I'm alive!

Just wanted to check in and let you all know I survived the Great Hair Drying After the No-So-Great Dropping of the Hair Dryer in the Toilet!

Last night at dinner my husband was lamenting the fact that I didn't lay the dryer outside in the 90 degree heat to speed up the drying process.

I was just thankful that I had dropped it into a fresh bowl, so to speak. Because around here, you never really know what's going to be floating around in the toilet.

It was bound to happen sooner or later...

So, hypothetically speaking, how long does it take for a hair dryer to dry out after it falls into the toilet?

O.k. So I'm not asking a hypothetical question. I'm being serious.

Do you think it will be safe to use my hair dryer in the morning?

With a set up like this, it was bound to happen sooner or later...

And yes, that's a curling iron you see behind the hair dryer. And yes, I know it's not 1987 but I still love my curling iron. Please don't judge me.

I got my hair cut into a bob right before I went on vacation and if I use the flat iron my hair looks a little too blunt and too chic...totally not me. Well, not chic anyway. I can definitely be blunt.

And I have never been able to dry my hair using the round roller brush so, I have to use the curling iron on the ends of my hair.

At least I'm not using it on my bangs. With 5 gallons of hair spray.

Because THAT would totally be 1987.

We can all rest easy tonight.

Usually after I go grocery shopping, I throw my list away.

Not this week. It was driving me crazy that I couldn't read that one item on my list. So every time I walked into the kitchen I picked it up and scrutinized it a little more.

With no luck.

And of course, I brought it to you guys here without much luck as well....

Runts, rum nuts, corn, clams. My handwriting is worse than I thought!

I knew it couldn't have been any of those but I did find out that many of you think cream cheese, cheddar cheese and ice cream would make a fine meal. What are you guys doing for dinner Saturday? I'd love to have you over!

But the one thing that really struck me was how many of you actually do TYPE your lists! I was shocked and amazed because honestly, I was only kidding about typing up my list.

But now that I hear how many of you actually do it, I may have to consider it. I just don't think I'll ever be that organized though.

Maybe...one day when the kids are in college. When I finally get all of our pictures in picture albums. When I finally organize my closets by color and season. When I finally clean out the filing cabinet and get rid of the bills and miscellaneous paper work dating back to 1999.

O.k. so maybe I'll never get around to typing my lists but it's something to aspire to.

Anyway, last night, I was at my parent's house. In the summer after dinner we go over and sit on their front porch and rock in the rocking chairs and chat.

After about 15 minutes, Mom bolts up in her rocker and says, "The list! What about the list? Did you ever figure it out?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "I have been looking at it all day and I still can't figure it out."

So I ran back home to get the list so she could look at it. My photography skills are lacking so it was hard to really get a good look at it on my blog.

She started looking it over and the best she could come up with was "Riunite".

I just laughed. Because it's not 1981 and I'm not even sure they still make Riunite any more. (After a quick Google search, it appears that they do!)

So we started talking about what I was fixing for dinner this week to see if that would help me. Since the kids are in VBS this week (and they get dinner there!) I only really had dinner plans for the weekend.

On Saturday, we had steak and tortellini salad.

And that's when it hit me!

RED ONION!

That's it! Red onion! That was it. My husband looked at the list again and still didn't think that scratch could be red onion. But it is. It's red onion!

So what appears to be "R-E-A-squiggle-N-T" is really "R-E-D-O-N-I".

The pen ran out of ink on the "D" making it look more like an "A". And what I thought was a "T" being crossed is really an "I" being dotted.

I know. I know. I really need to start typing my lists.

But at least we can all rest well tonight knowing I figured it out.

The tortellini salad was delicious by the way.

I guess I'm going to have to type it!

I have to have a grocery list when I shop. Otherwise, I come home with a trunk full of groceries and no actual meals.

Unless you consider cream cheese, cheddar cheese and ice cream an actual meal.

I have a very simple method. I keep my grocery list on the refrigerator. During the week I write down the things we have run out of and then the night before I go shopping, I figure out what we will be eating for dinner every night of the next week and then add the items I need for each meal to the list.

Now here's where I should mention that I have horrible handwriting. It was never good. Ever.

