Snow Day Yummy Deliciousness...

For those of you that felt your day was totally incomplete because you didn't know what we decided too cook/bake today, I figured a second post was in order...

All Homemade:

Yeast Rolls

Fudge Brownies

Turkey Vegetable Casserole with Rice

Cinnamon Rolls

...pictures soon...hopefully before my family devours the meal!

SNOW DAY...

They are among our favorite days….which is odd to all of our friends. You see, we are a ‘Southern’ family. In case you weren't aware, ‘Southern’ is less about where you live and more about how you are raised. It is a frame of mind and a lifestyle born in the south and raised all over the world…it is how my husband and I were both raised and it is how we are raising our kids. Sweet Tea, Watermelon and Fried Green Tomatoes, if you will. But all of that has nothing to do with our love of the snow.  The kids and I love the cold, too…we don’t chill easily as Daddy and as much as we love 100+ degree temperatures in the summer (and will quite literally spend the entire day outside enjoying it), we love the arctic chill that brings that beautiful blanket of snow.  You’re right, it doesn't stay pretty for long.  And if I am completely honest, I don’t love all the wet that goes with it. Everything gets wet…pants, shoes, floors, anything on the floors, etc, etc.   The funny thing is that our kids will do just about anything in the snow that they will do in the blistering heat of summer…ride tricycles, swing on the swings, slide down the slides, etc…and then they add in things like making snow angels (at which point Lil’ Man always ends up stuck on his back like a turtle), building snow forts and surprise-ambushing Daddy with snowballs when he gets home from work.  For us, there is no reason to stay inside just because there is a foot of the white stuff in our yard.  That just means it’s time to grab a sled and hike up the hill across from our house (well, we all hike…and Lil’ Man sits in the sled and rides up the hill…next year that crap stops…he can hike himself…LOL).  Or fill spray bottles with water and food coloring…or even squeeze bottles with water, cornstarch and food coloring…and go outside and ‘paint’ on the giant blank canvas that has enveloped our world. 

It also means jammies, movies and baking. What better day to have the oven on than when it is a mere 25 degrees outside? So, we pick some recipes (I try to keep it a bit organized…one baked dessert, one baked breakfast-style food and a one-dish supper casserole or pot pie) and a movie (or even a movie series) and spend our time inside watching movies and cooking.  You see, once K started school, snow days took on a whole new meaning.  Before that, it was really just a day that happened to include snow because without the commitment of school, our days were relatively similar.  Now that she is in school, things are a bit different.  First of all, weekends become quickly filled with family activities and outings which results in less time spent on some of the other things that were just part of a regular day before school joined the mix.  So now a snow day means a random, unplanned, full day off. When the plan for the day included school for K and household stuff for C and I, a snow day means we get a free pass.  The household stuff an wait till tomorrow and for today we’ll fill this free day with things that we don’t always have time for as often as we once did.  So, it’s sledding, snow angels, forts, shoveling (yes, our kids enjoy that, too), baking, movies and lots of blankets and ‘free time’!!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, the kitchen timer is beeping…brownies are done!

~Jac

My Sweet Ladybug...

 My sweet girl. Just thinking of her brings a smile to my face.  She is a miniature version of myself...which is both a blessing and a curse.  She was the easiest of babies. She only cried when she was hungry or needed a new diaper. She slept through the night at 2 weeks old, never got sick and developed ahead of schedule.   She held her own head up at the hospital, sat, crawled, walked, talked and teethed early. She did everything early (still does).  She also did it all on her own…so independent from the very beginning.  She didn’t need to be held to feel safe and comforted. She would fall asleep on her own just as quickly as if you were rocking her.  She would also sleep anywhere…not partial to her bed or anything like that…no special blanket, stuffed animal, pacifier or anything else was needed.  Just a clean/dry diaper and BOOM, she was asleep.  Independence was just part of her personality from the beginning…bed time, for example…bath, bottle, burp and bed…no snuggling or rocking to sleep was necessary.   We rarely had any non-parent friends babysit because all the couples that were ‘debating’ when to start a family would spend time with little-miss-easy-pants and leave thinking ‘this is so easy, we can do this’. LOL. We feared being blamed for false advertisement if their child was born less cooperative than our sweet Ladybug.

