resorted to cheerleader-esque yells: you can do it! way to go! woo-hoo! clap-clap, stomp-stomp)

and

2. Kellie-Laine had a couple of great games on her two other teams; ones in which she totally dominated the floor. This gave her an extreme boost of confidence and she began playing full force once again.

Who knew? Who knew Kellie-Laine would rather hear encouragement than receive gifts? Who knew my non-paid position as a sideline coach would be detrimental? Who knew that Emerie would have a fascination with eating all-that-is-inappropriate? Who knew I would raise a child who likes to mime bathroom activities in the sanctuary? Really. You can't make this stuff up, people. It's better than reality TV.

Welcome to the life of a SuperMom...... in all its splendor and glory.

Too Racy? Too Raunchy? Or Just Right.....

2008-02-06T13:48:00.000-06:00

I've posted some new TV commercials in two separate posts below (uploaded from YouTube, of course...gosh I love that thing!!). View them first...then let's talk.

I am a mother. I am a consumer. I am also a Christian, and perhaps this very reason alone is what makes these commericals so offensive to me. It is no wonder our kids are confused about sex, sexuality, Christianity, morality, and a host of other issues that haven't come to my mind just yet. We, as Christian parents, tell our kids it's a gift saved for marriage while the world tells them it's for everyone...even cartoons!

I am appalled at the nature....the sexual nature....of these commercials. And I want you, as mothers, as consumers, and as Christians, to be appalled with me.

It has never been harder to raise godly children than today. Conversely, it has never been more important to do so. There are days I feel like I'm doing pretty good at sheltering and protecting their bubble of a world (and, yes, I choose to keep them in the bubble as much as possible). Then there are days when I feel like he world's influence has penetrated my girls' very soul. I know Satan wants us to feel defeated, frustrated, and powerless. But I know a victorious, patient, and mighty God who will fight for me and for my children.

I came across a verse the other day that I had never read before but I now love so much. Exodus 14:14 says, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Oh, how I love knowing that the Lord is fighting for me, my family, my kids and that His victory has already been determined. I also love how this verse serves as a reminder that I need to be still (read: get out of His way) and let Him do his thing!!! Praise God.

I'll be blogging pretty soon about ways in which to talk to your kids about s-e-x. I happen to have a little experience in this area a since I have a 12 year old. This is the one question I get asked most from my friends....how should I do it? when is the appropriate age? what should I say? I don't have all the answers, but I do have what has worked for our family so far. I'd like to think we've been successful in this area, but only time will tell.

Check back soon for that topic!

New Levis commercial

2008-02-06T13:47:00.003-06:00

Red Bull commercial: College (2008)

2008-02-06T13:47:00.001-06:00

Keep This Number Handy, People

2008-02-01T21:18:00.000-06:00

I hope you never have to use it, but keep it handy just in case.

With each child you bring into this world, you realize just how different he or she is from your previous offspring. I know, that's a profound statement that I'm sure none of you would ever have thought of. It's true, of course, and there are moments when these differences come rocketing up to the surface of reality. Today, one of those rockets hit us square in the face.

Emerie is our third child. She is, for the most part, lovely and easy-going. But lately she's been pretty irritable due to teething. One molar, one incisor. Being outside is one of the few things that keeps Emerie decently happy, so we played outside. I was unloading groceries, and Cody was watching her pitter-patter around the backyard. But of course, as adults it's hard to just watch our children play. We adults like to find things to do that need to be done while the children play. We adults like to call it "killing two birds with one stone" or "efficiency" or "using our time wisely." Whatever.

So Cody appears at the doorway, handing Emerie to me, and mutters something about "I think she just drank Citronella Oil from the tikki torch." He immediately goes outside to investigate the tikki torch, trying to decide how much oil was in it and how much oil Emerie might have ingested. I began wiping Emerie down, and stuck my nose in her mouth. Sure enough, the strong scent of citronella oil filled my nostrils. It's probably fine....she's not acting like it's bothering her, was my first thought. This is often the thought process present with most third or fourth children. Us Mothers of Many don't get out of sorts too frequently. We rely on previous experience, and my previous experience was telling me that I've weathered a multitude of true emergency-type situations: stitches on a chin, goose-egg sized bump on head, torn frenulum (look that one up), choking, lost child, car wreck with newborn, croup, etc. These situations cause panic and worry. The guzzling of citronella oil only caused borderline worry.

