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Apr
30
- Warm weather, so I can get back to wearing my beloved flip flops.
- My Ped Egg, so my feet look decent in my flip flops
- Good books, which are always a blessing.
- A healthy family
- My sons piano teacher, for caring about him enough to call me and then to reach out to him. Really, for all teachers who go above and beyond.
Make the world a better place by finding grace in small things.
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway which ends Today!
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Apr
28
I appreciate the movie recommendations you all gave me. I got some good ideas for my next movie night, but I did rent Twilight this weekend. Oh my. I rented it Saturday and so far I have watched it twice and have started reading the books again. I may have to buy this movie. I’m officially a Twilight addict now.
I read the books in December. My son was reading the fourth one and I glanced through it. I actually started reading it but he threw a fit and insisted that I start with the first one. I read them all back to back, as fast as I could, and was very sad when I finished the series – I wanted more! I did not think I would like these books. I don’t usually read romance but I wanted to know what my kid was reading, and I loved the books. Now I love the movie and am anxiously waiting for the next one. Good grief, you’d think I was a teenager!
What is it about these books? I have a friend that saw the movie four times the week it opened, bought the books and the soundtrack, and bought the dvd the day it came out. I joked about that with my husband but now look at me, just as enthralled. It’s more than just that Edward is such a cutie, which is he is. I can’t figure it out, but sign me up for the Twilight fan club.
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway going on through April 30. Just a few more days left to enter, so keep commenting!
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Apr
24
I’ve been reading 7 Quick Takes Friday at Conversion Diary for awhile and finally decided to join in. Today especially, quick takes are about all I have time for.
1.
Nolan and my husband are leaving on a Boy Scout camping trip tonight. It’s Nolans first campout since moving up to Boy Scouts, and they are going rappelling so he is very excited. Mike won’t go on all the campouts, but he wanted to go rappelling too and I wanted him to be with Nolan on this first one. The last time my guys went camping Nolan came home with a gaping wound that required many stitches and a long healing time, so I gave my husband strict instructions this time – do not slap a bandaid over an open gash! Seriously, that was the first injury in many years of camping so I’m not worried. I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend actually
2
Getting them ready for the campout is almost as much work as actually going. I’ve done grocery shopping for them and am now finishing up their laundry so they have clothes to take. This is all laundry that I’ll be doing again on Sunday when they get back and dump their smelly clothes and gear on my floor. It’s supposed to rain this weekend so that will mean mud covered stuff. My oldest son has started doing his own laundry, which is great. But, and there’s always a but, he will wash very few things and use a huge amount of laundry soap. He did this last night when I was at Nolans ballgame. I knew we were almost out of laundry soap but I thought we had enough to get todays done. Tanner did one load and it was probably just his things, and the soap is gone. Everything is a multi step process – teach them to operate the washing machine, but don’t assume they automatically know that they need to fill the machine with all the darks, not just their three items that are dirty. I should be happy that he’s doing any laundry, but we’ll be having a little laundry lesson tonight.
3
Tanner is going to a school dance tonight. He wants to spend the night with his friend, go to the dance and I’ll pick him up sometime tomorrow. Thats all fine with me, but even though I know his friend I need to talk to a parent to confirm that this is ok with them and that they won’t be walking home from the dance. I’d rather pick them up myself at night and take them back to his friends house. Parents are hard to reach sometimes. There are parents and step parents and they all work different hours. So I still haven’t talked to any parent. I told Tanner that he needs to either get me the dad’s work number this afternoon or have the dad call me, or else I will be making a surprise appearance at the 7th grade dance. I told him, either way is fine with me, I already have my outfit picked out and I’ve been practicing my 80’s dance moves. What do you wanna bet I hear from his friends dad pretty quick
4
One of my very good friends is coming to visit me tomorrow, since most of my family will be gone. When I first moved here she was one of the first people that I got close to, and she moved about 2 hours away a couple of years ago. We try to go see them a couple times a year but rarely do either I or her get to come visit by ourselves for some girl time. We have absolutely nothing planned, which I think is best.
