Meet our newest cousin

Welcome Lucy May Pickering! She is gorgeous. Proud parents are Josh and Melissa. Melissa is Billy's "baby" cousin. Yeah!!!

Idol Recap

American Idol Recap (from my little view)… “Off we go “ – oh I can’t believe I say this, but I miss you Simon!
Jacob – “Man in the Mirror” – I love MJ. I don’t usually love Jacob but tonight– I thought he was great. I think it’s cute and sweet that he wouldn’t sing a song about “doing the nasty.” That made me smile. I really thought he was great! Steven liked it. Jennifer liked it. They both called it beautiful. Randy liked it. I wish more people would stand up for the morals they believe in. Way to go!!

Hailey – Janis Joplin’s “Piece of my Heart” – good start. Man, her hair is big. That would make me nuts. She has a cool rasp to her voice. But if I’m honest, it sounds a little screamish sometimes. I do like her overall image though. She’s had some rough weeks but the last few have been better. I like her, but tonight was just okay. Judges all seem to like it. “Wow” they say.

Casey - oh my, never know what this cat’s gonna do. Holy moly, he’s playing the bass. Impressively talented. “Have you ever seen the rain? “ CCR – I’m a little young for them, but I do know this song. I like this performance. I think he is entertaining. Randy says “you made the upright bass cool.” Steven says “you’re a true musician.” Jennifer said something about front row… Overall very good.

Lauren – “Natural Woman” – not a fan of the shorts with tights/boots combo, but I think she can flat out sing! Her performances are sometimes a little flat to me. Maybe it’s because she’s so young. I mean who could really make her feel like a woman? This one is just okay for me. Wonder what the judges have to say? Steven just said you just growded up – what?? The judges liked it more than I did.

James – “something about a guitar” – by a Beatles guy. Ummm. I like the Beatles, but don’t know this one. Let’s see. I really like this guy’s story. I work with a lot of kiddos with tourette syndrome, so I TRULY admire him!!! I actually really like this performance. I do not understand this song, but I really really like this performance! Rocker goes a little softer. Judges agree with me. Maybe I could get a gig on idol? I mean who wouldn’t want a mommy’s opinion?

Scotty – “That’s alright momma” – ELVIS – okay lets do it. I love Elvis. I like Scotty. I’m anxious to see what happens here. A little interaction with the audience. Cute. He’s having fun and that’s important. I liked it a lot. I think he’s a doll and has a bright future in Country Music. His confidence has really grown and that really shows. What in the world is up with the little girls mobbing him on stage? Weird. Judges also liked it!

Pia – Tina Turner - man, Pia is beautiful. Weird outfit, but she is so pretty. I don’t know this song, but from my perspective, she’s doing awesome on it. Jennifer looks like she’s on a bouncy ball. What’s up with that? Wow – Pia has an amazing voice!!!! She’s been my favorite from the beginning. Steven – “you killed it.” Jennifer – “amazing.” Randy – you delivered.

Stefano – Percy Sledge – “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Stefano usually reminds me of a Glee cast member, so let’s see what happens. (ps – I love Glee, so that’s not a bad thing.) Pretty good if you ask me. But still Glee-like. Can’t really describe it better than that. He’s a cutie though. Prolly gonna keep getting lots of young girl votes. Judges like him a lot. Randy didn’t like it as much as Steven and Jennifer.

Paul- Johnny Cash – oooh. This could be good. OH WOW. I love this. He is Billy’s favorite this season. Very very very good in my opinion! He is so original. He dances like a freak, but I really really like him. He is an amazing performer. My personal favorite of the night! Hooray! Randy loved it. Steven loved it. Jennifer loved it. Yes.

(AI producers if you happen upon my bloggy, feel free to contact me for my monetary reward for the commentary. Thankyouverymuch.)

Run the Bluegrass

Well, I reached another fitness milestone yesterday... (drum roll please) I RAN THE LEXINGTON HALF MARATHON! Hooray. 13.1 miles to be exact. And I didn't stop. And my time was pretty darn good (2 hours 9 minutes)!


