Endless Pursuit for Mom of the Year

The car has become a secular sanctuary for the individual, his shrine to the self, his mobile Walden Pond.  ~ Edward McDonagh ----------------------------- I remember the days dad of the year and I refer to as BK (before kids) when we shared a bathroom, were responsible for getting only ourselves ready, watched a little television...shared our morning rush. Back then, we also only had one car. We'd drive to work together listening to hair bands and enjoying the morning. Yeah, things have changed. My Yukon has been on the fritz lately, choosing when to start and when not to. It's agonizing! Plus, an unreliable vehicle makes me nervous with two kids. It recently went on the fritz again. What started as some fun carpooling time ended in something completely different. I enjoy my morning time. I don't commute and I rather like it that way. So, my morning time is far less than it had been with a commute and no children. Still, I enjoy my few minutes in the car to myself....

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~ Franklin P. Jones ---------------------------------------------- What a way to start a post, right?  With a photo of my toilet.  Trust me, I went back and forth but there was no better image than what I'd been looking at for the better part of the day. Daughter of the year #2 has started potty training.  There's nothing really fun about potty training except that you get to quit buying diapers, which is a nice addition to your budget.  We have her sister to thank for most of this who countless times paraded her into the bathroom and told her step by step what you do as she went potty.  Honestly, it's pretty much been easy thus far.   So, while it still seems too early, we thought we'd give things a try this weekend with full-blown potty training.  Now, I'm not talking Pull-Ups (people, they are just glorified diapers).  I'm ...

“I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.   ~ Anais Nin   ----------------------------   First and foremost, I love how you can time my blog posts right along with how busy my life might be at the time.  No posts, no time.  I definitely need to work on that because all work and no blogging makes for an unbalanced mommy.    So, it's New Year's Eve and in perfect mom of the year fashion, I thought maybe I should make some resolutions.  Therefore, I got out my trusty pen and a notepad and went straight to work.  Yep!  That's as far as I got.   Sure, I could put down to exercise more.  Drink less Starbucks.  Work less and play more.  I could do all of those things.  However, aren't resolutions, when intended to make us better, really just tiny boxes we try to fit ourselves into?  In my experience, no ...

Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you. ~ Madeline Bridge ----------------------------------- I received my Christmas gift early this year.  A gift so precious and kind that it made me wonder, have I really been holding the award I've been chasing the entire time?  Every student in daughter of the year #1's class got a dollar a few weeks ago.  The lesson was to talk about what you could buy with a dollar.  The students found that wasn't very much.  Then, they talked about what they could buy if the put all of their money together for a total of $21.00.  There was much more they could buy with that amount of money.  Then, their teacher explained to them they could buy a flock of chicks for a poor family with that money.  It was then discussed what these chicks could do for this family and that they could also have more chicks and give those away to another poor family.  It was the ultimate lesson in payin...

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  ~ Kahlil Gibran ------------------------------------------ Well, here it comes folks. The blog that will either keep you reading or destroy whatever relationship we've been having.  Either way, what I write here is mine.  I made absolutely no claim at perfection, although you really should have known that already by the title of this blog.  While this was difficult to write and took quite a bit of reflection, again, it is truly my own.  After days of pondering and writing, daughter of the year #1 gave me a big sign tonight that I was finally ready to post this.  Dad of the year suffered a loss in his family recently and, in my mind, the worst kind.  The one that creeps up on you and surprises you with grief you didn't think you would have.  Or should I say, grief you didn't think you would need to work th...

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.   ~ Tammy Faye Bakker ------------------------------------------------------------ Ah, Black Friday shopping.  By now, I'm sure most everyone has read an article, seen a news story, possibly even watched a You Tube video that shows the insanity that consumes some shoppers on this day in the hunt for the really good bargain.  It's pure insanity at its best!  My family has been black Friday shopping for some time now.  I know we didn't always do it and I can't quite place when exactly it started.  We don't always go for a deal (sometimes we do).  We don't always sleep before we go (certainly didn't this year).  But most of all, we go for the entertainment value it brings.  We've been known to sing songs, show customers where to find the product they are looking for, hold a place in line while someone runs for that one item they forgot, even fake labor.  No, we didn't...

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~ Dr. Seuss --------------------------  I'm amazed by the lessons handed to us in everyday life.  I believe that most people walk through life completely unaware of these lessons.  Your eyes must be wide open.  Your ears must be ready to listen.  Sure, some lessons are hard.  Others, are simple.  After this week, I find myself more keenly aware to those who have either not heard or seen the lesson, or are simly just too stubborn to find the value.  I also believe I've found a connection between not learning the lesson and lacking in self-awareness.  Ah, that's awfully deep for this mom of the year, right? Daughter of the year #1 joined a Brownie Troop.  She's only had a few meetings, but already knows many of the girls.  She had a meeting last week and while I didn't stay for the meeting, I understand quite a t...