Figure it out!!

I was sitting here reading about the NHL lockout and just shaking my head and I realized that there is a lot in common between the NHL and our government.  I mean for the most part they are all millionaires fighting over what? Money!!

Think about it, you have the billionaire owners locking out the millionaire players and neither side is willing to give in enough to get this thing taken care of.  Then we have the millionaires that run the country failing to give enough to settle this fiscal cliff thing.  And in the end who is hurt the most?  We are, the average person, the middle class, the ones who watch the sport and the ones who did the voting.  The sad thing is they don’t seem to care!  We are only the other 98% of the country and we don’t matter.

It is sickening to watch this go on in either case when there are many, many families that struggle everyday just to make ends meet.  Christmas is a major struggle for way to many families in our country and yet these people who fight over our money don’t have to worry about their own money at all.  As far as I am concerned hockey can disappear and the government can shut down and either way I will not lose any sleep over it.  In fact I don’t think I would miss any of the professional sports.   

In the end all these million and billionaires need to remember why they are where they are.  If it wasn’t for all of us they would not be making millions owning a team and paying millions to players to play a game.  And that is what it is a GAME!   As for the government we have voted you in office to do what is right for the nation in a whole. You are there to represent us, the people, not your party or your lobbyist.  You are adults so you act like it and get this thing settled instead of seeing who can push who the farthest.

This is all just my opinion and I refuse to feel bad for anyone involved in professional sports or the government.  There is a very large population that has taken pay cuts in recent years just to keep their jobs and even more that have to pay more for health insurance.  I don’t recall ever hearing of anyone in professional sports taking a pay cut and I sure as hell have not heard of anyone of our so called leaders talking a pay cut and paying more in insurance. 

So the NHL can just ignore the fans and the government can ignore the so called little people but they need to remember one thing, they do not exist without us, the other 98%.  If we don’t watch the games or but the merchandise you have no money.  And the less money we make the less the government gets.  So here is a good idea, bring back our manufacturing jobs and put people back to work so that us 98% are making more money. Then guess what, we are paying more taxes to help pay for the stupid crap that goes on in our government.

Tuesday Tunes ~ Some Nights- Glee Style

I am a Gleek.  I admit it.  I didn't watch from the beginning, but over Christmas break of the second season I got caught up and I haven't missed one since.  The Thanksgiving episode featured a New Directions cover of Some Nights by Fun. and it was awesome.  Below you can see if for yourself.  And today you can buy the new soundtrack for Season 4- Glee: The Music - Season 4 Vol 1 which also includes their version of Gangnam Style.  Yes, you heard me.  Gangnam Style.  Yeah, we used to be cool.

My Wife :)

My part to this blog is my opinion and yes I usually have one.  I have been trying to decide which topic I want to write about.  I have a strong opinion about the drop off at the middle school and I could easily write about the election or hunting or soccer or a number of things.  But today I want write about my wife, Stacy.

As you know if you are reading this we combined our blogs a while back and we got away from it for a while but she has been back at it so I need to do my part. Anyway, I have decided to write about my wife because she deserves to have good things said about her and she deserves it coming from me where everyone can hear.

So let me start by saying Stacy is a unique person in the fact that she works an hour away from home and still leads Jayden’s Girl Scout troop and is a co-leader for Ryann’s troop, not to mention the different websites and newsletters she does for the schools and church etc.  Oh yea, she sells Thirty-One and blogs and keeps our family going.  So maybe saying she is unique is not the right way to say it, maybe I should say she is amazing. 

If you are any kind of friend to Stacy you know she is constantly battling depression and anxiety, and if you are a true fried you know that she does not always win that battle and she needs us to pick her back up.  However, as I have already said she is still amazing because she can do all that she does while she is battling. 

If you are a friend you also know that she has a heart of gold and would do anything she could to help a friend and not think twice about it.  She has never second guessed helping anyone in any situation. She does, on the other hand, second guess asking for help or relying on her friends to help us with things like the girls. She does not want to take advantage of people and has a hard time asking for help.  In my opinion that just shows how much she wants to be involved in everything our girls do.

