Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes . . .

Wow, has it really been since JANUARY since I blogged last? Wow! Of course, it's really no surprise, what with everything that's been going on the last few months!

There have been a lot of changes going on in our lives. A. Lot.

First off, we have started some changes with my daughter. Little Miss has been diagnosed with ADHD/ODD and dysgraphia. In a nutshell, she's hyper, has a hard time focusing, doesn't do well with authority, and has REALLY bad handwriting. In the complex, her mind doesn't work the way it should, and she knows it, so she gets frustrated and angry with the world. Her hyperactivity affects her handwriting, and her frustration with that causes her to lash out at those she's closest too - namely me and her teachers.

After much prayer and discussion, we decided (my husband, Little Miss, and I together) to try medication. Since spring break, Little Miss has been on Vyvanse. This was not a choice that we took lightly. It involved MONTHS of research and other interventions to come to that choice. And I am so glad we did. Little Miss has improved by leaps and bounds on this medication. In her words: "I don't feel like I have to jump up and down all the time". As a result, her frustration level has diminished, and as a result of THAT, her behavior has improved. My daughter went from a straight c report card (with one failing grade) to A's, B's and C's. Needless to say, I am now a complete advocate on medication when it's warranted (**NOTE: Medication is NOT right for EVERY child/family. PLEASE do extensive research on your available options and work directly with your pediatrician before making decisions on something like that**).

The next big change we made also involved Little Miss. Because of her problems with encopresis and constipation (even on an adult dose of Miralax a day) we decided to try some dietary changes. Specifically, we have gone low-gluten. While we did have tests run and Little Miss does NOT have Celiac Disease, it's possible that a gluten sensitivity could be causing her issues.

The final, and biggest change (for me, anyway) is that I started my own business. I am now a full-on Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant! It's an exciting change for me for many reasons, but the main reason for me is that I now am able to supplement my family's income while still being able to be at home with Little Man and being able to be available in case Little Miss and Big Guy need me. There's also the fact that I'm having a blast. I love skin care and makeup, so this is right up my ally!

With all the changes taking place, it's a wonder my head is on straight! But despite all the craziness, this is my life, and I wouldn't change it for the world!

PMM - Proud Mommy Moments

Today I am linking up with my friend KMama over at The Daily Dribbles for Proud Mommy Moments!
For more info on what PMM is all about, see this post.


Throughout my children's lives, there have been a myriad of moments that made me grin, even more that have made me cringe, and a few that just left me speechless.


This moment is one of those speechless moments.


My best friend, Laura, and I spend a lot of time at each other's houses. And by a lot, I mean that we are blessed to be able to see each other almost every day. Thus our children also spend a lot of time together. Laura's daughter and my son are both four. Same age, same temperment, almost the same personality.


They're both quite funny, in fact, and even when they do something outrageous, it is usually hilarious enough to keep them from getting into a lot of trouble. 


The particular day in question, the kids were playing nicely in the back bedroom with the baby. Usually we have sounds of screams and laughter - all loud, happy sounds. This was no different. Until we noticed that it had been unusually quiet in there for a whole five minutes - an hour in four-year-old time.


Concerned, we both made our way to the room to see what was going on.
We found our four year old children jumping on the bed together.
Naked.
Completely, utterly, stark, buck naked.
Not a lick of clothes on except their socks.
My jaw dropped, then I had to stifle the biggest laugh, as did my friend.
Of course, we spoke to them about the importance of not being naked in front of each other at this tender stage of their development. When we asked who's idea it was, we found that it was my son who said to his "girlfriend" "let's get naked!"
Great. My boy's gonna be a mac-daddy.
But when I told my husband about it, his response was:
"That's my boy!" 
I'm so proud!


Okay! Now it’s your turn. Type out your Proud, or maybe not-so-Proud Mommy Moment and link it up! Don’t forget to check out Emmy’s Proud Mommy Moment as well! One last thing, PMM isn’t just for mom’s…anyone can link up!

Wordless Wednesday - Santa Claus is Coming To Town!

Merry Christmas From

The SuperMom Blues!

For more Wordless Wednesday, 

visit 5 Minutes For Mom!

This Messy House . . .

