Welcome

Join me in my daily walk through the joys and struggles of parenthood. Share a word of encouragement or be encouraged. Cry a little, laugh a lot, but know it is all in divine order.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Fun Friday – Funny Signs and Tweets


It’s Friday, time to do a happy dance! Start your weekend by exercising your cheek muscles…in other words, get your laugh on. Below are a few funny signs and tweets from The Ellen Show. I got the idea of the Ellen tweets from a fellow blogger – thanks Dana!

 
photo credit


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
YouTube video: The Ellen Show 

 
Happy Friday!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Wordless Wednesday – National Corn Chip Day


Corn ships and homemade salsa

Today is National Corn Chip Day (January 29th)! Celebrate by enjoying your favorite corn chip related snack.

 Nacho’s


 
 
Seasoned Tortilla Strips (good for topping a salad)
 
 

Tortilla Soup
 
 
 
What is your favorite corn chip dish?
 

Monday, January 27, 2014

Muffins with Mom – 10 ways to add a little silly to your life


Orange Berry Muffin

It’s Monday…again, and you have so many things that you want to accomplish that your head is spinning just thinking about them. This is a sign that it is time to let loose and act silly. If you are afraid that a random act of silliness my ruin your reputation, it’s ok to carry out the task in private.
I can’t say that I’ve had any trouble with being silly and I think it has rubbed off on my boys. If I tend to get out of control, one of my sons will look at me while shaking his head and say, “you’re doing too much.”

Here’s what silly looks like at our house:

 
 
 
 


When things begin to feel overwhelming add a little silly to your life by trying one of the following ideas:

1.      Take a silly photo

2.      Watch a movie that makes you laugh (even if you’ve seen it a million times)

3.      Make up a silly poem –

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

I’ll clean the house, if you help too

4.      Do something you always tell your kids not to do…try it

-Play with your food (make a happy face on your pancakes)

-Chew with your mouth open

-Run through the house

Your kids will either think something is wrong with you or they will join you.

5.      Talk like a pirate all day

6.      Do the Chicken Dance

7.      Conduct a silly science experiment with your child

8.      Play a silly game

9.      Create a silly word of the day – every time your child uses the silly word of the day he earns a reward of your choosing

10.  Have a silly hair day (just rolled out of bed hair doesn’t count)
 


What will you do today to add a little silly to your life?

Friday, January 24, 2014

Fun Friday – A writer’s imagination gone wild



Photo credit

I have always told my boys that they can talk to me about anything. However, when my fourteen-year-old son asked me to explain climax, I nearly choked on the salad I was eating. And it isn’t easy to choke on spinach leaf lettuce.

It happened after dinner the other night; my son was sitting next to me on the couch, tweeting someone on his phone. I was doing my usual, snacking with the laptop by my side. That was when he asked the question…

“Ma, how to you explain climax to someone who doesn’t know what it is?”
My response was quick, “WHAT?! You want to talk about that now?”

“Yes,” he said calmly.
“Do you really want to talk about the birds and the bees NOW?”

That’s when he lost control with laughter. “I’m talking about the climax of a story. You know, you’re a writer.”
I hit him with a couch pillow and ended that conversation. That episode is what can happen when you release your imagination…all kinds of thoughts spill out. That was the second episode of an imagination gone wild that day. My first experience occurred earlier that day.

I was on the treadmill at the fitness center when my imagination took over. A fellow member said something to me while I was wearing my ear buds and watching the TV monitor. I smiled and gave a response, but I didn’t really know what he said.
After the workout, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. What I saw led me to imagine that my friend on the treadmill may have said (with a smile)…

“Boy, you look a mess today.”
I smiled back and said, “thanks, you too. Have a nice day.”

As I let my imagination go where it will, I am reminded to also use better listening skills.

Have you ever let your imagination run wild? What was the outcome?

