Tag Archives: blogging

Everyday in May…sorta.

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My super-de-duperty creative and brilliant friend, Lea who has been blogging for several more years than I….has for several years had a theme of “Blog every day in May”.  I’ve participated in the past 3 years and somehow………

it is May 9th!!!!!!!!!!   WHAT?!?!?!?!?

and she called me today to remind me that NEITHER of us has begun the annual blog-fest and promptly directed me to her blog to see what she did to rectify that situation.  Yep.  The woman done went and CAUGHT UP!!!  So now….my goal-oriented-task-driven-competitiveness has kicked in.  I won’t even bother to back track.  Serious talk.  Too tired.  BUT…..I did blog last Friday and for us, weekends are a kind of bonus, so I’ll start now.  So go ‘head…”follow”, add me on Bloglovin’, follow on the Twitter…whatever you need to do and git ready!  Because I’d really like to celebrate with some blackberry grits and tea with Lea after this!!

And so here’s the deali-O…if you are blogging everyday in May…leave a comment and we can check it out and spread the word.  I’ll leave a little list at the bottom of this post of some other bloggers doing the same.  OK, OK, just one for now…but let me know if you’re blogging every day!!   If I REALLY get ambitious I’ll put a sidebar with May bloggers to make it easy…no promises, just dreams of grandeur.

It’s really just wrong we do this anyway…. I mean…it’s MAY!  The busiest month of the year….truly.  Even December…baby Jesus’ birthmonth isn’t as stressful as end-of-year wrap up, testing, recitals, First Communion, birthdays, Mother’s day, etc, etc, etc!  But hey, if a little writing and reading gets us through….blog on we shall!

Rachel Balducci @ Testosterhome…..got boys?  lots of ’em?  and a princess?  She does, too!!!  And stories abound.  AND she even wrote a book!!

 

Friday. Parenting. Blogging. Procrastination.

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My morning prayer with the kids on Fridays as we drive to school ALWAYS includes a prayer of thanksgiving for “Friday, mama’s favorite day of the week“.  True story.

Today I’m joining in with Jen and friends with 7 Quick Takes….today, mine are super quick, because a) I have to wake up kiddos and b) I’m trying a timed experiment on myself…let’s see how it goes, K?  K.

  1. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about parenting this week….and blogging…..and continuing Ed points (or my procrastination in obtaining them EVERY year and I thought I’d share a few points with you.
  2. Blogging.  I’ve been feeling my blog is about to go in a different direction.  I also feel I might have to take some time off to figure out WHAT direction that is.  So….just get ready.  It’s coming.
  3. My state license is up for renewal at the end of April.  I have ZERO CEUs.  ZERO.    I have all my periodicals out and have been reading and taking tests.  Why do I have to perform so well under pressure?  It’s a curse I tell you.
  4. Parenting advice I’ve received and taken to heart over the years.  (This might not work for YOUR family, but these are things that have worked for OURS).  On the birth of our first child….oldest son….still in shock from labor, resting in the hospital a friend said, “Quickly, hurry up and have 3 more.”  I told her she was crazy.  And then I did.  Best.  Advice.  Ever.  Big families are crazy and loud and so very worth it.
  5. One of my dearest friends always sends her children away with “Angels watch over you”….I loved the blessing, but didn’t want to copy  her COMPLETELY, so I incorporated a “Sign of the cross” on their foreheads.  If we are in a hurry, often the kids will say, “Moooooom, my blessing???”  Send your kids out with a blessing.
  6. One year we had a project due and I needed a poster board STAT, my girlfriend said, “Oh, come out to my car, I have some in my trunk.”  From that day forward, we have had a STOCKED school supply area.  Be prepared.  You never know when you’ll need that poster board—for us it’s usually Sunday night.
  7. Put your marriage first.  It takes constant effort, tweaking and pruning.  The fruit of your efforts is a strong, communicative, partnership, friendship and example for your children.  Children that will pick your nursing home one day.
  8. Lastly, and having FAILED at my time experiment and counting as this is now 8 Quick Takes…….PRAY, PRAY, PRAY always over and for your children and take EVERY bit of parenting advice with a grain of salt.  Some things you can use.  Some you won’t.

Blessings and enjoy the weekend and my favorite day of the week!!!

 

Take Five…

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There’s a cute little linky going on around the blogosphere about some Five things Thing where you tell about 5 things most people don’t know about you.  Mary Kate tagged me and since A) I can’t really resist a “challenge” and B) I am currently suffering a bout of insomnia/coughing and am up anyway, I figured alrighty then….let’s do this!!

Of course, this IS a little tricky since I blog/talk about a lot of stuff and I may have already mentioned a thing or two, so you’ll have to pretend you haven’t heard it before if you already have…K?  K.

