Wordless Wednesday - Daddy and Baby Princess!

Dear Readers,

Dear Readers,

Thank you for sticking with me through this month of letter writing! It has been fun!

The task seemed quite daunting at first. I was sure I would run out of letters to write as the month wore on, but now we are here on the last day of April, and I still have things to say!

NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) encourages people to write in their blogs daily. It all started with a Month Of Thanks for November where bloggers were encouraged to write daily of what they were thankful for. That was so much fun and it made me want to try it again!

One thing NaBloPoMo has done for me is to get me writing on the weekends! I typcally got lazy on weekend days and skipped.

The theme for next months NaBloPoMo is "Voices". My new goal is to not only write everyday for this but also do better about posting pictures and updates for the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

So thanks for reading! If it would not be too much to ask, please leave a comment today to let me know you have been here. Comments mean so much!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Grandpa Great,

Dear Grandpa Great,

I cannot believe that it has been an entire year since you left us, an entire year since I have written you a letter, and an entire year since I have sent you pictures of my kids, your great grandkids.

There are so many things I want to tell you!

• Princess can read now. Education was always so important to you. I remember you would walk me over to your big console television set where you kept pictures of the family and ask, "Do you know how many years of education this family has?" Then you would just smile that knowing, proud, happy smile of yours that went all the way to your eyes.
• Prince is really into sports now. You were quite the athlete in your day so I know you would be proud of him! He has taken to sports like a fish takes to water.
• My little Knight is three now! He loves music and hums all day long. He likes to watch Little Einsteins so he mostly hums classical music. You were a musician. I remember when my sister played the saxaphone in high school. You would take a turn on her saxaphone and we were awed!
• I want to tell you all about the deck that DadOf3 built. You did a lot of home improvements in your house too. When we re-did our kitchen, you were very interested and wanted to see pictures. I think you would have liked the deck too.
• I want to tell you about my 5K because you didn't know I was going to do that. I think you would have been proud of me and patted me on the hand with a big smile on your face.

We miss you, Grandpa Great! I especially miss you during this month of writing letters. I used to write you at least every other week. The kids coloreded pictures, and we sent snapshots whenever we could. You liked pictures like I do. It occured to me as I was writing my Christmas letter last year and telling about my blog, that I started this thing because I missed writing letters to you.

I love you Grandpa Great!

Love, MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge

Blogging for Jeni

The Ebay Auction for Jeni has begun!

If you have a few extra minutes, hop on over to Beyond the Map and check out what is up for auction.

You can also go directly to Ebay!

To read more from Jeni herself, click here.

Thank you for your consideration. This is a mighty cause.

Dear GrandmaOf4 (my mom)

Dear GrandmaOf4,

The countdown is on!

In three days you will be with us and we could not be more excited!

Oh the things we have planned for you! Let's just say you will not be bored!

• I have a yummy supper planned for Thursday night when you arrive.
• You get to go to MOPS with me on Friday morning.
• Friday afternoon, we will take the boys to Princess's school. I am helping to throw a party for Princess's student teacher and Friday is her last day.
• Saturday morning, you not only get to experience Soccer Saturday, you get to experience Picture Day! Princess and Prince will be so proud that you are there!
• Sunday, we will go to church and you will have the choice of helping to teach Sunday school with me (and by "teach" I mean play with the 4 year olds) or going to church with DadOf3.
• Sunday afternoon will be naps and board games. Maybe we will go swimming that night?
• Monday is up for grabs! We could go shopping and out for lunch or whatever your heart desires!
• Tuesday you fly home. :( We will miss you but we are not thinking about that now! We are looking forward to your arrival with great anticipation!!

We cannot wait for you to arrive! We love having visitors and the kids love having Grandma here!

May is going to be a great month for visitors as we open and close the month of May hosting family and friends at our house! Every visitor brings a little touch of home to Texas and we love it!

Love, MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Person from Craigslist who wants my exersaucer

Dear Person on Craigslist Who Wants My Exersaucer,

Wow! You have got some nerve!