Feeding was the only exception to her easy-going attitude.  She did not and would not nurse…leaving her mother (me) feeling like a total failure from the very beginning…which was only amplified by the fact that she was our first little angel. Until our doctor (we use family medicine, so we see the same doc) told me that as long as I feed her, I’m doing my part. Thank you, doctor-man. And bottles it was. She was thrilled with this decision, apparently. And proceeded to eat, grow and develop remarkably fast! Though I know there are fantastic arguments, research and studies supporting breast milk-only diets, she is fine. She’s smart (too smart if you ask me, my hubby or her kindergarten teacher), certainly well-bonded with both my husband and I and has only been sick once in her 5 years of life. I can’t ask for much better even though she was ‘just’ a formula baby. I do get tired of the people that still continue to judge me for it, though.  However as she and her baby brother get older, I become more and more confident that not only are the decisions I make good…they are what’s right for our family…and as long as I have the best interests of our children in mind, my instincts will guide me.  Too bad I wasn’t that confident back then. I’d have just told everyone to bugger off.

She is a Daddy’s Girl and she had him wrapped around that tiny finger of hers from the moment she entered this world.  She could play him like a fiddle from the very beginning and has only become more efficient as the years have passed.  It’s adorably entertaining to watch. She is also Grampy’s girl. My parents came to visit just a couple of days after she was born and she immediately wrapped Grampy around one of her tiny little fingers. One for Daddy and one for Grampy.  She knew she’d get what she wanted from one of them.  Her birthday is in early summer and since she was a bottle baby, anybody could feed her and get up with her. Fine by me.  So, my dad (Grampy) got up with her each morning and took her outside to our comfy swing…they would swing and soak up sunshine and fresh air while she took her bottle.  When she was done, she’d sleep snuggled into the cushion next to him while he drank his coffee.  It was so sweet to watch. Well, hear about…I slept through most of those 6am feedings.  Might as well take it while you can!  It was that first day that we noticed that she was also a Grampy’s girl…and that Grampy was on the hook. She would fuss and fuss and fuss (and she had not been a fussy baby thus far) and nobody would be able to soothe her…then she would hear Grampys boots (Grampy always wears boots) on the wooden stairs and immediately calm down.   If he stopped climbing, she’s start crying again…and so on…until he made it to her room and got her from her crib. Ta-da, the one week old, black hair and blue eyed little lady had gotten Grampy to do her bidding. For the first of many, many, many times to come.

She was an even easier toddler. I know, nobody says that. But she was. No temper tantrums, no attitude problems, nothing. She learned quickly…obeyed rules…and was beyond excited when she found out that she was going to be a big sister. No jealousy, just excitement. Even now.

She is the best big sister that any sibling could ever wish to have. She adores her baby brother…and she spoils him rotten. Takes care of him, gives him her last cookie, her last bite of pizza, the last bit of her drink, the book she’s reading, the toy she’s playing with…ANYTHING he wants. It’s cute…but horrible, really.  He now thinks he’s entitled to EVERYTHING. And I am, obviously, the bad guy for not giving in to his demands…because, well, his perfectly adoring sister would let him have it (whatever ‘it’ happens to be at the time).  Though, to be fair, he adores her just as much.  He gets so angry when, on the rare occasion, she gets in trouble.  If you are the one disciplining the ‘perfect sister’, prepare to be completely ignored for the rest of the day/evening/night from him…he does not tolerate his sister getting grounded, spanked, put in time out or sent to her room. He. FREAKS. Out.

Now she is 5 years old. Going on 15 most days and 25 the rest. And when she has one of those days that she ‘acts 5’, I feel like I’m going to lose it…lose my mind, my composure, my hair, everything.  She is in kindergarten and excelling at everything.  Everything except keeping her mouth shut…I told you, she is just like me.  She wants to do everything herself…birthday parties, sleepovers, field trips, all of it. No more walking her to the door at school…’Mamma, you can just let me out of the car at the sidewalk.’  At least she still calls me Mamma. She says I don’t need to walk down the hill get her from school, either…’Mamma, if you just get out of the car at the sidewalk, my teacher will let me go since she can see you from there.’  At least she still calls me Mamma.  She reads to herself. Not just short little words here and there…the little lady can sound out 4 syllable words on her own. I thought that she was just skimming books and looking at the pictures at first.  So, I thought I’d be smart (always a bad idea around her…she can make people with doctorates feel like morons) and make her tell me about the story before she can move on to something else (a verbal book report of sorts)…turns out she can tell me every little detail. So, there. So much for that great idea. ‘Mamma, it was a funny funny book that taught me all about welcoming new friends to our class!’ At least she still calls me Mamma.

