I ran and believe it or not, there was not anything or anyone chasing me.

12 months, 12 races, and 45 pounds lighter. Yep, I'm pretty damn proud.

I love this. :)

I have NO idea what came over me in December of 2011, but I had some type of psychotic episode; I signed up for my first 5K. My daughter, then 11, and my mom (60 something) joined me. I don't remember being nervous (I was probably more hungry than nervous), but it was bad. Not only did they pass me, they beat me by SEVERAL minutes. That was it. That was my motivation. That day I decided to set my 2012 New Years Resolution. I vowed to run a 5K a month in 2012. I am happy to say, I did it.

Now, with this being said, I still do not call myself a runner. I do enjoy it though. When I don't get to fit a run in, I miss it.

I have had several people send me emails, messages, etc. who want to know how I did it. Whether they are asking to make conversation, find motivation, or just curious...here it goes...

Before:
Sleighbells on the Square, Dec 2011: 48:39

After:
Sleighbells on the Square, Dec 2012: 35:12 (not too shabby)

Some are surprised to hear that I did not use C25K (Couch to 5K), but I didn't; I trained myself (and continue to do so). Running daily is nearly impossible for me. For starters, it is against the law to leave little ones home alone. Secondly, I've tried to run with them all on their bikes. Below is how that worked...

Before:



After:

Anyway, I use Endomondo Sports Tracker on my phone and log each run. I started with hiking. I would hike up a local (small) mountain and run down. After a few weeks I would hike half way up then run down a small trail. I actually still do that run quite a bit. I like it, too, because I can compare each run. As I stated above, I am not a runner. There is a ton of advice out there for people who run or who are interested in running. Some I have listened to, many I haven't. I do this for me. I am not aiming for the Olympics; however, on occasion I like to pretend that I am winning it. I am not aiming for a marathon. There is no "however" with that. Nothing about a marathon interests me. Nothing. I also have NO desire to run the Peachtree. A 10K in Atlanta in mid-July? Um, no.

My advice to anyone interested, just sign up for your first race. You haven't started training yet? WHO CARES! I assure you that there will be someone behind you in the race. Trust me.




Nancy and I at Celebrate America 5K. It looks like she
has a sombrero on her head. She doesn't, but it is perfect
because we enjoy GNO at La Parrilla.



My favorite race website is www.runningintheusa.com. Just find a race and sign up. If you hate it, at least you'll get a t-shirt.

One thing I did learn through this was that one
is better off eating pasta the night before a race rather than
GNO at the local mexican restaurant. I nearly lost my cookies
during this race.
Color Run Atlanta 2012



In June I did the Dallas Dash. It was hell.

In September, I did a race in rural (backwoods) SC.
It was great. Although I tell my kids that the "6" meant I placed 6th
it really only says "You ran a race in the backwoods of SC".



In November of this year, I talked BK into running the Turkey Trot
at my school. It was only a mile and she loved it. Just check out that grin!

Now you know how I did it. Nothing fancy. Nothing expensive. I feel good, I am a few sizes smaller, and every once in a while I get 20-30 minutes to myself. Bliss.

BTW, I am already signed up for my January race. I challenge you to do the same!



Here are some other answers to questions people have asked:

1. No. I do not buy expensive shoes. I buy what's on sale.

2. Yes. I listen to music. I have read a lot about how you "shouldn't", but I have never read where it killed anyone.

3. I may be guilty of speeding in my '06 Buick Rendezvous, but I am not burning the rubber off the soles of my tennis shoes. In January I ran the Polar Bear Run. According to my Edmundo Sports Tracker, I was running a 13 minute mile. In my 1 year running anniversary, the Sleighbells run, I averaged an 11 minute mile. Again, no speed records broken, but I did increase my speed, reduce my mile per minute, and endurance with each race.

4. For those of you asking about weight loss...I watch what I eat. Sometimes I watch it go right in, other times I have enough willpower to keep to one serving. If you know me well, I never turn down a trip to any restaurant that starts with "La" or "El".... *I will tell you that I didn't lose a pound for almost 4 months. I felt like my results would have been the same watching someone else run from the comfort of my couch, but I stuck to it.