  1. During my bachelorette party (back in the day), my FAVORITE sandals broke mid-shindig.  I mean, straight dry-rotted….What’s a girl to do?  There was much more dancing to do!!!  Somewhere along the way, some nice bouncer had some masking tape and I just taped those puppies up…both shoes and boogied on down the rest of the night.  I have pictures somewhere……annnnnd I actually got up to look for it, I can see it in my mind…..and nothin’, I got nothin’, but trust me…it was fUNny!!
  2. When I was in 4th grade I was terrified of Bike Week…an annual event in Daytona Beach…now a BI-annual event, lucky us!!  Back to the terror….we heard stories of the Hell’s Angels and how they swoop into town and kids walking home from school were easy pickins…now we had no idea what that meant but I know we made record time coming home from school that week!  Fast forward a gazillion years and we have some Outlaws one street over and we just sleep with the windows closed during Bike Week….or try to, I think we are getting used to the noise or losing our hearing, one of the two.
  3. Somewhere around 4 years of age…ish….we had a neighborhood dog that I would bring a biscuit to regularly…one for him….one for me.  Come to find out, my kids did the same thing with our dogs when they were little.  Hmm.  Hereditary inclination toward dog biscuits, interesting.
  4. My first job was at Mr. Donut.  I got over my love of donuts REEEEEEAL quick like (although it has returned slightly in the last decade…)  You can NOT wash that donut smell out of a uniform, trust me.  That’s also the place Hubby picked me up for our first date…..maaaaaaaaany moons ago, like 26 of ’em.
  5. I dont’ really like a lot of noise and mess.  God blessed us with 4 kiddos.  Talk about your sense of humor.  We’ll just say I’m coming to terms (a little bit) with noise and mess.

My turn to tag 5 people and carry on the funnies or the fives…how’s about it Lea, Brite, Pam, ViolinMama, and Lesley?  Tag, you’re it!   You’ll love the diversity of their blogs, food, travel, inspiration, kids…..you’re welcome!

And now….it’s been 4 hours and I can re-dose the cough syrup….I’m out!  Enjoy!!

Seven Quick Takes (a day late….)

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A day late to the party, but the kids have hijacked the computer this week and I’ve been coughing so much I haven’t cared to be on it anyway….however…..bright and early Saturday morning and I’m feeling fine-ish and they are sleeping so it’s MINE.  ALL.  MINE.  And I’m joining in with Jen and her weekly Quick Takes…she says she might go last first…hmmmmm, that might bode well for me  😉   without further adieu….

  1. I’m working on a “Day in the Life” post.  Riveting.  I’m sure you can’t wait to see how my day shapes up compared to yours.  Funny thing is, it’s a little tedious accounting for one’s day AND trying to make it funny.  Clearly I have nothing mind-blowing to talk about if THAT’S my big project, eh?
  2. One week post-flu and I THINK (Oh, please, please, please, please let me not jinx myself here) we are relatively healthy.  Except for this nagging cough/sinus infection I’ve had all week.  I’ve been eating cough drops by the bagful and have had several nights on the couch trying to breathe/sleep/not wake Hubby all night.  I finally broke down and my doctor called me in some antibiotics and cough syrup…hence the early wake up–slept like a baby.
  3. Week 2 of my fitness Groupon and each workout KILLS.  Amazing how hard you can work in a 35 minute period doing just a few exercises and opposing muscle groups.  Super excited to see how I’ll be at the end of the 6 weeks.
  4. This week our boys had a WWF session in the backyard.  By boys I mean including Hubby.  Let me say, I HATE wrestling.  Someone always gets hurt.  It’s loud.  It’s annoying.  And yet…..so necessary.  Hubby had me read (and I probably need to REread) John Eldredge‘s book Wild at Heart and it helped me to understand and appreciate the male “need” to be a male, so I accept it a wee bit more.  Wee bit.  In the end, Dad still won (he’s still hanging on…).  Big brother still won (barely).  And the only blood drawn was on Dad’s chin by a stray long nail. boys
  5. I scored some AWESOME dishes at our church thrift store this week.  Service for 12.  TWELVE I tell you!  12 dinner dishes.  12 small dishes.  12 bowls.  A serving bowl and lid and salt and pepper shaker.  $50.  Except they weren’t.  They were half OFF…..yes, that’s right, $25.  S.C.O.R.E.  Super cute.  AND I saw some fantastic coffee cups that will complement this set from Pier One.  Now when we have company….we’ve got enough dishes!  So come on over!!!rooster
  6. I have the day off Monday to take our youngest athlete to the County wide Fitness Festival.  Little stinker made it to 4 events.  Sit and reach.  Standing long jump.  Shuttle run.  50 yard dash.  Should be great weather.  I’m sure there will be pictures to follow.  And blogging.  Especially since I have the DAY OFF!
  7. We’ve been in the refinancing dance for our house and got a sweet low-interest rate with no closing costs and no re-appraisal.  It takes a while, as you may or may not know, and yesterday we got the call from the title company….because we were late to our closing….that no one ever told us we HAD.  We jockeyed around lunches (fortunately Hubby was working from home that day!) and traffic—-because Bike Week starts this week….but…..it’s done.  We celebrated with a Friday night fire pit and marshmallows after our fish and chips dinner.  ‘Twas a good day, nice end to the week.  fire

Happy Weekend, Y’all!

