Not Me, Monday! (Important Reminder!)

Okay, in effort to get more things done during my days, and make my summer days with my kids as fun as possible, and with getting in real quality time, I will be writing most of my post at nights before bed. 

I guess I really don't need to express that, because my post will still post in the AM, which doesn't change anything up for you guys.  

O'well. 

Anyways, I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Today is Monday, duh! And I typically like to play in the blog carnival, NOT ME, MONDAY!   

It's MckMama's way of allowing all of us real mothers to let go and forget all about those things that we "normally" wouldn't do, but then do, because of lack of whatever (tiredness, exhaustion, frustration, desperation etc). 

It allows all of us to be reminded that we are NORMAL mother's and are not alone in not being perfect mothers.  

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably read about me having to take little Butterfly to the doctor last week for her ear.  She is my walking wobbling toddler now, and into EVERYTHING.  She is the cutest thing I have ever seen, besides Hunter when he was this age, walking around the house.  

She knows her way around this house and could probably walk it with her eyes closed. If there is a door open, she WILL find it.  She loves going into my room or her brothers room most.  She saw that mommy left the door opened to my room, as quickly and as fast as her little legs would let her, took off.  

I had just walked back into the kitchen, when all of the sudden I hear a bump and a scream.  I knew it before even seeing anything, that this was the real deal cry.  Not that whining cry from a little boom or bump.  As I walk in there I see blood coming from her ear.  It's not that bright in my room because the light if off and so I quickly run her into my bathroom so I can see why her ear is bleeding. 

She was walking, and I assume she went to lean in mommy's bench at the end of the bed with her left hand, and missed it. Causing her to fall, just catching the bench on her left ear, causing the earring to rip upward in her earlobe.  At first I thought the back of the earring was jammed inside her earlobe.  I remember saying quietly to myself "oh no! oh no!" But then I turned the light in the room on and saw the back to the earring on the floor. 

So I grab some antibacterial foam to clean the ear, taking the earring out.  Trying to get a better look at the ear to see how deep the cut was and if she would need glue or stitches.  However with a screaming child fighting you, its not that easy.  To be safe I loaded her up in the car and we drove down the street to her doctors office.  As the nurse is telling us that we may want to go to the ER to be safe because they do not do glue or stitches in the office.  I instead insist the doctor look at it first, because I wasn't prepared to go sit in the ER lobby for hours, pay $200 and then be told she didn't even need either glue or stitches.  

The doctor comes and and takes a look, and by that time from me cleaning her ear and pushing her cut back together before getting there.  The blood was already starting to dry up, the lines of the cut matched up and the doctor applauded me, saying I did the right thing and that it looks like it wants to heal up on it's on without any help.  She said to leave out the earring for a few days, clean it with peroxide and put  Bacitracin Ointment on it three times a day.  After a few days, to then put in an earring but one with a hook, not a back.  This way we don't mess up the ear piercing hole and the hook will keep it open, while also not touching the cut of her ear, allowing for it to continue to close up and heal.  

Sheez.... now that I cleared all that up. Let me get to the Not Me, Monday part.

Friday, I thought I would take Morgan to the mall to eat lunch at Rainforest Cafe, and stop at Clairs for some cheep little girl loop/hook earrings for her ear.  Before leaving the house that day, I didn't change Morgan's dirty diaper, and place it in a green plastic diaper trash bag, half tie and it toss it into the hallway to place in the diaper pale we keep in the laundry room.  Only to hear a few minutes later, plastic nose coming from the other side of the house, while I was in the living room, to go look and to find my 14 month old daughter had gotten the plastic bag opened, her dirty diaper out on the floor and had the dirty poopy wipes in one hand and her other hand in the dirty diaper, and just as I turned the corner, I didn't scream "NOOOOO!!!"  as I ran and grabbed that hand just a second before it made its way into her mouth.  Ugh!!! 

