Buggie & “Miss J”

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Buggie is well in to her Pre-K year and one thing is for sure she adores her bus driver (we’ll just call her “Miss J”)! There is no doubting the special bond they have created. Just this week alone there are three cute things that has happened between them.

One day Buggie brought her a party hat from her baby sister’s party. Without missing a beat “Miss J” put that hat on and happily waved and they were off to school.

On another day when “Miss J” dropped her off she pointed out that she had wore her husband’s super hero shirt just for Buggie! Needless to say Buggie thought that was the bees knees and beamed from ear to ear when she came off of that bus that day.

Then today Buggie informed us that while “Miss J” gives all of the kiddos stickers daily as they get off of the bus, “Miss J” has a binder full of stickers, but one page is super heroes just for Buggie!

I can still remember my bus driver growing up. I had the same one from elementary school until I moved “up da road” in high school. Mr. Miller, this sweet little old man with a long red beard that always wore a bandana on his head. He was a sweet ole fella with a great big smile and all of the kids loved him. Even after I became a mom, if we would bump into him and his wife at a local fair I was always happy to see him. That is the relationship she has with “Miss J”. Last week we ran into her at the bank. And let me tell you, that child happily held a conversation with her in the drive through for a few minutes. But she had to tell her she should have drove her bus to the bank and yelled “I love you! See you tomorrow!” As we drove away.

This sweet lady even has a picture taped up in her bus of the two of them from Christmas when she brought her kiddos to visit Santa with us a few door down from our home. They happily sat in Santa’s lap together and Buggie talked about it for weeks.

I can’t even begin to describe how much we love this lady. She goes out of her way to make these kiddos feel loved on the way to and from school. It’s nice to know our little girl feels safe and happy when she climbs on that big yellow bus each day to meet her sweet friend “Miss J”.
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Luke 1:45

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Just scheduled my fourth surgery in a matter of 14 months time. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Thankfully my heal time will only be up to four weeks by going through a specialist verses the originally thought eight weeks had I gone through my doctor. I can’t wait for this to all be behind me considering this has been a battle I have fought for nearly twenty years. I hate for my family to have to go through this with me again. My poor Buggie sobbed when we told her I have to have another surgery. But I know I have a strong family and good friends that will take care of everything that needs to be done while I am on the road to recovery and I can’t even get over how truly blessed I am. Now I have just a few days to get as many freezer meals prepped and anything else I can think of done before hand to make it a little easier for my lovelies.20140131-121442.jpg

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It’s been sixteen years

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It’s still really hard for me to fathom. Such a beautiful soul, my maw-maw, left us sixteen years ago today. I was incredibly close to her. Much like our children are with my mom, my dad, and my MIL, Susie. It’s a special bond between a grandparent and child, and the one I shared with her was one like no other. She truly showed me what unconditional love was. I always knew no matter what came my way she would be there to give me advice, guidance, and support. She also taught me faith, when I was young and thought I didn’t need it. Anyone that knew her loved her. Even my oldest friends still mention things they remember about her from time to time. And as if she wasn’t the proudest maw-maw ever to us four girls, you should have seen her with her great grand babies! An even better G.G. she was! I cherish the times I shared just her, Budah, and I. She always lit up the second he came through her door. This is always a hard time of year for me. She passed far before I was ready to let her go, and was buried on what would have been her 71st birthday. I know she is now in Heaven where she belongs and I don’t have an ounce of doubt that she is watching over me and my four children. I think of her every time I see a red or blue bird, smell a magnolia, or hear a Garth Brooks song. And I get to see her every single time I look at my lil Bitty’s big blue eyes!20140129-095721.jpgA few days ago my husband knowing how badly I am hurting right now sent me this shortly after he got to work. He told me to take five minutes to myself and to just close my eyes and just listen to this song before I started my day. I truly am so blessed to have such an amazing man by my side that I know will always be there to lift me up when he knows I am down.

“Some where over the rainbow”

I miss you maw-maw20140129-100818.jpg

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Broken Hello Kitty coffee cup

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Today has been a really strange day for me. I mean I have shed more tears than an emotional teenage girl would in a whole week. For anything really and at the drop of a dime. I realize it’s because I have a lot of things on my mind and to be stressed about. But frustrating none the less because I have so much more to be thankful for and far too many blessings to count.

So this evening while our son was doing a chore and putting a few dishes away he accidentally dropped a coffee mug and it shattered. Thankfully he didn’t get cut and it obviously isn’t the end of the world. Only it’s kind of been my favorite mug for about the last ten months. Not my hello kitty mug that I found back home in The Quarter that is not only pink, and super cute, but holds the perfect amount of coffee! Insert more tears. I know, really more tears than a teenage girl. So I dry my eyes and post on Facebook a “that moment when your favorite hello kitty coffee mug that you found in the quarter accidentally got broken by my chore doing teen” post. Then in less than a hours time my old best friend that I lived three doors down from growing up replied telling me to post a picture of the mug that he will be in the quarter this weekend and he will pick me a new one up! Then moments later another friend that I’ve known since middle school says the same thing! So I look through my Instagram pictures, because clearly I have a picture of my favorite coffee cup there. No, I have two pictures of it, actually one was even of my son handing me the coffee he made me in it on his own one morning. Shocked & thankful to say the least. Who knows, after this weekend I just may have a replacement mug and all will be right in the world, right? And obviously I have some pretty rad friends if I don’t say so myself. Four whole minutes later my friend Heather replied to the post again. She had found and ordered an identical hello kitty mug and it will arrive next week! Insert tears again. Yes, partly because I really loved that coffee cup. But really because once again I am reminded of the amazing people I have in my life! I adore this lady! When I asked her what I owe her she said nothing and said “you do so much for everyone”. Okay, really someone get me a box of Kleenex the tears are flowing!

