Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Feeding the Fire With a Mixed Tape
A story doesn't just happen; a story unfolds. The choices we make along the way determine our path, and even then we only see what's right in front of us. The companions we choose to accompany us on our journey is what makes our story. They are there to keep us moving when we don't want to take one more step. They are there to encourage us when we fall and then offer a hand to help us up. They distract us with wonderful moments of happiness when our focus becomes tainted and gloomy. I would never want to walk this life alone and I am so blessed that I don't have to. I have been given a beautiful gift and I will always cherish it. Thank you God for my loving husband, my best friend, my companion in life.
Is it an easy journey? Heck no!
Mariage is tough. I can't tell you why two first-born, stubborn-headed, crazy-freaks work, but somehow we do. I don't have a magical answer, a big revelation, a go-to method of how marriage is supposed to be, but I do know our story and what works for us. We know how to laugh together and we know how to cry together. We know how to fight and we know how to make things right. We can be silly and we can be serious. We talk. We make-time for each other and we take-time away from each other. We are honest. We fail and we are okay with that...when it comes to realizing our humanity. We fail and we don't settle for it...we strive to be better. We take time to show our love in the small things. A kiss, an affirmation, a selfless act of kindess when you don't feel like it, an "I'm sorry."
It's always a good idea to make a mixed tape cd for your wife who is waiting in the car pissed at you. The CD goes in, the smile creeps up and before you know it she is allowing you to use your charm once again. You have taken her out of her mood long enough to say "I'm sorry."
It's the small moments, the day-to-day affirmations that keep us confident in love. For the fire to stay alive, you have to feed it.
I don't know what lies ahead for us, but I do know that hand-in-hand the journey will be great. The end of our story is a mystery and I think that's what makes it so beautiful!
I love you babe, here's to the next twelve years! I love you and thank you for my mixed tape cd!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Banish the Bug
The fire is crackling, the house is quiet and I'm in my office working away with a fresh cup of coffee in my hand. The dog is curled up at my feet, Pandora is playing, and occasionalIy I get a waft of the cinnamon candle burning in the next room. The house is spotlessly clean, the rugs have been shampooed, and all the laundry has been washed and put away.
One would think that I somehow managed to score a day at home, alone. If you walked into my house this morning you would wonder what was up. Where was the usual mess? Why was it smelling so clean? And most importantly, where did the kids go?
Well, they were home, (all of them) but it was no typical day. They were sick.
Yes, some moms would blog about a sick day with a totally different spin. I'm not saying that I like seeing my kids sick, but if I'm being honest, I like what happens when my kids are sick. No, I don't like them to be in pain, or so sick that they are miserable. But, the kind of sickies that create a desire to curl up on the cozy couch, get special treatment from mommy and watch back-to-back movies all day long; that's what I'm talking about. I get to baby them, which all us moms love to do, and in turn I get a relaxing peaceful day with no fighting. They don't want to get up and run around destroying the place, they just want to sleep or veg. All... day... long.
It's the perfect excuse to hunker down and not go anywhere. For this homebody, it's perfect!
It's as easy as a .99 cent bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide. A little trick we've learned over the years. It really works! When I start to feel a little scratch in my throat it's the first thing I do. We also do it once a week on everyone during the cold and flu season. It's very old school; the idea has been around a long time.
Here is a little article; I'm not just making it up:
In 1928, Dr. Richard Simmons, hypothesized that colds and flu virus enter our bodies through the ear canal. It was Dr. Simmons' hypothesis that, contrary to what we have been taught, we usually can catch the two via the ear canal and not through the eyes or nose or mouth as most of us believe. Dr. Simmons' findings were dismissed by the medical community.
source:
And as a bonus your ears will always be sparkling clean!
One would think that I somehow managed to score a day at home, alone. If you walked into my house this morning you would wonder what was up. Where was the usual mess? Why was it smelling so clean? And most importantly, where did the kids go?
Well, they were home, (all of them) but it was no typical day. They were sick.
Yes, some moms would blog about a sick day with a totally different spin. I'm not saying that I like seeing my kids sick, but if I'm being honest, I like what happens when my kids are sick. No, I don't like them to be in pain, or so sick that they are miserable. But, the kind of sickies that create a desire to curl up on the cozy couch, get special treatment from mommy and watch back-to-back movies all day long; that's what I'm talking about. I get to baby them, which all us moms love to do, and in turn I get a relaxing peaceful day with no fighting. They don't want to get up and run around destroying the place, they just want to sleep or veg. All... day... long.
It's the perfect excuse to hunker down and not go anywhere. For this homebody, it's perfect!
As much as I like the relaxing atmosphere a little sickness can bring to the house, I don't like the bugs to stay long. I also don't want them to come around often. Once an awhile is fine, but like any other home, we want to banish the bug. It's no fun to take all of the kids to the doctor's at once, preventive care is on the forefront of our minds.
It's as easy as a .99 cent bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide. A little trick we've learned over the years. It really works! When I start to feel a little scratch in my throat it's the first thing I do. We also do it once a week on everyone during the cold and flu season. It's very old school; the idea has been around a long time.
