I am a natural blonde. Well, not quite natural anymore, but thanks to my AWESOME stylist, I have beautifully colored golden locks. Even without the help of chemicals, I am still a blonde.
I admit it.
Am I a poster child for the "Oh my goodness!" bobble-head speaking, dizzy blondes? No.
I usually have a pretty good head on my shoulders. Or at least I hope I APPEAR to have a good head on my shoulders! :) However, in some moments, my logical brain fails me and I make a silly decision.
Today was one of those days.
While waiting for the hubby to arrive home with dinner, I decided to start working on the growing pile of dishes in the sink. Between meetings and migraines, the dishes were not a priority for me this week. But as I unloaded the dishwasher I noticed a bit of a build up in the bottom of the appliance. Knowing dinner would be arriving soon, I tried to figure out the quickest way to clean the film out of the bottom of the dishwasher with the least amount of work. I started looking under the sink and found a package of garbage disposal cleaners. And the light bulb glowed bright.
The garbage disposal and the dishwasher flush into the same pipe. They are connected. So, "Why not?!?" I thought!
Instead of throwing the cleaner into the bottom of the dishwasher ... package and all ... as the instructions stated, I simply opened the cleaner and dumped it in. I started the dishwasher and went about my business.
Pretty soon I hear an "Uh oh momma!" from little man. Then I hear a little more urgent "Uh oh momma, uh oh!!!" I run to the kitchen to find suds flowing out of the dishwasher. Lots and lots of blue bubbles rolling all over the floor. I run to the bathroom grab a handful of towels and try to clean up my mess. As I am frantically trying to hide my lack of better judgment, in walks Shane and Madie. Of course, there is no hiding anything with little man right now. So as soon as they walk in, he looks up at Shane and says, "Uh oh daddy!"
Yeah, thanks buddy!
Now, Madie is asking me repeatedly "What is that smell, mom?" I guess the mixture of the cleaner, the film in the bottom of my dishwasher and the water gave way my mistake even more than my darling son.
Yeah, I had a big old blonde moment. Why in the world I thought it was a wise idea to use that cleaner for a purpose other than what its intended use, I don't know. (Kind of like that time I thought it was smart to try and kill the maggot that fell off of the deer antlers onto the floor with the lighter that was in my hand. Yeah, not so smart. Shane still makes fun of me for that.)
But now, I know better ... if it is made for garbage disposals it probably is NOT meant to be used in the dishwasher.
So, who wants to come over and help me get all the suds out of the bottom of the dishwasher?
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Randomness
Just a quick warning. I have no profound thoughts or specific topic today. (But I am trying really hard to publish every Thursday!) So today, I will bless you with a bit of my randomness! :)
1. I am a bit too opinionated at times. (My hubby and mom will probably say "a bit" is the understatement of the year.) While I am learning to keep my mouth shut as I age, I do tend to spout off from time to time. Thankfully, I have learned to spout off to only a chosen few.
2. There are a lot of Volkswagen Beetles around town. We play "Slug Bug" in the car quite a bit and it seems like there is one on every corner.
3. Speaking of slug bug, isn't funny how when you are playing games with kids they tend to make up new rules in order to win? My daughter has a new rule every time we play. And Ike, well, he always has "10 sug bugs."
4. It is really hard to type with a 2 year old using your body as a jungle gym!
5. I have a problem ... with smiley faces. I use them way too much in emails, texts, Facebook posts, etc. Admitting that I have a problem is the first step. However, I am not sure I will ever be cured. :)
6. Thunder snow and sleet is just weird!
Ok, I have wasted enough of your time today! Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day. :)
1. I am a bit too opinionated at times. (My hubby and mom will probably say "a bit" is the understatement of the year.) While I am learning to keep my mouth shut as I age, I do tend to spout off from time to time. Thankfully, I have learned to spout off to only a chosen few.
2. There are a lot of Volkswagen Beetles around town. We play "Slug Bug" in the car quite a bit and it seems like there is one on every corner.
3. Speaking of slug bug, isn't funny how when you are playing games with kids they tend to make up new rules in order to win? My daughter has a new rule every time we play. And Ike, well, he always has "10 sug bugs."
