My hubby's away. :o(

Wow...where has the time gone???  I've been gone for a while so there's a lot I need to share. Don't worry, I'm not going to go on about EVERYTHING that has happened in the last year. However, I will share  my most recent  life event.

First of all, let me just say that I have missed my little blog. It is a nice release for me and something I can call my own. A place where I can ramble on and get all of the noise out of my head. So...hopefully I can keep it up this time.

As the title of this post suggests, my hubby has been gone the whole month of February. He comes back on the 26th. He has been going to school in Ohio, that his work put him through which is so exciting... and he is excelling!!  I am so proud of him. He has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. Great opportunities are coming his way! I can't help but be a little selfish though. :o)

This is the longest we have been apart, and we have been together for 7 years in July (Married for 6 in may) . I have had a taste of what being a single mom is like for the past 3 weeks and let me just tell you... KUDOS to all you single moms out there! I am a stay at home mom so I can't imagine what it's like to throw a full time job (outside the home that is ) on top of everything else.  You are strong brave women...and it takes a lot to do what you do!

 I miss Mike terribly. It's hard not to wake up next to him in the morning. I have actually started staying up really late because I can't bare the thought of crawling into an empty bed and then trying to ignore every little noise I hear and just go to sleep. I sleep in one of his shirts every night. My son and I have little count downs all over the house to remind us of how many days we have left until he is home for good! I miss his laugh. I miss his jokes. I miss the way he looks at me from across the room like I am the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. I miss hearing him and the kids giggle together.  I even miss making his lunch for work and doing his laundry. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!! I certainly can't. LOL!  He is my other half...and without him here I just don't  feel whole.

The kids are doing really great. My son, Nathan, has a hard time when it's time to go to bed though. That's usually when he misses daddy the most, but he is a strong little boy and is doing really well otherwise.  Madeline, thankfully, is too young to really know what is going on. In fact.... every time I talk to or about Daddy, she now insists on calling him "MIKE" I'm sure it's because she hears me on the phone with him, but now it has turned into a nasty habit I have to break my 2 year old of. 

Thankfully, Mike was able to come home for the weekend.  It was great having him home for a little bit... but so sad to watch him leave this morning. Luckily, we do get to see Mike every day. We are using our Kinect and XBOX 360 to video chat every night at 7:30.  That way we all get to see each other instead of just being a voice on the telephone.  That's how the 4 of us have made it through these past three weeks.

 I keep telling myself that we have made it through 3 weeks...what's one more, right? If only it were that easy. I am just going to try the keep all of us busy so Sunday will be here before we know it!

My 5 year old son, Nathan is the sweetest little guy ever. He saw me crying when Mike left.... I try really hard not the let the kids see me cry. If they do catch me, I just let them know that I'm a little sad but it's OK and I'll be fine. Nathan kept telling me not to cry. I told him that it is OK to cry if you are sad and sometimes getting it out makes you feel a little better. So, what did this amazing little creature do???  He got his construction paper, pencil, and scissors and began to make a surprise for his tearful mommy.

He came up to me and presented me with a paper cut out of "daddy" He said, "here mommy, I made daddy for you. So now you won't miss him so much!" Well, I squeezed that little boy so hard and I couldn't hold back the tears. I smothered him with kisses and thanked him so much. We have been at odds with each other while his daddy has been away. He's been acting out, and he doesn't really understand why daddy has to be gone for so long. So, we have had our share of ups and downs and it was really making me wonder if I was even doing a good job as a mother. I know there were times that I felt like he didn't like me,  and he felt like I didn't like him I'm sure. However, with that simple, unbelievably sweet gesture all of that washed away. Mike and I have raised such a sensitive, thoughtful, loving boy. I couldn't be happier, or more proud! I told him that I am going to take that everywhere with me so daddy is always with us until he comes home and can physically be with all of us.

Even though this month has been tough, I think it has been good for our relationship. You never want to admit that you take your partner for granted...however, this is a realization that we both had to come to. The absence has made us really think about what we have and appreciate it. I am learning to let go of the little things (which if you know me...you know this is really hard for me to do) and just live and love in the moment. I appreciate my husband more and I know he appreciates me more.

One week from Sunday he will be home for good! I love him so much and I just want him to know how proud of him I am. He is such a great husband and father. The kids and I are so lucky to have him in our life!

