I am one of those girls who thinks I can do it all and my wedding day was no different. Make a grooms cake? (Of course, and it was in the shape of a race car, thank you very much!) Pick up my wedding cake on the way to the church? (Sure, why not?!) Relieve myself (in a very tiny bathroom) while holding up a wedding dress that weighed fifty pounds and crinoline that was poofy enough to fit every fairy godmother from every fairytale ever written underneath it? (I did, it was certainly a challenge but I managed to pull it off without giving myself a "swirlie"). Where was this David Tutera fellow back then I ask you?
The girls walked up the isle to "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle. I managed to keep my tears at bay until my Dad knelt down to straighten the train on my dress. In my sister's haste to get up the isle she forgot. Mark and I did one thing that is very different from any other wedding I have ever been to. We stood so we were facing our family and friends and our Pastor's back was the the crowd. The ceremony was beautiful (I don't even think anyone noticed the button when it flew off the back of my sister's dress and landed across the church), the candle lighting, our vows and that kiss...wow! Mark dipped me and that Cinderella dress in Fred and Ginger fashion and kissed me until my knees were weak.
Mark was in charge of packing for our honeymoon. We were young (I was 20 and he was 24) and we didn't own a single piece of luggage. Mark handled it with the help of Hefty...yes as in "hefty, hefty, cinch sack". He packed our clothes for the honeymoon in a trash bag!!! (Umm Hello...David Tutera?) The depths of Mark's helpfulness is unlimited, so he took all the cards from our wishing well AND all the cards off every package before the gifts were ever opened so I had no idea who to thank for what! I should mention by the time we left for our honeymoon, our guests had already gone home. Our close family and the clean up crew were so busy that nobody really witnessed the whole card debacle. I have thought back to our wedding many times over the years and it brings a smile to my face and makes me giggle.
It isn't so much the wedding that matters. What is important... is life after you say I do. The last 15 years have certainly been filled with laughter and tears, but I can honestly say we have had more laughter than tears. I am blessed to have such a remarkable husband. I hope we have at least 50 more years together. Mark...my cup runneth over.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Explosive...
Picture it...my mothers kitchen 1990 something. The walls of my parents galley kitchen were painted this horrible bright lemon yellow. Mom loved it, I guess she was going through a phase. It was raining outside, storming to beat the band. My mom asked me to go make a pot of tea and my daddy was in the kitchen making zucchini bread... from scratch with the zucchini fresh from his garden. He had just finished shredding the zucchini and walked around with his chest puffed out, proud as a peacock getting in touch with his inner Betty Crocker. I went into the kitchen to start the tea, turning on the stove burner (paying no mind to the glass casserole baking dish sitting on top of the stove) I always used when I made tea. I went to the sink and filled the pot with water. My parents had been watching Die Hard 2 on VHS...are you feeling old now? There I am in the kitchen looking out the window waiting on the pot to fill when... thunder crashes, lighting strikes, Bruce blows up the plane and that glass casserole dish explodes all simultaneously. Shards of glass rained down like pieces of crystal snow into my Dad's grated zucchini. The proud peacock scooped me up out of the kitchen (my daddy was not a very big man but he was strong as an ox) and carried me over the tile and got me onto the carpet in the dining room. Mom jumped up and I scurried to the bathroom, (white as a ghost and tears streaming down my face). Mom came in checking to make sure I wasn't cut. I did have a piece of glass in my foot but I was really no worse for wear. I shaved about 5 years off everyones life, nobody can ever watch Die Hard in our family without thinking of that story (laughing at my expense)and my Dad never attempted to make zucchini bread again while I lived under their roof. In fact I remember one time well after I got married when I called my parents and my dad says "Hey kid, you coming out today?" I replied "No, Dad not today why?" He said "Because I'm makin' zucchini bread." He laughed and laughed. True story folks, I can't make this stuff up.
