Happiness Is...

WI-FI!!!!

It's true...I have Wi-Fi now. I feel like the kid in the candy shop; there are ENDLESS possibilities.

The hubby and I were joking last night about the price of getting Wi-Fi, and I said, "So what if the kids can only eat crackers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...I CAN BLOG WHILE I'M ON THE TOILET!!!". Too much information? Sorry. And in case you're worried, no, I'm not blogging while on the toilet (but I can't say I never will), and my kids just had peanut butter and jelly for lunch (they just had the crackers for breakfast...heehee).

The other thing I love about this, is that I don't have to interrupt my working husband to Google something I'm trying to research while writing. I do most of my writing on a laptop, that until yesterday, did not have Internet. This is how our conversation would go:

Me (peeking through the door to my husband's office): Babe? Can I Google something?

Him (pulling the headphones off of his head): Huh?

Me: Can I Google something?

Him: Babe, I'm really under a time crunch here.

Me: Babe, please, it'll just take a sec.

Him: Alright, I have to use the bathroom anyway.

Me: Awesome.

No more potty break Googling here, folks. I have WI-FI!

I have found one fatal flaw, however, with my new wireless capabilities. And that flaw is THIS SITE that Lynette over at Chatterbox Chit Chat introduced to me. This is like crack for jigsaw puzzle addicts. I can't stop playing...I barely pulled myself away from it to write this blog. MUST. DO. PUZZLES. I wonder if they have sites for Sudoku or crossword puzzles, because my Dad would be all over that. Hmmm.

So a BIG shoutout to my awesome hubby, for making all my wireless dreams come true. I love you!

What are some of your favorite websites?

I'd like you to meet the Newest Italian Members of My Family

Bigotti and Patrutti (at least I imagine that's how you'd spell it).

These are the new names my sons have been using instead of their own for a few days now. I never realized when I named my children that they would actually prefer to be named after THE MAFIA!

I will call to Tyler (my youngest) and Cody (my oldest) will say, "No, Mommy. That's not Tyler, that's Bigotti." And when I say to Cody, "Cody, go pick up your sippy cup," Tyler will answer me and say, "No, Patrutti (which really comes out like Puhtwuuti)."

They've also decided that Bigotti and Patrutti also make great invisible friends. They like to play the "Blame it on the Invisible Italian" game. It goes something like this.

Me: "Where are my keys?"

Cody: "I think Bigotti took them. Or maybe it was Patrutti."

Me: "Oh, well in that case, you tell those gangsters TO FIND MY KEYS OR NO ICE CREAM FOR DESSERT."

Mommy can play gangster, too!

Just When You Thought It Was A Good Idea...

...to put your dirty dishes in the oven because your company was going to be arriving in about 30 seconds...

...IT'S NOT.

And just in case you're wondering, that's a spaghetti strainer, child's bowl (melted under the strainer), and two sippy cups.

My poor husband decided to make an oven-baked pizza the other night, and when he opened the perfectly preheated oven to put his pizza in, he found the above. I had forgotten to take the aformentioned dirty dishes OUT of the oven and put them IN the dishwasher. Guess I won't make that mistake again...or will I???

My friend, Katie, calls these moments of forgetfulness "momnesia", and I wholeheartedly agree. Some of my finer "momnesia" moments include:

- buckling my child into the carseat and driving to the park, not realizing the car seat was never fastened in with the car seatbelt.

- pouring Coke into my son's sippy cup, instead of the apple juice right next to it (imagine HIS delight!)

- pulling out of my driveway with a very large drink on top of my car (we all know how that one ends)

- putting my son into a pull-up diaper thinking it was a swimmy diaper, and watching it grow and swell, wondering all the while why on EARTH it would be doing that?

What are your momnesia moments???

*Update: I actually just found this article through an email, and thought I'd share it since it pertains so nicely to this conversation.