When I'm not in such a fog I will post another entry with a little less sadness.  :o)

Time to catch up!

Let me start by saying that I am so sorry it has taken me forever to get a new blog up! I already have some pretty loyal readers that have been asking why I haven't posted in awhile. :o) So, this post will get you all up to speed on what's been going on since I last posted.

Well, on November 19th ( about 4 days after I posted last), my nephew, Everett  James was born at 10:30am! 8 lbs 7 oz. 20.5 inches. 10 fingers, 10 toes, and absolutely PERFECT! For those of you that have been reading my blog (or even those who haven't) I posted an entry titled : Angel babies in heaven...and here on earth.  This was talking about my nephew, Aaron (who turned 2 on Dec 2nd) that became an angel 8 hours after he was born, and the anticipation of the arrival of Everett James. You can refer to that to get up to speed on Aaron's condition.  November 19th was a very emotional day not only because a new little boy was born into the family, but because he made it into this world so safely, breathing fine, perfectly healthy all with the help of his Guardian angel big brother, Aaron!

I will only speak for myself when I say this (but perhaps others have felt this way too) , but when I was pregnant with my son (who is now 4) I took for granted that he would be healthy when he was born. Why shouldn't I automatically assume that there would be no complications? Every doctor visit went great, ultrasounds all checked out. Thankfully, everything was fine when he was born. However, what I came to realize though is that in life you can never just assume ANYTHING.  My sister's first child was fine...perfectly healthy and we just assumed that the second pregnancy would go the same way.  Then, Aaron brought around a new way of thinking. To expect the unexpected. I'm not saying that everyone who is pregnant should be a frightened mess in worry while they await their new arrival. It should be a happy time no doubt. All I'm saying is... when this happened to our family, it really made us all appreciate life. I think in life we all go through the motions at times and just expect the things that are supposed to happen (like pregnancy, childbirth, etc) to just all go so smoothly and it usually does. Then, there are a special set of circumstances that really make you step back and reevaluate life. Well, that's just me anyway.


So, needless to say the day Everett was born we were also thinking of Aaron. We were all so overjoyed and relieved to know that our new little miracle was perfectly healthy, and that the only place he would be going would be home with his parents and big sister. Even though it was a joyous time, it was also a very hard and confusing time as well. When I got the call from my mom that Everett arrived safely, I felt relief as I mentioned but also a sense of loss all over again. I thought of Aaron and it felt like the breath had been taken out of my lungs. Almost like I found out he passed away all over again. In the midst of my hard silent cry, I felt a warmth surround me. It was comforting and calm. I calmed down  and got myself together. Then, I thanked Aaron. I thanked god. I thanked anyone "upstairs" that helped aid in Everett arriving safely. All throughout the day I was mixed with excitement, joy, and then sadness and loss. Every time I would get that little twinge of heartache I would feel that presence again. Reassuring me that Aaron was ok and that EVERYTHING was ok. I would like to think that it was Aaron with me... or perhaps someone else. Whether it sounds crazy or not, it comforts me to know that a higher power was with me that day, not letting me be consumed with the loss of Aaron but helped me to remember him and yet be so so happy and elated about my new nephew being born!

When I saw Everett for the first time it was so wonderful. I thought I would be a complete and utter mess, but surprisingly I kept it together. I was just overtaken by his beautiful little face, his wrinkly hands and feet. Just completely in awe of this little miracle God blessed this family with. I haven't seen him as much as I would like to since he's been born. Unfortunately, life and child illness(the flu) and such as gotten in the way. However, I talk to my sister nearly everyday and happy to report that he is still doing well. Getting very big, nursing well, SLEEPING well! LOL! His big sister Ava has had a time trying to get adjusted to him but all in all she is a good big sister that loves her brother very very much!  I now present (about 6 weeks late...) Everett James!

