Whose your boss??

Well it took me over 6 years to figure it out. To finally have my ah ha moment. It happened at 2:30 am this morning. "AAAAWAAAAAHHHHH" rung from down the hall and startled my dream of eating a huge chocolate cake with a moulten lava center (oh blast it!). I sat straight up in agony. I thought not so pleasant thoughts, and it hit me. I am a slave. I know I am a "domestic engineer" refining our next generation (wow that sounds glamourous huh?), but I have a boss. I have a big boss. And at 2:30 am I have a mean boss.

Yep, Harper bosses me around like no other. One could say that she "owns me". Some whimpers and wails from this little 8 month old, and I am running around in submission appeasing all that "her majesty" is requesting...ahem...demanding. So at 2:30 am I mutter under my breath certain phrases like, "Harper..you are too old for this.." "Harper this is naughty behavior", and "Oh Harper, can you please just give me a night off?" Much like how I feel many of us would respond to an overly demanding boss. We all have had one of those at one time or another haven't we? Well, Harper and my other girls for that matter meet this description of a demanding boss to a tee. Well, I guess except for a few areas. So here is my list:

Things I do and Say to my boss that you couldn't get by with in the "real world"

-I could never tell my boss how I love her chubby thighs

-I could never get by with kissing the cheeks of my boss about 100 times a day

-I would never allow my boss to suckle certain body parts in order for survival

-Telling my boss a few times a day that "she stinks"

-I could never just feed my boss cheerios in order for her to "shut up" for a few minutes

-Making silly faces and jumping up and down will not make your boss break into a belly laugh

-I could never (nor would I EVER) wipe my bosses private parts....

-I would never let my husband give cuddles to my boss

-I may get fired if I try to explain to my boss about wiping from front to back...

-If my boss happened to pass gas, I could never say, "OH DOES SOMEONE HAVE TOOTERS TODAY?"

-If I smelled something "fishy" I could never pull open my bosses pants to check if they "left a surprise"

-And last but not least, I most definitely would not tell my demanding boss how unconditional my love was for them.

Where is time going?

Boy, starting this blog I was determined to do better at my blogging..which I love to do. But then the month of May hit...and it hit with a vengence. We had my birthday, then we had Reese's birthday, then my inlaws were here for a week followed by one of my best friends from Ohio came in the day they left for almost a week, then I had two cake orders to get done, then my Parent's 40th wedding anniversary, end of school activities for Reese, and then a trip to Disney World. Whew...I am exhausted. And I have no idea where the month of May went to. So for the post, I won't get us all caught up on our activities but I'll try to get the jist of everything up until DisneyWorld, which we just got back from.

I'll start off with Reese's birthday party. Boy...do I consume myself with party preparations, cake baking/decorating, and trying to make it perfect. For about two weeks I consumed myself with this. I wanted EVERYTHING to be perfect for my newly crowned 6 year old. She wanted a Scooby Doo party. So I thought...hey instead of the typical "Scooby Doo" cake pan cake, I'll just design my own Mystery Machine Van for a cake. Well...I think I got myself over my ol'head with this cake. It made me realize that I am not the cake artist that I thought I was. Let's just say that the Mystery Machine looked like it had been broke down for quite some time and many of the tires were out of air...oops! But oh well..Reese LOVED it and that is all that matters.

