Tuesday, October 30, 2012

My Favorite Pinterest Quotes...Vol 1

I've become a little bit addicted to Pinterest over the past few weeks.  I started out innocently searching for crafts to do/presents to make with the girls over Thanksgiving break.  I've found much more.

Here are some of my favorite quotes so far...

Remember to always be yourself...unless you suck

We'll live off love.  Not really--I'll starve to death.   --Phil Roberson

If you're always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.  --Maya Angelou

The greatest advantage of speaking the truth is that you don't have to remember what you said.

95% of the decisions in my life are based on whether I like the colors of something or if it's pretty or smells good.

When you look at a field of dandelions, you can either see a hundred weeds or a hundred wishes.

Dreams don't work unless you do.

You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.  --Plato

I have an irrational fear of wasting a good outfit on an insignificant day.

A man may be the head of the household, but the woman is the neck...and she can turn the head any way she wants.

You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren't busy denying them.

Glitter is my favorite color.

Sometimes, when my underwear matches my outfit, it makes me feel like I really have my life together.

Some people need to change their facebook status updates to *Needs Attention*

A really good book doesn't need a bookmark because you'll never put it down  long enough to forget the page you were on.


Stay tuned for Volume 2--that Pinterest has a few good things on it...

Monday, October 29, 2012

Old Potholders

My potholders are ancient.  I seriously don't remember even buying any of hte ones I currently own.  And, they don't get washed as often as they should (said while covering my hands over my face in embarrassment).

They are those things I just never think to spend money on.  They work well enough and are hidden in a drawer most days. 

But they all have some type of hole in them.  Instead of throwing them away, I know how to hold it so that it holds the pan without me getting burnt. 

At least that works most of the time.

I know there's a spiritual connection I can make here, but I'm feeling a bit cheesy these days--like I'm trying to find something deep in the painting that is really just a big red splotch of color. 

So, I'll stop.

How old are your potholders?  How many do you have?  How often do you get new ones? 

Guess who "Graduated" from Speech?"

It's a bittersweet day at the Royal house.  Actually, turns out, I'm the only one who's bittersweet.

After 2 years of going to special speech classes twice a week, Caroline no longer qualifies for them.  I had her ARD (don't ask me what what stands for--I can never remember) meeting today and after evaluating her, she can now pronounce all of her letters--including those pesky "Ls" and "Rs."  She no longer needs speech class.

And I was happy.  But, as usual, I also worried.  Caroline LOVES going to speech.  She doesn't see it as a deficiency, she sees it as fun and a place where she is special.  I worried that she would be sad that she was done.  I even almost didn't sign the spot that said it would be immediate (I had the choice of it not going into effect for 5 days). I worried that she wouldn't feel special anymore.  I worried that without one-on-one attention in speech, there might not be anyone else looking out for her and she might become just another good kid.in the middle of 500 others.

So, I worked out this plan that I would pick up the girls from school and we'd go celebrate Caroline at her place of choice (not just because I was worried--I DID really want to celebrate her hard work, too).  She got in the car and was all smiles (after showing me her boot that had ripped today).  She chose to get frozen yogurt with toppings so we headed to Sweet Frogs and she got yogurt and a shirt so that she would remember the occasion!

The thing is, she was so stinkin proud of herself.  Her speech teacher let her choose from the prize box (she chose Bottlecaps--who doesn't love those!) AND she had Caroline's classmates sign her folder with sweet notes about how awesome she was but that they would miss her--even the little boy who drives her crazy wrote something so nice. 

All too often, we hear the stories of how kids are overlooked in the public school system and fall through the cracks.  This could have happened with us, but I followed my instincts and advocated for her until I had a teacher who saw it as well and she took up the battle.  I say "battle," but it really wasn't that.  Once she was tested, it was obvious she had a deficiency.  BUT still, the teachers and staff worked diligently with her.  They never made her feel less smart than other kids--even when she struggled with reading and spelling.  They loved her sweet smile with the dimple.  They encouraged her. 