5
We’ve started baseball again, so we are spending 3 out of 5 week nights at the ball park. Which is fun but makes life hectic. In one day I had to shuffle piano lessons, youth group, NJHS community service, a haircut and make it to the baseball game. This does not include the time spent feeding the hungry starving guys that live here and trying to find time for homework. It doesn’t help that we all have spring fever and homework is the last thing they want to be doing. We’re counting down til the end of May.
6
In exactly 13 days I will not have a job. I posted before that my project was ending and I was hoping for another to replace it. No project yet and the jobs I have applied for are still in the interviewing stage. My normal response to this situation would be to panic and lose sleep and work myself into a frenzy of worry. But right now I’m surprisingly calm about it. I want and need another job, and I’m hopeful that the job I’m currently interviewing for will turn into something. But I know that the anxiety of worrying like a maniac doesn’t help me get a job, so I’m just praying and hoping and thinking positive that somehow it will all work out. This is a new path for me and so far it’s working better than the anxious worried road I usually take.
7
After my friend leaves tomorrow I want to rent a movie. Since my husband will be gone it will be a movie just for me! My first thought was Twilight, since I’ve read the books but haven’t seen the movie. But I’m open to suggestions. I love movies and there are many that I haven’t seen because we usually have family movie night, which eliminates a lot of movies that I might want to see because no one else does. If you have recently rented a great movie or have a long time favorite, please leave a comment and let me know.
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway going on through April 30.
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Apr
23
- Spring!
- The grill. We fix practically every meal outside once warm weather hits. Much nicer than cooking inside.
- My son going to work with my husband for Take Your Child to Work day. Cuteness!
- Red velvet cake. Which in this house will not last long.
- A good friend coming to visit me on Saturday. Can’t wait!
Make the world a better place by finding grace in small things.
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway going on through April 30.
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Apr
21
This conversation took place in the car after I picked up Nolan from school:
Nolan (he likes cars): Dad says a mustang is not a good first car. He said you shouldn’t have a car that goes 300 mph for your first car.
Me: Dad’s right. And, with your first car you might have some um…
Nolan: Incidents? Like driving into flower pots on the sidewalk?
Me: (horrified look on face) Who told you that!?
Nolan: Um, no one? I just said that might happen.
Me: Oh well, you’re right, it could happen.
Nolan: (eyes getting huge) Mooommmm, you hit a flowerpot on the sidewalk? NO WAY, I never knew that! What else did you do when you were a teenager???
The moral of the story? Never give away any compromising information to your child. Now he is certain that I was a wild child, when truthfully I was just a really bad driver. And reckless. And of course invincible, weren’t we all? Unfortunately, I have a few many bad driving stories from when I was a teenager that I could tell him, but I won’t. It’s taken years for my parents to stop telling those stories at every single family gathering. I don’t want to open up my teenage driving habits for discussion at the dinner table. Although they are kind of funny now.
Anyone else got any teenage driving horror stories to share? Come on, I won’t tell your kids!
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway going on through April 30.
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Apr
20
If I had a dollar for every time I said “I don’t care what your friends parents let them do” I would be so rich. And that is just for this weekend! It’s official, I’m repeating the things my parents said to me that I swore I’d never say to my kids.
Apparently I am so backward, I have no clue how the “real world” lives. I was not aware that 7th graders date and go to the movies with their “girlfriends”. Or that they are allowed to wander the town for hours at a time without their parents knowing for sure where they are. Did you all know that? I am behind I guess.
I trust my son, I even trust his friends. But why put them in a situation that tests them when their hormones are going wild? I have given in and let my son go to the movies with groups of friends. I consider a group to be more than 2 girls and 2 boys, though. 2 girls and 2 boys is a double date, or at least it was back in the dark ages when I was young.