 

Since his birth here is what has happened. About a week before Christmas (  I think it was around Dec 16th or so) My poor babies came down with the terrible intestinal flu that has gone around. Nathan was the first one to catch it on a Thursday. He started with the poops... then the vomit. Oh boy!  Friday night around 11:30 pm  my little girl was up next. She had a puking marathon every half hour to hour from 11:30 pm to 2 am.  She seemed to bounce back pretty quickly, however, Nathan is a different story. It just wanted to hang on to him for some reason. He was sick for about a week luckily we was feeling much better by Christmas. I even called the doctor a few times and asked that now that the puking had stopped and he just had diarrhea every now and then (about once every other day) would he be ok to see the rest of our family on Christmas Eve and Day? I was informed that as long as he has no fever, he is holding food down, and for the most part is acting like himself again that it would be ok. Even with the pooping he was having here or there. Just be sure to wash our hands well and not share food etc. etc.  So, we saw our family Christmas eve and day and had such a wonderful time! That Monday I found out that almost everyone we had come in contact with on those days is now sick!!! That is crazy...I feel so bad and I didn't think Nathan would still be that contagious. I went by what the doctor said and thought everyone would be ok. So, now our plans for New Years are shot because all of our babysitters (family members) are sick and I just want to air on the side of caution and not have anyone else around them too much at least for the rest of this week just to be sure they are ok and not going to get anyone else sick. 

This Christmas we pretty special though (despite the illness everyone contracted later on) because it was my daughter, Madeline's FIRST Christmas! Also, this was the first year that Nathan really figured the whole Santa thing out and was anticipating his arrival greatly! We got a new tree this year, Nathan helped pick out the decorations, we baked cookies for Santa. He had me write him a letter (in his own words) and set everything up for him the night before (including reindeer food) This was also the first time both of the kids visited Santa. Nathan would always scream at the sight of him in the mall in years past... but maybe because he was a big brother now, things were different. He was very excited and so willing to show Maddie that Santa was a nice guy and just like a grandpa! However,  Madeline had a different opinion of Santa. While we were waiting to get their picture taken, Nathan was chatting it up with Santa while Maddie was giving him the "evil eye" safely in Daddy's arms. Then, it was time to sit on the Fat Man's lap. Oh boy, that did not go well. Nathan did great! Maddie...well, see for yourself: 

 

This is the greatest picture ever! We have it in such a cute frame too. Then, you get close and see the horror! It always makes me smile!  Despite Madeline not being to fond of Santa, he treated her well on Christmas. :o) Maddie had such a good time on her first Christmas. She did get a bit overwhelmed though because of everything going on but it was still a great time for everyone.  Nathan enjoyed himself too of course! Here are some pictures of our Holiday:

Nathan at Grandma Paula's house on Christmas Eve

Madeline getting great to open presents at Grandma's house on Xmas Eve!

Our happy little family on Xmas Eve!

Me and my love

The letter Nathan had me write to santa

The milk, cookies, and reindeer food Nathan set out for Santa

What Santa left behind

On Christmas morning before the kids woke up

My babies posing with their pillow pets

Patiently waiting to tear into those gifts!

excitement!

Besides ringing in the New Year on Friday, we are anxiously waiting my daughters 1st birthday on Jan 5th! Then, on Jan 15th my husband turns 30! We have a busy busy couple weeks ahead but they are going to be amazing. Now that hopefully the illness is out of the way we can just have a great time! :o) I will post on these events I'm sure, and I will start keeping more regular posts too!

How did everyone's Christmas go? I would love to hear from you. Or, just anything in general that has been going on since I've been on away. What are everyone's plans for the New Year? Resolutions??  I hope everyone has a fun and very SAFE New Year!!!

When all else fails.... sleep on the floor!

I'm sure being parents we've all had one of those nights. You know, the one where you think you are going to get a good nights sleep and just before your head hits the pillow, your precious little bundle starts crying. You do anything you can to stop it, but it's just no use. You better get comfy because it's gonna be a LONG night!

My husband and I recently had one of those nights with our 10 month old daughter, Madeline. It started out nice enough. We got the kids to bed at the usual time and popped in a movie. Well,  I'm so pooped by the end of the day that when it comes to putting the kids to bed, I'm about ready to go as well. So that means whenever Mike and I try to watch a movie together it turns into Mike watching the movie, and I'm sawing logs on the couch, by the next morning I ask him if he can fill me in on the movie.  Inevitably, that's what happened. At one point, I woke up and I couldn't find Mike. I called for him and he was in the kitchen with Madeline making her a bottle. This was at about 1 am.  So, he starts giving her the bottle and trying to get her to get sleepy again.  I'm sitting up with them. Being the wonderful man that he is he looks at me and says, "Why don't you go up to bed and get some sleep since both kids will be waking you up around 7 am" He worked on Saturday...so when he does I won't sleep in on Sunday (which tends to be the day I get to) because that just doesn't seem fair. 