5. I do not have a running partner. I have run with someone else twice...once was when I did the Color Run with my friend Lisa (see the photo above). The other was when my husband and I ran together. Never a good idea. Period.

Sign Language

Parenting is tricky. There are days you have to be creative, tell the occasional "white lie", and even pull the ol' "do as I say, not as I do"...Last week I had the opportunity to do all three in a matter of minutes (all before 6:45 am).

We were actually enjoying (relative) a nice ride to school when I realized one of the back car doors was not completely shut. I am not sure how I missed the glowing yellow light on my dash that said "door ajar", but I did and we will move on. Brylee Kate took the news fairly well and was prepared to open and close it at the next stop light. As we approached the light, it turned green. I told her not to worry, that I once I came to a stop, I would not move forward until she was able to shut it. She began to panic when the (impatient) gentleman behind me started honking his horn. I assured her that her safety was more important than him making the light and to open and close the door. His honking only became more frequent and my sweet southern patience vanished. Very dramatically, I pulled over, put on my flashers, shouted a word that I never use, and provided him with some additional signs indicating my disgust with him. My middle school daughter looked at me with amazement and said she had never seen nor heard me do that before. Initially, I was pleased with myself for being a model driver for her over the last 12 years; but then I felt some guilt because the other two would not share the same experience since I had just exposed them at such a young age. Brylee Kate shut her door then asked "never seen what before?" followed by Tucker's "what did you do mom?". This is where my creativity kicked in and my guilt then vanished. With a sweet southern smile (because clearly they didn't see it), I turned to them both and explained, "I just did sign language to the man that said I would be finished in just one minute." With that quick, creative response, Brylee Kate and Tucker will continue to think that I am the model driver that Allie thought I was until the morning of the "door incident". You may wonder if they asked what that sign was. They didn't. What they did ask is where I learned how to do sign language. With great pride I said "Mimi and Dramps" (my parents).

Just My Luck

"Ma'am, we are experiencing an extremely high call volume, it could be 90 minutes." Fantastic, I thought. I should be nice and friendly to your AAA man by 7:30pm sitting on the side of the road, with 3 children, after being up since 5:00 working all day, with what I thought was a popped front tire. "Thank you. We'll be here," was my actual response. I wanted to say so much more but with Random Acts of Kindness Day fast approaching, I decided to practice being kind. Besides, I really needed help and wasn't going anywhere without them.

That evening started with a great family picnic with my family, including my parents and sister. Chris left a few minutes early in his truck to go pick up the new bed for my youngest. Things were actually going pretty "June Cleaver" at this point. The first week of school was behind us, everyone loves their school, and we had just finished a fun family evening at the park. As we head home, I opt to take a more scenic route to avoid traffic. No one was fighting, we were talking about our day when.....POP! I had hit the same pothole my sitter did this summer when she popped her tire. As I pull over, I had to think who to call first...AAA, my dad, my husband, my sister, my best friend? I opted for my husband. I knew his ego would be crushed if he knew I called my dad first, but let's be honest, I really wanted to. Anyway, I followed marriage protocol and told my mechanically challenged husband. Since he was on a wild goose chase trying to find where he was to pick up the bed (I knew this would happen), he was delighted that I was willing to call AAA (and my Dad). I will not bore you with the details, but once we got the tire off, we realized that the tire was fine...it was the rim. Even better more expensive. As we (who am I kidding?..that would be Dad) got the spare on, we realized that it was (in fact) flat. About that time AAA arrived. Since my luck was getting better and better, I wasn't surprised to hear that his air compressor wasn't working at 100%. Eventually I arrived home to an irritable husband who didn't know which to be more upset about...the fact that the bed was way more difficult to put together than he had anticipated or the fact that we were going to have to spend a few hundred dollars on a new wheel. Where I pride myself with my ability to argue when I am the most exhausted, I (again) opted for the kinder approach and walked away. I cannot promise I didn't gesture anything as I turned the corner, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

If you are detail oriented, the side view mirror is from another incident for another post.

Just one quick picture before we take cover?