It is my opinion this woman, my wife, is one amazing person.  With the drive and the hours she has to work anyone would get a little stressed at times, but then you have to look at all the volunteering she does, and all she does for her family and friends. With that being said I don’t know how anyone could disagree.

Most people know that I am a very proud father, I have two beautiful girls and I could not be more proud of the things they do.  However, I would not have these girls if it weren’t for Stacy, so now I want everyone to know that I am very proud of my wife for all she does.  Hell, I am proud of her for putting up with me.  I also want everyone to know that I could not love her any more then I already do.  Stacy is the most amazing person I know and I want everyone to know that!!!  I would not be the person I am today without her. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart Stacy, I love you!!!

Tuesday Tunes ~ Little Lion Man

During a month of sharing what we're thankful for I want to state that I am thankful for Spotify.

Spotify has allowed me to listen to music in it's entirety without buying it, and it gives me a chance to hear some tracks I wouldn't normally get to hear.  It also give me a chance to pile up on whatever I'm in the mood for at any given time.

In the last year I have fallen head over heels for Mumford & Sons, and today's Tuesday Tunes (on Wednesday, no less) is one of my favorites.  From the harmony to the variety of instrument sounds blending together I get goose bumps every time I hear it.  I think you will too.

 

Surviving Middle School with Discovery Girls ~ Giveaway

I am the mother of a Middle School Girl.  Pray for me.

Everyday I am faced with something else to discuss with my daughter, and my one rule of thumb when deciding if it's necessary or not?  Do I wish my mother had, or was I glad that my mother did, discuss this with me.

While my Mom did a pretty good job raising me there are some things I wish I had known that I didn't.  Number one- getting fitted for a bra.  We never did that.  I think I was 25 and with my BFF the first time I found and bought a bra that fit me properly.  But you know- there are things we, as Moms, just don't think of  because we are too busy making sure everyone eats and has clothes that are clean.  So, for those times I am thankful for Discovery Girls and their Discovery Girls' Middle School Survival Guides .

I browsed each of these books before my twelve-year-old said "Mom can I take those to bed?"  Of course I let her and I haven't seen them since.  That could be because she has a loft bed and I'm just not climbing up there, but usually when she's done with a book it lands with a thud on the floor and scares the crap out of my husband and me, but there have been no thuds.  I think it's because each little vignette or story deals with a different situation that a middle-schooler may or may not encounter but at least it won't be completely foreign to them if it does happen, and this is why-

Discovery Girls', is an award-winning magazine aimed at tween girls, and they have produced four books packed with real-world practical advice. The books deliver their best strategies so girls can successfully deal with friendship troubles, embarrassing moments, life's toughest problems, body issues, school pressures and much much more. All of the books reinforce the power of girls to overcome disappointment, develop positive images about themselves, seek the right kind of help, talk to their parents and learn how to grow from failures.

Friendship Hardship shows girls how to deal with their toughest friendship problems plus how to make (and keep!) good friends Sticky Situations is all about the best ways to deal with more than 70 of life's trickiest situations and most embarrassing moments. Ask Ali: All the Advice You'll Ever Need gives girls sound advice on school, boys, family, friends and more, all from Discovery Girls' very popular columnist, Ali. My Worst Day is packed with amazing true stories...girls like you share their struggles and help you through your most difficult times.

I am comfortable sharing these with my daughter and I think you will be too.  And I have a set to give away!  Just comment on this post between now and Sunday, November 11 at 11:59 pm for a chance to win your own set of Discovery Girls' Middle School Survival Guides .  That's right one simple comment.  Below.  And you can share these lovely books with a middle school girl in your life, and then make a note to have her fitted properly for a bra.  Preferrably sometime before she's 25.