Last week I was whipping up chicken salsa. I preheated the oven, laid my boneless skinless chicken breast in a glass casserole dish, poured my organic salsa over it and put it in the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes. I went into my bedroom and five minutes later I heard this ungodly explosion. I ran to the kitchen, opened the oven door and 2 pieces of glass flew out and one of them hit me...bullseye, right in the leg. I didn't get cut, I was just ticked. I really wanted that chicken! I called Mark and because he knows the zucchini story, first like a good husband he asked if I was okay, when I assured him I was... Mark started laughing...not haha but belly laughing, hard! You know, laughing so hard you are grasping for breath laughing? Needless to say we had pizza that night for dinner. As for my explosive knack with glass casserole dishes...well in the words of John McClaine "Yippy ki ay" :)
Last week I was whipping up chicken salsa. I preheated the oven, laid my boneless skinless chicken breast in a glass casserole dish, poured my organic salsa over it and put it in the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes. I went into my bedroom and five minutes later I heard this ungodly explosion. I ran to the kitchen, opened the oven door and 2 pieces of glass flew out and one of them hit me...bullseye, right in the leg. I didn't get cut, I was just ticked. I really wanted that chicken! I called Mark and because he knows the zucchini story, first like a good husband he asked if I was okay, when I assured him I was... Mark started laughing...not haha but belly laughing, hard! You know, laughing so hard you are grasping for breath laughing? Needless to say we had pizza that night for dinner. As for my explosive knack with glass casserole dishes...well in the words of John McClaine "Yippy ki ay" :)
Don't feed the monster...
We have a saying in our house that I borrowed from a friend...Don't feed the monster. Charli had a meltdown at the dentist yesterday, clamped her mouth shut and flat out REFUSED to let the hygenist finish cleaning her teeth. This has never happened before. The hygenist had to come and get me. I walk into the room and there is my daughter watching TV, mouth tightly shut, and her eyes red from crying.
Let me stop a moment to give a little back story: The day was hectic. I had to leave work, pick her up from school and have her to the orthodontist by 2:10 to get her wire for her braces removed before taking her to the dentist. The dentist office is 35 minutes from her orthodontist office. Then after the dentist I had to get her back to the orthodontist to have the wire put back in as her orthodontist's office wouldn't be open again until Tuesday. I also needed to pick up hog feed, run and buy dog food and swing back by work to drop it off as I knew there was a possiblilty I would be off to enjoy an extended weekend while there is no school between teacher work days and the MLK holiday. The point is we were in a major time crunch.
I stood over Charli while she was reclined in the seat and made up my mind that I wasn't going to feed the monster. I looked down at her and told her that she needed to open her mouth and finish her cleaning...period. Do you know what my precious daughter did? She stuck her tongue out at me in front of her dentist and hygenist!!! (I am sure your perfect children would never do such a thing but my kid missed the memo regarding sticking her tongue out at her mother). I was stunned but I recovered quickly, tied my supermom cape a little tighter and I asked her if she wanted me to pop that tongue back in her mouth. I then said " Do not think just because we are in public that I won't escort you into the bathroom young lady! Open your mouth NOW and let her finish so we can go!" There was no coaxing, bribing or anything of the kind. She opened her mouth (granted not happily) and we were out of there 10 mintutes later. I did find out from her dentist that she had 2 tiny cavaties! Blah (Oral-B super brusher? Nope...guess not)
I decided since I moved her dentist appointment up and it was currently 3:33, I was going to press my luck and drive to get the hog feed (which is located halfway to B.F.E.), prior to heading back to the orthodontist. I also had to stop for gas because I was running on fumes. I made it to the ortho at 4:41. We were out of there at 4:55. I stopped to pick up the dog food, called the bosses' gave them the run down, and went back to work to drop off the feed and dog food. I unloaded 200 lbs of hog feed (50 lb bags...yep little heavy) and put away the dog food. Charli and I left rejoicing in the fact that I would have a long weekend off work while she was out of school.
