Whew!

Made it through another week. (Guess it's been more than one since I blogged last.)

There were no knock-down drag-out fights between my children while I was gone to work. (thankfully).

I don't want to quit my job - I enjoy the extra income, and the interaction with adults. But.. if the kids can't get it together... I think they did fairly well, but it's not good when a child hangs up the phone on her parent... sheesh. We'll get there.

On a brighter note, I want to challenge you to do something, my loyal readers (hee, hee).

This last week we went to my nephew's first birthday party. It's a family tradition of ours to let the 1 year old have his own piece of cake and let him dig into it! Jessica also had her hair cut to donate to locks of love - it looks really cute!!

Anyway, I pulled her close to me while we were at the party, and had my hubby take a picture of us! She tried to squirm away.. silly girl! Some of you may know how temperamental 11 year olds are. Anyway, I told her that I would give anything to have a more recent picture with my mom! Or even more when I was younger - there aren't many.

So, my challenge to you is to get a picture of you and your mom! You don't have to post it to your blog - but if you live in the same vicinity as your mom, get a picture taken of the two of you!

I used to think that I didn't look much like my mom, but I guess more and more I do..

The Beginning, and The End

Alternative post title... SCHOOL'S OUT!

They started on August 13th - more than ready to get back into the swing of things...

And May 22nd, they are done!! I think Brennan has grown a few inches since then..

And now they are going to have to figure out what to do with themselves two and a half months before school starts August 11th!

Brennan was accepted into National Jr Honor Society - He's had mostly A's this year... now he tells me he got a B.. in English. He went to California with the Symphonic Band to play at Disneyland. He also tried out for the District Honor Band, but didn't make it.

Jessica was her class finalist in the Spelling Bee - did a great job! She also performed in two acts in the School Variety show this last month. She plays the flute in the 5th grade band, and will be attending the Taylor Jr High Band camp in July!

Mallory.. has had a great year in 1st Grade! She's had different "friends that are boys" during the year, but I won't name names! I've enjoyed sharing the Art Masterpiece program in her class this years! It's been fun to hear "Hi, Mallory's Mom" from the kids in her class. I also did AM in her class year - so there are plenty of kids who know me!

I don't have the same flexibility at work as I did last year, so the kids will need to figure out how to get along better than they have.. I think there will be some financial incentive to not call Mom every 15 minutes while she is gone!

Happy Summer Everyone!

Happy Mother's Day!!

I think my favorite quote lately is..

There is not one way to be a perfect mother,

but there are a million ways to be a good mother.

I have given up trying to be perfect, but I will keep struggling to be

a good one.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a Mother, I know it is an important job, and I am thankful for the help I receive in doing it.

I am grateful for the example that my own mother set for me. I miss her dearly. Whenever I am going thru a rough spell, either with parenting or something else, I know that she would have done whatever she could, and wished she could take away my pain.

(Dec 1994, right after I became a mom, with my mom, and her mom.)

I am also thankful for the opportunity that I had to look after both my mother and my grandmother when they each became ill. It was the least that I could have done for them, after all that they had done for me.

(Yeah, and I'll try not to cry too much today. Stop it already!!)

Tagged by Lisa

Hmm.. 6 Random things about me! I've been thinking about it for a few days, and I think I might have it.. (those who have done 100 random things.. more power to you, I don't think I could do it!!)

1. I have never had a manicure or a pedicure. I think I am way to thrifty, and don't like my toes anyway. My fingernails grow well, so I don't feel the need. Also, I waitressed for a long time, and we couldn't wear polish much, so I didn't get used to it.

2. I have a Hippo birdfeeder. Amazingly, birds have gorged themselves from it lately (I think its the pigeons.) I have alot of hippos, mostly stuffed, so this is my most unique hippos. (If it weren't dark outside, I'd take a photo..

3. I have never tasted alcohol. Just never felt the need, especially as I was taught growing up that it was not good. I was floored when I found out my younger brother drank himself sick one night with the swim team. He never did it again, however.

4. I have sat on what is purported to be St Patrick's grave. I went to Northern Ireland when I was 17, and we visited the site - a large stone, and I mean large, covers the grave. We joked that when Christ comes again, St Patrick will have a difficult time getting out!

5. I have a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia. It is something more common in OLDER people, not young like me. I've had it for 14 or so years, and it has become increasingly worse over the past 4-5 years. I am considering a Gamma Knife procedure very soon to take away the pain that recurs.

6. I kissed a boy on top of the World Trade Center. We were on a choir trip to NYC in college, I liked him, we had sort of dated previously, but somehow I managed to get him to kiss me while we were there! Ahhh, blond haired, blue-eyed, cute boy. We couldn't have married, though, and I'm okay with that.

The rules:
a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
e. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

I tag..
http://www.fatsassyandmrwonderful.blogspot.com/ Kayola
http://lynnewsnyder.blogspot.com/ Lynne
http://puffyspatter.blogspot.com/ Puffy
http://www.kristyskritters.blogspot.com/ Kristy
http://blueberrybuckets.blogspot.com/ Kerrie
http://dfliesblog.blogspot.com/ Dragonflies

(and then would someone please tell me how to get this linky thing to work!! It is driving me nuts!!)

Whew.. that was tough! Good luck ladies!