SevEn cLoWn CirCuS

Wordful Wednesday-Better Late Than Never

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:55:00 +0000

*Wordful Wednesday is for those of us that like to showcase a photo(s) but that just can't seem keep our mouths shut about it(them). If you'd like to play along, post a photo on your blog, and let the words roll. Feel free to "capture" my 7 Clown Circus button (below and on the left) or simply hyperlink to my site, and be sure to add yourself to Mr. Linky. Thanks for playing along!

Grab My Button

I'm always a bit behind. I just can't seem to get my pictures uploaded to my computer and into a post in a timely manner like you all manage to do. Perhaps the saying, "better late than never" should be my trademark? Or my brand, as Alli Worthington would say?

Instead of apologizing, I offer you this: at least I'm not showing you Halloween pictures during Thanksgiving.

See? Now I don't feel so delinquent.

May I present THE Incredible Hulk, My Clown with a Squeeky nose, A Plundering Pirate with good manners (he said, "Thanks! Matey" to all who gave him candy while Trick or Treating), an Excellent Nurse and a Superhero?

Now, let's see what you have to show me. I'll be seeing you!

Hip Hop Bling

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:18:00 +0000

I have my social calendar handy.

You know, in case you've neglected to invite me to your holiday shin-dig.

I have the perfect earrings, and I plan on wearing them A LOT this holiday season.

BUT, I kind of need some invitations.

Don't worry. The invitations need not be formal. I'm easy that way.

Just don't tell everyone that I'll be wearing the same pair of earrings to your party as I'm wearing to theirs.

It's not that I don't have other options...........I do.

It's just that I really, really like these, AND they are super light (and when I say super light, I mean SUPER light) so I can actually wear them, unlike most other earrings that are too heavy for my pathetically torn ear piercings.

Plus, I have them in both BRASS and SILVER so I can change up my outfits with just the accessory finish.

They look really, really great with these velvet slacks that I snagged last year from Banana Republic (on sale) for the fancy schmancy parties......

Or these jeans (I love me some Rock & Republics) for the more casual parties.

If you'd like a pair, they are available for purchase starting on Novmeber 9th at Twisted Silver (don't forget to use the coupon code found in my right hand sidebar when making your purchase)

OR,

You can enter to win a pair (you chose whether you'd like Brass or Silver).

All you have to do is (separate comments, please):

1. Tell me what outfit you'll pair these earrings with this holiday season.

2. For an extra entry, go visit the Twisted Silver blog and tell them I sent you. (3.) I suppose that while you are there if you decide to subscribe to their blog you deserve an additinal entry, don't you?

4. And lastly, for a fourth entry, Tweet "Twisted Silver's Salvage line ROCKS @Twistedrocks! Giveaway http://angiescircus.blogspot.com/2009/11/hip-hop-bling.html"

Only open to US residents. Contest ends November 15th at 11:59 pm PST.

As a Twisted Insider, Twisted Silver sent me a sample of the Hip Hop Bling Earrings for Review.

Fishful Thinking........

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Have you had the chance to see what's new on the Fishful Thinking site?

Go ahead.

Click the fish.

I double dog dare you.

Escape From Adventure Island

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:22:00 +0000

JumpStart is about to release their SECOND Wii game! Escape from Adventure Island hits the store shelves on November 17th, right in time for the holidays.

Escape From Adventure Island is geared towards 5-9 year olds (ESRB has rated it "E" for everyone), so it's more advanced than the last JumpStart Wii game, Pet Rescue. Which means.........my older children have to use their noggins a bit more with this game, even if they don't realize it. It also means there are more advanced jumps and maneuvers available to them than in the other game.

Creating one's own avatar is of UTMOST importance in this household so it's a VERY GOOD thing Escape From Adventure Island players can create their best PRINCE or PRINCESS. My kids very quickly found out that they need to actually play the game and earn sand dollars in order to access ALL of the available accessories. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure that a few of my kids would spend all of their time changing their princess' rather than actually playing. Very smart, Jump Start!

Same rules apply for their house within Adventure Island.....it's customizable, and earned sand dollars are redeemable for different elements of their house.

These sand dollars are important for more than just customizing elements within the game though. Players need to collect sand dollars which then roll over into helium tanks which then inflate their blimp and allow them to Escape from Adventure Island.

We haven't escaped yet. We have changed our clothes a lot though.

There are two learning modes within the game: English skills and Mathematics skills. The player tilts the Wii remote to steer around within each area, and instructions are given at the beginning of each section so the player knows how to find the correct answer to the questions.

