OMG Why didn't I think of that!

We went to Jen and Tim's last night for dinner...had a fantastic time! The kids are all getting to an age that they can play without constant supervision which makes for a nice night for the grown-ups. The Lampen's spared no expense when it came to the wine they brought out!

1, 2, 3, 4 expensive and brilliant bottles! BRAVO!





Well, after the night was almost done Tim suggests that we make smores over the fire pit...and then in an act of shear brilliance he gets out a bag of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! What!?!?! Yes, he says, you CAN make smores with the cups!!! BRILLIANT! DIABOLICAL! INSPIRED!



Well, I never! It was amazing! I highly recommend trying this...it was truly a happy time!

Oh, fellow women if we could unite we could change the world!

Since I've graduated from college I've worked at many different places. Sometimes the organizations have chosen to pay me other times I've put in hours for free but the one thing that unites all of these experiences is that I've primarily worked with women. The women I've worked with have all been strong, smart, talented, some of them have been driven, crazy or haunted; others have been insecure or sad, unhappy or disappointed. I've learned that together we can care for each other in a way that no one else could, we could hold each other up and help each other get through hard times. I've learned that women together can solve a world of problems, we can make a community wake up and take notice, we can face any obstacle and overcome it with grace.

And when we turn on each other it can get really ugly. I've known a woman who committed crimes to get attention and was forced to leave her small children to serve her sentence, seen a woman leave her family in search of a love she could never find. I've been in friendships that I bared my soul only to have it used against me. I've had to say good-bye to a woman who first taught me how deeply connected friendships can be.

I wonder why we woman search so desperatly for relationship and connection only to feel so insecure in them when we find them. Why do we so vigorously protect ourselves from letting others see the true us? Why do we attack those we love to make ourselves feel important when we know that it will crush others? Why do we doubt the sincerity or commitment of the friends we find.

I believe that there is no one stronger in this world than a woman who is confident. Confident in herself, confident in her relationship with Christ, surrounded by other women to share her life with.

Together we can tear each other apart or together we can change the world. I wish we could learn to trust each other...only God knows what would happen then!

Rule #1 You can't go comando in IKEA

Have you ever found yourself confronted by an organization with rules that make no sense and been forced to obey against your will??? Well, that was my morning today...and I didn't go quietly!

We took a day trip to IKEA today and on the way I told Wes all about the great kid room they had there...he was very excited to try out this new "store school." We walk up to the counter and the lady behind it says, "Good morning! Does he have a diaper or pull up on?"

Yes, I answer cheerfully back...he is potty trained, but we have a diaper on him in case he has an accident.

"Well," says the lady behind the counter "If he is wearing a diaper or pull up he is not allowed in the play room. We have strict policy of no diapers -- no pull ups."

I thought this was crazy and proceeded to tell her that. Wouldn't it just make sense that you would want a child to wear a diaper or pull up if they might have an accident...wouldn't you want them to be protected...to protect the furniture and toys???

"No," she answers back..."diapers and pull ups are a santiary issue...if he has an accident in the ball pit we would rather just close the ball pit and wash all the toys...he may not be wearing a diaper if you want him to come in." Is this lady on crack?

"FINE! I say, I'll take him into the bathroom, take off his diaper and he can just go comando! I'm really getting ticked now!"

So I go and so just that...bring him back to the counter and there is a new lady there...waiting for me.

"Um, the girl that was hear heard what you were going to do and called our manager....he said that you may not bring him in here the way you were going to...he must be wearing underwear."

To which I answer back..."You mean to tell me that a thin piece of cotton between his bottom and his shorts is the only thing keeping him from entering this kid's room? Is a thin piece of cotton really going to make that big of a difference? Do you really pull open every child's pants to see if they are wearing proper underpants? Really...??This is the craziest thing I've ever heard of...I have underwear in the car...do I have to run all the way back to my car and get them now?"

"Yes mam...if you want to use this room."

"Fine" I said, "I'll just take him shopping with me." So, we start to go up the escaltor when my precious little man says, "Mommy, I want to go in there...I want to go on the slides!"

Ok then I think...don't worry..."I'M GETTING YOU IN!" No one is gonna treat my baby this way!!!

Now I have to run back to the car...have you ever been in IKEA? That place is a total maze...and it's impossible to get anywhere fast. But I do...I run to the car...of course I have no underwear in there...but I do have another pair of shorts...awesome...now he can wear these as boxers...BRILLIANT!

I run back in again, strip him down AGAIN, put two pairs of shorts on the poor guy and march him back yet again to the front desk. Now, I smell blood...if this woman doesn't let my man in I'm gonna tear her eyes out!

"Does he have proper underpants on now?"

"Oh, yes!" I answer "He has underpants on now!" Ha! If she only knew!!

He did get in and she was kind enough to give us an extra 5 minutes on our hour...big whoop!

By the time I actually got into the freakin store I was so irritated... but he did get in...don't mess with the mommy!

QOTD

Me to my children..."I want this house Auntie Carol clean...do you understand me!"

Wesley quote of the week

"Don't worry Lightning I won't put you in the toaster...you're a car."

Congratulations! Your search is over!

That's what the website said...I'm so relieved! If only I had known to this say...three months ago!
I found this ad at the bottom of Mommaoffour's website...I'm so excited....after months of trying in vain to get Wesley potty trained now I find out this is "all I need for my child's potty training and toilet access" You've got to click and look at this site...it's hilarious! So for any of you potty training moms, please don't overload my email with "thank you's" now that I've just solved your problem. = )

Want to get more organized?

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Top Ten things I love about Fall

1. Comfy sweatshirts
2. Wearing socks
3. Sleeping with the window open and snuggling under the comforter.
4. Fire's in the fire pit
5. Holding coffee with cold hands
6. Fall decorations
7. The availability of snack size candy bars at every store
8. Football
9. Darkness at 7:30
10. The smell of pumpkin spice candles

Psalm 27:13-14

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Sometimes the wait seems so long...you forget your waiting. And even though you lose your way, God never does.

HSM II

I thought I should show you all some pics from our HSM premier party. It's taken a long time for me to get these on the blog because I have this new photo program that seems to hide my pictures from me...and I can't find them...I know they are there but I can't seem to locate them...kind of what it's like when I'm looking for my keys and cell phone...or when I find one of Wesley's shoes but not the other one or when a recipe calls for an ingredient you know you have who knows where it is...because even though it should be in your spice cabinet...it's not!







We had a great time on the red carpet. The girls all struck a pose to get their pictures taken...aren't they cute? The inside of our house was covered in streamers and the floor was covered in red, white and black balloons. We pigged out on pizza, M&M's, twizzlers, double stuffed oreos and lots and lots of popcorn! The girls couldn't believe I let them have all that junk food but I wanted to be sure to make their first sleepover a good one...and what's a sleepover with out Oreo's? The movie was kind of a bust...but they liked it. And now I find myself singing, "You are the music in me" all the time...ahhh the life of a mom.