TGIF - Have A Great Weekend!

Thank Goodness It's Friday!!!



Friday is one of my favorite days. First it is guy night in my house...no Mommies allowed and I love it that way. Please don't get me wrong, I love to spend as much time as I can with my husband and my little man but Friday night for me is bowling night. I tell little man it is guy night so he is excited about mommy leaving without him and not sad.



I am in my 3rd week of my summer bowling league. I did pretty well in our fall league. Had a payout at the end of the season that allowed me to buy a new pair of bowling shoes and pay for the summer league. I even got a bonus for being in the top 3 females for highest game w/handicap. I'll take it.



Friday nights for me are my regeneration nights.



Tomorrow will be even more fun. I found one of the few cake decorating supply stores in the Tampa Bay area and am going to check it out. The theme of the cake I am making for my Make-A-Wish child's party has been changed from a beach theme to dolphins. She really wants to swim and work with the dolphins on her trip so I thought it would be cool to have the cake look like water with a dolphin jumping out of the top. I will post a picture of the cake when it is complete.

So it may not sound like an exciting weekend but for me should be lots of fun. That's what happens I guess when you have been with your husband for 17 years. You become an older married woman with the wonderful hobbies of bowling and baking. What can I say...it makes me happy, and according to Cheryl Crow..."if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad."

Hope y'all have a great weekend and enjoy yourself.

What Did You Say?

Wrong: Tattoo detective
Right: Try to detect it

Song/Artist: "Whip It" / Devo

Is it normal? Behaviors of a 16 month old.

OK...I am new to this Mommy thing. I thought my son who is 16 months old was a genius until recently.

First he comes home one day and grabs a hold of my purse. He puts it over his shoulder and walks with his arm up in such a way it doesn't let the purse fall off of his shoulder. This I am pretty sure is normal however.......

I was watching him the other day and he has started to smack himself in the face and head. Sometimes it is one handed, sometimes it is both. It also doesn't seem to matter if he has a sippy cup in his hand or not. The other day I was sitting with him in the back seat of the car when he hit himself in the forehead with the cup. He then turned to look at me and started crying. The only thing I could do was ask him "what did you do that for".

My husband says we should not make a big deal about it and he will eventually wonder why he keeps hitting himself in the head. Like I said I thought he was really a genius until now.

Is this normal behavior? I am guessing he saw someone do it in his classroom at "school" (daycare) and thought it was funny.

Then yesterday the teacher turned her head away for one second and when she turned back my son was standing on top of the bookshelf banging a couple of toys together like he was playing the drums or something. He is very adventurous and has NO FEAR at all.

Keeping up with him keeps me on my toes. He is truly the best son I could have ever asked for. Being a mommy is the hardest job I have ever had but the most rewarding. I wouldn't change a thing.

I am sure we will continue to have many more stories to come. Hopefully the behavior he is demonstrating is not only normal but temporary.

Wish me luck as I continue down the road of Mommy and any advise you have is greatly appreciated.

I'm Back! Make-A-Wish Updates

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything and I apologize.

Things have been moving very quickly these days and now I am back to making a little time for me.

I am now working on granting my 2nd wish for a 15 year old girl named Charlette. The medical condition Charlette has been diagnosed with is Von Willebrand.

Von Willebrand disease is a bleeding disorder that affects your blood's ability to clot.

Soon I will be meeting with Charlette and her family to uncover exactly what it is she would like for her wish. That is the most fun part of all. Think about it....if someone asked you what one wish would you like to have granted what would it be? How Fun!

Alex who is the wish child for the 1st wish I was assigned and am still working on is very excited to be preparing for her week long vacation at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas.

Soon all of the arrangements for Alex's trip will be secure and we will be planning her Bon Voyage party. I am thinking that I am going to make the cake for the party and do it in a beach kinda theme. As you may or may not know baking is my passion and my true love. Cake decorating has become my new hobby. I wanna be like Duff for those Ace of Cake fans out there :) I have a great design in mind and can't wait to make it come to life.

No matter what is going on in life and what challenges I face, I find that the work with the Make-A-Wish (MAW) Foundation helps me stay grounded and focused.

Soon I will be starting my training to become part of the speakers bureau for MAW. I will be spending my time helping to educate people through various speaking engagements about the MAW Foundation. I have been in the education division of a major financial institution for many years now and part of those years were spent in the classroom teaching. While I am still in education I do miss my days of speaking / teaching. This will help me give back while fulfilling a personal enjoyment. It's a win-win in my mind.

I will continue to keep you updated with the progress on these wishes.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!!!!!

Make-A-Wish #1 - Alex

In all the craziness going on in life lately I have still found the time to volunteer with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Last week I met with Alex, my first wish child. She is 15 years old and such a joy to be around.

Alex suffers from a condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

In hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the left side of the heart -- including the aorta, aortic valve, left ventricle and mitral valve -- is underdeveloped.

I was so anxious to meet her and hear about what her heart desired for her wish. The foundations policy does not allow children to be granted wishes that are for "motorized vehicles" so no new car for her.

What Alex really wanted was a camper trailer to pull behind the family SUV. Since this does not technically fall into the motorized vehicle category I am hoping they will grant her wish. She was prepared with several brochures and even circled the specific model she wanted. You have got to love those who truly know what they want.

Her other wishes include in the following and in the following order:

1. Vacation at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas
2. Meet with Jensen Ackels the start of Supernatural
3. Shopping spree at Target and Best Buy

The foundation will review her requests and communicate with us shortly what wish will be granted.

As a Wish Granter I will be the primary point of contact for the family through the entire process.

I will keep everyone posted on how this wish progresses.

If you are interested in more information about the Make-A-Wish foundation or how to become a Wish Granter please let me know.

