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Warning: A Blubbering, Sniveling Mommy Wrote This.

2012-02-19T12:36:00.001-05:00

You can go online these days and "Google" Dumbest/Ridiculous/Obvious Warning Labels and get several websites with lists of the most ridiculous warning labels ever to exist. A few of my favorites are...

"Do not use if you cannot see clearly to read the information in the information booklet." -- In the information booklet.
"Caution: The contents of this bottle should not be fed to fish." -- On a bottle of shampoo for dogs.
"For external use only!" -- On a curling iron.
"Warning: This product can burn eyes." -- On a curling iron.
"Do not use in shower." -- On a hair dryer.
"Do not use while sleeping." -- On a hair dryer.
"Do not use while sleeping or unconscious." -- On a hand-held massaging device.
"Do not place this product into any electronic equipment." -- On the case of a chocolate CD in a gift basket.
"Recycled flush water unsafe for drinking." -- On a toilet at a public sports facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
"Shin pads cannot protect any part of the body they do not cover." -- On a pair of shin guards made for bicyclists.

The list goes on and on. I often wonder if we need warning labels that are this obvious to a user for simple things like shin guards or hair dryers, then our children should have come with some really great ones like...

Warning: This child creates spontaneous mucus.
Do not feed this child chocolate at bedtime.
Clean floors are no longer necessary.
Caution: In 8 - 10 months prior to birth you will no longer have decor below 4 feet in your house.
Don't buy Legos for this child unless you are okay with stepping on them.

Last night I wished that someone had put a label on my babies that said something like...

Let this child fall asleep on you more often.
Touch this babies skin every chance you get.
Pay attention to the details, notice how round and soft this child is.
Hug this child daily and kiss this child often.
It is okay to hold this child when he cries, he loves you.
Stop what you are doing and go play with this boy.
Sewing that handbag is not more important that another PB&J sandwich.

Last night my sweet baby boy, my last baby, climbed up on me while I was watching TV and fell asleep in seconds. I held him and studied his sweet face. He still looks like a toddler to me. His soft, squishy body and delicate skin are almost to much for me to take sometimes. The lines of his face have changed. The fat creases in his legs and arms have disappeared. His hands still have dimples. Slowly, my baby boy is changing into a big boy. He'll be starting Kindergarten soon and I don't want him to go yet. He'll be the "baby" in the class with a June birthday. I love to hear him talk, he still says some things like a toddler but uses long sentences to describe his world.

My middle child, Evan, is going to be seven before I know it. He's a builder, he is lean and full of energy. He loves to snuggle with me and for me to scratch his back. Pretty soon, this boy whom I can still pick up and carry to bed will be too big for me to lift. It happens so fast. He is so close to his baby brother. They should have been twins. He is older and one year ahead of Jake in school but he has loved Kindergarten. I feel at times, I didn't get to experience his "babyhood" as much as I had wished. His baby brother came along so soon after him. We wanted Evan soon after having his older brother but God had other plans and made us wait for almost 3 years. Then, it seemed like while he was still a baby, I was having another baby. I wish I could go back and pay more attention.

My oldest has always been an old man in a little boys body. He was such a tiny thing for so long, he spoke like an adult and understood the world in a different way from the beginning. As an infant he would look at you like he had something important to tell you, it was your fault you didn't know what he was saying. So, before he was a year old he could tell you. Now, he's on the verge of turning into a teenager. He is so much like his Dad, who at the age of 14 was 5,10' and 180 pounds. My husband had the broadest shoulders you'd ever seen on a teenager. Cooper is quickly heading towards this adult sized body. My sweet boy! He has the biggest heart of any child I know. He thinks about others, wants to please his family and friends. He wants to help and love on everyone. He begs to go shooting his BB gun and go to the park. Before my eyes he is becoming the "old" man I always knew he was. That means, he needs a warning label to remind me to protect him. This world is not going to be good to him. He's sweet, gullible and ready to take on the world.

So, as I reflect on my babies it is clear that I need to do a few things more often like tuck them into bed with a story and a prayer followed by a little caressing and soft words. For my oldest baby he probably would simple prefer I hug him and tell him I love him more often and let him be. My heart is torn when I realize what I have missed, what I haven't savored, and it always will.

The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.
~ Numbers 6:24-26 from NKJV

The Good Husbands Guide 2012

2012-02-18T16:17:00.001-05:00

I was going to write a post about my magazine rack and how I think peoples magazine racks say alot of about them. I was going to say how much I love going into peoples restrooms or powder rooms and seeing what magazines they read. I took a picture and everything, but doesn't that seem like such a shallow post compared to what really matters in life? Let's just all agree that our magazine racks say alot about us and move on.

What has been pressing on my lately is the fact that I returned full force to the world of teaching in January. I was given approximately 50 students to keep up with, my own classroom and the responsibility that comes with it. This job is a blessing!

