Hard Things

Sometimes being a parent is just plain hard. Like break your heart hard. Like you hate seeing your kids sad and struggling hard.

And sometimes I worry about my kids having to be raised in this crazy messed up world.

Sometimes I just want to make sure my kids are living in the world but not of the world.  That they're aware of the things going on around them but realize that they are not the best things for them.

Really, I just want my kids to be kids.

I want them to be sad because they messed up their toe while kicking a soccer ball with their barefoot and now it hurts to walk and ride their scooter.

Not because they're getting a new teacher because their teacher had an inappropriate relationship with an adolescent girl.

Ten year olds shouldn't have to worry about that kind of stuff.

They also shouldn't hear about this kind of stuff from their peers.

So gulp...we're going to have to suck it up and do the hard job of parenting.




Any suggestions?

Who's Got Talent?

Last weekend our ward had a talent show.  I'd suggested to the boys several weeks ago that they should practice a song for it.

There didn't seem to be too much interest.  I wasn't surprised.

A few hours before we left for the show, Jared says,

"You wanna hear my song for the talent show?"

Me, "You're playing something for the talent show?"

If I wasn't such a slacker Mom, I probably would have put two and two together that his piano playing had improved over the past week and he was actually practicing.

Oops, I guess I should have signed him up for the show!

Never fear, he was a last minute talent and showed much bravery, no jitters, no hesitation.  (I say bravery because I'm a chicken and the two piano recitals that I played in I started, messed up and quietly asked to start over.  Stage fright.  Eeek!)

So, so proud of you, Jared!

Play ball

Nothing says spring weather like...

Baseball.

And a muddy yard.

70 degree temperatures.

With lots of kiddos running around.

Welcome back Spring.

My Martha Table

Before we moved into our new home, I scored a sweet deal on a Martha Stewart farmhouse table.  It had one small knick in it, so for $50 I knew this floor model would fit perfectly in our home.  With the discounted floor model chairs and an e-bay bench, we had ourselves a grown-up table set.

Today my Martha Stewart newsletter showed up in my inbox.  And low and behold, my table and chairs were on the front page.

A table on casters?  Really?

I wonder what Martha would think if she saw my version of her table.  It's a pretty sad representation of Martha Stewart and her brand.  (Although, I did by the table at KMart and I don't know if there could be a worse representation of Martha then KMart.)

As much as I would love to have her version of this table, I have a sneaking suspicion that Martha Stewart doesn't have much fun.

I'd much rather have my melamine dishes and chewed up cups, mustard and marker smeared table top, sticky underneath all of the edges and stable on the ground table.

blog design

I'm trying to re-do my blog all by myself (meaning no help from my husband or Denise!!). I can do it.  I know I can.

I'm not getting this whole coding stuff, and I'm trying to follow the directions from sites such as Cutest Blog on the Block, but it's just not going my way.

User error.

I'm 100% sure.

Where do you go to get your instructions on blog design?

I need some tips.

Fill me in, please.

Dear Tooth Fairy,

Can you give me lots of monies, please?

From,

Evan (1 month shy of 5  years old)