At least she still calls me Mamma. And gives me a kiss every night before bed.

~Jac

It's Different When it's Your Kids...

It’s different when it’s your kid. I heard this all the time. I’m an only child and I doubt anybody would have described me as ‘patient’ with children. ‘Tolerated’ would have been a much better way to describe my feelings toward children more than a year or two younger than myself…and only barely at that. As I got older…then engaged…then married…I was constantly asked about kids of my own. To be honest, I worried. Kids in general annoyed me. All of them. Yeah, they were cute for about 10 minutes before I started to feel overwhelmed by their neediness…and adorable when they were sleeping. But their noses were runny and crusted with dried food and snot. Their mouths were lined with whatever meal or snack they’d finished…an hour ago. Their clothes were rumpled and disheveled. Their hair was always askew. They were just not tidy…oh-so-needy…and riddled with temper tantrums! I must have had all of that written on my face quite often because immediately after asking ‘So, when are you going to start having kids?’ one would say ‘Don’t worry, it’s different when they’re yours.’  Of course, my first thought was ‘Wow, everything is plural in that sentence’…what if I only want one? LOL.

Well, I must admit…they were right.  It is different with my own kids. But not in the ways you might think. Snotty, crusty noses and mouths still drive me crazy. I am the queen of wiping…and now my two are the princess and prince of wiping. : ) Rumpled and disheveled clothes make me bonkers…I iron almost everything (well, except socks and underwear).  And hair is rarely askew in this house. Both of my Bugs were born with hair…and lots of it…and it got fixed daily (sometimes more than once…depending on the state of disarray after naps)…it STILL gets fixed daily. K has long, thick, coarse, wavy hair…it grows so fast that in her short life, she has donated her hair to various wig-making agencies 3 times! It gets combed, wet and styled each day.  C has thick blonde hair that we keep cut relatively short. He goes with Daddy every two weeks to get their hair cut to ‘within regs’…but it is still washed each night and combed each evening and then wet and combed each morning.  Don’t get me wrong, they are still kids. They still play in the mud/dirt outside and enjoy every second of it. They spend entire days outside in the summer playing in the dirt, mud, grass and whatever else they can find and they love it.  But once the fun is over and they are ready to be done. They are ready to be DONE…cleaned up, wiped down, washed and FINISHED. They know better than to play with their food and as such, they are fairly clean eaters (well, except for things like fresh watermelon slices while they are playing in the aforementioned mud, dirt and grass).  See, having my own kids didn’t mean I had to give up on those little things, it just meant that there is a time and place for everything and it was (well, still is) my job to teach that to my sweet little ones.

The lack of tidiness still bothers me. A lot. But I have made my peace with most of it. I’ve taught them to clean up their messes…how to put their toys/books away and how to take care of things so that they will last longer.  Most days this works just fine…I say ‘clean-up time’ and they do it.  On occasion, like tonight, I give them the night off and let them worry about it tomorrow.  That was (and still is) a big step for me…to let go a little bit and let the house be in a slight bit of disorder in favor of playing in the bathtub or reading extra books. But, you can’t always have it all and do it all…I have learned at least that much. And when it comes to choosing, I will ALWAYS choose them…this precious time with them is so short. The neediness still gets to me sometimes…but the Lord was good enough to give one fiercely independent little girl and a little boy that is independent the majority of the time. The things they need me for are understandable…food, drinks and basic care…not just an ‘I need you to pay attention to me just for the sake of me getting my way’ kind of needy. When either of them are that kind of needy, you can bet your paycheck that they aren’t feeling well. Every. Single. Time.  