I couldn't resist it. Besides, how often do kids get the opportunity to have their picture taken with a tornado in the background? My guess is Olan Mills, The Picture People, and Sears do not have a tornado backdrop for formal family photos. I may have out done myself for this years Christmas family photo.

It was a beautiful summer day on Jekyll Island in South Georgia. We met up with some friends, who were also vacationing in the area, at Summer Waves. Chris had the older girls out and about in the park enjoying the "big kid" slides. My friend and I were talking gossiping about a little of this and a little of that while watching Tucker splash around in the kiddie area. Although a storm was imminent, we had yet to see a lightning strike, heard a clap of thunder, nor found any other reason to gather the troops and seek cover. Like many other parents enjoying a little sun time in a lounge chair, Lisa and I were praying that the storm would take a very sharp left (or right) and avoid the water park completely. *(There may have been a few parents panicking and fleeing the park; I can't remember.) As alarms sounded and warnings were being announced all over the park, I grabbed my phone and did it. I made them all stop and smile. I will also be honest and tell you, I took 2 pictures. They were not all looking the first time.

Coincidentally, the park has two rides called Nature's Revenge; one is the Hurricane and the other the Tornado. Had we encountered a hurricane, I doubt the picture would have been this clear since there would have likely been a lot of wind and rain ahead of the storm.

Mother's Day Tea

"The note that explains that each child should bring a lunch today, was put in his backpack on Tuesday." This was said by my son's preschool teacher in the company of 10 other mother's at the Mother's Day Tea. It was her response back when I thanked her for providing a lunch for Tucker. Defending my "choice" to not send a lunch, I tried to explain that I had intended on taking him out to lunch after the event. I then looked at another mom and commented that I wasn't quite sure where the book bag was. (Quite honestly, it is likely still wherever it landed on Tuesday.) The mom ever-so-politely looked at me, smiled, tilted her head, and said "If that is not enough food for him, I am sure my son will share part of his lunch."

Towards the end of the tea (which was precious), another parent asked if I was the mom who volunteered to plan the End of the Year party. I chuckled a bit and told her no. About 15 minutes later, Tucker's teacher thanked us all for coming, and told everyone that all the boys and girls were looking forward to the End of the Year party Tucker's mom was planning. Fantastic. In fact, I DID sign up for that. Apparently I signed up for this about the same time Chris and I were watching documentaries on the Apocalypse of 2012.


Update:

The morning started with Tucker telling me not to worry. He said they would not be singing "Sexy and I Know It" at the party because his teacher said no. I didn't really think it was important on how he knew this. I just said, "oh good."

One of the teachers was going to be waiting for me in the parking lot at 10:45. As I pulled in at 10:59, I was trying to decide if I should take the inevitable lecture for being late or be straight up and tell her that I had to explain to a child that the "f-bomb" is actually not a good way to defend yourself. Considering that Tucker attends a private church school, and she may not find the humor in the child's remark, I opted for the lecture. The lecture was short; likely short due to the fact that my tardiness took time away from the party, but short none the less. I took it like a champ. What she did explain was that had I told them a month ago what my plan was, we would not have to celebrate in the same grassy area that the farm animals enjoyed a few weeks ago. (Clearly I played off the "OMG, I signed up for what?" expression at the Mother's Day Tea. Which, mind you, was only last week.) In true Keeli fashion, I smiled, put down the picnic blankets, set up the table, and commented that hopefully the rain washed away whatever the farm animals left behind. As she walked away, I was tempted to "defend" myself (most certainly not in the same nature as the student did who caused me to be late), but I did decide to make myself a promise...I promised myself that I would never sign up for anything again without calling my best friend first (just to be sure I was in my right mind) AND celebrate that I was actually able to pull it off.

The party was a success. In his most precious lisp, Tucker said "that party was awesome!" That was all I needed.

I'm Versatile!

I was so excited when Katie at

http://tutusandtantrums.blogspot.com/

awarded me with the
Versatile Blogger award!


The Versatile Blogger award is awarded by your fellow bloggers and is a way
to recognize newer blogs that you really like.
And it's a great way to share those blogs with your own followers!

Thanks Katie! 

I have to share 7 things about myself
and then
I get to award the Versatile Blogger award to 7 of my fave and growing blogs!