Disclosure: I was given a set of the Discovery Girls Middle School Guides to review as well as a set to giveaway.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.  Comment below to enter by Sunday, November 11 at 11:59 p.m.

Tuesday Tunes ~ Creepy Crawlies

OK, so this isn't my kid's band.  But she did have a concert tonight and she did play this song.  And the timing is perfect.  Enjoy.

Tuesday Tunes ~ Harmony

Harmony - /ˈhärmənē/
Noun:

1. The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions with a pleasing effect.
2. The study or composition of musical harmony.

What is is about Harmony?  A good harmony- live or recorded- can give me goose bumps.  So, when I stumble on a song featuring pleasing chord progressions I usually play it.  A lot.  And loud.  My kids must pay attention because Ryann just asked to download this song to her iPod.  She had heard it on one of my Spotify playlists.  Lucky for her I had already purchased the track, and all she had to do was log on to the cloud and download it to her own device. Happy kid.  Happy Mama.

Of Converse and Camelbaks

My girls don't take care of their sh... crap, and it's causing me emotional distress.

I like to "treat" my kids.  They don't have everything their friends do, and honestly they don't ask for much.  But growing up I went without a lot and it has caused me to spoil my kids from time to time.

But I want to preface this by saying that my 12-year-old has a laptop, an iPod and a pay-as-you-go cell phone.  She bought them all with her own money.  My eight-year-old also has an iPod.  I'm sorry, she had an iPod.  She bought it herself and she killed it herself.  With ice.  But that's another story for another time.

I've learned from my Grandma that sometimes quality is worth the price.  Yes, I could have endless plastic, BPA filled, water bottles in my house but I chose to get my girls Camelbak bottles for school this year.  I shopped around, and I found them on sale at Target for $12.  That was about 4 weeks ago.  My older daughter's is no longer in our possession.  She "must have left it in one of her classes".

I try to teach my girls responsibility.  You have to take care of your sh... crap.  I thought they were listening. 

Each of them has a desk drawer in their bedroom that I refer to as their "treasure drawer".  This drawer contains items they can't seem to part with.  A mini notepad from a birthday party last summer.  I flat penny form our trip to Bronner's.  A bouncy ball from Buffalo Wild Wings obtained in 2009.  All sh... crap in my opinion, but should any of it come up missing, hysteria would ensue.  But, a 10-inch-tall, purple, water bottle?  Well, it can be easily left on a desk for a student in the next class to say "Hey, this is a cool water bottle I think I'll keep it".  Oh yeah, no name.  It wore off.  hmmph!

My youngest has silly notes that she and her BFF wrote in kindergarten.  Three years ago.  They are "special".  But the design-your-own Converse she designed and I bought?  Those were special enough to leave by the door so our puppy could have one as a snack!  Yes, she is heartbroken, and yes I yelled at her.  But, I am heartbroken too.  She had them a week.  Look at the non-chewed one.  It's flawless.  And I've tried to encourage Converse to let me order one sneaker, but even though they are built from scratch and shipped from CHINA! I have to order 2.  Sigh.

So, I'm sad.  I budget our money and try to get ahead and in two instances I've lost over $50.  And my kids have their treasures but no cool water bottle and no cool shoes.  So I've resolved to only buy them food until they graduate.  No more cool stuff.  And no replacing the stuff they didn't take care of.  Ever. Anyone have a contact at Converse?

Ready or Not aka Tuesday Tunes

Ready or Not.

I've got one in middle school now, (post and a giveaway about that later this week) and another who makes me download songs like this to her iPod before bedtime.  **Shakin' my head**

 

We were never this cool

I have had a lot of "experiences" lately.  Things that have touched me so profoundly I felt or feel changed because of them.

One of my greatest experiences of the last year has been meeting the Young Family.  About a year ago we decided to finally sign the girls up for piano lessons.  I did some research and posted on our local Mom's Facebook group.  It was there that I found Mrs. Young who offers lessons right in her own home.