So in preparation for the "kids party" (we were having a family party later that evening), I was hurriedly making cupcakes and treats a few hours before the kids were to arrive. I noticed some ants crawling on the counter. Oh well, I thought, I don't have time to mess with being a bug control. I am a party planner right now! I did get rid of the ants (just a few might I add) I saw on the counter, and moved my work area to a different location. Still trying so hard to make it perfect (and boy do I get so emotionally into this stuff...it's insane really..), I worked up until the last minute. The party was to last 2 hours. I had them do a "mystery scavenger hunt" to find the missing birthday gifts, dress Steve up as a "mummy" and then have him chase them around, and then have a contest with Scooby bone snacks. Oh and I pinata...(but of course I forgot all about that at the party....oops!). I thought for sure all this would keep us busy for 2 hours. Um...not so much. All that kept them busy for maybe...um....45 minutes. And then we had the cupcake incident. Well...me and my pefectionism was definitely crushed when I passed out the cupcakes and I heard one kid say, "YUCK! There is an ant on my cupcake." Horrified I stepped in to see what was going on when another kid piped up, "YUCK there is an ant on mine too!" and then another.....and another.... Yes...I was horrified. Needless to say even after the ants were gone and new cupcakes handed out, no one ate theres. And then there was still about 45 minutes left until the party was supposed to be over...and we had done EVERYTHING. So I had to be creative and come up with more games last minute. I only had a few "I DON"T WANT TO DO THIS. I'M BORED..." SIGH..... So much for my perfectionism. You would think I would learn by now that nothing will ever go as planned.... Reese did have a great time though...and really, truly, no matter how much I stress myself out over these things, this is what truly matters.

Here are the kids with their "spy glasses" on. They were hilarious! I got such a kick out of seeing the kids put these on before their scavenger hunt!

Even Harper had to get in on the action! HA! She even kept them on for awhile!

Her fun sparkler candle! This was before anyone saw the ants. They were happy here...5 minutes later...not so much! HA!

Here are the little ones dressing steve up with toilet paper like a mummy. He was such a good sport. I had him do all the "monster roles". The kids loved him chasing them around!

I am sad to say I didn't get any pics of when my inlaws came. We had a great time with them thought and can't wait for them to come back. And then my roomie from college came. We had a great time...Lisa came as well...and the trinity was back together again. These are my 3 best friends from college..and I'm so lucky to have such great friends. We will always be the best of friends and I am so thankful for the days we got to spend together. I wish Megan lived closer. She is pregnant with her third little boy...hmm..maybe some marriage arranging is in order! HA! We had a week filled with lots of girl talk and shopping! :) And they got to see Reese play soccer and the girls just loved having both of them stay with us for the week! :)

My cute little soccer player on her last soccer game!!!

Well I now have a 1st grader. I can't believe it!! We had her kindergarten celebration at the end of the month. They don't have a graduation so this was kind of their thing to end the school year. It was so cute. Reese was the hostess for us in her class and served us cookies and lemonade and then they sang us songs and she received her certificate. We are so grateful that Reese had such a great teacher with us moving in the middle of the year. She was great for Reese and helped Reese adjust.

My big 1st grader...it was so fun to see her classrom and all the progress she has made this year! I even got to go on a field trip with her and her class to Living History Farms. I didn't take any pictures though. It was fun to be able to spend lots of quality time with her this month.

Then I was consumed with making two more cakes. One for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary and one for my friend Lori's little boy who turned four. They were fun to make!

The Happy Couple with their cake! So thankful my mom was feeling well enough for this dinner!

I am not used to making boy themed cakes..ha!..so this was my first attempt at a Spiderman one. This was a four layer cake with the colors-red, blue, black, and red as the color of the layers.

And then how could I not post pictures of the other loved ones in my life. So here are a few...

To my 6 Year Old...

To My Precious Firstborn on her 6th Birthday,

It is almost 6 years on the dot that you were born as I write this. I wasn't a Mommy until 10:40pm on May 14th when a precious baby girl was placed into my arms. My heart would never be the same again. My heart never knew how much joy could it hold. Holding you in my arms, 6 years ago was one of the best things I have ever experienced in my life. You made me a Mommy. You changed me. You changed me into something I had always dreamed of....a Mommy, a caretaker, a nurturer.

I am so proud of who God is making YOU. And I remember His promise, "That He who began a good work in you, will finish it until completion!" What a great promise as I watch you grow up. You are the sweetest child I think a mother could have. Today as I was making your birthday cake, you came up to me and said something along the lines of, "Mommy, thank you for working so hard to make my birthday so special and making my cake so cool!" Wow...that comment made all the sweat and stress I had over that cake so worth it.