7QT Return, Ta DAAA!

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With my whole social network fasting apparently I have more time to blog…who knew???  So, I’m jumping back in with the tried and true at Conversion Diary with Jen and her peeps…of course, I’m not #1 like Grace, but she’s a new mom again and clearly not sleeping anyway…so go check ’em all out…

1.  Fresh into Lent, folks…Fresh.  Into.  Lent.  You know what that means, right?  All those sacrifices and desires to help more, pray more, do more, etc are FRESH and “technically” two days in we should be going strong.  Ammiright??  Riiiiight, so remember…no meat today. And if perhaps, halfway through that double with cheese you remember “ACK…it’s Friday!!!”, just start over.  We are imperfect people, God knows this.  His joy is in our TRYING to do better.  And when we screw up, dust ourselves off and try again….that’s what we can choose to do.  So, in the classic words of Dori from Finding Nemo…”just keep swimming”!

2.  What did you give up for Lent?  Perhaps you are instead focusing on praying and have some plans of monastic retreat or super fasting to add some oomph to your prayer life,  or maybe working in the soup kitchen or homeless shelter….what’s the plan, Stan?  I gave up Facebook and Twitter.  It’s quite freeing and I actually look forward to this each Lent.  Now, you might say, but “Tracy, your blog shows up on Twitter?”  Yes, it’s set that way automatic, but I am not CHECKING said Twitter account.

3.  Did you get your ashes?  We did.  I must say it was practically WW3 getting there.  A serious force of crazy, crappy, grumpy, tempers came over our household IMMEDIATELY prior to leaving.  We persevered anyway and let me say, people….GOD prevailed.  Oh yes he did defuse that 13 yo, 15 yo and 2 young ladies who readied themselves in their Mass finery only to see EVERY to the ONE was in their regular clothes (including yours truly, fresh off the JOB train in her scrubs).  Hubs took everyone home after the distribution of ashes and I stayed to wait for our 7th grader to take him home after his RE class.  We came home to fish and chips awaiting.  (AKA, fish sticks and fries)  God is good.  All the time.  All the time.  God is good.  

4.  Ash Wednesday I also went to Adoration (a weekly Lenten practice for me this year).  Unknowingly, I arrived during the church’s Mass celebration, therefore the Eucharist was not in the chapel, but in the church.  ENNYWAY….I still prayed the Rosary and intentions and fully enjoyed my quiet time.  If you have noise in your life (you don’t need to be a parent for this) you should take time to go to Adoration…shoot, even if you’re not Catholic….just go…it is AWESOME.  Peace, quiet.  Total gift.  I’d live there if I could.  Really.  Logistically though, just not going to work.

5.  Saved me some cash this week.  Went in to quit the gym, just not feeling it, and I’ve been working out at home (not this week so much…but mostly-ish) but they love me so much they comped me 2 months and lowered my monthly rate to $5.  Sheesh, alright.  I’ll come back.  $5, c’mon.  Who CAN say no to that???

6.  Along with my social fasting, weekly Adoration visit and prayer intentions….I am also trying to focus on some spiritual reading.  This week I finished C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters”…wow.  wow.  wow.  If you haven’t read it….do it.  Next up…”Visions of the Children” by Janice Connell.  And continued reading of Saint Faustina’s Diary (although that is taking YEARS.  Literally.  YEARS!!  tremendously rich reading.  small bites only)

7.  Finally, if you read yesterday’s post on our little Romeo and his Valentine’s flower promise…I’ll tell you how it went:  He made his first deposit to his math teacher (who, although killing him, has been incredibly helpful and challenging) and from then on out had “hordes” of ladies following him around for roses. He had them labeled and did have a couple extra (to which I was also a recipient….smart boy!)…but he admitted at dinner that it was an impossible task to please all the ladies on Valentine’s Day.  Not to mention expensive.  He’s a mess that one.  A sweet mess.  **For all you Bachelor fans out there….I asked him if he was prepping to do a teen Bachelor and he was unaware of the show/concept etc….PHew.  I don’t watch either, but have the gist of it from some of you…who will remain nameless for the obvi reasons.

Have a great week y’all and enjoy the weekend!!!  We won’t be shoveling snow…thank you, JESUS…but will be wearing jeans and hoodies this weekend here in Central FLA.  Brrr.  High of 50ish tomorrow.  Yikes!!  😉