Where were you?

Everyone asks, "Where were you when you heard..". 

So many things were going on.. I was dropping my kids off at daycare so that I could drive Mom to her radiation appointment. She also had her first oncology appointment that day and both of my girls had physicals scheduled...

Mostly I remember the fear that we all felt-one I'll never shake-the loss of that safe feeling you got when you were little and your mom tucked you in "snug as a bug".. Grasping on the new truth of our world-we were no longer safe. 

We all saw it, felt it, heard it, until we couldn't anymore.. That night, I saw the numbers of firefighters and police that were gone, dying as heroes saving lives..

I also heard about that group of brave people on a flight and their refusal to allow their plane to be the next weapon used in killing thousands. 

So here we are, living, going on, regardless of how difficult it can be.. 

Let's roll..

Big hugs to my followers <3

~melissa

Hey Look What I Did!!

Make Art!! Share it!

 

 Every time!!!!  That's all... 

Big hugs to my followers <3

~melissa

My Crazy List

 I'm crazy enough..  Are you?  

 

My Crazy To~Do List

1.  Make a drastic change to my hair 

2. Walk daily before work

3.  Learn how to play an instrument

4.  Take a dance class

5.  Work on my BIG dream-writing a book

#1-Done and I love it!

 

#2-I'll start next week.. LOL 

Big hugs to my followers <3

~melissa

My Favorite KoolAid

A very wise woman I know, described her different phases of life like this: during her childhood she made the KoolAid her Mom wanted; after she was married, she was stuck with her husband's favorite KoolAid; then made what her son wanted. Story goes on, but after a nasty divorce, she was in the grocery store and realized she had absolutely NO IDEA what her favorite flavor of KoolAid was-She'd never made it for herself!

Around the time I turned 35, I realized that I had lost something. To be honest-I had no idea who "I" was anymore..

Separate from anyone else, if I were to introduce myself to someone-without saying I was a wife and Mom-Who was I? It was an extremely hard realization to come to.. There was a time period that I even mourned the loss of my "self"..

Insert backstory-
My husband and I met during my sophomore year of high school through an after-school job. He went to school in a nearby town. We didn't date until my second year of college, found out we were expecting soon after, moved in together and I was due with T on our one-year dating anniversary.. Yep-that fast.. Anyway, we were married less than a year after her birth. Reason for my backstory- to show how I've never lived on my own. I will definitely encourage my daughters to have time out on their own-because I believe a person learns so much about them self when not responsible for a husband and kids, yet are responsible for themselves (no longer living with Mom and Dad).

Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying-I do NOT regret anything-not one second-none of it. Being a mother has been the most rewarding experience-my daughters fill my life with so much joy-it overflows!

It's just that I didn't know who I was.. What I like to do.. Where I like to shop.. I'm still learning, and it's been umm..an entertaining challenge...but I am proud of myself and how far I've come..

If you're reading this, nodding your head, and thinking, "Who am I?", just follow the advice a smart woman once gave.

Go to the store and find the KoolAid aisle, pick up one of every flavor, take them home and try them all out.

Find out what your favorite KoolAid is!

Big Hugs~
melissa

Flatulence.. it happens..

17 years ago, I was about 4 months pregnant with my beautiful daughter T..
I ran into Walgreens for a birthday card to give a friend. I had been so sick, and it was great to finally feel like doing something. My belly wasn't showing yet because I'd been so sick, most people couldn't tell. Ok-back to my story..

So here I am at the Walgreens and feeling good- you know what I'm talking about ladies-the good feeling when you're finally getting over that first trimester uneasiness... Finally-feeling-like-putting-on-makeup-and-doing-your-hair-because-you-want-to-GOOD!

The guy in the checkout lane behind me was really nice-looking (hey-ladies-we still have eyes-we can look!) and anyway.. He's checking me out! I'm cool, I'm calm, I'm collected, I'm paying for the birthday card, then, as I'm walking out....

I'm no longer cool... Do you know why?? Why I wanted to run back home, wash my face and my hair of any trace that I'd done anything so maybe-I could forget my total embarrassment????

As I was walking away from the register, a very loud-"bwwarrrrrpppppp" somehow came from me-it was a shock-a sudden act of terror from my body to my ego.. So as I continued walking away as if nothing had just exploded from me- as soon as I took a step outside- I heard peels of laughter..

Alright, alright, it was funny.. A lot funnier now, 17 years later, when I can look back and laugh wholeheartedly at my little..ummm..bodily indiscretion.

Big hugs to my followers~
melissa