I listed my only-used-by-one-baby exersaucer on Craigslist today for $20. I paid over $50 for it so it is a win-win situation for all. I get a big, clunky not-used-anymore toy out of my house and someone gets a good deal on a must-have baby item.

Then you called. You have an interest in my exersaucer, but you do not want to pick it up. You want me to drive it to you at your convenience. Because you do not want to drive in the rain. I guess it is OK for me to drive in the rain though? Interesting.

Have you seen gas prices lately? It would cost at least $10 in gas for me to drive this thing to you.

This is a neat toy, and $20 is a fair price. $10 is not.

So, Bargain Hunter, I don't think this deal is the right deal for either of us.

Shocked and amazed,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Prince's Pre-school Teachers,

Dear Prince's Pre-school Teachers,

My son absolutely loves pre-school! Every day when I drop him off, he runs to his classroom, with his little brother close behind him!

He has learned so many things since the beginning of the semester:

• He can now color between the lines
• He knows almost all of the alphabet by site
• He can write many letters
• He is doing a great job listening to his teachers and
• He is getting along well with his classmates.

I cannot believe that I hesitated to put him into pre-school. I now realize that I was being selfish because I wanted him with me all of the time.

He has grown up so much!

Now we are looking forward to Kindergarten, and because of the wonderful experience he has had in pre-school, I am sure that my decision to start him, even though he is a boy with a summer birthday, is the right thing to do.

So, thank you Pre-school Teachers! You have made my son's first taste of formal education fun and exciting! He is ready and raring to go to Kindergarten in the fall!

Sincerely, MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Faith Lift Friday!

HAIRBRUSH EXPERIENCE OF BETH MOORE AT THE AIRPORT

For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters. This is one of her experiences:

April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise.

Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego. I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair h ung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.

I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport...an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a
feeling for him.

Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels,
something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.

I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"

There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane." Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair." The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainier. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am
ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man."

Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair." I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came
to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)

I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?" He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?" "May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?" To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to
talk louder than that." At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?" At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face
crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and s ay, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on
my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush." "I have one in my bag, "he responded.

I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.

A miraculous thing happened to me as I sta rted brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.


The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know my Jesus?" He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my
bride."

Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll
never forget it.

Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft. I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?" I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!" And we got to share.

I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave
of temptation. Or He knows if you just nee d your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!

I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way. .. .. all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.

John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We Have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father,full of grace and truth."

Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, "Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!"

Blessed are the Cracked, For they are the Ones who let in the Light!

Dear Prince,

Dear Prince,

You had a bad dream last night and you came down and jumped in with us around 1:00. I am glad you know that you can come to us when you are scared, but my goodness I am so tired today that I cannot see straight.

You are a wiggler.

And a kicker.

And a talker.

I think your kicking was to make sure I was there all. night. long.

And I was....

But that didn't make for a very good night sleep and now I am dragging. I would dearly love to stay home today but I know if I keep us home, it will be a horrible day filled with "I'm bored!" "He's looking at me." "I'm not going to play with you anymore forever again."

And I just don't think I can handle that.

So we are off to the gym for a little exercise and hopefully a peaceful morning.

Love,
Mommy

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Summer,

Dear Summer,

You are early!

Seriously. You do not have to start working so hard so soon. You end up working overtime late in the year anyway, so why not take a break?

It is only April you know, and we have already been in the 90s! Ugh!

I am not ready for you yet!

I just need a couple more weeks to get all the summer stuff out, buy new sunscreen, find the swimming suits, and dust off the sandals.

Then I will be ready for you...I think! ;)

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Princess's (and soon to be Prince's) school!

Dear Princess's and (Soon To Be) Prince's School,

You rock! Seriously. The way that you welcome incoming students is simply amazing!

When Princess started Kindergarten almost two years ago, I was a basket case. The thought of her being away from me for 8 hours a day in a school where I knew no one was excruciatingly painful.

