Love Dare weekly update

Monday's: the "The Love Dare" weekly update.

So here is my first honest "Love Dare" update- I am shocked & outraged to learn I am really a selfish person (At least way more than I thought I was). It was so-so easy trying to not say anything negative.

(It was easy not to say something negative "about" my spouse, harder to remember not to say anything negative at "all"),

The unexpected gesture was hard as a SAHM I do so much (see I told you I was selfish) to try to think of something I didn't do already. (Whew! that day we happened to be at the movie & I offered to go refill the popcorn during the movie - that was unexpected of me. Usually gallant hubby does that kinda of stuff)


Today is Saturday & I am supposed to buy something for him that shows I was thinking of him today, hum....... I think I will pick him up some special kinda of breakfast treat at the store (that only he likes)

Well here is the low down: I thought I would do the "love dare" to make "our" marriage better, and I am sure it is, but I have also been learning that "I" need to be a better person. (It's amazing what one can observe about oneself when she slows down and pays attention to herself- ugh!!!!) I will update same time, same place next week.

*****Oh, Guess what! I just learned a won a give away from Sweet tea blog (http://lagirlsweetea.blogspot.com/) Yeah!! I won a Jennifer Cruise book on cd, All for entering Sweet Tea's slacker cook recipe drawing. If you have not checked out her blog you will have to!

"The Love Dare"

Well today is Ash Wed. So as my mind turns to consider Lent I have decided to add something to my schedule for the Lent season- lent is the 40 days prior to Easter. The book the "The Love Dare" as seen in the "Fireproof" movie is a 40 day dare or challenge, So I am going to be starting it (the dare) for the time of Lent. I will have to keep my progress posted. Brent & I have a good marriage but I also believe all good things need a little work now & then.

Excuse me, Have we met?

Hi! I'm not sure we have been properly introduced. I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, housewife, the driver of children, and keeper of schedules, and my last role is the largest of all I am a drill Sargent.





What this means is all before 8am in the morning I get the children up, make them breakfast, make their lunches, remind them to brush their teeth & to make their beds, help with their hair (I do after all have 3 girls), remind them to grab their bags & get into the van by a set time. (Thus once I wake up, I put on my drill Sargent hat to accomplish all of this) The drill Sargent is not fun, she is not huggy, huggy, (now I do take a few moments to snuggle with each girl as she awakes but once this is done that mom won't be seen again until I am saying "I love you" to each girl as she gets out of the van for school.





As a drill Sargent you do not connect, you are the unfun mom. The fun mom side used to get to come out and play in the afternoon & evenings - but lately each girl has gotten her own schedule, be it:dance, basketball, brownies, girl scouts, daisies,friends over etc... So I am having to carve time out to take with each girl one-on one. I have named this time: Moments with Mom or M.W.M.



Here are my list of requirements for accomplishing Moments with Mom:

1. Each girl gets at least 1 M.W.M. a month
2. It does not have to be expensive (it can be as simple as going to Starbucks for a drink, going to get a book from the bookstore, or going to get an ice cream- it really depends on the girl)
3. It must be something that my daughter would find special or fun to do (what one daughter thinks would be "fun" would be horrible for her sister! It allows for individuality and that each girl can be unique & that's okay)
4. I do not gripe, nag, or say anything negative (this is not my parenting time to try to improve "Them" - but it is my time to try to improve "our relationship")
5. I must listen more than I talk (If you knew me, you would know how hard this is for me being a natural talker)
6. What my daughter tell me during M.W.M. stays a secret. I do not share with their sisters anything that they have shared from their hearts.

M.W.M. has been such a blessing to me, it has really allowed me time to be the fun mom, and really connect with each girl!

Gifts! For me???

I saw a friend the other day that I had not seen for awhile. (way to long!) When we had the opportunity to catch up and "girl talk" she mentioned to me that she still had a note that I sent her up on her bullentin board. I was so touched, that something I had written had impacted her so much that she saved it.

Later that night when I returned home and was putting up my earrings, my eye caught a card that I had received from a friend and saved. A kind word, compliment, or words of encouragement are the most valuable gifts of friendship! Have you given any gifts lately? Do you save special notes written from friends or family? Where do you post your special notes at?

I tend to keep them by my jewelry or in the cookbook I save my favorite recipes in.

starbucks???