And then I took typing in 10th grade and it has only gotten worse.

You can probably see where this is going.

There will always be one item on my list that I can't read. I will get to the end of the list and there will be one thing that isn't crossed off and I will have to stop my cart, scratch my head and try to determine what that item might be.

Usually I can figure it out. I mean, it is my own handwriting after all.

But this week, I stumped myself.

For the life of me, I can't figure out what it is.

It is over in the left hand column which is where I put any items that would be in the produce/fruit/deli section of Wal-Mart.

See it there under lettuce? It looks like it starts with an "r" and I can sort of make out an "n" and a "t". But I can't for the life of me figure out what it is. (Sorry for the poor photography.)

I even showed it to my husband after I got home and asked if he could make it out. I was met with scoffing and mocking. "You want me to figure out what's on your list?"

So I'm asking you, my dear friends on the Internet. What is it? What's on my list? Any suggestions?

It's driving me crazy. Normally by now I would have figured it out but it's already been two days and I am stumped. I guess if it's something we really needed, I will have an AH-HA moment right as I am fixing dinner.

But I hate having AH-HA moments when I am in the middle of fixing dinner.

If only I had pretty handwriting like Holly's!

Maybe I should just start typing my grocery lists.

Miracle Monday

Happy Miracle Monday!

If you are a regular reader of A Mom's Life, then you know all about the trouble we've just had with our trampoline.

A tree cracked and split open two days after a big storm and crushed our trampoline.

Miraculously the tree fell around 5:00 AM. I am so thankful that it did not fall during the day when my kids and their friends would have been in the backyard.

If you visit here regularly, then you also know that my friend Jennifer's husband came right after work that day with a 3 foot chain saw and made quick work of cutting up the tree. He even took the wood!

The tree falling and the trampoline being ruined were annoyances but I realized that evening how blessed we truly are - friendship is a true gift from God.

And a friend that owns and operates a 3 foot chain saw can also be considered a miracle!

If you would like to share a miracle, it's simple. Just post a miracle on your blog and link it back here using Mr. Linky below. Please mention "A Mom's Life" and my URL in your post. And if you want, you can use the Miracle Monday button in your post as well.

PLEASE NOTE - when linking make sure to link to your Miracle Monday post. Do not link to the front page of your blog. If you have any questions, email me and I will be glad to help you. My email address is in my profile.

Have a great Miracle Monday!

Miracle Monday is now closed. Thanks to all who participated this week. Please come back next Monday for more miracles!

Peter on marriage, again.

I have written previously about the fact that Peter does not want to get married.

I had this brief conversation with him yesterday:

Peter: "Mommy, I'm never getting married! Wanna know why?"

Me: "Why? Why are you never getting married?"

Peter: "Because if you get married, you have to share all of your money with the girl!"

Hmmmm...I think he's been talking to Daddy.

Overheard in Wal-Mart this morning....

"$%">#@$%@@!!!!!$$$%%%%%"

And guess who was saying this?

Um, that would have been me.

Well, I guess technically I wasn't saying it but I sure was thinking it.

As I was shopping the aisles of Wal-Mart this morning, I stopped when I noticed several large display boxes full of booklets by Kraft entitled "Simple Mealtime Ideas".

Well, I'm all about simple mealtime ideas. So I grabbed one.

And as soon as I touched the box, at least (and I'm not exaggerating, not too much anyway) 100 possibly 200 of these little booklets fell out of the display box and landed right at my feet.

And that's when I thought,

"$%">#@$%@@!!!!!$$$%%%%%"

So I did what any good shopper would do. I bent down and started picking them up.

And as I as splayed out over the booklets picking them up, a lady walked past me and stopped.

"Oh how sweet!" I thought. "She's going to stop and help me."

And as she got closer she said, "Could you hand me one of those booklets? I want to see what they're all about."

And as I was handing her the booklet from my spot on the floor, I couldn't help but think,

"$%">#@$%@@!!!!!$$$%%%%%"

Little elves at work.

I love my friend Jennifer and her family.

Last night, her husband stopped by on his way home from work. He surveyed the damage, declared he had a plan of attack, said that his equipment was ready, asked if he could have the wood and said he would be back after dinner to start working on the tree.