So I  go upstairs and try to get some sleep. Then, at about 1:45 am I hear Maddie cry again and my husband getting frustrated. (meanwhile, my son is completely passed out unaware of anything going on...THANK GOD!) I called to him and told him to bring her in the bed with us. We haven't had to do that in quite a long time. He brings her to me and then gets himself ready for bed. All the while, Maddie starts smiling and giggling...mixed with a time or two of faking me out where I'm thinking this is going to be it and she will fall asleep, YEAH RIGHT! At some point, I manage to snuggle her to sleep and about an hour or so in she pops right back up!  So, at that point Mike takes over again. Same thing happened. Maddie popped up smiling so I took her back for another try. When she decided to poke me in the eye and slap me in the face is when I decided enough is enough.  I took her into her and her brothers room. (Nathan still completely crashed) and I lay her down in her crib, tucked her in and held my breath. I was confident that this time it was going to take. However, as soon as I get close to the door...she starts to cry. This lead me to believe that maybe my poor little dumpling experienced her first bad dream. She did not want me out of her sight.

After coming to this realization I quickly run to my room, grabbed a couple of pillows and blankets, and proceeded to camp out on the floor of their room closest to Madeline's crib. I got as comfy as I could and I saw Maddie's little head pop up. She then sleepily pressed her face against the bars of her crib. I could see her head getting closer and closer to her mattress. I guess just my presence was enough to make her feel safe and willing to give into the exhaustion. 

Even while I am beyond tired... just the notion that my baby had to make sure I was with her in order to  go to sleep made me feel so good. Moms (or parents for that matter) don't usually get showered with praise, and I don't need it. It's these little times that make it all worth while. What my little baby did was praise enough in my eyes. It was so cute watching her little head shoot straight up while she was fighting sleep, wanting to make sure one last time that mommy was going to chase the bad dreams away. It must have worked, because I woke up two hours later (at about 6:30 am) and Madeline was crashed. I mean, mouth hanging open, heavy breathing, eyelids twitching kind of crashed. So, I quietly snuck out of the room and lay in my own bed for an hour before both of my angels woke me up ready to start their day.

You would think that after an exhausting night of broken sleep that getting up at 7:30 am would make me a very crabby mommy. When really, I surprised myself. I was in a pretty decent mood. I felt for the most part...well rested and ready to start the day. It's amazing what you can do when you go in "mommy mode". I also have to give credit where credit is due. My husband is such an awesome dad. Whenever we hear one of our children in the monitor crying or calling out, he is usually the one that goes in their room first to investigate.Even if it is in the middle of the night and he didn't get to bed until midnight or so. I am so lucky to have a partner like him.

  If we have a situation like the one I have described...he always takes the first shift and only if he has exhausted all his options and nothing he does is working, will he then  ask me if I can take over. I never asked him to do any of this. We haven't been in fights lately about who does more at night (at least night not that I can remember)... he just does it all on his own.

We truly are a team. Especially after having the second baby...we seem to be in sync more than ever. It's never spoken. We just do it. Our marriage has become very much like a dance. In fact, I really like this quote I found on the subject of marriage.  "Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner." - Amy Bloom

I know I did get off topic a bit but I just felt it needed to be said. I'm sure a lot of you mamas can relate to the late night wake up calls...followed by the impromptu camp outs.  So next time, if I find myself in this same situation, I'll just remember.... When all else fails, sleep on the floor!  :o)

What ever happened to the terrible two's?

When I first became a mommy 4 years ago, everyone warned me about the terrible two's. They said you will start seeing bits of it the closer he gets to two, and then once he hits two you will wonder where your nice little boy went!  :o) Well, I sort of had a cruel joke played on me.

As Nathan was coming up on two I was waiting for a glimmer of the "red eyes" to flash. Nothing. He turned two and I admit...it was a little bit trying, but all in all his two was a breeze. I'm thinking to myself, "Ok, cool, maybe my son won't experience the terrible two's and he can just be my sweet little boy and bypass that nasty stage altogether. Boy, am I a lucky mommy!" However, I was not prepared for what was in store for me next.