It's been a while since I've sat here at the keyboard pouring my heart out for the world to see. For a while there, blogging just got to where it wasn't fun anymore. It became tedious. I became more concerned about followers and readers than about the real reason I started this journey to begin with: ME. So this and my other blog, Supermom: Losing It will both change slightly over the course of the next few months. Thank you for reading, and enjoy.


My house is driving me crazy.
Let me rephrase that . . .
The fact that my house cannot stay clean for any longer than thirty minutes at a time is driving me crazy.

It has become that even the most mundane tasks, like throwing something away or putting a dish up is not getting done. By anyone, not even myself. I guess maybe the thought in my head is something along the lines of: "if no one else cares, why should I?"

The irony of this is that I have my own self-creted house keeping system. It has worked tremendously well in the past, but I just don't stick with it. I clean for a while, then things get overwhelming again or I realize that I'm the only one doing anything and the frustration sets in. 

But it gets very frustrating when you spend time to clean a room, come back five minutes later and it's completely trashed again.

Thanks for listening,

Wordless Wednesday - If Only

If only it snowed in August.

But, alas, it cannot be so.

For if it snowed in August,

By November, we'd be sick of snow!

Marriage Minded Monday - Controlling the Money

This week I am, once again, linking up with Nan over at Mom's The Word for her weekly Making Your Home Sing post! Go visit her right now and see what you can do to help make your home sing!


Statistics show, according to this article, that the number one cause of divorce is finances.
This is not surprising, as financial problems are linked to a number of issues including depression and health problems.
What is surprising is that more couples don't try to take the necessary steps in order to prevent this kind of calamity from harming their marriage.

Sometimes problems arise and there's nothing you can do about them - an injury, a lay-off, car problems, natural disasters - all of these things can happen. But more often then not, overspending, under budgeting, and lack of communication are what lead to financial disaster.

If you find yourself in this situation, the one thing to remember is that ignorance, in this case, is not bliss. It is necessary to communicate the problem with your spouse in a non-accusatory manner: "There is more money going out than what is coming in." Work together to come up with some solutions to save money: "I can give up this monthly payment" "I can give up this weekly treat." And decide together which debts should be taken care of first: "The hospital payment is more, but the credit card is more urgent".

Once the initial debt is taken care of, it's important to look at your budget again, together, to figure out where the mishap took place to begin with and what you, as a family, can do to prevent it from happening again, or to prepare for it in case it does. It may mean the whole family makes a sacrifice such as cable or satellite service, monthly gaming fees, or even giving up certain grocery items, but in the long run it will put you in a better financial place.

After you're head-above-water again, it will be important to continue to go over finances together often. Work together to see when things look like they might falter and to come up with solutions to prevent disaster. Start planning together for those unplanned but unpreventable times that could occur. And remember, above all, communication is key!

TMI Friday - Tata Talk

*WARNING - THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN ADULT-RELATED SUBJECTS NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 16*

Happy Friday Kiddies! It's time for another edition of TMI Friday! The post that will leave you cringing in your seat.

This week we're going to talk about a subject very close to me.
Boobs. Breasts. Chi-chi's. Tatas. Melons. Gazangas.
You get the point.
What prompted this subject?
Having electrodes stuck all around one of mine.
I realized that the gown they had given me to wear would not go around my . . . girls.
It was a bit humiliating, to tell you the truth.
I can't help that they're big - that's how God made me after all.
And I don't hear any complaints from The Hubbs.
But as the EKG specialist was placing said electrodes all around my ginormous mounds, a random thought popped into my head.
"I haven't done a breast exam lately"
Yes, that's a WEIRD thing to go through one's head, I know. But it did.
You see, cancer - specifically breast and ovarian cancer - run in my family.
My paternal grandmother died from it, and I'm fairly certain there have been others down the genetic line that have as well.
So I am generally pretty obsessive about my breast exams.
Like every-night-obsessive.
So for me to realize I hadn't done one in a while really worried me.
"Oh my God, what if I haven't checked in a week and something mysteriously appeared in that time frame??"
Yes, I am a bit of a hypochondriac sometimes.
Of course, after having the sticky things ripped off my sensitive skin (can we say OUCH???) I sat there the whole time thinking "I need to do one".
So when I got home, I did.
And, as usual, I found nothing.
So, LADIES . . .
Have you done YOUR breast exam this month?