Don't feed the monster simply means, I am not going to fuel the bad behavior. I am also not going to bargin or bribe a 10 year old. Ode to joy...now to schedule her filling appointment. I am pretty sure Mark will be off that day :D
Let me stop a moment to give a little back story: The day was hectic. I had to leave work, pick her up from school and have her to the orthodontist by 2:10 to get her wire for her braces removed before taking her to the dentist. The dentist office is 35 minutes from her orthodontist office. Then after the dentist I had to get her back to the orthodontist to have the wire put back in as her orthodontist's office wouldn't be open again until Tuesday. I also needed to pick up hog feed, run and buy dog food and swing back by work to drop it off as I knew there was a possiblilty I would be off to enjoy an extended weekend while there is no school between teacher work days and the MLK holiday. The point is we were in a major time crunch.
I stood over Charli while she was reclined in the seat and made up my mind that I wasn't going to feed the monster. I looked down at her and told her that she needed to open her mouth and finish her cleaning...period. Do you know what my precious daughter did? She stuck her tongue out at me in front of her dentist and hygenist!!! (I am sure your perfect children would never do such a thing but my kid missed the memo regarding sticking her tongue out at her mother). I was stunned but I recovered quickly, tied my supermom cape a little tighter and I asked her if she wanted me to pop that tongue back in her mouth. I then said " Do not think just because we are in public that I won't escort you into the bathroom young lady! Open your mouth NOW and let her finish so we can go!" There was no coaxing, bribing or anything of the kind. She opened her mouth (granted not happily) and we were out of there 10 mintutes later. I did find out from her dentist that she had 2 tiny cavaties! Blah (Oral-B super brusher? Nope...guess not)
I decided since I moved her dentist appointment up and it was currently 3:33, I was going to press my luck and drive to get the hog feed (which is located halfway to B.F.E.), prior to heading back to the orthodontist. I also had to stop for gas because I was running on fumes. I made it to the ortho at 4:41. We were out of there at 4:55. I stopped to pick up the dog food, called the bosses' gave them the run down, and went back to work to drop off the feed and dog food. I unloaded 200 lbs of hog feed (50 lb bags...yep little heavy) and put away the dog food. Charli and I left rejoicing in the fact that I would have a long weekend off work while she was out of school.
Don't feed the monster simply means, I am not going to fuel the bad behavior. I am also not going to bargin or bribe a 10 year old. Ode to joy...now to schedule her filling appointment. I am pretty sure Mark will be off that day :D
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Love and Marriage
I remember watching them as a little girl. How my grandpa's eyes would twinkle, and how my grandma would randomly curl up in his lap. They had quite the love story, my grandparents. They were survivors. My grandparents loved each other through the birth of five children (and the death of one),through sickness, in good times and difficult times. They prayed for each other, and kissed goodnight. My grandparents were my hope that one day I would grow up and have somebody to love me and that I would have somebody to love, like those two loved each other. My grandparents would have been married 64 years yesterday but my grandpa passed three weeks before their 47th wedding anniversary. I was 18 years old when he died. I had no idea how much I would come to appreciate him and my grandma in the years that have followed. Growing up, times were hard but grandma and grandpa were a constant example of love and unwavering faith.
It is hard to believe that Mark and I will be married for 15 years on 02/07/2013. I am blessed beyond measure and so grateful that God brought such an amazing man into my life. He has loved me through the good, bad and the ugly. He has loved me through our fertility struggles, the death of my dad, and all the craziness that I get myself caught up in. Mark has encouraged me, prayed over me, and believed in me, when I haven't had much faith in myself. He is my loudest cheerleader, my biggest fan. He sees me at my worst and tells me I am beautiful. We can find each other across a crowded room and have a conversation without words. Mark is my happily ever after. I am thankful to God for the good times, the tough times and all the times in between. It is all those moments that make up a lifetime...of loving each other.