The first time my kids played, I heard comments like:
"MOM! When I went down the slide I got to swim underwater!"
"Look at this cool jump!"

I particularly like that the game comes with a very short Instruction Manual. See? It's mom friendly! Bonus.

My children are inexplicably drawn to the non-educational games within Escape From Adventure Island, which is sort of a bummer for me. I'm not surprised, though really. What's that saying? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?

My kids like Escape From Adventure Island and would recommend it to their friends. Here's what Emma has to say, "It's fun to discover things, it's fun to decorate your house, and to play all the games, especially the fashion shows".

JumpStart is hosting a fabulous contest now through the 16th of November. You don't want to miss this one! For more details, be sure to go to the JumpStart blog.

JumpStart provided me with a pre-release copy of Escape From Adventure Island for this review.

The Best Pumpkin Carving.......

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:01:00 +0000

...Is the pumpkin carving where my only role is as the photographer.

I admitted to being a Halloween Dead-Beat Mom last week.

I give you further proof in pictures and words:

I don't like carving pumpkins. And never really have.

Good thing my husband doesn't mind because we had A LOT of pumpkins!

(Somehow I only got a photo of 3 of the 6 carved pumpkins.)

For more Photo Story Friday photos, be sure to visit Cecily at My Chaos My Bliss.

Wordful Wednesday-Sleeping

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:28:00 +0000

Grab My Button

For the past few weeks we've tried out having a prompt IF and only IF you would like to use it. I hereby give notice that I am throwing in the towel. I'm terrible about think up and sticking to a prompt. No more prompts......just your photos........your words.......on whatever topic you chose. Just like originally.

This could very possibly be the 43rd time I've told you all how much I love to see children sleeping. I'm sorry I'm redundant occasionally. I hope it's only occasionally, anyway. I love to see all children sleeping, but especially babies. They just seem so angelic. And beautiful. My babies are not quite babies anymore, but I still delight in watching them sleep. Especially together.

And the winner is:

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

(of the Flip Ultra HD camera, that is)

CONGRATULATIONS! I really appreciate you all playing along. Your comments were incredible, and your extra entry submissions were fantastic. There were more than 10 extraordinary bloggers who commented every. single. day on my blog AND participated in every.single.carnival for the maximum number of entries. I wish that all of us could have won. If it makes all of you that didn't win feel any better though, know that I didn't get a FLIP either, even though I wanted one really, really badly for free. :)

I'm not sure who the other winners are (I do know there are no duplicates), but you can check at Mayhem & Moxie, Mama's Losin It and Better in Bulk. Wishing you luck there!
AND in other news.......

JumpStart is having great contest called “Time to Escape!” It runs from 11/2/09 to 11/16/09.

There are fantastic prizes!
50 winners will receive a copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island

3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS will receive a family Escape Pack (over $1000 value)!
1 Nintendo Wii Console
1 copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
$250 in spa gift certificates
1 JumpStart branded flip camera
3 lifetime JumpStart memberships (1 for winner, 2 to share)
500 virtual coins for JumpStart.com
4 JumpStart pirate hats & 4 JumpStart kids T-shirts

Have you all started Holiday Shopping? I'm getting started, and here are a few things I've run across that I own or I think look promising:

Have you ever heard of the xshot 2.0? It's a rod thingy (extends to 3 feet) that screws into your camera and allows for self-portraits or videos. Go here to see what I'm talking about. I LOVE mine. For $29.95 I think it's a GREAT gift idea.

If you are a tea lover, you might be interested in the Tea To-Go mug that Mighty Leaf Tea Company just introduced to their line. For $12.95 it tooks like a great gift for your tea loving friends!

You all know how I feel about Twisted Silver jewelry....in my opinion, always a good gift choice. Don't forget to use the coupon code found in my right sidebar when you place an order.

And vinyl lettering........I've turned crafty on you. I can't wait to show you (this week) how custom vinyl lettering and an old thrift store picture can be transformed.....I'm so proud of myself I think you should all try it too.....makes for an excellent gift for about $20.00!

Happy Halloween, Matey!

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Happy Halloween!

I was supposed to announce my Flip video camera winner today, BUT.......I can't. I'm being held hostage by a pirate, a clown, a few superheros and a skeleton punk rocker. It's been fantastic.

Seriously though, with approximately 700 entries scattered through out the week, it's going to take some time to properly document, process, and authenticate the winner. Kidding. I'm kidding about the authentication, not the number of entries. WOWSERS! Thank you all for participating. I had so much fun reading your comments all week.

As soon as the Halloween festivities end, I'll pick the winner. So, tomorrow or Monday is the day. Check back in, and thanks for being patient.

