Good...Better...Best....

Good husbands take the kids outside to play in the rare snow while mom's at work....

Better husbands call mom and tell her all the details....and take pictures and video.....

Best husbands find out that mom has been really busy so is taking a super later lunch break, then pack up all the kids and move the snow party to his parents house which is 5 minutes from where mom works so mom can come and play with the kids during her lunch break.......

I have the Best!!!!!


P.S. Thanks Nana and Papa for letting us invade your house, for letting us have snowball fights, build a snowman, sled down your hill, and for making us snow ice cream!!! Yum!

Overheard...

In the car on the way to the museum.....

Carsten (from the 3rd rowof the noisy car): "Do you know what I'm going to name my son when I'm older? I'm going to call him Jason"

Abrielle (from the 2nd row): "What?!?! Satan?!?!"

Carsten: "No!!!! Not Satan! That would be asking for trouble."

Talented Friends....

I have really cool friends. Really, I do. Even the one who think I should feel guilty about eating my kids candy...she's still cool. I think in Heaven, the assembling line conversation went something like this....

"Here's Shelly....What do we have for her?"

"Well, we're all out of 'Artistic.' Running low on 'Musical.' We just gave out our last 'Athletic' for the day.'"

"Hmmm...what should we do then?"

"Just give her cool friends....make sure she hangs out with all the people we gave everything to...."

So, that's what has happened. I hang out with amazing photographers, sewers, crafters, hair artists, make-up artists, published and unpublished writers, musicians, teachers, cooks, businesswomen and businessmen, runners, doctors, chiropractors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, friends, compassion givers, selfless servers.......

You name it.....I have one of those......

Evidence?

The CUTEST diaper changing kits ever.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/nb692451


Awesome photography.
www.kamlingphotography.com


Great book.
www.fearlessdatingbook.com


Wanna feel pretty? She can do it!
melissamillermakeup.blogspot.com
www.melissamillermakeup.com


Yummy! That's all I need to say.....Yummy!
www.christascandyapples.com/


And those are just the ones with websites.......Yeah, I'm cool.....

Is it too much to ask?

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"Eating a piece of my kids Valentine's Day candy," I honestly replied.

"What?!? That's so wrong...I would never do that. Don't you feel guilty for eating their candy?"

You've never done that? Guilty? What?

I always snitch in my kids candy. Valentine's, Easter, Halloween, Christmas. You name it, I've snitched in it. Do I feel guilty at all about this? Not a bit.

I gave birth to them. Feed them. Clean up all manners of bodily function from assorted body parts and locations. I provide a house over your head. Teach and enforce manners, rules, job lists, the Ten Commandments, and basic human decency. I help with homework every night...including Wednesdays. I wash, scrub, transport, enroll, cheer, and love. I make them eat their veggies, brush and floss, and hold them vaccinations and tests. I cry with them, for them, and because of them. I smile with them, for them, and because of them.

And for all this, I ask only for all of your 3-Musketeers and M & M's.......

Nope, friend....no guilt at all....

Crazy Lady...The Summary

That's what I feel like lately. Do those you have been asking...No, we have not dropped off the planet (though that sounds like a nice vacation...), we have been incredibly busy. But, hey....is there any other kind of busy? Here's the run down....

--Christmas. School. Church. Big Families. 3 kids....'nuf said.

--Holy Homework, Batman. I think a "special project" has come home every week.
If a "special project" exists that frequently, is it really "special" anymore?

--Preschool -- Abrielle started a new preschool in January and it's awesome. It fits her personality and needs (and ours) much better than the home co-op we were doing. It's at the YMCA and we have evidence that she is getting a good, solid, Christian education. What evidence, you ask? Exhibit A: "A B C D E F G...Thank you God for feeding me. Amen"

--Alyssa is a toddler. Actually, that is a misnomer. She does not toddle...she runs....constantly.

--Bishopric -- Jason is still in the bishopric which means Sundays are no "day of rest." For him it's a day of meetings. For me, it's the UFC championships. Did I mention the magical opening hymns at our church? No matter what the selection, it has the power to make all children's previously empty bladders suddenly fill (at alternating rates, of course), make Ms. Regular, who always poops before 10, let loose again, and make it absolutely necessary to communicate with all of our friends no matter how many pews away they happen to be. Once Jason asked me how he did on his talk --- I didn't realize he had spoken......

--Office---Jason's firm is getting busier every day. Which is good. Unless you just want a day off with your husband and the darn "Crackberry" won't shut up. That's bad.

--Work -- Yes, I am working full time again. To preemptively answer all questions:
Yes, I did enjoy being a full time- stay-at-home mom.
Yes, I do love my kids.
Yes, Jason's business is doing well (see above).
No, I am not inactive in my church.
Yes, I do realize the logistical mayhem of
1 self-employed husband + 3 kids, + 2 church callings + full time job.
No, I have not lost my mind, yet.
Yes, I am tired of watching the student loan payments I send
not make a dent in the student loans.
No, I do not look forward to the making those payments for the next 25 years.
No, self-employed people do no get benefits, unless they pay for them in full themselves.
Yes, we havebeen praying about all of this.
Therefore--
Yes, when I was offered a job in which full-time is 30 hours/3 days a week
with full benefits and quite a bit of flexibility, I accepted.

and, yes, your prayers will be appreciated. Because I do realize that either I have,
or soon will, lose my mind.