Has the Fashion World Gone Mad?

Last week, a couple of my girlfriends and I met for lunch, and took a brief walk around Rivertown mall. To say the least, we were shocked and appauled by what we saw in store-front windows, and on the teeny-bopper store clerks. HAS THE FASHION WORLD GONE MAD?

What's up with the 80's stuff coming back? Isn't it better kept stored back - way back - in our Junior High memories. It's great to look back on those days and reminisce - but, please, I do not wish to re-live it! Especially now that I'm a mom.

Don't get me wrong - I don't want to get stuck in the rut where I don't do my hair, don't wear makeup, loose all touch with what is going on in the everyday world - HOWEVER, I don't want to be a 30-something mom trying to look like a teenager.

You've got to check out this blog post that Chelle recommended. I laughed my butt off! It talks about the fashion trends, and how we 30-something moms are struggling with it. I couldn't have written it better myself! Check it out, and chuckle with me!

I have decided that, despite the current fashion trends, I am going to embrace the things I am comfortable with. Low-rise, flared jeans are still cool. They wouldn't still be selling them if they weren't, right? Plus, I think being a 30-something mom is MUCH better than being a obsessed-with-myself, the-world-revolves-around-me, self-absorbed, skinny-butted, stretch-mark free teenager!

Dr.'s Orders

Last week was "one of those weeks". I realize that I've been having a lot of those lately, but I'm not using this blog post to whine.

Instead, I want to thank my dear husband who, on Saturday, told me I needed some alone time and sent me out of the house - without the kids.

It was wonderful - no work - no kids - NOBODY! Just me myself and I. I treated myself to a little "Retail Therpy" which turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. I went to my favorite shop, Maurice's, took my time browsing the cutie clothes, tried on like 25 things, was doted on by an extremely nice store clerk (who told me I looked fabulous), danced to the sweet musak and entered a sort of euphoria. To top things off, I found a pair of jeans that make my butt look good - what's better than that?

And you think you have stress!

I guess I don't have it so bad! Tee Hee!

Vacation or Stress-ation?

va.ca.tion
1. A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation.

stress.a.tion
6. A period of time devoted to a mentally or emotionally disruptive or disquieting influence.

Ok, I have just returned from a vacation - but in many ways it felt more like a stress-ation.

Mike, the kids and I headed off for his parent's cottage for a whole week . . . the weather was good most of the time and the kids had a blast but, unfortunately I didn't come home feeling full of pleasure, rest and relaxation - as the definition of vacation would suggest.

Being on vacation is just as much work as normal life when you bring the kids along (if not more). I still had to prepare meals, clean poopy diapers, and wash sand out of every crevas. Even my favorite past-time of laying in the sun was tainted a bit by always being on edge fearing that Bella might fall in the water or wander away somewhere, or by Faith "accidentally" flipping sand on me while she played on the beach.

I also had the joy of having to take work with me - which I knew ahead of time - but truly sucked! Working entailed having to type documents and then having to track down wireless so I could send them via email. It sounds like a simple process - but ended up taking me over two hours due to some issues with my computer/the wireless server. If I wasn't cranky enough about having to work in the first place . . . taking 110 minutes longer than it should have really got me riled up . . . and THEN I had to face the rath of my husband who was ticked - which led into a lovely "discussion" about how my job is ruining our family. He hates my job many times as it is . . . but he really hates it when it disrupts our vacation. I certainly don't blame him - I hated that it disrupted our vacation too!

Let me tell you - it was really relaxing and enjoyable - NOT!

Ok, so it all didn't stink . . . I did get to drink some Pina Colada's and play a little Mexican Train (a domino game) with my husband until midnight every night (when we weren't fighting) . . . and I did get to sleep in a bit . . . and I did get some quality time with my family.

I suppose I need to see the glass half-full.

Oh well! Maybe next year's vacation will actually be a vacation! Here's hoping!

I Suck!

I have a confession to make:

I Suck!

I'm a sucky mom.
I'm a sucky wife.
I'm a sucky friend.
I'm a sucky daughter.
I'm a sucky blogger.

I Suck!

I've treated everyone who is important to me as a nuiscance this week.

• The children I prayed so long to have? . . . just annoyed me - just got in the way of getting things done.
• The husband God saw fit to bless me with? . . . just needed quality time . . . one more thing I had to 'give'.
• The friends I'm so fortunate to do life with? . . . I dissed in order to work - AGAIN!
• The mother-in-law? . . . didn't even call her on her birthday.
• The blog? . . . I haven't typed an entry in a week.

It's true! I suck!

It wasn't until tonight, when I was putting my 1 year old to bed (hastily) that I realized what a truly sucky person I have been. Instead of walking out of the room, listening to her cry herself to sleep, I turned around, picked her back up, and took time to rock her to sleep.

Not only are the people I love missing out on quality time with me, but I am missing out on quality time with them!

In the moments I spent rocking my precious "beautiful, undeserved gift" (that's what her name, Bella Grace, means) to sleep, I prayed a much needed prayer of confession: Forgive me Lord for pushing the amazing gifts you've given me away - all for the sake of WORK! Forgive me for treating them more like interruptions and nuisances instead of treasures! Help me to see the people I love and my work through your eyes - and to balance the two.

Two short weeks ago, my main goal was to "keep the main thing the main thing" - boy have I done a sucky job at that!

I sure am glad that God (and my loved ones) see fit to forgive me when I screw up, and love me despite my suckiness!

How my life changed after Kent linked to me . . .

To get this inside joke click here.

How my life has changed since Kent linked to me:

1. I jumped outside my comfort zone and commented on Kent's heady blog - not once, not twice, but thrice! (I'm not near smart enough to be commenting on his 'deep thoughts' - so I commented on his not-so-deep ones).
2. I made a point to learn how to link to someone else in order to post this entry (notice the highlighted "here" above - I'm so proud!). I certainly wouldn't have been driven to figure it out otherwise.

I'm sure there will be many more ways that being linked to Kent (look I did it again!) will continue to change my life, but we'll just have to wait and see!

The Birds and the Bees

This is how the conversation went:

Faith: Bella is a boy.

Mom: What makes you say that?

Faith: Well, she has short hair, so she's a boy.

Mom: Just because she has short hair doesn't mean she's a boy. She's just a girl with short hair. (pause) How can you tell the difference between boys and girls?

Faith: (whispering) By looking at their privacy area (while motioning toward her nether region).

Mom: That's right. Do you know what a girls private area is called?

Faith: A veegina.

Mom: Right, a vagina. What about a boys?

Faith: They have peanuts.

Mom: (trying her hardest to suppress a giggle) Peanuts!? You silly goose. It's called a penis!


Obviously I have some work to do!

I'm sick of being a referee!

Do you ever feel like that guy in the middle?

That's me today! My main job is not cleaning the house, it's not working - it's keeping the peace between my Faith and Bella. Ugh!

If I had a nickle for every time Faith was snatching something out of Bella's hands, pushing Bella away, or annoying her an any way, shape or form, I would be a millionaire by now (and would no longer need to be making the large dollar working in ministry)!

It's so sad, but I can't wait for Bella's naptime so there is some level of peace in my home!

This makes me think of my poor mother . . . If memory serves, she had it even worse with my brother and me. We were like oil and water growing up! I'm sure we gave my mom some good incentive to jump off a cliff from time to time! Sorry Mom!

I certainly appreciate all she did to raise my brother and I to be fairly normal, loving adults. I just hope my kids turn out alright!

In the meantime, I'll just keep blowing the whistle, so to speak, and try to do it lovingly!