 

Monday, January 20, 2014

Muffins with Mom – Martin Luther King Jr. Day inspirational quotes



Pull up a chair, get cozy and savor the flavor of a blueberry muffin as you listen to a snippet of a conversation with teens.
Today is a federal holiday in the U.S. It’s the celebration of the birthday of civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King is most known to youth and others for his famous, I Have a Dream speech.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A recent trip to the International Auto Show for my boys, led to our discussion about Dr. King. Prior to the trip one son asked, “Is there anything to do at the auto show besides look at cars you might not be able to afford?”
His brother responded with, “You can always dream, Martin Luther King had a dream.”
Although both boys knew Dr. King’s dream speech held more substance than just dreaming of material things, we began a conversation about accomplishments and dreams. They even learned a little family history about how my mom marched a few rows behind Dr. King during his march on Frankfurt. She was attending college at Kentucky State at the time.

When our discussion ended I searched for more information about Dr. King. Below are quotes I came across, by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
HELPING OTHERS

“We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity.”

OPTIMSM
“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

 CHARACTER

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
 
HELPING OTHERS

“Everybody can be great… Because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and soul generated by love.”

HARD WORK
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

For more inspirational quotes by Dr. King click here.

What is inspiring you today?

 

Friday, January 17, 2014

A broken navigation system


Photo credit

It’s basketball season at our house, which means time to travel. I was somewhat ready for the journey to our recent “away” game. The GPS navigation wasn’t working on my phone, so I printed mapquest directions. However, my son’s role was to help keep me on track, a simple enough task, or so I thought.

What do you do when your navigation system is broken? A back up plan is always a good idea. The person in the photo below was my back up plan… the teen who was supposed to help me navigate. He fell asleep.

My sleeping navigator

Here are a five solutions that I have for surviving a trip with a broken navigation system:

1.      Don’t ask a sleepy teen to help you navigate.

2.      Don’t be afraid to stop and ask for directions along the way.

3.      Take someone with you to keep you company in case you get lost.

4.      Travel with snacks to help ease any tension or frustration.

5.      Borrow someone else’s navigation system.

What suggestions do you have for getting somewhere new without a navigation system?

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday - Amazing Talent

Everyone has a special gift, skill or talent, however you want to describe it. I saw a video recently on America's Got Talent of a guy and his dancing skill. It was soooo cool. Hope you enjoy.






Monday, January 13, 2014

Muffins with mom - The night the dishes took over



Warm up your day with a homemade cranberry muffin, then prop your feet up, relax your shoulders and read on.
Do you remember that famous line from The Wizard of Oz—“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!?” Here’s a line you can sing as you walk through my kitchen—“Pot and pans and bowls, oh my!” It all began when I told my son to put away the clean dishes.

Pots and pans gone wild (kinda).


My son shuffled into the kitchen with the speed of someone just sentenced to death row. I tried to tune out his protests of “Why do I have to do it? I put away the dishes last time.” I left him to finish his sentence  task in solitude.
When I returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner, I found items in disarray. You would have thought my son had just moved in with our family, nothing was where it should be. As I opened one cabinet, plastic bowls flew from the shelf.

I could feel the pots and pans screaming from their place in the cabinet. When I opened the cabinet, there were large pots stacked on top of smaller ones and lids scattered. Nothing neatly assembled as it usually fits.
As I pulled out the items I needed for dinner, I reassembled a few things. It was like working a Rubik’s Cube as I restacked pans, twisted pot handles and turned lids around.

My son later told me that his friend helped put away the dishes. His friend had heard me say that the chores had to be done before, he could have an overnight guest. I guess that’s the color of friendship. But, I wonder if the friend would have willingly put away dishes at his house? Hmmm.
Have dishes ever taken over your kitchen, clean, dirty, or otherwise?

Friday, January 10, 2014

Fun Friday – Funny stories


Photo credit

It’s Friday, time to get the weekend started with a few chuckles. Today I have a few stories to share to make you smile. These are not my own, but ones I found around the web.

The child and his mother
A curious child asked his mother, “Mommy, why are your hairs turning grey?”
The mother tried to use this occasion to teach her child: “It is because of you dear. Every bad action of yours will turn one of my hairs grey.”

The child replied innocently: “Now I know why grandmother only has grey hairs on her head.”
 