I just stood there with my mouth hanging open a little and said, "O.k."

My husband had been at work all day pondering how he would clean up the mess. He figured he would borrow my dad's chain saw, ask my brother to help and that it would probably take two days to do the job. And didn't have any idea what we were going to do with all that wood.

When he called on his way home from work and I told him Quinn was on the case, my husband was excited.

What my husband thought was going to take two days, literally only took ONE HOUR.

Quinn was like a kid in a candy shop sawing all that wood.

And my kids, Jennifer's kids and the two kids from next door were all scurrying around like little elves helping carry the small branches to the burn pile.

And the best part? Jennifer and I got to sit at the kitchen table and watch it all.

I knew I had picked the right spot for that trampoline.

The kids helping to pick up the limbs.

The kids on their way back from the burn pile to pick up more limbs.

My husband thinks we may be able to order replacement parts. I'm not so sure.

Be careful what you pray for. Because he just might get it!

When we got our trampoline this spring, my husband was less than thrilled for several reasons.

First of all, he didn't want to get it in the first place.

He thought it was a waste of money, that the kids wouldn't play with it, that it would just sit there unused, etc.

Second of all, he had to put it together.

That required the better part of a Sunday afternoon. And even though he got to use tools and walk around with his shirt off, he still had to build something that he didn't even want in the first place on a day he should have been relaxing.

And finally, he hated how it looked in the backyard.

He thought it looked tacky and thought if we had to have one, it would look better in the side yard.

But I wanted it in the backyard under our old and only trees. The trees would provide shade, the trampoline would be right beside our play set and I would be able to see the kids playing from the kitchen and the family room.

So under the old trees it went. Because usually, my husband lets me have what I want.

Dan continued to complain about how ugly it was and I continued to enjoy watching the kids and their friends playing from the comfort of my kitchen.

We've been praying for rain. It's been a long, hot, dry summer. And the expensive grass that we planted in the fall is not doing well at all.

We finally got two nights of storms with lots and lots of rain.

Hallelujah! Our prayers have been answered.

Hmmmmm. Apparently, my husband was praying for something else.

+

How to Turn On Embedded Comments in Blogger Draft

Seems like most of you like the embedded comment feature and actually, so do I! I'm hoping it catches on when they release it on Blogger. I think it will make leaving comments much quicker.

If you are interested in putting it on your blog while it is still in Blogger Draft, it's easy. These are the instructions that I followed straight from Blogger Draft:

To turn on the embedded comment form, log in to http://draft.blogger.com/ and go to Settings > Comments for your blog. You’ll see that the “Show comments in a pop up window?” setting has been replaced with the new “Comment Form Placement” setting. Just click “Embedded below post,” save your settings, and go check out a post to see your new comment form.

Simple!

And please, check back later today for another witty A Mom's Life post that has absolutely nothing to do with embedded comments. Well, it may not actually even be all that witty...but I can promise it will have nothing to do with embedded comments.

Embedded Comments - Love It, Hate It, or Really Don't Care

I'm trying out the new embedded comment form in Blogger draft. So it should be easier for all of you to leave me a comment. Let me know if you like it or if you have any problems leaving a comment.

I hope it makes commenting here a little easier. Because you know me...I love me some comments!

Works For Me Wednesday - Popsicle Drip Catcher

Originally posted on August 24, 2007.

My kids love, love, love, LOVE Popsicles and in the summertime I indulge them almost everyday.

What’s a hot sticky day without a cool sweet Popsicle?

And almost as much as they love Popsicles, I hate the drippy mess they make. So last summer I got smart. I took one O-Cel-O sponge for each of my kids and cut a slit in the center of it.

Now when the kids want a Popsicle I wet one of these sponges, put the stick end of the Popsicle through the slit in the sponge and hand them their treat.

In addition to being a cheap, reusable and very effective drip catcher, the kids also have something to wipe their hands and mouths off on when they are finished eating. Then they toss the stick in the trash and the sponge in the sink.
The kids are happy. Mom is happy. Works for me!

For more Works For Me Wednesday tips, hints and tricks, head on over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Glue

"Can Daddy fix this? Can he glue it?" asks Sarah through tears as she holds up a broken necklace.

