Tuesday, March 29, 2011

In the Words of Marvin Gaye...

what's going on? This has been just a incredibly draining several weeks. I'm thankful for life, a family that loves and supports me. Friends who are there to listen and make me laugh. I've been surrounded by death, illness and incident after incident. I continue to declare that the 'joy' of the Lord is my strength. I remind myself that nothing is to hard for God. When my reserves are low and I 'feel' to weak to press through. I'm reminded of God's goodness and his grace and that he is there to bear all that seems to consume and overwhelm me. I'm alive, I have breath in my lungs, mobility in my limbs and I'm in my right mind (most days). That alone is enough to count it all joy. It's so easy to go into 'fix it' mode. Trying to figure out what you can do to change the situation or make it better. A lot of times God removes all the resources so you can solely rely on him. So I continue to pray. I trust that my prayers and crying out the names and needs of others make a difference. When the challenges in life are to hard to deal with or address, I know God will never leave me or forsake me. My responsibility is to give it him, leave it there and in due time all things reveal themselves and work out as they should. It may not always be the favorable outcome we hoped for, but that's when you just thank him for the 'better' that is on the way. Trusting, believing and holding on to the promises of God.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sick and Shut In

This is day 3 of the 'Three Amigos' being at home sick. By now I feel like a caged animal waiting to run free. I couldn't wait for my husband to get home last night so I could go out and return library books and pick up some cleats for my son. That was the highlight of my day. Pathetic, I know. Handling the sick and shut in requires some creativity. Something other than videos or video games all day. Fresh air, imaginative play, reading, writing, drawing, coloring. I felt like I was homeschooling. Which isn't a bad idea, but not one I believe I'll be carrying out. So between the little ones we have strep throat, sinusitis, an upper respiratory infection, bronchitis and everyone has an ear infection and somehow Makinley got lucky and has it in both ears. Whoa-nelly! We spent the weekend battling high fever, body aches and vomiting. This has been quite the season of illness and germ sharing. I'm thankful that I'm not sick, nor is my husband or the teen queen. We are now fever free and everyone has had at least 3 doses of antibiotics. That is, after I took it back to the Pharmacy to be flavored because two threw it up and one refused to take it after the 1st dose.

I must share one really EXCITING thing that has transpired since we've been holed up in the house. Makinley has started going to the potty. Trust that we have been making it a MAJOR deal over here. The kids have been showering her with hugs, kisses, high fives, hand claps and dance parties. She's doing the potty dance and I'm doing the $I hope we can stop buying diapers soon dance$ I'm so excited and proud of her. I won't share the small incentive I've given her to continue this practice, but it's working and I'm knocking on wood and thanking God that she is continuing to do it.

I'm thinking tomorrow I'm a free woman. So I'll push the babies out of the nest, and have a few hours of free time to myself. Sleep is an option, hitting the gym would also be good, even better I can go to Barnes and Noble and tuck myself into a little corner and read my Nook uninterrupted. I'm getting excited just pondering the possibilities.

Mommy Card

What is a Mommy Card you ask? Have you ever been on a playdate and your child(ren) meet a new friend they'd like to see again? Or perhaps your at the local fun place and meet another Mom you'd like to connect with? A neat concept that has been around for a few years. I can't tell you the number of attempts I've made to exchange information without issue. Usually my hands are full and I can't find a pen or something to write on. Better yet, someone has to use the bathroom or is whining because they don't want to leave. A Mommy Card is a calling card for the Mommies of the world. We have one of the most important jobs not on the market. Vacation time and sick days have taken on a new meaning. I have been thinking about getting a Mommy Card created for quite some time now. Some of the ones I really like are way to pricey to justify, but trusty ole' Vista Print has come through once again. So watch out because you may see me on the street and I might hit you up with a 'BAM, my card' (a little 'In Living Color' throwback). Here are a few other reasons you might consider a Mommy Card:

Contact Info for Babysitter
Neighbors
Existing Friends (they are to cute not to share)
Holiday Card, Birthday Cards and Thank Yous
When dropping off your child @ someone's house for playdate or party
Just for Fun

And the list goes on.....