Your Welcome To School club helped me more than I could ever say!

• The incoming Kindergarteners had organized play dates at the school playground.
• The incoming Kindergarteners were invited to hear a story read by the librarian in the school library.
• The incoming Kindergarteners were invited to workout in the gym with the P.E. teacher.
• The incoming Kindergarteners were invited to have lunch in the cafeteria
• And of course, the incoming Kindergarteners were invited to Kindergarten roundup!

All of this helped Princess (and me!) find familiar faces on the first day of school.

And now, it is my little Prince's turn! We have gone to a play date, we missed working out in the gym because he had pre-school, we heard a story in the library, and today we are heading off with the other incoming Kindergarteners and their families to have lunch in the cafeteria. Granted, lunch will be way early today (9:45) but this is really for the experience and not the food.

So, GREAT JOB, Princess and Prince's school! Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Wordless Wednesday - Prince's (grey shirt/black socks) First Soccer Goal!

Dear Princess's Music Teachers,

Dear Princess's Music Teachers,

We had an absolutely WONDERFUL time last night at First Grade Music Night! You all did an outstanding job.

Wow!

You allowed each class of 20+ students their very own time on the stage.

There were 6 classes, they each sang 3 songs with movement, and the entire program was done in 35 minutes!!

To say I was impressed would be an understatement.

The best part of the entire night was the look on my daughter's face when she was up on that stage. She was not afraid, and she had so much fun. To me, it looked like all of the kids had fun!

That is to your credit, Music Teachers! Great job!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Digital Camera,

Dear Digital Camera,

You are one of my very favorite things!

With you....

• I can have instant gratification!
  
• I can share pictures with the grandparents each and every day (if I had my act together)!
• I can record our every day life so when the kids are grown up I can remember how crazy life was when they were little!
• I can entertain my children when we are waiting somewhere.
• I can delete unflattering pictures.

My mother is convinced that lots of character traits are "in the genes".

If that is true, then I inherited my Grandpa's shutterbug gene. I remember that he always brought his camera when he and Grandma came to our house, and he always brought it out when we were at their house. He took lots of pictures and it was always so much fun to look at them. He had a Polaroid camera that we, as grandkids, could not get enough of. It was magical!

That is just how I feel about you , my little digital camera! You are magic to me!

Love,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Sunday

Dear Sunday,

I absolutely adore you! Sunday is my favorite day of the week.

• I like sleeping in until 8:00.
  
• I like going to our church.
  
• I like that the kids enjoy going to Sunday School
• I like coffee in the morning with....
• ...the Sunday paper.
• I like the Sunday funnies
• I like Sunday naps - guilt free napping because Sunday is the day of rest.
  
• And now that the strike is over - I like that my favorite shows are back! (Guilty indulgence: Desperate Housewives.

So, thank you Sunday for being you!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear New Laptop

Dear New Laptop,

I am in total awe of your beauty and speed. I never knew my internet life was in the slow lane until I booted you up.

All I have to saw is "Wow!"

• You load pages faster!
• You install faster!
• You look really cool!

And the best thing of all? DadOf3 got the old laptop working again so I do not have to share you!

Yippee!!!!

Love, MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Faith Lift Friday!

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures and returns. For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently.

You and Jesus are walking as true friends! This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints, that once etched the sand next to Jesus', are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, safely you and Jesus are becoming one. This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually they disappear altogether.

There is only one set of footprints; they have become one. This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Deep gashes in the sand. A disordered canvas on the sand, as both sets of footprints go every which direction. You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends.

Now you pray: "Lord, I understand the first scene with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But you walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with you."

"That is correct."

"... and when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps; followed you very closely."

"Very good. You have understood everything so far."

"... when the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like you in every way."

"Precisely."

"So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."

There is a pause as the Lord answers with a smile in his voice." You didn't know? That was when we danced."