Saturday morning, Mark and I attended a Life.Money.Hope seminar at our church, that was hosted (via video) by Dave Ramsey.  It was great and I do plan on sharing something on my blog over the next few days that we learned and are going to put to use in our home, that I think may be of some use for some of you as well.  So look out for that.

Although, we did stay awake during the seminar, considering we were up ever couple hours the night before with Morgan.  Yea, she woke up five times Friday night, and I was up for all of them, but one.  Dave Ramsey was entertaining and had such a fun way speaking, it kept us awake, laughing and intrigued.  

However, once we got home, it was not me, daddy and butterfly that all crashed out for an afternoon nap.  

While Saturday night, I went to a friends house with baby girl and then to the beach for a couple of hours after a huge rain storm came through.  My friends daughter ended up coming over for a sleepover with us.  I put Morgan down, and not even an hour had gone by.  I quickly saw Friday night, happening all over again Saturday night.  In attempt to try and get more sleep and allow everyone in the house to get more sleep that we did Friday night, I certainly did not climb into Morgan's crib and lay with her.  Letting her sleep on my chest, while drooling down my shoulder.  While that only lasted about 30 minutes before she was up screaming again.  I didn't break down and run to the kitchen get her some Tylenol to give her.  

*In which she slept the entire night afterwards. 

Sunday, it turned out to be such a beautiful day.  We hung out in the house most of the day in our pj's.  Nice! Then later that day we went to the pool for about an hour, in which I took many pictures of my beautiful girl in her ...... well you will just have to wait and see when I post her pictures.  After the pool we attended the 6:00 PM service at church and then went home to grill some chicken on the grill, with black beans and bake potatoes on the side. 

It was a bit of a crazy, hectic weekend, that ended on a positive note, a sunny day and a nice warm dinner and a full nights sleep.  

Do you have anything, that you normally wouldn't want to admit to?  Well, make a Not Me, Monday post and let it all out as if it you didn't do it.  Not only is it fun, but it is therapeutic. Then laugh at yourself and the situation as you read back over it.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a blessed Monday to start off your week ahead.  

God Bless.

PS:  Ladies this is your reminder, Father's Day is next weekend. You can thank me later for that reminder.  LOL! 

I am struggling this year with ideas, and I am pretty creative normally when it comes to this stuff. However, if you are like us and the rest of the world right now, money is tight.  Do any of you have any of your creative juices flowing for how to give dad a great day to remember, without breaking the bank?   I have a couple of things in mind, but not sure if "that's it".  You know, its gotta hit me a feel like "that's it."  I would love to hear any ideas or suggestions you have, that maybe me and some others out here also struggling for ideas can use.

You didn't think that I would leave you a post without a picture did you?  I try to not do that at least.  

These pictures are taking with my iPhone.  At the beach I ran into some of my old beach volleyball buddies.  They gave Morgan a couple of balls to play with, you know, getting her started early, considering she may be six feet tall.  She absolutely loved the beach, the ocean water and being outside.  A girl truly after my own heart. 

**AND I RESIZED THEM WITH HTML CODING, NOT PHOTOBUCKET, YEA!!!** Although, probably not the best in quality of photos to use to resize on here, but what better time to try something new than now, right?  

That is also Aston, my friends daughter that came and spent the night with us.  She left the next day for church camp.  I want to go back to church camp, I miss those days.  

And no it's not me that now got the "itch" again to play beach volleyball, and isn't thinking of scratching that itch this week one day or two.  Hmmm..... Ill keep you posted on this itch and scratch thing.  

Oh, and I so didn't let my daughter french kiss me for about 7 straight minutes last night while trying to rock her to sleep for bed.  In which she in return didn't think it was the funniest thing ever having my tongue and hers wiggle and tickles each others.  

I know it sounds a bit gross, and trust me, it sort of is...but when its her and her slobber, and her yummy smelly breath, its never THAT gross.  Even knowing she tried to taste her own poop from that diaper the day before.  

(So sorry for the sloppy typing today, but I have a fussy girl that won't let up this morning and as I mentioned earlier, I will no longer post during the day.  I will work on them at nights when the kids are in bed.) Only 5 1/2 days left and Hunter is back home.  Whoot! Whoot! 

