I'm not perfect

I 'm not perfect. I have a big mouth, I say shit I should not say. I am to honest and my expectations for people are a little to high.

But here's the thing, there is really not anything that I would not do for someone if asked. I go out of my way to make people happy and to make people like me (also a fault I suppose) I ask very little in return. I ask for honesty no matter what the situation is. If you don't like me that's cool, just say so. If you don't want to be friends with me, cool. Just say so. If my kids totally loves to hang with your kids but you can't stand me. Fine, we don't have to hang, drop your kids off and let the kids play we don't have to sit out back and have cocktails while they play.

There is nothing more heartbreaking to me than to think I am friends with someone than to find out all along it was one sided.

Nothing worse than being good friends (or so thought) with someone for years and to find out that you were not.

Rule of thumb, if someone talks bad about other people to you they probably have no problem talking bad about you to other people also.

2 totally different issues going on, just having a bad week in the friend, or lack there of, arena of my life.

And because I have totally lost all anonymity of my blog I am sure this will give folks yet another reason to decide why I am not cool enough to hang with the cool kids. Funny, you think all of these issues and feelings, pains die in High School but a last they do not.

My own fault for not being able to shake it off. Just not as fabulous as others are I guess.

OK Boitches

I have been MIA for a few reasons. First, I have been working my tail off building a new business and it has pretty much sucked the life out of me.

Second, my blog has lost the anonymity that made it so much fun to write to start with. Part of the reason I started writing was because I needed a place I could unload and say what I wish I could say to people's faces but can't due to basic human courtesy. It's no fun to write about the shit my kids do or the people in my community who annoy the f out of me when I have to see them the next day in carpool or some other social function.


I am going to need to make a decision about this little space and decided if I am going to close up shop here and go hide someplace else or just close up shop all together.

If I close up shop and move somewhere else I will not announce it here, my guess is a few of my savvy followers will find me rather quickly because they will have a new follower with a vulgar name :-)

My blog Facebook page remains a place I can post things I can't say on my personal page because it is no longer personal now that I am friends with my mom, mother in law, business associates and 100 relatives of my husbands who I would not know if I ran into them on the street. 

Sounds like mama has some thinking to do~
Peace out Boitches

Dinosaurs on the Move

I was recently sent the book Dinosaurs on the Move through the Left to Write Book Club to check out. My boys are want into dinos so they were psyched to check it out. The pictures in the book are really beautiful, they have pictures that are in color and ones that the kids can color in. My boys were a little slow to warm up to the activity because of all the cutting. Once I did one with them, they spent the whole afternoon cutting the dinosaurs out and putting them together with the brads. They then decided to have a dinosaur zoo and made a whole scene with the dinosaurs and the name plates. I really loved that these figures inspired creativity and cooperation between my kids (ages 5 and 7). The figures were pretty easy to put together. I liked that ABC's on the back, it made it easier for my 5 year old who does not read to get his dino together. I bought small brads, I wished I had bigger ones so I could have just hole punched the dinos and they could have put the whole thing together themselves.  I must admit, I was just as happy to color, cut and assemble as my kids were. There was something very therapeutic about coloring in the pictures. Guess we really are never to old to color! My 2 year old sat with us and colored also so it ended up being a fun activity for all of us.  I am excited to hear how other book club members liked the other book in the series so I can decide if I am going to get the other one. My boys now have all the dinosaurs in a folder and do take them out and play with them. They have held up pretty well considering they are paper. I don't usually buy books like this because I feel like I end up throwing the stuff away. These kind of reminded me of the paper dolls that I had when I was little. They are something that you can end up playing with over and over again. 

Poop (don't read unless your ready to know more then you want to)

I blame this on my kids, all the months they spent laying on all of my internal business has come back to haunt me. Well, them and the fact that I turn 40 in a few months. Tomorrow I go for my first colonoscopy. Katie friggin Couric made it look so damn easy when she put on a damn smile and let the doc scope around like it was a day at the beach. So tonight as I am writing from my remote office (with the window open) The directions for this procedure....fast for 24 hours except for clear liquids (and white wine does not count, I asked) and then drink 2 liters of butt poison at 6 and 9 PM so you spend the entire night praying the potty does not back up. All, I know is that the drugs tomorrow better be good, the results even better and the wine waiting when I get home.