—author unknown

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance..." -Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Dear Old Laptop

Dear Old Laptop,

Thank you so much for waiting to die until we bought our new laptop! Just in the nick of time, DadOf3 was able to whisk away all of my emails, documents, pictures, music, and other fun stuff off of you before the blue screen of death took you away from us forever. (DadOf3 backs up our computers with an external hardrive - Go DadOf3! You ROCK!!)

My heart almost stopped this morning when I realized that I might have lost my Microsoft Publisher MOPS newsletter. I only have one more to write this year and did not want to recreate it from scratch!

You have been a good little laptop!

• You have played many DVDs to entertain the kids while we drove to Iowa!
• It was on you that I found out about blogging - somthing that has surely saved my sanity on several different occasions.
• You were my connection with family and friends during the day when they were working but I was not. Email rocks!
• You stored my pictures!
• You stored my music!
• You entertained my children once and a while (www.nickjr.com and www.pbs.org)
• Princess learned about Saturn, the moon, and received emails from her cousins on you!

We will always remember you, little laptop! You have served us well!

Love,

MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!!

Thank you Mama Zen!

I woke up this morning to a very nice surprise! Mama Zen over at the Zen of Motherhood gave me a nice award! This absolutely made my day! Thank you, Mama Zen!

If you have not already done so, hop on over and check out the Zen of Motherhood. Mama Zen is seriously one of the most creative people I have ever met. She writes about being the mother of 4 year old little girl named Baby Puppy, book reviews, politics, and a variety of other creative topics! I look forward to reading what Mama Zen has to say each and every day!

I am going to pass this award on to several people:

Bella from Beyond the Map - Everything Bella so eloquently writes speaks to me. She makes me think. Bella is also using her blog for such a good cause: raising money for fellow blogger with terminal cancer. She is helping bloggers come together to truly support each other.

The Vansquez3 - This is a powerful and fun blog written by a mom. I love to read what she writes about her daughter - her love for her daughter and her husband comes through loud and clear. Their family has so much fun together!

Gotta GROW With It - This is also a mommy blog. This mom writes about life as a mom of two little boys with such honesty and love! I enjoy reading her blog daily as well!

Supermom - Supermom's blog talks about being a mother to three boys. It is so interesting because she lives in South Africa. Supermom pointed me in the direction of the Couch to 5K program! I could not have done this without her!

That's it for now because I have to get my 4 year old to pre-school!

Dear Miney Cat

Dear Miney Cat,

I am so glad that you are feeling better! You had me worried!

First, we noticed that you were losing weight. Then you started to throw up - a lot!

So, into the cat carrier you went and we were off to see the vet. After an anti-nausea shot and some medicine to take home, you are doing so much better today! We are so glad!

You are a good little kitty, just like your brother, Moe. Every morning when DadOf3 or I walk upstairs to wake up Princess for school, both of you furry friends follow us, purring all the way. When the door is opened, Miney, you run straight to the bed and plant your purry little self right on Miss Princess! DadOf3 said this morning, "That's not a bad way to wake up!" And he is right.

So, Miney mine, I am not sure what you got into that made you sick, but I am sure glad you are better today and back to your playful old self!

Love,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Perfectionism

Dear Perfectionism,

You suck!

Looking at me, you might not believe it, but I am quite the perfectionist.

I remember having a spelling test when I was in 6th grade. I had not missed a word all year, but then I missed one. Afterwards I begged the teacher to let me skip recess, stay inside, and write the word. Over and over and over again....

In school, if I received anything less than 100%, I had failed.

Socially, I was paralyzed. Because I was not a skinny little teenager, I felt extremely unworthy of friendship. My mind told me I was not worth it because I had failed to look like the pretty people.

As I got older, I found ways to combat these feelings. I found a place to be happy with myself. I learned to be happy with trying new things and congratulating myself for trying even if I had not succeeded. I could see the value of experiencing new things, even if I did not always "win".

And then came Sunday.

