A good start

Today is the dawn of a new era.

Miss Boo took me by the hand.

"Close your eyes Mommy".

"Look what I did"!

Without being asked or prompted.

She asks me constantly if I am proud of her.

YES!

10 things that make me happy

Shannon included me as someone to carry on the happy blog she just added to her Blog!  And since I respect her and always enjoy her lists, I am going to do this for her and it might  help me to count my blessings today.


Here goes:


1.  Head butts from the Dude.  Always given with love, of course


2.  My new office at home.  It makes me feel relaxed and calm.


3.  New Grandbabies.  Can't wait to see my latest.


4.  Parent/teacher conferences.  I love to hear how my children are doing amongst their peers and teachers.  I especially love to hear that they are excelling.


5.  Breakfast alone with Mr. Finn.  Thanks Hon!


6.  Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Hot Cocoa with yesterdays baguette bread for dunking.


7.  New Pasta recipes.   I could eat it 3 meals a day of it.  Did you know that Olive Garden has recipes on their website?   So delicious!


8.  A day when I can sleep in.  It happens so rarely anymore, but I am hoping for some days to come.


9.  Road trips with the family.  I should clarify...trips with the family.  I am not that fond of the car, but it means we are together and that is good.  Especially since the children are growing up and they can amuse themselves.


10.  Having the gospel in my life.  It truly is my one constant that gives me hope.

Time will tell...

Apparently time is not my friend.

And neither is energy.

I have been trying to establish a relationship with them for quite some time, only to be rebuffed over and over again.

I began to think I was one of those "lazy" people that live in filth and lay around eating all day.

The evidence was leaning in that direction.

SO...

I finally had my well woman check up.

Good news!

I am not lazy.

Just very anemic...

...from some overactive

Fibroids.

9 Years and counting

When I was 12 years old my sister brought home a very obnoxious boy.  And since I didn't like anyone she fraternized with, it was instant and deep dislike.

My memories of him consist of the guy with the afro sitting in our kitchen in the dark when we arrived home late one night.  Scared the dickens out of everyone.  And, of course his liking my sister.  I maintained my dislike for him.

As things go for the young, attraction faded and so did he from our lives.  Mostly mine and I was good with that.

At 18 my cousin began to ask me what I thought of the aforementioned guy with the afro. What was there to think, I replied.

Life happened.

I dated many guys, nothing happened and I went on a mission.  A little while into the mission, I received a letter from "afro guy".

Say What?!  I guess I would have to write him back.  It was mission rules.  The letters came in increasing frequency, sometimes in the form of a package of shampoo with some money inside, wrapped in cellophane.  My companion and I began to look forward to his letters and packages.

Voile!  The birth of a friendship.  And all because he "knew" the mission rules.

Before I was to come home he had prepped me for the possibility of marriage and I was actually considering it.

UNTIL I came home and "REALITY" with my MOM hit me.  Life in real life wouldn't allow me the opportunity to "date" him as someone my mother didn't have an opinion of.  It proved to be my undoing.  Our undoing.  After a trip out to California to see him, we parted ways and I made a conscious choice not to pursue things with him or allow him to pursue me.  With the knowledge firmly in hand that we were too different and I couldn't live with someone like that.

Nine years later...

1 month after my divorce I was at a Women's Conference with MomE and some of my other female relatives.  I was getting grilled about what I would be doing now.  I told them I was pretty happy and didn't want to do anything for a year.  Give myself some time to be alone.  Alone is a good thing and I was really enjoying it.  My cousin told me that Mr. Finn had been asking about me the previous summer when he visited her.  I said I wasn't ready for anything like that.  I finally promised I would get the number if the subject could be dropped.

Two days later she called with the number.  At least I could just store it in my cell phone and I would have met my obligation and maybe some reprieve from the nudging.  Unfortunately, I wasn't quite familiar with my new cell phone and instead of pushing "SAVE"...I pushed "Send".  Had no idea until I heard "Hello".  I realized instantly what I had done, and then a wave of relief.  Not a voice that I recognized.  So, I said quite confidently, "Sorry, wrong number".  The voice asks, "Who are you calling?".  I said Mr. Finn and he says, "hold on".  Noooooooooooo!   I wasn't ready for this.  How could this be happening.  The same voice comes back on the phone, "Who's calling"?  What to say...I stammer....."Robin".

This can't be happening.  I hear "Robin who?" from a voice I did recognize.

And the rest is history.

Nine Years Later...and counting.

Ground Hog Day

I don't like bed time!  Not my bed time...the children's bed time.  It is the most stressful time of the day for ME!  By the time they are asleep and dreaming of all things good, I am tired, stressed, angry and depressed.

I don't deal well with the thousand and one times out of bed for a multitude of reasons.  Some sweet and the rest annoying to delay the inevitable.

Why can't they just go to bed?  The Dude will finally give in after 3 more hugs and 3 more kisses.

BUT...Miss Boo!  She will wage WWIII with me in order to get her way.  We usually end up fighting and when she falls asleep, I creep back into her room, saddened that I yelled at her.  Praying she won't hate me.  A kiss on her forehead and a tear in my eye, I go to bed.

AND THEN....morning comes.

She comes into my room with that delightful smile upon her face and snuggles with me in my bed...with a sweet, little "I love you Mommy".

The problem with resolutions

Last year I wanted to be a Fruit Snack for my New Years Resolution for many apparent reasons.

I forgot about one major problem with this idea.

Fruit Snacks come imprinted with expiration dates.  Shocking, I know!  But, it is true that their time does expire and they become hard...stale....and I might add, a bit grainy.

And in my quest to be like this delightful fruit snack, I ended up quite like one that was left out in the air too long.  As Miss Boo says, "Air robs food of it's freshness".  Even unto the unedible end.

This year I am going to cast off this grainy, hard exterior that encompasses my softer, dare I say...delightful side.

Even my dear little boy has turned against fruit snacks this year, boldy declaring; "They are not my favorite anymore".

I completely understand.