MamaMommyOnlineThe Story of Everyday Life
Now that I am no longer trying to kill myself via Graduate classes (at least for this semester), I have more time to read. YAY! I am still learning to navigate the Goodreads.com website (which is awesome), but I thought I’d post this to practice 
“I like big books and I cannot lie.”
I got this from another Pintrest Post, but I can’t find the original 
This turned out great!
Pinned via web
I love Pintrest! I have several projects I’d like to try, but this is my first. I’m one of those people that wishes she were crafty, and since I’m not I copy other people’s stuff Even then, the original is almost always better, but I don’t care at all. I just love doing this kind of stuff!
I can’t seem to find the original post for this, but I remembered the directions and put it together. Click on the Crafts Page on the right for instructions~
I am a Facebook junkie. I totally admit it. I have kept in touch with people I might not normally have had a chance to talk with, reconnected with people that had faded (thank goodness!), and watched the lives of many unfold. As adults we say that time goes by too fast. As parents we say time is blazing by and it needs to slow down. When you put those two things together, time becomes a centrifugal vortex which we grasp with our fingernails, just hoping it won’t fling us off. Well, at least that’s how I feel.
Facebook, however, has amplified the feeling that time is slipping away! I see people post things like this:
1. OMG we are going to be parents! We’ve been married for 8 years, how is it time already?!
2. I can’t believe my son/daughter just got their driving licence! Where did time go?!
3. My husband is coming home after 18 months overseas with the troops. Time is dragging so slowly…can’t wait to see him!
4. OMG the baby is on the way! Will keep you posted! Where did the time go?
5. I’m posting pictures of my son/daughter going off to kindergarten. I feel like he/she was just born! How can this be?
Of course, these are all relatively happy things that result in “Likes” and virtual hugs, wishes of good luck, and blessings sent. There are the sad ones too:
1. My grandfather passed away today. Miss you grandpa! Where did the time go?
2. Jackson (not my son) has been at Children’s for 10 months and is fighting another infection. He’s only 8.
3. My wife/husband and I have decided to divorce. It has been a long 5 year fight, but it’s time to go our separate ways. Has it been 5 years already?
4. Our house flooded today because of a broken water pipe. All of my holiday decorations and pictures of loved ones are ruined. It will take ages to clean this up!
5. Our high school friend died today. Please call me or message me for details about the service. I need your support, and would like to offer mine. Have we really reached that age that our friends start dying?
These are the ones that make us pause. These are the ones that make us take a secret sigh of relief that it’s not us this time; tragedy has knocked on someone else’s door.
All of these things, good and bad, remind us that time is going by too damn fast. We sometimes live vicariously through the posts of others, wishing we could fly to the Bahamas, afford a new car, buy a huge new house, and give expensive presents. We get upset, angry, jealous, and sad when we see others get more than we have.
Facebook, however, also give us the chance to see pictures of nieces and nephews who live far away hit milestones in their lives. We see people come up out of emotional darkness, come to spiritual understandings, come to terms with difficulties and not only survive, but thrive. We watch them celebrate LIFE.
Do I feel that life is zipping by faster than I can comprehend? Yes. Are there moments I wish I could savor forever? Without a doubt. Are there days that break my heart and cause me to wish time would go faster….just so I can come out the other side of sadness? Of course. However, I don’t think Facebook is a bad thing at all. It makes me feel old sometimes, but I’d rather feel old than never make some of the great connections I have.
Do I want life to stop? Absolutely not. I want to continue to share in the moments of people I care about. Sure, there are people on my Friends list I hardly talk to, and there are times when I purge the list, but in general, I like to keep the lines of communication open.
Just in case something amazing happens.
Because time, does indeed, go by too fast.
This is my new favorite thing, ever, ever, ever! Pintrest is an awesome website dedicated to all things craft, fashion, food, decor….just about anything! I found a great recipe on the website with a link to the original. It was awesome! I used a little more bacon, and because I was having a large Christmas morning gathering, I increased amounts, but overall stuck to the recipe. Delish!
YOU MUST visit Pinterst! You need an invitation, so ask around…most likely, someone you know is a member. If not, ask me! It’s free!
Source: alattewithotta.blogspot.com via Kaley on Pinterest
Once the family, friends, and let’s face it, a few people you can’t stand leave after the holiday, one question often remains: What the heck am I going to do with all this ham?! I understand not everyone cooks a ham, but I found tons of recipes for ham and since I’m going to have lots left over, well…that’s what it is.
So, I found all of these on allrecipes.com, Food.com, and FoodNetwork.com. I love the look of all of them. I won’t be able to try all of them, but if you chose one, let me know how it goes!