You are always so quick to help me. This year has been a huge year of transition. You transitioned from preschool to kindergarten. Going to school all day was a huge change for you. And for Mommy. Oh, how Mommy misses being with you all day. Then you transitioned into being a big sister again when Harper was born. Wow...have you ever been a God send to Mommy during that transition for Mommy. You were complete and utter JOY and helpfulness to me as I was adjusting to having a new baby in the house. I couldn't have gotten through it without you. God used YOU in my life for this, Reese Elizabeth. Thank you for filling my heart with joy and encouragement during this time for Mommy. Wow...who knew God would use a then 5 year old:) And then you went through the transition of moving...and then going to a new school. This was by far the hardest for you. Adjusting to the new school was hard...and it was so hard for Mommy to watch. But things quickly have changed...and now I see you once again thriving at school. I see the other kids asking to play with you at recess and my heart soars. They are beginning to see the Reese that I know. The Reese with the alluring personality, the contagious laugh, and the compassion for others.

This year you have learned so many new things. One of the biggest things you have learned is to read. I love listening to you read and see you developing a love of reading. It is amazing to me how fast you learn! You are also learning equations. Just think...at the beginning of the school year you didn't even know how to count to 100 by yourself. Now...well...that is a piece of cake. And then, even more important to Mommy, you have learned a lot of Bible verses and finished your first Awana book!! Learning God's Word is the most important thing that you could memorize and apply to your life. I love to see how excited you are about learning your verses and going to Awana. God will use this wisdom you learn in your life Reese. It is a testimony to you Mommy...I need to memorize more!

Happy Birthday my sweet Reesie Piecey. You mean the world to me. I am so proud of you and can't wait to see what this next year brings...and how my joy will even increase with you in my life! :) I love you!!

Love,

Mommy

You Know Your Old When...

• You have three children..
  
• You can't leave the house without visiting the potty...and that is for you..not just the kids..
  
• When you are in your pjs at 7:30 and in bed at 9pm and you consider that your ideal night....
  
• You have GINORMOUS purple bags under your eyes...that never go away. I could travel a long way with these bags....:)


• If you go out to eat, you tell your husband you need to leave and be at the place at 4:30pm because it just gets too crowded after that...


• you just can't believe "what high school girls are wearing these days..." ( boy, I sound like my mom!)


• the one night you stay up past midnight you pay for it the rest of the week...


• And you realize you have no life outside of Facebook. (Yes...I admit...sometimes I get obsessed with reading People.com or Facebook so I can read about other people having a life....ha!)
  
  

Ok..I admit it. It has taken me about 1 1/2 now to actually admit it. Here it goes....I.AM.THIRTY.YEARS.OLD. Wow...that was hard to say. I have been dreading this birthday for a long time. And it came on May 1st...and it has just taken me this long to come to grips with it. I had decided I will forever be in my 20's but then looking at my life and my list above, it appears I could pass for well.....an 80 year old!! Oh well...they say that the thirties is the new twenties. Let's hope that's the case.

I do have to say that my husband gave me the best birthday I have had in a long time though. I woke up, greeted with kisses from my 3 girls (that's enough to make my day!) and my handsome hubby. Then Steve gave me my cards with a schedule of my day. He had planned it all out...every minute and every dollar!! :) First up...a massage and facial that was to last all morning. He gave me a giftcard for those that even included the tip on it so I wouldn't have to worry about a thing. What man thinks of these things?!?!!!! The massage and facial was divine!! 2 hours of total relaxation. That hasn't happened in a long time. Then shopping with my sister in law for the rest of the afternoon. Shopping without kids...well that is enough to put me in heaven!! :) Then at 4pm I was to be back at the house because he had a little surprise party for me! He had it all decorated--balloons, etc. Except..it was all in black! :)

I kept calling turning 30 the day of mourning, and he, of course took it to the next level. Ummm...take a look at this cake he ordered for me:

A Coffin cake! How awesome is that?! And it was Red Velvet which is one of my very favorite flavors! It was so much fun! We had a great time, and Steve went over and beyond for me. I love that man so much. Now I have got to get thinking about his 30th birthday. Now that I am "his Old woman", I have a lot to live up to! :) HA!