I signed up for a 5K. My goal was to run it without walking at all. I ran it in less time than I had ever run it before, but I had to walk two times during the race. Because I didn't run the entire thing without walking, I felt like I had failed. At the end of the race, tears were streaming down my face, and they were not tears of relief or joy like they should have been. They were tears of frustration, shame, and anger.

The perfectionist in me screamed that I had failed. I didn't do it. I was not strong enough.

Forget about the fact that having this goal got me to the gym 3-4 times per week since January.

Forget about the fact that I only walked twice: once because I started running with a friend whose pace was too fast for me and once in the middle of a huge hill. I had not trained on hills.

I should have been happy, but I wasn't.

It was only after I reunited with my family at the finish line that I started to feel better. My husband said he was proud of me. He didn't care that I had walked a little bit. He was proud that I did it. He knows how far I have come since January. My kids jumped up and down for me. My daughter loves to run and wants to run a 5K with me. How cool would that be?

So, Perfectionism, I reiterate, you suck!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge.

Wordless Wednesday - Last Leg of My First 5K!

Dear Stranger Lady At the Store:

Dear Stranger Lady At The Store,

I know more about you than I want to know and it makes me sad.

You were talking to a receptionist at the vet clinic where I took my little Miney because he was not feeling very well. (He's fine!)

While I waited for Miney's medicine to be brought to the front desk, I heard the following comments come out of your mouth:

• "I had an sonogram and it is a girl - I could not be more disappointed."
• "I am a total tomboy and I don't know what I will do with a girl."
• "I hate pink."
• "I will just make her do everything my sons do."

Wow, I feel sorry for your little baby girl, and she is not even born yet. So many thoughts are going through my head like.....

• Way to start this relationship off on the wrong foot.
• Could you be any more judgmental?
• How are your sons going to treat this precious new little baby if they hear you talking like that now?
  
• Are you teaching them to value women? Nope, I don't think so.
  

How is this little girl going to handle coming into this world already being a disappointment to her own mother?

And we wonder why our little girls battle self esteem problems.

Sadly,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Mr. Coffee,

Dear Mr. Coffee,

I just don't know what I would do without you some mornings!

On days like this, when I am tired and everyone else is crabby after a busy weekend, you are the reason I can get up in the morning and hold on to the small amount of sanity that I still possess. :)

Your timer lets me wake up to coffee already brewing! Ahh that wonderful smell!!! It jump-starts my brain the moment I smell it, before I even pour a cup!

So, I thank you Mr. Coffee! You're the best!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

First 5K - Done!

I ran my first 5K yesterday!!

If you would like to read about it, click here. (This is my running blog.)

Time to get my boys some breakfast!

Dear People Who Talk on Cell Phones While Driving:

Dear People Who Talk on Cell Phones While Driving,

STOP IT!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Google Maps

Dear Google Maps,

I love you! I love you! I love you! I promise from the bottom of my heart to not go anywhere unfamiliar without consulting you ever again!

Yep, I got lost today.

The day started off well. I took Princess to her Math Competition this morning in a completely unfamiliar area south of town and made it there without a hitch thanks to you, Google Maps! We arrived on time, Princess had a ball, and she did great at the contest. But that is another letter.

After the Math Competition, since I was going to be driving right by downtown anyway, I thought I would just drive right to where I had to pick up my running registration and that would be that.

Wrong!

In my own defense, they had a big detour that had me turning several times and I just got completely turned around. Anyone who knows me knows that I could get lost in a paper bag, especially if inside said paper bag is a detour!

So, dear Google Map, I promise never t0 forget to consult you again!

(That is, until I get GPS in my van! Ha!)

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Running Shoes

Dear Running Shoes,

We have been through a lot together since January, and I have to be honest, you look a little worse for wear.

When we first met, you were bright white and shiny. Today you are grimy looking and dirty.

When we first met, I had to really work hard to run a minute and a half without stopping and I jumped for joy when I could run for 5 minutes without stopping. Today I can run for 45 minutes straight.

I was offered a new pair of running shoes a couple of weeks ago. After all, I have my first real race coming up this Sunday.