After just a couple of lessons not only did the girls love learning the piano, I loved being around the Young's.  They are a wonderful young family with a five-year-old daughter and an almost two-year-old son.  Their daughter, whom they call Trixie on their blog is the funniest, most articulate, precise young lady I have ever met.  During the lessons where Trixie was nearby she kept me in stitches with her stories and details of her day.

Their son Little Critter, was usually napping when we were around but when I did see him I was in awe of him as well.  They are just a beautiful family.  And I feel blessed to know them.

Earlier this year the Young's began the process of adopting a special needs baby from overseas.  What a calling they have been given and accepted.  They have been doing a lot of fundraising because adoption isn't cheap and their community has rallied around them. It's easy to give to a family that always seems to be smiling, who does God's work every day of their lives, and who are truly good people, but when they are offering a chance for you to give and possibly win something in the process it's even better.

In order to bring "Miles" home, the Young's have partnered with Reece's Rainbow, an adoption ministry for children with Downs Syndrome and an anonymous donor generously donated an iPad 3 for them to giveaway!

All you have to do is visit their blog post, and follow the directions to enter!  Any donation made through Reece's Rainbow is tax deductible and depending on the amount it will count as one or more entries to win the iPad 3!  If you can't donate at this time, then please help by sharing their story on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog post of your own.

"Miles" is a lucky little boy, and he is almost home to his forever family.  Any amount that any one can offer will bring him here that much sooner so he can see how wonderful this family is and feel their love as everyone else around them already has.

Oh yeah, the giveaway ends Saturday, September 15.

Tuesday Tunes

So, I got a new car which is a super cool post in and of itself.  But as a sidebar it has satellite radio and on the 80's channel the other day I heard this song.  My 80's self LOVED this song.  What a nice surprise.

Tuesday Tunes

We just returned from our annual Drummond Island vacation complete with a day "pontooning" on Potagannissing Bay on Lake Huron.  We cook out on the raft near a beach on Harbor Island, we pull the kids on tubes, and we enjoy a laid back day in the sun.  All 22 of us.


And while our pontoon didn't have a roof to jump off of (next year maybe?) we did have coolers and coozies :)  Enjoy this video from Little Big Town which summarizes our day quite nice.

Good old Drive-in

Last weekend my wife and I took the kids to the drive-in, yes that’s right, the drive-in.  For my generation and those before me, the drive-in was a common thing that we did in the summer; however for this generation the drive-in is not something you see very often.  There are a few popping up here and there but not nearly as many as there used to be.

In Jackson Mi. where my wife and I grew up there used to be two of them but that was a long time ago.  We did go down to Coldwater a couple of times to see a movie at the drive-in but that was before we had kids.  So now that we live in Brighton Mi. we have to go up to Flint to go to the U.S. 23 Drive-in.  It really is not that far and it is a real drive-in.  I mean it still has the poles that the speakers used to hang on.  It does have 3 screens and you use your radio to hear the movie but it is still brings back those memories.

Don’t get me wrong there are down sides to the drive-in just like anything else.  First, you get a flyer on your way in that tells the radio stations and rules etc.  One of the first rules says “park next to a pole and put your chairs in front of your car so that two cars can park between the poles.”  Of course you see people parked in the middle of two poles taking up the whole area which means less spots to park.  Second, people just don’t get the fact that if you drive through with your lights of those of us who are already watching the show cannot see.  Third, if you are going to bring kids and constantly have to speak up to them then role up your window so those of us next to you can’t hear you.  And finally if you are going to bring a van full of kids you need to keep them under control.  Please don’t let them run all over the place, darting in front of the rest of us and being just plain disrespectful.

Even though those issues exist it is still a good thing to have around.  Going to the drive-in in jammies and staying until 1:30am to watch movies is something I remember and my girls will always remember.  In my opinion there should be more drive-in theaters around for more families to enjoy.  I know we will probably go again later this summer maybe with some friends or maybe just our little family but either way it will be fun.  