When Parents Don't Parent . . .

It saddens me to see a young woman head down the wrong path in life.
And it saddens me even more when this young woman is someone I love dearly and that I'm very close to.
The thing that saddens me the most is that she is right now crying out for attention.
Her parents, as many young people's are, are divorced. Both parents love her dearly, there's no doubt about that.
But sadly, she doesn't see her father as often as she could or should.
That leaves her mother.
Her mother loves her very much. But her mother has issues of her own. And, sadly, the young woman I speak of is very affected by these issues.
Her mother is often in bed, in fact, her mother (according to her children) is in bed more often than not - sleeping both the day and the night away. This leaves her children to fend for themselves.
And, of course, when you have a teenage daughter with no adult supervision . . .
I am praying hard for this young woman because I know all the wonderful things she is inside.
She is a talented artist.
She is a caring, loving person.
She is a devout Christian.
She is amazingly smart.
And I also know that she is hurting inside, aching so badly for the positive attention that she is not getting.
I pray that she finds herself and realizes where this path will lead her.
Before it's too late.

This is a hard lesson for parents.
So often we want to push our children into being responsible, before they're actually ready to be responsible.
Please, mom's, dad's . . .
Let your babies be babies.
And, for their sake,
PLEASE be a parent.

Proud Mommy Moments: She's NOT a Sheeple!

This summer, parents everywhere were shocked at Abercrombie and Fitch's introduction of a new line of girls swimwear that included padded bikini tops, in sizes as small as 2T!! (either they sold out or took them off the market b/c the tops are no longer on the web site)

Well, the shock continues as Jours Apre Lunes - a French lingerie company - introduces a line of girls lingerie, including "high fashion photo advertising" in French Vogue and other fashion magazines throughout Europe. The "high fashion" photo shoots show young girls in provocative poses wearing little except panties and tiny bras or undershirts.

The problem with this is not that they're selling girls underwear - let's face it, girls need underwear and there's going to be advertising for it, but having the girls in heavy makeup, feather boas, and bouffant hairdo's is very extreme. This advertising ploy is, in fact, turning these small girls into sex objects, and into potential victims of pedophilia.

Not only that, but the message that is being sent to girls around the globe is that sexy - even at three - is the way to be.

The fashion industry these days is hitting girls at younger and younger ages. Gone are the days of rompers and jumpers and frilly dresses and pigtails. Now we are all into skinny jeans, mini skirts, off the shoulder tops, and, as my daughter calls it, "bling". Little girls as young as three are wearing outfits that I would have been sent home for in High School.

Parents, let's allow our kids to just be kids for a little bit longer. Why do we feel the need to turn our 10 year olds into sex kittens, or to allow them to wear sexy, revealing, or provocative clothing just because it's "in fashion". Tell the "fashion" industry that we don't want our daughters dressing like this by NOT buying it!

The rule in my house: You can wear what you want, as long as you're not revealing anything that you shouldn't be. We have the three B's that must be covered: Butt, back, and boobs. If those aren't completely covered, the outfit goes bye-bye. Period.

My Proud Mommy Moment?
My daughter is all of seven years old. When we were watching the news story this morning on the Today show, I turned to her and asked her "what do you think of this?" Her response: "Mom, it's stupid! Those girls look gross and dumb". I couldn't have agreed more. And I am proud to report that my child is NOT a Sheeple.

Today I'm linking up with KMama over at The Daily Dribbles for Proud Mommy Moments! Go check it out and share your PMM!

Marriage Minded Monday: Sharing Responsibility

A common complaint among today's couples is how the household responsibilities are divied out.
Many claim that they have too much responsibility - cleaning, cooking, budgeting, child rearing, etc. - while their spouse does little to help, if anything.

Shared responsibility in running a household is essential.
When one spouse bares too much responsibility, it becomes grueling, tedious, exhausting, and overwhelming.

In my own situation, the responsibilities are as follows:

My husband works outside the home, does all the yard work, does all the "fix it" chores, handles the budget, and helps with the dishes, the laundry, and the children when he gets home from work, and takes out the garbage.