In all honesty though, turning 30 has been a hard one for me. 30 sounds so old to me. And I really realized how quickly life is going by (not to be a Debby Downer or anything! HA!). I have heard that people generally feel a lot more "settled" in their 30's. And I am hoping that is the case. I have felt very unsettled these past few years. And I am not totally sure why. I sure love being a Mom to my three beautiful girls and I wouldn't ask for anything else. There is nothing greater then that. But to the outside world and those who have never been a stay at home Mom, they may feel that I haven't accomplished much in life (in material standpoints anyway). I am 30 years old...never have been incredibly established in a career, never have had the time to volunteer extensively, never had time to write my book (ha!), and don't even have the time to take a nap although every day I desperately want to! So what does my resume look like? Well...let's just say to the average hiring manager in this economy....well, I may barely get a second look. That's right...I have a masters in mental health counseling, a 4 year college degree, and a couple of years experience working in that field...but it has been many years. Now my resume would look more like this:

_____________________________________________________________

OBJECTIVE:

To get through the day without losing my patience, getting poop on my hands, actually getting to eat a hot meal, and fitting a shower in somewhere.

EDUCATION:

Honey...I got as much education as I needed on these dates:

May 14, 2004

Feb. 25, 2007 and

Sept. 29, 2009

Passed these books with flying colors:

The Hungry Caterpillar

I Love You Forever

Good Night Moon

Llama Llama Red Pajama

WORK HISTORY:

2004 to present - COOK

I cook everything from hamburger helper to macaroni and cheese..and the occasional pacifier that I forgot I left in the pot. I have dealt with very difficult "customers" which in turn has made me very creative in "hiding ingredients" into your normal every day kinds of food. My philosophy..if you don't eat it, you go hungry. This realization and "rule" I set has helped establish consistency and order in my kitchen.

2004 to present - MAID

To avoid killing myself on Barbie's head on the foot of the stairs, I am constantly picking up toys that are flippantly thrown about the house. This goes from the occasional teddy bear to the maxi pad box that was found in the master bathroom that made it's way to the front door. I am skilled in all kinds of removal services: stinky waste removal, crusted boogie removal, grimy hand print removal, and the bad attitude removal. I do not specialize in dust removal, however. Nor will I have anything to do with an iron.

2004 to present -TAXI DRIVER

If you have a soccer practice, soccer game, or carpool for school, I am the woman to get you there. I have set a record for delivery time-Leaving with passenger for soccer at 5:55 and arriving 10 miles later to the soccer field at 6pm. Beat that Azar (my NYC Taxi driver's name!)!!!

2004 to present - NURSE

Rectal thermometer watch out. If my baby feels a little warm, I rush to my trusty friend, the rectal thermometer and check it out. My nursing ability ranges from kissing a "boo boo" to applying pressure to the chipped tooth that is squirting out an incessant amount of blood. I can accurately describle various forms of poop, including but not limited to myconium, diarrehia, and the "whoops I ate too much food coloring" poop. I do not do throw up.

2004 to present - REFEREE

With three girls, I am quickly able to call out an INTERFERENCE as I see one. Pinpointing face masking is another speciality of mine. Fair is my name and no bull crap is my game. I am quickly called into cat fights on a daily basis which usually includes scratching, name calling, and unsportsmanlike conduct. Many pentalities are given out during a given day.

