mathematical genius!

UJ (Uncle Joe) was here yesterday morning while my girls were starting math.
Kourtney is using a compass these days for drawing circles.
Jacklyn was holding the compass and Joe asked her some questions.

Joe: "Hey, Jacklyn, do you know what that thing you are holding is called?"

Jacklyn: "It's a pencil, Uncky Joe." (btw, she used to call him Auntie Joe.)

Joe: "I know that part is a pencil, but do you know what the thing holding the pencil is called?

Jacklyn: (smiling) "I'm Jacklyn!" (SO proud of herself.)

We were cracking up!! Funny little nut.

product review

I recently purchased the Ped Egg at Target.
Great little $9.99 investment.
My poor feet were looking/feeling sad!
More like sandpaper than appendages.
I must say, that Ped Egg did the trick!
My feet are silky smooth and very happy.
However...just in case $9.99 isn't in your budget,
I'm thinking a fine cheese grater may very well
do the exact same job.
Gross, I know....but, seriously.
Upon close inspection,
that's really what the Ped Egg kind of is.
A little grater.
Hmmmm....I better not let Jeff know this.
He tends to swipe my tweezers out of my make up bag
and use them for all sorts of unsatisfactory purposes.
He is also handy in the kitchen.
And, loves hard cheeses.
So, ladies....buy the Ped Egg.
Or a fine cheese grater.
Sluff away on those heels,
but, for goodness sake,
Don't let it get into the wrong hands
or the kitchen!!

oh, cleaning!

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with housework that you just don't even know where to begin? That's where I am today. Laundry....one of the constants in my life....is at least somewhat under control. Thank God that my hubby will do a load here and there and lots more than that if I'm away from home. But, the rest is just making me want to run and scream right now.
Today, I had plans to get up, clean the house and enjoy the rest of the day doing whatever we wanted...because it's still Spring Break for us.
Well, I remembered the Hannah Montana movie was in theatres so...I did what any fun Mom would do. Scrapped the housework plans and headed for the flick with my 2 oldest girls.
When we came home, that was it. I was going to focus and get to cleaning. However, my phone rang. It was my darling friend inviting my family to join hers at the beach for some tide pooling fun and snacks. How could I pass that up? I didn't.
I just finished the dishes and remembered that I stripped Maggie's bed this morning. UGH!! I hate when I do that! I never like to change sheets, but I most dislike it at 8:00 at night! Solution? Sleepover in Kourtney's room!!
See, that's just the fun kind of Mom I am.
Cleaning and scrubbing will wait 'til tomorrow!
Or the next day.
You never know how fun I may have to be!!

I see who I wanna be.....

Sometimes I just sit and look at these 3 beautiful girls of mine and shake my head. How on earth did I get so blessed? They really are amazing.
Beautiful. Funny. Smart. Compassionate. Generous. Forgiving. Teachable. Understanding. Wise. Cute. Friendly. Energetic. Silly. Creative. Responsible. Respectful. Kind. Patient. Diligent. Merciful. Lovable.
I never even begin to pretend that my kids are perfect. Sadly, I tend to err on the other side. I want for them to behave and I can be hard on them sometimes. However, as I think about the great people that they are and that they are becoming, I just sit back and smile. What a bunch of neat people God has blessed me with! They forgive my imperfections, (and trust me, as a home school family...they see them all!) they learn from their own mistakes, and really do just enjoy life. I have so much to learn from them and I'm SO GRATEFUL!!!
I'm sure you've heard this song a bunch of times...but, I can't help singing it today as I think about my blessings!
It's In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride....I just love it!!
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the
world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me
strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand
around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about

It's hangin' on when your heart
has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes

Rain

Okay, well, I'm realizing that I must seem like such an obnoxious mom...constantly talking about how cute my daughter is. Since the couple of readers I have on here actually know Jacklyn, I shouldn't feel the need to apologize. However, I am sorry. I don't want to be one of "those" kind of moms!!
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I wanted to write that post I mentioned a while ago on rain. I heard something great that made so much sense to me that I wanted to share it on here. A friend of mine and I were talking about how so often circumstances can change our mood (or our week, day, etc.) It can be someone else's response to us, it can be our finances, our job, our weight, our appearance, etc. Outside things can affect us negatively.
We talked about rain and had 3 different scenarios:
If you were inside your house, safe and sound....snuggled up under a blanket, reading a good book and it started raining outside....how much would it affect you? For me, the answer was not much.
Now, imagine you are planning a beautiful, outdoor wedding. On the day of the event, huge rain clouds fill the sky and dump down on you just as you are getting ready to say your vows. I think it's safe to assume that in that instance, rain ruined your day and you wouldn't be able to quickly get over it.
Lastly, you are a farmer. Your sole source of income is from your crops and there has been a terrible drought for the past year. Finally, the rain begins to pour from the heavens and you are given a renewed sense of hope. Rain has saved your livelihood and there is no greater joy in all the world.
In each one of these instances, RAIN was the factor. Rain, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad. It has everything to do with how we perceive it. Quite often our own outside circumstances are the same way. We can choose to either let them ruin our lives (or at least our day) OR we can find the good in them. At the very least, we can just watch the circumstances come and go and not get overly concerned about them.
Personally, I want to find joy in all things. I have a long, long, LONG way to go here...but, it is a goal of mine. I want to look for the blessing instead of constantly stressing out, worrying and being fearful when things don't turn out as I had planned.
This past weekend, I feel like I've learned some things about myself that are not the best. I want to be in control, I can be very competitive, very distrusting, insecure and self-protective. Bleck! I see it all and really want to change. I guess for me, the best thing I can do for now is continue practicing living in the moment. I want to stop fearing the future (which I can't control anyway) and just let that rain roll right off of me. For goodness sake, I may even start looking for rainbows! :)
I'm not sure you followed this or that I was able to put it into writing as I heard it...but, if so, I hope it's helpful.