Job Description for Moms!

POSITION:
Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $$$. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and this wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.
Author unknown

OH HOW TRUE!!!

If I Had It All To Do Over

Someone asked me the other day if I had my life to do over, would I change anything. My answer was "no", but then I thought about it and changed my mind.

If I had my life to live over I would have waxed less and listened more.

Instead of wishing away 9 months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadows over my feet I would have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside of me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

I would never had insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have invited friends over for dinner even though the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the "good" living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rumble about his youth.

I would have burnt the pink candle sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored in the garage.

I would've sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.

I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more icecream!

I would have never bought anything just because it was practical.

When my children kissed me impetuously I would never have said, "Later, Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more 'I love you's', more 'I'm sorry's', more 'I'm listening'.

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it. I would look at it and really see it. Try it on. Live it. Exhaust it. And never give that minute back. Until there was nothing left of it.

By: Erma Bombeck

Can I Please Have One Of These?

or these...

or these...

and can I have it with one of these... {the swingbed}

and these...

and can we add one of these in the back...

Okay, maybe that's a dream!

We're getting a carport {yipee!} and John wants to cover the deck also. I'm trying to talk him into a pergola. Instead of putting a roof over the deck, put a pergola. And then plant some sort of thick vine for coverage on the top. {Jasmine?} He thinks we need a roof so he can sit in his rocking chair and watch the rain and not get wet.{His long-time dream!} Does anyone have suggestions or ideas??? Or maybe a vote for my idea?!!!

Can You Call Jesus, Please?

The other night we {me & John Luke} were sitting in our most favorite place... John's lap in his big recliner. {I can remember before children, I used to sit with him in his recliner all the time. Now, he usually has both or at least one baby sitting with him, so I don't get to as much as I would like. But the other night they were sitting there and John said, "Come here honey, you can sit with us". So now every night John Luke says "Come here, *Honey Mama, you can sit with us." ...I'll eventually get to my story.}

Okay, so here's the story. Two nights ago John Luke asked John if Jesus was going to come get him. John said He would one day and when He did He would take him to Heaven. John Luke said he didn't want to go to Heaven because he didn't want Jesus to give him a shot. So John explained that we would NEVER get a shot in Heaven with Jesus because we would never be sick. Then John Luke asked could Allie Baby and Mama and Daddy go too, and John said Jesus was going to get all of us and we would live in Heaven together.
So last night, I was laying there with them and John Luke leans up and looks at me and says, "Mama, can you please call Jesus to come and get me?" I said sure. He said, "He's gonna take me to Heaven and I'm not gonna ever get a shot." Then he said, "You can come too, Mama. And Daddy and Allie Baby. I not leave you, not ever ever!"
I LOVE to hear him talk these days! And I love how he's so little but his thoughts can be so big!

*Sometimes John Luke calls me Honey or Honey Mama. When he's trying to tell me something and he doesn't think I'm listening, he'll say "Mama, Mama, HONEY!" I guess he has heard John say that. Then sometimes he'll just call me Mama Honey!

Sassyfrass...

This is 100% SASSY!!!

The new name for this 10 MONTH old is Sassyfrass!

If you are doing things her way everything is A-OKAY.


If not...you will know it!


She is full of SASS! I have discovered that she will most likely give me LOTS of gray hairs and LOTS of reasons to break out the switch!!! She is spunky!

At 10 months she:
*weighs a Big 18 lbs.
*length- 27 3/4"
*wears size 9 months; some 12 months
*pulls up & has even stood in place by herself for a few seconds
*waves bye-bye
*says Maaama & yes even DaaaDaa on occasion
*L-O-V-E-S to eat ANYTHING!
*has the absolute fastest hands & tightest grip
*has 4 toothies---two on top & two on bottom
*dances to music
*sings---if you are singing she will try to sing louder than you
*currently has blonde hair
*still has tiny feet
*watches everything big brother does
*sleeps good
*hates her carseat
*LOVES to be held!
*likes to cuddle {which I LOVE!}
God has given me a challenge with this one! I predict lots of parenting lessons being learned with her and then again she may grow up to be the easiest child we have! Who knows?!?!? Even though she can be quite difficult, I love her more than words can say!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since I have NO memory, I would like to record some things about my sweet John Luke. I meant to share this on his birthday blog, but since I forgot I'll do it here.