"Can Daddy fix this? Can he glue it?" asks Peter through tears as he holds up a broken car.

My kids think their Daddy can fix anything with glue. Anything. Even plastic.

"We'll ask him when he gets home from work," is always my reply as I dry the tears and survey the damage, knowing that the answer is probably no.

But my husband is always willing to try.

He examines what ever broken toy they bring him and tells them that it probably won't work but that he will try to glue it back together anyway.

After dinner he will take the broken item to his workbench in the basement and he will attempt to put it back together. And the next morning he will check on whatever was left to dry overnight and will present the "fixed" item to the owner.

And each time this scenario replays, their faces light up and they shout, "You fixed it! You fixed it! You did it Daddy!"

The toy never stays fixed for long and sometimes he isn't even able to fix it at all. But my husband knows that it's not whether or not the toy will be fixed but that he has tried to fix it that matters to the kids.

They know that if something is broken they can always go to Daddy and he will do his best to to repair it.

And as they grow older and broken toys turn into disappointments and failures, they will know that Daddy won't be able to fix everything for them, but that he will always be there for them, offering his love and his support.

His glue.

Miracle Monday

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Miracle Monday!

Last week, Christine from Smiles and Trials posted a miracle on her other blog, The Ukraine Train. Her husband was in the Ukraine and had just picked up their new son, Dennis!

Christine is now the mother to ELEVEN children. Some of her children are biological, some are adopted but ALL are loved. Every time I check in on her blog, I am truly amazed at what I see.

There is so much love in this family. And just look at the size of their dinner table!

Please pray for Christine and her family as I am sure adding another child to the mix will be a little bit of an adjustment. Please pray specifically for Dennis as he will need surgery in the near future.

If you would like to share a miracle, it's simple. Just post a miracle on your blog and link it back here using Mr. Linky below. Please mention "A Mom's Life" and my URL in your post. And if you want, you can use the Miracle Monday button in your post as well.

PLEASE NOTE - when linking make sure to link to your Miracle Monday post. Do not link to the front page of your blog. If you have any questions, email me and I will be glad to help you. My email address is in my profile.

Have a great Miracle Monday!

This edition of Miracle Monday is now closed. Please come back next Monday if you would like to post a miracle.

Compromise.

On the way home from church this morning, my husband asked what I wanted to do this afternoon.

Thoughts of a pedicure and a leisurely stroll through Target crossed my mind but I knew that wasn't what he meant.

My husband wanted to go to the pool.

My son wanted to play mini-golf.

I didn't want to do either of those things. I take the kids to the pool every day of the week and after a while, it gets old. And it was 93 degrees this afternoon so playing mini-golf wasn't high on my list either.

So we compromised. We played mini-golf AND we went to the pool.

But to be fair to my husband, he did offer to take the kids to do both of those things and said I could do whatever I wanted to do - by myself.

But as much as I would like a pedicure and a leisurely stroll (alone) through Target, I also like to do things with my family.

So, I pasted a smile on my face and headed to the golf course. And it was worth it.

Peter got a hole-in-one and his excitement was priceless.

And I was able to finish my book club book at the pool. And for me that's priceless. Because that means on Tuesday night -book club night - I get a night off.

Compromise.

It's all good.

Overheard in Wal-Mart this morning...

I was cruising through Wal-Mart this morning, heading from the health and beauty section to the grocery section when I passed a man and a little girl who were just walking in the store.

The little girl's eyes got wide and she got a big smile on her face and said, "Ooooohhhh! We're in Target!"

I wanted to hug her and say, "Oh no sweetie. This is not Target!" and then explain all the differences between the two.

But instead I kept going.

Because everyone knows that if you are in Wal-Mart at 10:30 on a Saturday morning, you need to keep moving and you don't stop for anything.

Except maybe the free samples of ice cream sandwiches and hot dogs they were handing out in the main aisle.

De. Licious.

On the chip aisle, I encountered a teen aged girl and her mother. Her mom reached for the Great Value brand cheese puffs and said, "Here. How about these?"

The teenage girl promptly turned up her nose and said in a bit of a teen aged huff, "I don't won't those. They aren't name brand."

