Looking into the future I know we will have that exact conversation.  Just please make sure we don’t have the following one too many times and we will become that little gray headed couple. I promise.

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Thanks Harriet for making my day brighter!

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Since yesterday I got a little snarky and maudlin I was really excited about today’s very important topic. Today’s post will focus only on the POSITIVES in my life!

What! Wait! Why is she flipping gears like this??? PMS???  No my friends, just a little bit of POSITIVE inspiration.

When a wonderful blogger named Jen from Dust Bunny Hostage posted this idea last week I immediately put it on my calender.  Her beautiful daughter had and epiphany one day! We focus too much on the negatives in life.  Thus is human nature I suppose. But as a young fresh mind reminded us all that day, we need to take time out of our frustrating daily lives to focus on the POSITIVES.  She told her mother that when she became President in 2032 she would instate a national POSITIVE Day.  Her likewise brilliant mother thought, why wait? So here we find ourselves today July 31, 2009 and it’s a great day to share our POSITIVE feelings with each other and be POSITIVE about each other feelings.  I’m loving starting my day off with this kind of sharing.

To start, I’m POSITIVELY thrilled and in love with my wonderful, generous husband. Even when I’m hormonal and feeling in the dumps he always tries his hardest to make my life better. Even if it’s just a big bear hug that he gives me, the day I met him is the day I added true meaning to my life. And I am also POSITIVELY privileged that he does care to ask me what I’m writing about and that he supports me fully. (yesterday’s post) And as he reads this I truly want him to know how much I love him.

I’m also POSITIVELY amazed and blessed and also head over heals in love with my beautiful daughter.  I never knew life could be so fulfilling until she came along into mine. Everyday, with every smile she shares with me she reminds me of why I exist. With every butterfly kiss she gives me she makes my heart grow.  Everyday I look forward to sharing with her the POSITIVES of the world and, just like Jen’s daughter did, I look forward to her teaching me what true POSITIVITY is.

Whew! After unloading those ULTIMATE POSITIVE feelings I feel rather silly about going on about how I feel POSITIVELY blessed to be able to play tennis and that my body still allows me to do this.  I feel POSITIVELY blessed that I have a solid roof over my head and a soft bed to sleep in.  I feel POSITIVELY blessed that I woke up today so I could enjoy this day of POSITIVITY!  Ok, maybe that’s not so silly.

Come on everybody! Let’s go shake our neighbor’s hand and say hi! Let’s be nice to the check out clerk at the grocery store, can you imagine all the NEGATIVE people they encounter everyday? Let’s give them a break.  There are so many other people we encounter everyday, even if we don’t leave our homes, and there are so many ways we can spread this feeling of POSITIVITY with the world. We just have to try a bit harder. Not too hard.  Ahhh, there we go, that’s just right!

If you would like to join the POSITIVITY glee club and tell us all what you are thankful for and what makes your glass half full go over and visit Jen’s little corner of the bloggosphere and learn more.  It’s a true POSITIVE experience!

A year of watching you grow in so many ways.  A year of watching you eat yourself taller and stronger. A year of wondering how a little creature could eat so danged much? A year of wondering how you can be a year old, eat the way you do, and still fit into some 0-3 month articles of clothing?  A year of wishing I had your metabolism.  You are my lovely little skinny minny.  A year of watching how head strong you are and how you always seem to decide when you are ready to do something.  A year of watching how fast you could become Tornado Baby and destroy a basket of laundry.  A year of watching and being surprised when you just stood up and walked or went up an entire flight of steps like you’ve been doing it forever.  A year of watching you fear nothing and a year of me fearing everything.

You are definitely stubborn and determined to do things at your own pace.  In this past year you learned how sit up on your own, at 5 months old, because you got tired of mom and dad always hovering over you.  That was the first sign we had of how much of an independent young lady you are and will become.  In this past year you learned to crawl, at 8 months old, because you got tired of sitting in one place.  (I believe you were wanting to see where the dogs and Daddy went when they left the room.) And then two months later, in this past year at 10 months old, you decided to start walking because you could get where you wanted to faster.  (Usually that involved chasing the dogs or your Daddy)  In this past year, two days ago, 11 months and 28 days old, you decided to go up the stair case just because you were done being a baby and you were ready to become a toddler. A year of watching your personality blossom into an independent happy little girl.