It was so much fun to run with with of my very best friends, Whitney and some of her sweet running buddies from Lexington. Whitney and I met at Transy - she was really my first friend there. On my 18th birthday, she brought me a twinkie with a candle in it and really... the rest is history. She is an amazing friend and an amazing mother of 4 precious little kiddos and I'm so thankful to call her my friend. She's the kind of friend that whenever we're together, it seems as though we were never apart. Even though we don't see each other regularly, we always have fun together. AND, did I mention that we ran a half marathon??? I'll say it one more time - we ran 13.1 miles!!! It was a beautiful course - through the Kentucky Horse Park and beyond. The sun was coming up, momma horses and their foals were galloping in the distance - just a perfect perfect morning. We wore these cute little butterfly wing headbands and we were just too cute.



Happy Monday - and can I just encourage you- if you have a certain fitness goal in mind - take it easy. Rejoice in baby steps. Sing hallelujahs for big steps. Pace yourself and BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

"I did it. Oh Yeah. I did it."

Well, we are at it once again. We've been "talking" about potty training Jonathan around these parts for a while now. Today, sweet hallelujah, he showed interest! AND HE ACTUALLY WENT PEE PEE ON THE POTTY 7 times. He wore underwear all day and only had one accident. Hooray! It is so funny - when we goes, even if it's only a few drops, he gets so excited and says - "I did it. I did it. Oh Yeah. Oh Yeah." And dances around like a little crazy guy. It is GREAT! I really need to figure out how to post video on here.

So, now... the hard part is for me. I need to stick with it and make him sit on the potty every 45 mins or so until he gets used to his little body. We didn't make stinkies on the potty today, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow. I can't pass up this little opportunity!

I can't believe my baby boy is getting so big. *sigh*

Final Four Baby!!!! (and some other randomness)

That's us celebrating - sorry for the poor pic quality. Yahoo! UK is going to the final four. Holy Moly. What a great day in Kentucky! We enjoyed the game with our friends, the Gaithers. Our boys - all four of them, were GREAT! What's your favorite color baby, BLUE and WHITE!

Also - did you know that MOM upside down looks like WOW? Coincidence? I think not!

Snow in March - late March? Wrong! Just wrong!

I am nervous about going to the new Kroger because I don't know the order of the aisles. I have been planning out my weekly meals since the beginning of the year and making my grocery list accordingly. One of my new years resolutions and I've actually kept it for the most part. But, I could make my list according to the order of the aisles in Kroger so I can be in and out in a jiffy. OCD much? Yep, I admit it.

One of my other new years resolutions - to start couponing - hasn't happened yet. I need a tutorial. Any volunteers?

I had to go to a training on ethics on Friday as a requirement for my social work license. It was B-O-R-I-N-G. But necessary.

My boys have been almost perfect this weekend. I know I brag on them a lot on here, but really, I can't remember such a great weekend in a very long time. No real agenda. Lots of special activities. Treats for awesome behavior.

We ate inside two restaurants this weekend. Granted, one was McDonalds. But still - we dined inside TWICE and it was perfect. If you are around us much at meal time, you know that is MAJOR!!! We aren't the best at making our kiddos stay in their seats during meals at home. They eat a bit and then they are off to play. Then they come back... you get the drill. SO, eating out isn't one of our favorite activities But, I was so proud this weekend.

There you have it... random, see? Happy Sunday! Hope your weekend was filled with precious memories too.

a little advice?