And just in case you didn't believe me about a pirate holding me hostage, I give you proof:

More proof forthcoming........

Eat, Drink and Be Scary

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Today is the last day to enter for your chance to win 1 of 4 Flip camcorders. Details found here. Remember, by answering the question at the bottom of this post you are adding an entry in my Flip Giveaway.

Don't forget to visit Better in Bulk, Mama's Losin It and Mayhem & Moxie for more chances to win.

I decided to try to redeem myself and at least attempt to do something Halloweenish for my children. A special thanks must go out to Laurie @ Tip Junkie for posting this idea......for we all know that I didn't come up with it on my own.

Mummy Dogs.

Kind of fun......and easy. Just wrap hot dogs with dough and bake.

In case a photo wasn't enough, I even added video.

I know. Amazing. :)

Have you made any "scary" food this week in honor of Halloween? If you have, be sure to go link up at Better In Bulk for extra Flip entries.

My last daily question is: "Do you feel lucky?"

Winner announced on Halloween!

The Tale of a Halloween Prank

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Have you entered my Flip Giveaway? Details found here.

This is my first Writer's Workshop where I haven't actually written anything. I have however been party to a little tarantula Halloween prank. There's some screaming involved. Just so you are prepared.

My daily question is: "How long do you think a vlog should be?"

Don't forget to visit Better in Bulk, Mama's Losin It and Mayhem & Moxie for more chances to win.

Wordful Wednesday-Ghosts of Halloween Past

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Have you entered my Flip Giveaway? If not, you'll want to go here to read about it. Remember that by participating in the carnivals scheduled this week you earn 5 extra entries per carnival.

*Wordful Wednesday is for those of us that like to showcase a photo(s) but that just can't seem keep our mouths shut about it(them). If you'd like to play along, post a photo on your blog, and let the words roll. Feel free to "capture" my 7 Clown Circus button (below and on the left) or simply hyperlink to my site, and be sure to add yourself to Mr. Linky. Thanks for playing along!

Grab My Button

For the past few weeks I've tried out having a prompt IF and only IF you would like to use it.

BUT, it's becoming more and more apparent to me that I don't do well with prompts if they are my own. So. I broke the rules and decided that Halloween pictures were more appropriate than sleeping pictures as Halloween draws near. You'll forgive me if I hold off on the sleeping prompt until next week, won't you?

This week the prompt was supposed to be: Sleeping. Kids sleeping.......you sleeping. Your dog sleeping. Totally up to you.

Instead, I made it "Ghosts Of Halloween Past". Post pictures and descriptions of Halloween Past. This could be a memorable Halloween from when you were a child or simply a cute story and picture from past years. If you are contributing to this theme as an entry into the Flip camera giveaway please put an asterisk next to your blog name when you enter it into Mr. Linky.

A Halloween that stands out in my mind is one a few years ago...quite a few years ago where we had a family Halloween party and we actually all came in costume. A few of my favorite costumes of the attendee's are shown below.

Ms. Piggy and Kermit the Frog. Just in case you are wondering, Ms. Piggy is really a man and Kermit is really a woman. Ms. Piggy has nice legs, doesn't she?

And Popeye and Olive Oil. Perfection.

I never think of great costumes like these. Sigh. If you have any ideas for me for next year, I welcome your comments!

My question for the day if you would like another Flip Ultra HD entry is: "What Halloween Prank would you like to capture with a Flip camera?"

Don't forget to visit Better in Bulk, Mama's Losin It and Mayhem & Moxie for more chances to win.

Halloween preparations & I feel sorry for my kids...

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

For more details on my FLIP Ultra HD giveaway, go here.

If you would like to participate in this "Creepy Crawly Crafts" carnival hosted by Mayhem & Moxie, glide on over and link up for 5 extra entries!

I feel a tad bit sorry for my kids. They have a dead-beat Halloween mom.

That would be me.

There's no excuse for it. Both my mom and my step mom always made Halloween super special for me. Every year I was sewn a custom costume, I was feed ghoolish good food and taken to spooky parties. Yet somehow the Halloween spirit didn't rub off on me and it's only a matter of time before my children realize this.

Instead of making costumes for my children or decking the house out with cobwebs and skeletons, I've........

....taken them to the grocery store to pick out their very own pumpkin.

{I should admit here that if the pumpkins were not on sale for 19 cents a pound I might have grumbled the whole time. Clearly I'm a dead-beat Halloween mom AND I'm cheap. Carving the pumpkins should be fun. Can you hear my excitement?}

AND, I've allowed my children to pick out their very own costumes. From the dress up box. I'm generous that way. I even let them keep the costumes they picked in a visible location so they have something to look forward to. I know. I know. SUPER nice of me.

