Pizza Seeds

A conversation between Roman (4) and Melody (8) today:

 

Roman: Hey, Mel.  Is there a pizza plant?

 

Mel:  A PIZZA plant?

 

Roman:  Yeah.

 

Mel: No.

 

Roman: How do you know?

 

Mel:  Because I've never seen a plant that had pizza on it!

 

Roman: (Huffing, tisking and rolling eyeballs) Well, THAT'S because you've never had a pizza seed!

 

 

ATTITUDE

Remember the post I wrote about the doctor who beefed up charges on a well-child visit a while back? Well, I lost that battle recently but won the war because today I went to an "establishment" appointment with a new (and million times better) doctor. While I was waiting (very briefly!) for him to come into the room I noticed in front of me a large poster with the word "ATTITUDE" on it. Beneath it was this wonderful quote that seemed to be speaking directly towards me:

ATTITUDE

"The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.

It is more important than eduation, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."---Charles Swindell

Criteria for a good day

A few weeks ago I checked out a site called Plinky where they give you writing prompts. This week one of the prompts was:

List your criteria for a good day.

What needs to happen to wrap up the day with a smile on your face?

Let me start off by saying that being a stay-at-home mom to five young children is more akin to a carnival--or {ahem} a funny farm--than not. And some days it's a battle barely won to ward off insanity without pharmaceutical interventions, but there are a few things that I've found will help drown out the dizzying commotion of fighting siblings, crying toddlers, escaped lizards running amock, dirty bedrooms, overturned couch cushions, and the never-ending ringing in the air of, "Mooooom!"

1. My bed must be made. I've always told Jimmy that he can gauge the quality of my day by one glance in the bedroom. If the bed wasn't made that's generally a good indicator that I'll be in a rotten mood. Somehow in the course of my married years I have subconsciously tied making my bed with saying my morning prayers. As soon as I make my bed I pray beside it. So I guess it makes sense that no made bed=forgotten morning prayer=rotten day for Mommy.

2. A clean kitchen. Nothing turns my cranky odomoter up quicker than dirty dishes and a messy floor. Though not among my favorite things to do, the twenty minutes spent cleaning the kitchen can have positive effects that last the entire day.

3. Exercise. Sweating once a day gives me proof that although my mind may be borderline crazy, at least my heart will remain strong.

That's it. Just three criteria to make me a happy mom. It doesn't make the kids behave perfectly or resolve the squabbles that arise or even calm the tantruming toddler, but it gives me just a little more ability to handle it all.

So what about you? What are your criteria for having a good day?

Mama Nut's Favorite Five

Remember my earlier post about Gratitude Journals? You know, the idea of writing down a few things you are thankful for each day? I started a new blog with that idea and it's called "Mama Nut's Favorite Five". Click on the link and it will take you there if you are interested in seeing what we have been up to. The idea is to keep my insanity at bay by finding five favorite things that happen every day. And with five more weeks left until school starts again, I will need all the help I can get!

Friend Makin' Monday: My BFF

LOVED this Friend Makin' Monday prompt today from Kelly at Outside My Kitchen Window! It is: Tell us about your BFF...

where did you meet,

was it BFF at first sight,

how long have you been friends, etc.
What makes him/her your BFF...

what is it about this person that makes him/her so special to you?

I met my BFF in sixth grade. I had recently transferred to another school district and knew absolutely nobody. Then I came across a girl I had known earlier in my childhood who introduced me to Rachel. (Thanks, Telsie!) I believe we clicked right away, as most good friends do. Trouble was, she already had a best friend. But that didn't stop me. I stole her away promptly and we've been best friends ever since (sorry, Amanda! okay, not really.)

The older I get and the more friends I have made and lost I am finally realizing that good friends, true friends, are a rare treasure. I think friendships tend to evolve and sometimes run their course as we grow older or move away. But sometimes, if we are lucky, we will have that one special friend who will be there through it all. And for me, that has always been Rach.

We've ridden the crazy hormonal rollercoaster of teenagehood together, whispered and giggled over highschool crushes, fell in love and got married to our sweethearts one month and five days apart. She was with me at the ultrasound of my first baby. She listened to my sobbing about marriage woes the entire first year of my marriage. She was there when I lost a baby (on her birthday) eight years later. We've laughed together, cried together, shared our secrets, fears, successes, and milestones. I cannot imagine my high school years without her and my adulthood would not seem complete without her, either. I hope my girls will all be as lucky as me in finding their "Best Friend Forever." Love ya, Rach!

What a girl wants...what a girl needs...

What happens when Mama Nut puts Teagy in the high chair with a nice healthy lunch spread out on her tray and then walks a few steps away to wash the dishes?

THIS!

If I just crawl quiet enough...Mom won't hear me!

Dang. BUSTED!!!

See the big chunk of chocolate Miss Tiggy scooped out in the 16 billiseconds I wasn't watching her?

Digging in the jumbos? Who? Me?!!?!!

Yeah, I don't think she regrets it at all.

I just have no idea where she gets her addiction to chocolate from.! Seriously!

Something Old Something New...

It's true. I couldn't bear to lose you. So I changed my blog address and name, which frankly seems to suit me better these days anyways. Thanks to the sympathies and generosities of a good friend I will soon be getting a new facelift as well. On my blog, that is. I could never afford the other kind! But hey, I earned these wrinkles and age spots dang it! Thanks for sticking with me!