Merry Christmas and happy eating
For full recipes, please click on the Breakfast and the Dinner Pages on the Right~
…and I don’t have a fireplace. Bummer. I do, however, had a huge fenced yard filled with things for the kids to play with. Sadly, they are wimps and refuse to go outside because it’s too cold! What?! When I was their age, I put on every item of clothing I owned, played until I had to pee, came inside and stripped while doing the pee-dance, put it all back on and headed outside again.
Apparently, I have raised children that are afraid of losing limbs just because it’s 20 degrees outside. This is a frustrating time of year for everyone, and the last thing I need are squirrley children climbing the walls. As I write this, they are currently having an epic battle over a plastic army guy, a Matchbox car, and a piece of string. If they don’t knock it off soon, I am tempted to physically toss them outside with coats, boots, mittens, and hats to follow.
In order to keep my sanity this Christmas Break, I am going to have to find things for these two to do before I hunker down in a darkened room with a bottle of wine, a security blanket, and a copy of Barry Manilow’s “Because it’s Christmas” CD.
So Yakima, here are some options…just in case you are as close to the edge as I am
INKLINGS BOOKSHOP STORY TIME. 10 a.m. toddler story time each Tuesday. Chalet Place, 5629 Summitview Ave., Yakima; 509-965-5830.
KIDS’ CASTLE 2-FOR-1 DAY. Open at 10 a.m.; call for closing. Two kids play for the price of one. Cost: $2.50 up to age 2; ages 3 and older are $5.25 for one hour or $8 unlimited; weekend rates are higher. Clean socks required. Located inside Gymnastics Plus, 2121 W. Lincoln Ave., Yakima; 509-453-8126.
THE CHILDREN’S UNDERGROUND @ The Yakima Valley Museum. The Underground is open Monday-Friday from 1pm-5pm. Admission to the Children’s Underground with paid admission to the museum.
YAKIMA VALLEY REGIONAL LIBRARY CALENDAR With 18 regional branches, the Yakima Regional Library has lots of events and a very full calendar! Two events are listed below, but check out their calendar for even more.
CHRISTMAS CRAFT DAY FOR KIDS @ the Moxee Library. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Christmas crafts for kids. 255 W. Seattle, Moxee; 509-575-8854.
TEEN TUESDAY @ the Selah Library. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Teens can hang out and enjoy fun activities. 106 South Second Street, Selah; 509-698-7345.
Now that my semester is almost over (just 3 more days!) I have the energy to post more often…which is a good thing for my family and my sanity.
So, in honor of my upcoming celebrations (1 day, 29 hours, 1,754 minutes), here are some cocktail recipes I am sure to enjoy!
For full recipes and instructions, click on the Snacks and Appetizers Page on the right~
Thanks to:
Once again, it has been awhile since I have been able to post. I have finally admitted that I may be trying to do too much. We moved to a newer/bigger house and have been busy, busy, busy! In addition, I’m finishing up fall semester at Heritage University, and of course, I am always busy being a full time mom, wife, and teacher.
We had parent conferences this week and I learned something valuable from a student. This 8th grader is just like me. She worries about her grades even though she is a great student and always does well, she participates in lots of activities, and she stresses. Dear lord, does she stress. Her mother brought her in hoping I could talk some sense into her. Apparently, this young lady loses sleep, and worries constantly about doing well in school so she can get into a good college. Her mom is worried she is obsessing and is trying to get her daughter to trust in herself and her ability.
I sat down with them for quite awhile and did my best to explain to her that too much worry will be harmful to her health, both mentally, and physically. I let her know she is bright, funny, interesting, and courageous. She helps take care of a young brother with a disability, and her grandmother who is in bad health. She plays sports, takes honors classes, and manages to do volunteer work on top of it all.
She seemed to be listening carefully and after our conversation, her mother thanked me. She said her daughter respects me as a teacher, and looks up to me as a person. I nearly cried! After they left I thought about what I had said, and realized I need to take my own advice. I need to slow down, appreciate what I have instead of worrying about what I don’t, and I need to accept myself just as I am. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I don’t need to push myself so hard that I miss out on what is right in front of me.
I haven’t liked myself for months because I am pulled in so many directions, that I don’t feel like I am doing a good job in any of the areas in which I work so hard. I’m not sure that made sense, but the gist of it is this: I am going to spend more time with my family and less time rewriting a paper for a class I am taking because I can’t live with an A-. I am going to play more with my children and hug my husband more often. I am also taking a semester off, which, if you know me, is almost like asking me to cut off a leg. I don’t stop. EVER. But, after the panic subsided, it actually started to feel pretty good.
Thank you, 8th grade student and mom. You taught me something today, and I promise to always try to do what is best for me and my family. I will make an effort to appreciate who I am, love the person I have become, and embrace my imperfections.