So 7 fun things about me:

1. I do not eat meat off of a bone.

2. I do not eat meat at mexican restaurants.

3. I do not eat mushrooms. Pee Wee Herman used to make snacks on his show. One time he pretended to eat a poisonous mushroom. Because of this episode, I get nervous that if I eat a mushroom, it may be poisonous.

4. By the time I graduated from high school I had attended 13 different schools.

5. When I am folding laundry, I have to get all the socks out first. If I start to fold a shirt and see a sock, I immediately put the shirt down and get the sock out. Seriously.

6. I interned as a probation officer for a short time just out of college. When a giant man reached across my desk to (likely) put his hands around my neck when I told him he was to be drug tested, I never went back.

7. I am VERY organized at work to the point that people think I have OCD. I am the EXACT opposite at home. My house is not organized nor clean.
(Well, maybe for an hour after the cleaning people come.)

  

I am awarding the Versatile blogger award to the following great blogs:

1. Katie at http://www.tutusandtantrums.blogspot.com/

2. Keisha at http://morrismommy.blogspot.com/

3. Kasey at http://dieps.blogspot.com/

 4. Erica at  http://teamt2e2.blogspot.com/
5. Jamie at http://jamiegoodwin.wordpress.com/
6. Jaime at http://twoboysandachinadoll.shutterfly.com/
7. and Sandi at http://sunshineandsmilesphotography.blogspot.com/ 
(Although Sandi's isn't an ongoing blog, she is an amazing
photographer and I love seeing her work!) 

Make sure that you pass this on to blogs that you love :) 

 

Glasses

"Keeli, I just wanted to let you know that Brylee Kate failed her vision screening again. You may just want to follow up with an eye doctor." This was an email I received from the guidance counselor, also a good friend, about Brylee Kate's screening at school. The screening that Brylee Kate requested, not me. The screening that along with my signature giving permission, I wrote "Brylee Kate is requesting this, not her mother." I wish I could say I made that up, but I am not. I actually put something in writing that will haunt me forever.

With some lingering skepticism, I scheduled the appointment.

Throughout the appointment Brylee Kate was asked to read various things. I nearly had a heart attack when giant five foot letters (slight exaggeration) were displayed on the board and she read every letter except the letter displayed. It took every bit of willpower not to correct her; explain to the doctor that in fact she is reading above grade level and must be making it up; or even sign the letters to her, prompting the correct response.

Less than a week after the appointment we went to pick up her new glasses. As we are driving away from the eye doctor, Brylee Kate is grinning from ear to ear pointing out several things she had "never seen before".

June Cleaver

"I really wish I had one of those safe can openers that Pampered Chef sells." This was the last thought that went through my mind before the thought, "oh no, not again".

I am no June Cleaver. I do not clean unless I think someone is coming over. I do not iron if I have time to run my dryer to get the wrinkles out. I also do not cook, nor do I claim to. With that being said, I woke up a couple of Sundays ago with an incredible imagination (reflecting on the day, I think the word imagination is the best choice). I woke up as June Cleaver. I immediately started laundry, did my weekend couponing, mealed planned, and executed my shopping all before 4:00. I was so proud. I was so proud, in fact, I didn't tell Chris (he was on duty). I wanted to surprise him. I was actually ready to tell him that I had become the domestic goddess he didn't marry. This all came to an abrupt end around 5:00. Forget not being able to toast a piece of bread without burning it, I clearly have no business opening a can either. I sliced my finger so bad that you would have thought I hit a major artery. It was nasty.

Naturally, Chris was on duty. A year and a half ago when I released a monkey ladder on my foot, broke a couple bones, and required stitches (hence the "not again" thought), he was also on duty. 2 months after that when I slipped and fractured my ankle, he was on duty. Why would it be any other way? Anyway, just like the foot mishaps, my incredible neighbors were there to save the day. They took all 3 of my babies. They fed them and even bathed them for me (along with their 2).