So, something weird in the world of mommy-hood happened today and I'm not exactly sure how to handle it (or I guess how to handle it in the future...) There's tons of kids on our street and it is fun in the spring. Everyone is out, running and playing. As soon as we drive up today from getting Jacob from Preschool, a little girl rides up on her bike. She is 5. ONLY 5!!!! She lives at least 8 houses away at the end of our side of the street. So, I told my boys they had to play in the back yard because I was going to cook lunch (thank you fenced in back yard.) Jacob asked the girl to come play. She did. Of course, I don't mind this. The more the merrier! But, I just couldn't get it out of my mind that her parents probably had NO idea where she was and they definitely couldn't see her or her bike if they peeked out to check on her. So I asked her if her parents were home. She said her daddy was and he didn't care if she played. So then, it was lunch time. She asked for lunch too - which again, I totally don't mind, but this whole thing was making me feel super weird. So, I asked her to hop on her bike and ride down and tell her daddy she was at our house and eating lunch. She did and returned really quickly. She ate lunch and stayed another hour or so after that. I hated to, but I asked her to leave since it is rest time. So she rode off back down the street, still not a parent in sight.

so advice??? how should I handle this in the future? I totally welcome her playing here, I just freak out at the thought of my boys going to a complete starnger's house eating lunch and stuff. It's one thing to ride bikes and play in the yards, but inside? Oh me, I just didn't know what to do. My boys were having the time of their lives and she seemed to have fun too. I hate to sound judgmental, but what was her dad thinking???? what if ( I know I'm getting close to crazy on this one) but what if I was a crazy serial killer or pedophile??? She could have been in danger. I know it might seem like overkill, but I don't exactly let the boys out of my sight when they are out front! I keep a close watch on them every second. So, what if the pages were turned and it was my boys who just jumped in cars or asked to go to strangers houses. YIKES!!!

Ten Terrific Tuesday Tidbits

Jonathan style:
1. You say “you can’t catch me not so fast.” 117 times a day – and when you do, it’s a little sing-songy.
2. You love cereal. I mean you are obsessed. I’m worried about your teeth! I’m trying to brush extra since you are getting about 3 bowls of sugary cereal each day. (Kirby, don’t read!)
3. You have shown a little interest in potty training, but honestly, mommy hasn’t put forth the proper effort. I need to just buckle down and do it. You are very stubborn so I have a lot of anxiety about this process.
4. You have inherited my OCD-like qualities. (Sorry!) You like to line things up and get freaked out if anything is not as it should be – a speck of dirt on your cup, tags on your shirt. Oddly though, things like inside out socks and dirt on your face don’t faze you one little bit.
5. You have quite the entourage at nite nite time. You have “bear,” “monkey,” “elephant,” “teddy bear” and “lady bug.” Stop the world with the originality of their names.
6. You love going to Walmart, which you call “mallmart.”
7. Your speech is very clear now. But, you stutter sometimes. Should I be worried???
8. You love going to “ex –a-size” with me and it is so cute. You even try the stretches.
9. You HATE me touching your ears. Consequently, you have the dirtiest ears on the planet. Sorry kiddo!
10. I signed you up for (GULP!) preschool last month and can’t believe it’s already time for that.



Jacob man:
1. You are so very bright. I love how much you are learning these days! You have the best memory!
2. You still like superheroes, but your obsession has cooled somewhat.
3. YOU ARE SLEEPING ON YOUR OWN AND IT IS AWESOME!!!! I couldn’t me more proud of you! Santa’s letter to you had a real impression. (Santa said to Jacob, “I sure hope you start sleeping on your own before I come see you next year!”)
4. You have a very kind heart. I hope it always stays that way and that you never experience heart ache. I know you will, but I wish I could take it away.
5. Along with that kind heart, you wear your emotions on your sleeve. When you get upset, it’s not at all uncommon for me to hear, “I don’t want to play with you ever again.” Or “I wanna live in a new house.” “Growllllll. I’m mad at you.”
6. Sometimes you hurt my feelings (see number 6) and I have a hard time with that.
7. You can be the BEST helper most of the time. You love helping me dust and wash the dishes. I need to be more patient and let you do it, even though it takes twice as long. It really is good quality time for the two of us.
8. You also love cereal, but not as much as your brother.
9. You love to wear the boots that Pa and Grammy got you for Christmas. And you love to get yourself dressed. Sometimes you look like a little ragamuffin. Short pants, mismatched shirts, comfy pants and boots… but you try so hard. I try not to correct.
10. You can get dressed, brush your teeth, pour your milk (if the milk gallon is less than half full), put on most of your shoes, zip your jacket and buckle your seatbelt all by yourself. How did you get so grown up my little angel?

