THIS WEEK'S REARVIEW MIRROR

Another week full of lessons...

1. Jenga can get really heated in our house.

2. Working out with my kids is a blast...and causes great pain the next day.

3. Even when you are honest, how it's rationalized is left up to the other party.

4. If I never hear the names 'Kardashian', 'Blue Ivy', 'Newt Gingrich' or 'Justin Bieber'...I'm okay with that. Really.

5. A swirl marg on the patio at Gloria's always sounds good...even at 9am.

6. I like being referred to as 'full of whip & smack'. Thank you, Kari Bailey. :)

7. You can't have good days without bad days and God has blessed me with amazing kids and true friends to know the kind of person I am and all will be fine.

FORGET MY HEART

Some will say every day we
Will learn something that helps
Us to get things right.
I don't know, where to go,
Nothing is clear to me.
How could I be so blind.
I'm done with wasting my time.

Everything is alright.
Not feeling myself.
Just give me some time.
Seems the older i get
The more i forget
My heart will survive.


:::sigh::: Such a great song.

THEY DON'T MAKE A PILL FOR THAT

Today was supposed to be the kids first day back at school after a long Christmas break. Since I work from home, my hours have been spaced apart somewhat. Four hours here. Two more there. A couple more after they go to sleep. You make do where you need to.

So when Ben woke up this morning with the "my throat is on fire and my stomach is hot" I was thinking yeah right buddy. Sorry, but vacation is over for everyone, including you. Suck it up.

But as I watched him get dressed for the day, I noticed how pale he was. He convinced me and he stayed home. Slept on the couch until around 2:30 when I finally woke him up and got him to drink some 7Up. He then had a few saltine crackers and just kept roaming from his room, to the couch, to my bed...he was uncomfortable.

No mom likes when her kids are sick. It's these "mysterious" illnesses that really bother me the most. The fact he now has a few more symptoms means we will likely be at the doctor's office tomorrow. My guess is we will get the "it's a virus that needs to run it's course" speech, but since some symptoms are one's Ben hasn't had before and the fact that you KNOW if I let it go it will turn into something I should've taken care of...we will go. Mentally prepared that no prescription will help. Run the course.

Belle comes in after school, checks on Ben and then goes on her merry way. The time comes later in the night to read and we do, while Ben listens (poor kid was too tired to move!). The book we are reading has a little girl in it who wants to change her name.

We've had this request in our house before, too. Obviously with Belle.

I want a nickname.

  You have one. We have called you Belle since you were born.

No. I want my friends to call me that, but they won't.

  Well, be patient. Maybe it will catch on.

I don't want to wait for it to catch on. I think I'll just change my name. Here's what I have come up with. Tell me which you like best.

The little turkey hands me a piece of paper with the following names:

Belle
Juliet
Crystal
Taylor


Someone please tell me why this Crystal name won't go away. I'm sure there are plenty of wonderful women - graceful women - with this name. But all that comes to mind when I hear it is a stripper coming on stage wearing tons of jewels. I'm sorry. I have no idea why. It just does.

I tell her Belle is my favorite.

Yeaahhhhhhhh...I'm still not sure yet. But you guys at home can still call me Shelby. Or Belle. Whichever is fine.

   Really? Gee thanks, since that's what we named you. And is on your birth certificate. And every other legal document concerning you.

I'll just change them once I make up my mind.
You know...just cross through them with her pen and write her *new* name above.


There's no pill for this case either. :)


Thank you, God for these amazing, wonderful kids.

IS THAT A CAKE?

I have a new car.

Let me rephrase that.

My 10 year old Explorer has been reborn thanks to the extremely hard work of CPJ.

That sweet man worked on my SUV full of crumbs, trash, petrified french fries and what he swears were two chocolate cakes all day this past Sunday. I'm talking took out the seats and everything!

At one point, I sat in it and said, "What's that smell??" and he looked at me like...woman, you better not even start.

"It smells clean or something!" I finally said.

Of course, every time I went outside to check on him, bring him something to drink, etc...I got a comment about something new he'd found. The good with the bad, right?

In all honesty, I couldn't be happier with the end result. It is amazing on the inside now.

At the point he took the seats out and I realized the extremes he was going to in order to really get it clean, not just wiped down, I asked him why he was doing it.

"Because it needs to be done and I don't do things half-way. Plus there's no way you'd be able to do it to this extent. No offense."

Point taken. Effort appreciated.

Always remember and never forget: In everything, the end result is directly related to the extent of effort spent.