I stay at home with the children, keep the house clean (most of the time), handle the meal planning, shopping, cooking, schedule, and calender, as well as keep up with dishes and clothes when he is at work.

The children also have chores of their own.

This is a plan that certainly works for us.
That being said, this might not be a viable distribution for your own family - find out what works for your family.

For example, a couple who both work outside the home may decide to divy up chores and child raising equally: the wife may plan meals, do dishes, and tuck the children in while the husband may take out the garbage, cook, and give the children their baths, or something similar.

The point it, it is important that every member of the household is involved with its running. It keeps the burden from being solely one person's, and it helps family members feel important and needed.

Today I'm linking up with Nan over at Mom's The Word for Making Your Home Sing Monday.

Go pay her a visit and see what you can do to make your home sing this week!

TMI - PS3 RAGE

Hello kids! It's time for a terrifying edition of TMI Friday.

Be afraid.

Be very afraid . . .

Our PS3 is on the fritz. 

It's to be expected, I guess. We'd bought it when they first came out, and we use it ALL the time - every day for 4 hours +. So for it to be acting up now is really not a surprise.

But when the PS3 and the blue ray player on your laptop goes out at the same time . . .

AND you have a Netflix blue ray sitting on your entertainment center ready to be watched.

AND you're at home in a teeny-tiny space with two teenagers, a school ager, and a preschooler - and it's TOO HOT TO GO OUTSIDE.

Life with no PS3/Blue ray Player is like . . . Is like . . . 

Well I don't know what it's like, but it's NOT FUN! So now I get to listen to the big kids whine b/c the preschooler is watching Team Umi Zoomi, I listen to the school ager whine because the teenagers are being allowed to play on computers/handheld devices, and I listen to the preschooler whine because, well, he's a preschooler.

But that's not the rage part.

The rage happened last night when The Hubbs was trying to fix the blue ray player on his laptop and try to make the PS3 work simultaneously.

He scared me!!

I think he actually cussed IN FRONT of the kids (which he NEVER does).

I was seriously afraid he was going to throw the PS3 and his lap top out the window!

But, he did not. 

He did, in fact, FINALLY get the blue ray player on his laptop to work.

But the PS3?

It's Ppppppppppphhhhhhhhhht.

:-(

Proud Mommy Moments

Today I'm linking up with KMama for PMM-Proud Mommy Moments. If you have a proud - or not so proud - mommy moment, be sure to link up with her today! And if you don't well head over to her blog The Daily Dribbles anyway and give her a shout out!

I have never been prouder of Emily as I was this week.

Of course there was the evening in the E. R. on Monday night - she was so brave and amazing. I was truly humbled watching her that night.

But then there has been the rest of the week - so far.

My daughter has turned into one of the most responsible children on the planet.

Case in point:

Tuesday I forgot to give her dose #2 of her medicine. She came to me at bedtime, and reminded me. Me, being "practical mommy" reminded her that drinking right before bed wasn't a good idea. Her response:

"But Momma, I'm supposed to have TWO DOSES!!"

I stood there, chastised.

Then gave her her second dose.

For those parents that have never delt with the problems of constipation with encopresis, this is HUGE. Typically, children with these problems will do whatever it takes to PREVENT going to the bathroom. So for Emily to understand the importance of taking her medication is amazing.

I love my daughter so much and I am so proud that she is mine.

Marriage Minded Monday - Parenting Styles

One of the biggest disagreements between couples is parenting.
Spouse A thinks they should talk things out with Billy when he breaks the window. Spouse B thinks Billy needs a spanking.
Spouse A thinks that Suzie should be grounded because she talked back. Spouse B thinks it's not THAT big a deal.

Any of this sound familiar to you?

One thing that our children must ALWAYS understand is that we parents are going to back each other up 100%. Children have to feel that their parents are a unit - supportive of each other and on each other's side.
But what happens when parents don't always agree on discipline?

This is a problem in so many households. Chances are, if you have children, you and your spouse will disagree on how to parent them - at least somewhat.

So what's the solution?

Compromise and secrecy is key in situations like this.
Compromise between parents and secrecy from the kids, that is.