Although my neighbor offered to take me, I decided to take myself for the stitches. This was clearly not one of my better ideas since I had cut the artery in my right hand in which I write with. Who knew the 12 year old at the desk would not sign me in? Who knew the 12 year old at the desk could not transfer the information from my licence and insurance card she copied on the 25 pages of paperwork? Who knew my sweet neighbor would have to come down anyway to fill out my address because the 12 year old wouldn't? I would love to have a picture of the look on my face when she told me to "let her know when I contacted someone to fill out the paperwork for me". I cannot imagine that one of her strengths is reading facial expressions since she still didn't offer, but maybe I am wrong. Maybe my face didn't express my true feelings. None the less, my neighbor came to write my address and insurance information for me. Seriously.


I cannot even begin to tell you everything I witnesses, overheard, or speculated during my four hour visit; but trust me, it was more than I could have ever dreamed of. Although they have rooms there, I am not sure they are used for anything other than triage. After they do all the initial check in stuff, they put you in a back room where only curtains separate you from other patients. Where I am thankful this is not the setting I birthed my children, I do admit, I enjoyed this setting for something much less exciting. I was able to hear lab updates, patient information, and even treatment plans of/for particular patients without breaching confidentiality (well, I couldn't see them and I didn't know their names). Luckily, I do not have a weak stomach, but when the lady with the stomach flu entered, I questioned this. After listening to her vomit multiple times, I started to giggle a little thinking "this cannot be happening to me". When she explained that her suppository would not stay in, I lost it. I started laughing and could not stop. I was trying so hard to keep it contained that I was crying. As luck would have it, the doctor walked in. I think she thought my tears were those of sadness, but I made up some comment referencing a text and she said "I understand". She returned shortly there after to stitch me up. During this time we had a nice conversation with an occasional pause as my suite mate continued to vomit.


Where I would have loved to have seen my one day as June Cleaver come to fruition, I have to admit, I really did enjoy my stay at Urgent Care. It brought me endless entertainment, a lot of laughter, and as most mothers would likely agree...a few hours of "me" time.

The "Talk"

"Mom, did you know I have hair under my armpits?" (She proceeded to provide me with a visual.) This is how dinner started one night this week.

Not knowing how to respond, I said "Would anyone like butter on their biscuit?". Regardless of how educated you are, how many questions you have asked other mothers of girls, you are never ready. I spent that evening worrying about how I was going to tell her, what I was going to tell her, and when I was going to tell her. Fortunately, the following evening, I would have about 45 minutes in the car, just she and I.

There are two different types of people in this world; people who think this is a beautiful thing and an exciting time in a girl's life; and those who think, "that poor kid, she is about to experience, hair (that you shave off), cramping that makes you miserable, hormones that make you want to hurt people, and weight gain that you will forever fight." I am the latter of the two. But as a side note: I do enjoy a good episode of 'Snapped' on Oxygen when I have PMS.

The next day I call my mom who says, "Can you please video record this for me?" She offered no advice, just a little 'payback giggle'. I call my husband on my way to get her, expressing my anxiety, and he basically responds with "I don't want to talk about this. What do you want for dinner?" So I head to the book store, bought a book for her, and I sat in the parking lot of the store reading...reading about what does happen and how I can explain it to an 11 year old. Although I believe in being honest with your kids, I wasn't sure if the cynical approach was appropriate.

There really isn't a good segway when broaching such discussion, but I did it. I had the "talk" with my daughter. I do have a few friends of her to thank for "previewing" the subject, but I am glad she heard most of the details from me. Oh, and I am not sure who told her that you can be arrested for having sex, but thank you. :)

When we got home, my sweet husband had a drink waiting on me. (I likely requested it, but nonetheless it was there.) When Allie went upstairs to change, I explained to Chris that she knew we had an 'open door policy' if she had questions. I believe his exact response was "the hell we do!". I would like to think he was kidding, but I doubt it.

A couple days later I asked Allie if she had looked at the book and if she had any questions. She said she did and leaned in as if it was a private question. I braced myself only to be asked, "Mom, does your face really grow as you get older?"

I would not count this as a "bucket list", but I cannot tell you how thankful I am that it is off whatever list it is on.

Should I be Worried?

Confession: All three of my children have watched the show COPS since birth.