I just hope none of my children's friends tell my kids what their mom does for them. Because then they might realize that on Halloween, their mom pretty much sucks. I'd prefer them to be ignorant on this subject, thank you very much.

There's always next year, though, right?

My Question for an entry in my Flip Giveaway is: "If you were the owner of a Flip, what costumes would you be recording this year?"

Don't forget to visit Better in Bulk, Mama's Losin It and Mayhem & Moxie for more chances to win.

Flipping for FLIP

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000

I've owned a Flip camera for almost a month now and it is always with me. Well, mostly always with me. It's one of those a staple items in my purse. You know, just in case I need it.

This is the model I have, by the way. The Flip Ultra. I've found a lot of use for it. I think about using it for all the vlogs I have in my head, and for all the vlogs I actually follow through with. I've also been able to use it when I couldn't find my point and shoot camera (which also resides in my purse) since I can use my Flip camera to "film" whatever I want a picture of and then I later freeze the snapshots and save them to my computer as pictures.

In addition to being small enough to keep in my purse, and in addition to be being able to use it to take snapshots, it also comes with built in movie making software AND hooks directly into my computer for easy video uploading. In fact you can load your video directly to sites like YouTube from the Flip video page. It's all really easy.

You should know that Flip has never given me a camera. In fact, I bought my own Flip because I had heard so many great thing about the product. I knew that Flip was going to be giving me a Flip to give to you, and I wanted to make sure that a product that I am endorsing and giving away is something I actually really like.

You should also know that Flip has never (and sadly probably never will) given me any money to say all these great things about their camera. I just like it.

As I mentioned above, they have given me a Black Flip Ultra HD to give to you.....
okay FOUR of you....because I'm not alone. I'm teaming up with four fellow bloggy friends and EACH of them are hosting a Flip camera video giveaway on their blogs as well.

Mama's Losin It, Better In Bulk, Mayhem And Moxie and I will be hosting interactive carnivals all week long...to enter each giveaway you must answer a daily question in the comment section that you will find at the end of each carnival post. This means, everyday, starting tomorrow, each of us will ask new and different questions providing you with the opportunity to earn a total of 16 entries by the end of the week.

In addition to simply answering questions on each of our sites each carnival you link up to will earn you FIVE additional entries.

This means if you leave daily answers on each of our blogs AND participate in all four carnivals you will have a total of 36 entries and an opportunity to win one of four Flip cameras (sorry multiple cameras will not be awarded to the same person if their name is drawn more than once).

Here's a sneak peak of the carnivals you may want to prep for this week:

Tuesday "Creepy Crawly Crafts": Link up with Mayhem And Moxie by sharing anything you've created this Halloween. Examples include, Halloween costumes, recipes, crafts, party invites, treats, decorations etc...

Wednesday "Ghosts Of Halloween Past": Link up with (me) Seven Clown Circus by posting pictures and descriptions of Halloween Past. This could be a memorable Halloween from when you were a child or simply a cute story and picture from just last year. If you are contributing to this theme as an entry into the Flip camera giveaway I'm asking for you to put an asterisk next to your blog name when you enter it into Mr. Linky. This way I can specifically view and enter the correct participants for the Flip camera Giveaway.

Thursday "Spooky Story Starters" : Link up with Mama's Losin' It by choosing a writing prompt and participating in her Writer's Workshop:

1.) Show your spooky side
2.) Show and Tell using your favorite Halloween home decor
3.) Write a poem to your child as their Halloween character (for example I may write a poem to "Pongo"...the 101 Dalmatian Laina is going to be for Halloween)
4.) Post a vlog of yourself playing a Halloween prank on a family member or friend.
5.) Describe a favorite Halloween costume or moment you wish you had on video.

Friday "Eat, Drink, And Be Scary": On all Hallow's Eve, Laura from Better In Bulk wants to see want we are making in the kitchen. Show your devilish desserts, give us the scoop on pumpkins, or share your favorite holiday drink. If cooking isn't your cup of tea, then tell us what you are doing with your leftover Halloween candy. Do you enjoy immediately, save for later, or just bribe your kids with it when needed?

That's a lot of information. All you need to do right now is:

1.) Answer the question posed in my daily posts.
2.) Head on over to the other blogs participating and answer their questions on their blog.
3.) Come back tomorrow and repeat steps above.
2.) Post any carnival entries you'd like to participate in for extra chances to win.