Which reminds me.... I didn't accomplish one single thing on my list.  LOL  O'well! 

Apology Letter from "B"...April Rose Blog

I normally don't check the blog life out much on the weekends, because I am soaking up the love and attention I get from my family being home with me.  

While I just put baby girl down for a nap, Mark is off running some errands and I need to go take a nap myself.  I thought I would glance and see if any of my friends posted.  

I see a post from the "April Rose" blog and of course my heart sort of jumped, because I was surprised.  I click on the link that popped up her letter and I read it.  

Once I was done reading it, I left her a comment and this is what it said.

********************

I forgive you. There are no perfect people anywhere on this earth. There is only one perfect person, and HE paid the price for ALL of US. I was never angry with you. Just confused. I have prayed many times for you. I will also post your letter on my blog, because I think regardless of what you have done, you have the right to be heard, your apology to be heard...and I will be the first to say that I FORGIVE YOU. God Bless you girl.... Don't give up. Get the help you need, and let GOD, make something amazingly good in your life from all this bad, negative and sad stuff. Let HIM prosper you. Only HE can fill that missing piece in your life that you thought you found through all of us on your blog. Only HIS love goes deeper for you than anything you already experienced or been through. God forgives you. God loves you.... and so do I, and I have never met you. Take care.

********************

Now I ask that you take the time to read her letter too, and as Christians, we all forgive her.

********************

THE LETTER(click here)

*She did have comment section open, but now she doesn't. Just pray for her instead.

Enough

-Author (I do not know), but I felt this on my heart today for many of us today. 

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.'
 
The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough.  Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.' 
 
They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?' 

Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?' 
 
'Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said. 
 
'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?' 
 
She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' 

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory. 

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. 
 
I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. 
 
I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. 

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. 
 
I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. 
 
I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. 
 
I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. 
 
Then, she began to cry, and walked away. 
 
They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them. 
 
  
TAKE TIME TO LIVE.....  
To all my friends and loved ones,
I PRAY YOU ENOUGH.......

cleaning before the cleaning lady arrives....

Good Morning.

So I have a couple of things to chat about here today, and a question for some of you.  

Update:  It seems that there is a 100% agreement that HWW should carry on.  I enjoyed hosting it here on my blog and I think leaving the prayer request in the comment box worked out great. It gave everyone the opportunity to put the prayer needs in their own words.  I want everyone to know that I read each and every one of them, and personally prayed for each and everyone. 

Additionally, I received several emails (you guys are good with the emails, wow!).  I read all the prayer request in the emails as well, and wanted to let you know that several sent emails thanking me for keeping HWW open and said they were willing to help, as well read over and pray for everyone with me.  You guys rock!

Isn't that a comforting feeling, knowing that so many are praying for YOU?  For the first day I thought it had a great turn out, and feel 100% assured that this will grow and will become a safe place for people to post their needs in prayer, as well, allow others to pray for you.

HOWEVER.....

Another blogger decided to do the same thing, but instead of hosting it on her blog, decided to make a His Will Wednesday BLOG.  Using the old HWW button and everything.  You can click here if you are interested in checking it out.  Basically, in my opinion either place is a good place to post your prayer, because as long as people are praying, that is all that matters.

I can't garantee that I will check there every Wednesday for prayers, but I can promise you that any prayers left here, will not go with out prayer before I am off to bed. Sometimes its eases people to know who they are leaving their prayer request to.  Here you know its me, my friends, my family and my followers....and we are a power house of prayer worriers.  

I only say that because I am not in competition with the other blog host for HWW.  I say that because, although I am providing her and that blog info here in this post.  I want to make it clear that I don't know her, but I may get to know her. Ill for sure check her out.  At this time, I don't, and with all this April Rose stuff, people are walking on edge right now.  Instead of tossing you off to anther blog that I don't even know, because I didn't want to host HWW each week here or something. I decided it had a pretty good turn out and that its worth keeping it here each week.  Because my blog has been around for awhile. It does have a long reputation and one that can be trusted.  I don't take peoples lives, hardships and struggles or PRAYER request lightly.  My heart bleeds for hurting people.  