Still, I thought of my Poison Control magnet on the coffee pot, and I took that as a sign that I should call. Just to be on the safe side. I also decided not to light any candles around the house. (Good thinking, Angela.) As I'm talking to the Poison Control technician, he immediately curtails my fears by saying that the ingestion of the oil alone isn't that harmful. The breathing in of the vapors is what could be bad. It could burn her lungs, air ways, esophagus, etc. As we continued to engage in phone diagnosis, I was fairly certain we were in the clear. That is, until Cody comes running into the house with the bottle of oil. It didn't say Citronella Oil. What it said was TORCH FUEL WITH CITRONELLA.

Okay, so this is where the panic began to set in. My eyes scanned the label and rested on the words: fatal if swallowed. The Poison Control technician was still talking so I quickly took over, only as a mother bear could do, and stopped him mid-sentence by using a rather loud, stern, commanding voice and said, "Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt you but I need to tell you something important. My daughter did not ingest citronella oil, but rather TORCH FUEL." Man, I felt like a loser. But I was also weak in the knees waiting for his response. Are you readers weak in the knees, too?

The news was good. And here is the lesson that all of you with children need to learn. If your child should happen to drink any kind of gas: kerosene, lighter fluid, citronella oil, or even TORCH FUEL, the most harmful thing part is the vapors that may burn the insides of their bodies. The amount ingested is a big factor, as well. And luckily, we were able to determine that it would have taken some mighty strong sucking power for Emerie to have ingested enough to warrant a trip to the ER. The liquid itself can cause nausea, diarrhea, and upset stomach.

Here's another lesson I learned today: Emerie is different from Kellie-Laine and Landrie. KL and Landrie were not curious or explorative. I never had to child-proof my cabintets. A simple "no touch" was enough for them. But Emerie is not Kellie-Laine or Landrie. She is a climber. She is a fighter. She likes to explore things with her mouth. And apparently she has an affinity for drinking TORCH FUEL from tikki torches. I cannot rely on all of my previous parenting experiences with Emerie because some of them do not apply. I need to monitor her better. To pay more attention. To allow myself to worry or panic in certain situations beacuse I'd rather worry too much than not enough.

Emerie is fine, and I am so thankful for this event for many reasons. I'm thankful that God is a great and mighty protector. I'm thankful for the nice man at the Poison Control center who was patient and kind and informative, and called me back a few hours later to check on Emerie. I'm thankful to have been reminded of how precious our time here on earth really is because sometimes we blink and it's over. And I'm especially thankful that I'm never too old, too wise, or too experienced to learn some very important life lessons.

Keep this number handy, people. You never know when you might need it, but I pray that you never will.

As a side note of humor, Emerie's poopie diaper tonight had the strangest, strongest sulphur smell. Better stick to a "no candle" policy at the Beeler household for a while.

FOR FLO

2008-01-30T23:16:00.001-06:00

Flo, here's a little gift just for you!

Meet ya at the NKOTB concert (you, too, Jen Strib!)

One More For Flo

2008-01-30T23:14:00.001-06:00

I have tears in my eyes!

Favorite Things List

2008-01-28T20:53:00.000-06:00

I was tagged by my sister to do a "favorite things" blog entry. Subsequently, I'm tagging ALL my fellow bloggers to do the same! It beats trying to come up with something creative and engaging to blog about! Here are a few of my faves:

I took a Modern Literature class my senior year at Texas A&M (whoop!). The class itself was enthralling, the professor was lively and spastic, and the books allowed me to use my critical thinking membrane. I fell in love with this book, and to this day it remains on my list of "Top 10 Books You Must Read Before You Die". It is NOT an easy read. It is a little weird, and my sister and my dad have not been able to read it. You must understand: my dad consumes books, but couldn't get through this one. Like I said, it's a tough read, but sooooooo worth it if you can get to the end. You will read this last page of the novel, sigh deeply, then dive right back in to re-read it. That's exactly what I did.

I love to organize things, and The Container Store is an organization-freak's dream! I rarely get to shop there, but I love all the new concepts they bring to the organization world. And don't misunderstand: my home isn't really that organized, but when I get on a kick and organize my craft closet (like I did this weekend), there's not much else that brings about the same feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.