I wanted to pop that little twit upside the head and explain that all of the Great Value snacks taste exactly like the name brands and are so much cheaper.

But instead I just rolled my eyes, grabbed a bag of $1.00 Great Value pretzels and kept going.

Because everyone knows that if you are in Wal-Mart at 10:30 on a Saturday morning, you need to keep moving and you don't stop for anything.

Except maybe the full-sized slices of cheesecake they were giving out at the bakery.

De.Licious.

Works For Me Wednesday - No More Brown Guacamole!

My sister-in-law Cathy is brilliant. In fact, she has a PhD from MIT. Plus she's a great cook. When you combine these two things, you are sure to come up with a great Works For Me Wednesday tip!

Cathy makes great guacamole. In fact, we look forward to it whenever we are visiting her. But as much as we love to eat it, there is always a little leftover.

And if you guys enjoy guacamole, then you know what happens to the leftovers. Even if it is put in an airtight container, the top of it will turn an unappetizing brown color. Cathy called this oxidation, but I just call it gross.

Cathy has a great solution for this. She covered the leftover guac with a very thin layer of Ranch dressing before she put it back in the refrigerator. Sour cream would also work as well.

The next day when we took out the leftovers to have with lunch, the guac looked wonderful and all she had to do was stir the Ranch. There was no icky watery brown mess on top of the guacamole.

Just make sure that the entire top of the guac is covered by either the sour cream or Ranch because whatever is not covered will turn brown.

And anytime there's more guacamole, it works for me!

For more great Works For Me Wednesday tips, please visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Miracle Monday

After being on vacation for the last week and a half, I am now well rested and ready to enjoy the rest of the summer.

But first,among other things, I've got laundry to do, bills to pay, friends to visit, blogs to read, pictures to download, and the heat pump repairman is stopping by to figure out why our air conditioner isn't working - again!

It's going to be a busy day as we try to get back into the swing of things around here but I am very excited to see what miracles will be posted today!

If you would like to share a miracle, it's simple. Just post a miracle on your blog and link it back here using Mr. Linky below. Please mention "A Mom's Life" and my URL in your post. And if you want, you can use the Miracle Monday button in your post as well.

PLEASE NOTE - when linking make sure to link to your Miracle Monday post. Do not link to the front page of your blog. If you have any questions, email me and I will be glad to help you. My email address is in my profile.

Have a great Miracle Monday!


This edition of Miracle Monday is now closed. Please check back next Monday if you want to post a miracle.

Easy Come. Easy Go.

A Mom's Life Leftovers - They may be reheated but they are still delicious.

Originally posted on October 2, 2007.

Easy Come. Easy Go.

I gave them up. I had to. There was no use keeping them in my closet.

I had 3 pairs of size FOUR jeans that were wasting away, attracting dust and depressing me every time I laid eyes on them.

One of them was a pair of Daisy Fuentes jeans. Very comfortable, very stretchy, and if I held my breath and tugged real hard when I tried them on last, I could still get them on and zip them up.

The only problem is that I looked a wee bit trashy in them and I had a very unappetizing muffin top hanging over the jeans.

The second was just a plain pair of Levi Capri’s. Nothing special about them except for the fact that they were a size FOUR! I could still pull them up over my rear end but there was no hope of ever zipping them.

The third was a pair of low-rise, boot cut, dark wash Gap jeans with really cute flaps on the back pockets. These would have to be my most favorite pair of jeans…ever.

I loved how the back pockets had the cute flaps. I loved the dark shade of the jeans. I loved that they were low cut (no high-waisted mom jeans here!) and flared out just a little at the bottom.

But most of all I loved how wonderful I felt in them.When I put these jeans on with a black turtle neck and my black boots I felt like a model. I felt long and lean, and beautiful. But alas, those days of long and lean are long and gone.

After I had Sarah I went on the Atkins diet to loose the last ten pounds of baby weight. I am one of the few people who actually enjoyed the Atkins Diet. I love all things cheese and don’t really care if I have bread or not so this diet was made for me.

I quickly lost the ten pounds I needed to loose. But I didn’t stop there. I kept right on loosing and loosing until I ended up at 118 pounds and the owner of several pairs of size 4 jeans.But that was the spring of 2005 and now it is the fall of 2007.