Spam

My spam box is so full or promise and miracles I had to share them with you. According to June Chatman, she can make my manhood "a major one" which is awesome because last time I checked, I had no manhood.



Once my manhood is major, Marie Erwin is going to help me "be like a stud with her" and then Debra Bowles is going to teach me how to try some "durable love acts".  Now that my manhood is a major durable love actin stud, I am going to have to get "an elixir of hot nights" from Ana Benitez so that I can "make my willie stiffy", which according to Denise Aldrich, I need also.

 If I ever start to get "down", Ethel Paige has the "best cures for male dysfunction". With all of this up and down, elixir, stiff willy stud love actin, I am going to need to find a way to relax at night. Luckily I am able to find a wide variety of Percocet, Vicodin and Ritilan suppliers like nonope and suppo. Wonder what kind of man I would be if I was able to be all of the things these ladies promise me.........

perhaps

or

gotta love

 

Savor

Tonight as I was putting my daughter to bed, I thought of 100 other things I “needed” to do. I was anxious to get her into her crib and just have some time with no one touching me, asking me for something yelling to have their needs met NOW. I still rock her to bed (no judging!) but tonight I just wanted to put her in to bed and be done. As I walked her into her room and said good night, I heard the familiar “rock me”.  I sat in the rocking chair for a hurried rock and into bed with her. Something came over me tonight, I felt a little tugging on the inside that said, slow down. Savor this, before you know it she will not want to be rocked. Hold on, everything else can wait. Rock your baby. So I settled back into the chair and rocked her. I sang to her, savored the smell of her hair and the sweet way she nuzzles into my neck like the space was heaven made for her sweet face. My oldest child is now 7. I don’t remember that last time I rocked him, when I had my last sweet baby kiss or changed his last diaper. That time is gone and I don’t remember. So I find that I hold onto my last baby a little longer. I hold her more, rock her more and don’t feel the rush for each stage to end so things get easier. My days with 3 kids are hectic to say the least, I am counting down the hours until bedtime some nights, wishing for school to start or their dad to get home. I made a comment about it on Facebook yesterday, wishing the summer over and my boy’s back in school.  My sister gave me a reality check. My niece who is in her 20’s is moving on, moving, some place not by her mommy, life has swooped her up for an adventure and she is spreading her wings and welcoming the adventure and challenge. I know my sister is happy for her and this is what she has raised and prepared her for but to have one more night to rock that baby would be priceless. Does she clearly remember the last night she let her rock her to bed, the smell of that sweet baby hair? Yes my kids make me crazy and I don’t feel like a get a chance to breath and there is always someone nipping at my heels for something but this time is going to be gone. In a blink, gone. I know it is cliché, we all know they are only little once blah blah blah. When was the last time that you really savored it. Stopped caring if the dishes were done, the beds made or the floors were clean and just savored the moments of your child’s day, their time with you? I have to make myself slow down, really be aware and say, stop, stop cleaning, stop running errands and sit down and play, play LEGOS again, dress the same doll for the 10^th time today because some day there will be no LEGOS to build with and no dolls to dress. I hope you that when you sit down to play with your kids, put them to bed or help them tie their shoes, you will savor that moment. No matter how tired you are, how annoying they may have been an hour ago or how sick and tired you are of the fighting the kids have been doing, make an effort at some point during the day to savor a moment. No matter how small, savor a sweet moment it may be the last time they will need you to tie their shoes, tuck them in or want a kiss goodbye in front of their friends and when that last time is gone, you don’t get it back.  

Road Trip....Crazyville Style

Prologue: Thursday the air blows in my car. Hades took over my city this summer and it has been so hot my dog won’t even go out to pee or bark at the birds. I took my car in that night . It was going to be ready at 1, 2, 3, 6 on Friday then 7:00 Friday night, it will be ready 8:30 Saturday morning (we were going to check into the resort on Saturday) Because Amelia Island Plantation is awesome, they moved us to Sunday check in. Because I was going to have to sleep with one eye open if I told my kids, who have been nagging the crap out of me for weeks about this trip, that we were not leaving until Sunday, we picked up the car and loaded it up to venture to some place between here and there to placate the masses. The car was loaded by 10:30. Quick (not) trip to Target and off we go. On the road by 11:30.