You want to know what happened? I'll tell ya..... HE TURNED 3!  Nathan went from my nice sweet little boy, to this incredible hulk like creature virtually overnight! The arguing started. He threw tantrums that he couldn't be talked out of. Screaming and arguing in public places started happening more frequently.  He started to throw things when he got angry, and listening to me was the last thing on his agenda!

The only thing worse than three is 4! The closer he got to 4, the more mouthy he became. Boy, let me tell you, back talking is in full force right now! He also has started asking someone else when he doesn't get the answer he likes. If we are at my mother-in-laws house (or anyone elses house for that matter), he'll ask me or Mike for something. We say no. He then goes to grandma, an uncle, or an aunt and proceeds to ask them for what he wants. They are none the wiser to what we had just told him, so they give him what he asked for since he asked THEM so sweetly. We have since informed them of this and they come ask us first... or say, "what did mommy and daddy say?" But the little stinker was getting away with it for quite some time.

The other day he asked me for a sucker. I told him that he could not have one because we just had cinnamon rolls for breakfast. How about he waits until after lunch? (if he eats a good one mind you!) He then looked at me and said, "No, but I want one now." Again, I calmly told him that if he is good, eats a good lunch, and doesn't bother me about the dang sucker again that he can get it after lunch. Nathan looked at me grabbed the sucker, and in the calmest voice possible says, "I think I'm going to have one!" I could feel the blood boil within me. Still keeping my composure, but raising my voice to a stern tone this time I said, "Absolutely not!" You want to know what he said to me after that? "Ok, well can I go ask daddy?"  Did he really just say that to me? I couldn't believe that he actually did. Looking back on it now though, at least he asked. LOL!

"No" is a popular word in his 4 year old vocabulary now. Talking back and mouthing off are his favorite pastimes at the moment. I always say that I bet 4 is just a tiny glimpse into what teenage years might be like. Anyone I've told this to says ,"oh no...this is NOTHING compared to what he'll be as a teenager. You'll only beg for him to be 4 again!" First of all, that scares the crap out of me to be quite honest. Second, I know teenage years are going to be hard to say the VERY least. But, I'm still thinking that the terrible three's and the furious fours are at least a touch of what's in store for me and my husband when our kids reach puberty.

Don't get me wrong, Nathan is still a great little boy. Very loving, and affectionate. He's helpful and polite. I love him and my daughter, Madeline more than life itself.  I just don't like this little "creature" he turns into when he doesn't get his way, or when he gets angry. It's like I can hear the quote of the incredible hulk in my head saying , "You won't like me when I'm angry."  Hopefully, my daughter will give me some time before she starts "changing colors". She is only 10 months now. Maybe, I have some time to enjoy her sweet little face and the fact that she still loves me and doesn't look at me like I'm the dirt beneath her feet yet.  LOL! It'll come though. When it does, I still don't think I'll quite be prepared.

I swear, some days when Nathan busts out with the "furious 4's" the only thing that saves him is the fact that he is so darn cute! I always tell him (so does my husband) when he gets in a mood... "You're lucky your so cute!" :o) And boy...he sure is! ♥

Have any mamas out there experienced the terrible two's? Or perhaps...thinking they may have bypassed them only then to experience the terrible three's and furious fours?

My kitchen is my therapist

My husband and I got into a fight last night. It was a pretty good sized one, but that isn't very common for us. An argument of that caliber usually happens once or twice a year I'd say. We have since made up, but I still felt angry and on edge. I needed something to help me wind down, relax, and let go. Today I decided to call upon my kitchen to help calm myself and find my center again.

When I get upset, whether I'm sad, frustrated, angry, hurt...I find myself gravitating towards my kitchen for comfort. Not to eat, but to cook!  It's kinda like when I enter this peaceful room...everything negative I was holding onto just melts away. My kitchen in a way, is like my therapist. It doesn't give me the answers on how to solve my problems. Instead, it gives me the tools I need to figure things out.  The bigger the emotion I'm trying to work through, the bigger the meal tends to be. Today...it's pot roast! (I haven't quite figured out what's for desert though) Yeah, our fight was a doosey. LOL!