You're SO Not Going to Believe This

So I'm sitting down to blog at this very moment, and what do I hear outside. Thunder! Here I go again! Thank you to all your ladies for your comments from today's earlier post. You all are amazing. And Diane, since my time is limited (because I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a panicked husband in here any minute!)...THANK YOU for the award! I will post on it as soon as I can!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Blame It on the Rain...

Can't you just hear Milli Vanilli??? 

Yesterday afternoon, I was really making progress on my novel. I had hit a creative artery and the words were flowing heavily...and then my kids woke up from their nap! Argh!

I had every intention of blogging and doing some work on my MS last night after the kids were asleep, but nature had other plans for me. I sat down at the computer at about 10:30pm, and almost that second, a huge bolt of lightning crashed outside. Now, in most homes, this is not such a big deal. In OUR home however, BIG, BIG, DEAL. 

My hubby does most of his video editing on the computer that has our Internet connection (we have plans to get wireless, just to make our lives easier, but have not done it yet). Mere seconds after the first crash of lightning, Mike comes running into the office begging me to shut down the computer so nothing happens to it. OK, OK, I grumble. Children are still asleep at this point (thank God for sound machines), so I decide to grab my laptop with 80% battery life and try to write a little. HA HA...didn't happen.

Second crashing lightning bolt and following thunder awakens our youngest child (guess the sound machine just wasn't loud enough!). Now, this part actually broke my heart, because when I went in to get him he was literally shaking he was so "scawed" by the storm. I brought him into our bedroom and he proceeded to shake until the storm was over (roughly 45 minutes). He finally went back to sleep, and I decided that I should too. 

All that to say, no blog yesterday, and no MS pages finished. Here's hoping the kids nap today, so I can get some more writing done.

Are you able to pick right back up where you left off when you're writing is interrupted? 

Totally Moved

I don't know why (actually I do, it's probably PMS!), but I have been SO emotionally moved (sometimes to tears!) today. For instance:

- Sitting in bean bag chairs watching a movie with my son (Cody) this afternoon, and he grabs my face and says, "Mommy, you're pretty." (And here come the tears AGAIN!)

- Loading dishes into my dishwasher and seeing 4 beautiful (actually, one of them looked a little messed up, like maybe he was molting - do hummingbirds molt? Note to self: Google molting hummingbirds) hummingbirds at my bird feeder! Those of you bird watchers out there know how special this is! 

- Driving along in the car this evening (by myself - which is totally glorious and moving in its own right!) listening to the radio and this song comes on. LOOOOVE this song.

- Reading on Facebook statuses that my friends' kids are starting kindergarten and realizing that my oldest (Cody again) will be in the same spot next year!

- Seeing my husband's state championship baseball ring, and feeling so proud of him for being so incredibly talented and using those talents to both glorify God and impact the lives of young men.

While I'm off to find some chocolate (and maybe a potato chip or two...hello PMS!), tell me, what's moving you lately?

ZZZZZ's

I slept most of the day today. I don't know what my deal was, but I COULD NOT pry myself out of bed. 

I mean, I did get out of bed...when I absolutely HAD to. My sweet husband had the day off and took the boys to the gym this morning so I could get some extra sleep (collective "awww"). Then we had some lunch with my father-in-law who is visiting from Florida. 

After lunch, we came home and I took a LOOONG nap with the boys. It was one of those naps where you fall asleep so deep you wake up not knowing what time it is, or even what DAY it is! I dragged myself out of bed again to get dressed and get to my women's bible study (we are still studying this book, and I just have to tell you again how fantastic it is!).

Needless to say, I can't fall asleep tonight. It's 11:43pm and I'm still awake, which should definitely make for an interesting tomorrow. 

What do you do when you can't sleep?

Can't Wait!

For this movie! I love (love love love!) Rachel McAdams, and I think she will be fantastic in this film. I also, coincidentally, love Eric Bana - something about that Aussie accent! ;)

To see the trailer click here!

How do you feel about books made into movies? Have you ever seen a movie that lived up to the book...or was better?

Voila! Insta-post!

I was doing a little bit of computer housekeeping this morning and found this post that I never published. Seeing as how I'm trying to make more time to write my novel, this comes in VERY handy! I'm off to write...happy reading!