White, sandy beaches. Enough said. Cody and I got married on the beach in the Bahamas, and so it's only fitting that I long to return there again, and again, and again.....

So I have this thing with smells.....I have a very sensitive nose and it can pick up lots of wonderful and not-so-wonderful smells. These wallflowers are a little addicting, and I have, like, 52 of them sitting in my dining room buffet. My favorite scents are creamy nutmeg, wintertime, frosted cranberry, and brown sugar and fig. I have 4 of them plugged in at this very moment....I don't care if they are considered fire hazards. My house smells good.

I'm a Beth Moore groupie. I admit it. Most of her studies are great, some are good, and then there's the one that knocks your socks off. For me, the Believing God study was my sock knocker-offer. It changed my life, helped me piece together a solid testimony, and allowed me to see God retrospectively in areas of my life prior to becoming a believer. It was the glue that linked together the pages of my life, and I don't know if I'll ever go through the kind of metamorphosis that I went through during this study. I hope I will, though.....

Oh, sweet mama! Can you hear my "hallelujah" chorus playing in the background? I loooooove this program. Love it. I love to design digital scrapbook pages, calling cards, wedding invitations, birthday invitations, and even blog headers! (check out Amy, Flo and Dona's blog on my links list to see the headers I designed for them.) Even more than my own designing, I love teaching others how to use it.

Last but not least, this is my current favorite house on the market in the Waco area. Cody and visited this house with our realtor, and we left our hearts there. (super corny, right?). We toured this home about a year ago, and I think about this house at least once a day. It represents everything that is impractical for the Beeler family, but sometimes impractical is what's most fun, right? This gem sits on 17 acres in the middle of podunk-ville, and comes equipped with pool, hot tub, concrete stained floors, floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, and two donkeys. The donkeys did me in. My soul will not rest until I own this piece of property.

Well, there you have it. It's not thrilling. It's rather shallow. But it's my favorite things list. I hope you're a better person for reading this.

Pre-Teen Words of Wisdom....Unplugged

2008-01-22T15:27:00.001-06:00

THANK YOU to those of you who posted questions for our guest columnist today. The questions were thoughtful, poignant and a little difficult, and I certainly know why you asked what you asked. Whew, raising kids these days is so tough! It helps to get a different perspective....I hope this helps!

***************************************

I tried my best to give Kellie-Laine the reigns and not interfere one tiny bit. For the most part, I did just that. There were, however, a few instances where I needed to help her complete a compound or complex thought or perhaps encourage her to be more thoughtful about her answer. (True to the pre-teen mindset, "I don't know" was her answer of choice, and I knew that wasn't what you wanted to hear!) Overall, this was her interview so I let her control what she wanted to say. So without further adieu.....here she is.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: PLEASE WELCOME MY 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, KELLIE-LAINE!

1. How has your mom or dad talked with you about drugs and alcohol?

Well, they told me they're bad! I really want to follow what they told me like if I do drugs and alcohol that there WILL be consequences! She also points out people that are smoking or drinking and tells me that I will look like that if I drink or do drugs. She tells me about news stories about people that have been killed by drugs and that makes me think of how I don't want to end up like that.

2. Do you really listen when they teach you something?

Well it depends on what their talking about! I get annoyed when they tell me about boyfriend/girlfriend stuff. And let me tell you, Cody gives the worst advice!!!! He says when someone asks me if I like a boy as a boyfriend, he tells me to say, " Yes I like him, as a friend." I will never say that in my entire life!!!! So I try to listen to my mom as much as possible. She does pretty well.

**Hello, Angela here. I had to interject on this one. Cody and I have both told Kellie-Laine this is the best response when her friends ask or assume that she likes someone. Kellie-Laine thinks the response sounds dorky and is "too embarrassing" to say! Kellie-Laine loves to pick on Cody!!

3. What is a good way to talk to my daughter about her changing body?

I personally would rather read books about it because I feel awkward about that kind of stuff!!!!! But I would say to just read the book you choose with her because if she has any questions you'll be there to answer them!!!

4. What's your favorite memory about being little?

my favorite memory of being little was being an ONLY CHILD!!!! I loved that because I got all the attention and I spent more time with my parents. I got peace and quiet and I didn't have to babysit!! I love my sisters though, without them I would be sooo bored! I love playing with Landrie and holding Emerie!!!I feel blessed to have such a great family!!!