I was going to write something witty about Halloween, but I ran out of steam. I’m not feeling witty today, but I am feeling grateful. My kids are growing so fast, I find myself secretly wishing they would just stop growing. Just for a few months. They change too fast and before you know it, a week, a month, a year has passed.
Jackson is seven and is sounding more grown up every day. He uses words like, “actually”, “rather”, and “suppose” and phrases like, “That’s sick!” “Fail!” and “Duh, mom.” Wait, what?! Watch it mister. He’s also obsessed with movie quotes. I asked him to pick up his room and he said, “What do ya want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?!” Thank you for that Timon (Lion King). He also thinks it’s funny to make farting noises with his armpits and give his brother wedgies. Sigh…. (insert frazzled but happy picture of myself here).
William lives in his own little imaginary world, and there are moments when I hear him talking to himself as he plays. Just the other day while messing with army guys he said, “Deploy soldiers!” Deploy? I’m sure he heard this from a movie or something. I have to believe that, because I’m not sure I knew what that word was until I was in high school. If he’s using it on his own, I’ll have my hands full by the time he is eleven. I bent down to zip his jacket today and he whispered, “Yes, your majesty” to me and blew me a kiss. Now THAT made me smile from ear to ear.
I think this is the time of year when I start to snuggle in with my family. Life slows down a little and gives me just enough time to be thankful for a few moments before things change again. I send up silent prayers often while watching them play, and try to memorize every instant I have with them. Watching them grow is bittersweet, and if I think about how much I love them, how much they define me, I get weepy. Of course, when this happens, one of them does something to rip me out of my reverie and start scolding again.
So, I watch, and learn, and love, and laugh, and cherish my children. I hold tight to all that they are, and all they will become, and I just pray time will slow down. Just a little.
I am a horrible blogger. I have been running around like a crazy woman, but despite the chaos, I have to say, WELCOME TO AUTUMN! School has started, the kids are back to school, and teachers are wistfully hoping they can keep the momentum of the first few weeks going through the rest of the year. Being a teacher and a mother, I have mixed feelings about the school year but I am thrilled about the change in season.
The mother side of me is a little relieved that September has rolled around. I love my children, but there were days this summer that made me want to pull my hair out. I was getting a little tired of hearing, “Moooom, I’m boooored!” Really? I wanted to scream, “Swimming lessons, art van, music in the park, the Farmer’s Market, afternoons at Kid’s Castle, and trips to visit relatives wasn’t enough to keep you busy?!”
Of course, one hour of free time was just too much and they demanded I entertain them. I didn’t fall into this trap, I am proud to say, and there were whole afternoons where nothing was planned. I was happy to see this lead to imaginative play, sand castles, army guys being launched from the couch, and forts made out of blankets in my living room. My kids colored, blew bubbles, ran amok in the neighborhood, and gave themselves minor injuries….now THAT is a good summer.
As a teacher I am a little sad that my oldest son is starting first grade, my youngest son has a rigorous curriculum at daycare (which is good, but bittersweet), and I am gearing up to grade a mountain of papers. I know all my careful planning will result in students excited to learn (I wish) and ready to expand their minds (if only). I am happy to be at work because I love the people I work with and the students really are fun to be around. Of course, there will be bad days, but I became a teacher because I like kids and I love to see the light come on when something clicks.
As far as the season is concerned….bring it on! Autumn is my favorite season of the year, and for good reason. I am really looking forward to The Central Washington State Fair which means carnival rides, fair food, farm animals in the stables, and a harvest moon. I love to walk through the Agricultural Building and look at the huge squash some little old lady grew in her garden, and the Sunflower heads as big as a dinner platter. My other favorite: Quilts. I love them. I think they are true pieces of craftsmanship and artistry and just the sight of them makes me want to snuggle up on the couch. I have to say, I am an Americana addict, so I could spend all day looking at old farm implements and crafts.
I was happy to read a friend’s post on Facebook last week when she stated that her pumpkins are ripening on the vines (Yay, Tonja). Whoo hoo! Time for roasting pumpkin seeds! Stores are gearing up for Halloween, and I am getting excited for sweater season. The kids are begging for new coats (although I’ll wait until the last minute to buy them. With my luck they’d grow out of them before November!), and they are already planning for Christmas. Jackson wants a remote control car and William wants mittens.
Most importantly, I look to autumn not as an ending, but a beginning. This is the time for apple picking and harvesting which to me, signals all things wonderful. Don’t get me wrong, summer was great, but I am very happy to see Mother Nature paint exquisite landscapes with vibrant colors, wonderful tastes, and delightful smells. Ahhhh….time for some tea, a handmade quilt, and a good book.