When the going gets tough...the tough ask for help!

So many of us mothers feel like we have to go it alone in the world, so that we can keep up the image of Supermom. I can't even tell you how many times I've been in a rut, but my pride stands in the way of asking for help. A million questions run through my mind. What if that other mom thinks I'm weak? What if they say "no"? What if they're too busy already? 

Why do we do it to ourselves?

Three years ago, my husband and I decided that we wanted to move out of South Florida. We knew we wanted to have a few more kids - we only had one at the time - and we knew that we would be more comfortable in a bit bigger house. Unfortunately, the housing prices in Florida were at an all-time high, so the bigger house was out of the question for us, at least in Florida. We looked elsewhere, and fell in love with North Georgia. We were so grateful when he found a wonderful job, we were able to build our own home, and we found a church that we loved. We packed up and made the move without another thought. 

What we didn't take into careful consideration, was the fact that we were moving away from our ENTIRE family, his and mine. Call us crazy, but we didn't think it would be that bad. I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "You don't realize what you've got, 'till it's gone"? Well, we didn't realize what we had being surrounded by family - until we weren't!

I got pregnant with our second son shortly after we moved. While chasing around my toddler and getting bigger by the day, I realized how tired I was, and it finally dawned on me that we were alone. No one to call for a quick break from parenting. No one to call for a date night out. No one to call when all three of us got sick with the flu and had to take turns taking each other to the hospital. 

No. One. 

What had we done?

I struggled with asking people I barely knew for help. I'm one of those people who doesn't want to be a burden; I'll find a way to do everything myself. However, I learned very quickly that I either had to swallow my pride, or risk having a mental breakdown! 

Pride swallowed, I began to ask. I enlisted kind neighbors, other moms I had met at church, and I searched endlessly for a responsible babysitter. Finally, I had help. Maybe not as awesome as having family nearby, but pretty awesome all the same.

I've done the pride thing with God, too. It's hard to take off the cape and admit I can't do it all. No, Lord, I don't need your help, I can do this by myself. And we all know how that turns out, right? I've learned - the hard way -  to go to God FIRST, every time I have a problem that needs fixing, instead of trying to fix it myself. 

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Do you have trouble asking for help, from God or anyone else? What is holding you back?

Write Now?

If you don't already know, I'm TRYING to write my first novel. Although, now that I think about it, the sign outside my neighborhood chiropractor's office had this to say (they change the message every week): Do or Do Not; there is no TRY.

So let me rephrase: I AM writing my first novel.

The thing is, I am finding it EXTREMELY difficult to make (notice I didn't say find) the time to write. I have two, very energetic little boys who require my attention nearly all day long. My youngest naps in the afternoon, but my oldest does not. They will both be in preschool three days a week starting in early September, and I am VERY grateful for that. However, until that time, I'm trying to fit the writing in here and there, and I'm floundering.

So I'm asking you dear readers who have (or at one point had) small children while you were doing the writing thing: When do/did you write? During the day? Late at night? In spurts? Chunks of time?

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot Part 2

You didn't know there was going to be a sequel now, did you?

I'm having a little get together at my house tomorrow night, so today I was doing some much needed errand running. My husband took our oldest, Cody, to Six Flags for the day to have some Daddy & Son bonding time before he goes back to work (he's a teacher, in case you were wondering). I had the pleasure of keeping our youngest (and craziest), Tyler, with me all day.

Today was much the same as yesterday...HOT. Like, standing in an oven set to 500 degrees. Oh, and the oven is in the kitchen of a house ON THE SURFACE OF THE SUN. 

Yep. Hot.

What made it even more delightful was the fact that my truck decided that I didn't deserve air-conditioning today. I think it might be punishing me for not washing it often enough, or for that one time when I kicked the tire because I was mad - well, it's kicking back now.