Soccer Mom's Use Coppertone

Every spring (and early summer) many of the hours that I don't spend at work or sleeping are spent watching soccer.  I have two daughters and they both play on travel teams, which can result in multiple games every weekend.

Over Memorial Day weekend both girls played in the Canton Cup, a ginormous soccer tournament in a neighboring town.  It was steaming hot that weekend and with all of the craziness of preparing for the tournament and making sure everyone had their cleats before we hit the road, sunscreen was far out of my mind.

Luckily as a Coppertone Water Mom I received a great pack of awesome Coppertone products and I've had some great chances to hand out samples to my fellow soccer moms and dads, and as a result of that great opportunity I had some in my purse.

It worked out well.  I was able to protect my kids and share the wealth with others.

I also wanted to share with you the Little Miss Coppertone contest!  Little Miss Coppertone symbolizes summer. She is outgoing, energetic, wholesome, charming, and full of optimism. This year, Coppertone is celebrating little girls in search for the one who best personifies the spirit of Coppertone. The winner gets a dream family vacation and will be featured in a Coppertone print ad!

No Purchase Necessary. Contest Ends on 6/22/12. Click for Details

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a gift card in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place.

"As a member of the Coppertone® Water MOMS group, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.  No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience."

Full Circle

I spent 17 years in retail with 12 of them in management and I made the decision to quit with no other job to fall back on.  I chose to go to school and work some odd jobs.  Then I landed a fairly good job with benefits and decent pay at Brighton Hospital only to lose that position due to cut backs.  I did keep a position at the hospital but I took a big pay cut and lost hours, but still had benefits and my sanity.

In the meantime my wife left her job basically for the same reason I left my first one, sanity!!  Needless to say we had a couple of rough years struggling to make ends meet but we kept it going together.  We are people that truly believe “everything happens for a reason” and we had faith that things would work out the way they were supposed to.  Our biggest challenge has been keeping our girls from feeling any of the stress we were going through.

Now, as you may know things seem to come full circle.  Stacy stayed in the advertising business by working freelance for different companies, and low and behold a few years later she is working fulltime at a new agency that she loves.  And now I have officially started a new position at the hospital and yes I have come full circle also, I am back in a supervisor role running the gift shop and I am also the volunteer coordinator.  It is strange to think I left management in retail because it was not worth it and after six years of working at the hospital I am now back in management and I could not be happier.

To sum things up, we both left jobs that really were not worth the money we were making.  We struggled though some tough times together, but we made it work. We both were able to volunteer at the schools and other activities our girls are involved in. Now we both are back working fulltime doing what we love to do and we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We will finally be able to get things under control and be able to relax together.

So my opinion is if you work hard and take care of each other things will work out.  Money is not everything and we both gave up money in order to be better at home.  This was all made possible because we are a strong family and we have great family and great friend support. 

Faith is a powerful force and as long as you have it things will work out. I had faith that I made the right decision to give up the money I was making to be with family and coach my girls and in my opinion it was definitely the right thing to do; I would not change a thing.  In this situation my opinion and my family’s opinion are the only ones that matter- because family is what really matters.

Kids "on the grid"

Years ago, when I was in my late teens and early 20's I was the "go to" girl in my family for technology problems.  If the time on your VCR was blinking then I was your girl.

As I got older, and specifically after I had kids, this knowledge disappeared from my head.  I could no longer tolerate reading instructions and I could no longer apply simple logic to the tasks.  Basically when my children came out of my body so did my know-how of anything electronic.

With two girls of my own now I am constantly amazed by what they figure out.  And how they take technology for granted.  But most of all I am irritated.  Not by what they know, but by how they use it to annoy the crap out of me.

My youngest is 8 and she bought herself an iPod Touch with her birthday money, because I refused to buy her one with my money.

In addition to games and music, she also likes to FaceTime me from across the room and text me (using Text Free) at 11 pm when I think she has been sleeping for hours.