5. What's the one thing you wish your parents would let you do that they say you're too young for?

I wish I could have a CELLPHONE!!!!! I want one to call my friends whenever I want!!! (and not have to pay for it!) That would be awesome!

6. If you could have the best day ever, what would you do?

I know this sounds babyish but I would go to Chuck E. Cheeses!!! And by 1 million tokens! I would also go to Dallas in a limo with my friends and stay the weekend and go SHOPPING!!!!

7. What do girls want to hear most from their moms?

Well I like it when my mom comforts me after a long day. I love hearing stories of when she had the same problems that I have and tells me what I should do!!!

8. What should "us mommies" be saying instead of "that's cool!"?

Well, I don't know just say something other than that! Just kidding! You can say whatever you want I just have never heard my mom say that so I don't want her to!!!!!!

9. What is one thing your mom has done that you're grateful for?

I'm really grateful for everything she has done. I'm thankful for one thing, but its not so much what she has done its what God has given her, I'm thankful for her wisdom!!! I love it when she tells me things that the Bible says when I'm in trouble or just need help.

**Angela here again. Can I tell you that my mouth was hanging open when I read this??! Normally when I talk to her about a situation, she rolls her eyes and pouts. All this time I was thinking her body language meant she wasn't listening and didn't like what I had to say!! Who knew it actually meant she was grateful for my wisdom!! I am so glad we had this little discussion.

10. What is one thing your dad has done that you're grateful for?

Cody has helped me and done things for me for me many times. He will listen to what I need or want and I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten something at home and he has to bring it to school!!!! I am sooo grateful and blessed to have a dad like him!!!

11. Do you and your sister/s fight alot?

Mom answering for Kellie-Laine: YES!!

Interview With A Pre-Teen

2008-01-20T20:52:00.000-06:00

Well, well, well...two posts in one day, eh? I must have a lot of time on my hands.

I have an important announcement: I have a really special post that's coming soon, but I'll need your help. You see, I have a guest blogger lined up for an interview at the "Adventures of a SuperMom" blog! That's right! This guest blogger will answer your most burning questions...questions that all of us have on our minds and want answered FROM 12 YEAR OLD.

Yep, you guessed it. Kellie-Laine will be blogging sometime next week, and she will be answering your questions. Nothing is off limits--well, I do draw the line at perversion--but other than that NOTHING IS OFF LIMITS! She will answer your questions without any editing or suggestions from me. (This will be an extreme practice in letting go of that "control freak" in me!)

Haven't you always wondered why pre-teens seem fascinated with bodily noises...especially at the dinner table? Ask Kellie-Laine. Don't know what to do with your daughter who has a hard time making friends? Ask Kellie-Laine. Interested in knowing what I look like with no make-up on? Ask Kellie-Laine. Want to know why girls whine when asked to clean their rooms? Ask Kellie-Laine.....you get the picture, right?

Here's what I need you to do: please post a question in the comments section of this entry. Once we've gathered a handful of questions, I'll have Kellie-Laine post her responses. I know I've whined and complained about the many of you who read my blog; yet don't comment. And hopefully I've praised and properly acknowledged those of you who do....but if you could please do me a favor and try to think of something to ask her. I'd really, really be grateful. She's excited about this, and so am I!

Looking forward to your questions.....I think!

Where Is My Help?

2008-01-20T15:48:00.000-06:00

Being a mommy is H-A-R-D. Wouldn't you agree? I will go even further as to say that being a stay-at-home mommy is the toughest job of all. Having been a working mommy for a short period of time, I can say from first-hand experience that being an at-home mom is 14,286 times tougher. I don't mean to be insensitive to working moms...but I just know the day-in/day-out routine of loading dishes, changing diapers, filling and re-filling juice cups, planning dinner with a one-year-old strapped to your ankle like a home imprisonment device, cleaning dress-up clothes left behind from my 4 year old's 14th outfit change, refereeing three girls who argue despite the age difference, chauffeuring a 6th grader whose social calendar rivals my own, having your lunch interrupted by a child yelling, "wipe my poo-poo please!", and just settling the baby down for a nap when the phone rings and your eldest tells you she's forgotten her lunch...again--all this can get o-l-d. This is what I look forward to each day. Day after day. 365 days a year. 24 hours a day. So, yes, I contend it's hard and oftentimes unfulfulling and unrewarding. Even for SuperMom.