Venus Bolton
Mommy to Paris, Jalen, Mireya and Makinley

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Sister Girls

My girls are 22 months apart. At a glance they look somewhat alike, but we are often asked if they are twins. I guess they could be fraternal twins if you look beyond the huge difference in height? Maybe it's the matching outfits? My motto lately has been 'why buy one cute outfit when you can get two?' I spend quite a bit of time doing damage control on 'why she has this and 'I don't' or 'I want to wear that too'. Dressing them alike does make that process simpler, cuts down on the fussing and I'll only get away with it for so long. I can get away with not dressing them alike, but inevitably someone is fussing that they want what the other one has on, especially dresses, shoes and pjs.

It's has gotten this way with toys too. Is it wrong to have two of most things or at least a variation for the sake of peace. On one hand, you've taken the emphasis away from the significance of sharing. However, it never fails someone is always playing with something the other is also interested in playing with. I'd rather buy the two $5 dolls and have peaceable play. If we happen to go to McDonalds, I specifically ask for the same girl toys if possible. So we have no fussing, crying or whining. We are also now in a Disney Princess phase. Everything Snow White, Jasmine, Tiana, Cinderella, not so much Mulan (although Jalen thinks she is cool), Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty. The other day we found the Sleeping Beauty Polly Pocket for Reya and of course Kinley wanted one too. She picked Princess Tiana. I thought we would have drama, but other than a few squabbles they've managed to work it out. The Disney Princess Encyclopedia is another story. Kinley can't even read but man she puts up a fight for this book. We currently have it on loan from the library. I'm holding out on this one for now, but I'll probably look for a good deal on ebay or Amazon as a birthday or Christmas gift for them both. I'm certain they will outgrow this, especially as their likes begin to change. Although Reya will likely remain the Princess. She inherited that gene from somewhere.

I was never like this with my sisters. Well there was one incident I distinctly remember. My sister had to get a shot and I remember crying and begging to get one too?! Talk about twisted sibling dynamics, what was I thinking? My sisters did dolls, and all that stuff. I was more inclined to be outside playing games, riding my bike or exploring my surroundings. If it was raining outside then you would likely find me playing dolls, house or an array of games we made up as kids. My girls love dressing up, having tea parties and playing dolls, but please make sure they can dress alike, play with the same doll and have a similar place setting @ the table. It guarantees a fun time for everyone, especially Mommy who can focus on something other than being a referee.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Balancing Family, Dreams & Goals

Being at home with my children is a joy. The common theme is "there is never a dull moment." They keep me laughing and on my toes. I blogged some time ago about my love for writing. I had an opportunity recently to work on a project featuring a collection of pieces from a group of contributing writers. It was really exciting to be a part of that process and see it all come together.

I'm claiming this will be the year of completion. This year I expect to complete a project I've personally been working on since the latter part of last year. The greatest challenge is finding the time to sit and write. It takes creativity, but I'm disciplining myself to put in the necessary time and work to get this done. In the meantime, I'm beginning to blog more. I was so passionate about starting this blog and just lost focus on keeping it current. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and see what's going on in our world. I've also started writing web based articles on Skin Care and Beauty.

b.k. (before kids) and before leaving Corporate America, my background was Information Technology. I went from Systems Administration, to Project Management, then meeting a husband in the workplace, and finally IT Management. Skin Care, Spa and Wellness has been my side hustle for over 15 years. It has afforded me the opportunity to meet with and talk to a lot of people about eliminating stress, taking care of their skin and making wellness a priority in their lives. I'm very excited through this new venture to have another platform to share my experience, opinions and knowledge.

This will be a balancing act for sure. I expect that in between potty training, playdates, ball games/lessons, baths and bedtime (and even after those little heads have laid down), I'll be working hard and putting in the time to see this goal become a reality.