Big girl bed.

A. spent her first night in her very own big girl bed last night.
That sentence all by itself makes me wanna cry.

Problem? Indeed.

Here are some things I know for sure:

Kids = lifetime of happiness

Kids = filthy floors

Thus, my quandary:

filthy floors = lifetime of happiness???

Say it ain't so....

my vacuum cleaner is broken. for the first two weeks, i rolled around in this pretty little tidbit of knowledge like a pig in squalor. loved not having to vacuum. and if anyone should ask me why my floors rivaled a dump yard, simple: my vacuum cleaner is broken.

fast forward two weeks: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
WHY? Why is it broken? I hate, no loathe dirty floors.
I'll probably end up a missionary to a country with dirt floors...
Woe is me!

Naturally.

Someone please tell me why my first instinct with my son when he's aggressive is to spank him...
I know it sounds terrible.
He hits, so you hit him to teach him a lesson.
Perfect logic.
I think I need a time-out...

Everything comes from Wal-Mart.

Last week, A. started obsessing over Wal-Mart.
She would point at something, anything and ask "Did that come from Wal-Mart?"
in the cutest little voice you can imagine.
She has asked about food items, doors, drapery tiebacks, toys, restaurants, dolphins, anatomical parts....
I keep wondering what must be going on in that mind of hers.
Does she think we got HER at Wal-Mart?
Everything does come from Wal-Mart, you know...

Scolding.

I promised the girls at the pool yesterday that I was gonna give a good scolding to any of you that may be avid bloggers.
I went out of town away from my computer for 5 days!
I had budgeted about 2 hours to check blogs - you know catch up with the "in" crowd when I got back. Nothin doin... In a little less than 20 minutes, I had read every post AND comment.
You guys act like you've got something better to do than blog.
I am pretty bummed out about it.
So there it is: your scolding.

Disclaimer: This post goes down much better with a few grains of salt...

Vacation.

Who can say enough about the fun we had on vacation?
The best part is - it's not even over yet!!
I get to spend the rest of this week and the weekend and then a day or two with my sweetie!
These photos only scratch the surface!
We had so much fun!

We're home!

Sorry to be a tease, but this is all I can do for now...
Safe and sound.
Lots of good memories.
LOTS of rain. :(
More to come later!!

TTFN.........................

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

No really. There are a number of things I will most definitely miss....
Just to mention a few, fellow blog addicts, my own bed, doing laundry (no - that's just LA :)
I ran into one of you in wal-mart (you know who you are)
she said, "You've got a laptop, right?"
I seriously considered taking it along......
Alas, it would not really help in the end goal, which is to "get away"
But the real problem is, I really would like to take you gals along, and my parents, and my bed...
And my laundry maid (gotcha M)
SO here's a hug and here's to hoping there's not too much rain while we're there....
Maybe we'll catch you, kdp, I'll keep my eyes open!
TTFN!

Contemplations.

As I sifted through the lumps in my swimsuit yesterday, I thought about my pre-baby body.

In the end, I realized I loved my body then far less than I do now.
Not because of the way it looked back then compared to 2 'gifts' later, but because of all the things my *new and improved* body represent.

I am gradually becoming the person I was created to be.

I am beginning to FEEL acceptable in even the most awkward situation
(i.e. swimsuit modeling.)
Now I know what I look like, and I still long for my cover up to act as a diffuser...
But the thing is, if I had to trade what is happening inside me right now to get the old body back, it would never be a fair trade.

The person I was before I had kids, got married, returned to God - She was not beautiful, not really.

Suffice it to say, I finally like who I am becoming.
A secure, God-lovin' lady - lumps and all!

Love.

I will CHOOSE to love.

That is all.