And I know I'm blessed. I don't mean to complain here, but I want to share (and hopefully get some empathetic feedback) that motherhood is not always glorious, fun, and exciting. Sometimes it's a job that I'm just not motivated to do. So what is the solution? Go back to work? Not if I don't have to! Read other people's blogs about motherhood? Done that....it just makes me feel worse. Hire a nanny? Thought about it, but I'm too much of a control freak.

I just need some help. And as I was catching up on the Bible study that I'm two days behind on, I saw a solution. Here's what I read:

"I will raise my eyes towards the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

That's it!! Right there in black and white! This is where my motivation will come from. I've read this scripture so many times before, yet today these words fall fresh on me. I know the reality is that God will not magically appear and help me wipe my counter tops, change crib sheets, or de-bone chicken. He will, however, provide the energy and mindset I need to get these things done. Sometimes the only thing we really need is a change of perspective. A different viewpoint. A better attitude. Wow. Talk about sobering.

So there you have it. Even SuperMom's powers can be affected by the daily routine of mommyhood. Kryptonite comes in all forms, I guess. But I've been reminded of the antidote, and I'm well prepared to take on the daily battle yet again!

Faster than a toddler running with a poopie diaper....stronger than the will of a middle child...able to leap piles of laundry in a single bound! It's a cuckoo bird...it's a single-engine plane...IT'S SUPERMOM! (with God as my co-pilot!)

Now go take on the day.

Might As Well Face It, I'm Addicted to BLOGS

2008-01-18T14:10:00.000-06:00

I have a blog addiction. It's real. It's consuming. And it's sucking away all my SuperMom powers. It's not the blog writing I'm addicted to. I'm addicted to reading them!

Those of you who read this blog are, obviously, familiar with the crazy popularity that surrounds blogging. Blog-reading is that perfect combination of reality TV + eavesdropping + snooping + non-fiction reading + local gossip column + voyeurism. It is highly entertaining, comforting and creepy--all at the same time. I read several blogs consistently (notice the list to the right). But oftentimes I happen upon bloggers who I don't know, yet I'm completely engrossed in their stories. It's weird. And I'm wondering: are there people reading my blog who don't know me? Should I think that's weird, too? I don't; I kinda think it's cool.

(If you're ever interested in finding new blogs to read, try doing a Goodle search for "Weblog Awards." You'll find nominees and winners for the year's best blogs in all sorts of categories like: parenting, humor, news, fashion, politics, etc. I have found some real doozies that make me laugh so hard I become incontinent...or is it incoherent?... inconsolable? It's probably all three....quick! Get me a diaper, a box of kleenex and some smelling salts! It's that funny.

One blog that I've consistently kept up with is Pioneer Woman. I don't know her, but I love her stories and apparently so does the rest of America. She started out as a piddly ol' blogger like me, emailed her site to a few friends, and in a year's time....she became a blog celebrity! She now is a guest columnist for JC Penny's and the Food Network, and her readership is in the tens of thousands!

Even here in Waco, TX the blogging business is booming. Photographers, news journalists, churches, even florists have extended their marketing efforts to include blogging. And it's working! I discovered a photographer just last night whose blog was linked to another blog, and I'm thrilled to have found her and will probably use her one day (http://www.kathrynkrueger.blogspot.com/). That's what I call word-of-blog advertising!

Reading other blogs has made me aware of the writing talent out there, and there are so many fabulous, inspiring, funny bloggers! I have tried to take my own blogging up a notch or two to make things stimulating, entertaining, and above all real. Looking back at the genesis of my blog, I realized that the first half of my entries were simply updates...Kellie-Laine's doing this, Landrie's doing that, Emerie is great, Cody is lovely, I am fine....blah, blah, blah. Pretty boring, huh? So here in the past few posts, I've really tried to let you in on my family life...the reality of it; the ugliness of it; the humorous side of it. I hope you've noticed, and I hope you'll stay to read more. I thank you for taking the time to read about our family, and ESPECIALLY to the handful of you who leave me a comment. It absolutely brightens my day. To all of you lurkers: feel free to come out of the closet if you will. I'd love to know who I'm writing for!