Play anyone?

So, often, people ask me "what do you do at your job?" Sometimes, I have to remember that other than my MAIN j-o-b of domestic goddess, I do have a part time job. I am a therapist at Square One: Specialists in Child and Adolescent Development. I work with kids and families with some type of behavior/mental illness. And often, since I work with kids, the medium I use is PLAY! Really???? What did that say? Yep, I get to play all day long. In fact, I'm working toward a special license in play therapy. AND.I.LOVE.IT!

I was fortunate to get to go to Kentucky's play therapy conference last week. And the topic was using play when working with families who have endured some trauma. Well, I came back totally inspired. The trainer, Eliana Gil, was fantastic! She taught many techniques and this was the most practical conference I've ever attended.

She demonstrated several therapy ideas that involved the use of miniatures. You know, little figures like animals, super heroes, princesses, dragons, etc. I learned that I will never ever throw away any more happy meal toys!

So, I'm shamelessly going to ask that if anyone have any little figures that they don't want or plan to throw away, PLEASE think of me first and I'll be happy to take them and put them to good use. I have several that I've collected through the years do do sand tray therapy (a whole other post), but my collection is still very small. Thanks all!

What's your favorite color baby?

BLUE and WHITE!!!!!

C-A-T-S!! Cats Cats Cats!




So, today, we watched our beloved Wildcats win another SEC championship. What fun! The boys like the Cats too, but they don't get into a whole 2 hour game. Lucky for us, it was nap/rest time!

We think they got ripped off getting a 4 seed in the big dance - don't you??? And Florida got a 2? Not fair, not fair!

Billy always hosts a bracket challenge for his work. I don't know if he's gonna be able to do it this year because next weekend is his biggest work weekend of the year. But I hope he does. Because he's really good at it. And sometimes even wins. And that means a trip to Pottery Barn for this happy momma! :-) (I know my high school English teacher would be shattered if she read all those sentence fragments.)

Random facts

So, I’m jumping on the bandwagon and following Megan, Rachie and Shubie and doing the random facts post. Sadly, I’m older that the others and more than 30 facts just seems like overkill, so I’ll go with 21 facts – because my anniversary is May 21.
1. I hate veggies – except green beans. It’s embarrassing, really!
2. If chocolate milk were beer, I’d be in major trouble. Not just any chocolate milk, but Nestle Quik – YUMMO!!
3. I’ve always loved babies and kids. I started babysitting when I was 12 and was really good at it! I even made sure I washed all dishes and houses were perfectly clean when families returned home. Oh how I wish I could make me house perfectly clean now!
4. When I was in 8th grade, I was on national TV. Seriously – America’s Funniest Videos crew was traveling through my town and they called my high school to see if some students would help do the pre-commercial promo…. “after these messages, America’s Funniest Videos will be right back.” What a sad little claim to fame.
5. I like to dip almost anything and everything I eat in either ketchup or barbeque sauce.
6. I have never seen the Star Wars movies all the way through. Every time I try, I fall asleep.
7. One of my favorite memories from middle school and high school was playing “Girl Talk” with my besties, Amanda, Belinda and Beth. Do any of you remember that game???
8. I once tried to “be a rebel” and take my dad’s truck out for a spin before I was 16. I got as far as the garage and started the truck before my big ole conscience told me to go back upstairs.
9. I broke my wrist in 4th grade - my wrist bone still sticks out a little crazy.
10. Once, my sister hid my piano books and it kept me from going on a fun trip to Huntsville, AL. Mean mean sister!
11. The day I found out I was preggo with Jacob, I went to lunch at Taco Bell - when I walked in, I almost threw up. Shortly after that, I went to Kroger and bought a pregnancy test. First, I NEVER eat Taco Bell, and it sounded good. Second, the urge to throw up was just too strong to ignore!
12. I got to go on a special trip to Europe the summer after I graduated from High School. I had to pay half. 
13. My first job, other than babysitting was at Bugle Boy factory outlet store. I can still fold a mean t-shirt.
14. I accepted Christ when I was 11 years old because I was afraid of dying. I really began to know who Christ was during college. Now, my relationship with Him means everything to me. I can’t fathom life as a young mommy without Jesus as my guide!
15. My favorite pizza is Wicks – hands down.
16. I think I should have taken stock in pampers or huggies – or Target, since now I use the Target brand diapers.
17. I may pull my hair out potty training my sweet little Jonathan. He has shown interest the last few days, but today said, “when I’m three, I’ll use the potty.” Well, allrighty then. That’s settled.
18. I love love love hanging out with my family. Immediate and extended.
19. I am super competitive about some things – like board games. Look out!
20. I have seen every single episode of Beverly Hills 90210 – some more than once. And if I get the chance, I still watch re-runs on the Soap channel’s “breakfast in bed” every Saturday.
21. I’m madly in love with my hubby and feel like the luckiest woman on the planet to be walking through life. We are so much alike, it’s scary.