First off, there has to be a common ground on how to handle any given situation. Let's say you want to spank your child, but your spouse is a talker. A good compromise would be to have a "three strikes" kind of rule - the first two offenses (of the same kind) receive a good lecture and/or grounding with a warning that the third time will result in a spanking. The child will know what is coming ahead of time, so when that third offense inevitably comes, the corporal punishment occurs.

There also has to be some form of compromise on rules of the household. For example, one parent wants the children to only play video games on the weekends - when they don't have homework. Another parent thinks that kids playing during the week isn't a big deal. So the compromise - the child may only play video games during the week for one hour or less, and only after homework and chores have been confirmed done.

As for secrecy - let's face it, if children knew that parents didn't agree on discipline and punishment, they'd certainly use it to their benefit. Children can be quite manipulative, after all, and many love to put parent against parent in "the punishment war". This is why compromise and secrecy are so important.

The final key to the puzzle of parenting together is consistency. This is, of course, is a given even when there's not disagreement. Misbehavior increases in situations where consistency is a problem. Why? Because they feel that "I got away with it that one time - let's see if I can get away with it again!"

Now, this will not guarantee anything in the area of your children. (Children will test the waters to see how far they can push someone, and they are curious about their world. So occasional misbehavior is a given. If your child becomes a "behavior problem" you should certainly seek the help of a professional.) But if your marriage is constantly "on the rocks" because you and your spouse can't seem to get on the same page, you might try talking all of it over after the kids go to bed, and writing out behaviors and disciplines together. Parenting together is hard, but the results are so rewarding.

TMI Friday - Locker Room Edition!

It's time for another edition of TMI Friday! 

So grab a cuppa, sit back, relax, and get ready to laugh your heads off.

For those of you that DON'T know (if there are any of you that don't, LOL) - my mother and I have recently started taking a water aerobics class.

The class is FANTASTIC.

The locker room . . .

Well it can be quite scary at times.

Case in point:

Old women. 

Naked.

Yes.

I said NAKED.

Now, I'm big on modesty to begin with. Honestly, I wouldn't want a stacked 20-something year old gettin' naked in front of me either.

But then the locker room can be good for a laugh or two.

For example:

Last night I was changing in the bathroom while my mother was taking a shower. From across the locker room I hear her humming some really old-timey song. It sounded good, but as she is my mother, of course I have to rile her, so after I'm dressed I walk into the shower room and say 

"Hey, Ma, 

you're becoming the creepy humming lady of the locker room!"

My mother then proceeds to open her shower curtain to inform me that

"Honey, THAT WASN'T ME"

At which point the lady in the shower stall next to her replies:

"Oh, no! 

I guess I'M becoming the creepy humming lady of the locker room!"

Total locker room fail.

*Note - yes the other lady and we had a good laugh about it afterwards!*

Thoughtful Thursday - RUDE People

I am about to say something very unChristian right now, so if you're easily offended you might cover your ears eyes or scroll down a bit.

i hate rude people

There.
I said it.

I have a HUGE aversion to rude people.
People that cut in line
People that talk loudly in movies.
People that push their way past you.
People that cut you off on the freeway.

It drives. me. BATTY.
What happened to politeness?
What happened to saying
"excuse me"
"please"
"thank you"
?????

Can anyone tell me the answer to this one?
Because I'm DYING to know.

Wordless Wednesday: Young Love

They are but a mere three years old, yet their love seems to be eternal:

Happy On The Slide

Always Hugging

They are the two in the middle: This was right when she decided to give him a big kiss in the middle of Bible School.

See? ALWAYS hugging!

Sometimes they fight - like an old married couple. Then they'll stop and say: 

"I love you!"

And hug again.

Her mom and I are convinced that she and Jake will be married someday and give us beautiful grand babies.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 Minutes for Mom!

Tasty Tuesday Has Moved!!

Since most of my Tasty Tuesday recipes will be considered healthier fare, I have decided to move these posts over to my weight loss blog, SuperMom: Losing It. If you've never visited my other blog, I would love to invite you to go now! The focus is my journey - both physical and spiritual - to a healthier me.