It is hard to believe that Mark and I will be married for 15 years on 02/07/2013. I am blessed beyond measure and so grateful that God brought such an amazing man into my life. He has loved me through the good, bad and the ugly. He has loved me through our fertility struggles, the death of my dad, and all the craziness that I get myself caught up in. Mark has encouraged me, prayed over me, and believed in me, when I haven't had much faith in myself. He is my loudest cheerleader, my biggest fan. He sees me at my worst and tells me I am beautiful. We can find each other across a crowded room and have a conversation without words. Mark is my happily ever after. I am thankful to God for the good times, the tough times and all the times in between. It is all those moments that make up a lifetime...of loving each other.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
A little rant
As parents it is our job to teach our children to follow directions, to wait their turn and to be patient. We are supposed to teach our children to have respect; respect for themselves, respect for their fellow person, respect for authority and respect for the rules that govern us.
I was picking Charli up from school this afternoon when lo and behold the same parent cut in car line. We are given a card with our child's name on them, to display on the dash of our vehicle at the beginning of every school year. If you turn the card over it features a handy map with the directions for the car line clearly stated. It never fails that some parent/grandparent thinks they have found the magic key (borrowing words from a very good friend of mine) that gives them the right to cut before those of us who have waited our turn in line. I wish to address those constant line cutters. Your child is no more important to you than my child is important to me. My time is just as precious as your time. Just because you drive a BMW, or a Mercedes while I drive a SUV, doesn't give you priority status. It seems to me that no matter what we are or who we are at other moments in our lives...when we are in car line we are the same. My life is just as busy as yours, maybe even more so. If you are pregnant and your water has broken, you may cut in line. If you have someone in the car with you and their water has broken, you may cut in line. If somebody is in the hospital dying and you have the cure for their illness in a vial in your pocket, you most definitely may cut in line. If none of the above apply to you, please carefully step off your very high horse and get in line behind the rest of us. Why? Because we also teach our children about integrity and character. Your character is how you behave when nobody is looking or in this case when your children aren't looking.
I was picking Charli up from school this afternoon when lo and behold the same parent cut in car line. We are given a card with our child's name on them, to display on the dash of our vehicle at the beginning of every school year. If you turn the card over it features a handy map with the directions for the car line clearly stated. It never fails that some parent/grandparent thinks they have found the magic key (borrowing words from a very good friend of mine) that gives them the right to cut before those of us who have waited our turn in line. I wish to address those constant line cutters. Your child is no more important to you than my child is important to me. My time is just as precious as your time. Just because you drive a BMW, or a Mercedes while I drive a SUV, doesn't give you priority status. It seems to me that no matter what we are or who we are at other moments in our lives...when we are in car line we are the same. My life is just as busy as yours, maybe even more so. If you are pregnant and your water has broken, you may cut in line. If you have someone in the car with you and their water has broken, you may cut in line. If somebody is in the hospital dying and you have the cure for their illness in a vial in your pocket, you most definitely may cut in line. If none of the above apply to you, please carefully step off your very high horse and get in line behind the rest of us. Why? Because we also teach our children about integrity and character. Your character is how you behave when nobody is looking or in this case when your children aren't looking.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
This post is brought to you by the letter M...
Do you ever have those moments when you aren't very proud of your behavior as a parent?! Well tonight I actually told my kid to shut up!!! This is huge as it is not something I ever say to her. We don't say it to her and Mark and I don't say it to each other. She was over tired and missing her daddy...I am over tired and missing my husband. Charli got mad because I told her she couldn't have her chocolate muffin before dinner and to go do her math homework (ixl which is a computer program.) She got mad and in a fit of temper while I was outside walking the dogs (Did I mention I really miss my husband?!) she decided to evict my letter "m" from it's happy place on my keyboard. She comes running outside a little teary eyed and very apologetic but I kind of lost it. She stood before me, lip quivering, and confessed her sin. I asked her how it happened and she said "I guess I was mad." Well then I got mad, yelled at her, yelled at the dogs to stop sniffing every single blade of grass on our blasted half acre and for the love of pete to hurry up and just PEE. I sent Charli in the house, got the dogs in, fixed my letter "m" all the while suspecting she did something to my letter "d" because it looks wrong like it is leaning to the left. I had to pull the tape off the "m" because she tried to "fix" it. We sat together and while she did her ixl, and when she tried to argue about a problem and refused to listen, well that is when I said it...Charli SHUT UP!!! I suddenly felt a little like Ralphie from "A Christmas Story", maybe I needed to go sit in the bathroom and bite on a bar of soap. I could probably get the whole soap poisoning act down. It took me all of two seconds to realize what I said to Charli and I apologized. I, of course justified it...if she would just be quiet and let me explain then I wouldn't have had to yell that not nice phrase.