And the temper tantrums. Oh, Lord help me.  We don’t have a tantrum-thrower. It was never an option. Probably because we have always believed in consequences. Actual consequences, not empty threats.  We use a variety of punishment forms…spanking, time out, taking away special or new toys, games, stuffed animals, events or activities and we don’t let poor behavior be the cause of leaving a store, restaurant or event.  Instead we use the old staynd-bys that our parents used: ‘Do we need to go outside?’ and ‘Should we take this to the bathroom?’  Along with our own personal favorite: ‘Do we need to go discuss this?’ Most people…even close friends…disapprove of this concept. And that is fine…their kids are their kids to raise and ours are ours. To each their own.  However, we have always believed that if they are old enough to do something or act in a way that isn’t okay or isn’t acceptable, they are old enough to learn what is correct and acceptable…and for us to enforce consequences when they do not behave accordingly.  The result, at least in our house, are well-behaved kids that can be taken anywhere at any time and still behave appropriately.  Yes, they get upset, cry and sometimes even get mad at us.  But, we believe that is our job to teach and parent right now…not to be their friend…there will be time for friendship later...when they have a strong foundation of polite behavior and manners. But for all the things that warrant ‘punishment’ in our house that are just let go in other households (in my opinion, because parents are too afraid of their kid not liking them to discipline effectively), our kids love us dearly and though they may be mad, upset or even angry in the moment, they still come to us each night for hugs, kisses and snuggling before bed. They immediately seek comfort from us when they get hurt or are sick. The miss us when we are away…no matter if it is 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5 months. They celebrate when we return home and are always eager to share the accomplishments with us. I don’t think we are missing out by enforcing rules and structure. Instead, I believe we are providing them with additional comfort and security. They know the boundaries and if they choose to cross them, they know there will be consequences. Every. Single. Time. I don’t like to discipline them (to be totally honest), but I feel that it is necessary…both to build strong character and morals as well as to prepare them for the ‘real world’ (which seems so far away from them, but I know that it’ll be upon them in a flash).

So, yes, it is different with my own. But not because all the little things that annoyed me went away when our first little Bug came into this world…but because I had the power to handle things the way that my husband and I saw fit. We can keep them clean and well-taken-care-of while teaching them to be independent and behave appropriately…all while maintaining strong, lifelong relationships and durable, lasting bonds with our precious little ones.  I’m not saying that everything works ‘right’ the fisrt time…and we still seek advice from others when we feel that we’ve ‘tried everything’ and nothing has worked. That is the joy of parenting in a community…you can share ideas, tips and tricks. What worked for you or me may not work for the next person, but if they’ve tried everything but that (or if we’ve tried everything except what you mention), it is probably worth a shot! : ) That is our way and it works for us and our amazing children. I am sure your way is different and that is okay.  I’m not judging and I’m also not asking to be judged. If it works for you and you’re happy with the results that is really all that matters. 

~Jac

My Baby has 'Boy Feet'...

He’s a Mamma’s boy. There is no denying that. But, he’s not quite 3 yet so that is to be expected. I suppose I know that he will grow out of it at some point…maybe…I secretly hope not. I secretly hope that ‘I’ll Love You Forever’ is about the two of us and we will have this amazing bond forever.

He constantly reminds me that he is a ‘Big Dude’. Literally, he is not. He is short and scrawny for his age. But healthy as can be and as strong as an ox! I know that one day a growth spurt will take him from looking six months to a year younger than his age to looking two-plus years older than his age. What he means, though, is that he can do it himself. Everything. Put on his jammies, bathe himself, feed himself, dress himself, get in the car himself, figure it out himself. He wants to be big like Daddy and he acts like Daddy is the center of the universe because he is so big and strong and seems to know everything. He asks about him constantly when he is not around. He runs to him when he gets home from work…immediately asking him to play or rough house or whatever suits his mood for that day.

He climbs in Daddy’s lap to play games or read books after supper. Did I mention he loves his feet? Lil’ Man, not Daddy. He loves his feet…and his toes even more.  He constantly reminds us, saying ‘I wub my feet’. While they play, he holds his fat little feet in his chubby little hands. He may be scrawny everywhere else, but his feet and hands still remind me of a chunky little infant. He holds his feet…unaware that he is even doing so.  When the book ends, Daddy kisses his forehead and says ‘Whatcha doing?’…’I holdin’ my feet an my toes’ he says in that adorable tiny dude voice.  Daddy reaches down and holds his feet, too.  We’ve joked for almost 3 years now about how fat his feet are…they really look like hunks of summer sausages with tiny lil’ smokies attached to the ends. Shoes have been a challenge…must be lace-up so that they will be able to be loosened to go all the way around his feet.  He started walking…full-on walking…at 9 months and his feet remained round on the bottom.  Skinny little boy…fat sausage feet. But he loves his feet.