Oh my!  Mommy’s going to cry now!  You’re a toddler!  Where did my little teeny weenie sugar plum honey butt go?  Now you’re a toddler going on teenager, hell bent on eating me out of house and home while I tell you to eat your green beans.  Now you’re a toddler who will find her words in the next year and will tell me endless stories about this and that and the other. Now you’re a toddler who will soon start running at full speed racing the wind and dogs while I beg you to watch where you’re going.  Now you’re a toddler who will find her inner daredevil while I stand by to kiss your boo boos.  While scared of all these things I also look forward to the next year and being the Mommy of a toddler.

With all the future we face together I know I will always be able to be proud of you and you’re blooming personality.  Even when you mess up and take your bumps in life I will always find pride in you and be able to remind you about having pride in yourself. Right now you’re a baby growing into a toddler who still shines full faced smiles as you dive towards me with arms and eyes open wide expecting me to catch you, because you know I always will.  But one day you will be a woman with the world at your fingertips.  And one day you will be a Mommy too and will know exactly how much I love you.

Love, Mommy

She came into the world ready to own it….

And now she does.

1. From Dates To Diapers - She always has something interesting to read and that’s what it’s all about right?
2. La Vida Ladybird - I really appreciate her personality and strength.
3. Ma Vie Folle – Cuz she cracks me up!  I’m a humor whore don’t cha’ know!
4. Diana Rambles.…in a great way and she always makes me smile.
5. Scary Mommy - Because with a name like that you just HAVE to check out her site.  Psst….she’s not that scary.
6. Our Life Upstate - She’s a very inspiring SAHM.
7. Sunny Day Today Mama - She always has something beautiful captured by her camera!
8. Hair Bows & Guitar Picks - Another mom we can all relate to. Oh, and the Momma can write!
9. Thrifty Craft Mama - Great ideas for kids crafts and mom to some adorable little kiddos!
10. Dore’s Diarys - A truly gifted and funny lady.  And also because she’s recieved many other awards and I thought the Sushi Award would be a nice addition to her collection.
11. Mom By Faith - I appreciate her and so should you.
12. Life In Focus - Her blog makes me smile infectiously.
13. Dust Bunny Hostage - The name really says it all!
14. My Little Drummer Boys - She’s a fun Aussie mom with a twist.
15. Momma’s Gone Over The Wall…. and I’m going with her…wait for meeeeeeeeee.  OK that wasn’t very funny but she is.  Check her out!

To recap how to collect your award here’s what you do:

• Accept the award and place it on your blog together with the name of the person who has given it to you and their web-link to their site.
• Pass the award onto 15 other blogs you have newly discovered.  Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for the award

Thanks to everyone on yesterday and today’s awards lists for making my life more fun!

I have a couple new awards that I’ve received in the last few weeks and I’m thinkin’ its time to pass them on to some of the other wonderful bloggers out there. With each one there are 15 of the newest and greatest blogs that I’ve been visiting.  If you’re not on one of these lists just note that I could only name 15 for each and after having to name 30 in all my brain is fried and so is my ability to copy and paste links.  I promise I love you all!!!  I will also be breaking this up into two posts so please stop by tomorrow to see who else I’m showering award love on.  And take some time to check them all out all the recipients because they all work really hard to create magic in their own way. So without further blah, blah, blah from me, may I present first the “One Lovely Blog Award”.  It was given to me by the wonderful blogger Pat over at Lalapooandstrollers.  She’s a tell it like it is mom with sass! Go on over and check her out first!

Drum roll please…..

1. My Life As A Trailer Park Mom - She tells it like it is and she’s a crocheter like me!!
2. Kiss My Rash - She’s a fascinating woman and mom.
3. Eli’s Lids – Cuz I love the lids!!!  Oh, and the site too of course!
4. Very Bloggy____ - Because she’s witty and wonderful!
5. The Weird Girl – She’s just weird and that’s AWESOME!
6. Mom 23 Monkeys - She’s got 3 of the cutest little boys and she’s still survives to tell us about it each day.
7. Stroller Patroller - Because she’s fun and funny and completely obsessed with strollers.  If you ever want to know something about one just ask Mother Goose.
8. Serenity Now - She’s a hoot but ya’ better check her out quick before she gets swallowed up by toys.  And she might also inspire you to get off your butts!
9. Ramblings of a Crazy Mom - She’s just a funny mummy who makes the coolest and “floofiest” headbands.
10. Motherhood Uncensored - Because she leaves me on the floor rolling around in laughter!
11. The Queen of Hyperbole - Because I just love to read what she writes.
12. Phoenix The Blogging Mama -  I love all the pictures she posts of the kids and what they do each day.  Very fun site to visit!
13. Tiaras & Tantrums - Because she says it like it is and I respect that!
14. Jinxyisms - She’s a mom I feel like I can relate to.
15. Sunshine on My Shoulder – She’s a fun single mom with spunk!