Well I have gone to Starbucks lately & I have noticed that they are really advertising thier teas. I have yet to break down & try one. I stand in line and think about it, then it's my turn and I have flashbacks of the "soup nazi" on Jerry Seinfield show, so I quickly order my usual. Has anyone tried any of their teas -how were they and what is good?

Well here is my first blog with family pics. Here are my 3 princesses in action from the weekend.

Princess #1 had a lock in to go to - (it was her first one) with her class at church. Notice how awake she is - this is not what our "tween" looked like when we picked her up the next day.

Princess # 2 had a basketball game and a bday party to go to. Here she is in an action shot - she is the brunette.

Last but not least Princess #3 had a basketball and bday party as well- she is my redhead.( I do have to brag on her she scored 6 baskets saturday at her game!)

Well I hope you enjoyed the pics - & I hope they are displayed correctly - reminder I am a new blogger so please be patient with me.

What are your comfort habits? Comfort habits? You may think what is this chic talking about. Well we all know we have "comfort food" (mine is potato soup, & chocolate pie, my husband likes banana pudding). Well I was reading an article tonight while I was trying to clean out the magazine rack, an interesting page in People magazine from the Dec. 29 2008 issue caught my eye. The 2 page lay out was titled "What's Next? Reasons to look forward to 2009".

It listed several celebs and had them guess at what trends they thought we would see happen in 2009 with the economy the way it is. Martha Stewart thought " people will be interested in cooking and entertaining at home, looking for ways to live richly without spending alot." Dr. Oz said "What's really happening is we're simplifying life. Less financial freedom will result in things like fewer nannies, so you'll spend time with your kids, which will lead to more connected families."

What do you think???? What trend or habit do you find yourself doing when you hear the news regarding our economy???

I find myself nesting... thinking of ways to make my home more comfortable, and doing crafts from the stores of supplies I have in drawers and cupboards. It makes me feel productive to use the things I already have. For example, after watching Desperate Housewives the last 2 weeks and loving the aprons that Bree has been wearing. I have pulled out my fabric and starting working on attempting to make some cute aprons. I will post pics later of completed projects.

So after thinking about what activities I find myself increasingly doing after hearing too much of the evening news, I have decided to coin this activity "comfort habits". I know after a death in the family I have the greatest desire to clean my house from top to bottom (yep, that includes dusting the baseboards) I have learned that this makes me feel like I have some control of my life as I gain control of at least the area around me. I guess if you can have "comfort food" you can also have "comfort habits". I would love to hear from you.

Where do you suppose bobby pins go??? I bought 3 new containers of bobby pins over the last 2 months - (there are 60 bobby pins in a package - I've checked). I need these little bobby pins to keep all the stray hair back from my daughters faces into neat ponytails. - However they are forever, let me repeat "forever" getting lost - never to be seen again in the vacuums of our house. Well I do pick a few stray ones up occasionally in the vacuums - sounds great!!! However I am straying from my original thought - where do all the bobby pins go at the end of the day?? Will we move out one day and find a stash of bobby pins behind a book, or will they stay for ever lost where the other match of my favorite sock went to?
So right now as I post the count is 4 bobby pins. It's a losing battle!

ugh!!! I have been up working on the background - trying to import a cute one -still no luck, will try again later.

Well I've made a little progress in setting up my blog. I would still like to be able to change the background to some kind of print (I've noticed that some of the other blogs have that - but I have not stumbled across the right way to do this as of yet).
Well I watched the 7 1/2 habits of being a life learner. I considered all 7 1/2 habits and have decided my weakest habit - is #6 "using technology to your advantage" - I have not kept up with technology over the last 10 years and I feel very uncomfortable with trying to attempt something new in the realm of technology. I am hopeful taking this course that has specific actions/things to try will give me direction - instead of the overwhelming sensation of being lost at sea that I get when I start seeing how much technology has developed in the last decade.
My strength in becoming a life long learner is #3 "viewing problems as challenges" I really believe the quote "Necessity is the mother of invention". I have often been my most creative when a problem has presented itself and need solving asap.

My 1st blog

Well today I am writing my first blog. (I think I here Madonna singing somewhere in the background) I Know some girls that have started this about a year ago - but I am not so technical savvy. However my part time job is having a technical course that challenge it's employees to walk on the wild side and learn about new technology. So I have left my warm comfort zone, and I am stepping out on diving board to leap into the world of blogging. I have to now try to figure out how to custom my blog and set up my page so I will sign out for now.