 Cooking/ baking is a release for me. Maybe it's all the chopping (out aggression). Or perhaps the measuring. You have to have a clear head and steady hand. I don't have too much time to dwell on negativity because I need to complete the task at hand.  If I did dwell, I could lose count of measurements, or worse... chop off a finger!  It forces me to let go. :o)

Perhaps, it's the satisfaction I get from putting all of this effort into such a feast. The beauty of  the ingredients sitting together in their respective pots. The colors and aromas are a wonderful thing to behold. Maybe it's the calming sounds of the simmering liquids and the whistling steam. It's the look of the finish product. The taste of my efforts that don't go unnoticed. The feel of the delicious food in my mouth sends a pleasing signal to my brain. The look of satisfaction on my family's face when what I've made hits the spot. It's a treat for all of the senses.

Even if what I'm making doesn't seem to turn out quite the way I wanted it to, I am able to clearly and without harsh judgment reflect on what could make this even better the next time around.  The kitchen doesn't argue with me. It doesn't give me it's thoughts. It is just simply there, listening quietly to what I have to tell it. It's there with everything I need to cook my way through my thoughts and feelings. It's there when I have successes and failures. It lets me know when I need to calm down and take a step back. Take my time. Otherwise, there will only be charred remains of the once promising meal.  Don't get me wrong, I cook when I'm happy too. I get the same sense of calm when I do. However, when I'm mad or on edge it's just such a nice release. It keeps my hands, and my mind busy. It gives me the time I need to just be able to let go!

When I come out of the kitchen, I feel like a new woman. All of the stress and negativity is washed away. My face becomes soft. My mood becomes light. Happy with being able to let go and move on.  :o) Maybe my romanticized view of my kitchen is strange to some... or some can relate. I just know it helps me find my center. It's my "happy place" :o)


What are some things that help you wind down or let go?

Oh... the wonderful world of genital nicknames!....

From early on we taught our 4 year old son that when it comes to private parts we call them by their anatomical name. Since we've been doing that, Nathan will usually correct me if I slip and use a nickname for a private part.  Anyway, on Tuesday Nathan and I had a very strange but funny conversation.

It all started when I out of nowhere, I got a sharp pain in between my legs while we were sitting down to lunch. I yelled out in pain. Nathan looked at me very concerned and said,"What's wrong Mommy? Are you ok?" I turned to him and said, "I"m fine honey. Mommy just had a pain in her.... uh....cooter." He looked at me and laughed, "No Mommy don't call it that."  I say, "fine....my vagina."  He laughed and said, "oh mommy...that's a silly word." I told him that it's actually the right word for it. (which he knows). He then told me, "yeah, but you laugh when I say it." I smiled and said, "well, that's just because it sounds so cute when you do."

I then looked at him and asked him if he remembers the name of his boy part? (almost just making sure he still wants to use the "right" word for it) I said.."Do you have a peanut?" "NO mommy." He said laughing, "I have a penis!"  I then asked him if he new what else he had. He looks at me confused and said no. So, I decided that he should know fully what he has down there. I told him that he has a penis and testicles.  Well, I thought for sure he was going to shoot juice out of his nose. He was laughing and said "No mommy! Don't say that!" So joking (and taking it too far like I tend to do) I said, "fine, how about balls?' He shakes his head. "No!"  I say, "Okay, Okay...you have a coin purse." Nathan looks at me, smiles and says, "Okay."  Almost like...sure, I can deal with that.

We both started laughing so hard. He wanted to call his daddy on his lunch break. We did. My husband answered and Nathan proudly exclaimed, "Hi Daddy, I have a penis and a coin purse!" At first, my husband couldn't hear what Nathan said. So Nathan said it again. When Mike finally figured it out, I heard him shout to his coworkers, "Guess what my son just said!"  :o)

  I still think about that conversation and just start laughing. He said it with such innocence which makes it even funnier. I realized that he is now getting to the age that he thinks the correct anatomical terms sound funny, weird, or gross to him.  Apparently, he is okay with the word penis. Vagina is pushing it (which I can't blame him on that one) and forget about ever uttering the word testicles! The term "coin purse' is much more suitable in his eyes! LOL! Growing up I was always weirded out by those terms too. Why couldn't they make the word for the female anatomy a little less gross or ugly sounding? Why couldn't it be  prettier sounding like a word derivative of a flower or something. Life would be a lot more interesting if we could walk around saying, "Cooter, Vajayjay, Pee pee, peanut, balls, coin purse and be taken completely seriously. I'm just saying.  :o) Now, this doesn't mean that when he's taking a shower or bath that I will tell him, "Make sure to wash your coin purse." But, maybe we can stick to the word "privates" until he gets a little more comfortable with certain anatomical terms.