4. It is really hard to type with a 2 year old using your body as a jungle gym!
5. I have a problem ... with smiley faces. I use them way too much in emails, texts, Facebook posts, etc. Admitting that I have a problem is the first step. However, I am not sure I will ever be cured. :)
6. Thunder snow and sleet is just weird!
Ok, I have wasted enough of your time today! Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day. :)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Struggling with the juggling
I am a perfectionist. I am proud. At times these two traits get the best of me. This week has been one of those times.
As I sit here at 2 a.m. typing I can think of at least four other things I need to be doing. There is a Valentine's box that needs to be made for a party that is less than 12 hours away. There are volunteers to be found for this weekend. There are floors that need to be swept and laundry that needs to be put away. Oh, and papers to be located and organized for a meeting. Not to mention, it is 2 a.m. and I should be sleeping. But how can I sleep with my mind tossing around my to do list?
Between all the hats I wear during the day, I juggle so many different things. Multi-tasking is the word most commonly used. The last few weeks it seems like my life has been in overdrive and I have been pulled in so many different directions that I have dropped the ball ... too many times to count. The proud perfectionist in me hates to admit that I have messed up. But I have...and in some cases I have messed up big time. I have let many people down. And it seems like the faster I go the more I let down.
I want to just scream "STOP!!" and run away. But I can't. This is my life right now. This is the reality I have to face.
Thankfully, I don't have to face it alone. I have been surrounded by family, friends and, most importantly, my God who are all there to help me stay a float when I feel like I am drowning.
During these past few weeks as I have struggled with juggling everything, God has reminded me of His presence through a variety of ways. Some days it has been through an encouraging word or an unexpected surprise (a good surprise!).
But most days, He has used a song.
When the dust settles and there is a quiet moment, this is what I hear:
"After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me"
It is the chorus from Meredith Andrews' "Not for Moment (After All)."
Those few words have kept me sane. They have kept me grounded as my life seems to be spinning out of control. Normally, a song that is stuck in my head would drive me crazy. But not this one. It is a comfort for me. A comfort to know the Creator of the universe is right there with me. He is constant. He is only good. He will never forsake me.
Wow. What a peace I feel just typing those words. Because, as much as I hate to admit it, I am not perfect. I am not always good.
But He is.
And if I would take two seconds, drop my pride and turn to Him for help as I struggle to juggle my daily life, He will be there.
For after all, He is constant and not for a moment will He forsake me.
Not for one moment.
As I sit here at 2 a.m. typing I can think of at least four other things I need to be doing. There is a Valentine's box that needs to be made for a party that is less than 12 hours away. There are volunteers to be found for this weekend. There are floors that need to be swept and laundry that needs to be put away. Oh, and papers to be located and organized for a meeting. Not to mention, it is 2 a.m. and I should be sleeping. But how can I sleep with my mind tossing around my to do list?
Between all the hats I wear during the day, I juggle so many different things. Multi-tasking is the word most commonly used. The last few weeks it seems like my life has been in overdrive and I have been pulled in so many different directions that I have dropped the ball ... too many times to count. The proud perfectionist in me hates to admit that I have messed up. But I have...and in some cases I have messed up big time. I have let many people down. And it seems like the faster I go the more I let down.
I want to just scream "STOP!!" and run away. But I can't. This is my life right now. This is the reality I have to face.
Thankfully, I don't have to face it alone. I have been surrounded by family, friends and, most importantly, my God who are all there to help me stay a float when I feel like I am drowning.
During these past few weeks as I have struggled with juggling everything, God has reminded me of His presence through a variety of ways. Some days it has been through an encouraging word or an unexpected surprise (a good surprise!).
But most days, He has used a song.
When the dust settles and there is a quiet moment, this is what I hear:
"After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me"
It is the chorus from Meredith Andrews' "Not for Moment (After All)."
Those few words have kept me sane. They have kept me grounded as my life seems to be spinning out of control. Normally, a song that is stuck in my head would drive me crazy. But not this one. It is a comfort for me. A comfort to know the Creator of the universe is right there with me. He is constant. He is only good. He will never forsake me.
Wow. What a peace I feel just typing those words. Because, as much as I hate to admit it, I am not perfect. I am not always good.
But He is.
And if I would take two seconds, drop my pride and turn to Him for help as I struggle to juggle my daily life, He will be there.
For after all, He is constant and not for a moment will He forsake me.
