Saturday, March 28, 2009

#5 I'm not supermom or wonderwoman

Hey, tonight I come humbly before you to admit that I am not a super hero. I hate to burst your bubble and the polished image that you have of me kids but I may as well admit it.
I have tried for years to keep up with the best of them all, the soccer moms the super home school moms, the moms who never yell and keep their hair in place while mixing a cake with one hand and teaching Johnny algebra with the other.
I have failed and I am the first to admit it. I never was able to conquer my fear of heights which is why I couldn't fly you around to all the places you wanted to go 24-7.

I know Susie's mom could manage to steer the van with one foot while doing karaoke with all your preteen friends on the way to the mall. But I opted to just say no, the mall was like kryptonite to our budget.

I confess that at times I was able to use my super powers to pull you out of bed in the mornings. My secret weapon was the scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls urging you to surrender to my will. I also confess to using my x-ray vision to see that you had hidden junk under your bed after promising me that your room was clean. That was one of the times that I was able to detect non-verbal moaning with my super human hearing.
You were aware of my flaws all along I know, that was my greatest disguise. My super power was to remain vulnerable throughout all of life's ups and downs. I allowed you to penetrate the walls of my heart. When you came into my life I opened every vessel of my heart and let you step right in. I never shut the door.
There were times when I was weakened by the icy stares you gave me after I told you no to something you really wanted, but I knew it would harm you. The love I have for you was the strength I depended on when you didn't like me anymore. I still held my ground when I was no longer a nice mommy. I took the bullets because I was keeping you safe. That's what real moms do.
Popularity was not my strong point, I was able to go to bed and cry myself to sleep, if it meant keeping you from harm. The supermom thing was tempting to me, but I never could seem to fit into the suit. Must have been the cinnamon rolls.
I just found it to be demanding enough to be a real mom. I'm not saying super moms aren't real moms, I'm just saying that for me just being a regular, day in and day out kind of mom was super hard enough. I didn't want to try for a decathelon or anything, I just wanted to be able to say at the end of the day that I was real.
So, my confession tonight is for my kids. If I have failed to meet all of your expectations, well just chalk it up to the fact that I am real. The same way I was able to understand that you came from me and I know that you are real too. You inherited some of my frailties and some of my strengths. I hope you can forgive me for that.
Please remember that when your children start trying to tie a cape on your back so that you can take them for a spin around the planet, that a real mom or dad is better than a super hero. A real mom and dad can be touched, they can feel joy and pain. Real moms and dads curl up on the couch with popcorn and snuggle. While the super hero flys off into the sunset.

You were always my inspiration. Your laughter and smiles were like a super dose of adrenaline to me. You gave me hope for the future. When I saw that you were learning to become your own person, I felt a sense of pride knowing that I had played a great part in who you are.

I cried real tears, in sadness and in joy. When I was too tired to get up again, I found the strength because I knew you needed me. One look into your face energized me again. Love became the ancedote for all the bad guys out there. I hope you have plenty of it on hand. Enough to give to your kids too. Real kids need real love.
It takes time to manufacture the real stuff. Some super parents try to buy it, but love has to be homemade to be the real thing.
No shortcuts. Time, sacrifice, consistency. That's what makes real love.
Don't forget that love comes from God. If you miss that you have missed everything. So you need real love. Your kids need real love. God is real love.
There's nothing more super than that.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

#4 My life long love for chocolate



I have to put this one high up on the list because it is so true.:) I really love chocolate and I have a terrible time breaking up with it. I however have an easier time breaking out with it!!

If you love chocolate, raise your hand. My love for chocolate surely began early in life. I can remember going to the grocery on Saturday mornings with my Grandaddy. He would take us kids with him as he shopped for the groceries. He was generous and gave us all a quarter to spend as we chose.

Now some of you younguns will probably roll your eyes at that and think my Grandaddy to be a total cheapskate. Well, he was Scotch-Irish and he was experienced at divvying up a stick of Wrigley's chewing gum, between 4 or 5 kids. That's right one stick of gum went a long way with Grandaddy! Don't swallow it either!!

Back to the chocolate.... we got our beloved quarter weekly,(you know I'm gonna say it...and we were THANKFUL!!) We could all spend our quarter as we chose as I stated before. We took our time I can tell you, browsing the candy isle over and over for just the right treat. Our sweaty little hands holding that quarter tightly. I can still remember the smell of my hand after gripping that old quarter until it was sticky with sweat.