Wrong email address
A couple were going on vacation, but the wife was on a business trip. So the husband went to the destination first and his wife would meet him the next day. When he reached the hotel he decided to send his wife a quick email.

Unfortunately, when typing the address, he mistyped a letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s wife whose husband had passed away the day before.

When the grieving widow checked her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream and fell to the floor in a dead faint.

At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this on the screen:

Dearest Wife,
Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow.

P.S. Sure is hot down here.

 For more stories similar to the two above click here.

 Out of the mouths of babes
A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later…”Da-ad…

“What?”
“I’m thirsty. Can you bring me a drink of water?”

“No, you had your chance. Lights Out.”
Five minutes later: “Da-aaaad…”

“What?”
“I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??”

“I told you NO! If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!”
Five minutes later…”Daaaa-aaad.”

“What!”
“When you come to spank me, can you bring me a drink of water?


 For more things kids say, click here.

Have you heard any funny stories lately? Wishing you a weekend filled with giggles.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Wordless Wednesday - Amazing bubbles in freezing temperatures


This is what I call making the best of a cold situation...



 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Check out more bubble photos by clicking here. Photos courtesy of RYOT.com. 
 

Monday, January 6, 2014

Muffins with Mom – New Year’s Eve Celebration



Photo credit: www.kcconfidential.com

Welcome to a new year and a new episode of Muffins with Mom. Recline in your favorite arm chair with a muffin and a warm beverage. A Banana Nut muffin and a steaming cup of decaf with Hazelnut is my choice today.

Photo credit: www.yelp.com

This year was a different kind of New Year’s Eve Celebration. My teen boys went to a lock-in at a recreation/church sponsored event. We left at the same time, exchanged hugs and wished each other a Happy New Year.
I went to a service that featured actors David and Tamela Mann. He entertained the audience with comedy and she bellowed out the sweet sound of one of her famous gospel songs, Take Me to the King. The event culminated with a preached message and I was on my way home before 11pm.

On my way home…that is when I had a quiet moment alone in the car to think (especially since the radio wasn’t working). It’s amazing the things one can think about during a quiet car ride. I discovered how dry my skin really is.

Since it was a snowy night, I kept my legs warm by wearing tights with my skirt. As I scratched my leg, I discovered a new sound. It was sort of musical as I rubbed my hand across my leg. Close your eyes and imagine the sound of wood kindling in a fire. Only the crackling sound was my dry hand going across my tights. I don’t think I snagged a hole in them.

While driving I had a flashback of the closing prayer, where the pastor asked everyone to hold hands. Oooo. I had to connect with someone while I had alligator skin and no time to grab the hand lotion from my purse.

I made it home, found some moisture rich cream for my hands, and then snuggled under a pile of blankets. After sending well wishes to friends and family, I welcomed in the New Year then went into a deep slumber.

Happy New Year to you, my blogger friends!

How did you welcome in the New Year?

Friday, January 3, 2014

Feel Good Friday - Are you feeling blessed?



I came across a phrase recently that I want to share with you today. As you reflect on the year that has just passed, how would you complete this phrase, "God has blessed me with...?"

My answer would include:

Health -  I kept a consistent workout routine in 2013, took vitamins (sometimes) and ate fruits and vegetables (maybe not the daily recommended amount, but I got them in).

Strength - I had the strength to maintain a workout routine, work, attend my kids events and even wrestle with my son on occasion (he tries to prove he's stronger than I am, of course I quit if he has the upper hand). This included emotion and physical strength.

Writing Networking Opportunities - It was great to attend a writing/revision retreat in the fall where I reconnected with friends and met new people. And I can forget the blessing of a new laptop (Mother's Day) that traveled with me to the conference and other writing journeys.

What about you, what were some of your blessing highlights for 2013?


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Wordless Wednesday - Lean on Me

Leaning on family

After recently listening to the song, Lean on Me by Bill Withers, I was reminded of what friendship is all about, supporting each other. Happy New Year to all my friends near and far.


Friendships...

 
 
 


Best wishes for a prosperous New Year!