Road Trip Day 1

I have refused to travel more then 4 hours in a car with my children every since I had my second child  5 years ago. Now that I have 3 I have strictly enforced this rule. During an intense laps of sanity and obviously judgement, I agreed to do our yearly beach trip in Florida, at a beach that is 6 ½ hours away. Here is the chronicle of day 1 in the car with my 3 kids, my husband and 2 tons of shit that no one could live with out for a friggin week.

The first 3 hours

15 minutes into the trip

2 are we there yets, 1 I need to poop 3 I’m hungry and 2 new cuss words learned from mommy.

My husbands decides to keep tally on the car window . 

10 minutes later we stop at a rest stop. Remember I told you the car was full as shit…I had to pull a beach chair out to let the boys out to go to the bathroom and sat it on top of the car.

45 minutes later we stop for lunch at the Wendy’s at the Wilco is someplace South Carolina. I’m trying not to think about what I have just given my family to eat.

After lunch, I notice several other vans with these cool luggage bags strapped to the tops of their cars. The following is a real conservation between my husband and I

“Why don’t we have one of those?”

“I don’t know, we could have one”

“Would N be less crowed in the back”

“Yes”

“Can we get one?”

“Yes”

‘Now?, we’re passing through Columbia” (Which is an 1 ½ from my house )

15 minutes to locate the Mall. As a side note, the mall in Columbia was very nice. If your every passing through. They have a Coach store, a nice Belk, William Sonoma and a huge Crocs kisok at which I dropped $10 on jibbitz while trying to get myself a Starbucks so I didn’t hurt some over the next 6 hours in the car. 

When I get back to the car, my husband asked me where the other beach chair is. Oops..remember the chair I sat on the roof at the rest stop.

New luggage rack all strapped on, another 10 minutes looking for a Walmart to get cold drinks and my husband very sternly gives everyone a last chance pee.  25 minutes later....."I go potty", yes sweet baby girl who has REFUSED to use the potty since June when I almost had her potty trained has decided that now she is ready to use the potty.  No peeing in a bottle when you have a girl. Pull over, pull out the handy Potette and off she goes. Oh and of course Heir and Spare have to pee also. 

3 hours into our trip and we are and 1 1/2 from home. 

We are now at 4 cuss words, 5 are we there yets and a constant barrage of “we go Florida from baby girl”

Time to fire up the DVD player and make tracks. 6:30 PM (when we could have already been to our destination) we decided it's time to call it quits and I find a hotel for the night in Brunswick GA. Lucky for us, there is a Denny's that also doubles as a....wait for it.......Bowling Alley. I could have just taken them home after they ate dinner in the bowling alley AND bowl at the same time. Best vacation ever was the final report. 

9:00 babies all sleeping. Tally for the day 15 are we there yets 5 cuss words and 4 stops to pee

Day 2 

Up and out the door by 8 to find a Starbucks before mommy is hauled off in a white jacket. Where is the Starbucks in Brunswick GA? Target of course. Inside said Target, we meet Lynn who sends us to eat at her cousin Melissa's restaurant in St Simon for breakfast. Off we go for a "great southern buffet"

Full bellies and semi cranky over tired children in car AGAIN and 1 1/2 hours to our final destination. 3 kids sleeping within 45 minutes and we pass this sign...

I must have a picture

and of this one also

which of course woke all 3 kids up. Remember the last road trip my husband and I went on? They never disappoint

11:00 AM finally....destination reached. 

Tally for 2 day trip that should have taken 1 day 

30 are we there yet, 7 cuss words (all mine) and 7 stops to pee. Settled in at the beach, great ocean view and rum is chilled.....see you in a week with the ride home 

Day 1 of Build a Better Blog

My Blog life has been suckin to say the least. I can't find time to write, I hate my blog design and every time I look at it I want to cry because I am so puter tarded I have no idea how to fix it. My blog is so uninspiring looking that I think I am hiding from it not to mention I feel so bummed about my lack of time to read other bolgs that I have pretty much thrown in the white blog flag and left my blog to die alongside all the other poor neglected blogs.....in a final attempt to save my blogs life, I am going to take the 31 day Build a Better Blog challenge. You can hook up over at SITS and play along. Today is day 1 and of course I am already tardy to the pardy but here is day 1 post 1....Write an elevator pitch for your blog


New Tag Line: Let's go Crazy (OK Prince said it first but it works for me) 


Short Elevator Pitch: Letters from Crazyville is a place where readers can go and have an escape from the craziness of their days. A place where they can find an imperfect mom celebrating her imperfections and the extended amounts of therapy she will be paying for (for herself and children).