In this day and age you could just forget going to the store and spending a quarter. But then I could buy a candy bar, a coke and a small bag of penny candy. Hello!! And I'm not that old either. I remember one phase I went through and I didn't get a candy bar, but I chose a sweet tart instead. These were huge like jawbreaker sweet tarts and they lasted for days. Talk about your pucker power! OW!!

By the way no matter what kind of soft drink we got it was always referred to as a coke. Just a little southern info for you. They were in those refrigerator type machines with the glass door running vertical up the left side. You'd slide your dime in the slot and open the glass door and pull your coke out. Then open it up right there with the attached bottle opener and drink it right there in the store.

Now back to chocolate! I guess a melted candy bar smeared across the smiling face of a child is just about as good as it gets. Good grief, how many times did we smear chocolate all over our best clothes and my Granddaddy's truck seats?

Chocolate sort of just has a way of getting all over you and all in you, don't you think? Have you ever turned down a free Snickers bar? Why do you think it's called snickers?

I know that too much chocolate is bad for you, but who's to say how much is too much? The scientific community has debated this question time and again. You will always notice that chocolate wins out every time. You will see it on women's magazines in the check out or a blurb about it on the news. The health benefits of chocolate. Well, I don't know about all the science of it, but I do know this, If it is a certain time in the month and you are holding something chocolate in your hands and your suddenly mauled by a group of women, let me just say you had it coming to you. OK?

The health benefits of chocolate is understood by hormonal women. That is why every Valentines Day you will see signs everywhere, even weeks ahead of time, reminding men to "get her some chocolate." These are warning signs for men.
Please be aware, if she says "don't get me chocolate this year, I'm on a diet." That is code for you sir, take her dancing and make sure she knows she's beautiful, and then to be sure, leave a tiny box of extra fancy chocolates on the kitchen counter kind of, you know nonchalant like. Just leave it there, OK? She knows what to do with it. And wisely never mention them again!

I am so sure that the fruit in the garden that Eve could not resist, was chocolate covered!!

I really believe it. If it was just fruit, I don't think she'd have been tempted. Now reason with me a minute.
How many women do you ever hear say," I have such a terrible time resisting fruit?" Or "I've really gotta cut back on my fruit." No way, we are always saying," I should eat more fruits and vegetables."
Never do I hear a woman say she has to cut back on fruit. Come on we all know what she's gotta cut back on, sweets, chocolate, desserts, cakes, pies, cookies,and GULP, cheesecake!!!!
But never fruit.

Boy the temptation is there alright for just one little bite of that sweet creamy chocolate.

And they make it in all different flavors! How does this sound , deep dark chocolate? How about delicious milk chocolate? Or creamy white chocolate?

I'm telling you it will make you slap your mama! But please don't do that, (no Moms were hurt during the writing of this blog.)

If you love chocolate don't be ashamed to say so. Go ahead and say it with me," I love chocolate."

See how that felt? All the guilt just ran out your mouth and down your chin.

Now don't you just feel like a kid again?

So go ahead and have you a little "fun size" candy bar, no body's looking. And rub a little dab on your shirt just for old times sake!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

3rd confession, I'm Hooked

Okay now kids strap on your seat belts, cause here comes a whopper. I am hooked.
I told you this would shock you now. I know you see me as just a little Momma here, roaming around the kitchen looking for something to cook for all the kids and grand kids. Just barely tottering around, feebly making my way to get to the phone when you call once in a blue moon to check up on me.
I can see you rolling your eyes right now saying, what the heck is Mom talking about!
Well ,I'm talking about being hooked boys, I mean certifiably addicted.
I stay up late at night when it's all quiet just to have that time.
You know what time I'm talking about. ALONE time. Oh yeah. The sweet me, myself and I time alone on my PC as I lovingly call it!
That's what I said kids.
You can have all your cell phones and my space and texting and hook yourself up to your i-pods and mp3 players. But don't even think about touching my PC!
That is why they call it a Personal Computer! It's personal.
You may ask when all this came about.
Well I'm not ashamed to tell you that it's been going on quite a while. At first it was the occasional look. You know just a glance every so often. I would do a little research or look up a recipe, but that was all I promise you.
Then I found out that I could find some answers I had about my family tree. So I started doing a bit of genealogy here and there.
Then I heard that you could find old friends on the world wide web. Hey, I didn't have any friends all over the world then, but I was willing to try.
After a while I started using my PC more frequently. Sure at first it was more of a recreational thing, you know just for fun. But then I started getting serious with it, you know I felt drawn to the light!! The light of the monitor that is .
I started finding excuses for getting on my PC.