On Wednesday night I arrived home from work when everyone else was still at my oldest daughter's  soccer practice.  Jayden was not happy that she had no choice but to go with.  Practice was at a different locale that evening due to an event at the school, and with her "Touch" in hand she managed to mooch someone's wifi and send me this:

Seriously?  She had 20 minutes left.  This text was followed by a few more and two FaceTime requests.  All of which I ignored.  I was home alone and all I planned to do was sit and enjoy avoiding technology not conversing with my poor, "dieing" child using technology.  And that is what I did.

Thirty minutes later she walked through the door.

"Mooooommmmmmmmm!  Didn't you get my teeehhhhhxxxxxtttttttt?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. But since you're home can you help me with this computer problem I am having?"

The Age of Falling Apart

Ever since I turned "the age that shall not be spoken" I have started to fall apart.  Physically.

But that's refreshing from the person who normally falls apart mentally.

Three days after my 40th birthday I went to a Mary Kay party and while I admit I was there to score some eye-depuffing products, I wasn't expecting to have to put my eyes back in my head just from filling out the profile card.

For a few years now I've been able to check that 35-44 box on most profiles and surveys.  But not on the Mary Kay card.  In Mary Kay's world of beauty it's much more cut and dry than 35-44.  In her pink world of women we are in our 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and so on.  So three days after I turned 40 I had to check the 40's box and it all went downhill from there.

Pain in my side, that's led to a battery of tests with no results.  I swear my cramps from my monthly friend are worse than they've ever been and any time I eat anything that tastes good, it seeks revenge on my digestive system.  Yeah, being 40 sucks.

Oddly about the time all of this was happening I was also invited to join StyleUnited a new website where I could get some beauty and fashion recommendations.  Those that know me can probably attest to the fact that I abandoned beauty and fashion in my 30's (yes, THAT box on the Mary Kay profile card).  OK, not entirely but these aren't things that are forefront on my agenda.  But since I am now checking that "other" box I figured a little look-see couldn't hurt.

StyleUnited is brought to you by brands including Olay, Frederic Fekkai, DDF Skincare and Cover Girl. Providing access to exclusive editorial content and personalized recommendations, StyleUnited connects women to their full style potential using these unique tools:

• Style 360 - a fully personalized diagnostic quiz that has been designed to understand your individual needs in skin care, hair care, cosmetics and fashion. 
• Customized Beauty and Fashion Content - hundreds of curated articles, blogs and how-to videos from industry experts created to answer your every question while keeping you up on the latest trend news.

I immediately did some of the Style 360 quizzes and quickly found that my fashion style is "casual cool" and my makeup style is "fresh".  Both of these descriptions are in fact, quite accurate, and I also agreed with the product recommendations given to me by the programs.  I liked the recos because they weren't full of high priced shampoos and eyeliners, the items were reasonably priced and ones I knew I could find in my local big box store.

I really like StyleUnited.  I am by far not a Cosmo Girl.  But I found that this website didn't talk down to me, and it seemed to really use my answers to the Style360 quizzes to determine it's recommendations for my beauty and fashion style.  That doesn't happen much on other sites.  I don't fit into a typical mold when it comes to my style and personal habits but I didn't get the impression that it mattered.  I got the impression that I mattered and it was OK to be me.  Even if I now check the 40's box.

Oh and as a bonus for joining StyleUnited you can also enter the New View, New You Giveaway to win a $500 shopping spree at Macy's or Nordstrom. Entries are now open until June 8th!

Disclosure:  I will receive a complimentary gift from P&G/SheSpeaks in exchange for this post, but all opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Driving me crazy

As you know I like to write about my opinions and I am not going to stop now. So today I will write about school transportation.