The shoe were shiny, white, and new.

But, they are not for me.

We started this together, Running Shoes, and we are going to end this together too.

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge.

Faith Lift Friday!

IDENTIFICATION

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this church before!)

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, and very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion.

When the minister gains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget."

Randy Pausch Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

This is truly inspiring and amazing. It is over an hour long but so worth watching.

Update

Since I have ventured into the realm of creative writing with my Write A Letter A Day stuff, I thought it would be good to post an honest to goodness update.

Princess - Princess has rocked her spelling tests the last two weeks in a row! She missed one this week and 2 last week, but last week's test was the hardest spelling test to date. I am very proud of her. I am in the habit of eating lunch with Princess on Tuesdays with the Knight. My little Prince is in pre-school so that means I just have to wrangle one pre-schooler while we eat. Princess invited a new little girl up on stage to eat with us. We will call her ZO. She was a nice little girl. I would love for Princess to make a good girl friend. Soccer is going well. She will miss soccer this week because she has a math tournament to attend on Saturday.

Prince - Prince has really enjoyed going to pre-school. He is always a little irritated on Thursday afternoons when I pick him up because he has to wait 5 days to go to pre-school again. He loves soccer too and has been able to practice with Princess's team on Friday night. For some reason, Princess's coach decided to devote two nights a week to practice and the kids can choose between Friday night and Wednesday night. Princess and AB chose Friday night. Because there are not many kids there, the coach asked Will if he wanted to practice too. Prince LOVED that! I would have asked for Prince to be on his team, but he really wanted to be on the same team as one of his friends. Prince continues to learn in pre-school. Here is a Prince Story:

PRINCE: Mommy I can spell "unbuckle"
MOMOF3: Really? Awesome! Can you spell it for me.
PRINCE: P-R-E-S-S (He was reading the button on the seat belt buckle!)

Knight - My little Knight is doing well. He has developed a BIG naughty streak lately. Last Saturday, DadOf3 and I had to divide and conquer because the kids' soccer games were at the same time. I took the Knight with me because DadOf3 was called at 3:00 in the morning for work and was up for an hour. Well, to make a long story short, the Knight got away from me, kicked a soccer ball in the middle of Princess's soccer game, and ran right into the mass of soccer players. I ran after him and got him out but man! That was not fun! I went to the mall with another mom friend of mine today and we took the Knight. He was pretty good but he was still trying to get away from me. Mr. Independent!

Our life is pretty darn busy these days with school, homework, soccer, work, and just having three kids in general. It is fun but I sometimes wonder where the time goes!

Dear Prince and Princess,

Dear Prince and Princess,

I realize that you will be eating breakfast together every school day next year when Prince starts Kindergarten, and we are going to have to figure some things out, but your fighting in the morning needs to stop.

I have not even had a cup of coffee yet, and you two are already at each other's throat.

Princess is teasing Prince. Prince threw a crayon in Princess's cereal. Etc. etc. etc...

Mind you, it is not even 7:00 yet.

Kids, we have to figure this out or next year is going to be a really. long. year.

Love,
Mommy

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day challenge.

Throwback Thursday - Adventureland!

Each summer we make a point of going to Adventureland! It is a fun amusement park, and the kids just have a blast! Here is a picture of my dad, DadOf3, and a 1 year old Prince at Adventureland back in 2004!

Dear Ice Cream Truck

For Wordless Wednesday, click here.
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Dear Ice Cream Truck,

Call me a mean mommy, but I find your whole operation kind of creepy.

I spend a good deal of my time telling my children not to talk to strangers and especially not to approach strangers in a vehicle.

Then you come into my neighborhood, with your "It's A Small World" music blaring and make me the mean mom for not letting my kids buy ice cream from you.

I don't know if it is the appearance of your rundown, in-need-of-a-paint-job vehicle or the thought of my kids eating something from a stranger, but I don't like it.

Plus, your music is so loud it wakes my kids up from their nap....and that is not a way to win my business.