Just to reitierate, you don't have to participate in the carnvials to enter to win. Those are bonus entries. You may simply answer the daily question (it'll be a different question each day) posted on each of the four blogs to be entered. This means, everyday each of us will ask new and different questions providing you with the opportunity to earn a total of 20 entries by the end of the week.

Contest ends on Friday October 30 at midnight EST. Winners will be picked at random and announced on Halloween! Good luck!

My question for the day is: Why do you want a Flip?

What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Always Stay in Vegas

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Pssst: I'm giving away a Flip camera this week. Be sure to check back tomorrow for more details.

SITScation was so much fun. It was over in the blink of an eye, but worth the quick trip to Vegas. I hope you are up for a quick play-by-play!

Jeff and I were able to get away for the weekend (thanks to my MIL for babysitting) and stay in the fabulous Venetian resort. The hotel really is amazing, with incredible restaurants, great shops, large suites and even gondola rides.

SITScation kicked off with a presentation by the controversial but well loved Jessica Gottlieb and then we were introduced to Spirit Jump. I was thoroughly impressed. Meagan (the founder of the non profit organization) is a cancer survivor and proof that one person can make an incredible difference. BlogWorld and SITScation occured during the same weekend and SpiritJump was at both conventions causing quite the stir. They ended up winning the Charity Smackdown that weekend for being the #1 trending topic on twitter (#beatcancer)! Meaghan has promised to guest post here on 7 Clown Circus and I can't wait. We all have the potential to make a difference!

Now back to my story. After the quick intro session of SITScation came dinner at David Burke. Can we just say best steak ever?

The night was really kicked off with the SITScation dance party and ample opportunity to meet most of the bloggers I wanted to. Can we say AMAZING?

9:00 am Saturday morning marked the beginning of the presentations that lasted through the day.

Sugar Jones talked about "beautiful blogging", which is really positive blogging. LOVED her thoughts on this.

And then, Laurie Turk of Tip Junkie Fame. Laurie talked about creating your own experience through blogging. She even mentioned me (hand held over mouth!).

Let me just tell you that both women are absolutely fabulous and Laurie Turk is even cuter and more enthusiastic and sweet in person than you'd imagine.

Jen Hinton (Keep it Classy Jen) spoke to us about vlogging and Alli Worthington of Blissfully Domestic spoke to us about creating our own personal brand. Next came Renee Ross of Cutie Bootie Cakes about building a blogging community and lastly, the SITS panel, which included moi, Heather and Tiffany of SITS, Mama Kat of Mama's Losin It, Francesca of Mayhem & Moxie, Shannon of Phat Mommy and Lula of Lulaville. The SITS panel was over before you could say SITScation, and then the whole conference was finished. Whew!

Wait. I forgot to mention the swag. Oh the swag........T-shirts, jewerly, edible items.....the list goes on.

Now, you can see from my pictures that I was so exciting about seeing so many bloggers that I love that I kind of only took pictures of people. People, by the way that I adore both through their blog and in real life.

May I present "Who is WHO (or is it WHOM) in Vegas?"

OfficeMax-A Day Made Better Campaign

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:38:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be selected to be on the "Day Made Better" Campaign funded by OfficeMax and brought to me by Mom It Forward. The "Day Made Better" Campaign was executed to help raise awareness about AND erase teacher funded classrooms.

I gave away a $100.00 OfficeMax giftcard on my blog pay-it-forward style for a teacher who exibited need, innovation, dedication and passion. I also had a party at my house to collect school supplies to be give to a local teacher who exhibited the same qualities I mentioned above.

It was such a wonderful campaign because it was SERVICE oriented and gave me the opportunity to both help raise awareness about how much teachers spend per year on classroom supplies, AND also see the expression on a teachers face as the burden was lifted of doing so. I particularly loved seeing the children in the class get excited by the goodies in the box. In all, my friends and family were incredibly generous and donated about $500 worth of classroom supplies for this cause!

I had such a great time planning and coordinating my party and delivering the huge box of supplies to the local teacher. I really enjoyed reading all of your teacher entries for the giveaway post as well.

To see the story unfold, take a gander:

I was super surprised and thrilled to find this thank you note on my door last week. I didn't leave my address with the school, but the teacher took the time to "find" me based on a comment I had made about knowing some children that attended that school.

I'm so grateful for teachers, and for opportunities for service of any size.

Writer's Workshop-Motherhood

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:03:00 +0000

Motherhood.

Are there enough words to describe how it has changed me?