My first degree was in Criminal Justice and I spent a VERY short time working in an intensive probation (just short of prison) program. That "opportunity" came to a quick end when a very large man, three times my size, attempted to wrap his hands around my neck when I asked for a random drug test. Honestly, I don't even remember quitting, but I don't remember returning either. Anyway, I think COPS and JAILED fills that void in my professional life. Some days I honestly think, "wow, although not one of my better parenting decisions, it does model for them what not to do." Then there are the other days...


If you have had the opportunity to read my quotes page, you may have noticed BK's question regarding riding in the back of the police car with her one day. Well, this conversation came back up at my parent's last weekend. BK told my mom that "if she ever gets arrested, she will be sure to use her manners and use yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, and no sir." I am not sure whether I should be proud or worried.

PS... I promise you this...they have never seen the HO! HO! HO! episode.

Winging It

A couple years ago I was at a meeting where a parent asked me if I had any videos on parenting. (This may strike some of you as strange, but if you too worked in the public school system, you would know this is just another day in the life of an educator.) I politely smiled and said "No, I'm just winging it."

As I reflect on 2011, I have a litany of things I should probably do differently or, at best, tweak. My parenting skills make the top of this list. In 2012 I am considering conducting a head count before heading home for the day. There are 3 of them and for whatever reason, I tend to forget one or two from time to time. You may think I am kidding, but it is a weakness, I admit it. Only once have I gotten all the way home and realized I was short a kid. Sadly, it wasn't until the sitter called and said, "do you want me to feed her dinner tonight?". I tried to play off my oversight, but I am not sure she fell for it.

I am also going to try to be a little more observant when I am giving teacher gifts. As a former teacher myself, it is nice to receive a gift intended for me, not another teacher. My deepest apologies to 2 teachers this Christmas, as they were victims of this blunder. Again, with 3 kids, at least 2 teachers each, that is a little more organization than I tend to have on a day to day basis, but I will work on it.

Lastly, I am going to try to be more creative with dinner on the nights Chris is away. If you read the post about Allie and the toaster, you would know that I do not cook. As a matter of fact, I hate to cook. If I could build a house without a kitchen, I would, but I am afraid the resale value would not be as good. So, anyway, I will start small. "Creative" may be defined as a different route home, which would allow for eateries other than the standard McD's, Chick-fil-a, and Wendy's. I firmly believe this counts. I would love to commit to homemade dinners on those evenings, but I know my limits. That is not an attainable goal (for me).

For those of you who are concerned that these changes may limit the number of blog entries, please do not worry; remember, I am just "winging it".

Sybil

With a job that requires me to be at work by 7:00, 3 kids, and a husband who works 24 hour shifts, I am often asked, "How do you do it?".

I will tell you exactly how I "do it". I wake up 45 minutes before I am supposed to leave (*please note that it takes me about an hour to get ready). I take a shower then start waking the troops. Fortunately for my kids, I am a morning person; well, for about 5 minutes while I am singing a "Good Morning" song to wake them. Then some may describe my personality change, similar to Sybil (the 1976 film with Sally Field about a girl with dissociative identity disorder...a.k.a. multiple personalities).

I have to get them all up in a different manor. Although Allie says she doesn't like my singing, she will smile, and eventually get out of bed on her own. She will usually get up and start getting ready without too many reminders. On occasion, I will have to give her some verbal prompts to start the next task, but for all intents and purposes, she gets dressed without incident. The tears usually start about the time she begins fixing her hair. I never really know what brings the tears on, but I don't ever have time to figure that out. No one has ever died from crying, there is no blood, and in all honesty, I have too much to do to counsel a preteen at 5:45 am. Next, I wake BK. I often describe waking BK as walking into an angry lion's den. Luckily, I have never had to walk into a lion's den, but I have been to the zoo. Those big cats don't look happy and they have the same look in their eyes that BK does at 5:45. You have to start slow. First, you turn on the hallway light and walk away. About 5 minutes later, you turn on her closet light...I will not bore you with the details, but trust me, the 20 minute process is not long enough. We have all learned to stay out of her path. I have been known to toss her clothes in her general direction and run. Again, picture throwing a steak at one of those angry cats at the zoo. Zookeepers are not idiots, they do not stick around and watch them eat. Well, I am not an idiot either. Although we learned the hard way, we do keep our distance from her in the morning. Waking Tucker is my "first/then" reward. For my behavior friends...if I "first" wake BK, "then" I get to wake Tuck. So far, he is much like Allie. He is smiley and happy in the mornings and almost always tells me I am "the best mommy".