They (whoever they are) say that you shouldn’t keep anything in your closet if you haven’t worn it in the last year. Since it’s been well over a year since I wore my beloved jeans I decided to give them away.

I normally give my old clothes to Goodwill and while I’m sure they are appreciative of all the stained black tee-shirts I drop off, I just couldn’t bring myself to let a complete stranger wear my beloved jeans.

So I gave them to my friend, Jennifer, who, after giving birth to four kids, is still a size four. I don’t begrudge her this size though because she works out EVERY. DAY. and she actually WATCHES what she eats.

So if anyone should have my size four, low-rise, dark wash, cute butt-flap Gap jeans it’s her.

And who knows. Maybe after seeing her wear them I may actually be inspired to start working out and watching what I eat.

Nah. Probably not.

To The Tree! To The Tree!

A Mom's Life Leftovers - Still Tasty After All This Time

Originally Posted on May 21, 2007

Peter has always been fascinated with peeing outside. I think he first did it sometime last spring after we had moved in with my parents.

If I am not mistaken, he saw my brother do it and thought it was the coolest thing ever.Thanks, Uncle Brad.

I never encouraged this activity but at the same time I never discouraged it either. Part of me though it was cute. Now that we have our own house, yard and trees (if you count the two really old ones that could possible fall down at any moment) that are located conveniently right next to the play set, I find that Peter has been peeing outside more frequently.

Sarah thinks it is the coolest thing ever and several times I have caught her tugging at her pants after he has done it. I tried to explain that girls can't pee outside and that boys really shouldn't do it either.

On Saturday the kids were outside playing while I was in the kitchen cleaning up and Peter came running in the house shouting, "Mommy, Mommy! I peed on the tree and Sarah pooped right beside it!"

I went running outside and sure enough she had. She was so proud. She pointed and beamed.

And just like the poop, I was steaming.

I immediately made a new rule. There will be no more peeing OR pooping outside!

Period. End of story.

But they taste so good!

I have been reading a lot lately about increasing your fiber intake, especially if you are looking to drop a few pounds.

The experts recommend eating 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day. They also advise starting to add this extra fiber slowly because of, well, the "effects" the extra fiber might have on your body.

Being that I am always looking to drop a few pounds, I decided to increase my fiber intake.

Jennifer suggested Fiber One bars. She said they were delicious so I purchased a box. And she was right. The Oats and Chocolate variety is especially tasty.

One of these bars has 9 grams of fiber. That's a lot in just one tasty bar. So I have started eating one of these a day.

However, I have not been able to add any more than these 9 extra grams of fiber due to the "effects".

I have no idea how the experts expect people to eat 35 grams of fiber a day. My husband would seriously consider separate households if I ate that much fiber every day. He is already taking issue with the "effects" of the 9 extra grams.

Sarah saw me eating one of these bars a few days ago and said, "Are you eating a candy bar?"

"No, I'm having one of my special bars," I replied.

I call them my special bars because Sarah ate one several weeks ago and loved the taste of it. They are a little pricey so I told her these were Mommy's special bars and only Mommy could eat them. I didn't want her eating my whole stash.

Plus, on a more personal note, the "effects" of the bar weren't wasted on her either. I decided the day she ate one that if she ever got constipated all I need to do was give her a Fiber One bar!

"Oh," she replied. "You mean one of your poot bars!"

Works For Me Wednesday - Getting Through The Checkout at Super Wal-Mart

When Dan and I were first married we had lots of money. We both had good jobs, we didn't have kids and we lived in a small condo.

I only bought my groceries at Harris Teeter. I turned up my nose at any other supermarket.

I only bought my sundries at Target. I turned up my nose at Wal-mart.

Then life happened. We bought a house. I had a baby. I started staying at home. And we didn't have as much money as before.

So my attitude had to change and I had to begin shopping at Super Wal-Mart.

And after 5 years of shopping at Super Wal-Mart, I must admit, I can't imagine paying those outrageous Harris Teeter prices ever again. But I will always hold a special place in my heart for Target and if I just need a couple of things and happen to be nearby, I will always choose Target over Wal-Mart. (Hey, a girl has got to splurge every now and then!)