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's write a letter a day challenge.

Wordless Wednesday - Brother chefs!

Dear Spring Flowers,

Dear Spring Flowers,

Welcome back! It has been a long time since we have seen your pretty colors, and you sure are a site for sore eyes.

Living in a state that has horribly long summers, you may be surprised that I am happy to see you. But I am.

You see, it is not just about me anymore. I have three little children who are not used to any sort of cold weather.

When Princess wakes up on cold winter mornings, she wants to wear her jacket inside because she is so cold.

My Princes keeps asking when we can get out the swimming pool.

My little Knight gets blue lips if he is out in the cold for too long.

So welcome back Spring Flowers, and welcome back sunshine and hot days. We are glad y'all came back to play.

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge.

My Dear 3 Year Old Son,

My Dear Little Knight,

Your three year old little self is driving me to distraction. Within the last three days you have done the following:

• Kicked a stray soccer ball into your sister's soccer game and ran after it. Of course, I had to chase you down can carry you off the field.
• Run wild around a Best Buy store, not stopping when I yelled at you to stop, and instead laughed at me.
• Threw a shoe at your big brother. And while I admire that your aim was right on throwing that shoe from across the room, you may NOT use your brother as a target.
• Talked potty talk every chance you could get, egged on by your big brother. Time outs, being sent to your room, and the removal of favorite toys do not seem to alter your behavior.

So, you have me at my whits end. And it is only MONDAY!

You can bet your bottom dollar that we will have a full day of activities planned for tomorrow.

Loving you even when you are naughty,
Mommy

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day challenge.

Give Me 5 Monday!

Give Me Five favorite candies, of all time or currently.

1. M&Ms - chocolate wrapped in candy - it does not get any better than this!
2. Malted Milk Easter Eggs - otherwise known as Robin Eggs! I am sad each year when they are gone!
3. Butterfinger Candy Bar. I cannot have these in the house or I eat them all.
4. Hershey's Miniatures - just the right amount for a quick bite of chocolate!
5. Hershey's Kisses.
   

Well, I am not that original - the common theme in all of these candies is CHOCOLATE! I could have saved us all some time and just written chocolate 5 times! Ha!

Dear Sugar:

Dear Sugar,

Why do you affect my children so?

Yes, they have their good days and their bad days, but when you come to visit via a birthday cake, Easter bunny, or Halloween candy, they go ballistic.

I can almost see their little heads spinning whilst under your spell.

At first, it is fun.

They laugh.

They run around.

They dance.

And then things start to get messy....

First my youngest dances into my oldest.

Then she hits him, and he falls to the ground.

Defending his little brother's honor, my middle child goes after my oldest.

She sees it coming and knocks him to the ground as well. (She is still bigger than the boys at this point, but there will come a day.....)

What follows is utter chaos until I can break them all apart. This madness leaves behind bruises, tears, and sometimes even blood.

So, Sugar, even though I get called a "Mean Mommy" for limiting your visits into our home, you can see, I really am doing it for their own good.

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's write a letter a day challenge.

Dear Texas

Dear Texas,

7 years ago, you and I were not friends. I did not want to be here, and yet here we were.

As time went on, I realized that it was not your fault.

Yes, you have annoyingly hot summers, but your winters more than make up for that.

My kids can play outside almost every day, unless it happens to fall on the one icy day of the year. Heck, we have even played in the rain because it was still warm outside.

You are a fun state to live in. Your people are very proud to call you home. Relocated people like me often say, "I was not born here, but I got here as fast as I could."

We have had our swimming pool out on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day! You cannot do that in Iowa!

You are too still too far away from my family and friends back in Iowa for my liking, but I am beginning to forgive you for that.

Thanks for your patience, Texas! I came around as fast as I could!

Love,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's Write A Letter A Day Challenge!

Dear Little Gray Hair:

Dear Little Gray Hair,

I have to admit when we first met, I thought you were cute.

"Look!" I exclaimed to my husband, "A gray hair!"

Jokes were made.