2002 to present - FINANCIAL ADVISOR

My speciality lies in budget grocery shopping while being distracted with a runaway toddler and a crying, pooping baby. Trying to stretch the dollar with coupons and knock off brands is hard, but it is rewarding. I am still working on the old budget in the area of budget mall shopping though.....

2004 to present - STORY TIME LADY

I don't even need to look at the pages of the book, Llama Llama Red Pajama to tell you that story. I have even discovered the art of reading a "longer" book in 2 minutes by "speed reading"...HA!

2004 to present - HAIR STYLIST

I have three girls...need I say more? I have the pig tail and the french braids down to a science.

2004 to present - FASHION ABUSER

Ok, ok...I know it's not ok to wear sweat pants in public, but they are so comfy!

REFERENCES:

Reese - age 6

Finley - age 3

Harper - age 7 months

Please notify me if you will need to contact them. I'm not sure what they would say. I would need to rehearse their response in advance. Thank you!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

I talk a really good baby talk. I also can scream so loud in the house that the neighbors across the street look out their windows to make sure everything is ok.

_________________________________________________________________

Ok...so soooo what that in "world's standards" I have not been career successful in my thirty years. So what that I haven't used my degree to it's full potential. So what that I don't make any money. I know that I will never...and I mean never regret this time I have with my children. It goes by so fast and it is something I will never get back. I can always go back to my career when they are older, but I can never go back to helping develop and train my children when they are young. My days may seem monotonus to some. My days my seem insignificant to others most days. But to me...they are fleeting. They are glorious. For God has given me the best responsibility I could have ever asked for in my 30 years. Raising children. Have I accomplished a lot in 30 years? That would be three YES'S--Those three sets of blue eyes that peer up at me and tell me how much they love me every day. I am a rich 30 year old woman!

Mother's Day

To my 3 beautiful daughters on Mother's Day:

There is nothing I treasure like being a Mother to you. It has been my lifelong dream to just be a Mom. God fulfilled something greater then I could ever ask or imagine--He gave me three little girls. I wake up with joy just thinking about you. Just the thoughts of you fill my heart with joy that I didn't even think was imaginable. Reese--thinking of your tender heart, nurturing spirit, and that little aggressive soccer player makes my heart melt. Finley--thinking of your witty sense of humor, your curly hair (or cuwley haiwr as you pronounce it), and your cuddles warms my spirit! And Harper--just the thoughts of those chubby cheeks and that sweet smile breaks my heart into a million pieces. I thank the Lord for all of you. You all make it so easy to be a Mother....(well on most days! HA!).

I love you!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reese got me the best Mother's day gift that she made at kindergarten. She paper macheted a bowl and put coupons in it. Then she wrote on the coupons what I could redeem:

A Big Hug Coupon

Getting my Laundry done by Reese Coupon

One Day She will Listen Coupon (hmmm...?!?)

Making me some hearts coupon

Then she wrote me a card. It looked something like this:

To Mommy

My mommy is prite (pretty). My mommy helps me pic (pick) up my room. My mommy helps me when I get a boo boo. Happy Muthr's (Mother's) Day.

Love,

Reese

Can I tell you that is priceless to me!! That is way better then anything money could buy! :) It made me feel very special.

Another thing that made this Mother's Day so special is because I was able to celebrate it with my own Momma! :) I haven't been able to for the past 5 years because we were in VA. And then...well...after she had her heart attack it makes me so grateful for every day that I get to spend with her. AND I am so thankful that I got to spend this Mother's Day with her. She is my inspiration for a mother. I just keep thanking the Lord for being able to spend this Mother's Day with such special special people He has blessed me with!! :)

My Mom, my hero...