I made it to the grocery store and back with a bag full of cheese that I was pretty sure would be fondue by the time I got home. Fortunately, the back of the truck still gets cool air. The way my dad explained it to me is that there are two different hoses in my truck that...wait a minute...do you really want to hear all the mechanical lingo? No? Okay, good. Suffice to say, it's broken, and it will cost a bunch of money to fix it. (insert obvious cheese with that whiiine joke here - and NO THANKS, I ALREADY HAVE CHEESE)

So remember that part on Wednesday where I said I was ready for fall? I'M REALLY READY FOR FALL NOW! Lord? Are you listening?

Happiness Is...

Photo courtesy of Google Images

When McDonald's runs their $1 Large Drink specials. 

My cup runneth over....WITH COKE! And in case you couldn't figure it out, I gave up on the NO COKE PLAN. Don't you judge me, Internet. Don't you dare!

Truth time...what's your guilty pleasure? Chocolate? Reality TV? Spill it!!!

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot

For those of us who live in the Southeast, it's usually only two temperatures in the summer: hot.....or really hot. 

Today, I took the boys for a playdate at the park. At one point during our visit I was quite certain that I left the playground entirely and entered one of The Nine Circles of Hell from Dante's Inferno. Yeah, it was THAT HOT. One nice thing about the park is that it has a great bike/walking path and a beautiful lake with a manmade stone creek that the kids can walk in all the way down to the lake. But the heat...OHHH THE HEAT! :)

When it's hot like this, I can't help but think about the women who used to have to wear the corsets and the petticoats and the big bustling skirts...and NO AIR-CONDITIONING! THOSE POOR WOMEN! How Scarlett O'Hara didn't just keel over and die in Gone With the Wind is a mystery to me. 

So I know you'll be shocked, but I think I'm ready for summer to come to a close. I'm ready for the cooler temperatures that come with the fall. I'm ready for my boys to be in preschool (3 mornings a week) and to have some time back to myself, even though I feel guilty for saying it. I'm looking forward to dressing the kids up for Halloween, and having all the family together for Thanksgiving.

What's your favorite season?

Sundays and Swimming Lessons

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, then you'll know (hopefully) that I'm a Christian, and (hopefully) that hasn't scared you away from coming back :) I need to warn you though, the next paragraph is me getting all geeked up about church, so if that's not your bag you don't have to keep reading. I won't be offended. Although, if you're curious, then keep reading.

Deep breath.

This weekend we went to church, and OH MY GOODNESS, I LOVE MY CHURCH. 

Mostly, I love my pastor (Andy Stanley) and the vision that he has for our church. Our whole mission statement is "growing people into a lasting relationship with Jesus Christ". We like to think of ourselves as a church for the "unchurched", meaning, if you don't like church, then give us a try...and if you still don't like it - well, fair enough. 

Anyway, we're doing this really awesome thing where people can actually go online and watch a live streaming (not pre-recorded) of the entire service in progress, including praise and worship...from ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD as long as you have an Internet connection. Not that this should take the place of being in a local church and experiencing a community of believers, but what if you live in, say, the Middle East and don't have a Christian church right at your fingertips, but you have Internet? You can experience church! Can you tell I'm really excited about it? I am. It starts August 16th @ 6pm. Click on the link below for more information or to watch live on August 16th. 

Northpoint Online

Ok, moving on. Today, we were at the pool with the kids trying to enjoy one of Mike's last days off before school starts and he's back to teaching/coaching/filming/general craziness. Cody (who's 4) is still learning to swim, so we (and when I say "we" I mean that I tried and then Mike took over with all of his swimming superiority. Who played water polo senior year of high school and got an honorable mention?? UM, THAT'D BE ME DARN HUSBAND!) had him practicing kicking his legs and mastering the doggy paddle. 

Tyler (who's 2) is learning too, although his version of swimming is still more of a flail than an actual combined kick and paddle. Watching them both play and splash made me feel so grateful to be their Mommy. And even though he THINKS he's a superior swimmer, I'm SO thankful that Mike has a job that lets him be home for the summer to enjoy these special moments as they learn, grow, and change right before our eyes.