Pee-Wee Politician

I try very hard to use The Ladies’ lives as a continual teaching moment.  When the opportunity arises I breakdown a situation and pull out pearls that can be used in the future of their lives.  Disappointment is tough and it’s even more difficult to use disappointment as a tool.  

Carlie was notified today that she did not win the Kid Governor position.  The disappointment and heart break are real and raw in our home tonight.  As her Momma, I want to wrap her up and let her cry it out.  I want to tell her she’s the loveliest child that ran and it’s their loss that they didn’t choose her.  But I know that will not benefit her in her life if I make excuses and fix this for her.  So, I’ll pick it apart and use it as a teachable moment and hopefully give her some insight for future disappointing moments. 

Last year when she ran for Kid Governor and didn’t win they notified her shortly after her video submission.  This year she was called in for a face to face interview.  We talked about how she has matured over the last year and likely last year wasn’t as confident.  How great that she was asked to come in for a face to face interview?!  Also, what can she learn from channeling that nervous energy and speaking so clearly to adults. I don’t want her to be disheartened by this set-back but I also do not want to dismiss her hurt feelings.  We talked about her being bummed out (over her favorite Starbucks drink) and we’ve given it a “deadline”.  We’re going to be bummed until Friday morning and then we will regroup and continue to chase her dreams. 

If you think about it say a little prayer for our favorite pee-wee Politician.  She is very hurt right now.  Thank you all for supporting her with your kind words!  I know I can count on you to continue to cheer for her political ambitions.

Beauty and the Beast

Disclaimer: this is my blog. These are my views.  I am not perfect.  I love my children deeply.

I loved the movie Beauty and the Beast as a child.  I mean come on!  The book worm, sassy mouthed, scrappy little Belle takes on a cranky old beast to save her Dad?!  What’s not to love? 

I started reading about the ‘uproar’ concerning the new Beauty and the Beast last week on Facebook and I couldn’t help but giggle!  Y’all people have straight up lost their minds over this movie (that they haven’t even seen).  I was blown away at the way some spoke to others.  Some were so passionate about not letting their children see the movie while others were a little more ho-hum toward the subject.  Listen, I don’t care if you see the movie or not.  I don’t care if you shelter your kids from gay people forever.  I don’t care if you sit atop your pedestal and judge others for taking (or not taking) their children to see the movie when it comes out. What I do care about it how we seem to lost our ability to see others as people.  My goodness how different our reality would be if we just loved people.  All people.  I get it you are knowingly aware of a gay person in a movie and you cannot bring yourself to let your kids watch the movie.  You know what’s best for your kids.  God has entrusted them to you so you do what’s best!  But pretending groups of people don’t exist will not make them go away.

I am overly honest with my girls.  They know all about the birds and the bees, the puberty, gay people, illegal people and gasp! Even democrats!  I know people who grew up in the bubbles their parents created for them and when the bubble popped it was catastrophic.  I don’t want that for my girls and we can all thank Adam that our bubbles pop.  I have always been age appropriately honest with my girls.  When my 4-year-old wanted to know how her baby sister got in my tummy I didn’t rock her world with words like sperm and eggs…duh!  Now that she’s nearly 13 we do talk like that.  I have created an environment with my daughters that they can talk openly with me.  They know there is nothing that is off limits with me.  In turn they are starting to learn discernment.  They know when something feels off to them.  Case in point:  I don’t tolerate foul language.  I also read my daughters text logs every day.  I know my daughter has friends who cuss.  I’ve read it.  Rather than go off and tell my daughter to find a new set of friends I have spoken with her and given her some ways she might let her friends know that she’d rather them not cuss in front of her or on her text log.  A funny thing happened…my daughter is respected enough by her friends that they just stopped cussing in front of her or when they text her. It wasn’t weird or mean it was just a conversation.  I have taught her to love…not pretend these people don’t exist.  Don’t read something I didn’t say.  Loving others does not ever translate to keeping yourself in a situation that is physically harmful. 

Truth be told I likely will not take my daughters to see Beauty and the Beast.  But not for the reason that has caused so many waves. I can’t afford tickets, popcorn, and pop for 5 people. (ha ha ha)  If they catch on to the idea that a character in the movie is gay, we’ll talk about it.  If they don’t we’ll still talk about it.

I can’t help but think that our pews could be as full as the movie theaters if we would just love…

Tale as old as time:

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Rev 22:13

True as it can be

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 2 Cor 13:8

Barely even friends

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God, give you more and more grace and peace. 1 Peter 1:2

Then somebody bends unexpectedly

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Just a little change

because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 2 Cor. 34:27

Small to say the least

          Let your change of heart be seen in your works: Matthew 3:8

Both a little scared

Why should you be like a scared man, as a mighty man who can't save? Yet you, LORD, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us."
Neither one prepared.  Jer. 14:9

Beauty

          This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17

and the beast

          Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you. Isaiah 59:2

         

Pink Drink, say whaaatttt?

Only twice in my life have I ever wanted to kick a puppy.  Once, I burned my hand really bad on a cast iron skillet and the other when I feel my head may explode.  Come to think of it when I burned my hand I may have actually kicked a puppy, it’s hard to tell as I was dancing around my kitchen seemingly exercising the demons out of my soul.  The head exploding situation requires a little less puppy kicking and a little more strategy. 

If you’re like me you’ve heard all of the advice.  From sitting with your feet submerged in icy water to Botox and everything in between.  Some days I am more desperate than others in wanting to feel better and honestly until I felt better I didn’t know I felt so bad.  If it’s out there chances are I have tried it, well except the Botox, because I am skeerd of needles in my head.  I fought this physical battle for well over 18 months but I fought an internal battle every day.  There were days when my head felt like and F10 was blazing through (If you’re from Oklahoma you get that reference.  If you’re not from ‘round here, then imagine walking through a bedroom where the floor is full of Legos and rattlesnakes…that’s an F10 on the pain scale) and I couldn’t be the mom I wanted to be.  Days would pass and I couldn’t leave my bed!  My kids suffered, my husband suffered (he’s not very good a being a single dad) and my self-worth suffered.  I finally had a moment where I knew I had to make a change in my life. 

I reached out to my friend, Amy, who thankfully was gifted with humility and didn’t say “I told you so”.  She explained to me that nothing in life is a guarantee but I should at least give the Pink Drink a try.  At that point in my desperation I was willing to be a skeptical critic just so I could knock another ‘been there done that’ off my list.  I started my Plexus journey with my Pink Drink, Bio Cleanse and ProBio and doubt in my mind.  I didn’t feel an immediate change but I did notice subtle differences.  The very first thing I noticed was the decrease in my sugar cravings.  Thanks to my hysterectomy I have a new love affair with sweets.  Within about 2 weeks of starting I noticed I did not crave sugary drinks (that gut rotting diet pop) or 17 butter cookies before bed.  Secondly my sweet dreams came back.  Again, since my hysterectomy I have had trouble resting at night. 

It took about 2 and a half months before I realized that I didn’t have my ever-present achy companion in my head.  The day I realized that it was gone I text Amy in pure disbelief.  I asked if everyone felt, or rather DIDN’T have a nagging feeling behind their eyes every day?!  She giggled and said “I know girl. I’m so glad you gave Plexus a try”.  Since beginning my journey I have weathered one storm without having to go to bed for four days.  That my friends is a success in my book! 

Facts as they pertain to my journey:

Rest better at night

Losing inches

Maintaining weight

And the best part?! A little less F10 and a little more Olaf in Summer!!  

If you have any questions about the products I am taking please let me know.  I would love to chat!