Last September my husband walked in on this SAHM of 9 years and handed me his "pink slip". I had been looking for teaching positions in our state but nothing was coming up...not even substitute positions. So, I decided it was time to cross the state line into Tennessee. I was hired within weeks as an interim teacher for an inner city school in Chattanooga. I LOVE IT! Then I was asked to become part of the permanent team.

What has happened as a result is that my husband has found a job that allows him to take the boys to school and be home when they get off the bus. I heard Whitney Houston say this was her "dream" on the Oprah interview. I know that we are very blessed and that it is really nice on occasion that they have an aftercare at the schools for just in case. Plus, the boys love going to aftercare.

This is all God's doing, His works. It just all happened so perfectly. Now, there's a problem. God's got us down in the valley at the moment.

Now, that the roles have been reversed a little, it seems like there has been tension and stress. Now, I am the one coming home at 5 or 6 instead of getting right off work at 3:15. Which would be ideal for James but isn't realistic for me. Then there is the issue of my husband being home and duties at home falling on him; only, they just seem to be sliding right off.

How does a mother/wife do this? When am I going to find a balance in our lives? I have become so completely frustrated and he doesn't see it. I feel like I can dive again back into my Bible studies and I will come out with a new knowledge but this once, I'd like him to try it too. How do I show him? Yesterday was my breaking point when he dropped our youngest son off at my work after my half-day of working at school. He told me he rearranged my living room. UGH!

Being that my fight is against 4 men in my house to maintain organization and cleanliness, the last thing I wanted to hear was that my beautiful, clean living room had been rearranged. I may be a bad wife but it's back the way I LOVE it now and his computer desk is now in the study where it belongs..."Sorry honey but you'll have to climb the steps to get to it. It'll be good for ya."

As I'm writing this, I am reminded of "The Good Wife's" guide from 1955

CLICK ABOVE IMAGE TO READ...GO AHEAD!

From a Biblical perspective this is probably exactly what we should be doing...when our husbands are respectful of our needs as well and we ignore number 13 and 17.

However, here is my version.

The Good Husbands Guide for the Working Wife

1. If you make it home before your wife, call and ask her what she would like for you to good for dinner or cook what she has already went to the trouble to plan if plans do actually exist. Don't ask when we'll be home exactly, we'll tell you so plan accordingly.

2. Wash your stank of as soon as you come home. It makes for a much more romantic evening. A freshly cleaned husband is always preferred!

3. Remember, that your wife has had a stressful day and is tired too. A genuine hug can do a great deal to lift her up and when the wife is lifted up, you are too.

5. Take a moment to ask the kids if they have homework and go ahead and have them get started. Nothing is more embarrassing to moms than when the kids go to school and it is clear they haven't been given the attention they need even if it's homework.

6. On occasion, draw a hot bath for your wife just before she comes home. She'll return the favor for you, I promise!

7. Let the children be children. Mom wants to hear about there day and love them just as they are.

8. Be happy to see her.

9. Greet her with a sexy smile and show sincerity in your desire to please her .

10. Listen to her . You may have a dozen important things to tell her, but the moment of her arrival is not the time. Let her talk first – remember, her topics of conversation are more important than yours.

11. Expect that your wife does want to share in the responsibilities around the house. Work together equally on areas of the home that need focus.

12. Keep your nose out of the computer or TV until she is ready to sit and relax. It's just rude to watch TV in the recliner or play on the computer if she is folding your undies.

13. Don't greet her with problems, let her love on you and the kids and then later discuss problems and issues.

14. Show genuine concern for your wife's day and never say "What would you like me to do about it?" Probably, you could just keep helpful suggestions to yourself unless she asks. Be a friend to your wife and "hear" her. Hugs are nice!

15. A glass of red wine is always a nice gesture when we walk in the door. It's also good for our hearts

16. You have heard of foot rubs, right? Give them a try, become an expert.

17. Offer to do something that needs to be done, mostly likely we will accept your offer but it is nice to be able to decline them as well.

18. A good husband always knows his place. If you are lost on what a good husband is supposed to do, the Bible is your guide. Nothing thrills us more than having a husband who reads his Bible.

Now I am willing to say that this was written in a bit of haste but it is probably as true to my life as it gets. If you don't like my version, write your own. I think I'm going to print my list out and hang it up. Have a nice weekend!

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse...Try it!

2012-02-07T19:25:00.001-05:00

A few months ago I decided to try an Apple Cider Vinegar as a rinse on my hair. The very first time I used the rinse I feel in love. My hair felt so soft and was so manageable that I was immediately hooked. I had originally read a few recipes but I just got a bottle and poured it right on while in the shower. It's cold and you don't want it in your eyes but your hair will feel so soft. Just be sure to rinse it well just after pouring it on.

I don't know how it affects color but it didn't seem to change my hair color at all. What I have noticed is this natural curl! It's gone from an annoying wave to what you see here. As it started to become more curly I would use a curling iron to enhance the curl but this morning, there was no need for a curling iron.

A few of my facebook friends have tried the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse and love it. If you try it, let me know what you think. Do you use a recipe that is worth trying?