The flip side.

'Tis the season, right? Glittery and shiny ornaments. Brightly wrapped gifts. Rosy cheeks. The smell of evergreens and peppermint in the air (and snow, if you're in that clime). And the bitten-back curses when you step on one of those ornaments, get a papercut from wrapping those bright gifts, split your wind-chapped lips from smiling as your child exclaims about yet another strip-mall Santa and/or the allergies to said evergreens.

Since having kids, I've learned how to curse creatively. I'm not fooling anyone, but I'm not getting dirty looks or letters sent home from the school, either. Here's a list of my most common alternative curses:

Jiminy Christmas
Son of a Monkey Shoe
Cruddup.
Cripes.
Fadoodle.
Shish-ka-bob.
Hades.
Shih-tzu.
Dagnabbit.


What about you? Do you have any creative alternatives that you use when you're frustrated/angry/hurt?

With Stars On...

Theron put the star on the tree this year. I think my heart almost burst watching him. He was so excited and so proud of himself. Decorating the tree was a family affair and we all did our part. Erilyn put on the first ornament - the one she picked out for this year. Then we all put on our individual ornaments before filling the tree with happiness and color.





But, the star on top has always been the biggest honor. I remember my older brother and I fighting about who got to put it on. In my mind, he always got to put it on but I have pictures to prove otherwise. There's a picture of my dad holding me up (I was 4 or 5) to put the star on. I'm so glad that I got a picture of Theron putting it on. Next year will be interesting since it'll be Erilyn's turn and she's tall enough to do it without a stool. Ack! Where did my babies go!?

Slacker.

I am such a slacker. It's been almost two months since I've posted anything. Honestly, the only reason I'm posting anything now is because I feel guilty. So much has been going on and I haven't shared it with you all. (Okay, if you're on my Facebook, you know some of it. That's worth something, right?)

I'll start small. I showered. I smell like cherry blossoms and Pert Plus. Yesterday, I did not. Since last Wednesday, I have smelled very much like a convalescent home. You see, my lovely loonies, last Wednesday I was putting Theron on the bus and bent to pick up the cat before she bolted out the door, which started a chain reaction in my spine that brought me to my knees and made me beg for painkillers.

Now, I am usually very stoic, especially regarding my back pain. Bulging, herniated and ruptured discs are just part and parcel of my life. Sciatica? Yep, got it. Muscle deterioration? That too. Official diagnosis? Degenerative Disc Disease. I'm a walking house of cards just waiting for the big bad wolf to huff and puff and blow me down. Apparently he sent a cronie this time and, boy, did she deliver a whopper. However, I am medicated and it's helping, although it's really put a hitch in my stride.

In other news, the neighbor's daughter (friend of my daughter) has been having some kind of breakdown. Her grandfather was very ill and we didn't think he'd make it. Then a boy started sexually harassing her at school, bringing back memories of a molestation that happened years ago. Then, to top it off, she became the target of one of the nastiest bullies at the school. It was too much to handle and the poor child just shattered. She's getting the help she needs, which is great, but it's thrown some things into sharp relief for us.

Erilyn is 10, and a brand-new 10 at that. The neighbor girl is almost 13. Three years might not seem like a lot, but right now it really is. Erilyn isn't into boys yet and she hasn't outgrown some of her little-girl hobbies and behaviors. To make matters worse, she's a geek. She loves computers and books and video games and so on. She's not an athletic kid, although she is active. This neighborhood is all about bike riding, soccer, baseball, football and whatever else the kids can think up. We're working on getting Erilyn to ride a bike since it will allow her more freedoms, and that may be the key to bridging the gap. In the meantime, she has an amazing best friend who is only a few months older than her and is into all of the same things. Thank goodness!

Forgive me, folks, my mind is a bit frazzled. I know that there's more to share but I can't seem to pull it out of the fog. I'm sure I'll remember later.

I will be teaching this to my children daily.

This broke my heart and then gave me the courage to start mending it again. I hope you all are inspired to find your own "real". I sure am.

Please, click below.

Loving this! Doing this. Won't you do it, too?

We all know that I'm not a religious person, but we also know that I'd do whatever I could to help children in need. This is such a simple thing and I am totally going to do it. Just thought I'd share!

Vitamins for Kroo Bay!

In the beginning...

I'll save everyone the gory details of my life B.C. (before children) and just hit on the high points. I'll likely elaborate on certain subjects anyway and I'm always open to questions.

I'll try to just hit the highlights each week but, of course, the kids and I will weigh in when something noteworthy happens. Of course, "noteworthy" to a child is very subjective!