SuperMom's gotta fly now....the kids are napping and I've got some blog catching-up to do!

Slip of the Tongue

2008-01-16T14:50:00.001-06:00

DISCLAIMER: This has a small level of crassness....but it's accidental crass. Does that count? I don't want to offend anyone, but Cody and I got a belly-rolling laugh out of this! Watch it at least two times and pay attention to the preacher's face. Hi-Lar-I-Ous.

This is particularly funny to me being that my brother-in-law, Boog, is a youth minister. I would never want this to happen to him, though....(well, okay, it might be kinda funny!)

Hope this gives you a good laugh on a dreary Wednesday!

How Do You Parent an Odd Child?

2008-01-11T13:31:00.000-06:00

Landrie is an odd girl. I say this with the utmost respect and love for her. After all, she is my flesh and blood and, therefore, some of the oddity must come from either Cody or me. But she is odd, and I'm not sure how to parent her sometimes. Dr. Dobson's book, The Strong-Willed Child, talks about using discipline to "break the will; not the spirit" and this is a philosophy I subscribe to. But I'm not really talking about how to discipline....just what to do when Landrie's being...odd.

There are countless examples, but here is one of the more recent events. Every Wednesday, I work with our church's youth group on a project called, "Motion." Since Motion begins so early in the evening, my kiddos have to hang out with me in the sanctuary until they can go to their activities. It took Landrie a few weeks, but she has now completely warmed up to the Motion kids/parents/volunteers and she is free to be herself...in all her splendor and glory.

This past Wednesday, her full splendor and glory was on display for all to see. You see, Landrie has a big imagination. She loves imaginitive play....pretend play. So during Motion, she asked me to take her potty, which I did. When we returned to the sanctuary, Landrie bounded up on stage and sat quietly on the choir steps.

"Cool" I thought to myself, and I returned my attention back to the Motion kids. A few minutes later, out of the corner of my eye I saw Landrie stand up and do something that took my breath away. I can barely write it....but here goes. From the corner of my eye, I see Landrie stand up, bend her knees, and PRETEND TO WIPE HERSELF...front bottom AND back bottom. Then she pretends to wash her hands, and sits back down on the choir step to repeat this imaginary process of going "poo-poo" and "pee-pee".

Keep in mind she is on the stage....in the sanctuary...in the pulpit...God's holy place! Parents are watching...teenagers are dancing...I am crying.

Okay, work with me here. Who does this? What kind of child pretends in this way? Really. I'm not looking for comforting answers here...just honest truth. And, honestly, I was laughing inside, but pretty mortified at the same time. My friend, Adrielle, was there to witness the show the second time Landrie performed it. She was laughing, too, but I bet she secretly thinking, "Oh my gosh! I cannot believe that child just did that!!"

There are other examples, too. Landrie can sometimes be bi-polar. If she sees a friend outside of school, like the grocery store, she is oftentimes ugle=y. A normal child would run up to the friend and hug her or smile and wave....something friendly. But not Landrie. She will look at the friend and then say to me "Her look at me. I don't like her." See? Odd.

Another example is that she has an un-natural attachment to Cody. The first thing she says to me each morning is "Where's daddy?" Then she cries when I tell her he's at work. Then she will ask for him repeatedly throughout the day, and as the day draws on, she will begin to countdown the time until daddy comes home.

A final example is that she loves to wear clothing that is....um, how should I say this?....a little tramp-ish. Hooker-like. Her favorite is a rayon skirt of Kellie-Laine's. She will pull it up under her arms and wear it like a strapless dress. You can tell by the look on her face that she thinks she's pretty beautiful....twirling around...sashaying her bare, naked shoulders around the house. She knows better than to even ask to wear such atrocities in public, but the moment she gets home from school, she'll put it on. And, no, we do not let her watch Wives of Orange County or The Hills....I Tivo those and watch them when she's asleep. (Just kidding!)

There is an endless list to the odd things Landrie does. I just need to know how to parent them! Any advice? I took drugs when I was pregnant....legal ones. I was on Phenergen for about 18 weeks when I was trying to kick the morning sickness. Could this explain her abnormal behavior?

I am certain God uniquely designed Landrie to His liking. I'm just trying to figure out what grandiose plan He has for Landrie....wiping her front bottom and back bottom in the sanctuary of our church.