Oh sure you thought I was taking classes on line to further my education, at least that's what I let you think. I was actually learning how to set up my Facebook page and how to use those funny little emoticons on my e-mail ;)
Oh I was getting an education alright! I learned how to IM and I learned how to set up a webcam. Hey, those pics are strictly artistic expression !!

So now I'm telling everyone I know and lots of folks I don't know ALL of my business, because I'm hooked. Blabbing all day and night on my PC to anyone who wants to be my "friend" and I never even met them. But you know it's rude to say no when someone wants to be your friend.
I raised you better than that.

So here I am kids, I'm jamming on the keyboards late at night. "Letting it all hang out" as we said back in the day! Ya'll just sit tight and have another cookie and I'll be through with my blog in a bit!!
You know us old ladies take a while to get stuff done, being feeble and all. ;)

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Late at night

All quiet here just me and my PC. My husband is just starting work on the other side of the world and I am gearing up for bed.
My 2nd confession is I am lonely.
Now please don't take this wrong, I'm not looking for Mr. Right or even Mr. Leftover. I just miss my Mr. Right, my only right. I miss him all the time. It's like having half of me sliced off and having to function as if I were normal. He is the other half of me in every way.
He is the echo I hear when my heart cries out. He is the life preserver that I reach for in the storms. My heart matches his heart, it is a mirror reflection, a perfect fit. And he is gone.
I go throughout my day looking for something, puzzled, I can't seem to gain my bearings, my mind doesn't concentrate, somethings missing and I can't find it.
Then I realize that it is him, my soul mate, my little slice of heaven right here on earth. He is the one who knows me inside and out and he loves me. Can you believe that? He loves me! And I love him. I'm crazy, gaga, in love and I always will be. He branded my heart with his first kiss.
So, you can see why I'm lonely and why I'm writing late in the night on this blog to God only knows who. Marriage is not for wimps let me tell you. It is a lot of giving and forgiving and taking too. Taking a lot of stuff that requires more forgiving. You can't quit in the middle of it. It's a lot like making a great cake. Which kind do you like best by the way? My favorite is chocolate cake and butter creme icing, homemade please.
If you try all the ingredients separately they taste horrible. But if you mix it all together and follow the recipe properly, you will have a yummy cake for everyone to enjoy. Would you take it out of the oven after 10 minutes when it calls for 25? No, what kind of cook are you anyway?
You have to let it go through the process. And then you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Too many impatient and immature people get married and want the finished product without the work. It's just not gonna happen that way, sorry.
You have to commit, I know that's a bad word today, but there is no short cut to a fabulous marriage. Or any relationship for that matter.
So if you want a fully satisfying marriage take my advice, hey it's free!
Get together with your spouse and mix it up real good, pour it all out and turn up the heat. Now give it some time and when it springs back to the touch, it's ready!
Then let it cool and enjoy!
Hey I was talking about cake all the time where's your mind?

Learning all about the REAL world of cyberspace is tough

Here's my 1st confession.......I have no idea what I'm doing. I am a 50 yr old stay at home Mom and I am just learning how to get my groove on with blogging and networking. Ok so I'm kinda slow but borderline hip ;) that's supposed to be a little wink right there for all you other grannies!!
Well, I hope I can meet some friends and encourage some folks who just think lifes getting a bit CRAZY out there. So if you agree or disagree that's alright with me, we can still sit down with some coffee or tea and smile and talk about anything that's on your mind.
I have 6 kids so I earned my degree the hard way!! Some of ya'll know what I mean, the rest of you will catch on later. I am married to the love of my life and he still knows how to light my fire,his name is Kindal. We'll be married 22 years this June 6th.
I was born in Tennessee but we live in sweet home Alabama! I love all things southern and country. Well I hope sombody reads this and says to themselves "Hey she sounds normal, I think I'll say Hi" I'm waithing to hear from you ,bye