My son is one of the oldest in 7th grade, if not the oldest. Both my boys have June birthdays, and we waited until they were 6 to start kindergarten. So he’s almost 14, but most of his friends are barely turning 13 and many are still 12. When I was 12 my mom would have laughed for days at the thought of letting me go to the movies with two guys and another girl. I know I’m showing myself for the old fashioned mom that I am, but is it wrong to make them wait? I stand by the notion that if they are allowed to do this now, at 13, what do they look forward to at 14, 15 and 16?
My son takes it so personally, because as one of the oldest in his group, he hates being the most restricted. He hates it, but he also knows deep down we are right. He’s pretty open with me and I’m very open with him, no subject is off limits for conversation. He has a 12 year old friend who is constantly with his 12 year old girlfriend. I’ve seen their myspace and facebook pages, and the way they toss around “I love you”. I was talking to Tanner and told him, you do know that you are not “in love” with anyone. He laughed and said that’s just how they talk, but his friend does think its true love. I have told him before and I said it again, you are not the same person now that you will be when you’re 17, or 20, or 25. And neither are your friends. You all have so much growing up to do, and in a few years you probably won’t be friends with most of these kids, and certainly not still “in love” with the same girl. He knows this, and he believes it, but there’s also the very strong pressure to go along with the crowd. That’s what I worry about.
A big part of our weekend was spent talking to our son and setting down rules. I said “I don’t care what ______ parents let him do” so many times I lost count. In fact, I said it so often that after while Tanner would say “but ______ gets to” and I’d just give him a look and he’d say “I know, you don’t care”. And I didn’t just say that I don’t care, I explained that I’m not responsible for his friends, but I am responsible for him and I do care about him.
I’ll be honest, this is so different from when I was a kid. At 12 I still wanted to hang out just with my girlfriends and talk about boys, but I had no desire to go on a date, even a double date. Growing up in a tiny town, I was sheltered and pretty innocent, so my experiences are worlds apart from my childrens.
I dont know if I really have a big problem with 2 guys and 2 girls going to the movies. They also wanted to walk to the park afterward and basically roam around for a couple of hours unsupervised and we wouldn’t know where they were. One of those things where they might wander, they might go to someones house, but they didn’t want to tell anyone where they’d be. I do have a problem with that and I told my son he is welcome to have that same group over to our house for movie night any time he wants to. In fact I would welcome them here, all the time.
So how do you handle the D word? At what age do you or will you let your kids date? Will you or would you drive your 12/13 year old to the theatre with their “date” and pick them up afterward? I ask that because I know some of my sons friends have done that. My son has never asked and I don’t think he’d want that, but you never know. What are your dating guidlines and limits for your kids?
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway going on through April 30.
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Apr
19
These pictures were taken today, but this scene is played out over and over every day, with both of my sons and their dog.
Aren’t they both so pretty handsome?
Going in for the smooch.
Happy dog!
It’s hard to get a good picture of Coach because he is wagging his tail so fast and hard that his whole backside is wiggling.
By now Coach is worn out from all the lovin. He’ll drift off for his mid morning nap, which comes after his morning nap and before his afternoon nap. He’s a busy guy with all the napping.
For more SOOC shots, visit Slurping Life.
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway going on through April 30
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Apr
17
- Dark, rainy Fridays.
- Kids going to their friends houses after school. Yay!
- Today I lost my phone, my purse and a business card I needed. The grace? I found them all.
- As of right now, no big weekend plans. Just quiet.
- Laundry is washed, dried and put away. It’s nice starting the weekend with empty clothes hampers.
Make the world a better place by finding grace in small things.
Any comment you leave on this post counts as an entry to win a fabulous prize in my Blogiversary Giveaway going on through April 30.
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Apr
16
Last week was my 1 year blogging anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been a year already, I’ve loved every minute of it. The blogging community is incredibly kind and welcoming, and I hope to celebrate many more blogiversarys!
To kick off my blogiversary celebration, I’m giving away an awesome necklace from Superhero Designs. I’m so excited about this giveaway, it’s just a wonderful prize! If you haven’t checked out Andrea’s beautiful jewelry, you are missing out. She has lovely colorful bead necklaces and some very cool pendants, as well as beaded bracelets.