See, the thing about motherhood is:

There are a lot of variables that make being a mommy pretty unpredictable. One can control many variables with schedules, but even those have flaws. There is no guarantee that the whipper snapper(s) involved is going to adhere to the "rules" imposed. I like a schedule. I love nap time and the time it gives me to take a deep breath. I love that every day has a moment that allows for reflection on the unexpected that invariably already happened that day.

The first time I got pregnant I didn't mind throwing up everyday. I didn't mind gaining 50 lbs. and looking like a beached whale. I didn't mind any of the weird things that the body goes through to grow a baby, but I did mind one thing. And it took me years to admit it. I saw plenty of births in childbirth class, yet I don't remember or forgot that many times they don't clean the baby before giving him/her to the mommy. After I birthed my first baby, they promptly put her on my stomach and I literally didn't know what to do. I was crying because I had just experienced the greatest joy of my life, yet I was perplexed. Was I supposed to pick up the slightly stinky, bloody baby, or just touch her? Worse yet, I didn't know if there was something wrong with me for really just wanting to hold her once she was swaddled and cleaned? That was my first experience with the conflicting emotions that motherhood brings.

While I was pregnant, I fully committed to breastfeeding. I knew that it would be easy, economical and the best thing for my baby. A few days after the birth, my milk came in. I was a little shocked. By everything, even though I thought I knew all about it. I DID not know that it (human breast milk) didn't come out in a single stream. How was it that no one had ever told me this? I had commited to breastfeeding, yet for me it was one of the hardest things I had ever done. It was stressful for me, and I didn't feel like it provided an opportunity for extra bonding. I wasn't expecting this.

The latest revelation that has shocked me is that even though I love to read, I don't love reading with my children who are learning to read. This is supposed to be a magical time, but I find myself going crazy waiting for each word to be deciphered. I think it must make me a bad mom in a way, but perhaps it just shows how much I love my children in order to do these things that I don't love.

In fact, that must be it. The thing about being a mommy is love. In all it's unexpected forms. Has it changed me? Infinitely. It's perplexed me, it's humbled me, it's allowed me adventures I never dreamed of. It's made me far less self centered AND. It's filled me with joy.

Head on over to Mama Kat's place to see what others are saying.

Wordful Wednesday-Motherhood Edition

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Grab My Button

For the past few weeks we've tried out having a prompt IF and only IF you would like to use it.

This week the prompt is: MOTHERHOOD. Let's see it in all its beautiful forms.

I've posted this picture before. I'm posting it again because it screams motherhood to me. I have all of my babies with me, connected, and we are heading towards one common goal.

That's kind of what motherhood is to me. Loving up my babies and trying to help lead them in the right direction. I pray I'm doing a decent job.

For Next WEEK, The prompt is:

Sleeping. Kids sleeping.......you sleeping. Your dog sleeping. Totally up to you. :)

PLEASE let me know (with an asterik by your name or blog title) if your post is about motherhood. If it is, and you are the winning Wordful Wednesday entry, you'll recieve TWO things. First, a feature on Eliza's blog with your winning entry, AND secondly, a set of aden + anais Zoo Muslin swaddling blankets (pictured below).
For more information on Motherhood, the movie, become a Facebook Fan!

Vegas........condensed

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:34:00 +0000

I have so much to say about Vegas and SITScation.......and so much to share.

I just haven't had time to put everything together for all of our entertainment.

For now though, I'll leave you with my favorite shot from Vegas:

(you might want to double click the picture in order to enlarge and fully appreciate my sentiments.)

This picture was taken during the "SITS Panel" discussion during the conference. See the microphone in my hand? I was trying to wax eloquent about blogging. Not very successfully, I see.

I learned something here. I see now who my real friends are (in case you are unclear, I'm TOTALLy joking). Notice Heather of SITS and Mindless Junque listening to me with a smile on her face? I'd like to think she's gazing at me with an adoring expression on her face because what I'm saying is so profound.

And then there is Lula from Lulaville on my left. Professed friend (hump). Totally hanging on my every word. As you can clearly see.

Disclaimer: I'm only joking. Lula adores me. She really does. I'm pretty sure. And I adore her. You DO still love me don't you, Lula?

P.S. That's her pink phone sitting on the table in front of her.

Thank you, Mrs. Brown

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:37:00 +0000

When I was in high school, I had an English teacher that changed my life.

If I am going to be completely truthful, you should know that I was terrified of her. Terrified of her. Not because she was mean, but because she demanded respect and didn't put up with less than one's best. No one messed with Mrs. Brown. Because of the tight reign she had on her class, it was a room where learning could take place, and did.