Although the title of this may sound a little cliche, this is truly how I feel about my mother. My mom has always been my best friend. She is my encourager, my cheerleader, my rock in hard times, and the best advice giver that a daughter could ask for. This woman as been through a lot. If you already haven't heard, my mom suffered a heart attack this last Sunday. It was very scary. And then if a heart attack isn't enough, they found a clot in her heart and then she was having serious complications with the site that they did the angiogram--with the main artery in our body! It has been an emotional week...a series of up and down emotions. Just like this...I got a phone call from her yesterday morning. To my surprise they were discharging her from the hospital! Then I get to the hospital and another crisis happens. They were worried about a possible clot or pseduo anyersym in her leg. More rushing around getting tests down...more waiting...more worrying. That just was how this whole ordeal has gone. Thankfully, my mom is home now trying to recover from this massive awakening----she is now a heart patient.

Now it just doesn't seem fair. My mom has had almost every thing a woman can go through in her life. She has had a brain anyersym, cancer, oestophorsis, 2 back surgeries, arthritis, and now a heart attack. She eats well, she exercises almost every day, and is so tiny! I feel so much for my mom right now. And through all this, she still is so positive...such an encourager...to me! I should be the one to encourage her. She is one strong individual...the strength I have seen in her is so inspiring to me. I love her so much and am so thankful God saved her in this situation.

A few weeks ago, I entered my mom and I into a mother/daughter look a like contest. Now..we get told we look JUST alike all the time. I am so honored. I hope I can not only look like her...but show the strength she has as a woman of God. Now..I don't think we will win as I looked at some of the other entries...we look a like but not as much as some of the pictures. But I want to honor my mom and post what I wrote into the contest what I love most about her. She is the best. Here it is!

Walking through the mall, stepping into an elevator, or even sprinting through the grocery store with my mom we are always greeted with the same response. The same stares. The same smirks. And then the same comment. I can even recite along with the strangers now. “Wow, you two must be Mother/Daughter.” Every once in awhile the onlookers will sarcastically greet us with a smirk on their face and with a “You two can’t be related, can you?” When my friends see a picture of my mom or meet my mom in person for the first time, they seem almost taken back. “Wow, Sarah! I can’t believe how much you look like your mom.”

I never knew what to think about this until it came to a head in the winter of 2000. That is when my future husband met his future mother in law for the first time. As the day was coming to an end, my new boyfriend and I were discussing his first impressions of my family. Thinking he would go on and on about how hospitable my mother was, he proceeded to say, “Wow..you are marriage material! You will be hot when you’re older!” I just shook my head and walked away knowing boys will always be boys.

But I now think about those comments and I am honored. I am honored to look like the person who has been my role model for 30 years. I hope I can only grow into half of a mother, wife, and human being that she has been. My mother has been my best friend since the time I was little. I can tell her anything. I can always look to her for the best advice. I can still call her when I’m sick. And she will still show me pity. As I have become a mother, I savor her wisdom and her advice. The best advice she has given me, I remember as a child her doing it with me. Her advice, “There will always be floors to mop and dishes to be done. But their always won’t be a 3 year old wanting to play princess with you. Savor playtime with your children.” I remember my Mom playing with me and stretching my imagination. She cultivated creativity within me. She allowed me to think outside the box. She knew that her time spent with me would do more for me in years to come then any new fangled toy for me or tip top clean house for her. I will always treasure those times with my mom.

My mother has showed me what being a mother is all about. She has been so selfless in giving of herself for her children and her husband. She always has time for me. She always has a listening ear. She always has the best advice. I am honored to look like my mom. It brings me hope that maybe..just maybe I can be a little more like her to my children someday.

A Day with Grandma

Yesterday, I took these two little ragmuffins up for a visit with their Grandma...

We got to swing on the swings with our Grandma...

We really concentrated on our pumping the swings with our Grandma...

No "butts" about it...we were having a great time with our Grandma...

We even got to play in her backyard for a bit..

And we got to feel grass for one of the very first times at Grandma's...

We can't wait for more days with Grandma!

When we got home...I made these for my nephew's Mario birthday party...Reese informed me they don't look anything like they are supposed to, but as long as they taste good...it's ok with me!