I also have an honorable mention I would like to give to Sara over at Ordinary And Awesome.  She’s only on the honorable mention list because she has already received this award and I wanted to save the 15 spaces for the others.  Sara, you deserve to get this award many times over!!

Thank you all so much for making my daily life more fun!

To collect your award here’s what you do:

• Accept the award and place it on your blog together with the name of the person who has given it to you and their web-link to their site.
• Pass the award onto 15 other blogs you have newly discovered.  Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for the award

Stay tuned and visit me tomorrow for the other award and recipients!

1. She’s her mommy’s baby she’s her daddy’s pride (How sweet!)
2. Cat hunched down and shakes with butt up  (Huh?  Doooo whaaat? Um, why?)
3. Moomy tube  (Um, anyone know what a “moomy” is?)
4. Redneck wine comments (How did they know I was a wine drinking redneck?)
5. Humorredneck (And I’m funny lookin’ too)
6. Mommy humping (YA, baby!)
7. Willshegag (OK, I think we’re moving into some odd territory)
8. Mommy’s bed (And we have a theme folks!)
9. Mommy’s feet  (I also think we have a fetish)
10. I poop in plastic pants (OMG! Do you really?)
11. (And the term most often searched that reaches my site is)…                     Mommy’s Panties (And I don’t think they are looking for “granny pants” )

OK, so that was 11 instead of 10 but according to the search terms that have helped these interesting characters to my site I’m a redneck with a taste for wine and I wear mommy panties and moomy tubes.  I’m also into mommy fetishes and I have an incontinence problem that only plastic pants will solve.  So I probably can’t count to 10.

Happy searching ya’ll!  Next time you type something into that little search box remember someone like me might use your curiosity as blogging fodder!

Smiles!

New years eve went off with out a hitch.  Had a few friends over, played some poker and had a nice time.  Drank just enough to make it fun with out feeling like poo the next day.  But that’s also the day IT started.  That’s when the silent, creeping, seemingly harmless little contagion ambushed my family. That’s the day my little cutie pie, our sweet beautiful angel had a few little unpleasant diapers.  Never any more than that.  Nothing to even worry us into a Pedialyte frenzy.  She didn’t seem like she wanted to eat much that day but she seemed happy enough and not like the virally infected Typhoid Mary that she was to become.  The next day passed with no concerns until that night.  That’s when the bomb hit our house. What was a few simple little dirty diapers for EJ turned into a battle between dear Hubby and I as to who could get to the bathroom first.  As it turned out this was not a simple little sneezy bug, it was pure evil.  The 24 hour kind that rips your entire body inside and then laughs at you just when you think it’s over.  The next day we were both so sick we had to call in reinforcements to help take care of EJ.  My other sister who lives in the same town came over early that morning.  

—– current event! —–

OMG!  I just watched EJ crawl, or kinda wiggle, over to her daddy on the couch for the first time!!  She went about 5 feet.  She set her mind to it and just went!!!  WOW!!!  OMG!  She’s growing up too fast!!!

ok, ok, breath

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UM, ok where was I ??? Oh, yeah…  I texted messaged my sister around 6:00AM with the pathetic message.  “Hubby and I too sick to breath.  Need help with baby!”  She, like super woman, bravely put herself into the virus fire to help us.  I know there are many moms out there saying, “must be nice to have someone to help out” but in this case it was truly an emergency.  We were really THAT SICK.  I was drinking my daughters Pedialyte. When my sister came over and saw how bad we were she just took over baby and didn’t expect a thing from us.  We were able to be miserable with out having to worry about EJ.  Also, sister was able to keep her away from us just in case she wasn’t the pestilence spreader that got us sick.  But I’m figuring that since she was already in contact with us when we were both catchy, and since she’s the only one that hubby and I were around at the same time,  that it had to be her that gave us this gift.  