She taught me to love Shakespeare. She taught me tools for writing that have helped me formulate thoughts and then spit them out on paper on a daily basis. She taught me to do my best work, for anything less wasn't worth the effort. She helped prepare me for college, and for that I'll always be thankful.

Unlike most teachers who stuck with multiple choice tests, Mrs. Brown gave essay tests. I found that I excelled at tests that don't test particular factoids, rather whole thoughts and concepts and their application within their context. I remember writing my little hand off during test periods and hoping that whatever I put on the paper would please Mrs. Brown.

One day I came to class excited and yet dreading getting my essay test back. I was sure I had done a good job, yet I was scared that maybe I didn't meet her expectations. I was nervous that I would get my test back and be disappointed. I remember sitting in class waiting, waiting, waiting to get my paper back. When the time came to pass out the graded essays, Mrs. Brown said the words that would change my life forever. Simple words, but completely meaningful and hopeful to me.

She said, "I wish all of you could write the way Angie writes". For the first time in my life I felt like there was something that I could do well, and that made me incredibly happy. The praise gave me the courage to write more often and on different subjects and to explore the written word. I felt like her words gave me permission to overcome my fear of writing failure and at least try to organize sentences and paragraphs; thoughts and feelings into one cohesive whole. At a time when I didn't feel confidence in anything, her words gave me a sense of confidence is something.

I'll never forget Mrs. Brown.

I just signed up with MyLife and plan on searching for Mrs. Brown so that I can tell her how influential both her class and her mentor ship were to me. I need to pull out my old year books so that I can find her first name and try to guesstimate her age. I'm pretty sure she seemed older to me back then than she actually was. Youth. I'm really hopeful that once I have that information I will have no problem finding the much appreciated Mrs. Brown with the help of MyLife.com so that I can tell her just how much I appreciate all she did for me.

This Mommy...

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:05:00 +0000

...could certainly be described as the anti-perfect mommy. This mommy probably takes far too many short cuts when it comes to parenting. This mommy probably yells too much. This mommy probably allows her children to eat far too much candy and stay up far too late during the summer. This mommy might possibly be too laid back because it's easier that way. But who is to say really?

This mother's mothering has done a form of evolution in my survival-of-the-fittest-as-a-mother quest. I've changed certain things.......and not always in a good way, I might add. I don't make my children bathe/shower every day anymore if they are not dirty. I haven't made them scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast on a regular basis for years. I don't even make them write thank you notes every time it's appropriate because it takes so much effort on my part. Sometimes I do their chores for them because watching them do it at a snail pace or with a complaint makes me crazy. And sometimes, (gasp) I let them watch far too much TV. I don't don't dote on them the way I see many mother do, and I'm pretty sure I'm not one of those delusional moms that think their children are perfect.

However, this mother adores her little children with a love that feels like it could burst right out of her chest at any moment. I'd like to think that even though I am far from a perfect mom, I am loving mom; one that does everything in her power to teach her children the things they need to learn to be good people. I hope that I am the one whose children know how much she loves them.........the one who tries to keep them safe, always.........the one who didn't know what fulfillment children bring to a person until she had some of her own.

THE END.

I am having a contest this Wednesday in conjunction with Wordful Wednesday. If you follow the prompt and get Wordful with a picture what motherhood is to you, PLEASE let me know (with an asterik by your name or blog title in Mr. Linky) if your post is about motherhood. If it is, and you are the winning Wordful Wednesday entry, you'll recieve TWO things. First, a feature on Eliza's blog with your winning entry, AND secondly, a set of Aden & Anais Zoo Muslin swaddling blankets (pictured below).

To see what other mom's are saying, head on over to my good friend Scary Mommy's blog.

Uma Thurman & Motherhood

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Uma Thurman.

I talked to Uma Thurman on Wednesday.

Well, almost. I was supposed to ask her a question, but time ran out. I was lucky enough to be chosen to be on a panel of mom bloggers allowed to participate in conference calls with headliners from Motherhood, the movie including Katherine Dieckmann (writer/director), Anthony Edwards and Uma Thurman.

I really like what I've seen of Uma Thurman both on screen and off. Off screen, she always seems so self possessed and poised and most importantly, intelligent. Even though I haven't seen the bulk of her work, I've been mindful of her career because of the intellect, maturity and the humanity she appears to exhibit when she is not on the silver screen.

I appreciate that she slipped into the role of a mother without all of the hoopla associated with Hollywood mom's today and has been able to juggle her career and motherhood with such grace. In fact, one of the questions that was asked was what is was like to balance her work schedule with her job as a mother. She said, "It's very hard work. " and went on to elaborate about only being one person and missing things when she works but trying to balance it with a "rich and warm family life" at home when she is not working.