By the time they all 3 are up and getting ready, my 2nd personality will rear it's head. This personality does not include singing. She is usually reminding people of the time, explaining that we "should already be downstairs by now", asking why no shoes are on, etc.

As we start the descent downstairs, I usually have at least 2 in tears. This is when personality #3 comes out. Personality #3 is a screamer. She gets very upset if we are running late; which is almost always. She really does not know how to say "pick out your breakfast and get in the car" in an inside voice.

Personality #4 does not use nice language... She is always shouting how much she hates mornings, how no one listens to her, and how she is "over the fighting". She has also been known to shout an occasional "I wish your father had to do this every morning before work."

Eventually, we all get in the car and start on our way. About 2 out of 5 mornings, we don't make it out of the neighborhood without returning for a forgotten item. If this happens, usually personality #4 sticks around.

Once we are at the point of no return, either my main personality returns or a much sweeter personality comes out. The difference between my personality and the sweeter one, is that the sweet one will apologize for all the other personalities.

About 30 minutes later, we arrive at the sitter's house where all three get dropped off. Assuming we have not missed the bus and no one is anxious about school, they all typically get out with a smile, and I continue on my merry way to work.

Once I get to work, I usually realize that I am still jamming to Radio Disney...that is, unless we are listening to Red Solo Cup. :)

If you cannot relate to this, I want whatever you are taking.

Our last trip to Brusters

*This story is being shared by the request of my sister. I hope you enjoy Bruster's misfortune as much as she did/does.

"Um, mom, what was that?" That was the phrase that I will never forget. To this day, whenever I hear that phrase, I get a little tear in my eye and a huge grin on my face. That was the day that I mistook the landscaped curb for a straight-away in the Bruster's drive-thru.

One Friday afternoon, I wanted to treat (myself) my kids to a delicious bowl of Bruster's ice cream. To this day, I am still unsure as to whether Bruster's was closed or they were busy with walk-up customers, but no one ever took our order. That is when things went a little awry. For those of you who vertically challenged and drive a vehicle in the sport utility family, I am sure you can completely relate, but it is (at times) difficult to see over the hood. I am really not sure why I didn't stay in the drive-thru path, but I didn't. I went straight; straight over a curb and right over 2-3 full bushes. I wish I could say the bushes went right back up into the upright position, but they didn't. They were drug, and eventually dislocated themselves from the underside of my car in the car wash parking lot I entered when I made the "skip the drive-thru" decision. All that was left was a bush stump on the landscaped curb.

Like every MOTY, it initially crossed my mind to blame the kids for distracting me. However, since I was laughing uncontrollably (because this is something my mom would have done), I opted for the "uh-oh. I never saw those bushes." explanation. I pretty much left it at that, continued through the parking lot, and drove straight to Dairy Queen.

Family Photos

Taking Bowen family photos can suck the happiness out of just about anyone. I used to take medication for this, but over the years I have learned to accept the fact that either I pay a third party to take them or I just take the picture and move on. Besides, if I didn't, how would I be able to post these pictures? I am seriously considering a layout of out-takes for next years Christmas card.

I think you will find a pattern. Enjoy.


An attempt at this year's card (2011).

The happiest place on Earth...for most.

The North Georgia Fair

St. Simons

Ah, yes, an attempt at a Christmas picture in 2010.

A (surprise) family trip to Opryland Hotel in Nashville in 2010.

"Just Music"

After a minor (or major, it depends on who you ask) mental breakdown in the 6th grade, I attended 4 years of private school. I have to honestly say those were some of my favorite school years. Whether my memories include by BFF's Mary, Tia, and Nicole; receiving ISS for refusing to return to the paddle boat dock on our field trip to Stone Mountain; or receiving a lesson on "the burning bush" from the principal for screaming in the bathroom (*and denying it-please note that my friend Suzanne was giving him "the bird" throughout the entire lecture behind his desk). I loved every minute of my private school experience. With that being said, I will not forget the fact that many of my friends came to my house to listen to secular music because their parents did not allow them to listen to songs about drinking, smoking, etc. I remember thinking that was ridiculous and "it's just music".