I’m sitting next to them through this exchange. Not paying too much attention, but Mamma always knows what’s going on with the family. It’s our job, right? Daddy says ‘Have you seen this, Mamma?’  So, I look up and he shows me. Lil’ Man’s feet have bones across the top…and an arch! Don’t get me wrong, they are still chubby as feet go and I know he’s not any older. Not by more than 10 seconds since the last time I glanced over at the two of them.  But in my mind he’s suddenly 12 years old with stinky boy feet, sweaty armpits and with no need for his Mamma. I like being needed by this tiny dude, but there will be time for that still…right?

They go upstairs to get ready for bed and I hear the familiar sounds of what is sure to be a messier-than-necessary shower. But most things are messier-than-necessary with Lil’ Man.  He has had a lingering cough…off and on…for the past few days. I hear him start up again. It breaks my heart. Daddy pours some medicine for him and calls down to me that they are done and ready for prayers.  We say our bedtime prayers as a family and dole out hugs and kisses…K goes to her room to check her alarm, put out clothes for school and go to sleep.  Lil’ Man comes over to me…climbs up in my lap…’Mamma, I wub you. Can I snuggie you?’…as my heart melts, I pull a blanket over him, snuggle him down into my arms and reach for his feet…I always kiss his toes good night. And they aren’t stinky…yet.  As his cough subsides and sleep sneaks in, he mumbles ‘Mamma, I am yous dude.’ Love…

~Jac

Coffee Group Mornings...

Thursday is one of my favorite days. No, it isn't a day to sleep in or anything that one usually associates with a 'favorite day'...but it is Coffee Group Day. : ) I look forward to it every week.  

First, I greatly enjoy entertaining...and I like to think I'm pretty good at it.  I spend a lot of my time trying to please everyone...which is nearly impossible...but entertaining seems to fall perfectly into that genre. I can come up with a reason to entertain for almost any day. Weeknight casual dinner party? Check...and still get the kids in bed on time!  Football game? Must have an 'At Home Tailgate Party'!  Birthday? Yep, fire up the grill and let's celebrate!  There doesn't have to be a 'good reason', I can always make one up. ; ) Kinect dance off with friend? Sure, and we'll make that an appetizers and desserts game night while we're at it.  See, you can have a party for anything! And I love it. I love the cooking...mixing drinks (alchy and non)...chit-chat...it's all just plain fun. 

But I mainly love coffee...MMMmmm...so good.  It can be decaf or not. It's the warm cup of flavored fantasticness that is so important.  My dad will tell you that it's 'froo froo' coffee that I drink.  He likes his plain black from the pot...preferably unflavored Folgers or Starbucks Espresso.  I like flavored coffee. With a variety of creamers.  But as soon as you take a sip of that warm, inviting concoction, there's no turning back.  On a cold day, it warms you from the inside and what better people to share that treat with than a group of friends?!  So, on Thursdays, we meet at my house...brew our favorite cup (the hubbs got me a Keurig last year so now we can all have a different flavor if we want...and it turns out that I actually DRINK less coffee and WASTE less coffee...double bonus).  It is a casual group. Very come-as-you-are.  Some come straight from the gym...some come from running errands...whatever floats your boat. All I ask is that you don't show up before 9:30am...gives me time to get K to school and even run an errand or two (or straighten up my house or bake yummy treats)...and you'll either need to leave (or hang out at my house alone for a bit) so I can go get K from school.  Usually, though, folks start arriving around 9:45 and are heading out around lunch time.  Works out perfectly since C still naps each afternoon.  

Coffee Group is also a great way to keep my housework in check. LOL. Not that I keep my house in magazine cover condition, but I do like certain things a certain way when we are going to have company.  So, in addition to spending the morning with an amazing group of ladies (and sometimes a husband here or there...depending on work schedules, vacation and whatnot...but the boys are welcome), I get to start my weekend with a freshly straightened house. I love that. Somehow our house is always messiest on the weekends. Of course, there are 4 of us here to create dirty dishes, clothes and contribute to clutter...but that also means there are 4 of us here to clean up such things as well...never works that way, though. The house is always more cluttered on Sunday evening than any other day of the week. Especially Thursday! 