So here's to day 1. In my Aunt's very wise text she sent me, today is July 19, 2010. It is the only July 19, 2010 you will ever get, do something great with it. 


Thanks to all of you who have hung in there with me. Hopefully after these 31 days, I will find renewed passion for my blog


xo

Boxtops

I love my kiddos (usually) but sometimes I have to use a great deal of self control to not look at them and yell DUH!!! This little wave of poor parenting over took me last night when we were on our way home from a birthday party. The kids had been give these erasers that until last night I had managed to keep out of my house. These  erasers look like different items and some apart like a puzzle (read a million little pieces for me to step on, keep out of baby girls mouth and have to find for a screaming crying child when he can't find one of the damm pieces).

My son picked a soccer ball

and these balls come apart.....into 4 pieces......

As we are driving home my 5 year old begins to ask me 50 questions about box tops......here is what I think he is talking about

because he is asking the following questions.....

How do they get the box tops on there

Where do they put the box tops

What happens to the stuff in the box

Why do they do that

and it goes on and on for 10 minutes, I am questioned like a damm box top thief about these friggin things. Finally he says...well how do they make em green.....hey babe their not green....yes mine is see.....(he holds up the soccer ball).....Um child, that's not a box top, it's an ERASER.....Oh.....

I managed to refrain from slamming my head into the window and thus forcing me to convalesce in a hospital with my eyes bandaged so I don't have to look at this crazy parallel universe I live in.

To make matters worse, he drops one of the 29 pieces of this stupid thing and then begins to cry about his BOX TOP! Help me Jesus....I know I'm a Jew but I need reinforcements at this point in my life.

Guess should be used to it, this is the kid who licks his shoes.......

Come see me if your in Charlotte

I will be the hostess with the mostest at Carolina Place Mall from 3-4 this afternoon. Yoplit has asked me to come and tell you all about their YUMMY Yoplit Fiber One yogurt. If you can't come when I will be there (loser) you can come and get your yogurt in July 17 from 10 am-9 pm or 18 from 12 pm- 6 pm. There will be a tasting, games and coupons

Hey this stuff is yummy and only 50 calories and 5 grames of fiber so ditch the gym and come have a snack.

See you soon!
*I have been paid by Yoplait to attend this event (ya know the FCC stuff)

I have found my domestic goddess

A fancy publisher in fancy San Francisco asked me to read a review a book~the anti-Martha book. Now I love Martha as much as the next woman but she makes me feel, well, like a domestic loser. No matter how hard I try I cannot make a perfect pie crust (mainly because I'm to friggin lazy), I can't make jam, jelly, grow herbs, make a perfect sour dough bread or fold a fitted sheet. When I was asked to read "Life's Too Short To Fold Fitted Sheets", I almost flew to San Fran myself to hug, kiss and serve a store bought cake (that I put on my own cake stand and took credit for making) to the author, Lisa Quinn. The book came this week, I tore into the package (and threw the paper in the trash because I forgot to recycle it) and opened it up, found these words of wisdom " Change what you can/accept what you can't (or decorate around the ugly stuff)". Not even the Dali Lama himself has uttered words so wise. I invite you to read along with me. When you run out tonight to get a package of something to open for dinner (besides your wine), stop by the bookstore and get a copy of "Life's Too Short To Fold Fitted Sheets" and learn to embrace your half-assedness like me! I will be posting after each chapter so read along, I don't want to be a slack-ass mom by myself! Up first The Lackadaiscial Lifestyle (as if there is any other lifestyle) 

 

If you are a real Martha and can actually make a pie crust and the pie pan to serve it in, you can read "Women, Food and G-d" which I am reading and posting about on the amazing Mom Renewal Project.

Leave me a comment over there and let me know if you are going to read along so I can watch for you over at Mom Renewal Project.  My first post is up over there so check it out and let me know what you think! 