Well, I wasn't thinking this is "just music" when Tucker had his first playdate this week. You see, Tucker's first playdate was with one of the sweetest, most innocent families in the entire world. He is one of 6 children, all of which are homeschooled, and have better manners than the employees at Chick-fil-a. After picking up 2 of the 6 children (one of the other children is Allie's best friend), we were headed back to our house when it happened...Red Solo Cup, by Toby Keith came on the radio. For those of you who are a bit classier than the Bowen's or do not listen to country music, please do yourself a favor and google the lyrics. I am fairly certain that when this song was written, it was not intended to be a 3 year old's favorite tune. It was like a dramatic slow motion movie when the very identifiable tune came on the radio. I tried my darndest (this was a made up word my mother used because she doesn't cuss a lot) to change the station, but it was too late. Not only did Tuck recognize the song, he asked for me to turn it up. Fantastic. I was caught between a 3 year old screaming tantrum in the presence of perfect children or just caving and letting it go. Well, like every MOTY, I just let it play. I let it play loud. Luckily it was the radio version and did not say "ass" or "testicles" like the version that my children know. The other important thing you should know is Tucker is only 3 and is not super articulate. When he does sing the I-tunes version, he cannot pronounce "testicles" and he has the most precious lisp, so "ass" sounds more like "ath". Anyway, there it was, my ah-ha moment. There in lies one of the reasons/examples as to why parents choose to protect their children from secular music.

Red Solo Cup continues to be a Bowen favorite; however from that playdate forward, I think I will stick to a children's CD when I am transporting other's children.

Toaster

Confession: I do not cook and I don't teach my girls to cook. My grandfather frequently reminds me that I was very lucky to find Chris because there are not many men who will marry a woman who doesn't cook. I tell my girls, if they want to learn, they need to take a class or ask a relative who does cook.

The one thing I clearly kept a secret was the art of toasting as I do know how to use a toaster. During the summer of 2010, I was out gardening (which is also hilarious), when Allie asked if she could make cheese toast. Either I answered with my standard "uh-hu" or was out of my right mind when I said "yes". About 15 minutes later, Allie came out crying that something went wrong. If you can't tell by this picture, Allie attempted to make cheese toast (cheese and all) in a stand up toaster. We no longer have a toaster, but you'll be happy to hear that she has now mastered the toaster oven.

Historical Bowen Moments

Ah, yes, the middle child. Brylee Kate (a.k.a. BK) is the most honest child we have. Most children are honest to an extent, but BK is not just honest, she is brutally honest. If she loves something, she will tell you. If she is not happy with something, she will tell you. If she is miserable, she will do everything in her power to ensure that misery has company. This picture captures the overall summary of our family bike ride at the beach during the summer of 2011.

Bowen Quotes

Initially I was going to call this "Kid Quotes", but I realized one of the more recent quotes was made by Chris, their father...

Background: Our middle daughter found a letter I wrote Chris shortly after we became engaged.
BK: Mom, what is engaged?
Chris: It is latin for "mistake".
**What was ironic about this incident was the fact that we were headed to the shooting range.

MOTY

This was one of my more recent fantastic parenting moments...We were out to dinner with the best neighbors anyone could ask for. Like every "Mother of the Year" candidate, I was enjoying every chip and dash of salt La Bamba had to offer while our children did whatever children do (between the 2 families, there were 5 children). My neighbor's youngest came up to the table to report that Tucker was crying in the bathroom. First, I had no idea they had gone to the bathroom, much less armed with tatoos. Again, like every MOTY, I sent my husband to check it out. Clearly Tucker was not pleased with what the girls had done to him. I, on the other hand, found it hilarious. If you look closely, I believe Chris actually shed a tear of happiness as well. No worries though, I (attempted) to give my girls the "mother look" when they returned to the table. They have not done it again, but then again, it has only been about a month.