Additionally, it's a great way to indulge my desire to bake. I love baking and cooking.  The older I get, the more I love it and the stronger my desire to learn how to make more and more things.  However I do not have a desire to consume more and more calories! K barely eats enough to keep a baby bird alive...C eats in spells, but it is impossible to know in advance if tomorrow is going to be a 'hungry' day or not. If it is, I might as well just put out a perma-buffet for him and let him eat all day...if it's not then he'll eat even less than K. Annoying. And then there's the hubbs. He likes to think that he's a well-rounded eater. He's not. He has his favorites and sticks to them. And he is not a fan of sweets.  So, assuming I bake a fantastic dessert and it happens to be a day that neither K nor C are hungry...it will just sit there...staring at me. Did I mention that I am definitely a sweets-lover? Ugh! So...I can mitigate all of that by baking on Wednesday night or Thursday morning…and then passing off said baked deliciousness to everyone at Coffee Group. Now, I don't bake every week; just whenever the mood strikes me. I try to let everyone know the night before so that they can plan to snack here the following morning, though. 

Mostly, though, it is a wonderful, casual morning spent with great friends.  The group varies based on appointments, travel and various scheduling conflicts.  But regardless of who shows up, it is a relaxed morning of fellowship in a world where our lives can so quickly turn into a whirlwind of activities.  Stay-at-home moms get a couple of hours of adult chit-chat. Youngsters still at home during the day get some interaction with others…both adults and children.  C looks forward to ‘Friends Day’ as much as I look forward to Coffee Group…good thing they are the same event. ; ) LOL. So, ladies (and gents), thanks for making Thursday one of my most favorite days of the week! 

~Jac

Coffee, Pop-Tarts and my Lil' Man...

Few things make a morning better than spending it with one or both of my sweet children.  K has been so independent all her life that she never was a 'snuggler' or one to spend part of the morning in my lap while we eat breakfast and whatnot. Now, she'd sit in Daddy's lap and watch car shows all morning on Saturday...but she was Daddy's Girl from the instant she entered this world.  C, on the other hand, is a snuggler. Has been since the moment he entered this world. He didn't use to care much about who snuggled him, but as he gets older, he has begun to prefer me...a definite Mamma's Boy at this point.  But, at 2 1/2 that is acceptable.

Today I woke up with the worst headache and Little Miss Independent went on about her business getting ready for school and selecting her breakfast.  She is buying lunch today, so she needed even less help (at least on cold-lunch days, she needs/wants me to pack her lunch for her).  She didn't need anything from me until all that was left was her hair.  She has a thick, coarse mop of wavy hair and at 5 1/2 she has neither the patience or skill to fix it herself. And we have a hair rule...hair must be up and out of the face for school.  So, I went to fix her hair and that was that.

We took her to school and then came back home to enjoy our quiet morning routine.  Just me and Lil' Man. Most days he begins with a bucket of cars and does his own thing while I get a cup of coffee (usually my second of the day).  But today as I got my coffee (first cup of the day since I was barely functioning enough to make a ponytail for K, much less fix my coffee and drink it when I first got up), he came in and asked for 'Pop-Arts' (Pop-Tarts)...I told him yes and he went to pick which flavor he wanted this morning.  Now, in general, I do not believe Pop-Tarts to be healthy...but if you knew the rest of the diet preferences of my two kids, you'd understand why I don't care much if that is what they choose for breakfast.  They prefer apples, carrots, grapes, broccoli and anything that can go in a salad far more than they do cookies, cakes, candies or any other sort of processed or pre-packaged foods.  I believe that, in moderation, it's okay to splurge on some things as long as you are balancing it with fresh, healthy choices as well.  So, 'Pop-Arts' it is. : )

Then, now this is the best part, he says 'Mamma, let's snuggle and eat Pop-Arts together'...AWWWW! Yes, Lil' Man, I will snuggle with you and eat Pop-Tarts!!! So, we spent the next hour...just the two of us...snuggled on the couch eating Pop-Tarts and drinking coffee/milk (respectively).  No TV, no games, no computer, no phone....just me and my baby that is growing up too fast. Sure, I could have switched the laundry, unloaded the dishwasher or sorted the mail from yesterday...but those are still there waiting for me...and he has now moved on to reading book, playing number games and Bad Piggies on his Kindle. That moment is gone but the rest remains. So took the opportunity to share that moment with him and I'll get to the rest later...