The phone call only re-inforced my opinion of her. She's an actress, but more importantly she's a mom, and takes that role very seriously. She's smart and well spoken. She also knows how to get right down to business without being abrasive. Now more than ever I want to see the movie being released October 23rd that she stars in and is proported to be an authentic view of motherhood.

Here are some fun tidbits I gleaned from the phone call:
*Her lower back paid the price of filming running up and down the stairs of a walk-up wearing a baby carrier.
*She was surprised at what wonderful actors the children were that played her children because they are just children.
*Filming a movie that takes place in only one day is "tricky" but rewarding.
*She really enjoyed working with Anthony Edwards and thinks he's a marvelous dad in real life as well as in the movie. And she has been friends with his wife for a long time.
*She has an expansive vocabulary and knows how to answer questions with just the right amount of detail.

This whole upcoming week I'm dedicating my blog to topics dealing with motherhood since I'm basically up to my elbows in it. :)

SITScation

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

SITScation is finally here!

I'm so excited to meet so many of you.

If you are not going, I can't wait to tell you all about it when I return.

I might even tweet about it while I'm there. Maybe.

I'm taking my FLIP...................

Writer's Workshop-My Birth

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Another edition of Writer's Workshop with Mama Kat has arrived:

First off though, I have to do a little bragging. Guess who I spoke with yesterday on the phone?

Good guesses. I think. I can't hear you. But I'm pretending I can.

Uma Thurman. Can you believe it? I'll tell you about it soon.

I'm busy getting ready for SITScation.

Oh wait. Writer's Workshop.........MY BIRTH.

Speaking of births. I just became an aunt again......my sister gave me a new nephew a few days ago. So exciting.

I got side tracked here, didn't I? I actually have a very interesting birth story.

I was born on April Fool's Day. In a truck. On the side of the road. During a snow storm. My dad delivered me. And gave me black eyes. I had respiratory issues that the small town hospital could not handle so I was put in an ambulance to go to a bigger city. The ambulance kinda crashed. I survived.

The end.

And here I am.

Wordful Wednesday-Ka-ching

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:40:00 +0000

For the past few weeks we've tried out having a prompt IF and only IF you would like to use it.

This week I didn't bother using my own prompt because I have ~~dismal~~ no Fall decorations. Yet. You'll forgive me, won't you?

Next week's prompt is: MOTHERHOOD. Let's see it in all its beautiful forms.

For some ideas, why not check out the Motherhood Movie Blog?

A few weeks ago I received an email. It said that I had some unclaimed funds that needed to be distributed. I had had an account with the institution in the past so I followed through with the directions to claim my money.

When I spoke with the customer service representative to update my contact information I was giddy. I kept thinking: "What if I have like a thousand bucks in there unclaimed? What if? I started thinking of all the things I'd do with that new found money, and I had quite a list.

Unfortunately, the customer service agent could not tell me how much money was unclaimed, but he did tell me a check would be cut shortly and mailed out to me.

I eagerly awaited that check, and sure enough, after about a week, IT CAME!

KA-CHING

Now that, my friends is what I call hitting it big.

I think I'll go buy a piece of gum.

Oh wait. I can't afford to with these "funds". :)

If you want to know the truth....

jagelees@yahoo.com (angie) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Look what I found? A gem I forgot to publish last month..........

Just ask your kids. If you can't handle the truth, don't ask.

Trust me on this one if you haven't found this out for yourself.

Yesterday while lounging by the pool I was complaining about my weight (I'm ridiculous. I know. Weight isn't important. It shouldn't be a focus. Blah, blah, blah).

"I haven't been to the gym once this summer. I'm pretty sure I've gained 5 lbs. I think I have more cellulite than I had before I stopped exercising."

Or course, the answer I was hoping for from my husband was, "what are you talking about? You look great. Fantastic even. You'd never know you've had 5 kids. Don't be silly."
Even if it wasn't true.

What I got was my child pipping in with the truth before my husband had the chance to fib to me.

"Um, mom? I did notice that your legs look a little flabby".
Um, Thank you very little?

See? Lesson learned.

Note to self: If you can't handle the truth, don't ask. Don't fish. Just do something about it.

One of these days, I WILL get back to the gym. In the meantime, I'll be sure to be fully and completely self conscious when I'm in a bathing suit. How's that for the truth?

P.S Don't worry. My daughter assured me today that my legs look less flabby in this bathing suit than the one I was wearing yesterday.

Thanks? I think?

Note to self. THROW out the bathing suit I was wearing yesterday.