I wish I could have bottled the glow she had after school today--words don't do it justice and I don't think a camera could have captured it.  I know this is cheesy, but it really felt like one of those glimpses of heaven God gives us every so often. 

Parenting is not always easy.  In fact, it's full of more hard times than I like to admit.  BUT, it's being a part of  moments like these that make the not-so-easy parenting times worth every bit of the effort. 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Last Roll

We are down to the very last roll of toilet paper in each of our 2 bathrooms. Some people have phobias of height, some of tight spaces...I fear running completely out of toilet paper.

Seriously--I'm not joking or even exaggerating on this one.  Even though my storage space is tiny, I usually buy a big pack well before I run out.  This means that I usually have a few rolls that sit on the back of the toilet.

So, I guess I'm running to the store first thing in the morning.

Do you have any phobias?  If so, what are they.

Monday, October 22, 2012

What I woke up to


Here's what I woke up to this morning:

      

I don't remember Brian's alarm going off, him getting ready or these 2 characters sneaking into my bed (along with 3 pillows).  

Happy Monday, y'all!  

What's the weirdest thing you've woken up to?

Friday, October 19, 2012

I Need a Name!!!!

I posted months ago that I was thinking of starting a new blog--something more professional. I write for our church blog but sometimes, I feel like I need to tone down who I am when I do those posts.

Sooo, I've been noodling on a ministry blog for women who work/lead in Kids ministries in churches. It will be full of posts on balancing home and work, developing teams, leading up, working with people who don't always have the same passions as you, etc.

But, I need a name.

And I need some professional help designing it, but I'm cheap and don't want to spend a lot of money.   But I also don't want the font to change 4 times like this one does when you first open it.

What would you call it?

Do you know a blog designer who wouldn't take my right arm to set it up for me?

Any posts you would want to see?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

This Week's Random Thoughts

Mrs. Green Jeans

Last weekend, I took my oldest bra shopping.  Yep, you heard me--we are at that stage of life.  There are many posts I'd like to do here on it, but I really don't want to embarrass her, so I'll drop it...for now, at least. 

Anyway, we found her stuff pretty quickly and I wandered over into my section for jeans.  Have I mentioned how much I hate shopping?  I absolutely dread it--no matter what kind it is.  I used  to like shopping for other people, but even that is a beat-down for me these days.  And yes, shoe shopping is included in the hate column--I know that calls into question my femaleness, but one pair of black shoes is really enough for me-as long as they are comfortable.

So, back to the jeans.  I couldn't find any regular jeans, but Hope found the colored rack.  She begged me--seriously--to try on the green ones.  After realizing I was actually dodging a bullet by not being coerced into taking the purple ones as well, I grabbed the green pair and headed to the dressing room.

They are a little too much.  And I only have 2 shirts that I know I can wear with them (I'm a mix and match queen when it comes to clothes--I like any new item to match 4-5 things).  I think I'm too old and big to wear something trendy--I've never been a "cool" person in my life--I'm a "classic" kind of girl. 

But, I walked out of the store with them anyway.  And Hope was so ecstatic--you'd have thought I won the lottery. And I got several compliments on them when I wore them (to which she smirked and said "I told you so!").

It sounds silly.  A post about green jeans.  But here's what I learned from it:
  • Saying "Yes" to your kids can benefit you as much as them.
  • Taking a risk every now and then reaps benefits
  • I don't have to dread shopping--my daughter's love language--I can celebrate the fact that I now have a personal shopper
And the thing that is slapping me in the face the most:

My 10 year old already has more fashion sense than I do. 

Monday, October 15, 2012

Making Excuses

The other day, I found myself trying to one-up someone.  I'm sure this never happens to anyone else, but I find myself in this position at least weekly (probably daily if I were really honest here).

Instead of being happy and celebrating with the person talking about this great thing that had happened, I smiled and immediately launched into how great that was for her, but that doesn't work for my family.  In a few sentences, I belittled her joy and explained why we do it a different way and it really has a bigger impact this way.