With that being said, the other HWW Blog is also using the old button. I think maybe it would be best to create my own unique HWW button for this blog, just to keep the two unrelated at this time.  I had a couple of buttons emailed to me as suggestions and I have a couple of bloggy friends that are masters at these kinds of things that have also offered to help with the buttons.  I will take a look and see what button I think would be the new HWW button for my blog here.  Cool! 

Also, if any of you have suggestions or thoughts about how else to do HWW let me know.  I am always willing to listen.  Thanks.

Now for that QUESTION I have for you.  

Photobucket.  

As of yesterday I had to upgrade to "pro" and when they say "pro" they only mean that you now pay about $40 bucks for the year to open more space for your pictures.  And get this, when they come and give you that warning that you need to upgrade to pro, they don't mess around.  Instead, they shut down your account, in which shuts down your pictures anywhere you have them posted (i.e. BLOGS). 

In truth, I DON'T like that at all.  Is Flickr the same way? Anyone know of any other way to post larger photos to your blog post without having to use some hosting site such as Photobucket or Flickr? 

I don't like the idea of someone else having control over my pictures, and also having the power to shut them down as they did yesterday.  Can you tell I was not happy about dishing out that $40 bucks yesterday?  I almost feel as if they "hoaxed" me.  They wheel you in with all this free stuff, and then when they see you have 'enough' saved pictures, videos or whatever...they attack you for money.  Thinking, by now, you have so many photos in use, that you will give in and pay them.  In which as I did, I am sure everyone else probably does the same thing also.  That is why I am always skeptical of these little free sites anyways.  Similar situation was the Scrapblog site.  I stopped using them when they started asking for money.  Anyways, I like being able to post pictures in larger format on my blog.  Oh and another thing I don't like about using this photobucket as a host.  If I want to go in and delete a photo from my account, once that photo is removed, it removes that photo from where ever else it is sitting.  

Any other way to do this besides a hosting site?

****************

As my Pastor (also my BFF's husband) always likes to say in church.

"I can tell you need to laugh today, or you need a visual."  Do you all need a laugh and a visual today on my blog?  Tired of reading all these rambling wordful post?  

I read your minds and have granted you your wish.  How about this for a laugh? 

I have recently been reading my book "Learning Exposer" while playing with my new camera.  Oh and $300 bucks later, I get to go pick up my first baby camera today at some point.  The camera was not broken, the lens was not broken, but something holding the lens and the camera together broke inside. The front body part of my camera had to be taken apart to remove the lens, and then a new part that goes on the lens had to be order and replaced.  But at least I still have my old camera and lens now that I can use for my family use stuff and keep my new mac-daddy camera for work use. 

As I was saying, I have been reading this book and in it said "to never put your camera away, until you are done shooting completely. Because if you put your camera away you are likely to miss the best opportunities to photograph." 

In this case Tuesday, it proved to be true.  

Morgan has a toy box (a.k.a. A plastic bucket) that we place her bigger toy items and stuffed animals in, near her play area in the living room. Tuesday, Morgan was trying to reach something in her box and all of the sudden I hear moaning and fussing.  I come out to look, and sure enough I see this.

Is it bad that instead of grabbing her out and letting her know that mommy was there to rescue her, I instead ran for the camera sitting on the table and started snapping away? 

While quietly laughing, and clicking away on the camera.  I am also talking to her, so she hears my voice, telling her she is okay.  With her hearing my voice, she stops the fussing and starts to figure out how to get out of what she just got herself into. 

I was laughing so hard, I am surprised any of these pictures came out clearly focused.  Oh to be a little person again.  Gotta love kids.  They are just too delicious. 

