Somewhere in the last few months it would be easy to categorize my emotions as saying that I just stopped caring. I stopped caring what other people thought, I stopped caring what I thought about other people and I stopped getting so spun out about work and our schedule. I lump it all together as if it was all so easy but that's never the case. It is as if I turned 36 and much like the year I turned 30 it was a fabulous year in so many ways and in other aspects truly awful. The big girl panties I thought I was wearing no longer fit and I had to go up a size. God, that is awful. I think the death of someone you love dearly, sudden or not, will do that to you. The realization that your child isn't quite like all the others is another. The added bonus and realization that … [Read more...]
I’m Grateful for You
There are some times that I forget that you are gone. I think to myself, it has only been a little while since we last spoke or emailed each other. My brain tells me that I should really pick up the phone and call or send a message. Then I remember that none of those things can happen. The distance that I'm feeling will remain forever and I can't have those times back. … [Read more...]
Get Your Family Ready for Flu Season
There are five people in my house. I know, no matter how many times I say it, I'm still surprised too. When one of us gets sick we all get sick. MinuteClinic asked me and my family to show how easy it is to get the whole family their flu shots all at once, no appointment necessary. … [Read more...]
The Gift of Giving- Operation Christmas Child
For as long as I can remember I have been participating in Operation Christmas Child through my church. It is a great cause and way to give something to others in a different way that goes beyond donating money and time. Operation Christmas Child is all about giving your time, showing compassion and creating something special for a child in another country, like Peru or the Dominican Republic, so that they can have just some of the small things they need. Whether it's a box loaded with tiny toys or remote plane toys like Delta Ray RTF or toiletries and socks you are giving the gift of your time spent choosing the items, packing the box with love and care while providing a smile and taking care of a need all at the same time. Operation Christmas Child does my heart and soul good. This … [Read more...]
Memories of my Grandfather
Re-posted from May 2009, I wrote this post about my grandfather. It touched my Uncle David's heart and so I'm re-posting it today. I'm hoping and praying that today is a good day. I love you. Sometimes when the whole house is still asleep, I will creep downstairs and read in the orange glow of my small kitchen light. I will pour myself a cup of coffee, settle into the quiet of my house, and just lose myself in whatever book I am reading. Later when I unfurl myself from my hunchback sitting position as I simultaneously realize that the sun has come up I remember this- … [Read more...]
The Fifth Element Turns Two
H keeps saying it and I can't quite believe it either but after what has been a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows we have gone through the first two years in The Fifth's Elements life. The Fifth Element. The one who made our family complete. … [Read more...]
My Paltry Attempt at Food Blogging
July 14, Bastille Day, sent me off on a bit of a culinary spree. I wanted to make the girls something that went beyond my own tastes of the day as a child (doughboys with maple syrup with a dash of confectioners sugar) and start something new. I decided to make Madeleine's. … [Read more...]
Fifty Shades of Summer
I don't want to say we are in the doldrums of summer but the combination of intense heat and our busy schedule has left us exhausted. The girls have begun their camp schedules this week and it is a revolving door of a house. I sort of welcome the minor reprieve to have just two kids versus three at various times. I think I am going to enjoy spending more time on each kid versus doling out attention all at once in a harried sort of way. Photos from my Fifty Shades of Summer series after the jump. … [Read more...]
Get a Summer Camp Physical with MinuteClinic
There are only two weeks left of school and before I know it I will be ironing the name tag labels into my daughter's summer camp clothes. The forms for camp had been filled out, the check for payment mailed long ago but the camp physical was still left undone. … [Read more...]
Two Turns Three
"Let's crush her!" I heard it plain as day even though she was whispering it to her older sister. The talking out of the side of her mouth, the sneaking and stealing of food, hiding out under furniture and popping up where you would least expect it. That's all Soucy. She's smiling one minute, charming you with her smile and the next she is telling you that "I yell at you! I put you in a trap and make you cry!" She loves eggs and not for eating. She thinks they are her babies that she can carry with her and carry around in blankets. She will eat all the fruit in your fruit bowl but you will never know until a day later when you grab an apple only to find half of it bitten and gone. The girl turns each apple or pear around each and every time. If you … [Read more...]