They are all so pretty its hard to pick, but my favorite is the bulls eye pendant. On the back of it is the word “superhero”, which I love. Thestarburst pendant says “joy” on the back. Both are beautiful, so I’m not going to choose which one I give away. The winner gets to choose either the starburst pendant or the bulls eye pendant. You are so lucky!
Here’s how to enter:
In order to do this blogging anniversary right, I want to give you as many chances to enter as possible.
- Visit Superhero Designs then come back here and tell me 2 things. 1-which pendant you would choose and 2-which beaded necklace is your favorite. Leave 1 comment for each answer, so that gives you 2 entries.
- Any comment you leave on any upcoming post, from now until the giveaway ends, will count towards the giveaway. So any comment on any post dated 4/16 until 4/30 will count as an entry! Please leave relevant comments, not just “enter me in the giveaway”, and one comment per post. I will keep track of all comments on posts between now and 4/30.
I will post at least daily so you’ll have many chances to enter this one, come back often!
And there are even more ways to enter:
- Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss.
- Mention this giveaway on your blog. (include direct link in your comment)
- Follow me on Twitter (@UnexpectedBliss)
- For an extra entry, sent a tweet on Twitter about this giveaway. Leave your Twitter name in your comment. This may be done as often as you want, leave a comment for each tweet.
- Stumble this post
For each of the above that you do, leave 1 comment on THIS giveaway post, ie 1 comment if you subscribe, 1 comment if you follow me on Twitter, 1 comment for each tweet, 1 comment for a Stumble, 1 comment for mentioning this on your blog)
Open to US addresses only.
This giveaway will end Thursday April 30 at midnight CST. I will notify the lucky winner via email and once the winner responds with choice of pendant I will post the winner here. Please make sure to put a valid email address in every comment that you leave.
The giveaway has ended, I will email the winner and post here once I hear back from them. Thank you everyone who entered!
This giveaway is sponsored by me, to celebrate my year of blogging. Enjoy!
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Apr
15
Who knew that when I mentioned I had big bloggity plans for this week, something “in real life” would come up? And how did it get to be Wednesday already!?
I mentioned earlier this month that I was having some major upheavals in my work. I found out last week that I did not get the new project that I put in for. Bad news. I was disappointed, because I think being with the same company for over 4 years should count, but it doesn’t in this case. Right before I got the nice rejection email, I got an email saying that my current project wasn’t ending in April as planned, but would run through May. Good news! I’m not unemployed yet.
That same day, I found out our tax bill was a wee bit more than last year. By wee I mean a lot more. This is one of the times when I think that working from home and being self employed is just not worth it. After so many years, we were getting better at balancing it out and not owing anything, but not this year for some reason. So I was bummed about that. But then the next day, we got an insurance refund in the mail that we weren’t expecting. Not a huge amount, but it will help with the tax bill. See how things are evening out?
Then the next bit of grace. I had applied for a part time job earlier this month, and I got a call last week to schedule an interview! I had my interview Monday. It went very well and I go back for a second interview tomorrow. I’m nervous and excited and anxious all at once, which wreaks havoc on my stomach. But its a good nervousness. Even if I don’t get it, I got some good interview experience after years of only doing phone interviews, and the HR person was very encouraging on Monday.
So, I haven’t been blogging much this week. Everything that I just mentioned happened in less than a weeks time, so that explains why my head is spinning! And I’ve been consumed with what to wear to my interviews and paying taxes and all that excitement. As a final bit of good news, my husbands grandmother was taken by ambulance to the hospital today. She is 93. We spent the day waiting anxiously by the phone, but thankfully she is ok and back at home in the nursing home tonight.
Things are hectic but going ok. It seems like for every piece of potentially bad news that we get, something good happens. I can’t complain about that.
Of course, I still have plans to celebrate my blogiversary. I will post the first giveaway tomorrow, so check back. Thanks for bearing with me when real life gets in the way of blogging fun.
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My boys
Where did those little guys go?Cuteness overload
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