When I realized what I had done, I was completely embarrassed.  In fact, I still have never gone back to apologize.  As I started my over-analyzation process, I tried to figure out why I felt the need to do that.  Here's what I came up with:

Insecurity. 

Fear.

Pride.

All ugly things.  I worry that because the traditional way doesn't typically work for me and my girls, it means that we don't know Jesus as well as we think we do.  I'm scared that others see and think that.  I'm also scared that others feel the same way as me, but aren't brave enough to speak up (which fuels my need to speak up more than I should). 

And, honestly, there are few things I hate worse than feeling like someone is better than me.  I know I should hate the fact that people die every day without knowing Jesus, and there is so much abuse in the world and there are hungry kids in every city/town.  And I do hate those things, but sometimes, not as much as I hate feeling small. 

Reminds me of something a friend of mine said in college--all sin is rooted in pride.  Sounds like it fits for me.

There's no bow on the end of this post--I have nothing to tie it up prettily with.  Just ponderings.  And prayers that God will grip my heart and close my mouth the next time I try to make excuses.    Feel free to pray that for me, too--Lord knows there can't ever be enough people praying for me.

Friday, October 12, 2012

No Room for Regret

I came across this "post" I had written on notebook paper while I was on vacation this summer that I had forgotten about. Better late than never to get it on the blog.

I woke up early this morning.  So early that it was still dark outside. I laid in bed and thought about walking down to the beach to see the sunrise, but by the time I finally convinced myself to get up and do it, the sun was already up.  Knowing I'd probably missed the best part, I headed  down to the beach anyway.  And I got a couple of good pics--including this one (which, yes, I did doctor in instagram to make it more dramatic, but isn't it worth it???)    


The moment my feet touched sand, rain started falling. I waited for a moment--hoping it would pass--but the sprinkles turned into big raindrops--complete with lightning--so I left and headed back to our home for the week.

Walking back, I started to think about how quickly our perspective changes.   Before I went to bed the night before, I noticed that I had a slight sunburn--as did both of my girls.  I wondered if we should stay inside today and take it easy--after all, we still had 3 more beach days. Wouldn't it be good to hang out at the house for a day?  The rain confirmed my plans for the day, but I was sad.

The rain reminded me that life is not always filled with sunny beach days, so we should grab them when they come and wring every bit of fun out of them that we can.  We should take our naps in a chair by the ocean rather than in a bed. We should bring snacks so we don't have to go back for lunch. We should enjoy every bit of the sand--no matter where it winds up.

And I learned: To live fully on the sunny days leaves no room for regret on the rainy ones.

If Ya Read it and You Know it Clap Your Hands (or just give a like)

Like many writers, I doubt my abilities. Some days, I think I'm amazing and others, I feel like I have nothing to say that anyone wants to hear. This is where you come in--I need your help. If you read my posts and you find them somewhat amusing or entertaining, will you "like" this?  Better yet, if you follow somewhat consistently, a comment on this post would just send me over the moon. 

I'm not asking so that I can get a bunch of pats on the back. Seriously. I'm asking because I'm debating about whether to become more serious about my writing. The fact is, many people out there think they are writers. And just a few of them have blogs (Ha!!!).  So I often wonder, "What makes me think I have anything to say that's not already being said/been said/will be said more eloquently?"

I've wanted to write a book since I was a kid--back when I dreamed about being a librarian (I thought being a librarian would allow me to read all the books in the library all day long).  I'm still not sure what I even want to write about--it will definitely be something I have first-hand experience with.  

I'm not saying I'm gonna stop blogging if I get no likes here, but knowing who is reading will help me define my target audience. It will also help me figure out whether to separate my "Royal Family" stories or to keep them because that's what's enjoyable about my writing.

So, what do ya think?  Will you help a sister out?

Thursday, October 11, 2012

A Blog Post A Day Keeps __________ Away

So, I've been way remiss in my writing the last few months.  It's not that I don't have anything to say and you obviously know that I don't subscribe to the "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" way of thinking.  I just haven't had margin.

Actually, I haven't made margin.