Here is a little article; I'm not just making it up:
In 1928, Dr. Richard Simmons, hypothesized that colds and flu virus enter our bodies through the ear canal. It was Dr. Simmons' hypothesis that, contrary to what we have been taught, we usually can catch the two via the ear canal and not through the eyes or nose or mouth as most of us believe. Dr. Simmons' findings were dismissed by the medical community.
According to Dr. Simmons, keeping your fingers out of our ears will greatly reduce our chances of catching colds and the flu, but we need to keep in mind that these 2 are microscopic and can be air-born and may land on/in our ears. Once these microscopic bodies have entered the inner-ear, they then begin to breed, and from there they have access to every avenue throughout our bodies to travel, and infect and make us sick.
Remarkable results can be achieved in curing colds and the flu within 12-14 hours when we administer a few drops of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) into each ear. The H2O2 starts working within 2-3 minutes in killing the cold or flu. There will be some bubbling and in some cases mild stinging might occur. I do this myself and I can assure you that it is not painful in any way. It tickles more than anything.
Wait until the bubbling subsides - usually a few minutes - then drain onto a tissue and repeat with the other ear.
Although this practice is perfectly safe for infants and children to use, the loud bubbling and stinging may frighten them, and they will need someone they trust to put the hydrogen peroxide in their ears. DO NOT get hydrogen peroxide in the eyes - if you do, flush with water.
source:
And as a bonus your ears will always be sparkling clean!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Forget About Everything Else I've told you...Candy, Candy, Candy!
Halloween is one of those weird holidays that would be very hard to explain to someone who had never experienced it before. It's one of those holidays where we as parents let all those valuable lessons we have been trying to instill into our children throughout the year fall by the wayside. We are less concerned for our kid's safety, we don't enforce all of the rules; we're all caught up in the wonderful memories from our childhood. On this night anything goes! Halloween goes against the principles we teach our kids the other 364 days of the year and we love it!
We are always telling our kids "Be true to yourself", but on this night we say, "You can dress up and be anything you want to be, you just can't be yourself."
We tell our kids, "Never talk to strangers", but on this night we encourage them to march up and knock on as many stranger's doors as possible. In fact, if they hesitate we say, "Come on, you have to go up the door. Okay, I'll go with you this time, but next time you go up alone. Okay?"
We often say, "Make sure you come inside before it gets too dark out there." But on Halloween we say, "Stop asking if it's time to go yet; we can't go outside until it gets dark, that's when the fun begins."
We tell them, "Don't watch those scary shows on t.v., you'll get nightmares and warp your mind." But on this night we oh and ah, laugh and giggle at all the spooky, scary decorations gracing the lawns of the neighborhood.
We tell our kids, "Sugar is bad for your bodies and it creates cavities; only to be eaten in moderation. But on this night, we hand them a huge empty pail and say, "Fill it to the top with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar! We follow that up with, "Wow, look at all that candy, that's awesome! Look how full that is sweetheart! Great job honey!!!"
We tell them to never take candy from strangers, but on this exclusive night we say, "Now walk up to this strangers house and take the wonderful treats that they're handing out... hurry...run!"
It might sound strange to an outsider, but to us Americans it's a wonderful exciting night!
Besides being able to re-live our childhood memories through our children, another great benefit for us parents is putting the munchkins to bed and raiding their buckets!
They had a great night with friends and, I have to say, Mom and Dad had just as much fun!
We are always telling our kids "Be true to yourself", but on this night we say, "You can dress up and be anything you want to be, you just can't be yourself."
We tell our kids, "Never talk to strangers", but on this night we encourage them to march up and knock on as many stranger's doors as possible. In fact, if they hesitate we say, "Come on, you have to go up the door. Okay, I'll go with you this time, but next time you go up alone. Okay?"
We often say, "Make sure you come inside before it gets too dark out there." But on Halloween we say, "Stop asking if it's time to go yet; we can't go outside until it gets dark, that's when the fun begins."
We tell them, "Don't watch those scary shows on t.v., you'll get nightmares and warp your mind." But on this night we oh and ah, laugh and giggle at all the spooky, scary decorations gracing the lawns of the neighborhood.
We tell our kids, "Sugar is bad for your bodies and it creates cavities; only to be eaten in moderation. But on this night, we hand them a huge empty pail and say, "Fill it to the top with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar! We follow that up with, "Wow, look at all that candy, that's awesome! Look how full that is sweetheart! Great job honey!!!"
We tell them to never take candy from strangers, but on this exclusive night we say, "Now walk up to this strangers house and take the wonderful treats that they're handing out... hurry...run!"
It might sound strange to an outsider, but to us Americans it's a wonderful exciting night!
Besides being able to re-live our childhood memories through our children, another great benefit for us parents is putting the munchkins to bed and raiding their buckets!
They had a great night with friends and, I have to say, Mom and Dad had just as much fun!
What's not to love about Halloween!!!!
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