I told her earlier tonight she was going to bed at 8:00. I guess I got through to her because at 7:55 she brushed her teeth, talked to her daddy, and after they hung up she asked me to tuck her in for the night. I apologized again...and justified again (hey I am not proud of it). We said our prayers and I kissed her good night. The house is quiet for now but I need to go start the wash and walk the dogs, again!
I told her earlier tonight she was going to bed at 8:00. I guess I got through to her because at 7:55 she brushed her teeth, talked to her daddy, and after they hung up she asked me to tuck her in for the night. I apologized again...and justified again (hey I am not proud of it). We said our prayers and I kissed her good night. The house is quiet for now but I need to go start the wash and walk the dogs, again!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
They really DO hear us!
When I pick Charli up from school in the afternoons, as soon as she gets her seat belt buckled, I get a recap of her entire day. I love that my child is an open book with me and the 15 minute drive back to work is filled with tales of the latest antics from the fourth grade. Do you ever have those moments where you are incredibly proud of your child? I don't mean for their academics, or for scoring the winning goal. I mean just proud of the person they are at their core? I had picked Charli up one day last week and she shared a story with me that blessed my soul, made me a little sad, but incredibly proud of my girl at the same time.
It seems that fourth grade girls like to laugh at other fourth grade girls for no reason other than if you are a girl in the fourth grade, sometimes this is what you do. Well one of the girls had done something or other that the other girls apparently thought was "weird." I have recently learned there is nothing worse when you are in the fourth grade, than having other fourth graders think you are weird. The other girls were laughing at another girl and this is what Charli had to say about it..."Mom, I don't think so and so, and such and such are my friends." I asked her why she thought that. She said "Well they were laughing at Eloise (just for the record there is no fourth grader named Eloise) but I didn't laugh with them because she is my friend. I didn't want to laugh at her and it's not nice to laugh at other people. Even though I want to be friends with these other girls, I wasn't going to laugh at my friend and leave her behind just to be friends with the other girls. It's rude and it's mean." I told Charli that I was incredibly proud of her and I asked her how she ever get to be such a kind and genuine person. She replied... "Well, I guess I must have gotten it from you."
Okay...let me start by saying I didn't offer her money and I was pretty shocked. She didn't ask for anything so I am assuming she wasn't trying to suck up. I often am a ball of chaos in a mad dash to get things done. I am certain there are several days a week I look like the Tasmanian devil on speed. I move at a constant pace and I am always saying rather loudly in an authoritative tone things like: Hurry Up! Get in the car! Did you brush your teeth? Let me have your planner, I need to sign it. Where is my phone? Why are you STILL not in the car?! I am absolutely the Momzilla to her Tweenzilla most days. I often wonder if all those little chats we have mean anything to her. Does a word I say ever sink in? When we talk about what it means to be a friend, drinking, smoking, making good choices, discussing what bad choices are, sticking up for yourself, believing in yourself, why you shouldn't be a snob, how to be true to who you are...does she ever hear me? Well I guess she does. Last week was such a rough week and when Charli said "Well I must get it from you.", it blessed my soul in such a way that is hard to explain. I needed to hear that, I needed to feel like in all the craziness that is often life these days, I am actually doing something right. When she tells me I am the meanest mom ever, I know she thinks I am pretty wonderful. She thinks I am a good mom and at the end of the day, regardless of what anyone else thinks apparently I am doing something right.