~Jac

Why can't people be respectful?!

I feel like we are getting so embedded in our own opinions and points-of-view that we are becoming incapable of being able to discuss even the simplest of decisions without concern for the fall-out of those that disagree.  I blame some of this on social media like Facebook, blogs (I know, I see the irony too)  and Twitter.  If it weren't for these venues, some of us would never even discuss the topics that have become so in-your-face.  I, for one, always think twice about posting anything too personal about our family simply because I get tired of the naysayers that make me feel like I constantly need to defend my decisions.  

The fact is, we all make decisions for our families...we do what we think is best at the time and if that doesn't work, we try something new the next time and so on.  I love the ability to reach out to my circle of friends and family for advice and tips...especially in those moments when I feel like I have tried everything. But none of that opens the door for any of us to tell anyone else why their way is better.  Things like breastfeeding/formula, homeschool/public, vaccines/vaccine-free, spanking/non-spanking, cry-it-out/soothing, co-sleeping/independent bedrooms and so many more...all in addition to the old standbys like politics, religion and finances...are such hot-button subjects that mentioning them can land you in an instantly defensive position. 

We live in a society of free-thinkers. Regardless of your point-of-view, we are designed to be that way and are lucky enough to live in a country where we can freely express our differing opinions and also have the freedom to live our lives and raise our children as we see fit.  As long as you operate within the confines of the law, do the best that you can and raise your children with love, nobody can fault your decisions.  

That being said, there are a few ground rules that I would like for you to keep in mind. This is my blog and will be filled with my own opinions, rants and anecdotes. If you don't have something nice to say, don't post or comment and do not (under any circumstance) play the 'my life/situation is worse than yours' card...even if it is! I don't want this turning into a place full of bickering and snarky attitudes.  I have no problem if you have a differing opinion...by all means, share it...there have been plenty of times that I have heard an opposing opinion that has made me think twice.  Will it change my opinion? Probably not. But I like hearing your reasoning as long as you can share it respectfully and without judgement of my choices. I am a middle-of-the-road sort of person. I am not particularly extreme about any of my beliefs or opinions...except when it comes to my love of my family.  My children and my husband light up my life and my love and support for them is unmatched by anything else in my life.  I don't take well at all to them being judged or picked on...I know that my sweet little lady and my adorable little man will have to deal with adversary but the mother in me would love nothing better than to protect them from all the mean and nasty people in this world.

I hope you enjoy my rantings and stories as much as I enjoy sharing them. And, for the rough days, thank you for listening and allowing me to vent...

~Jac

I am a military wife...a mother...and now, a blogger...

My name is Jaclyn...I go by Jaclyn, Jac or Mamma...depends on who is talking to me.  I am married with an active social life, commitments with my husband's work and two children that are both involved in extracurricular activities. Our oldest is a fiercely independent, beautiful and highly intelligent young lady.  K was, and is, the perfect first child...she was an easy baby, an easier toddler and has never been needy or demanding.  She never cried or fussed, she slept through the night at just 2 weeks old and has only been sick once in her young life.  Our youngest is definitely a firecracker.  He was born 9 months and 1 day after K's second birthday.  He is a loving, curious and handsome little man. He adores her...and she adores him. In so many ways they are very much alike...I mean, they did come from the same parents. ; ) But in just as many ways, they are polar opposites.  While she was independent from birth, he picks and chooses when he wants to be independent. He is just as intelligent as his older sister, but he hasn't learned how to use that to his advantage...yet.  And even when comparing them at similar ages/stages in life, he is still so much younger in so many ways.  Perhaps 'that's just how boys are'...or maybe that's just how he is.  He is the baby of the family and is treated as such by everyone.  It is his role and he takes it seriously. Regardless, they are the best of friends and I think it's are the similarities as well as the differences that make them so compatible.  

Though my hubby and I are both from the south, we now call the mid-west our home and are involved in many functions with his job as well as many other social activities. We are a military family so there are always challenges that come with that lifestyle, but overall it is an experience that we wouldn't trade. The greatest reward of our lifestyle are the people that we meet.  We have friends that we see more often than our own family and, sometimes, it seems that they even know us better than our family.  These are the kind of friends that last a lifetime and we are blessed to have met each and every one of them.  There a lot of hard days in a military family...but the 'family' that we have adopted makes every moment worth it. 

~Jac