Besides the fact that he is now 3 YEARS OLD, he is extremely funny and entertaining!
*One of his most frequently used words is "act-shu-we" {actually}. Ex: He says, "Act-shu-we, that's mine. I bought it."
*He says, "Come here, Mama, you can sit by me."
*He says, "Jew {You} can come, Mama. I not leave jew {you}! Not ever, ever!
*He will ask me if he can do something and when I say yes, he says, "Thank you Mama. Thank you!"
*If I am trying on something and he comes in my room, he says "That's fretty {pretty}, Mama. I love it!" {He sure knows how to win over his mama in more ways than one!!!!}
*One particular time that he did this was right after I had Allie Beth. I was getting ready for church, and I had put on some of those big granny panties that comes way up on your stomach. He walks in my room and says, "You soooo fretty Mama! Sooooo fretty!" PRICELESS!
*When I do something and then tell him I'm sorry. He says, "Don't do it again Mama! Not ever, ever again!"
*He says, "Stay white {right} there. I be white back". And holds his hand up like he's saying stop.
*He knows every piece of equipment. I mean every one and knows the correct name for it! He can spot it a mile away!
*He can crank any vehicle {not such a good thing!} And he knows what key goes to each piece of equipment and how to crank them!
*If someone is behind us on the road, he puts his hand up and motions for them to come on around. He says, "Come on, come on by." If someone is backing up he says, "Mon back, Mon back. You got it, you got it. That's good." The whole time he is motioning for them to come on back. He watches EVERYTHING his daddy does!
*One day I was gone and he was with John. They were walking across the yard and he put his arms around John and said, "Daddy, Mama says be sweet and kind. I be sweet and kind to you Daddy, okay?" {OHHHHHH all those times he really is listening! Thank you Lord!}
*The other day I came in the living room and sat down on the couch. He was sitting in the recliner watching T.V. When I sat down he asked me what was wrong. I said my head hurts. He said, "Come sit with me Mama. I rub it!" After he rubbed it a few seconds he said, "Stay white {right} there. I be white {right} back. My rake do better." So he went to his playroom and came back with his plastic rake and started scratching my head with it!


The things that his little mind thinks of is so amazing to me! I never know what he may say or do next! He listens to every word we say even when we don't realize he's paying any attention to us!!! And then most of the time, he repeats it!
He is such a sweet blessing~

Happy Mother's Day Part 2

We enjoyed a Mother's Day get-together at Frank Jackson State Park on Saturday. The weather was actually very cool and breezy, so it was nice to be outside. The food was good and the visit was too. Thanks to Jessica and Michael and all the others who prepared everything. We enjoyed it! Happy Mother's Day Granny Sue, Granny Lois, and Aunt Jessica!

Granny Lois and her babies...

Granny Sue and her babies & grandbabies {Granny Who as John Luke calls her. His S's are H's}...

Aunt Jessica and her sweet Caleb...




Sunday we had lunch with Mama at Perry's. Then we hung out at the house all day enjoying the nice weather. Mother has always been a "quality time" lover, so spending the day with her 4 children was the best gift we could give her! {I think I am much the same as her!} I could spend days and days writing about Mama and still not get it all said. She has been/is the most giving mother on Earth. I think I have said this before, and probably will many more times, but I truly don't know what I would do without her {or my sisters for that matter!} She's not just here for me now, but she has always been there to offer her love and support. She has taken John in as one of her own and loves him just the same! She said when we got married she didn't lose a daughter she gained a son and believe me she truly thinks that! I thank God that I have a mother who prays for me and my family! She is self-less when it comes to her kids, and she is never too busy or too tired! She has spent the last 36 years building a relationship with her children and now she is building one with her grandchildren! Thank you Mama! I love you with all my heart and so does my little munchkins! {And John says Thank you! You are priceless! He loves you too!}


Who could ever imagine the love a Mother can have for her children??? I would have never believed how much they would change my life! I am grateful from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet and everything in between! God has given me two most precious blessings! I love you John Luke and Allie Beth!

Happy Mother's Day!

What a priviledge to be a Mama! I am blessed!

My precious John Luke went to town with his daddy and picked out a sweet card and my very own pink chewing gum and blue motorcycle! John said he told John Luke to pick out whatever he thought Mama would want, and first he picked out the pink gum. Then he saw a green monster truck and thought I may need that, but decided he would take the monster truck instead and give me the blue motorcycle. John said he tried to persuade him into something like Pledge or Windex, something I would use, but he was totally set on the pink gum and blue motorcycle! I was just as happy with it! When they got back, I heard someone banging on the back door so I went to answer it. John Luke was standing there with the big card and said, "Happy Birthday Mama!" {Thank you honey for taking him "shopping" for me!}


More Mother's Day pictures to come...

Happy Mother's Day!

Where My Kids At???

Have y'all seen this?!! I laughed so hard I thought I would die! {Don't forget to turn the sound off on the playlist}

See... I knew us minivan moms & dads still had it goin'on!

Party for a BIG Boy!

What a fun day! Lots of friends, family, and fun! I'm so thankful God gave us a clear day! {Looked a bit ify a few times} Thank you to all our friends & family for the sweet gifts and taking the time to share in this very special day! John Luke had a blast and was pooped!!! {So were his parents! Birthday parties are lots of work!}
















My lovely "Barker Beauties"! Thank You Mamy & Mamy K for your wonderful help! {Always willing to help!} Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!










Tired Taters...

Thanks again everybody!