I am a firm believer in paying it forward. It is something we always strive to teach our lil monsters. I’ve experienced this one other time when the car in front of me payed for my coffee at Starbucks. I kind of love doing the same for others. If I see someone is having a bad day I love being given the opportunity to brighten their day. Heather was certainly that source of brightness that I so needed today. Thanks kitten, I love you to pieces!20140129-225929.jpg

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“Crunchy mom”

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The definition of “a crunchy mom”

How “crunchy” are you? I am “guilty” of 23 out of the 38, according to this blog. And there are many things that aren’t on this list that I do that I am frequently called a hippie or crunchy for (especially by my teenage son, who seems quite amused by some of my ways). Does this make me a better mom than another? I don’t think so. Am I trying to be better than anyone else? Not in the least! These are things I have started doing over the years that just “works” for our family. Does this make me “crunchy” I guess so, and I’m not phased or offended by the title really. I guess I sort of think the phrase is likely just a trend. However, when this trend fades away, I have no intentions of throwing out my homemade supplies that I have loved since day one. Maybe my ways cause a few to think I am quirky or different, so to speak. But at the end of the day it doesn’t change how I feel about myself, nor does how someone else views me. My husband embraces the things I do for our family that may seem odd to others. In fact he encourages it. I can’t tell you how many articles he has forwarded to me or asked me if I have heard of a certain terminology to see if I’d like to add it to our routines. How crunchy I am, if I am crunchier than another mama, or being compared to another doesn’t concern me. I am the best mama I can be to these crazy four little monsters and that’s all that matters to me. If a friend or family member reaches out to me or ask me for advice I am thrilled to help them or offer my views on a topic. But I never want someone I care about (or anyone for that matter) to think I expect them to follow suit. So I’m a crunchy mama right now, and I am good with the so called title. I don’t even mind calling myself crunchy. More importantly I am the crunchy mama to the four most beautiful people I know. Really when it comes down to it I wish moms didn’t feel the need for competing and trying to out do each other or to require a title to do what we feel is right for our family. Really, what are we teaching our children in doing so? Not the lessons in life I strive to teach mine, that’s for sure. I’ve had others do it to me. Of course the source of comparison isn’t worth my time or effort. I don’t care if another is a better mom than me, especially if it is the view of another person that I don’t value the opinion of. In my opinion we are all different people, different families, live in different circumstances , have different incomes, different religions, have different life styles, and so on and so forth. How or why would we possibly want to be compared to another or even stoop to a level of doing so? Not this lady!20140128-122257.jpg

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Her very first sleep over

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Our little lady knew her big sister was going to spend the night at her friend’s house around the corner last night and pretty much invited herself along. Buggie calls my friend her other bff, and loves hanging out with her. So we let her pack her little bag thinking she would come home after a few hours like she did the last time she attempted this first sleep over business. Only this time she cried when she realized she was about to come home and leave the big kids behind. I finally let her talk me in to it. She could stay and if she woke up in the middle of the night, which she still does almost nightly, she could come home regardless of time. After all we literally live around the corner. Instead of my usual, I kept my ringer on all night, fully expecting the call. Only I woke up to sunlight and only two monsters home this morning. I can’t believe it, my lil tot stuck it out and spent the night out for the first time with her big sister. Slow down my heart. I am not ready for this growing up business. But I can hardly wait to hear all of the stories Buggie will have to share when she comes home after while from her very first sleep over.

-Buggie, 4 1/2 years old, January 201420140125-092536.jpg

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Laying here…

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…listening my my husband and our youngest monster sleeping. After a few different masks I think the mister has found “the one” that does the trick and thanks to this little c-pap machine he is finally getting the rest he needs at last. I know I should probably be sleeping myself, but it’s nice to listen to the calm in this almost always chaotic house and know my little family is all sleeping peacefully.

It’s been a rough few days dealing with pain I have toughed out for nearly twenty years now and seems to be at an all time high. My love took me to my doctor today and I will meet with a specialist next week. Guess there is just no more avoiding the inevitable. It’s times like these that you really get to appreciate the ones that surround you. My little family has been so supportive and caring for me. Everyone has really pitched in to help me keep everything on track around here and giving me the chance to take a step back and get some rest. It’s always been tough for me to put my needs first. And while I will likely never really do so, I am slowly learning I need to take care of me in order to take care of my family.

Waiting to see if this “big winter storm” that brings our monsters a glimmer of hope for some snow down south will also keep them home from school in the morning. I’m looking forward to the weekend. No one having to wake up early for school or work. No major responsibilities. A birthday party for a super special five year old that we have grown to love. My cousin coming to hang out with us one evening. And otherwise a very mellow weekend with the ones I adore.20140124-003618.jpg

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