As a consequence of her wonderful, while very tiny, human ability to carry viruses now both of my sisters are recovering from their own 24 hours of hell.  Bless you sister who willingly put yourself in danger to care for your niece and I AM SO SORRY to both sisters who got nailed.   

So that’s how our new year started out.  I’m hoping this isn’t a sign as to how this year will go.  

One GREAT thing that happened that might be the Yang to that evil Yin is my best friend from early in life contacted me.  We haven’t seen each other in 13 years!  When I was entering high school she moved to Washington and I didn’t see her till several years and one baby later.  Then we lost track of each other again.  I’ve always thought about her and wondered how she was.  Where she was.  Who she was now.  As fate usually takes strange twists, she was living in our home town not much more than a 45 minute drive from my house.  Her significant other works in the same town I live in so she gets up here a couple times a week.  WHAT!  She’s been here for close to a year and we never knew it.  

We were inseparable as kids.  The kind of friendship where you share everything, even your parents.  My dad had a habit of nicknaming all of us daughters, our husbands, and only a few other close friends who became family. My friend has always been known as Flipper.  We can’t remember why she was named that but she was only graced with it because she was like another daughter to my parents.  She went on family trips with us and there wasn’t a weekend that went by that we didn’t spend the night at each others houses.  Then one day, poof!  Just like that, she was torn out of my life and dropped into a different state too far away for me to make a weekend trip to see her.  Even a summer trip was impossible.  She’s always carried a piece of my life with her and here she is again.  As soon as she found me, thank you Facebook!, she made the haul up here with her newest little one a beautiful 3 month old little girl whom I will forever refer to as M&M (a name given to her by her parents but now adopted by me since, after all, she is now part of my family as well) and her older son whom I inevitably will find a nickname for.  He’s old enough to earn his.  So here we are now, getting to spend time together again.  Catching up for 13 plus years of no speaky.  And we now get to watch our daughters grow up together.  

You know what… now that I think about it, even with this billy bad a** virus taking us all down, maybe it will be a great new year after all.

After all the food and craziness I finally get to think about the things I’m thankful for.  Of course I’m thankful for my family.  Without them, I would not exist on this planet. Thanks Mom and Dad for getting frisky. I’m thankful for my sisters and my husbands family.  Your support in my life has been priceless and I will always treasure our bond.  I’m thankful for my beautiful EJ, whom without I would have never found myself. I’m also thankful for the support I’ve received from my friends this year.  With a new baby and the new blog I’m up to my eyeballs and you’ve been there for me every step of the way.  There are so many other things I could list but I don’t want to exhaust you before I get to the point today.  

The special thanks I want to give today is the creators of the Baby Einstein videos aka.  “baby crack” (not to be mistaken with the odd space between a baby’s pant waist band and their bare back.  Why don’t they make baby pants designed to cover the inevitable diaper? Hello!!!)  I have several of the babies first videos loaded on my laptop and cell phone so where ever I am I can start one up if she is getting unruly.  I don’t want you to think that all I ever do is vegetate my child in front of the boob tube.  Only when she cries, is bored, or when Momma needs a few minutes, or when she’s awake.  I’M KIDDING YA’LL!   I’m not THAT mother.  But I will admit to using them.  At least the videos are educational…umm…at least I hope they are.  There isn’t any proven evidence that they aren’t secretly installing extremest views into our children’s young brain cells.  But instead of a crying pissed off baby who is being forced into a nap, I can lay her down and put on Baby Mozart and she watches that for a few minutes and then drifts off.  For those of you who don’t know what the “baby crack” is all about, they are videos of real life objects and toys that move across the screen to music like Mozart and Beethoven.  No cartoons or brainless stuff, although to the average human adult it can be quite hypnotic and can also quite convenient for blobbing.  They also have images of other babies.  EJ loves those.  She always perks her head up when the babies come on.   I don’t feel guilty letting my daughter fall asleep to this ”baby crack” and using it as a tool to help Mommy stay sane.  I truly believe that sanity in the parents make for more mentally stable offspring.  So let’s give three cheers for “baby crack”!!!  There you have it folks.  A little thanks to be given in a world that should be thanked more often for what it has given us.