My Boy's and Neanderthals a case study

As I watched my boys play in our yard tonight, it suddenly dawned on me that evolution was alive and well and not so evolved in my own little corner of the world. My boys are just North of our ancient ancestors.

Exhibit A:  They are physically unable to refrain touching, poking or smelling any bug they come across. It does not matter how big, small, dead or alive it is. They must investigate it.. 

Exhibit B: They collect every piece of shit they come across. Like they are preparing for an impending raid from the neighboring cavemen, they have horded enough shit off the ground to build a ball of rubber bands the size of a soccer ball, enough rocks to stone any dinosaur to death and countless other random items that they could use to barter their way out a cave jail

Exhibit C: They are totally unable to not fall on the floor at any given minute into a full fledged wrestling match that always ends up with some one getting their head slammed into the floor.

Science says we have evolved, one hour in my backyard will prove them wrong

An affair to remember (how to do the dishes)

Dear Boys (yes even the big boy)

Here is today's instruction manual. Dishes and the dish washer.

Like the laundry room, the dish washer is not locked. The only time you cannot open it is when it is running (more on that later) you can feel free to put your dirty dishes inside. Glasses go on top, plates bowls etc on the bottom. There is a little basket for the silver ware, you can put your forks, knives and spoons in there.

When you go to dump out the glass of milk that you didn't drink and whined asked for, please pour it into the sink, not on the pans that are in the sink or into another cup in the sink.

You can place your spoon and bowl into the sink, you do not need to throw them in order to spray dirty water and old milk across the kitchen.

Please feel free to clear your plates when you are done eating Unless you are going to start leaving a tip on the table do it yourself. My names not Flo.

Now a few special instructions for the big boy.

Please note when you say "I am going to clean the kitchen" I expect to see a clean kitchen. You equate clean kitchen with loading the dishes in the dishwasher. That would be "I am going to load the dishwasher"

Here is your checklist for "I am going to clean the kitchen"

Load the dishwasher
Clean the pots and pans, magic happens when that sponge touches the pans, trust me, it is not to be missed
Wash out the sink
Sweep and use a wet Swiffer when the spots are big enough to notice
Clean the counters, table, stove top and any other place you see sticky hand prints

" I am going to load the dishwasher" would be just that dishes into the dishwasher

Tomorrow boys we tackle potties, the good, the bad and the fact that there are 2 seats!

Directions

Dear Boys (including the big boy)

I am sorry I did not provide you with an instruction manual for operating the following 

Laundry

Dish Washers

Potties

Doors

I feel like I have had given you instructions several times for these but I understand that boys develop slower then girls so in the interest of science, I repeat myself (again). Over the next few days I will provide you with operating directions to the items in our home that seem to puzzle you the most. 

Laundry

The clothes that lay on bathroom and bedroom floors do not get washed. Unless you are planning on hand washing them in the bath tub that you throw them by. 

The door is not locked. You can open the laundry room door to put your clothes inside. The door operates just like the door to your bedroom. 

The laundry basket is divided into 2 sides. Lights and darks. Please place light items in the LIGHT side and colored into the DARK side. 

If you project some type of bodily fluid onto your laundry, please inform me so I can treat it accordingly.  I do not appreciate mystery smells while washing your clothes. 

If you run out of underwear please check the stack of laundry that has been sitting on your dresser for 2 weeks. 

Please remove all items from your clothes, gum, pens, rocks, stickers and notes home from school do not fair so well in the washer and dryer. 

Your clothes will be returned to you in place them in the laundry. If pants are inside out with underwear still attached, this is how they will be washed and returned. 

I hope that this clears up any confusion about laundry practices in our house. 

Tomorrow we will learn how to operate the dish washer and the magic things that can happen when a sponge hits a pan! 

An open letter to Starbucks

Dear Starbucks,

I know there is a lot of buzz about your perceived world domination to fulfill the caffeine needs of bleary eyed caffeine addicts around the world. You are accused of being to commercial and financial experts have based our $20 a week Starbucks habits as the root of our financial downfall.

I feel very differently. I have a deep affection for you. You are an intricate part of my children's lives. It is because of you that I am able to function as the mom I am. Your support has been invaluable. Who else is open at 6 am to greet me for the 10 minutes I have away from children today? You are the ones who sensing my son's need to nap in the car delivered a drive thru to my neighborhood like manna from heaven. I have made countless trips through that drive thru with my children sleeping through the years.