During my years of Super Wal-Mart shopping, I have learned a little trick and I'm going to share it here today.

I always park on the non-grocery side of the store. I head in and pick up all of my non-grocery items and then head over to the grocery section to finish my shopping.

After I'm done shopping, I head back over to the non-grocery side to checkout. There are usually never any lines over there and if there are, the people ahead of me usually only have a couple of non-grocery items.

All the people with their baskets loaded down are piled up in the checkouts on the grocery side. I can quickly checkout and head to my car which is already parked on the non-grocery side of the store.

I know this sounds like a simple thing but you will be surprised at how quickly you can checkout of the Super Wal-mart - even on a busy Sunday afternoon. It may be simple, but it Works For Me!

For more tips and tricks, head on over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Where is Michael Jackson when you need him?

Do you ever hear your voice on the answering machine and think, "I don't sound like that! Do I sound like that? That can't be how I sound."

I still cringe when I hear my recorded voice. My voice sounds so much more lyrical in my head than when I am confronted with the way it really sounds, the way other people must hear it.

The other day I was downloading some pictures from my camera and I came across this one...

"Whose ugly,veiny looking hand is that", you are probably wondering.

I wondered the same thing until I got a closer look.

It was my ugly,veiny looking hand!

I've always known that I had big veins on my hands but until I saw this photo (that was clearly accidentally taken, unless my husband has an odd sense of humor) I didn't realize just how large they appear.

Based on things I've been seeing in stores lately, I think 80's fashions are making a comeback.

Is there any chance that Madonna or Michael Jackson will be bringing gloves back into style this year?

Miracle Monday

Miracle Monday is on vacation today! So come back next Monday to link your miracles.

In the meantime, if you are looking for a little inspiration, feel free to visit past editions of Miracle Monday which can be accessed on the sidebar on the left side of the screen.

It rained here recently (finally!) and after the shower, we were left with a beautiful full rainbow. I love the promise God has left in the rainbow and I love how excited everyone, young and old, gets when a rainbow appears in the sky.

Enjoy my wonderful photography skills and please come back next Monday!

What About All The Lasts?

A Mom's Life Leftovers - So yummy you don't mind having them again and again!

Originally Posted on July 26, 2007

What About All The Lasts?

All of the baby books go on and on about when to expect the first smile, the first step, the first word. They go on in great detail about what milestones your baby should be reaching and when they should be reaching them.

We made sure to get as many of these firsts as we could on film. We got Sarah rolling over for the first time and Peter taking his first step. I

I have journal entries about their first words, where we were, how we felt, how they looked. All of this care was taken so that I would be able to look back and fondly recall all of the important firsts in my babies’ lives. So that I could remember everything exactly as it was.

But no one warned me to be on the look out for the lasts. No one told me to pay attention so that I would notice and remember the last time my son twirled his hair the way he had done a thousand times before. I used to think it was an adorable little nervous habit and at the same time I worried that he might be sitting in his very first job interview nervously twirling his hair between his right thumb and forefinger trying to figure out the best way to answer the question “Which piece of fruit would you be in the fruit bowl?” He used to do it all the time but he doesn't do it any more. I wish I could see him do it again. How did I miss the very last time?

No one told me to pay attention so that I would recall the last night, the exact last moment my little girl would fall asleep with her pacifier plunged firmly between her lips sucking like she was Maggie Simpson. She always looked so calm and peaceful sleeping with her paci but I was too busy worrying that she would be the only kid in kindergarten toting a pacifier, an assortment of blankets, doll babies and other lovies with her on her first day that I forgot to notice the last time she used it.

And what about all the other lasts I have missed. When exactly was

the last time Peter said “oh-goo” when he meant yogurt or “nambies” when he meant bananas? When exactly was the last time I carried a sleepy Sarah to her room and whispered “lay your head on my shoulder” and she did?

How did my babies look as they drifted off to sleep the very last time I held them after giving them their very last bottle? Why don’t I have a picture of that sweet sleepy expression?

How did they look the very last time they splashed happily around in their little baby bathtub?