That leads me to my question for you all. What do you prefer to tell your little ones? Do you teach them the anatomical terms? Or, do you teach them the nicknames for private parts and just deal with the correct terminology when they get older? Or, a little bit of both?

I figured with this post, I'd lighten the mood and do something lighthearted and funny since it is Friday! I hope everyone has a great Friday, and a fantastic weekend!!  ♥

My tattoos tell MY story

I read a post on a site called Cafemom that was titled: "Women with tattoos are bad moms". I clicked on the post and proceeded to read it. This woman has tattoos and at the time she was pregnant. An older lady had the nerve to come up to her in a grocery store and say that women covered in that "garbage" are bad mothers. I tell ya, some people really have the balls to say such a hateful thing like that.  I personally take major offense to this because I have a ton of tattoos! I plan on getting more.  Does this make me a bad mother? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

If some people actually cared to ask, they would know that a lot of people's tattoos tell a story.  Even if some of the tattoos don't mean anything in particular... they are still an expression of that person. The collection of tattoos on their body (or perhaps just one if that's the case) tells THEIR story. Each tattoo was chosen and placed on their body as a certain representation of their personality. There are fun, cute, humorous, and dark tattoos. (and many more) Each tattoo I chose to put on my body is a little slice of me. It expresses the many sides there are, and it isn't so cut and dry either. I don't mean look at each tattoo for what they are and say..."oh she has a skull, so she must like skulls or be a Satan worshiper." LOL! Some tattoos we have can express a slice of us by the manner in which they were chosen. Perhaps, someone may have chosen a certain tattoo on a whim one day. This could say that they are spontaneous and carefree! :o) This is just an example. I'm not saying this is true for everyone.  All I'm saying is, don't judge a book by it's cover....especially if you only look at the ink.

It's funny because it's like the left side of my body has tattoos that are family related. The right side has tattoos that I just like!  I have my son's name on my arm (soon to get my daughter's) I have a fairy with stars around her that represent my kids, me, and my husband. I have some tattoos on my back, the back of my neck, leg, finger, both arms, foot, wrist.... WOW! Lock me up! Call DCFS! I'm a horrible human being!!!  :o)

Whenever I see a woman with tattoos and she is also a mother...the last thing on my mind is that she must be a horrible mother. I'm fascinated by them. In fact, I may seem rude because I stare. I love the way they look. I love the different types there are. Black and gray. Color.What they mean. I felt this way about tattoos even before I had any. What's wrong with self expression?

A tattoo to me, is no different than changing your hair color, putting on make up, or changing your nail polish.  That's like me going up to a complete stranger and say," Excuse me, but women who wear that shade of lipstick are hookers."  I have had some looks from people (and I'm sure I still get them). I noticed it when I was pregnant too. I just let them look! My husband has done most of my tattoos, so they can admire his work all they want. :o) 

Who are you to judge someone based on how they look?   It's nice to know that in the year 2010 we are still judging and discriminating. Sure glad we have come such a long long way. I know it's hard, but we need to try not to let other people's ignorance offend us. (even though I stated above that I do take offense to this statement...what can I say, I'm a work in progress!) . Before I close this "rant" I wanted to share a poem that I wrote expressing the TRUE definition of what a mother is to me...Tattoos and all! ♥

My definition of a Mother

She banishes the monsters under the bed,

And softly places a goodnight kiss upon my head.

She holds my hand when I cross the street,

And helps me tie the shoes on my feet.

She lends an ear when the going gets tough.

She lets me know that I AM good enough!

She encourages me and showers me with praise.

She still manages to smile even on her bad days.

With her, I always know I'm protected and loved.

This "she" is my Mother I so fondly speak of.