When she popped her head up and tried to gather her composer, as if she meant to do that.  I again start cracking up because all you see is this little head pop up out of the bucket, her hair is all a mess and her bow is now turned upside down and laying on the opposite side of her head from where it started.  (I'm laughing again, now.)

Once she sees me taking her picture, you can tell she is trying to play it cool and give me a "its all good" smile.  

In this last picture, can you kind of see that she has that half smile, with a slight chuckle, as to say "okay, I'm not hurt, I'm good....and I think that was kind of fun", kind of smile?  

Hope you enjoyed that little fun today, and we were able to put a smile on your face this beautiful SUNNY (no rain YET) morning.  At lest here in this part of Florida anyways. 

Awe.... and while I was making this post I received an email from Hunter.   I miss you too buddy, and so does 3 of the 4 cats, one sister and one dots and blanky.  Hurry up and come back home already.

By the way, man seriously shut me up this morning.  

I have to tell you this story, also.  

Last night Mark and I watched "Faith Like Potatoes". I hadn't heard of it and he just thought the previews looked good.  As it turns out, I believe it was directed by the same company as "Fireproof". It was a pretty good movie, and it was about believing in God and having faith, thus the name of "Faith like Potatoes".  It was based on a true story and at the end they showed the real family behind the story. I love true stories like that.  Without giving too much away, I suggest that you rent it. If you liked "Fireproof" then you will like this one.

After the movie was over, it was time to get Morgan in the bath before going to bed.  I stripped her down of her already soggy diaper, in the living room, so daddy could go give her a bath.  As he is checking the Yankees vs Red Sox game, Morgan stands in the middle of the floor and begins to pee.  I am in shock, not because she is peeing, but because she is peeing and its coming out like a rainbow like boys do.  LOL.  I have never seen this before.  I know she will be embarrassed to read this later one day, but that's okay baby girl. You are just a baby, you have no idea what you are doing and it gave daddy and mommy a great laugh.  As the saying goes "anything boys can do, girls can do better." LOL Okay, not entirely and surely not when it comes to peeing standing up, but baby girl sure would have been an impressive challenge. 

Okay, seriously I must get off this thing this morning and get started with my busy day.  You know, like cleaning my house BEFORE the cleaner arrives.  Yea, I am so one of those.  

ARE YOU?  

Do you clean the house before the cleaner arrives in the same day? 

Here is a stack of my husbands books.  Can you tell what his obsession is, ahem, besides books on trading and the Yankees ME? 

If you look at the 3rd book down from the top of the stack, you will see "The New Psycho-Cybernetics".  We love this stuff.  Mark also listens to the CD's of this book in his car ride to and from work. I of course get to hear them on the weekends when we are out and about.  This stuff is great. I highly recommend you either reading the book and or listening to the CD's. 

Anyways, a couple of days ago, Mark is sitting on the couch reading and he starts laughing.  I ask him what was so funny, and his response was to read me a part of the chapter he was reading in which the guy telling the story in the books says "I never understood why my wife on the day the cleaners would be coming, she would stress herself out and clean the house up herself." I can't recall all or exactly what he shared, and I can't seem to find it in the book as I glance through it.  

But just as Mark read that line, I then started laughing.  I said "um, honey, I am one of those girls." He again starts laughing and asks "why?".  

He said "is it because you don't want the cleaner to think we are as much of slobs as we really are?"  LOL

Me:  "No, well, maybe.  I mean, NO! We are not slobs, honey.  It's more like the feeling of just having my house organized the way I like it, so all the cleaner then has to do is come in and clean. If she has to clean and put things away, you know 'organize'; I not only spend weeks trying to find something she put away, I feel that it takes away from the time of cleaning when she is here." 

Mark: "If it where me, man I would have fun and let loose, like I just had a party or something. Who cares, there is no way I would clean before the cleaners arrived." 

Me: "That's the difference in men and women honey.  Almost, all my friends do the same thing and to be honest, its almost as if the house gets a double dose of cleaning in one day and that just makes me feel really good." 

Okay, Mark just texted me and its page 116 in the book.   It says...