I am always telling Charli how important it is to do things for others. It isn't about getting anything in return. It's about being kind to another human being and letting them see the Jesus that lives in you. Today Charli and I were getting ready to go into Sams and this gentleman, who according to the hat that covered his graying hair was a Vietnam Vet, was unloading his cart. He pushed the buggy up to the median but had to walk back and fourth to get to the rear of his car. Charli and I were parked next to him and I looked at Charli and I said "Come on, let's help him." Charli walked over to his cart and got the box of trash bags and carried it to the man. He smiled and said thank you. I handed Charli the oil,and the printer paper. She passed them to the man then I handed him his strawberries and mayonnaise. He thanked us several times and the smile on his face and Charli's was priceless. She never asked me why we helped him because she already knew.
It seems that fourth grade girls like to laugh at other fourth grade girls for no reason other than if you are a girl in the fourth grade, sometimes this is what you do. Well one of the girls had done something or other that the other girls apparently thought was "weird." I have recently learned there is nothing worse when you are in the fourth grade, than having other fourth graders think you are weird. The other girls were laughing at another girl and this is what Charli had to say about it..."Mom, I don't think so and so, and such and such are my friends." I asked her why she thought that. She said "Well they were laughing at Eloise (just for the record there is no fourth grader named Eloise) but I didn't laugh with them because she is my friend. I didn't want to laugh at her and it's not nice to laugh at other people. Even though I want to be friends with these other girls, I wasn't going to laugh at my friend and leave her behind just to be friends with the other girls. It's rude and it's mean." I told Charli that I was incredibly proud of her and I asked her how she ever get to be such a kind and genuine person. She replied... "Well, I guess I must have gotten it from you."
Okay...let me start by saying I didn't offer her money and I was pretty shocked. She didn't ask for anything so I am assuming she wasn't trying to suck up. I often am a ball of chaos in a mad dash to get things done. I am certain there are several days a week I look like the Tasmanian devil on speed. I move at a constant pace and I am always saying rather loudly in an authoritative tone things like: Hurry Up! Get in the car! Did you brush your teeth? Let me have your planner, I need to sign it. Where is my phone? Why are you STILL not in the car?! I am absolutely the Momzilla to her Tweenzilla most days. I often wonder if all those little chats we have mean anything to her. Does a word I say ever sink in? When we talk about what it means to be a friend, drinking, smoking, making good choices, discussing what bad choices are, sticking up for yourself, believing in yourself, why you shouldn't be a snob, how to be true to who you are...does she ever hear me? Well I guess she does. Last week was such a rough week and when Charli said "Well I must get it from you.", it blessed my soul in such a way that is hard to explain. I needed to hear that, I needed to feel like in all the craziness that is often life these days, I am actually doing something right. When she tells me I am the meanest mom ever, I know she thinks I am pretty wonderful. She thinks I am a good mom and at the end of the day, regardless of what anyone else thinks apparently I am doing something right.
I am always telling Charli how important it is to do things for others. It isn't about getting anything in return. It's about being kind to another human being and letting them see the Jesus that lives in you. Today Charli and I were getting ready to go into Sams and this gentleman, who according to the hat that covered his graying hair was a Vietnam Vet, was unloading his cart. He pushed the buggy up to the median but had to walk back and fourth to get to the rear of his car. Charli and I were parked next to him and I looked at Charli and I said "Come on, let's help him." Charli walked over to his cart and got the box of trash bags and carried it to the man. He smiled and said thank you. I handed Charli the oil,and the printer paper. She passed them to the man then I handed him his strawberries and mayonnaise. He thanked us several times and the smile on his face and Charli's was priceless. She never asked me why we helped him because she already knew.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)