Okay - leave me a comment with a couple of random facts about you! Can't wait!

Bubbles + Baloons + Blankets + Boys = FUN!!!

laides and gentlemen of the jury

I’m here today to present the facts. Once the facts are presented, I’m sure you, the jury, can determine what these little facts mean. They are irrefutable and sometimes irresistible:
• Forgotten toilet seats left up
• Pee stains on the toilet seat (and some on the floor surrounding the potty)
• Weapons made from the most simple household items
• Wrestling matches nearly every hour (I mean minute)
• Dirty fingernails
• Stinky shoes and socks
• Stinky toots that make the crowd erupt in laughter and giggles
• Balls, hoops, bats, tees, helmets, etc. are found quite frequently
• Cars, legos and superheros are constantly underfoot
• “to infinity and beyond” followed by loud thumps from jumping off furniture
• “Hey bubby, watch this” also followed by loud thumps from jumping off
furniture
• “Betcha can’t beat me” -heard loud and clear throughout the house
• Grass-stained knees on jeans
• Scuffed up shoes
• Bubble wars
• Dirty faces
• Bed heads
• Slobbery kisses
• Dance parties
• Endless games of hide and seek

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury - what say you? Have you reached a verdict?




Yep, you guessed it. I am in fact surrounded by sweet little boys and one big handsome boy. I am outnumbered. There is no shortage of testosterone in this house. And. I. Love. It!

Live Strong

So, I've talked on here before about my journey to wellness and weight loss. Still on that journey and loving almost every second of it. It's a huge sacrifice to fit exercise into the busy life of a mommy, but for me, it is oh so worth it. And, I need to publicly thank my husband for his support and for helping me make time for it. Currently, I am training for the Lexington Mini-marathon on April 2. So you can hold me accountable on my training, okay? I need all the encouragement that I can get. I ran 8 miles this past weekend and will try to do a 9+ mile run this weekend. Holy moly... Here's my problem though. The more I run, the more I wanna eat. And I mean eat fatty stuff. I'm craving pizza and french fries. Not good. Not good. Does anyone have any advice for some good filling foods that I can eat after a run? (Keep in mind that I am super picky!)

I have also reacquainted myself with a great website that I would recommend to anyone. www.livestrong.com - there's a thing on there called "my Plate" that allows you to track every thing you put in your mouth as well as how many calories you burn. So, it's kind of like Weight Watchers, except it doesn't work on points - only calories. It breaks things down nutritionally - lets you see how much protein, fiber, fat, sugar, etc. you are consuming. I have learned that my fiber intake is severely low and that my sugar intake is usually too high. It allows you to type in your weight and weight loss goals (mine is currently to lose 1 lb a week) and it gives you a maximum amount of calories you can consume each day. It corrects for exercise too, which is really nice!