I have struggled with weight my entire life. I look back at pictures of me from first grade and realize that I'm the tallest - and heaviest - person in my class - from first all the way through high school. I have never been able to lose weight on my own, no matter how I've tried. I started my Weight Watchers journey in 2008 at 298, then quit a few weeks later. Honestly, I was in a bad place emotionally, I wasn't ready, and I was doing it all online. In February I joined Weight Watchers AGAIN at 292 lbs - with meetings this time. I have since lost around 7 pounds. A couple of weeks ago I began a water aerobics class that I feel will truly help me further. It's been an up and down road, but I am becoming more and more confident every day.

So, go visit Losing It for your Tasty Tuesday recipe - and maybe a little inspiration!
God Bless!

Marriage Minded Monday - When You Disagree

This week I got a lesson from God about speaking up when something was bothering me.

I also learned that (as I said on my facebook page) I don't give my husband near enough credit.

I think we all assume that our spouses will respond one way when we tell them we don't agree with them, but when it comes down to it, they may very well respond differently.

Case in point:

I won't go into detail, but there was a project my husband and I have been discussing that was about to come into fruition.

It was going to take a lot of time, energy, and money to do this. 

I have been worried about it - for a VERY long time - but I didn't want to say anything to my husband because I didn't want to hurt his feelings, nor did I want to squelch his dream. 

So when it was right about to happen, I snapped. I turned into a sobbing, blubbering mess. I knew exactly what was bothering me, but I was still so afraid to tell him the truth that I came up with every other thing I could be stressed over - including something that I've never mentioned, ever! EVERYTHING but the problem at hand. 

Finally, I told him. I was so worried that he would be hurt and that he would be angry. But instead, he told me he had the same concerns. 

So we had a long discussion on it and decided - TOGETHER - to put it off for a while until we're in a better place, financially.

As you can see, my assumption was very off course, and as a result ended up in my anxiety and stress. 

He had no idea - how could he? 

I'd never told him!

Your disagreement may come from a different place - you might be in arms over child-rearing, finances, where to live, career choices . . . 

Whatever it is, remember you DO have a voice. 

God tells us in 1 Peter 3:1 to submit to our husbands the way Christ submitted to God. But remember, that even Christ spoke up about his concerns to the Lord in Matthew 26:39 "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup be taken from me . . ." 

Yes, the bible tells us that we SHOULD submit fully to our husbands. And if mine had told me "I understand your concerns, but I really want to do this now rather than later" then we would have and that would have been the end of it. But the fact is, sometimes our husbands are waiting on US to speak up first because they're afraid of the same thing we are.

God's Blessings on you for a wonderful week!

Today I'm linking up with Nan from Mom's The Word for Making Your Home Sing Monday! 

Go give her a visit and see how YOU can make YOUR home sing today!

Wordless Wednesday - A Boy and His Balloon

Jake loves balloons.

I mean he REALLY loves balloons.

For More Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 Minutes For Mom.

Tasty Tuesdays: Homemade Mac and Cheese (SO Good!)

Oooey

Gooey

Cheesy

Yum...

You will need:

2 T butter

2 T flour

1 1/4 C milk

1/2 small block velveeta

1/2 bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 lb small short pasta (elbow, shells, bow-tie . . .)

For seasoning you will need:

2 T worchestershire sauce

1 Tsp nutmeg

2 Tsp ground mustard

1 T black pepper

salt to taste

Instructions:

In a stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat:

Add flour:

Cook, stirring with wooden spoon, 2 minutes to form a thick blonde roux.

Add milk and whisk.

(Why I have a wooden spoon in the picture, I have NO idea.)

Continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of your wooden spoon:

Run your finger through the mix. If it stays separate, it's done!

Remove from heat and mix in cheddar cheese and velveeta:

Cutting up your Velveeta into smaller chunks will help it melt quicker.

At this point, add your seasonings.

When cheese is melted add your cooked pasta:

Mix well and serve hot!

*Note - this is NOT necessarily a "healthy" food - I used all 2% dairy products and whole grain white pasta, so it can be a little healthier if you wish*

I am considering starting a Tasty Tuesday blog hop/meme. If you would be interested in sharing your recipes with others, and learning some new ones, let me know and I'll "Make it so".