A lot of that is work.  A lot of that is just being tired.  A lot of it is a lack of creativity (going back to the lack of margin and tired-ness).  And the other lot of that is jut plain laziness.

So, I'm changing that.  Starting today, my plan is to write something every day until Thanksgiving.  I'll warn you now, it may all be crap.  But if I know I gotta do it, I'm hoping the creativity will open back up.  I won't do a 40 days of thankfulness kind of thing.  I won't do a picture a day--although, I DO want to do that one--maybe in December.  I'm not sure what kind of randomness will come out.  It could get exciting...or not.

So, if you are a friend who reads this because you love me, stay tuned and feel free to encourage me along the way.  If you read this to make fun of me, you can stay tuned as well--you may have lots to keep you laughing over the next month. 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Duck dynasty makes me happy happy happy

I've posted before about how much I love the show Duck Dynasty. It makes me laugh out loud and that's a good thing.  In one hours worth tonight there were several one liners that I just had to share:
  • Hitting a deer isn't a wreck--that's food on the table. 
  • Better a good days catch of fish than a lifetime of crabs
  • It's on like donkey kong
  • I think there's a weight limit for ninjas
  • When you're 21 and still in high school, yeah, you're pretty good at stuff
  • If you combine the time you waste cutting grass with the time you spend shaving your face...
  • Hey!  You never insult a mans beard
  • Ladies and gentlemen: one more yuppie girl moved a little bit closer to being a redneck...there's still hope for America out there 
Going to bed with a smile on my face :)

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Why I work In Kids Ministry

I’ve been paid to work in Kids Ministry for 6 ½ years --I say “paid” because I’ve been doing kids ministry since I was a kid—I just didn’t always realize it. 


The funny thing is that I’m not what you would expect when you think of a “Kid Person.” I’m not a warm and fuzzy, hug everybody type of girl. I have an interior design degree, not an education one. I prefer jeans and a t-shirt over a dress or jumper--and I seldom have a cute bag or accessory to match what I wear. When my kids get hurt, I don’t cuddle them for very long before pushing them back out there (I wish I did this last one better, though). I’m not the fun mom on the field trip—I make the kids follow the rules (but my girls still want me to go on them, so I do).

In fact, if you look at the way I parent, you would probably not want your kids around me. I make LOTS of mistakes. I yell. I pout. I promise consequences and often don’t give them. My girls eat fast food more than I want to admit here. We watch tv…a lot. I am not patient—especially when bedtime rolls around. I could go on and on, but you get my drift.

I never thought I would work in Kids Ministry—even though I did it in elementary school, middle school, high school and even college. In fact, I chose a summer job at Pine Cove working with the little ones over the cool older kid camps—for 2 years!!! I don’t know why that never dawned on me—looking back, the writing was on the wall (CUE Darth Vader voice here: ”It is your destiny”).

I think part of the reason is because I always thought that meant it was all about kids. You’ve heard the saying “I was a great parent…then I had kids.” That’s me. What I didn’t realize back then is that Kids Ministry isn’t all about the kids. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s just as much about the adults and students who lead the kids as it is the kids themselves. Everything we do at my job, has an ultimate goal that kids would know Jesus better. In my opinion, the best way to do that, is to surround them with adults and students who love Jesus.

If I can pray over a leader, send them a book to help them parent better, thank their spouse for sacrificing each week, make sure I know their kids’ names, go see them or send them a note when they are sick o grieving or celebrating, then I think our kids will benefit from that. I think, when someone is poured into, they will, in turn, pour back out. And if they don’t? Then they were the ones who needed to be poured into—they just didn’t know how to ask.

I truly believe that leading kids is one way God grabs our hearts and points out stuff we wouldn’t get otherwise. I think it reminds us of how simple this Christian life really can be, if we don’t complicate it with a bunch of stuff and rules and shoulds. I’ll spare you the “everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten” talk because I’m thankful I didn’t learn everything then. I’m thankful that God continues to open my eyes to things I have never seen.

And I’m thankful that he uses kids and the people who serve them to do that for me.