 You never judged me when I still ordered a Venti latte 9 months pregnant.

You deliver my children cookies and chocolate milk which allow me to get my grocery shopping done.

If all of this was not enough, you sensing something was missing in my Starbucks circle of life, you opened in Target. It was the perfect marriage. Strolling the aisle looking at row after row of stuff I don't need but have to have while sipping a latte is mommy Nirvana. You are the best $4 I spend on any given day.

You and you alone are keeping me off of Xanax.

With much love,

Your every loyal Venti 2 Splenda skinny vanilla latte mom with 3 screaming (or sleeping) kids in the car in their pajamas, swim suits or underware

Crazed Mama

True Colors

I have been in a state of transition. My life and work focus have totally shifted. I have been spending many many hours a week getting my Macaroni Kid site set up, lining up ads and networking to get the best product I can out there. I have also been asked to write for Deep South Moms which I feel very privileged to do. I have not been able to pay as much attention to my blog and I thank those of you who have not only hung in there with me but those of you who have followed with my shitty post track record over the last few months.

As I have made this major shift in my life, I have also gained some much needed clarity. Let me rewind.....

I am a pleaser, to the point that I think for many years I have sacrificed my own beliefs, needs and desires to make and hold onto friendships that I felt I really needed. Really, it is just my need to belong. I have not been able to be that person lately because I am so busy writing, I really have no time for much once I attend to the royal family and all their demands.

I have always tried to be a cheerleader for my friends. I really feel like that is our job, to cheer each other on and to find a way to support and celebrate. Sometimes it's not easy, we are all busy with children, families and the demands of daily life. This is where I have found that the true nature of a friend shows it's self. How you handle your friends success and failures despite how busy your life gets. It's the little things that really let a friend know that you care. When you call to follow up on something important you know they have going on, an event, a doctor's appt, something going on with their family or something with work.

I have suffered some disappointments over the past few months. Places that I expected to find this support and celebration were not there. I have been surprised, places I did not expect to find the support and celebration have been a overwhelming.  I have struggled with not being hurt by the disappointment and trying to focus on the positive. Over the past couple of days I am finally feeling like I have gotten to this place.

I have had a very trying few months and an unbearable amount of personal stress that has left me in tears many days. Some of the people I expected to be there for me were not. I was hurt, now I just feel relieved. For me, it is a better place to be when I know where I stand with people. I truly would rather someone tell me that they just don't like me then to pretend to like me or ignore my phone calls or emails and have some lame ass excuse as to why they don't respond. Friendship is work, it requires you to look outside of your own needs and meet the needs of another. It's like a marriage in a lot of ways. It's the small things you do that show your true colors.

Now that I have reached the end of the drama that has unfolded in my personal life these last few months, I am pleased to know where I stand with people, even if they didn't have the courage to let me know themselves. It feels great to release and be able to move on.


I will now return to my regularly scheduled bitchfest blogging that you expect from me and leave this soft hearted posting behind me.

Back on the horse and some tips for a great Summer

Today was the last day of school and I am hoping to get my groove back. Now that I can park my kids in front of the TV and the Wii for hours on end spend my days creating lasting memories while baking and making endless crafts with my children I want to share my tips for Summer fashion with you.

1. If you have to pull it down when you walk, it's too short
2. If it wiggles or has dimples cover it
3. White shoes never look good no matter who made them (I'm talking to you Jimmy Choo)
4. Wax. I know it hurts but the shaving does not do the trick. Do us all a favor and wax
5. Just because the swim suit is black that doesn't mean it makes YOU look skinny


I hope these will get you off to a smooth start. As always, if in doubt, throw it out.

xo

If you live in Charlotte come to my PARTY~

Don't worry, I have a post coming about the crazy thing my mom did to me today but first! 


The Motherhood and Hebrew National contacted yours truly and asked if I wanted to host a party with 3 other cool mommy bloggers and support an amazing charity. No brainer! So I am please to announce this amazing event in Charlotte! If you are in Charlotte come see me! I The following information was taken from The Motherhood's website to detail the events for you! Check out Birthday Blessings! You are going to love what they do and want to support them! 