How did it look the very last time they scooted across the floor on all fours before they learned how to walk? How did they look the very last time they threw Cheerios off their high chair tray?

How could I have missed all these lasts? Why didn’t I know to be looking for them, recording them, capturing them?

There are many days over the last 4 and a half years when I have thought things like "when will he be potty trained?", “will she ever learn to walk?", “if only they were older we could…” and now I look back and in my quest to hurry and grow them up, I’ve missed too many of the lasts.

I don’t want to miss any more. I want to remember the very last time Peter is small enough to be picked up or the last time Sarah gives me her hand as we are walking across the backyard.

I want to remember the last time they call me “Mommy” because it won’t be long until I am just plain old Mom.

I want to remember and enjoy it all. I don’t want to hurry things up because unfortunately things are moving way too fast on their own.

Saturday Link Love - The True Campaign

Kellie over at La Vida Dulce is giving away a book called Life Inside the Thin Cage: A Personal Look into the Hidden World of the Chronic Dieter by Constance Rhodes.

Kellie just met with the author of the book, who in addition to writing is also the founder of FindingBalance.com.

Constance has now launched a new website called The True Campaign. The folks at The True Campaign realized "that if women could embrace their true God given identity, it would change their perspective on beauty, and thus alter the kind of lives they lead, and the kind of impact they make in the world.”

Who among us couldn't use a different perspective on beauty? I know I sure could.

Head over to Kellie's blog to learn more about her book giveaway and read as she posts her thoughts each Sunday about the "True-isms" from the True Campaign and the Scriptures that goes along with it.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Dan and I were in the kitchen on Sunday evening cleaning up after dinner. Peter was stressed out about something. It was so minor that I don't even remember the details of what caused his worry.

Dan said, "I wish I could get him to understand that none of what he is worried about now is really that important. I was always stressed out about something as a little kid and looking back, I can now see that none of it really mattered. It seemed so big at the time and really it wasn't."

And my reply was, "The same could probably be said about all the things you worry about today. You really shouldn't be worried about any of it."

"Wow! That was really profound."

I know. But I guess I can't take credit for it.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7

A Mom's Life, Unplugged

Just like some of the really cool artists at MTV, I'm going Unplugged.

That's right. I'm going to spend some much needed time away from my computer and with my family.

But the thought of leaving A Mom's Life with no new posts for a week and a half had me twitching a little bit. Almost as much as the thought of having my stove and microwave clock unsynchronized.

Thanks to Blogger's magical Post Date and Time function and lots and lots of early morning coffee, I have quite of posts lined up and ready to go for you. You may not even notice that I'm unplugged.

This way, I can enjoy my family twitch free and you can still enjoy (I hope!) A Mom's Life.

And please, have a great 4th of July.

Go America. Freedom rocks. Fireworks and all that.

Works For Me Wednesday - Tomato Bacon Quesadillas

It's a Themed Edition today at Works For Me Wednesday. Shannon wants simple recipes using 5 ingredients or less.

So I thought I would give you my recipe for Tomato Bacon Quesadillas.

I know what you are thinking. Hmm....she's giving us this recipe...again? Hasn't she already posted this recipe?

O.k. you caught me! I have posted this recipe before but it was over 6 months ago and it is so easy and so yummy, it bears repeating.

I originally got this recipe from a can of Hunt's diced tomatoes but the second time I made it, I substituted Rotel for the Hunt's tomatoes and have been making it this way ever since.

My husband loves this recipe because it's tasty.

I love it because it's easy and quick and I normally have all the ingredients for it on hand. So without any further rambling, here's the recipe:

Tomato Bacon Quesadillas

8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can Rotel with lime (any flavor works but we prefer the kind with lime for this recipe)
10 pieces of cooked bacon (I always use the microwave bacon...so much easier than frying!)
2 T vegetable oil

Combine cheese, Rotel and bacon.

Spread 1/8 of the mixture on half of a tortilla and fold in half to make a semi-circle.

Cook each quesadilla over medium low heat until cheese has melted and tortillas are starting to turn brown...a couple minutes on each side.

Serve with sour cream and enjoy!

For more quick and easy recipes using 5 ingredients or less, head over to Rocks In My Dryer.