Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is My Mom's birthday. My Dad sent me this photo from the time they had with ds last week. The same gentle hands that held and comforted me are now doing the same for my babies. I am so blessed and thankful to have my Mom near me and my family. Happy Birthday Mom, here's to a wonderful 2009 and many more. I love you.

Cost Cutter...

That's my Mom. She's our resident cost cutter. (my estimate is that she saves us nearly $1000 a year) Today was haircut day as everyone was getting tangles and heads full of static. A beautician (cosmetologist...) for over 40 years she cuts the hair of everyone at our house, except me. Funny huh? Only the daughter of a beautician could understand. Who wants to blame their mother for their bad hair day! It's much healthier to blame a perfect stranger. . Well, now that I'm an adult, with a husband who is capable of paying for my haircuts, I make someone else, besides my Mother, responsible for the way my day goes. It's just too much to ask....birth me, watch my children, trim my hedges AND be held responsible for my bad hair days...No, I'll pay for my haircut, it's the least I can do.

It's the little victories....

Today was one of those hang out Mommy days with the exception of a quick trip to town. We had two things to get done. 1. Head check- DD1 and DD3 both have head lice in their classrooms. Bummer. I have gotten over the stigma of it all (as I've seen it cross all social and economic boundaries), but I know not everyone has. But girls, girls with long hair and sensitive scalps live in this household. Nightmare. I've been itchy ever since I've read the notices. We need to pull out the tea tree oil and start the daily checks. My Mom did it today as Paperman was working. 2. Target trip. DD2 is attending a birthday party tomorrow and DD1 is having a birthday party on Monday, we needed supplies. We were home for a late lunch and naps then we broke out the puffy paint and made trick or treat bags. The girls did a great job being creative. After all that fun was over we were ready to head outside. Dd3 has just learned to ride her bike on the rocks so she wanted to make it to the end of the driveway (lane would be a much better way to describe our approx. 1/10 mile entry from the road). I was up for the challenge so I said sure. Her sisters were in especially helpful moods too. So off we went. Here comes the little victory part- DD1 OFFERED to push DD3 and help her make it to the top of the hill and the whole time dd2 stood at the top saying "I know you can, I know you can, I KNOW YOU CAN!". DD2 had a smile so bright at the end of it all we should have had sunscreen on. Ahhh. My kids rock.

One heartbeat at a time

One heartbeat at a time is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman. He is a christian artist who was in the news last year as he lost one of his daughters in an accident. One of his older sons ran over his little girl in a tragic turn of events. This family is amazing. Their story is full of faith, forgiveness and hope. Here are some of the lyrics-


One Heartbeat at a time-


You're up all night with a screaming babyYou run all day at the speed of lifeAnd every day you feel a little bit lessLike the beautiful woman you areSo you fall into bed when you run out of hoursAnd you wonder if anything worth doing got doneOh, maybe you just don't knowOr maybe you've forgottenYou, you are changing the worldOne little heartbeat at a timeMaking history with every touch and every smileOh, you, you may not see it nowBut I believe that time will tellHow you, you are changing the worldOne little heartbeat at a time




Thanks Mom. Thanks Jean. Everything you've done, one heartbeat at a time, it mattered. I hope to follow in the big footsteps.