It's not about the buses or anything the schools do because I believe they do a pretty good job; however the parents that bring their kids to school need some education.  First of all, I know sometimes we need to take our kids to school for different reasons like missing the bus or school of choice and things like that, but some take their kids to school everyday just to take them.  Maybe they are those helicopter parents or they just don't trust the buses or whatever it may be.  Whatever their reason, let me tell you-living by Lakes and Farms I see how many and it is mind boggling to me. 

It is one thing to take them but you need to be respectful to everyone else, and that can be done simply by following the rules.  Just yesterday in fact I was trying to leave my subdivision and at the corner the light had changed and two cars just could not wait, pulled through and blocked the intersection, come on give us all a break!!  The few times I have had to run my girls to school I have seen some dumb ass people.  Let me explain; at Farms there is a drop off zone that is about 5 car length long and you are supposed to pull to the front so others can get into it as well, and then drop off your kids.  But I see people stopping before they even get to the zone or just getting into the zone and stopping.  This just slows the process for those behind you that do follow the rules.  Let me guess- you are the same parents that raise hell when your kid gets in trouble for breaking the rules because you think it is OK for your privileged family.

I am not going to say to much about Lakes because it is an elementary school so I kind of understand some of the crazy things I see, but not fully.  With that said there is another thing about Farms, oh yea, 5th and 6th graders, that drives me a little insane.  I have had to pick my child up early from school and there are already parents parked in front of the school.  Now I am not talking just a few minutes early, I am talking an hour or more.  I guess if you really do not have anything else to do then fine but at the very least pull all the way up so others can get in also.  Don't give me this crap that your kid knows you always park here so they can find you.  We are talking about 5th and 6th graders, 10,11, and 12 year olds, they are capable of looking down the row to find their parents car.  Maybe some independent thinking is just what they need.

I am not ridiculing anyone that has to bring their kids to school; however I am ridiculing you if you are one of those parents that think your kid is the only one that matters and you don't have to be courteous to the other parents and the school officials.  If you don't trust the buses or you just can't let your kid go and feel the need to helicopter them that is your choice, but please learn to be respectful of others and teach your kids the same.  Chances are your kids are breaking rules because you are, and you allow them to.  Our school officials and teachers work hard to educate our children and keep them safe, but they need the help of the parents.  If you don't care then why should the schools care.

In closing, it is my opinion that there are way too many disrespectful parents out there, and all I am talking about is driving your kids to school.  Take the time to be respectful and teach your kids the same.  Show the school officials the utmost respect because they are taking care of your child during the day, and guess what, they enjoy what they do.

Welcome to 40

OK, so I know this a joint venture blog with my husband but today is not his 40th birthday.  It's mine.  He had his already, so that means I can monopolize this introductory post on our new blog.

Today is huge.  I've reached a new decade, a milestone of sorts and I'm not sure how to feel.

For the last three-and-a-half years I have been trying to find myself.  Find out who I was meant to be in life, what I was meant to do.  I examined the "what-ifs", lived without regret, went to therapy, evaluated my paths.

I quit my job, blogged full time, wrote for newspapers, worked at a greenhouse, freelanced in a variety of capacities at a variety of places, helped at my girls' schools, lost weight, gained weight, and now on my 40th birthday I realize I have come full circle.  Right back to where I left on November 13, 2008.

I am once again working full-time in the same industry that I kinda sort-of said I would never work in again.  I am also doing the same type of work that I really, definitely, said I would never do again.  But that's OK, I feel good about it and today is a good day.  I'm at an age that I never could, and still can't, imagine being.  It's kind of surreal to say "I'm 40 today."  It feels like I am talking about someone else.  But I'm not.  It's all me.

So, hubby and I hope to share this joint venture blog and see where it takes us.  I think it will be a lot of fun for others to see our different writing styles and his lack of spelling and grammar checks. :) I hope you sit back and enjoy the ride with us, and I hope to enjoy at least 40 more years of my own ride, working full-time, making money, getting refrigerators for birthday presents (and sleeping gnomes) and just generally being at peace, enjoying life.  My life.

Welcome!

We'll be with you soon!