Check it out and let me know what you think. Also, if you happen to see me, be sure to ask if I've tracked my progress on Live Strong that day!

I love weekends!

This is the real reason my hubby wanted boys! So he would "have" to play video games with them. :-) Startin' them early! I love weekends with no agenda. That makes this momma happy!

Things not to say to a SAHM

So, I was reading this trashy magazine today (nothing else interesting around!) and read something that I thought was funny and true. The list was titled "top ten things not to say to a stay at home mom." Now, I'm not a complete stay at home mom, granted. But I feel like it. I work on Wednesdays and Thursdays - yep, working now. One of my patients canceled, so I have a little free time. :-) But, I get to stay at home with my sweet boys the other 5 days of the week. So I consider myself a "stay at home most of the time mom." I thought the list was so funny, I'd come up with my own. Here's my top things not to say to a stay at home mom. Feel free to leave your own in the comments! :-)
1. "Didn't you wear those same pants yesterday?"
2. "Wow - you look nice. I usually only see you in sweats and with no makeup."
3. "You did brush your teeth today, right?"
4. "Oh, you stay at home. What a strange way to use your college degree." (read - what a waste of money)
5. "Wow. With you being home all day, I'm surprised your house isn't spotless!"
6. "When your kiddos get big, do you think you'll get a real job?"
7. "What in the world do you do with your all that free time?"
8. "Boy, I wish my hubby was as successful as yours so I could stay home all day long."
9. "Why do you want to go shopping? All you ever wear is sweats."
10. "Who needs adult interaction when you have Barney and Mickey and the Backyardigans and Veggie Tales to listen to."

My hubby rocks!

I have a couple of bloggy posts that are a tad overdue, but it's been a bit crazy around these parts. My hubby and I enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing weekend sans kiddos last weekend. We had lots on our plates, but we were kid free, which just makes things easier sometimes. We missed those little guys, but admittedly, those weekends at Grammy and Pa's are wonderful for all of us. :-) So, how did we fill our time? Friday night, we went to this really cool thing at Southeast Christian Church called "Marriage Rocks." It is a wonderfully awesome time of fellowship, laughter and marriage strengthening. This time, Bebo Norman was the featured speaker/singer. Ya'll should definitely go with us next time - the next one is June 10. :-) Seriously, check your calendars and get a babysitter and come with us!!!

Saturday, we ran some errands and visited with family (billy's grandma is sick and in the hospital - you can pray for her!) and then Saturday night, we had the awesome privilege of speaking at an event called "Love Actually" at Shelbyville FBC. We were honored to share our story - one of love and redemption and faithfulness and joy and all that "happily ever after" stuff. We were even more honored to share the truth about God's grace and truth as it relates to purity in relationships. "Love Actually" was a program for high school students and their parents and the entire focus was on staying pure until marriage - all in God's plan and timing. At the end of the evening, parents were given the opportunity to present a purity ring to their children who will in turn give that ring to their spouse on their wedding day. Neat stuff. Really neat stuff.

To start our talk, we took off our sweaters to reveal these cool shirts! Fun times!


We also participated in a "not so newlywed" game and oh man, I'm sad to report that we lost. :-( Oh well...

We've volunteered in student ministry off and on throughout our entire relationship and we are currently teaching seniors in HS. We love those kids and pray God's blessings over them in every area of their lives. What a privilege to share in their lives even for a moment.