More to come!

What Did You Say?

Incorrect: All I need is America, All I need is You!
Correct: All I need is a micacle, All I need is you!

Artist
Mike and the Mechanics
Song
All I Need Is A Miracle

What did you say?

Wrong: "You make the rice, I'll Make the gravy"
Right: " You may be right, I may be crazy"
Song / Artist: "You May Be Right" / Billy Joel

What did you say?

Wrong: "Oooh, killer bee now"
Right: "Who can it be now"
Song/Artist: "Who can it be now?" / Men at Work

Good Bye Lady

I want to share with everyone that I am sure there will be a delay in my posting for the next few days.

Today I made arrangements for our beautiful Lady. In an effort to ease her pain and suffering, this Friday we will be taking Lady to the vet and saying our good byes.

Lady has truly help heal our family over these years. Rob and I have been married for 13 years now and the year prior to our marriage he lost his mother and then brother 4 months after.

Rob also lost his ability and desire to love anyone or anything until Lady came in our life. Now with her help and time our family is very open and loving again. We even made it to a point where we could begin to have children and extend our love and family.

This time will not be easy I am sure but with the support of our friends, family and faith we will be able to continue on.

May God embrace her into his kingdom so that she may run and play in the sun again.

We love and will miss Lady very much.

Lady "Bug"

Lady -the best friend in the world
A healer she has been for our family
Dearly loved by all
You will always be in our hearts

Beautiful
Unwaivering loyalty
God Bless Lady Bug


Our family is in the process of preparing for the loss of our "puppy" Lady. While she has given us the best 12 years anyone could ask for we believe her time has come.

Please keep Lady and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

I Want

There is something burning inside

that I really want to do.



Something that I know in my heart will make me deeply happy.

I believe I have a gift and I want to share it so badly.



Deep inside my core......I am a baker!



When I wake in the morning, and all thru the day,

even in my dreams all I want to do is bake.



Bake what? Anything!



Some folks think I am dreaming when I talk about

going to pastry school and opening my own shop.



They say

You have no time, no money, and nothing to get started

I wish they would stop.



What about what I want?



I want to be a pastry chef.



I want to open my own bakery.



I want to make it work.



I guess what I want more then anything

is for those who say they don't doubt me, but really do



To just show a little encouragement

and help me thru.



I can do this, there has to be a way

I will open my bakery one day.

Day Care Drop Off

I drop him off
each and everyday
I turn to see if he cries
when I walk away

At first he would cry
when Mommy would leave
Now the look on his faces
says Mommy leave me be

He plays all day
with his many friends
I wonder if he wishes
his day would never end

No matter how much fun
is showing in his grin
He is always excited
when Mommy walks in

He runs to Mommy
so happy to see her
but can't wait till tomorrow
when he goes back to day care

Poetry Help

So I am guessing I am making this poetry thing harder then it really is but sometimes I seem to have writers block or just plain difficulty getting started.

Any tips or suggestions to help is greatly appreciated. I know we have some experts out there that could provide some feedback and coaching, and believe me I am open to it.

I have to say this challenge is really fun....maybe we should try to find other monthly challenges thru the year :)

No Regrets

Another day is here
A chance for us to rise and shine.

Embrace the newness of the day
and let the old fade away.

Each day we awake
is another chance to make
the best life we possibly can.

Remain positive as challenges come our way
And know we will get thru this and tomorrow is another day.

Make the best of the moments we have
They go by so fast.

Enjoy each day you are given
and live it like it's your last.

No regrets!

What did you say?

Hope you enjoy this weeks misheard lyric.


Wrong: "Hey there amigo!"
Right "Hey where did we go?"
Song/Artist: "Brown Eyed Girl / Van Morrison

The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt by Shel Silverstein

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Me!
Me who?

That's right!
What's right?
Meehoo!
That's what I want to know!

What's what you want to know?
Me, WHO?
Yes, exactly!
Exactly what?
Yes, I have an Exactlywatt on a chain!

Exactly what on a chain?
Yes!
Yes what?
No, Exactlywatt!

That's what I want to know!
I told you - Exactlywatt!
Exactly WHAT?
Yes!
Yes what?

Yes, it's with me!
What's with you?
Exactlywatt - that's what's with me.
Me who?
Yes!

GO AWAY!

Knock knock...

Wish Come True - Research

I have received the paperwork on the child and family I will be working with through the Make-A-Wish foundation.

The medical condition has been listed as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. This is new to me so I am currently doing some research to better understand the condition prior to meeting with the child.

If anyone knows of any good websites to assist in this research / data gathering please to not hesitate to let me know.

It will probably be another 2 weeks or so before I actually can meet with the family.

This should be fun and exciting. I will keep y'all updated!

My Poem

In discussing the April poem challenge presented by Mommy's Nintendo with my husband last night he actually contributed his own poem.

Now my husband usually isn't much for this kind of thing, however; since he shared his poem with me I thought it would be cool to share with you.

My Poem - (by Rob)

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Some poems rhyme,
Some don't.

I hope you have enjoyed this inspirational and insightful poem contributed by my husband.

Happy Thursday!

Do Your Best and Forget the Rest!

This is the start of something new,
A chance for me to write a poem for you.

I have no idea what I am doin,
Hope the poem challenge, I do not ruin.

Please don't expect my poems to be a work of art,
Just know the words I write are from the heart.

As my workout trainer says,
"Do your best and forget the rest!"

What did you say?

I hope you enjoy this weeks Misheard Lyric:)


Wrong Lyric: "We got to insult microwave ovens"
Right Lyric: "We got to install microwave ovens"
Song/Artist: "Money for Nothin" - Dire Straits