Not for one moment.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
My ray of sunshine
When my daughter walks into a room, you know it. She is no wallflower. She has spunk. She has "personality" as some like to put it. For me, she is a bright ray of sunshine. She is someone special.
I can still remember the night we picked out her name like it was yesterday. Shane and I were waiting for the fireworks to begin at Pomme de Terre and we began naming our future child. We had just lost our precious Riley and we were desperate to fill the void left in our hearts. As the sun set that summer weekend, we decided our daughter would be Madelynn Grace.
Later that fall when we found out we were expecting, we were overjoyed but scared at the same time. We wondered if something else would go wrong as it did with Riley. We were always waiting for the bottom to drop out. Even with all the uncertainty and doubt, we knew this little girl growing inside of me was special. Little did I know just how special.
Madelynn was born on the one year anniversary of Riley's death. Twenty-five minutes apart. She was born at 9:20, he died at 9:45. She was a planned C-section for early June but, for those of you who know Madie, she does things her own way and in her own time. It was a Friday afternoon when my contractions started. I drove myself to the hospital fully anticipating to be monitored for a bit then sent home once they stopped. We were not truly prepared when the doctor came in to say that we were going to have a baby ... and soon. As we talked with my doctor about our options, we debated about waiting until after midnight to deliver her so that her birthday would not fall of the date of Riley's death. I will never forget what Shane said once we decided to deliver her that night. He said: "She will be like a ray of sunshine on a dark day."
She is a ray of sunshine. She is someone special. We joked when she was a baby that she was going to be the doctor who would develop the dialysis catheter small enough to save preemies with kidney issues like her big brother. Maybe she will become a doctor or an actress. Maybe she will follow in my footsteps and become a reporter. She might even become a train engineer. Whatever she decides it will be what SHE wants to be, not what anyone forces her to be.
At the end of the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, there is a scene with Sidda, Sandra Bullock's character the daughter, and her mother Viviane. They are making up after an entire movie of bickering with one another. On the night of Vivi's surprise birthday party, Vivi looks to her daughter and says:
I know she will be someone special.
And she will always be our sunshine.
I can still remember the night we picked out her name like it was yesterday. Shane and I were waiting for the fireworks to begin at Pomme de Terre and we began naming our future child. We had just lost our precious Riley and we were desperate to fill the void left in our hearts. As the sun set that summer weekend, we decided our daughter would be Madelynn Grace.
Later that fall when we found out we were expecting, we were overjoyed but scared at the same time. We wondered if something else would go wrong as it did with Riley. We were always waiting for the bottom to drop out. Even with all the uncertainty and doubt, we knew this little girl growing inside of me was special. Little did I know just how special.
Madelynn was born on the one year anniversary of Riley's death. Twenty-five minutes apart. She was born at 9:20, he died at 9:45. She was a planned C-section for early June but, for those of you who know Madie, she does things her own way and in her own time. It was a Friday afternoon when my contractions started. I drove myself to the hospital fully anticipating to be monitored for a bit then sent home once they stopped. We were not truly prepared when the doctor came in to say that we were going to have a baby ... and soon. As we talked with my doctor about our options, we debated about waiting until after midnight to deliver her so that her birthday would not fall of the date of Riley's death. I will never forget what Shane said once we decided to deliver her that night. He said: "She will be like a ray of sunshine on a dark day."
She is a ray of sunshine. She is someone special. We joked when she was a baby that she was going to be the doctor who would develop the dialysis catheter small enough to save preemies with kidney issues like her big brother. Maybe she will become a doctor or an actress. Maybe she will follow in my footsteps and become a reporter. She might even become a train engineer. Whatever she decides it will be what SHE wants to be, not what anyone forces her to be.
At the end of the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, there is a scene with Sidda, Sandra Bullock's character the daughter, and her mother Viviane. They are making up after an entire movie of bickering with one another. On the night of Vivi's surprise birthday party, Vivi looks to her daughter and says:
"All those years that I prayed that I begged on my hands and knees for God to make me more, give me more,
make me better...
make me stronger...
make me saner...
make all my dreams come true...
I finally got an answer."
"What?" Sidda asks.
"You," replies Vivi. "Right there in one person, all I'd ever wanted to be or do. And there you are."
Each time I watch that scene, I find myself thinking the same thing about Madelynn. I know she will be someone special.
And she will always be our sunshine.
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