Parenting with Grace

I am continually learning lessons from my children. I hope they learn half as much from me as I learn from them. Seriously! This blog is full of the good, the bad, and the ugly, so I'm just warning that this one isn't full of good. For some reason, my lovely children have chosen the last two days to drive me nine kinds of crazy. I am serious. Now as a disclaimer, I must say that 95% of yesterday and today were perfect days with my children. But the other 5% - well that's where all the kinds of crazy comes in. Bedtime has been particularly challenging, for some reason. I am probably blowing their disobedience out of proportion (could be because I've had a head cold and cough for 6 stinkin weeks and can't sleep very well!!!!!), but it just seems like everything is a fight. We do the exact same thing every single night. Why have the past two nights been tough??? No clue. Let me just be real honest and say that last night, I sucked as a mom at nite nite time. Seriously, if I was grading myself, I would have given me an F. Tonight, I've been so much better. Last night I threw my own little temper tantrum and it.wasn't.pretty. I raised my voice. I stomped my feet. I spanked. Oh gosh, I feel guilty even typing that. I apologized to both my sweeties this morning. :( Anyway... tonight, even though they've challenged me, I am patiently sitting in their room listening to them breathe and thanking God for these sweet boys who stretch my faith every day.

So here's my lesson learned (or that I am trying to learn.....). Tonight I got to go for a run. 50 glorious minutes of alone time. I heart to run - for lots of reasons, but the alone time is one of the best. Some of my most passionate prayers happen when I'm running. One of the songs on my iPod is an old one - "your love is deep." Based on the scripture in Ephesians that talks about the depth and width of the love of Christ. God really spoke to me through that song. If I am to be a living picture of who Jesus is to my children, I have to do better. I have to love deeper, wider, higher and longer. God's love is deep - so should mine be. God's love is wide - so should mine be. God's love is high - so should mine be... you get the picture, right? Even when they challenge my authority and act like snotty-nosed little brats (sorry!), I am called to show patience and love and parent them with grace - not with threats and a temper tantrum that isn't productive for anyone.

Walking through parenthood sure is a scary job. It's a learning experiment, that's for certain. I do love them. With all my being. I just hope I can be the kind of mommy that Jesus would have me be. That's the desire of this tired momma's heart tonight. :-) What about ya'll - what's the desire of your heart?

oops, I did it again.

Oh my goodness. Never fails. I can be so prepared. I know exactly what is needed. I talk to myself and say "remember, get in and get out. Fast." No matter how much self talk I do to prepare myself, I always fail... today, I visited Target (one of my favorite places!) and literally needed two things: conversation heart candy - my assignment for Jacob's Valentine party at preschool and suckers to attach to his little friends' Valentines cards. Do you think for a second I walked out of T.A.R.G.E.T with just those two items? Of course not. I just had to peruse the $1 spot and (uh oh) the craft spot. I picked up some glue sticks, letter stickers, glitter glue and some other fun stuff for our Valentines Palooza party on Monday. Oh and some work out pants that were on clearance. Those darn little red clearance stickers get me every single time. Oh Target.... I love to hate you. :-)

You gotta check this out!

One of my hobbies the last year or so has become "blog stalking." I mean seriously - I love to read blogs. I love the ones my friends write and I even love the ones my friends' friends write. Yep, I read the blogs of complete strangers. Nosey much? Hmmm, I admit it. I am absolutely nosey! And I absolutely love it. I love hearing stories about motherhood and kids and trying to make sense out of parenting. I can use all the advise I can get, afterall! So, one example of a friend's friend that I've "met" in bloggy world is my friend Rachie's friend Megan Terry. Her blog (www.millionsofmiles.com) is amazing. I don't even know Megan, but I feel strongly connected to her. She is a mommy of three and is hilarious. i love her daily dose of reality - she tells it like it is. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I totally respect her for that! Her third critter is an adorable little boy named Miles whom she and her family adopted from the Congo in Africa. OH MY WORD... I could eat him. He is full of sweetness. When I see his pictures on her bloggy, I am immediately taken back to the beautiful children I encountered from Zimbabwe 7 years ago. Part of my heart will always be with the children of Africa, specifically Zimbabwe, since I was there, immersed in their lives and culture for a brief period. God has been laying that country and all of Africa on my heart for much of the last 8 years or so. So, through Megan's journey, I have re-lived a little of my passion. Go check out her blog. It is awesome!!!!

While you're there, make sure you enter to win a chance for one of two awesome vacations. Proceeds go to children of the Congo and Haiti. www.millionsofmiles.com


Enjoy!

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