"My wife Anne had the, to me, odd habit of cleaning the house before the cleaning-person arrived on Wednesdays.  I'm told Anne shares this habit with a great many women.  The reason I say it is odd is that we have two people doing the same work.  I wouldn't hire a driver to chauffeur me through the congested streets of Manhattan, then have him sit in the passenger seat while I drive myself.  Why would you clean your house, then hire a cleaning person to clean what you've just cleaned? I urge you, don't "hire" your servo-mechanism to act on an imperative, then run around getting it it's way trying to do its work before, during and after it does."

I'll try to work on that 'servo-mechanism', but try to get in my way of cleaning before the cleaning person arrives, it may cause a war that you wont want to battle with.  Right ladies?  LOL

Have a great day! 

PS:  I have a hand-me-down giveaway coming up. Sorry, its only for little girls under 12 months this time. So if that is for you, be sure to keep an eye out for that post.

His Will Wednesday Continued: (Making Light of the Dark)

Good Morning world.

In effort to bring light out of all the madness we all have experienced via Internet/blog life over the last few days.  I thought I would bring some light from all this dark.  

I don't have much time to write, for I need to be on my way to the hospital this morning. I have an handsome young one-year-old waiting for his picture to be taken as he has his Christening today. 

I do want to give a big THANK YOU for all of your very, very, very kind words of support to my post yesterday.  I am thankful that everyone agreed to take the highroad and continue to pray for these people NO MATTER WHAT.

As I was sitting in the dark rocking my beautiful daughter last night for bedtime.  I was giving thanks and prayer, because GOD gave me the words to my post yesterday, they didn't come from me.  Although, it can be easy to feel good about yourself and take credit, I am giving credit where the credit is due.  

As I was praying, God I believe gave in insight on something that I feel He would like us to continue; His Will Wednesday.  I am not committing to this weekly, I'd like to, and I still may.  I just wanted to do it first today and see how it goes.  

Out of all the drama and craziness of this April Rose, I do believe that God is NOT ABOVE using negative things or situations for HIS good.  I believe that 100%.  

Over reading many posts, comments and emails, one of the most positive things that I saw being repeated was "HIS WILL WEDNESDAYS" and how people appreciated having HWW in order to post their own prayers and or pray over others.  Many feel blessed out of such a horrible thing as hoaxing April Rose, because they were ones being prayed over by hundreds of others from that blog.  

I think today would be a great place to start with keeping His Will Wednesday going, in effort to bring light from dark, giving everyone continued hope and positive support through their trying times in life.  

Although, I do not have the time like "B" did each week, writing a detailed post of prayer request, for she did do an amazing job with HWW, for that I give her praise.  

And although, I do not have hundreds of followers to my blog.  That doesn't matter to God.  There is a particular story in the bible of a man that was heading into battle (sorry, I am in a hurry and I am drawing a blank).  He was going into battle with thousands of soldiers, maybe 3000.  God told him "that was too many, and to get rid of all these soldiers only keeping 300." Going into a battle now with less men, it would almost seem impossible to win that battle, but then God smiled and said "I AM THE VICTORY and to trust me."  So with this battle of April Rose, lets let GOD continue to be the VICTORY, and continue HIS WILL WEDNESDAY.  

This way EVERYONE WINS and we can focus on the good that the April Rose hoax brought to us. 

With that being said, it doesn't matter if I have 1 follower, hundreds of followers or thousands.  When GOD is involved, as long as two or three come together in His name, HE is also present.  Amen. 

I will ask around and see if someone can make up a new His Will Wednesday button, to replace the old one. Or, if someone has the old and wants to share it with me, please feel free to email me the code.  I don't mind using the old button at all for now.

In closing, if you have a prayer request please leave it in the comment box.  Its still an early part of the day.  That gives everyone ALL DAY and ALL EVENING to read your prayer request and have people join in with you in prayer. Only good can come from this. 

Off to the hospital now.

God Bless.

PS:  Today the comment moderation is turned off, so your prayer will be posted right away.