Join us in Charlotte!!!!! The Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic in Charlotte, NC is June 13th!

Please join our rocking, fabulous blogger hosts:


Brittany, Mommy Words http://www.mommywords.com

Maricris Zen Mama Ventures http://zenforyou.dalefg.net

Julie  Mommie Cooks http://www.mommiecooks.com

Rebecca  Letters from Crazyville http://www.lettersfromcrazyville.blogspot.com


Date: June 13th, 11:30 am - 3:30 pm

Location: Freedom Park

Who: You can bring kids, family, friends -- many other local bloggers and their kids will be there too!

What: Fun, Hebrew National hotdogs, friends, a service project (details below)

There will be LOTS to do and enjoy -- music, giant puzzles, a mechanical bull and other activities for kids and families, too!

Service project:

Our Charlotte project will focus on an amazing organization, Birthday Blessingshttp://www.birthdayblessings.org which provides birthday presents and birthday parties for homeless children.

We ask that guests bring donations of new unwrapped gifts and party supplies. The greatest need is for teens and tweens.

We will assemble birthday kits and make birthday cards for children to go along with the gifts.


ABOUT (from http://www.birthdayblessings.org): Birthday Blessings was founded in 2005 by Amy and John Cervantes of Charlotte, North Carolina. Their family service project was born from a desire to raise their children with a love and commitment for giving to others in need. What began as a monthly birthday party at one homeless shelter in 2005, has now grown into a thriving non-profit that operates three programs serving homeless children and families across multiple counties in the greater Charlotte region.

The goal of Birthday Blessings is to bring joy, recognition, and support to needy children and families during difficult and sad times in their lives. Our three core programs raise spirits and boost confidence for homeless children ages tots to teens, and offer help and hope to homeless parents and their babies.

Every year, Birthday Blessings makes a positive impact in the lives of thousands of needy youth and families across our greater Charlotte community. As an all-volunteer organization, our dedicated "staff" of volunteers are truly the heart of all that we do.

We hope to see you there!






**I am being compensated for attending and promoting this event

I'm so bitchin'

I was asked to write a post for www.newparent.com

Carzy people wanted to hear what I have to say about raising kids, which is funny as crap if you have been reading my blog. I have no control here. But what the hell! I did it any way so go check it out.
xoxo

http://www.newparent.com/baby/parenting-101-featured/the-terrible-threes/

Where do I belong?

I had a really interesting interaction yesterday that left me a little baffled. I am still not sure if I should be offend or not.

As I am dragging my boys into the bookstore looking like the are fresh from dirty clothes pile after school, I run into a mom I know and like, she is really lovely. She asked me what we were doing, I explained we were just grabbing some books, the boys were off to camp this weekend. The conservation goes on as follows (my responses are in red)

" Where are they going camping"

"Blank Camp up near Blankville NC" 

"Are you going?"

"No, I'm not much of a camper" 

(Shocked) "Really? You look like a camper to me"

Really, I look like a camper?? WTF does that mean?

Now I was not looking my finest yesterday when I ran into her with her cutie little figure and big LV bag. I was really unsure how to take that comment. I was confused because I am sure she did not mean it in a rude way (I think) but I was offended. As hard as I tried to not be offended I was.

Maybe she mean I look like a camper in a Daisy Duke sorta way?

A tree hugger way 

or in a " I am woman hear me roar" kinda way 

googleimages

Perception is really interesting. It really got me thinking about how we view ourselves vs how others view us. I would never have thought I give off a camping vibe, but I guess to some I do. I called a girlfriend about it because I was still trying to process if I was offended. As any good friend would do, she assured me it is because I look so fit and healthy (which is total crap but that is why she's my friend)

As we talked more she shared with me her perception of me before she knew me. She said she thought I was well put together, well to do and a little intimidating.

How crazy is that! Also a vibe I would never have thought I put out and completely opposite of my camping vibe.

How do I see myself? What vibe do I think I put out? Not either of those.  It's like when you think you look one way and you see a picture of yourself and you think..really I look like that? That's not how I think I look.

I wonder how many of my perceptions about other people that I know are incorrect? Maybe some are right. Maybe I lay really do lie some place in between camping chick and Bloomies girl

maybe I am

Zsa Zsa Gabor, a city girl trapped in the country.