Laughs were had.

A comparison of heads was done.

It was funny...for a while.

Then I decided that I didn't like you anymore and plucked you from my dark brown head forever. Order was restored.

Or so I thought....

Through squinting morning eyes I saw you - in the exact same place from whence you were plucked. Only this time you brought friends.

"Humph," I said to myself, "This simply will not do." Out came the tweezers once again and you were all evicted with a confident flick of the wrist. Pluck! Pluck! Pluck!

I don't know how you did it, but in what seemed like mere hours, you were back once again...with noticeably more reinforcements!

So here I sit with a dilemma at hand. To pluck or not to pluck? You have proven to be a most formidable foe. Your resilience, as astonishing as it is annoying.

But you shan't win, clever villain! For I possess the winning strategy: Preference by L'oreal! ;)

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's write a letter a day challenge.

Faith Lift Friday!

There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. is primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.

For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation. At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, ''If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!''

In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, ''Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it. And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith...he hoped.

Finally, the day came. The professor said, ''If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!'' The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom.

The professor shouted, ''You FOOL!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!'' He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of the room and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of His power through Jesus.

See: Phil 4:13
Author Unknown

For more Faith Lift Fridays, go here!

Dear Telemarketers:

Dear Telemarketers,

I did not think it was possible for you to become any more rude and annoying.

I was wrong.

How dare you call my home phone using a voice recording that tells me to call you back??

Are you kidding me?

Do you realize what you are implying by using this method of communication?

You are saying that your employee's time is more important than mine, your potential customer. You won't pay one of your employees to make a real phone call, but you expect me to call you back? Ha! Fat chance!

I don't like telemarketers to begin with, but come on! This is rediculous!

The only way you will get a call back from me this way is when I call to have my name removed from your call list!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's write a letter a day challenge.

Wordless Wednesday - My Little Spiderman!

Dear JC Penny Picture Dude,

Written for NaBloPoMo's write a letter a day challenge.



















Dear JC Penny Picture Dude,

I visit JC Pennys regularly to have my children's pictures taken, and I can honestly say that I have never had a better experience than when you photographed my children!

You got it! They are kids! They are not always going to smile when you say smile - sometimes you have to trick the smiles out of them.

You barked.

You burped.

You made farting noises.

You used their stuffed animals in the picture without complaint and you listened to me when I suggested not having Princess's doll's blue shoes in the picture. Princess threw a fit but you rolled with it and got the picture I (the person paying) wanted!

In addition, as Princess was pitching a fit, you went ahead and started taking the boys' picture, making Princess feel left out so she wanted to get her picture taken!

You were able to convince my 3 year old to not only stand still but to stand still with his hand in his pocket long enough for you to take several pictures of him.

Thank you for being silly and taking the time to get such great pictures of my kids! They mean the world to me, and it is no easy feat to get them in for pictures.

You made the trip well worth it!

Sincerely, MomOf3

Dear Overzealous Soccer Parents:

Dear Overzealous Soccer Parents,

First of all, I applaud the fact that you are so supportive of your child. It is not always easy to dedicate two afternoons a week to practice soccer and play a soccer game.

That being said, "Get a freaking clue!"

Do you know that the kids on the field are 6 years old? They are first graders, and some of them (like my daughter) are playing soccer for the very first time.

They are going to make mistakes.

They are going to forget the rules.

They are going to mess around and laugh and have fun.

That is what soccer is all about in my book. And, yes, I may not have a competitive bone in my body, but I do have a heart.

So sit your loud self down, stop yelling at these kids, and think about what you are teaching your child.

Do you want him to grow up thinking that if he does not win he is worthless?

Do you want him to grow up thinking that everything he does has to be taken seriously?

Do you want him to grow up thinking that if he makes a mistake you will yell at him?

Let these kids be kids.

Let them learn.

Let them play soccer.

And most of all, let them have fun!

Sincerely,
MomOf3

Written for NaBloPoMo's write a letter a day challenge.